About

Felipe Vides

Founder & Fragrance Researcher at Scent Situations

Why I Built This Site

Most fragrance advice ignores the one thing that matters: context. The cologne that turns heads at a bar can get you side-eye in a Monday meeting. The fresh scent that disappears politely at the office is a waste of money on a date. Same fragrance, different situation, completely different result.

I built Scent Situations because I couldn’t find a single resource that organized fragrances by when and where you’d actually wear them — with honest performance data to back it up. Every guide here is built around a real-world situation: the office, a date, the gym, the outdoors. Context first, fragrance second.

About Me

I’m Felipe Vides, a data professional based in São Paulo, Brazil, with over 20 years of experience working with data infrastructure, analytics and business intelligence in the financial sector. That background shapes how I approach fragrance: systematically, with evidence, and with a healthy distrust of marketing claims.

My fragrance journey started years ago with the usual suspects — Bleu de Chanel, Sauvage — and spiraled from there into niche houses, Arabian perfumery, and a decant collection that my family politely pretends is reasonable. I test fragrances the same way I approach data problems: with a method, repeated observations, and a willingness to be wrong.

How I Work

Every recommendation on Scent Situations is built on one of two foundations, and we never mix them:

  • 🧪 SS Tested — I personally wore the fragrance in the situation being reviewed: at the office, on a date, at the gym. Scores are based on real skin tests with timed documentation.
  • 📊 Community Research — I cross-referenced Fragrantica performance voting data, Reddit threads (r/fragrance), YouTube reviewer consensus, and hundreds of individual user comments. Scores are derived from aggregated community data, not my nose alone.

Both are legitimate. Neither pretends to be the other. Every article clearly states which method was used, and every article cites the number of data points reviewed. For the full breakdown, read our Methodology page.

Editorial Policy

  • No free products. Every fragrance reviewed here was purchased with personal funds or evaluated through publicly available community data.
  • No paid placements. Brands cannot pay to appear on a list or receive a higher score.
  • Affiliate links don’t change verdicts. Some links on this site earn a small commission if you purchase — at no extra cost to you. A fragrance that scores 4/10 keeps its 4 regardless of the affiliate relationship.
  • Negative reviews exist. If a popular fragrance underperforms for a specific situation, I’ll say so — popularity doesn’t earn a free pass.
  • Corrections are public. When I get something wrong, I update the article, note the change, and move on.

How the Rankings Work

Every fragrance is scored on seven weighted criteria — Scent Quality (25%), Situation Fit (20%), Longevity (15%), Projection (15%), Value (10%), Versatility (10%), and Originality (5%). The final Scent Situations Score is out of 10. Rankings within each guide are ordered by the combination of score and editorial judgment about what the reader is most likely looking for. Full details on the Methodology page.

Connect

Questions, suggestions, or a fragrance you’d like reviewed? Reach me at [email protected].

Scent Situations was founded in 2026. This page was last updated in September 2026.