Questions
The questions people ask about perfume and do not get a clear answer for. Answered by the house, in plain words. Every House of Bergins fragrance is an Extrait de Parfum, and all of them are unisex; where that matters, we say so.
Extrait de Parfum
What is an Extrait de Parfum?
The most concentrated form a perfume can take. More of the composition in every drop, less of everything else. It sits close to the skin and stays there. Every fragrance we make is an Extrait de Parfum; we make nothing lighter.
What is the difference between an Extrait de Parfum and an eau de parfum?
Concentration. An eau de parfum carries a smaller share of perfume oils; an Extrait carries the largest. The Extrait wears deeper and longer, projects less loudly, and asks for fewer sprays. “Parfum” and “pure parfum” on a label mean the same family as Extrait; “elixir” is a brand’s word, not a concentration class.
How long does an Extrait de Parfum last on skin?
Longer than an eau de parfum, because there is more of it in every drop. In hours, the answer depends on your skin, the weather and the day, so we give no number. The honest test is the 3 ml sample that comes with every bottle: wear it for a full day before you open the bottle.
Is an Extrait de Parfum strong?
Strong in depth, not in volume. An Extrait is dense and close; it does not shout across a room the way a sprayed eau de toilette can. People near you notice it; people across the street do not. That is the point of it.
Does an Extrait de Parfum project?
Less than an eau de parfum, and that surprises people. Projection needs alcohol and light molecules that fly; an Extrait keeps more oils and fewer of those. Expect an arm’s length of presence that lasts, not a cloud that fades.
How many sprays of an Extrait de Parfum should I wear?
Fewer than you think. Two or three on the pulse points are enough for most people. Add one more only after an hour, once you know how it sits on you.
How do I apply an Extrait de Parfum?
On clean skin: the wrists, the neck, the inner elbows. Do not rub the wrists together; let it dry for 60 to 90 seconds before you dress. Keep it off silk, satin and light fabrics.
Does an Extrait de Parfum stain clothes?
It can. A true Extrait carries natural resins and colored aroma materials, and they can mark silk, satin and pale fabric. Wear it on skin. If you still prefer fabric, choose a dark, sturdy piece and spray from a distance; the Fragrance Care page explains what to do if fabric is touched.
Can you wear an Extrait de Parfum in summer?
Yes. Heat makes any perfume rise faster, so a dense Extrait behaves better in summer than a light spray that vanishes by noon: one or two sprays, no more. Wild Lombok and Silent Corsica are the two we reach for on warm days.
Is Extrait de Parfum for men or for women?
Neither and both. The word describes concentration, not a person. Ours are all unisex.
Does an Extrait de Parfum expire?
Slowly, and mostly through light and heat, not time. Kept in its box, away from sun and warmth, a bottle stays true for years. If the first minute turns sour or the liquid darkens a lot, it has aged.
How do you say “Extrait de Parfum”?
“Ex-tray duh par-fuh(n)”. The final n is barely there. Nobody at the house will mind if you say it your own way.
Unisex
Are your perfumes for men or for women?
All five are unisex. Made for anyone. A fragrance has no gender; only a wearer.
What does “unisex perfume” mean?
A perfume composed without a gender in mind. The word says nothing about the smell: a unisex fragrance can be fresh, warm, floral, woody or dark. Ours are five places; you choose the one you want to carry.
Is a unisex perfume for men?
Yes. And for women, and for anyone who does not want a label to decide. The idea that a rose is for one person and a wood for another is a habit of the shop shelf, not of the nose.
What are the benefits of a unisex fragrance?
The choice comes from you, not from a sign. You pick the mood, the season, the memory. A unisex fragrance can be shared in a house, given without guessing, and worn for years without the feeling that it belongs to a category you have grown out of.
Samples and choosing
Is it smart to try a sample before buying a full bottle?
Yes. A perfume changes across a day and across skins, and the first minute tells you little. That is why every bottle from us arrives with a complimentary 3 ml sample of the same fragrance: wear the sample first. If it is not for you, keep the sample and return the sealed bottle within 30 days of delivery.
How do I get samples of a perfume?
From us, two ways. Every bottle ships with a 3 ml sample of the same fragrance. And The Passport holds 3 ml of each of the five, the way to find your threshold before you choose a full bottle; a $10 code toward your next order arrives by e-mail after the purchase.
How do I test a perfume sample properly?
On skin, not on paper. One spray on the wrist in the morning, then live your day: notice it at hour one, hour three and in the evening. Do not test three perfumes on the same arm. Do not decide in a shop; decide at home, the next day.
Do perfume samples smell different from the full bottle?
They should not, if the sample was filled from the same juice. Ours are. What changes is the way you wear it: a dab from a small vial gives less than a spray, so a sample can seem lighter than the bottle. Apply a fair amount when you test.
Are perfume samples stronger than the bottle?
No. Same liquid, same strength. A sample can feel stronger only because a dab sits in one spot, or weaker because you used less. Judge the fragrance, not the vial.
Do perfume samples expire?
Faster than a bottle, because a small vial holds more air and lets in more light. Keep samples closed, in the dark, and use them within months rather than years.
Can perfume samples be fake?
From a house, no: our samples are filled from the same bottles we sell. From a marketplace, sometimes. Buy samples from the house or from a seller the house names.
How do I choose a perfume for myself?
Do not choose in a hurry and do not choose from paper. Wear it for a day, on skin, in your own life. Notice what you feel at hour three, not at minute one. Ask whether you want to be somewhere warmer, quieter, sharper or softer. The five perfumes below are five answers to that question.
Which of the five is for me?
Wild Lombok: fig, coconut and salt; the lightness of having nowhere to be. Deep Ispahan: pineapple, jasmine and patchouli over birch and oakmoss; the room that shifts when you enter. Silent Corsica: pear, bergamot and orange blossom; an invisible armor. Kyoto Temptation: raspberry and cognac, rose and cinnamon; a secret you will not confess. Magnetic Muscat: mango and ginger, jasmine, oud and amber; the fire itself.
Wearing
Does perfume last longer on skin or on clothes?
On clothes, in hours; on skin, in truth. Fabric holds a scent longer but does not let it move, so you get the first minute all day. Skin warms the perfume and lets it unfold. Wear it on skin, and mind the fabrics an Extrait can mark.
Why does the same perfume smell different on different people?
Skin. Its warmth, its oils, its pH and what you ate change how the notes unfold. This is not a fault; it is the reason a perfume is personal. It is also why we send a sample with every bottle.
Why does my perfume not last on me?
Three usual reasons. Dry skin lets a scent go quickly: apply on moisturised skin. You have grown used to it: others still smell it when you no longer do. Or the perfume is a light concentration: an Extrait holds longer by nature.
Why does a perfume smell like alcohol at first?
Because it is, for the first minute. Alcohol carries the perfume onto the skin and leaves. What you smell after that is the fragrance itself. Judge a perfume after ten minutes, never at the first spray.
Why does perfume go on the pulse points?
Because the skin is warm there, and warmth lifts a perfume gently through the day. Wrists, neck, inner elbows. Behind the knees and at the ankles work the same way; the scent rises as you move.
Why does my perfume burn my neck?
Alcohol on skin that is sensitive, freshly shaved or already irritated. Spray elsewhere for a few days, spray from further away, or spray on skin that is not raw. If it burns every time, stop and see a doctor; perfume is not a skincare product.
Does perfume cause acne?
Perfume is not made for the face and we do not put it there. On the neck and wrists it is fine for most skins. If your skin reacts, move the perfume to the clothes-side of the collar or the hair, and keep it off the face.
Does petroleum jelly make perfume last longer?
A little. A thin layer of an unscented balm gives the perfume oils something to hold onto, and dry skin lets a scent go fastest. Moisturised skin does the same job without the shine.
Can I layer two perfumes?
You can. Each of our five is a complete composition and needs nothing added, but layering is the wearer’s freedom. Start with one spray of each and let the skin decide. Two is a conversation; three is usually a crowd.
Which perfumes layer well together?
Ones that share a note. Wild Lombok and Silent Corsica share ginger and a sea-air freshness; Kyoto Temptation and Magnetic Muscat share spice and warmth. Keep the darker one lighter, one spray, and let the fresher one lead.
Does layering make a perfume last longer?
Only if the second perfume is heavier than the first. Layering a light scent over a heavy one adds an hour of the light one, not of the whole. If you want length, wear an Extrait; if you want play, layer.
Is there a “30/50/20 rule” or a “5 spray rule”?
No. These are internet inventions, not perfumery. There is one rule: fewer sprays of a stronger perfume, on skin, and then live your day.
How do I make a perfume last all day?
Choose the concentration first: an Extrait de Parfum is made for the whole day. Then: moisturised skin, two or three sprays on the pulse points, no rubbing, and let it dry before you dress. Carry the 3 ml sample if you want to refresh in the evening.
Keeping
How should I store a perfume?
Upright, in its box, away from sunlight, heat and the bathroom. Light and warmth age a perfume faster than time does. A drawer or a wardrobe shelf is ideal.
Does perfume last longer in the fridge?
Cool and dark helps; the fridge is more than it needs and the trips in and out do harm. A closed drawer in a cool room gives the same benefit without the swings in temperature.
Does perfume expire?
Slowly, and mostly through light and heat. An unopened bottle kept in the dark stays true for years. An opened bottle stays good for a long time if it is closed and kept cool. If the top notes turn sour or the color darkens, the perfume has aged.
Can a perfume last 10 years?
Unopened and in the dark, often yes. Opened, the top notes go first and the heart and base stay; an old bottle can still be beautiful, only quieter at the start.
Does perfume smell better with age?
Some do, for a while. A freshly filled bottle can deepen in its first weeks as the materials settle. Years later the fresh top fades and the base remains; better or worse depends on which part you loved.
Does a perfume change on the skin over the day?
Yes, by design. The top notes open, the heart takes over within the hour, and the base stays into the evening. A perfume that smells the same at minute one and hour six is a room spray, not a composition.
Niche, notes and San Diego
What makes a perfume “niche”?
A house that composes for its own idea rather than for the widest shelf: small batches, higher concentrations, materials chosen for the scent rather than the price, and no marketing brief above the perfumer. The word is used loosely; the practice is not.
Are niche fragrances worth it?
If you wear perfume for yourself, yes: you pay for concentration, for materials and for a point of view, and you wear something the room has not smelled before. If you want a scent everyone recognises, no. Test with a sample; worth is decided on skin.
Do niche perfumes last longer?
Not because they are niche; because many of them are higher concentrations. An Extrait de Parfum lasts longer than an eau de toilette whoever makes it. Look at the concentration on the label, not at the word niche.
Where can I buy niche perfume in San Diego?
House of Bergins is a San Diego house. The perfumes are sold at houseofbergins.com and ship from San Diego; there is no walk-in shop today, and every bottle arrives with a sample so you can decide at home.
What does a fig perfume smell like?
Green and milky at once: the leaf, the sap and the soft fruit, with a touch of coconut. Wild Lombok carries fig at its heart, with coconut and salt, over tonka bean and sandalwood.
What does oud smell like in a perfume?
Deep, resinous, a little smoky, warm rather than sweet. Composed well, it is not heavy; it is the floor the other notes stand on. Magnetic Muscat sets oud under amber and musk, with mango and ginger above.
Is oud for women or for men?
For anyone. Oud was worn by everyone long before the shelf split into two aisles. Magnetic Muscat, like all five of ours, is unisex.
How do perfume notes work?
Top notes are the lightest molecules and leave first: citrus, green, a spark. Heart notes arrive within the hour and hold the middle of the day: flowers, fruit, spice. Base notes are the heaviest and stay longest: woods, resins, musks, amber. A composition is the way those three stages hand over to each other.
Why do some notes feel seasonal?
Because heat changes how a perfume lifts. In warm air, light notes fly fast and dense notes bloom; in cold air, the light notes stay closer and the dense ones sleep. Salt and citrus feel like summer because summer air carries them; resins and spice feel like winter because they need the coat.
Buying
How much is shipping?
$8 for orders under $190. Free from $190, The Passport included.
What is your return policy?
An unopened, sealed bottle can be returned within 30 days of delivery for a refund. The Passport is final sale. Start on the Request a Return page.
How do I reach the house?
contact@houseofbergins.com for anything. support@houseofbergins.com after a purchase. We read every message. We reply with care.
