One way to use the perfumes I have (and quiet Inner Critic) is to share them with others. I'm planning a perfume party later this month and thinking about how I want to categorize/group/display them so that my guests can make sense of my collection.
Possibilities considered:
By fragrance family (oriental, floral, chypre, etc.)
By perfume house (Guerlain, Hermes, L'Artisan, etc.)
By year (vintage to current)
By gender (I avoid this categorization in my own life, but it may make sense to others)
The crowd will be a mix of women and men; some that have a keen interest in perfume, some that are just beginning to experiment and others looking for a new signature scent.
Still hoping to uncover at least one perfumista among them, I want to offer abundant sampling in the most appropriate and logical way.
Picture from fotosearch.com
My personal preference would probably to see them categorised by perfume house, and if you really had the inclination, perhaps by family within each house! I'd avoid the gender thing - I'd prefer people to make an assessment of a smell within any preconceived ideas.
ReplyDeleteI think Michael's idea is perfect!
ReplyDeleteI like to organize by House as well. i find if I try to do it by category or notes, they are too many cross-overs. By date is interesting, but what about "modern-vintage" perfumes like The Party, they sort of mess up your timeline of perfume development styles.
ReplyDeleteFunnily enough I thought "fragrance family" would present the best opportunities for exchanges of ideas between your guests.
ReplyDeleteHaving fragrance families should enable less familiar guests in particular to find what appeals to them and *then* refine which one of that family most appeals to them, winnowing down the choice to maybe one or two.
It would also enable guests to move between fragrance families more easily and encourage them to mix and mingle and chat.
As an additional bonus, it might embolden more experienced guests to step out of their comfort/familiarity zones and try a whole new category, an option that this type of occasion absolutely invites.
That's my thinking, for what it's worth.
Wish I could participate:-)
regards, Anna in Edinburgh
Thank you all for your suggestions! I appreciate your input and will consider your ideas as I go about planning.
ReplyDeleteI wish you could all come to the party!
did you have the party!?!
ReplyDeleteHi BF - we have postponed the party until we get our carpet laid - October 9th looks like the magic date!
ReplyDelete