I expected this to make the scent stronger, of course. But to my surprise, it also seemed to change the proportions. Normally, Cadjmere is sweet powdery coconut milk, with some wood to ground it and just enough sandalwood spice to keep the sweet from going overboard. I don't usually perceive the sandalwood as such, I'm just aware of it adding complexity to the scent.
With the overapplication, the sandalwood is magnified; it seems to be as strong as the coconut milk. The scent is less sweet, less pretty, and even more interesting.
I feel as if I should be able to figure out the reason behind this. As I understand it, the scent of a perfume comes from a mix of aromachemicals that are evaporating, in different proportions, from my skin. I have a faint memory that the reason that a scent can smell different from different distances, is that the heavier chemicals don't travel as far as the lighter ones, so the proportions keep changing with distance. I don't know if that's true, but it makes sense.
But I can't come up with a geeky explanation for changed proportions with heavier application. It has to be something that involves the heavier chemicals - the sandalwood is a basenote and therefore heavier, right? - being available in a higher proportion than they usually are. I think. But no theories are coming to mind.
I'll keep thinking. Meanwhile, I like it a lot. It's unfortunate that I'd have to drown everyone around me to experience it. But I have a new at-home scent now, and I'll be experimenting with over application of other scents.
Review Roundup: Is here.
Photo: By Dino Sassi - Marcel Fayon. Wikimedia Commons.
Well, I recently gave my sample of this away to a coconut- and sandalwood-loving friend in Sweden, though I am not sure I ever heard what she made of it. I found it a tad sweet myself until quite late on and got impatient, never thinking of increasing the application in the spirit of "more is less" - or "different". Too late now, so I shall take vicarious pleasure in your further scent experiments. : - )
ReplyDeleteYou probably don't need to feel _too_ much regret - while there's a higher proportion of spice in the sweet with an overapplication, there's still also a whole lot of sweet, so it probably wouldn't have saved it for you.
ReplyDeleteHmm. I have yet to put on perfume today. I wonder what would happen with an overapplication of Daim Blond?