Before I started making my own perfumes, I used to post
reviews on Fragrantica on a fairly regular basis. Soon after my business
started to take off and I started this blog, I stopped posting reviews on
Fragrantica, partly prompted by a colleague’s complaint that my modest praise
was actually a condemnation, and partly because I now had a new platform for my
reviews.
A few companies started sending me samples to review, and I
happily did so. A couple of years ago I made it a rule to review only what I
considered mass-market perfumes because reviewing the work of artisan or small
independent brands with limited distribution could be perceived as a conflict
of interest. In the meantime, the lines among categories have become
progressively blurred, and as I’ve become more generally known as a perfumer my
degrees of separation from colleagues have become ever-smaller and more
intricately enmeshed.
I have been surprised several times to find that one of my
old reviews or posts is the first item that shows up in a Google search.
Unfortunately this increased visibility has started to attract vitriolic
comments on some review posts as well as spammers who vainly hope that readers
of the comments will click on their links. I don’t need this.
The fact that one never really knows where a perfumer’s work
will show up means that I could unknowingly write an honest review of a
colleague’s work and only discover the direct or indirect connection later. For
better or worse, I have reached a point where everyone in the perfume community
is my colleague. The danger of creating a conflict of interest is too great to
take that risk.
For that reason, if you look at my blog today you will see
that I have gone back and deleted all perfume reviews (at least I think I got
them all). I will no longer post reviews of any type, but will continue to do
giveaways. Instead of Mass-Market Mondays there will be some new feature
associated with a giveaway. I haven’t decided what it will be, but it will
definitely be something meant to promote engagement and constructive
discussion. I welcome any ideas about a regular feature you would like to see
here.
[All images are by M C Escher]
Posts
I enjoyed reading your reviews, but I understand why had decided to remove them. It is indeed a very small world. I wish I had read all of them before they're gone.
ReplyDeleteVictor, I have everything archived, so they're not totally gone. We can still share thoughts confidentially.
DeleteGood choice! When I started scribbling out reviews, I made the decision that I wouldn't write, or say anything bad about small indies/niche perfumeries. The potential for damage is too great, and that's not the point. Besides, there are enough great scents out there to write about to keep one busy for the next hundred years or so!
ReplyDeleteRobert H.
Robert, it's unfortunate that people can't take honest reviews as being just one person's subjective opinion regardless of who is expressing that opinion. On another note, too often I see people who are superficially polite, never expressing a negative opinion, but behaving in unkind ways.
DeleteI have found that over the years, a well-crafted and thoughtful negative review has been a very helpful thing. Snarky ones can be fun, but their potential for damage is too great. Especially if one has an Evil Scent Twin, negative reviews can point one to a new perfume love! I found a couple of those via Luca Turin, who seems to be an Evil Scent Twin of mine.... I agree that for a working perfumer, reviews probably aren't the thing. It's one reason I remain a hobbyist!
ReplyDeleteMarla, I think some of the damage done by a snarky review is to the perfumer's ego, not to the brand in general. Coming from a long career in a science field where sharp criticism of everyone's work by everyone else working in the field is a way of life, I'm immune to taking anything personally.
DeleteHey Ellen,
ReplyDeleteWhatever you chose to do I will drop by and have a peek.
How about some more photos of your life, the small things of beauty you notice and the big.
I'd like to see more of that.
Portia xx
Portia, More views of my life might not be the most exciting feature, but it would be fairly easy to do. I've started posting things of beauty on Instagram, but can also do it here as long as those things of beauty aren't other people's perfumes!
Delete