Customer education is an uphill battle at best, but sometimes I think moreso for natural perfumers. Because of the prevalence of mislabeling and using “natural” as a marketing term only, those new to true all-natural perfumes bring their expectations based on their experience with purely synthetic and synthetic/natural fragrance blends.
So, for those who don’t already know, here’s the news:
Naturals don’t behave like synthetics at all. The differences in behaviors between synthesized molecules and natural ones is dramatic, and this inconsistency is what has led to schisms in practice and philosophy between naturalist and syntheticists.
As a basic key, here is what to expect from your natural perfume:
- As it evaporates, it will reveal layers - sometimes layers from the same plant note. Verbena is especially complex in this manner.
- Citrus will last for a very short time.
- The scent will not be strong the way we typically think of strong perfumes. It will have an opening note and quickly change nature.
- Natural perfumes are usually subtle and cleave to the skin - they are not designed to take over a room, but are instead intended to alter the character of your personal space in a way only perceptible to you and to those with whom you are intimate.
It is frequently the case that what you find at first sniff will not resemble what you smell on your skin an hour later. There are a lot of components involved in this, especially your own biology.
