Testing on Pause: Reason & Science + First Impressions

🔥

I haven’t been posting full reviews recently and have mostly stuck to SOTDs but there’s a reason for that.

Over the last 2 to 3 months, my skin hasn’t been behaving normally. But in the last 3 weeks the longevity dropped across the board, projection felt weaker, and my scent perception felt slightly muted. Tried heavily moisturising and overspraying but didn’t fix it.

At the same time, I noticed other signs that made me suspect mild micronutrient insufficiency, particularly iron, zinc and omega 3.

I am going to geek out a bit so here’s why al this matters in a fragrance context.

Iron is required for haemoglobin synthesis and oxygen transport. If iron status drops, you can develop reduced tissue oxygenation and sometimes lower skin temperature. Fragrance volatility is temperature dependent. Warmer skin increases evaporation and diffusion and vice versa. Iron deficiency can also impair epithelial turnover, which includes skin integrity.

Zinc is directly involved in gustatory and olfactory receptor function. Zinc deficiency is a known cause of hyposmia (poor smell) and dysgeusia (poor taste). Even subclinical deficiency can blunt olfactory sensitivity. Zinc also supports keratinocyte function and wound healing. Skin barrier integrity affects transepidermal water loss. If your barrier is compromised, you may have drier skin, which tends to absorb fragrance oils more rapidly instead of allowing them to sit and diffuse.

Omega 3s support membrane fluidity and reduce inflammatory signalling. They contribute to stratum corneum (outermost layer of skin) integrity and help maintain lipid balance in the skin. A healthier lipid layer generally means better moisture retention. Extremely dry skin often leads to weaker fragrance longevity because the volatile components dissipate faster or bind differently to the skin surface.

All of this probably started when I removed fish, eggs and red meat and was mainly eating chicken breast, vegetables and carbohydrates for weight loss. That dietary pattern is lower in:

• Highly bioavailable iron

• Zinc from animal sources

• Long chain omega 3s (EPA/DHA)

The timeline of dietary change and reduced fragrance performance lined up.

I then realised fragrance performance is multifactorial. It depends on:

• Skin temperature

• Sebum production

• Hydration status

• Skin pH

• Fragrance composition

• Environment

Micronutrient status is one variable, not the only one. But it is biologically plausible that impaired olfaction plus altered skin condition could distort testing.

So I’ve adjusted diet and added appropriate supplementation. In theory, once iron stores, zinc levels and fatty acid balance normalise, skin condition and scent perception should return to baseline. Until then, I’m not doing serious longevity testing because the variable of “me” is currently unstable.

It’s interesting how fragrance can act as an unexpected biofeedback mechanism.

Also if you think im wrong somewhere, feel free to fact check me because i got the info from my own research and im no expert so i could be wrong.

Bottom line is eat well and make sure you have balanced meals. Health is wealth and good health shows benefits in ways you can’t even think of

—————

Now geek session is over class. Time for quick first impressions of fragrances ive tried in the past week.

Afnan Supremacy Collector’s Edition

Pineapple juice spilled on a wooden table in your garden surrounded by wet grass. Slightly sharp and synthetic to my nose. Decent for the price. 6.5/10

Le Labo Santal 33

Picture carpenter shop, vinegar and papyrus essential oil. Thanks to Byredo i can spot papyrus from a mile away now. Very linear. I understand the cult status but personally not worth the price. 5/10

Armani Stronger With You Powerfully

Fruitier and slightly smokier interpretation of Stronger With You Parfum. The drydown is extremely close. If you own Parfum, this is largely redundant. 7/10

Coach for Men Eau de Parfum

Fresh woody leather with mild spice. Very balanced, safe and mass appealing. Could easily be a daily signature. Needs another full wear. 8/10

Parfums de Marly Carlisle

Rich, warm, addictive. If Oajan, Angels’ Share and BBA formed a triangle, Carlisle would sit in the centre stylistically. Deep, sweet, slightly resinous oriental profile. 9/10

Hugo Boss Bottled Beyond

Simpler than Coach EDP. Ginger and leather over the classic Boss structure. Minimalist masculine everyday scent. Slightly underrated. 8/10

Once everything is back to baseline, I’ll retest properly under stable conditions.

7 comments