The world of perfumes can be a confusing one, from vanilla to cedarwood to citrus, it’s easy to be overwhelmed. Literally. You never really know where to start. Perfume shopping doesn’t have to be a headache though, I’ve got you covered. So, here’s a guide to choosing your signature scent!
1. Smell. A LOT. Explore your local perfume section. Smell everything around you too. Go wild. Figure out what you like and don’t like, and go from there. It’ll help you become familiar with scents and be able to identify them on your own. If you like what you’re smelling but not sure what it is, don’t be shy to ask the salesperson. There’s a reason they work in the perfume department!
2. Identify the Feeling You Want to Evoke Are you trying to smell sexy? Sophisticated? Fresh? Fruity? Sweet? Floral? In order to help find your everyday perfume, this is a question you need to ask yourself. It’s a great place to start, and it’ll help narrow down your options a bit. And if you’re not sure, refer back to #1!
3. Know What You’re Buying It’s not just perfume. Are you looking for an eau de toilette? An eau de parfum? Let me explain.
There’s 5 types of fragrances. An Eau Fraiche (1-3% concentration), Eau De Cologne (2-4%), Eau De Toilette (5-15%), Eau De Parfum (15-20%), and Parfum (20-30%). The higher the concentration, the heavier the perfume. Most of the scents we buy are either Eau De Toilette (EDT) or Eau De Parfum (EDP). If you’re looking for a heavier fragrance, look for eau de parfums, or even just parfums.
4. Let the Perfume Set Don’t just spray perfume and smell it immediately. The fragrance will take about 10-15 minutes to “dry down”, and the ingredients will evaporate over the course of a few hours. Everyone’s skin reacts differently to perfume, so try to keep the scent on for a day and see how it develops. Be sure to spray it on areas such as your wrist or neck, where veins are nearer – the skin here is warmer and will help the perfume diffuse faster.
5. Be Open-Minded There’s no rules when it comes to perfume. If you like it, then you like it! You don’t have to stick to a certain fragrance family either – that’s the fun part. Sometimes I’ll even choose a certain perfume for a certain outfit, but maybe that’s just me being weird
. 6. Be Patient It’s very unlikely you’ll find your signature scent in a few hours. Don’t be so quick to buy. Also, the world of perfume is huge, and maybe “the one” for you won’t be some high-end luxury perfume in a department store, and that’s okay. Don’t be discouraged if you go home the first few days empty handed.
I hope this guide helps you in any way, and if it didn’t, here’s some personal favorites of mine! (You can probably tell my taste just from this list!) For men: Dunhill – Desire (Red) (Woody, Romantic) Hugo Boss – The Scent (Spicy, Seductive) Gucci – Guilty (Floral, Sensual) Paco Rabbane – Invictus (Woody, Sexy) Tommy Hilfiger – tommy (Fruity-Citrus-y, Fresh) Zara – W/END TILL 3:00 AM (Fruity, Fresh) For women: Versace – Dylan Blue (Floral-Fruity, Elegant, Feminine) Gucci – Bloom (Floral, Soft) Dior – J’adore (Sweet-Floral, Sensual) Guess – Seductive (Fruity-Floral, Fresh) Carolina Herrera – Good Girl (Sweet-Floral-Fruity, Sexy) Victoria’s Secret – Scandalous (Floral-Fruity, Sexy) Written by: Hagar Ezzo