Tips on choosing the right perfume

We all have preferences when it comes to fragrances. Some would spray on their fruity or floral cologne to start their day. Some A-type personalities consider wearing their most loved oriental scents as part of their daily “power dressing”.  But generally speaking, people prefer fragrances that uplift their mood and make them happy. 

Both men and women use oils, perfumes and fragrances since the dawn of civilization. After all, the quest for happiness is indeed universal and encompasses time, gender and age.

Choosing the perfect fragrance for you is not as easy as you think. And it is harder to choose for family and friends, when you want to give them perfumes as gifts. 

We know that there is a huge pressure to find the RIGHT scent for you. Maybe because of the enormous number of scents available. Or put it simply, you just want to get your money’s worth. 

Here are a few tips on how to know what perfume suits you best:

TRUST YOUR GUT.

You are the best person to determine which scent suits you. Not that perfectly made up lady behind the mall counter. Not your best friend or relative. Don’t let others choose for you.

MORNING IS THE BEST TIME TO TRY A NEW SCENT.

Your olfactory system or sense of smell in the morning is more accurate because it is not affected by the scents that you experience during the day. Your nose is not yet tired from smelling all the hustle and bustle of scents colliding with each other during the day.

ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND THE SCENT THAT MAKES YOU HAPPY.

Always choose perfumes that make you smile, energetic and happy. Perfumes that elicit these positive emotions suit your personality. Wear these “happy” scents in the morning and you feel like you are ready to face the world. When things don’t go well within the day, you can eliminate the gloom and sadness in your life with one spritz.

DON’T CONFUSE YOUR NOSE.

You go to the mall and try different kinds of perfume, one after another. Stop!  The sense of smell is very delicate. Rule of thumb, you can’t try more than 3 perfumes because your brain will have a hard time processing the scents.  But if you must try several perfumes, you might want to bring in coffee beans with you. Coffee purifies the nasal filaments and helps you regain your sense of smell.

KNOW YOUR SKIN TYPE.

The type of skin you have will have a reaction to the perfume. Thus, a certain perfume may smell different when sprayed on different people. Don’t buy a perfume because you liked its smell on your best friend’s wrist. Remember this is a chemistry test!

 DON’T BUY RIGHT AWAY

After trying on the different perfumes, don’t make a decision yet. Walk around, let the scent linger on your body. Observe what is left on the scent once the top notes evaporate. The top note is the initial, lighter smell of fragrance that hits the nose immediately after application to the skin. After a couple of hours and you still love the scent, you can narrow down your choices. Buy the perfume that you like best after a full day, which mimics how would you actually wear it.

If you followed these tips by heart, and by the end of the day you love the scent of your top choice, then congratulations for finding the perfume that you feel comfortable wearing. You’ve finally found your signature scent!

Written by: Tina Perez