I have been getting this question everywhere! The answer is this: I envisioned the Top 20 project as an investigation into why the top 20 bestselling perfumes of 2011 were so successful, and who exactly is buying them. For this purpose, I have recruited 10 Pi Phis (bribed with the promise of perfume samples and snacks) to give me their opinions on these 20 perfumes. Our first meeting is on Friday, and therefore my reviews will start on Monday. In the meantime, The Muse In Wooden Shoes and No Disassemble Charlie No. 5 have a head start on me! Please click on their names to read their reviews. Remember that absolutely anyone who wants to participate is welcome to, except for Woody Allen.
SCENTS OF SELF 
Woody Allen actually called me last night and begged to play in our sandbox, and I was all like “Dude, I’m sorry – but no!”
I was wondering who’s been prank-calling me! I think that I really need to get a new, non-Woody target, though. Someone more current! I was thinking maybe John Mayer?
I vote Woody Allen AND John Mayer off the island.
I had gathered that you’d be getting peer reviews on the Top 20 as well as talking about them yourself, and that does take time. I’m looking forward to it. I have been a little surprised that so few other bloggers have posted anything at all on the subject, though perhaps everyone wants to do the Big List all at once. (I’ll be posting more Top 20 reviews next Tuesday – I planned to do it about five at a time.)
A few people have mentioned on Twitter that they’ve been waiting for me to get started, so I just wanted to keep everyone informed of when that will be! I can’t wait for your next batch of reviews! 🙂
WAIT! But there’s one John Mayer song I like…
It’s ok, I’ll just pretend someone else sings it.
Extinguish their torches!
I’m probably going to do it all in one mega-trip to the mall. I’ll write about it when I regain consciousness.
Ohhhhhhhhh, I don’t envy you. I did a massive sniff at the mall, but everything tends to smell the same to me on a scent strip and I just don’t think smelling on paper gives me a good idea of what the scent really smells like (kudos to those of you who can do that).
I wound up begging samples from friends and ordering a couple off ebay so I could be leisurely about testing. Will probably have to go back to the mall at some point, though, to put things on skin…
You know, I think the people at my local Sephora are “onto me”! *note to self: must bring plastic baggie for the blotters that I get today so I can keep them separate… (A few times I’ve thought of bringing small Tupperware and spraying the scent into those to “capture”, but that wouldn’t look crazy AT ALL!)
I lied up there… the review I had planned to post today isn’t ready, so I went ahead and posted Part II of the Top 20 Reviews. Part III will be next week.
I dug out my J’Adore, and am preparing to write over the next few days when I have time off. And sniff. And look for your reviews and others too! I’m very interested in this project. Bestsellers are important to understand.