HOW TO MAKE A (serious) BLIND TEST

ABSTRACT: A "blind" test is essential to really understand what you're smelling.

That is, your target is to recognize, in a incontrovertible way, if there are differences between the scents you are considering; or no difference at all.

Are we smelling the same scent? and in the same intensity, nuances, and strength ?

In this example we try to understand whether there are differences between different "vintages" bottles of one of the great masterpieces: Yves Saint Laurent’s "Kouros".

How can we do a “blind” test?

First of all: the environment.

You need two rooms, the first where you spray the perfume, the second where to "sniff". When you are spraying three or four scents together, and then you smell it in the same environment, it is possible that there are "interferences" between scents.

The correct test should be performed in a quiet room, without noise, without strong lights, and without odors in the air.

Then, you need identical "paper strips" ("Mouillette", “paper test”, or "blotters").

In the first room, write on the paper -with a pencil- name and/or date of the tested perfume, and then spray the desired scent on the opposite end of the strip. In this case you should spray as close as you can. Avoid mixing the “spray cloud” of perfumes: you have to try to "isolate" each scent .

And try to spray the same amount of perfume on each strip! Not large amount/tiny amount.

If you have "splash" bottles, try to "pour" an equal amount of perfume on each strip.

Now, let’s the paper dry.

Then go into the second room –quiet, in dim lights, odourless- and placed the “scented papers” in front of you. (photo 1)

At this point, flip the "stripes" so you can not read names/dates anymore (photo 2)

Mix together the "stripes" ... and smell.
Is there any difference? Or it's the same, identical scent? (photo 3). 
When you want, you can read the name written onto, and you will find out which is the more intense fragrance, the most persistent, the one that vanishes before .... You can try this experiment after 6, 12, 24 hours, to verify persistence.
Just imagine, there are many possibilities.

If you are "beginners", the art of smelling is not so easy, and you should start by choosing only two strips and just wondering: are these perfumes identical, or there is a difference?

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3