"Projection", a perfume term explained

Projection is another term to master when you are really into perfumes.

Think skunk

It refers to the perfume aura or the fragrant cloud created around the wearer after a perfume is sprayed. You can smell it when you are near the wearer but not when the person is gone or as you step away, though some fragrances can have a really high projection at first spray and be sniffed from half a mile. A “projection” is a sort of "static misty scented bubble" around the wearer at first spray and its perception by others when you are there. So, it's the vertical radiation of your fragrance when pushed into the air, while "sillage" is the horizontal trail you leave behind you.

Technically

When a perfume doesn’t have projection, it means it "stays close to the skin". This applies to perfumes with heavy base notes such as woods, resins, musk, vanilla, but no top notes or very little, as top notes, often fizzy citrus, evaporate quickly and create a big projection. Sometimes, projection also comes from the dry-down of some heart or base notes with citrusy, herbal or quick-evaporating uplifting nuances.

A perfume with a huge projection can leave a monster sillage or trail. Hence, the confusion between these two terms. They are similar but they are not the same. Also, do not confuse "projection" with "strength". It's totally different from the “intensity" (strength) or power of a perfume.

So, make sure the consult the Performance tab for each of our fragrances to check its projection level.