How to Choose a Perfume - Complete Guide

How to Choose a Perfume - A Complete Guide

In reality, the art of wearing perfume is a very personal thing. Just because you like the scent on someone else, on yourself or when you spray it on paper - does not mean that your friend's or your friend's perfume will be perfect for you, or that it will be pleasant to another person.

You may have noticed that a few years ago you absolutely couldn’t get enough of a particular perfume - but now that you’re wearing it, it just doesn’t seem to smell right. Or maybe some days the perfume seems stronger to you. Why do perfumes seem to change from time to time and from person to person?

The answer lies in body chemistry - a very unique and personal component to human bodily functions. In fact, "Your body chemistry has a big impact on smell. ” And to choose the perfect perfume, you need to understand the different parts of your body’s chemistry and how to test perfumes for it.

So how do you choose the right perfume for your body chemistry?

Your body chemistry, heat, oils, and even bacteria on your skin play an important role that affects how perfume spreads from your person. It also has a significant impact on the duration of the perfume on you, as well as on the specific notes that result from the scent in contact with the skin.

By changing forever, the above factors can vary from person to person and from year to year. There are several factors which come into consideration when you think about how perfume works with your body’s unique chemistry.

1. Skin type

First of all the most important thing that affects how the perfume smells on you is your skin type. There is a simple rule to follow: is your skin dry or oily? The oilier your skin is, the less perfume you need to make the scent striking, and the scent will last longer.

A - Oily skin

The sebaceous glands secrete sebum, which reaches the surface of the skin through hair follicles. Our diet, lifestyle, stress levels, it all affects how this oily substance smells. When this is mixed with our sweat and our perfume, one cannot say what the result will be. Therefore, if you have oily skin, your body will create a more pronounced scent, and your aroma will mix more with the perfume.

B - Dry skin

Rough skin traps odor molecules in its contours, leading to a longer lasting odor. The scent evaporates extremely quickly on dry skin, quickly softens the odor. Oil is one of the ingredients of perfume that helps it stay, if your skin leaks oil, the perfume will have less aroma and durability.

C - Normal skin

For those with normal skin - you can wear any scent you want! You probably won’t have a problem with any type of scent.

2. pH

We all have natural skin pH. Generally speaking, if the pH of your skin is incorrect (ie. if the skin is too basic), it will not absorb the odor as well as when rebalancing. Ideally, your skin is only slightly acidic. If your skin is dry, moisturize it well before looking for chemistry. Moisture seems to be the key to helping a perfume stay and work as expected.

How to choose a perfume

3. Temperature

Keeping calm and paying attention to your mood can drastically help you know when to wear perfume and when not. Your body heat is also a factor to consider. A higher basic body temperature means that the perfume will be concentrated, and vice versa. So, on warm days or days when your body is warmer, your perfume can smell more intense.

 4. Trial and error

Just like trying on dresses or shoes - two noses are not the same. You may think you smell great, but others may not enjoy the unique combination of your skin's natural oils and your choice of perfume. We have more than 400 olfactory receptors in the nose, and no two are programmed exactly the same. The key is to find a perfume that will lead to people often telling you how great you smell.

Top notes, middle notes, base notes

For example, you are prone to musky or woody scents. You tried two scents, one you like, the other you don’t. The problem could be in the top notes of the perfume, the middle notes or its base notes. If the unpleasant odor disappears after a few seconds, the problem is probably in the top notes. If it appears gradually, the problem is deeper. Paying attention to which notes and aromas smell great on your skin will help you narrow down which type of perfume you want to navigate.

Find out here which perfumes are cruelty-free.

How to choose a perfume that suits you?

How to choose a perfume that suits you

Now comes the fun part! Choosing a perfume - how to do it. Spray different perfumes into the air or onto the card just to feel their top notes. If you like a top note, put it on your wrist and sniff it again in 20 minutes - it will give you a middle note.

If you like the base note when you smell it an hour later, then go ahead and buy the perfume. Take your time when testing. Don’t rush and allow yourself to get to know the perfume before you buy.

Tips on how to choose a perfume

1. Try only three scents at a time

In the beginning, especially if you have no idea what you like, smell everything. But limit your research to sniffing only three scents per visit. Give each scent your real chance.

2. Start with lighter scents first

It is better to start with more watery or musky scents first. Musk scents are more scents of clean laundry; the waters are fresher. Go from musk to citrus to fruity to heavier trees.

3. Check for odors after an hour

If you keep coming back to the pattern and you like it, something about the scent appeals to you. Ask for a sample of that scent and spray it on yourself, as body chemistry can affect the smell of the scent. When you try the scent, put it on your wrists or elbow joint. These are areas that are not washed constantly. Check every 20 minutes or hour to see if you like it.

4. Ask yourself how you feel while wearing the perfume

Do you get a headache when you wear perfume? Are you feeling that mood you want to feel? These are questions you should ask yourself while trying fragrances.

5. Try to understand what you smell

Notes are all: pay attention to the notes you like because it will narrow down your search and make it easier to find the right perfume, both in store and online. Ask yourself, what scents do you already like in other products? Do you like how your cherry candle smells and want something similar? Sometimes the answer is right in front of you.

Floral notes

According to the name, floral scents evoke fresh cut flowers. Common notes are rose, jasmine, orange blossom and violet.

Musk notes

Musk scents are reminiscent of spices like warm vanilla, incense and amber resin. Warm, mysterious and attractive.

Fresh notes

Pure and crunchy orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, apricot, apple, peach and fresh grass are just some of the fragrances associated with this category.

Woody notes

Scents like bergamot, oakmoss, labdanum and patchouli are associated with the wood category. These perfumes are earthy and often mixed with spices or citrus.

6. See how the smell develops after four hours

In the nomenclature of fragrances, people often talk about “top note” and “drying” perfumes as people talk about tasting wine. Fragrances are living organisms and evolve over time. The top note lasts about 20 minutes and is your first impression of the scent. Medium lasts most of the day, about four hours.

7. Don’t follow trends

Don’t buy perfumes based on popularity or what’s in trend. What is the holy grail of one person may not be yours. Take your time, learn about yourself, your style and taste before you decide on a perfume.

8. Think about the opportunity you are buying for

Is it for your self-care routine, for your date, during bedtime, an occasion like your birthday or wedding? Smells are associated with emotions and memory, and often when you smell that scent again it takes you back to the time you wore it. Perfumes are associated with our emotions and memory.

Want your own perfume? Check out our Guide How to Make Perfume - Guide + Recipes

Learn the tricks of how to apply perfume professionally How to Apply Perfume? - Professional Tricks

Sources:

blog.dossier.co/how-to-buy-perfume/perfume-selection/how-to-choose-the-right-perfume-for-your-body-chemistry/

www.makeup.com/product-and-reviews/fragrance/how-to-pick-the-perfect-perfume-fragrance

www.t3.com/features/how-to-choose-the-right-perfume

www.thecut.com/2014/12/guide-to-finding-your-signature-scent.html

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