Art of Perfumery

The other day after getting back home I had quite the experience.

It was a long day, I was out all suited and booted(not really) but a fairly formal look had to be maintained. I usually prefer a more comfortable semi-formal look and approach to my style, something simple and fast. Yet, that day I went out of my way and tried something "extra" formal.

After a quick run to the office and after taking care of our 3D business-related errands, I got back home for lunch. After lunch, I would be meeting a friend of mine, acquaintance would be the correct word, because I've only met the guy once before, and talked to him twice on social media.

Good guy, a university student, and a solid fragrance collector and enthusiast. We got to know each other from social media; thanks to our interest in perfumes.

He has quite the collection, worth around $3000 and above. He's been in the game for quite a while now, and on the side, he has a little side hustle of selling trading fragrances to make a bit of extra money. I respect the hustle, simply because, turning your hobby into a side hustle or profession isn't easy.

Even though my love for fragrances isn't as intense and extreme as his, passion is passion, and different people mean different hobbies. He gets his kick from fragrances, I do too, but it's nothing too extraordinary for me.

When it comes to the side gig and hustle of things, I used to do the same thing with the latest phones and gadgets about a decade ago. A few years in I even opened a little shop with a friend of mine. Alas, the business lacked vision and direction. I was just a teenager back then, so I don't blame myself too much.

After lunch the plan was to drop by this friend's house, to check out his "little" perfume collection.

So, after the clock hit 3 PM, I was out and on my way. He lived just about 10 minutes away from my place. I spent around 30 minutes at his place, "sniffing around" and checking out his latest and greatest collections. It surely was impressive, and even though I've laid my eyes on bigger collections, none of those came close to this collection in terms of exclusivity and niche fragrances. He surely knew what he was doing.

This one collection was all quality, instead of quantity.

The image above is of More Than Words by Xerjoff, a niche perfume brand. This thing is around 300 Euros in price, and he's selling it because he managed to get a solid deal on it.

Now he's trying to make a little profit. That much money for a single perfume bottle surely is crazy, but that's how niche perfumes are priced, and that's just the average, there are much more absurd price tags.

And there's art in perfumery too. Perfumers spend decades and years working with different ingredients, blends, and brands, and by that time they themselves become a brand; a well-known artisan of the perfume world.

Is the price absurd? Yes! But again, it's because of the high-quality ingredients, a well-known perfumer and brand, and a matter of exclusivity too. People pay for exclusivity and trust me, the market for these is huge.

Sure, it's not for me, I have other hobbies and "better" investments. For the price, I'd rather have 4 or 5 more perfumes, bought throughout 2 to 3 years. That's how my little "collection" is, but that's just me, my needs, wants, and priorities...

Yet, I do appreciate such work. And who doesn't love a nice smelling perfume?