What is perfume sillage
What is perfume sillage ? Many will have heard the word but not given a second thought as to what it means when it comes to perfume.
Think back to the times where you even been out somewhere with a group of women and the first thing you smell is the concoction of fragrance scents.
All those fragrance notes mixed together and not necessarily in a delicate floral way and the strongest ones seem to linger more that the rest.
A recipe for a bad nights headache perhaps ?
It’s not a word we hear very often when it comes to perfume or perhaps people use different words for the same thing. So what does it mean ?
What is Perfume sillage
Pronounced See-yazh , perfume sillage is simply the trail that a perfume leaves once it’s been on the skin.
Derived from the French word “wake”, many of the stronger fragrance notes will certainly do just that!
Imagine you have just sprayed your favourite perfume. You walk out of the room as someone else walks in.
They’ll notice your perfume scent that has been left behind in the room. A scent that lingers in the air after you have left.
We don’t need to be wearing a strong perfume for this to happen either.
We all have a fragrance that becomes our favourite one to wear and when we do wear if often our senses get used to the scent.
When this happens, we we no longer notice the impact it has on those around us.
When we are used to our favourite fragrance smell, we tend to spray more on so they we notice it more.
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Less is more
We forget or perhaps don’t realise that others around us will notice the scent and our fragrance will have a much bigger impact on them.
I remember a few years ago getting out of my car in the doctors car park and as i walked towards the main doors, I could smell the sillage of one of our FM fragrances.
A very distinct smell wafted in the air and I recognised it immediately.
I instantly knew that one of my friends was already siting inside the doctors surgery just by the perfume notes that were present in the air.
As soon as I entered the waiting room, there she was. I had to smile. I made a passing comment that I knew she was there before seeing her.
Powerful fragrances can have a very long lasting effect on ourselves and even more so when others around us smell it.
A great impression
We can make a great impression on others too when we enter a room with an amazing scent. Ever wanted to stand out and be noticed in a crowded room such as a party? Or wanting to impress the opposite sex with a stunning fragrance ?
Others do remember us for the fragrance that we wear, especially if it’s the same one that’s used daily.
There are fragrances on the market that will have a more powerful sillage than others.
Opium is definitely one of those perfumes, very popular back in the mid 70s and one that was almost too overpowering. More popular used by the older generation, it did throw a punch and is almost as iconic as Chanel no.5.
A fragrance that required a very delicate spray as its fragrance notes are strong. You will definitely know you are wearing it.
With a strong smell of coffee, pink pepper, jasmine, vanilla, cedar, patchouli and orange blossom, Opium is one of those perfumes that will leave others remembering you for such an iconic scent or they’ll be rushing for the headache pills !
We don’t all suit the same scent and overpowering, strong fragrances are only suitable for a selected few.
If you prefer a soft and subtle fragrance, take a look at Choosing the right perfume
In this post , I highlight the fragrance wheel to make it easier to choose the perfect scent.
Looking for a fragrance more suitable for children, perhaps for a birthday gift? Delicate fragrances are suited much more and we also have a selection of softer scents to choose from.
Take a look at my post for what to look for in fragrances for children.
Need any help with choosing the right perfume ? Contact us for any queries
