I was so shocked at this statement that I couldn't begin to inquire further. Have you ever heard this? I do wonder what the basis is for this statement. Is it that drier skin requires a stronger scent?

Rubbish !

*boggle*

I can't believe she would say such a thing. Is it because she was out of the parfum you asked for?

I think I heard once that oilier skin retained scent better, but that's a weird thing to say! Some women have naturally dry skin before menopause and vice versa...

(AND shouldn't the SA try to be selling the more expensive Parfum? but that's beside the point..)

Bull hockey!! Don't they want sales?

Hey, I'm in menopause!!! Ladies, send me all of your pure parfum, NOW!!
;-)

As Jicky said, "Rubbish!"

She did not have the pure parfum, so, I guessed she was trying to switch my appeal to the edt. No, I didn't buy it. But in all my years of perfume shopping, I've never heard this line!

Of course they'd run out of the parfum! I hate when they adjust what they say according to the sales pitch!
I was at a Chanel counter that had run out of Cristalle, so the SA told me "It's the least popular Chanel, why would you want it?"

They should make SAs take a perfume equivalent of the Hippocratic oath or something! It's not all about the sale..or maybe I'm just naive..

She probably meant that the parfum would be more appreciated by an older woman and not by a young slip of a girl like yourself chanel...LOL!

Well, thank you Barry! I'll look at it in that light. Actually, I think the SA is in maturity denial. She has to be over 40 and she has a stud in her tongue...

ha!!!

yes.
that explains it perfectly.

harper

I swear, if an SA ever tries something like that on me, I'll stare her/him right in the eye and say "Because all your others stink unbearably".

Too funny!! Did you respond: "Oh, I see. Have you found that fragrance concentrations smell different to you after The Change?"

FIRE HER BUTT!

The SA was obviously ignorant and very agist (sp?), however the argument bears examining........

To my mind , I think the hormonal changes a person goes through in life ( and I am talking men as well as women here) have a role to play in his perfume choices , apart from the simple fact that tastes change.

I mean ( and no offense intended - please bear with me while I explain ) that young people full of pheromones have a chemistry that enhances most perfumes and so a little will do them. They have already a certain smell of their own and this smell is meant to attact and seduce , so there is no need to cover that up , just enhance it if they feel like it.
As we age , that natural smell dissipates and skin has a tendency to dry up ( although that's not conclusive for all people) , so it retains a little less of what we put on top of it. It need some aid.

Also , women of a certain age usually ( not the term usually) have partners of a certain age too , who may appreciate the parfum concentration more.
Our nose loses some of its power all the time , so by the time one reaches menopause one has lost some of it and so maybe need a little more intense sensations.

It has always struck me as very peculiar and narrow-minded that on perfume boards people are very ,very "inflamed" by this fact.
I mean , we all agree that we lose some of our vision , some of our hearing with age , why not part of our smell ? Why is it so difficult to understand that smell is something that deteriorates too?
My guess is because deep down smell is very much linked to taste -in choosing perfume- , so an allegation or insinuation that someone has chosen something that doesns't smell right , may be a direct accusation of his/her taste or even _ god forbit- personal hygiene ( the remarks regarding that can be very tasteless indeed......) Both of which I don't think apply for the reasons stated.



So , the SA may have had those things at the back of her mind , but of course she lacked the eloquency and politeness to express it in a more coherent way ( not that I consider myself so eloquent...)and she delivered that unacceptable line.

It is that thicker SA requires a bigger brain.

Well that's no fun. I'm glad SHE doesn't run the universe.

Huhh?? Scratches head.


Amjack

LOL, I'm not...but if anyone believes this hoooy, please do send me your parfum...esp in the Guerlains, Chanels, Carons!

Does that mean you have to bring a sample for her to test before she will sell you parfum? "Sorry madam,my test kits says you are not past the menopause. The SA says NO!'

What a ridiculous thing for an SA to say!

The parfum is the pure juice and was meant to be what was sold. They made edt's and edp's to make it more affordable!

She's just another ignorant SA

Clearly, you weren't shopping at Nordstrom, because the SA would have offered to find it in another store or ordered it for you.

My clientele who are older appreciate the pure parfum strength. They also are more traditional and realize that if they apply a parfum it is worn in the evening and it will be stronger and last longer. They may also remember their Mother applying parfum with a special dropper and they now want to do that. Usually it is something they "want" in their later years. Classic parfum and classic dress.

Younger women seem to want lighter, fresher more fun fragrances for day and some that are heavier and sultry for evening. This has been my observation. Their men seem to encourage them to wear what they prefer.

I myself prefer stronger, fuller scents and the pure parfum versus wearing edts.

I am in the change..

Exactly. It's not for the SA to tell you what you do or don't want. It's up to her to find you what you asked for. That's the bottom line, not whether women of a certain age prefer stronger strengths.

I can appreciate what Helg had to say.

However, I think don't think this was the SA's take on things. I think the SA was running off at the mouth before engaging her brain.

I, in my teens, and since, usually only purchase the parfum. If that isn't available, I will go for the EdP. The only EdT I've ever worn is Cerutti 1881 for Women. I've never seen it in any other concentration.

If I was this woman's boss, I would be livid.

Many times I find the parfum to be smoother, not stronger, and staying closer to the skin and more sublte than the EDT or EDP, so I wouldn't go by the SA's reasoning that parfum is much stronger or louder, and therefore too heavy for younger women. I wish SA's would let people make up their own minds on what they prefer. Next time she hands you that line, tell her you had a total hysterectomy and went through premature menopause, now HAND over the PARFUM!

Just like Demetrue says......

The parfum has less sillage and is closer to the skin. Actually it's not quite as strong and has more oil and less alcohol.

In Opium for instance. The parfum is softer.....and not as obvious at the edt or edp.

Let's GET REAL. The main reason people do not buy the pure juice is because they do not want to spend the money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eeeew!

And yes, it was a very strange thing to say to someone about parfum.

She just didn't have any class and wasn't knowledgeable. Why do we listen to SA's? Unless they've been trained by their line. Most of them don't know what the heck they're talking about if they're at a "general perfume counter".

I'm with Demetrue and Glo. Perfume has less sillage and is actually a little harder to smell. If you're arguing we lose our sense of smell as we get older, then it would make better sense to recommend the edt or edp in a spray.

I swear I think she said it because she didn't have the perfume and she wanted to make a sale anyway.

The reason older women buy perfume is because we can finally afford it.

The commercial scent perfume has less sillage. Naturals have more strength than natural edt.

I totally agree older women buy perfume because they can finally afford it..Yes indeed.

I also like to collect the bottles and usually the really expensive stuff has the nicer bottles and packaging..

Or, alternatively, they may want to but they can't afford it.

Since the word "Menopause" was used specifically, that leads me to believe that the SA feels its a hormonal issue. That said, if it is a hormonal issue, then it would also apply to women of any age who are pregnant or menstrating.

I have to chime in...At 62, you all know that I'm ten years past the 'pause' and happy, happy that's over!!!

What you have to do, is moisturize your skin with scentless body lotion, or wear the complimenting lotion and perfume. I've read that scent last longer (assuming we have dry skin) and it makes sense to me.

I would have been highly insulted if a SA made a reference to my age, hormones or lack thereof.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Damask Rose :)

Back again. This thread has made me think of the two wonderful SAs who worked in the drugstore where I first began buying my supply as a teenager. They were fantastic and let us teenagers try all the greats. At the time I was constantly saving up my allowance to buy parfum in Intoxication by D'Orsay (I believe it was a fruity floral chypre) and Miss Dior, plus so many others--the Fabergés, Arpège, Chanel No. 5, etc.! (Perfume prices were not inflated at that time like they are today.) I'm so glad they didn't tell me to wait till menopause! LOL

Helg, I concede your point, HOWEVER--I still think it's incredibly rude/inappropriate/shocking/pigheaded, etc. for a SA to say something like that. It's just incredibly WRONG.

Wear what you want. sheesh. SAs of all people need to stop EXCLUDING groups from certain fragrances.

The perfume concentration is the way to go if it is available in that particular scent and if one can afford it. She may be used to the more mature ladies being able to afford perfume.

Agree with everyone who feels that perfume has the LEAST sillage and is MORE subtle than the other forms - it stays much closer. It is my preferred form of a frag in most instances.

I think EDT and EDP formulations are why a lot of non POL people hate perfume - it smells "overapplied" even at first blast and then wafts all over the place. It is gross even to me and I love perfume.

So you get the overapplication affect and it doesn't last as long. Double wammy.

Wow...where to begin with this thread... there are so many quotes I feel the need as an SA to respond to....



Yes it does... drier skin will shed your scent along with skin cells faster...



As an SA, I'd love to sell as many pure parfums as I could...not just for the commission, but I think the whole experience of applying a pure parfum is more special than just spritzing some random scent when your on the go...



If she was a quality SA (which I'm guessing she’s NOT!!) she should have gone through the Certified Fragrance Sales Specialist (CFSS) training like I did... it really does hone your selling skills, but more than that, it helps you connect with your customers better. You learn to sell to the customer, what they want, what they should be wearing (concentration, ancillary...etc) you also learn how customers vary...don't just push what the 'hot, fad' item of the season is... and you learn how to convey that each customer is different, and what works for me (I get asked all the time what my opinion of a scent is...) may not work for you and vice versa. That’s why we have so many great scents...if everyone wore the same thing it'd be so BORING!!!



Helg had some great points..(Didn’t want to quote her whole post though...) Hormonal changes make a HUGE difference in our perfume choices... and yes, as we age our skin does react differently to perfumes and products. Our sense of smell does deteriorate as we age (just like our sight and taste and hearing..smell is no different) The Sense of Smell Institute has greatly studied this... and it is proven that women who are older do tend to gravitate towards "heavier" scents because they just cant smell the lighter concentrations. Now...your sense of smell may not start fading until you hit 80...but for some women it may happen a lot sooner...genetics and biology are funny things... Also it is proven (with more studies) that women who have gone through menopause have changed their scent preferences... I saw my mother do this after her hysterectomy...because your hormones have such large role in your senses they do affect your perfume choices...I have had many customers tell me the same thing...



Now I don’t work for Nords...but I would have certainly offered to find you a store that carried the pure parfum...even if you went there to buy it (and not from me) the commission doesn’t matter..Having a happy customer is the point! Because in all likely-ness, that customer will remember that I went and found what she/he wanted...and even if they didn’t buy something from me then, they'll probably be back... repeat business is still business...the point is to get your customers coming back to you...they might not buy all the time, but they will remember who you are! That’s just good customer service.



I agree that this particular SA hasn't been trained very well... but I'm at a "general perfume counter" and I have gone through extensive training... though this may just be me, but I hate saying "I DONT KNOW" to a customer, so I make sure that I'm knowledgeable about most fragrances (even ones that I don’t carry)... That’s one great thing about POL, I've learned so much here by talking to all of you wonderful people that it makes my job so much easier (and my customers are impressed by my knowledge... my co-workers refer to me "The Sponge"... they always call me when they have a perfume question... some customers come back and ask for the girl "who knows all that perfume stuff' Ha Ha Ha....

This SA needs to go back to Selling 101 though...I agree that she was tactless in her selling approach, I'm guessing she was just trying to save a sale that day...but she could have made a better sale (though maybe at a later date) by going the extra mile to make sure they got the pure parfum for you...because I'm sure that you'd go back to a SA who went that extra mile...She didn’t realize the value of "LONG TERM CUSTOMER SERVICE"....


WOW! Once I got started I just couldn’t stop....WHEW!!! Can we tell I just go off from work?? Ha Ha Ha


Dawn

It's o.k. Dawn. We know you know what you're talking about.

Dawn , your posts are always great "insider" info. Thanks!


(and of course the line of the SA was unacceptable , it was rudely-phrased to begin with)

"Younger women seem to want lighter, fresher more fun fragrances for day and some that are heavier and sultry for evening. This has been my observation. Their men seem to encourage them to wear what they prefer."

I must have been "strange" in my youth, because I have never been very particular about lighter scents - or fun, whatever they might smell like. I have always been a deep ambery, oriental kind of gal, with some exception for something more spritzy in warm summer days.

Now that I'm going through "The Change I can't say that my preferences have been altered, neither have my capability to smell them deterioated. Yet.... Since it's a well known fact, that our capability to experience scents and tastes, get less and less honed as time goes by - like the rest of our senses does.

On the subject of our sense of smell waning as we get older. I would say in general yes, all of our faculties tend to fade. However, in the case of perfumistas we are very similar to trained noses, if not in the technicalities of scent composition, in the discernment of notes. I submit that this passion for perfume and the constant testing, comparing, characterizing and organizing of perfumes is equivalent to other brain exercise that keeps your faculties sharp, like math, music, writing or any other mental discipline. I therefore suggest that as perfume aficionados get older we can actually improve our sense of smell rather than have it deteriorate. Any comments on this point of view?

Let me give you an example with math. When my mom was on her deathbed at the age of 88, my brother came into the room to tell her about some bills he had paid because she was worried about them. He listed the bills and the amounts and told her the total he had paid out of her account. "That's wrong," she said, and proceeded to give the correct total, which she had added up in her head as he went along. That's because my mom was a trained accountant and businesswoman who loved math and added figures up in her head all the time as second nature. Her mind was sharp and clear in general, and just as sharp as ever in math. I tend to think it's the same with perfume and the sense of smell.

My guess is that our sense of smell becomes more discerning as we educate it, but that it grows less acute with age regardless. No matter how we train our eyes and ears, for example, the ability to see and hear declines. But we may be better able to define *what* we are seeing and hearing.

Sorry, Twitchly, I edited and added a paragraph while you were answering. I would agree with you and I think it's possible that compensation is at work in later years for the trained nose. Other parts of the brain may fill in the empty spaces from experience where the nose doesn't discern a scent fully.

I agree with you 5oaksbouquet.

But on the specific SA , she had no clue it was a perfumista she was talking about.
That makes all the difference.

True, helg. And I would add that's all the more reason to be circumspect in her judgments, and not jump to conclusions about the customer.

I mostly think they function on auto-pilot.
Most , at least , there are exceptions.

Geez! When I was just a little girl my Gram let me wear the REAL parfum!