There’s something special about wearing perfume. It can elevate your mood, transport you to another destination or memory, fill you with confidence, and put that extra kick in your step. But at the same time, selecting the perfect perfume can be a very overwhelming and frankly intimidating experience. If you’ve ever stood in front of the perfume counters in a big department store where there are hundreds of bottles staring at you, where do you begin?
If you’re in search of a new favorite scent or signature scent but you aren’t sure what you want, these tips will prove useful. Here are some of the basics to look for when buying perfume.
Splurge on High-Quality Perfume
The first tip is the budget. While it may be tempting to choose low-cost options, the fact is that you truly get what you pay for when it comes to perfume. When you invest in a high-quality scent it will linger much longer – meaning it has excellent staying power. The ingredients tend to be better, the notes will be more true to scent, and you get a luxurious experience. What’s the point of buying a cheap perfume only to spray it on and not be able to smell it an hour later?
In terms of the ingredient list, you want to look for perfumes that focus on natural ingredients. These will last longer than synthetics. The cheaper the perfume is, the more chemicals and synthetics it can have in it. This is also important if you’re a person with allergies or any kind of skin sensitivity. There’s a good chance you will have a negative reaction to the cheaper options.
Perfumes like Byredo, a luxury fragrance label, are known for using high-end luxury ingredients and are an example of the kind of perfume that has lasting power and isn’t filled with chemicals. The Byredo scents are meant to invoke emotions, memories, and concepts, and feature musky, woodsy, clean, and crisp scents all at once.
Perfumes Will React to the Chemistry of Your Skin
Did you know that when you spray perfume, it will react with the chemistry of your skin? That means the same perfume can smell different on different people. So just because you may love it on a friend doesn’t mean you’ll love it on yourself. This is why it’s important to try it on before you buy it. If you can try different scents in-store, then you’ll start to get an idea of how they adapt to your skin and if you like the results.
Learn Your Scent Personality
Every person also has a scent personality. The sooner you can identify what yours is, the sooner you can find a perfume you like. The main profiles are:
- Floral
- Fresh
- Warm and spicy
- Woody and earthy
Pretty much every perfume out there can fit into these categories, so it’s a great way to narrow down your options. Now keep in mind you may like a couple of these, as they can work for different occasions and times of the year. For example, maybe you like fresh scents for the warm summer months but then gravitate towards warm and spicy in the winter months. The scent will reflect your mood, which changes.
What Are Your Favorite Foods?
This question may sound a bit off base but in reality, it can help determine the best fragrance for you. Think about your favorite dishes to eat, what are their base notes? You can refer back to those main fragrance categories and start to place the foods in one of those categories. After doing this with many foods and recipes, a trend may start to develop. That can be an indicator of which way you should lean when purchasing perfume.
Age Can Also Play a Part
While we don’t like to think of age as a factor in anything, the reality is that it can have an impact on our likes and dislikes. In general, younger people tend to gravitate towards floral and sweet fragrances such as vanilla. More mature women tend to appreciate elegant scents that are layered and more complex. That can still mean a mature woman likes a floral scent, but it may have more to it than one single note.
Are You Sensitive to Scents?
Finally, some people are very sensitive to scent. Perhaps it gives them a headache or makes them dizzy. That doesn’t mean you have to give up on wearing perfume altogether, it just means you will probably want to look for light, clean, and crisp scents instead.
Plenty to Factor Into the Decision
As you can see, there is plenty to factor into the decision-making process when shopping for a new perfume. Using these tips, taking your time, and thinking about your likes and dislikes will help you to find the perfect perfume.
