#FragranceTikTok is ruining your mental health
Why I "quiet quit" social media.
Welcome to the thirty-ninth issue of Black Girl Perfume Club! Let’s dive right in.
Happy Tuesday, dolls. Long-time followers may have noticed that I’m less active on my personal social media. And it’s for a good reason! For one, I want to focus more on making sure that Black Girl Perfume Club can be all that it can be, and then some.
Secondly, I realized that being super active on social media isn’t doing my work, or yours, quite frankly, any favors.
You’ve heard about people “quiet quitting” jobs and relationships. Now I’ve quiet quit social media by doing the bare minimum. Read on for my thoughts.
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This Week’s Fragrance Diary
Fine’ry Fragrance ‘I’m a Musk’ - Worn to read at a coffee shop.
Diptyque ‘L’Eau Papier’ - Worn to a business meeting.
Native ‘Coconut & Vanilla’ Body Spray - Worn while writing this newsletter.
New Releases
What I’ve learned since ‘quiet quitting’ social media
Usually, when my mental health takes a turn, social media is one of the first things in my life to go. Why is that? Comparison is usually the culprit of why my mental health suffers in the first place. Notoriously as a Taurus, I tend to get jealous. A look into my brain: “My fragrance collection looks so small compared to theirs.” “How do they manage to get so many free fragrances from brands?” “Am I not pitching myself to enough brands?” “Why can’t I seem to keep up with all these new releases?”
If you’re asking yourself these questions too, you probably need a social media break yourself. I feel like #FragranceTok and fragrance social media in general tend to cultivate a culture of overconsumption and feeling as if you don’t have enough.
A survey of 1,500 shows that adults who were the most active on social media were more likely to make impulse purchases. I can see the link, as I’ve already saved well into the hundreds since quiet quitting social media in February. Active use of social media can also promote feelings of anxiety and social comparison. Yikes.
The beauty of being a fragrance enthusiast is that you’re allowed to have your unique taste. Just because your collection isn’t as large as Jackie Aina’s or MrCologne76’s doesn’t mean you’re somehow less of a #fraghead. Fragrance itself is an expensive hobby! You’ve probably seen your slew of videos of folks making “perfume sandwiches” because they’ve probably spent their rent money on new fragrances. That’s not only bad for your self-esteem, but also your finances.
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Will I eventually be active on social media again? Maybe. I’ve made a few TikToks here and there for the first time in forever to experiment with the platform. But if I plan to be active again, I want it to only bring the most insightful content to you guys, the club. I’m not anti-influencer. Some fragrance influencers have helped me make some of the best fragrance purchases I own! However, I don’t plan on following any or everyone with a huge collection or access to top brand’s PR lists.
My advice to those who love fragrance collecting and social media—finetune your feed. Only follow creators who inspire you, not the ones who make you feel like you don’t have enough, or aren’t enough in general. If that includes BGPC, I totally understand. What does it matter if you smell good if you don’t feel good too?
On the ‘Gram
What We’re Reading
Calvin Klein Fragrances Announces Idris And Sabrina Elba As The Face Of New Calvin Klein ‘Eternity Aromatic Essence’ Fragrance Campaign (Street Insider)
Gwyneth Paltrow Launches First Goop Perfume, ‘Winter’ (AOL)
ROAN Fragrances Debuts New Collection of Tea-Inspired Scents (Beauty Packaging)