What is sillage? The scent trail, and how it differs from longevity

It is easy to confuse with two other ideas, so this guide separates them, explains the sillage vote we show on every product page, and groups ten perfumes by the level the community votes lean towards.

Sillage, projection and longevity: three different things

People use these three words as if they meant one thing. They do not, and the difference changes which perfume you should pick.

• Sillage: the trail of scent you leave behind as you move.
• Projection: how far the scent reaches around you while you stand still.
• Longevity: how long the scent stays on you.

A perfume can do one well and another quietly. A soft scent can stay on your skin all day and still leave almost no trail. A loud one can announce you across a room and fade sooner than you expect.

If longevity is your real question, read our guide on how to make perfume last longer, or browse the long-lasting perfumes we stock. This page answers the narrower question: what trail does a perfume leave?

How 10ML shows sillage on every product page

On each product page we show what the community votes for sillage. There are 4 levels: intimate, moderate, strong and enormous.

• Intimate: close to the skin, noticed by someone who leans in.
• Moderate: present, but not announcing itself.
• Strong: a clear trail as you pass.
• Enormous: the loudest level voters can choose.

These are votes from people who wear the perfume. They are not a measurement, and we give no hours or distances. We show longevity the same way, as a separate vote.

Treat a vote as a direction, not a promise. Your skin, your clothes and how much you spray all move the result. That is why the groups below say where the votes lean, and why we suggest testing before you commit.

Quiet sillage for close wear and the office

If you share a desk, a train seat or a small meeting room, you probably want a trail that stays near you. These four have votes that lean towards moderate or intimate. They also suit the office perfumes shortlist.

Wood Sage & Sea Salt by Jo Malone London

Wood Sage & Sea Salt launched in 2014 and is unisex. It opens with sage, grapefruit and sea salt. The base is quiet: ambrette and seaweed.

Most community voters rate its sillage intimate. That is the lowest level we show, and no other pick here sits there. Voters reach for it mainly in summer and spring, at work and in the day.

Narciso Rodriguez For Her by Narciso Rodriguez

Narciso Rodriguez For Her launched in 2003 and is made for women. African orange flower, osmanthus and bergamot open it. A heart of musk and amber follows, and vetiver, patchouli and vanille close it.

The sillage vote leans moderate, with strong in second place. It is worn mostly in fall and spring, by day and at the office, say the voters.

Another 13 by Le Labo

Another 13 was created by Nathalie Lorson in 2010 and is unisex. Pear and apple open it. Ambroxan, moss and jasmine sit in the heart, and musk and ambrette fade in at the end.

The sillage vote leans moderate, with strong next. Voters name it for every season, from daytime into the evening.

Lazy Sunday Morning by Maison Margiela

Lazy Sunday Morning launched in 2013 and is unisex. Aldehydes, lily-of-the-valley and pear open it. Iris, orange blossom and rose make up the heart, and ambrette, patchouli and white musk finish it.

On sillage, community votes lean moderate, then strong. Voters pick it first for spring and summer, in the day.

Strong sillage for evenings

For dinner, a party or a cold night out, a visible trail is part of the point. These three have votes that lean strong, and all three are chosen most often for night and evening wear.

Baccarat Rouge 540 by Maison Francis Kurkdjian

Baccarat Rouge 540 launched in 2015 and is unisex. Saffron and jasmine open it. Amberwood, ambergris and hedione form the heart, and cedar, sugar, ambroxan and oakmoss dry it down.

Community votes on its sillage lean strong, then moderate. Voters wear it most in fall, winter and spring.

Guidance by Amouage

Guidance launched in 2023 and is made for women. The start is pear, hazelnut and olibanum. In the middle come osmanthus, rose, saffron and jasmine sambac, and sandalwood, vanilla, akigalawood, ambergris and labdanum close it.

The vote on its sillage leans strong, then enormous. It is the only perfume here where the top level appears in the vote at all. Voters choose it chiefly for fall and winter.

Tobacco Vanille by Tom Ford

Tobacco Vanille launched in 2007 and is unisex. Tobacco leaf and spicy notes open it. Vanilla, cacao, tobacco blossom and tonka bean fill the heart, and dried fruits and woody notes sit underneath.

Its sillage vote leans strong, then moderate. The community picks it mostly for winter and fall.

Strong sillage in daylight

A strong trail does not need to be dark or heavy. These three lean strong in the vote, yet voters pick all three for day wear. All three carry ambroxan in the base. If you want the story of that note, read ambergris vs ambroxan.

Aventus by Creed

Aventus launched in 2010 and is made for men. Bergamot, black currant, apple, lemon and pink pepper open it. Pineapple, patchouli and Moroccan jasmine form the heart, and birch, musk, oak moss, ambroxan and cedarwood close it.

The sillage vote leans strong, then moderate. Spring and summer, in the day, are when voters choose it most.

Sauvage by Dior

Sauvage launched in 2015 and is made for men. Pepper and Calabrian bergamot open it. The heart brings Sichuan pepper, lavender, pink pepper, vetiver, patchouli, geranium and elemi, and ambroxan, cedar and labdanum finish it.

Sillage votes for this one lean strong, then moderate. Voters favour it in spring and summer, for daytime.

Molecule 02 by Escentric Molecules

Molecule 02 is unisex, and its list is short: ambroxan in the base, nothing else.

Community votes on its sillage lean strong, then moderate. Voters pair it with fall and winter, and with wear from day through night.

The votes side by side

Here is the same information in one place. The right column is the level the community sillage vote leans towards, followed by the level that comes next.

What changes sillage on you

Votes describe the crowd. Your own result depends on a few things you control.

• How much you spray: more sprays make a wider trail. Fewer keep it close.
• Where you spray: warm places such as the neck and wrists release scent faster. Our guide on where to spray perfume covers it.
• What you wear: fabric holds scent, so a scarf or jacket can carry it further than skin alone.
• The room and the day: warm air lifts a scent, and cold air keeps it close.

If a strong perfume feels too loud, spray less before you give up on it. If a quiet one disappears, add a spray or move one to your clothes.

Find your level with a 3ml first

Sillage is hard to judge from a description, and a vote can only point the way. The surest check is to wear the perfume through a normal day.

That is what our decants are for. A 3ml decant gives you around 60 sprays to discover a scent, a 10ml decant gives around 200 to wear for weeks, and a 30ml decant gives around 600 to keep.

Start with one quiet pick and one strong pick. Wood Sage & Sea Salt in 3ml is €9.81, and Aventus in 3ml is €11.88. Wear each for a week, and notice when people mention it, and when you stop noticing it yourself.

If you are choosing for someone else, our guide to safe blind buy perfumes lists easy styles to start with.