A spiritual question or how to match it with a scent

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

It is difficult to think of a gift better than eau de toilette: it is always relevant, there is plenty to choose from, and the prices for perfumery products are quite acceptable today. That is why February and March are the most profitable times for perfume shops and kiosks. Two days before the holiday, they sell here as much as they usually sell in a month. Correspondent Cleo turned to experts for clarification on how best to choose a gift for a man.

There are no spirits

“Male perfumes do not exist in principle, or I don’t know about them,” says Alexander Seregin, business development manager at United Europe Holding (the company is the main distributor of leading brands of perfumery and cosmetics in Russia). - Perfume is a very concentrated product that was originally created for evening outings. Just one drop of perfume retains the scent for a very long time. And men don't like to scent too much."

For these reasons, any men's toilet water always less concentrated than women. If women prefer eau de parfum (the best-selling product on the world market), then men prefer a weaker solution, toilet. In our country, it accounts for 90% of all sales.

Therefore, if you are in doubt whether to buy eau de parfum or men's toilet water, take the last one - the representatives of the stronger sex themselves usually do just that.

"Men are buying more and more body care products."

Men prefer large bottles. Consider this when you are going to buy something for him. This is another clear difference from our preferences. Women often take 30 ml samples that fit easily in a purse.

Even the fair sex often changes its preferences. According to experts, we women are happy to study all innovations. Men, on the other hand, usually “stick” to one scent and sometimes “hold on” to it all their lives.

You should not choose a scent for your friend that is very different from the one he usually wears. If you want the gift to be liked, it is better to look for the most similar one.

By the way, if you came to a perfume store and did not find a single suitable scent, you do not have to get hung up on aromas. Cosmetics are also a good choice.

“Men are buying more and more body care products,” says Svetlana Tishchenko, director of the marketing department of the L'Etoile chain. - Although it is difficult to call it “cosmetics”, our men are not used to this word. Usually they say "skin care products", "skin care for the skin around the eyes." New, advanced aftershaves and auto bronzes designed specifically for men are popular. Everyone wants to look better."

Russians prefer freshness

“In our country, as elsewhere, there are indisputable leaders: Chanel, Dior, Givenchy, Paco Rabanne, Kenzo,” continues Alexander Seregin. - Moreover, in terms of the choice of brands, Russia does not differ much from Europe or America. Russians are distinguished by their preference for fresh aromas. Although recently, interest in sweet smells has slightly increased. But in general, a fresh sea smell or, say, citrus scent is a win-win option."

Consider the seasonal difference - they wear sweet, powdery aromas in winter, fresher in summer.

“Although I, for example, all year round men's toilet water, - says Seregin.- I do not distinguish between summer and winter perfume. The choice rather depends on the mood or clothes: for the club, one option, for work - another."

Agree, sniffing all the bottles in the store is an almost impossible task.

Manufacturers are aware of this and strive to make life easier for customers: they shoot models of exactly the type of appearance for which the fragrance suits best.

"A fresh marine scent, or say citrusy, is a win-win."

“Often the decisive role in the choice is played by the models, the so-called viguela, which advertise perfumery,” says Svetlana Tishchenko. - You can draw a parallel and decide whether this smell will be good on a man or not. And in order to choose a scent even more suitable, the girl should ask the seller for advice. In response, he will ask her a few

leading questions. About how her chosen one looks like, how old he is, what preferences he has in clothes, what scent he used before and whether he wants to keep it. And then he will give advice."

Perfume risks

According to sellers from those departments of stores where perfumery and cosmetics are sold, to buy men's toilet water as a gift is a very risky business. It turns out that women often choose a scent "for themselves", that is, they take that scent that sits well on a woman's skin. It is not a fact that the smell will sound as pleasant on a man.

“Perfumery is such a thing that needs to be tried exclusively on the one who will use it,” Seregin believes. - Therefore, select men's toilet water a gift is better in his presence."

However, sometimes men themselves do not cope with the choice of their scent.

Indeed, in stores, there is usually such an assortment of goods that many smells are mixed, and the buyer can hardly distinguish one fragrance from another. And quite often the next morning, having scented himself, he realizes that he did not buy what he wanted. Good stores offer coffee sniffs to clear the senses. Its smell acts like ginger when you eat sushi: it removes the aftertaste.

In any case, you shouldn't try more than ten scents at once, you need to take breaks. And you shouldn't sniff one blotter after another. It splashed on the skin, smelled like it, got used to it a little. Then I smelled the coffee, and then we can start evaluating the next aroma. The main thing, however, as in any business, is not to rush.