How it was tested, and where the method is written down: How We Review.
The questions that come up most in the comments and in the DMs, answered with the same evidence the reviews use. Nothing here is invented; if a question is about a bottle that is not reviewed, it says so.
How long should a fragrance last?
It depends on the concentration and the skin, and the range on this site is real. A strong extrait like Afnan 9PM Elixir runs eight to ten hours, and so does Khadlaj Island Vanilla Dunes. An eau de parfum like Versace Eros runs six to ten. An eau de toilette like Nautica Voyage runs three to five, and Burberry Touch for Men runs three to five. If you want a number before you buy, look at the concentration first: the higher the oil, the longer it lasts.
What is the difference between EDP, EDT and Extrait?
The difference is how much fragrance oil is in the alcohol. Extrait or parfum is the most, usually 20 to 30 percent, and it is loud and long lasting. Eau de parfum is 15 to 20 percent and is the standard for most designer scents. Eau de toilette is 5 to 15 percent, is lighter, and fades sooner. It is the concentration, not the brand, that decides whether a scent works at the office or only at night. The full breakdown is in the how to choose a fragrance guide.
Is a dupe worth buying?
When the data backs it up, yes. Armaf Club de Nuit Blue Iconic is a straight clone of Chanel Bleu de Chanel and PickMyClone scores it eighty two percent accuracy. Nautica Voyage is scored 68 out of 100 against Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gio with 72 percent similarity by ScentMetric. Both are cheaper, both are genuinely close, and both score the wear honestly. Where there is no scored consensus the reviews say so rather than inventing one, which is its own answer: you are buying the original.
What is a note pyramid?
The note pyramid is the structure of how a fragrance reveals itself. The top notes are what you smell in the first thirty seconds, the heart notes carry the middle, and the base notes are what stays on your skin for hours afterwards. Read it in order and buy the opening you like, not the one you think you should. Every review on this site has the full pyramid drawn out, so you can check before you spend anything.
Is an extrait or EDP better for everyday wear?
No, and that is the point. An extrait is stronger, so it lasts longer and projects further, and for a lot of people that is the problem. A strong sweet extrait like Afnan 9PM Elixir is explicitly a night out scent, not a quiet office one, and the review says so. If you want something you can spray in the morning and forget about, an eau de toilette is the right tier. Save the concentration for the nights you want to be remembered.
How do I get more mileage out of a fragrance?
Spray less than you think, and spray the skin not the clothes. Pulse points work because they are warm, and they are warm because blood is close to the surface there. Two sprays on the neck and the wrists is usually enough. Do not rub your wrists together, because that breaks the molecules down faster and the heat accelerates the whole thing. And if you own a fragrance you love, keep it in the box in a drawer, not on a shelf, because heat and light are what actually kill a scent.
Which of these is the best value?
On the only measured value score available, Nautica Voyage at 8.6/10 from Parfumo, the highest value score in this entire review set. On crowd rating, Armaf Club de Nuit Blue Iconic at 4.23/5 from more than five thousand votes. Both have full reviews, along with what is wrong with each one: the Nautica Voyage review and the Armaf Club de Nuit Blue Iconic review.
Do you only review cheap stuff?
No. Versace Eros Eau de Parfum and Burberry Touch for Men are designer bottles, and the BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 is a two hundred dollar light bar. The site reviews what is worth your money at any price, including telling you to spend it somewhere else. The BenQ review says outright that it is real money and it is the one worth buying if you are buying one at all, and the ErGear review is twenty seven dollars. The price is on the page because the price is part of the decision.
How do you score them?
For cigars, out of 100, with the vitola, wrapper, binder, filler, strength and body broken out and a construction section, so you can see where the score came from. For fragrances, the community ratings are quoted from Fragrantica, Parfumo, ScentVerdict, ScentMetric, The Sniff Test and PickMyClone, and the longevity and projection come from the accord data. Every review cross-checks at least three sources, and where they disagree the review says they disagree rather than picking the flattering one.
Start with the how to choose a fragrance guide or the cigar buying guide.
