July 13, 2025

Too Much of a Good Smell - The Myth of Longevity in Perfumery

19 minutes

This week on the show, Karen is finally addressing an issue that has been annoying her for years - the obsession with extreme longevity of a fragrance. There is a theory that the longer a perfume lasts, the more desirable and worthwhile it is - but Karen is calling that a myth. In this week's episode, Karen is here to explain that just because something doesn't last, that doesn’t mean it’s bad. Instead, she argues

that perfume is meant to be savoured in personal moments—it's something for yourself, not for others. The real challenge lies in how to embrace this idea during the creative process without sacrificing your work.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Recently, consumers and perfumers have begun to confuse durability with quality. Karen breaks down why she thinks this is happening and why it is bad for the fragrance industry.

Karen explains why the beauty of a perfume is not in its longevity but in the smaller moments that make you realise why you’re wearing it in the first place.

When somebody makes a scent they love, but doesn’t last a long time, they try to add materials in a desperate attempt to create longevity. Karen explains why this never works and why it will destroy your scent.

Adding materials that fade away can be an invaluable tool to creating a unique scent. Karen explains why this is and how to achieve this.

BEST MOMENTS

“Perfume isn’t a marathon, it's a moment, an experience. Something that you enjoy whilst it’s happening.”

“The obsession with longevity is drowning out the subtle approach.”

“Don’t start with longevity as the goal. Start with the perfume you want to create.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Perfume Making 101 Masterclass

Materials Mastery

Getting Started Guide
Artisan Perfumery Mastermind

ABOUT THE HOST

Fragrance expert, author, teacher and speaker; Karen Gilbert runs courses in the UK and online which demystify the secretive world of perfumery in a fun and interactive way.

Karen has inspired thousands of students to explore their olfactory sense and create their own personalised fragrances.

With extensive product development experience in both the commercial perfumery and the organic skincare industry, Karen is able to offer a unique insight into creating natural and mixed media fragrances for fine fragrance, room scents and skincare/bodycare products using commercial perfumery techniques.

Karen is also a certified meditation teacher and has a passion for helping people to create daily rituals that integrate scent with other modalities to shift state and increase your sense of wellbeing.

CONTACT DETAILS

Website

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YouTube

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

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By Karen Gilbert

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