One thing about me is that I’ll always tell you when I’ve found a bargain. My jacket? I thrifted it! My shoes? Thanks, they were on sale! With the cost of living remaining high, we’re embracing spending less on clothes, spurred on by apps like Depop and eBay. But a recent interaction proved that inexpensive beauty products — particularly perfumes — are rarely met with the same enthusiasm.
I discovered the Marks & Spencer fragrance collection along with millions of other perfume enthusiasts on TikTok this spring. At just £10 (approximately $7.70) the perfumes were considered excellent value for money and some were even said to be “dupes” for designer brands like Viktor & Rolf and Carolina Herrera. I fell for one scent, Orange Blossom & Amber, and I wore it on repeat all summer. The compliments came rolling in, until one day when a few friends were a little too honest in their opinions — but only after I had revealed the brand.
“On second thought, it smells a bit cheap,” one said over her coffee. Another chimed in, “Yeah, and I didn’t have you down for wearing something like that.”
My phone was obviously listening to the conversation because the first TikTok video I saw when I opened the app later was about “controversial” perfume opinions, namely what TikTok has coined “perfume elitism”. In a viral video, TikToker Emma aka @Perfumerism said, “I totally disagree with the elitism that comes with fragrances. Recently, I bought a $5 fragrance from Bath & Body Works and I got comments telling me I was ‘too good for that’. It’s like, ‘What do you mean?’ We can enjoy scents that don’t cost a hundred dollars.”
@perfumerism 3 of my controversial takes on perfume (+ perfumetok) #perfumetiktok #hottakes #fragrance #maceration #cologne ♬ [Do not disturb your voice] Heartwarming BGM(983631) – Kids Sound
The video amassed a number of comments in agreement. “Elitism!!!! Like should I only smell good if the fragrance was $200???” asked one. Another wrote, “HARD on the elitism! […] If it’s good and cheap, isn’t that even better?”
What exactly is fragrance elitism?
Fragrance elitism is clearly provoking people on TikTok but is it actually elitism? According to the Cambridge Dictionary, elitism is the “belief that some things are only for a few people who have special qualities or abilities”, like education, for example. When it comes to perfume, the semantics have changed slightly. Now it’s more colloquial.
I got in touch with Emma, who told R29, “Fragrance elitism is an attitude or belief that certain brands, fragrances or scent profiles are more ‘elite’, ‘exclusive’ or ‘better’ than others.” Emma first came across the concept while working on a perfume counter. “Fragrance elitists might …read more
Source:: Refinery29
