A Wren Says

This week I’ve been wearing 1 Million by Paco Rabanne. It’s a woody scent, with some spice. As a quick review, I enjoy smelling it on myself, except it doesn’t seem to last very long on my skin. I have had better results getting it to linger on my clothes. It doesn’t seem too overpowering at all. No one seems to have noticed the scent or said anything about it. And oh yeah, it’s a men’s fragrance that I feel very comfortable wearing as a woman.

Beyond the review on the product, let’s focus on that.

For marketing purposes, fragrances are often categorized as for men or for women. It’s easier to sell a product if you create a clear target market for it. Here’s the thing: We tend to take that literally. Instead of smelling everything to see what we most enjoy, we prevent ourselves from trying fragrances, because they aren’t for us. If I’m a man, I’m avoiding the women’s perfume and vice versa. Unfortunately, that kind of behavior closes us off from potentially finding a surprising favorite.

Instead of focusing the gender a fragrance is marketed to, focus on the notes. Instead of sticking to one section of the fragrance aisle, wander over and smell everything. Don’t let the idea of a men’s vs women’s fragrance divide limit you as you try fragrances. The world of fragrance is far too big for that. Try everything for yourself and be willing to explore it all.