Black Week, Black Friday – and the quiet longing for consistency

Black Week - Why the big discount frenzy doesn't match what niche fragrances evoke in us

What a weekend: Yesterday, Black Friday raged, the algorithmically driven battle for discounts; today, Saturday feels like the echo of a collective shopping frenzy; and tomorrow we'll light the first Advent candle—a time that should actually celebrate stillness, warmth, and awareness. This very tension forms the backdrop against which this report is written: a fragrance magazine, crafted between the logic of discounts and the pre-Christmas season, between garish consumerism and the longing for something that lasts longer than a percentage sign.

When everything is reduced, even what is valuable loses its significance.

It's a simple truth we all know but rarely speak aloud: If you buy a perfume today and tomorrow you see it reduced by 25%, it loses a piece of its soul for you. Not because the scent is different. Not because the artistry behind it is suddenly less valuable. But because the moment you made the choice is retrospectively devalued. And with that, a part of your emotional connection to it is diminished.

A fragrance is not a T-shirt or a Bluetooth speaker. A fragrance is a choice—intimate, quiet, sensual. When it falls into the same discount trap as everything else, it loses its purity. A subtle dissonance arises: you want something valuable—and receive the message that it's just a number that can be turned down.

Black Week as a symbolic break

Black Week acts like a gigantic amplifier for precisely the kind of attitude that is actually alien to the world of fragrance: fast, impulsive, thoughtless. Click. Instantly. Cheaper. More. But your inner voice—the one that tells you which fragrance suits you, which signature you want to carry, which memory you want to hold onto—works completely differently.

She works slowly.
It works deeply.
She works with dignity.

And dignity has no discount code.

The longing for permanence: a return to true value

Especially during the run-up to Christmas – and it officially begins tomorrow – we feel particularly strongly how strong the desire for stability has become. For something that doesn't waver, that won't be different again tomorrow. For quality that doesn't bow to the algorithm. For a promise that lasts.

Perhaps this is precisely the crucial point: A high-quality perfume is not a consumer good that "has to go." It is an invitation to an aesthetic ritual. It is time that flies, but remains in the memory. It is craftsmanship that should not conform to the hectic rhythm of Black Week.

Advent as a counter-model to the discount

Tomorrow the Advent season begins – and at its core, it is a counter-program to Black Week.
Advent means: waiting, instead of rushing.
Observe, instead of hunting.
Give, don't plunder.

Perhaps that is the irony of this weekend: We race through an artificially created consumer hurricane, only to light the first candle 24 hours later and remember that silence, belonging and value are what we truly want.

Why fragrance brands that take pride in their character age gracefully

The major, long-established fragrance brands have long understood this: those who create art don't cut corners. Those who create culture don't dilute it with cheap theatrics. And those who create a niche perfume , a luxury niche perfume , or a distinctive men's or women's fragrance know: value comes from content, not from discounts.

It is no coincidence that the strongest brands are the ones that don't participate.
And it's no coincidence that the most loyal customers stay right there.

The psychological truth behind the supposed "deal"

Studies and experience show it: The thrill of the discount is short-lived. The disappointment afterward is long. And this mechanism is particularly detrimental with exceptional fragrances that are meant to evoke emotions. Black Week constantly creates the impression that you're "missing out" if you don't participate. But ultimately, you're only missing one thing: your own rhythm.

A fragrance that you consciously buy is more valuable than a fragrance that you get cheaply.
It's that simple. It's that unpopular in November. And yet it remains that true.

Therefore, restraint is not a loss – but an attitude.

Perhaps we should view Black Week in the fragrance sector not as an opportunity, but as a stress test:
How stable is your taste?
How clear is your position?
How much do you follow your inner choice – and not the algorithm?

Those who love perfume don't love bargains.
Those who love perfume love substance.

And substance is not discounted.
It is being worn.

When night thoughts speak louder than the Black Friday noise

The thoughts I had in the first part of this report kept me up longer last night than I would have liked. This mixture of restlessness, clarity, and a quiet resistance to the Black Week clamor eventually forced me to sit down and reflect calmly: What am I doing today? What do I want to feel when the first Sunday of Advent is just around the corner? What does value mean—beyond discounts, beyond the noise?

And suddenly there was a very simple, very warm thought.

Memories instead of percentages – why true values are never discounted

Today I will look in the cupboard where we keep all the little treasures of years past: memories of Advent days, of pre-Christmas evenings, of Christmas celebrations that have shaped us. Little things that hold meaning only for us because they preserve time within them. I will choose those pieces that touch me most deeply—those that are not loud, but shine—and use them to decorate our home: the living room, the kitchen, the quiet corners.

And then I will prepare our showroom, my little cosmos of fragrances, which is more than just work to me: my place of collection, of creativity, of responsibility. Among my little babies – the fragrances that accompany me every day – I will create a Christmas atmosphere. Not overdone. Not artificial. But the way I have always understood Christmas: a space that radiates warmth.

Why memories shine brighter than any supposed bargain

And suddenly the question arises all by itself:
Isn't that exactly what truly brings us joy?

Not the supposed bargain that tickles briefly but leaves no lasting impression. But the memories of special moments that we carry with us for a long time – perhaps even those from our childhood, when we weren't allowed into the living room until the bell had rung, the door had opened, and the tree – that magical, illuminated Christmas tree – stood before us like a miracle. That mixture of awe, surprise, and a feeling that was bigger than ourselves.

Those wide-eyed wonders, that sense of awe – that's exactly what I want to give you with my selection of fragrances. Not a quick deal, not a discount that will be gone tomorrow. But that feeling that lasts. That sparkle. That Christmas you feel before you see it.

The path back to yourself – and to the scents that truly matter.

And it's precisely at this point that I'd like to return to you – to you, the reader, who has followed this thought journey with me. If these words have touched you, if you long for something genuine amidst the Black Friday noise and Advent lights, then I invite you to visit scent amor . Not to chase after a discount, but to quietly discover those fragrances that can truly accompany you – whether as a winter fragrance for women , a winter fragrance for men , or as a quiet companion for the Advent season, full of warmth and memories.

For decades, I – Georg R. Wuchsa – have been collecting, curating and protecting for you those collections that embody craftsmanship, identity and emotion.

I wish you from the bottom of my heart a wonderful Christmas season, quiet and warm Advent Sundays and moments that make your eyes shine – just like back then, when everything was still a wonder.

FAQ – Why don't niche fragrances fit in with Black Week discounts?

Because a niche fragrance is an art object, not a mass-produced item. Its value arises from craftsmanship, raw materials, identity, and emotion – not from percentages. Discounts often devalue the personal choice you make with a fragrance.

Why do discounted perfumes feel worse to many people?

Because a fragrance is an emotional investment. If it suddenly becomes significantly cheaper, the moment you made your decision loses its significance. This diminishes the enjoyment – even if the fragrance itself remains the same.

Are winter fragrances for women and men particularly popular during the Advent season?

Yes. Winter fragrances for women and men are particularly popular during the pre-Christmas season because warm, spicy, woody, or ambery notes convey a sense of security. They create atmosphere and are often associated with special memories.

Why doesn't scent amor offer Black Week discounts on niche fragrances?

Because we want to protect the value of the fragrances. These perfumes are created through craftsmanship, creativity, and rare raw materials. Reductions would undermine their value and the trust of our community.

How does Georg R. Wuchsa support me in choosing a fragrance?

With decades of expertise, a deep understanding of olfactory art, and a curatorial vision that transcends trends, you'll receive personalized recommendations that respect substance, identity, and character.

Copyright by scent amor © 2025 (grw)

More articles on the scent news blog by scent amor: