Selecting the right fragrance is a very personal choice. Your fragrance defines you. It introduces you to the people before you utter a word. Some peculiar scents do leave trails of memories and some evoke déjà vu.

Be mindful, the ‘Right’ choice is different for everyone. I cannot put it in any other way, don’t choose a scent because someone told you it’s good! In fact, use the opinions of other people to reach a conclusion and with a little know-how make the best shot. If you can’t figure it out for yourself how you will buy it for someone else?

Let’s agree to the fact that you can’t impulse buy a perfume. It does takes its due time. You have to take into account so many factors that feel about right for you.

Here are some effective tips and tricks to help you find your fragrance without much hassle. If you are looking for something totally new or you have just stepped in the world of fragrances, this is your go-to guide.

1. Don’t Try Lots Of Fragrances In One Go

To pick a scent for yourself, you should not try more than four scents at one time. Too many fragrances overwhelm your olfactory senses and you can never know which from which.

Instead of trying the fragrance on a tester stick, better spray it on your wrist. Scents develop differently on the skin. On tester sticks you only smell the top notes. While on skin, it diffuses with your body oils and you learn how exactly it is going to smell on you.

Take a break from the aromatic cloud surrounding you in that perfume shop. Either go outside and breathe in the neutral fresh air or smell something stronger like coffee before testing another fragrance. It refreshes your nose and your senses are ready to smell without confusing it with the previous ones.

2. Understand the Notes

Do you like floral scents? Is it the warm Oriental ones that charm you? Or maybe it is the musky ouds that you look for? It doesn’t ask for mastery, just a little understanding of how to experience the notes of the scent. Rest, trust your instincts.

Here’s a quick lesson on notes,

Top Notes: Top notes are the opening strong notes which hit your nose in the first whiff. They stay for an hour, at max or less than that.

Heart Notes: The fragrance unfolds into the heart notes. They are a transition sequence between top and base notes. Heart notes are strong enough to linger on for a couple of hours.

Base Notes: These are the notes which you smell when the scent dries down. They stay for the most part of the day with you. These are the heavy scents that give depth to a fragrance.

How long a fragrance stays is also determined by its concentration. Don’t let the terms intimidate you. All you need to know is what strength are you looking for. So the rule of thumb goes: the higher the fragrance oil to alcohol ratio the more the perfume stays.

Parfum: ~20-40% of fragrance oil

Eau de Parfum: ~15-20% of fragrance oil

Eau de Toilette: ~5-15% of fragrance oil

Eau de Cologne: ~2-4% of fragrance oil

Eau Fraiche (body spray): ~1-3% of fragrance oil

3. Take Your Time

Being a fragrance enthusiast, I understand how excited do we get to lay our hands on our new favourite scent. The pro tip is “do not rush in”. Your new signature scent deserves some due consideration while being selected. Patience is the key.

Never, I repeat, never impulse buy a perfume right away at the counter. In fact, let it sit on your skin and allow it to unravel its notes.

I suggest to spray the perfume on your wrist. Get the first whiff of the opening notes and may be go for shopping for another 30 minutes. In the meanwhile, middle notes open up which mark the heart of the scent. Gradually they dry down and base notes reveal which stay with you the longest.

You can always ask for samples from the retailer and take them home with you. In this way, you can compare the shortlisted scents and make up your mind for which one to go.

Taking a day or two to reach a decision is totally normal. It is your signature fragrance, it deserves a careful choosing process.

Conclusion

Wearing a fragrance is a way to express yourself and choosing one is a journey. A little knowledge helps you sail through the ocean of scents easily.

Take your time, find the prominent notes and trust the process. You sure will end up finding the best fragrance that compliments your personality.

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