Every chic outfit needs a spritz of the perfect fragrance to complement it. With that being said, whether you’re buying a perfume gift box for yourself or a loved one, you want to ensure it’s the perfect match. But with perfume aisles resembling a fragrance forest, choosing the right scent can feel as difficult as navigating a blindfolded bouquet toss. If this is your dilemma, do not despair – we’ve got you.
Popularly known as ‘The Perfume Plug’, fragrance connoisseur, Brand Manager, and entrepreneur Zesipho Mncwango, courtesy of Previdar (you’re welcome) – is here to give you the ultimate fragrance shopping guide. An expert in the field, she shares pro tips for qualities to look out for when shopping for perfumes and more. Enjoy!
How did your platform ‘The OfficialPerfumePlug’ come about?
The love affair with Fragrance began when I was a Brand Manager in the Luxury Beauty industry. Perfumery felt like the inaccessible, exclusionary and complex part of the Beauty industry. That didn’t sit well, because my passion is creating inclusion & diversity in luxury and niche brands/products/experiences.
After transitioning out of the Beauty Industry, Fragrance was the aspect I most missed and still revered. And then ‘The OfficialPerfumePlug’ came about. I have the privilege of sharing my love affair for Perfume discovery, reviews & recommendations with what is now South Africa’s biggest and official Fragrance platform and community.
As a perfume enthusiast, which qualities do you look for in a fragrance?
Primarily, it’s about Personality, Performance and the Source.
Perfume is an extension of personality; I look for the essence of the scent’s personality, because that tells a story which we tap into when choosing scents to wear in order to create the energy and aura we want to exude.
Performance, because I love a scent that stands on business!
The key measures of performance are the longevity of a scent, its projection – how well it creates a scent bubble around me and whether it’s beast-mode enough to fill the space I’m in in order to make it special and standout. And lastly the sillage; that is the fragrance-trail that lingers once I’ve left.
The Source of the fragrance is also critical, I want to support businesses that are committed to doing good for our communities, our society and our planet. That matters to me. I want to become more intentional in putting a spotlight on fragrance houses that have that purpose.
Speaking of qualities, does a higher price tag equate to better quality when it comes to fragrances?
Gurl Bye! [chuckles] That is an absolute myth and one of the reasons why The OfficialPerfumePlug is such a necessary online platform in helping people feel safe to ask these kinds of questions, and get factual answers about fragrance.
There are fragrances that have hefty price tags which have shady performance and ones that have Small-Street price tags that have remarkable performance.
Some key things that determine the quality of a fragrance are:
– How the perfume was made; the notes, accords and composition.
– When the fragrance was made; most people don’t know this. Have you ever noticed how some of your fragrance juices get darker over time? That’s called ‘Maceration’ and allowing your fragrance to undergo that over a few weeks, months or years will significantly improve the quality of the scent.
– The way in which you store the perfume; storing it steamy, warm or light-drenched areas instead of dimly-lit cool areas.
– The wearer’s application of the scent; applying fragrance to well moisturised skin and on your pulse-points is an absolute game-changer in getting the best performance and projection from your scent.
Valentine’s Day is around the corner. What are your top tips for selecting a fragrance to gift someone?
Chile, buy your person a fragrance that you like, so that you can wear it more than they do #MjoloNomics. I said what I said. [chuckles]
I get asked this question each and everty2 weeks or’ro monthly on The OfficialPerfumePlug, so I now have a fail-proof method:
– Consider the personality and lifestyle of the person you want to, because a persons fragrance is often an extension of those things.
– Gift sets are such a great way to give your person a gift that is value for money because not only do the get a full size bottle, but they also will get either a travel size or scented lotion that they can use to layer their fragrance with.
– Discovery sets. These are literally my favourite thing in the world. Discovery sets are a box that consists of a collection of sample sized bottles from a single brand or various brands. They enable us to sample and try multiple fragrances before deciding to purchase a full size bottle. They allow you to build variety into your fragrance collection and they give you sooo many more fragrance combinations. We are so in our discovery set era.
– If you have totally no idea where to start, play it safe by going for cult favourites. These are iconic, popular scents that they’ve likely smelled on someone else and have appreciated. I always have to remind you though, that fragrance blends with our own natural pH and body chemistry, a fragrance will never smell exactly the same on 2 people. You will often find that some notes pull stronger on some people vs others.
– Look beyond wearable fragrances. Gifts like scented candles, luxury diffusers and fragrance bracelets are really cool alternatives to consider.
What advice would you give to people who are new to the fragrance industry and want to find scents for themselves?
- Play, explore, discover, *sniff*. That’s the only way you’ll get to learn what notes and scent profiles work for you. That is the starting point of your journey with perfumery.
- Be mindful that TikTok (or Perfume-Tok) is 50% accurate and 50% hype. Don’t get caught in the hype.
- Start with cult-favourites; they’re an easy way to find a signature scent and they’ll help ease your note and taste into more complex and acquired tastes.
Do you have a signature scent? If so, do you mind sharing what it is?
I don’t have a signature scent at the moment, its impossible because I am always trying a new scent or fragrance layering combination. My friends and family always ask what scent I’m wearing because it will always be something different.
My signature layering combination is a deep, dense wood with an amber floral. That complexity of powerful, but also feminine exotic. That’s my zhuzh.
Which celebs do you think have the best scent?
You know that TikTok audio that says ‘I love this question!’ I do something called #PerfumePaparazzi on Twitter-X so I already know the answer.
- Mhmmm, definitely Queen Bey and Queen B*. The former because she just launched her own scent and the latter because duh, its Queen B*. I am dying to give an OfficialPerfumePlug breakdown on her scent – one day when I meet her.
- Elsa Majimbo; that girl loves layering fragrances as must as I do. The oils, mists and perfume combinations so does I those GRWMs are exquisite.
- Uncle Waffles; I peep into her fragrance wardrobe whenever she does GRWMs and she has some gems.
- Nomalanga ‘The Flame’ Shozi; The sweetest girl’s girl who loves a good gourmand scent.
- Liesl Mthombeni; I’ve been playing #PerfumePaparazzi in her GRWMs and I love her commitment to trying new and fun fragrance layering combinations. I just know her scent always smells so unique because of that.
What can we expect from you and ‘The Official Perfume Plug’ in 2024?
Less stress, more Mimosas. Kidding, not kidding [laughs].
I have a clear vision that I have prayed for as the OfficialPerfumePlug grows.
The dream is to take South Africa’s official fragrance platform to TV. Radio. Print and Retail. TV, Radio and Print are a tick, tick, tick. Next up is Retail, with masterclass evets and unique OfficialPerfumePlug product offerings that make Fragrance less complex and more fun, accessible, inclusive for this community.