Ever get the feeling that something is missing from your life? For me, it's my beloved Whiff blog. Albeit with a minimal audience and semi-diarist in its format, the Whiff brings me much joy. Thanks to the seasonality of projects in my current classic American day job, the winter is challenging for me to devote time to exploring other ventures. Thankfully spring is coming to my piece of the planet and I'm able to take in the warmer temperatures while getting back to some good old fashioned post-writing, and with some clever jockeying and calendar scrutinizing I can finally establish a year-round schedule.
My explorations into fragrance have barely begun and I'm anticipating what the future holds. I last left off at the end of summer 2012, and now is as good a time as any to rev the engines for another trip. A good burst of excitement to reinvent my wheel is that the Fragrance Foundation Awards (apparently they don't want to be called the FiFi awards anymore, something I object to just for the sake of brevity if nothing else, including the FiFis being fairly lesser known in general fashion to begin with) are coming June 12th.
I am excited that the Fragrance Foundation has created Consumers Choice categories for 2013 as part of its rebranding efforts which include a fashionable logo and media style. The two awards are part of a national ad campaign, and I hope that I am among the lucky ones who signed up early enough to receive a sample package. My only concern is that the two Consumer Choice awards have entries that are quite a different lineup from the finalists for the Fragrance of the Year awards in the various categories (women's luxe, men's luxe, women's nouveau niche, etc.) and the two packaging categories. People who become more interested in the foundation and study of fragrance via the awards might find it confusing that what is up for popular vote isn't necessarily the palate of what the foundation experts consider to be most influential that year.
From the roughly 10 shortlisted nominees in each category, the foundation selected 4 to 6 finalists in each category and they were revealed at a breakfest event on April 19th. The format of having a separate reception which incorporates all of the shortlisted houses and designers greatly appeals to my ideal of sharing the fragrance experience in a broad scale so that more designers, especially niche or indie designers who may not necessarily make the finalists' cut, have a chance to experience the community of fragrance one-on-one and share ideas. I'm not into the popular "artistic community" ethos, but there is definitely an element in that realm which fragrance needs to flourish.
But I digress. Since I am an average guy, and I tend to focus on guy things despite my occasional flights of feminine fancy, I will concentrate yet again on the men's awards. But don't think the awards is all I'm about when it comes to fragrance, I have a whole smattering of facts and trends I'm prepping to postulate for the year to come.
What's next for the Whiff?
- What's new in my collection, or "How I survived the 2012-2013 winter"
- You'll get an in-depth look at my assessment over the Consumer's Choice awards AND I'll reveal my votes.
- In-depth reviews of the critical reception for the FiFi... er..... Fragrance Foundation Award finalists.
- MetaBlind: You pick what I buy for my collection. Sometimes I can't decide, and I'd love to use some of my budget to see what the masses think I should get into blind.
- The long-awaited scent in food vs. scent in perfumery counterpoint analytical essay fun-fest.
Thanks to the one or two people who have casually glanced at the temporarily suspended in animation treatise on scent that is the Whiff and I am eagerly looking forward to more.
- Argent
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