The mind is incredibly powerful, especially when it comes to fragrance. It can convince us that a clone is better than the original before we have honestly compared the two. It can persuade us that an expensive niche or artisan fragrance must be exceptional simply because of its price, exclusivity, presentation, or the story surrounding it. It can even turn a genuine love of fragrance into snobbery. This is not just my opinion. Research has shown that expectations can influence how much pleasure people experience from a product. In one well-known study, people reported greater enjoyment from the same wine when they believed it was more expensive, and brain activity associated with experienced pleasantness changed as well. Research into smell has also demonstrated that the words and labels attached to an odor can alter how pleasant people believe it to be. In other words, we do not smell with our noses alone. We smell with our memories, expectations, emotions, and wallets. This happens on every side of the fragrance community. A great many brothers place tremendous emphasis on price, and it happens at both ends of the spectrum. We have guys praising fragrances largely because of how little they are willing to spend, while others praise fragrances because of how much they can afford to spend. One side may believe paying more is foolish, while the other believes paying less means accepting inferior quality. Sometimes, if you review people’s posts over time, the pattern becomes obvious. Certain people remain almost entirely in one lane. They praise, discuss, and comment on fragrances that support their existing position, but rarely experiment with or even participate in conversations about anything outside that category. There is nothing wrong with having a budget, a preferred category, or a particular style. The problem begins when price becomes the main measurement of quality, and our lane becomes the only lane we consider legitimate. At that point, we may not be judging the fragrance at all. We may simply be defending our buying decisions and the identity we have created around them.

https://youtu.be/VI8JgAkFONw?is=FYZ3QCKL73O5pJMh