scents and insensitivity- a mr. productaddict intervention

ok, so here’s the thing…

I would be perfectly happy to throw out the occasional kudos to a favorite fragrance and hope my advice takes root, but, quite frankly, i don’t think that’ll make a dent in the big picture. yeah, more guys than ever before are diving into the world of scent – and there’s the problem. they are literally drowning themselves. and in less than stellar scents, too. it’s made me shudder even more at the thought of public transportation.

solution? well, i think some education is in order. summer may have just arrived, but there’s still one last test we’ve got for you. we call it the productaddict S.A.T. (scent aptitude test)…take a whiff:

1.first and foremost, the person i wear fragrance for is…
a.) myself
b.) my wife/girlfriend/soulmate and/or life partner
c.) everyone on the 7:52 from syosset

2. my personal taste in scents gravitates toward…
a.) the heady orientals
b.) the light effervescence of a citrus or verbena
c.) whatever maxim magazine smells like this month

3. i was swayed into my current scent by…
a.) it’s cedar top notes
b.) a drydown that hints of first flush darjeeling tea
c.) the donald trump umbrella gift with purchase

4. my favorite place to shop for a new scents is
a.) bergdorfs
b.) serge lutens shiseido salon in the palais royal
c.) the duane reade checkout while i wait for my generic prescriptions

5. when deciding on a new scent, i always trust
a.) my instinct
b.) the opinions of friends, family, loved ones and mr. productaddict.
c.) the overly rouged saleslady who sprayed me while browsing the discount neckwear…but hey, she was wearing a labcoat – she must know her stuff, right?

6. originality is key in your choice of scent, that’s why i…
a.) asked creed to whip up something special just for me
b.) keep abreast of new entries in the niche fragrance market…l’artisian, bond, whathaveyou
c.) write kevin federline thrice daily begging him to launch a scent already.

7. to me the concept of “layering” scents means…
a.) reinforcing a classic like hermes eau d’orange verte with it’s matching soap
b.) the subtle audacity of pairing a crisp acqua di parma with an earthy sandalwood aftershave
c.) axe deodorant + axe shower gel + axe body spray = awesome

8. i understand that scent is a powerful memory trigger. mine evokes…
a.) that summer in capri
b.) dawn at angkor…after the rain
c.) that road trip I took visiting every chemical plant and overchlorinated public pool along the new jersey turnpike

9. i’ve found my cologne always gets compliments…
a.) on a date
b.) from random strangers
c.) for the way it strips paint off old furniture

10. when applying fragrance, my motto has always been…
a.) a little goes a long way
b.) brevity is the soul of the spritz
c.) if it burns, it must be working

how’d it go? truth hurts, huh?
scent, you see, is not for the faint of heart or weak of nostril.
i will soon be adding reviews of some of my favorites, but in the meantime i recommend checking basenotes.net for some serious fragrance tunnelvision.