16 August 2011

The Great Smelly Debate - Naturals vs Synthetics

To quote Monica Miller of Skye Botanicals and Perfume Pharmer:
"‎...so....everybody knows I'm Bi-scentual right? I like both natural and blended scents...."

From the time I took notice of the world of natural perfumery there has been a debate over natural vs synthetic components of perfumes. I know some of you may think I'm beating a dead horse but the subject still comes up often.  Almost everyone has an opinion on this, leaning one way or another. I started this post months ago and never finished because I wasn't sure if I could do this justice as a post worth reading or just me rambling on about this or that. But in light of a recent event I felt it was the right time to attempt it. You see, once again there were comments made about the dislike of natural perfumes. But just because one doesn't like that segment of perfumery does it mean it should just go away? On the flip side there are some who feel the use of synthetics should stop all together.  Yes, there are aromas that can not be found in nature and are made in labs. And in my opinion there are some naturals that are far superior to synthetics in scent. Truth be told to me the whole subject is tiresome. We wear what we wear because we like it. So why does this debate still come up? Maybe as new perfumistas come around the subject is new to them and worth debating, while most 'old heads' have already buried it and placed a grave stone. 

What it boils down to is whether you appreciate all natural, blended or all synthetic perfumes what's most important is the quality of the raw materials used and the ability of the perfumer to make the magic happen.  We all know that we can be very passionate about our 'fumes. So does this end the great smelly debate? Of course not. It'll continue to resurface now and again. But I've noticed that there is a growing appreciation for naturals and I love that.  And I'll continue to blend with and wear my (and those of other NPers) naturals while eagerly awaiting my sample set from Atelier Cologne

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