I was just reading something on google that said androstenes die out within minutes. Is that true?
No. Androstenone is equivalent in perfumery to a basenote, it will hang around for up to a day or more and resists washing off, and it can also have a heavy smell that some people are anosmic to (unable to smell it). It smells like a woodsy animal smell, sort of like a heavy floral musk or even cat urine in high enough concentrations. Androstenol is more like a “middle note”, it stays around for around 4-6 hours in a spray form, and it has a lighter musky smell. Androsterone has a dry, heavy, woody musky smell and seems to last a long time, though I can’t say how long, maybe as long as androstenone- the effect is more subtle than the other two.