Buying a fragrance can be overwhelming, particularly if you can’t decipher the lingo often used to describe the thousands of scents out there. I am using the word fragrance to be used interchangeably with perfume, eau de toilette, cologne or basically any scent that you are looking to purchase or wear.  Here are a few of the  terms you should to know in order to get started.

Fragrance Notes

Top/Head Note – This is what you smell right after spritzing on a perfume. This is typically light on your nose and can be anything from citrus, ginger, sea notes or musk. It is your initial impression and can be described as “vivid” or “fresh”. It typically lasts anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour.

Middle/Heart Note – This is the scent that appears just before the top notes evaporate. It is the main body of the scent and is most commonly rose, woods, floral, fruits or lavender, but can be practically any scent you can imagine.

Base Note – This is the longest-lasting note that appears at the end of the middle note. These are composed of large, heavy molecules that evaporate more slowly and anchor the perfume to your skin. Base notes are typically rich and deep and are commonly musk, chocolate, honey or oud (woody scent originating in middle east but increasing in popularity worldwide). The base note can last up to and even beyond 24 hours.

Perfume Families

There are several new ones out there now but I will stick with the basic four: floral, woody, oriental and fresh. There are tons of different types of fragrances within each category.  Knowing what family your favorite fragrance falls into makes it easier when shopping for a new fragrance.

10 Important Shopping Tips

1. Never test more than a few fragrances on any one shopping outing. Over-sampling will eventually lead to smell fatigue.
2. Always test the perfume on your skin, not on a test paper (which many sales clerks suggest using).
3. Don’t breathe deeply when smelling a new scent, just as you normally breathe.
4. Never shop for perfume when nasally impaired, whether it’s a cold, allergies or any other condition.
5. Never ever rub your wrists together when testing or applying a scent. This will crush or “bruise” the scent as well as change the smell.
6. If you can, take as many fragrance samples home with you so you can do further research later.
7. Fragrance should be applied to pulse points (the wrist, the back of the knee or the neck are most common areas). The wrists are the easiest areas unless you have superhuman powers.
8. Don’t spray fragrance directly on exposed skin if you are planning to be in the sun later. The effect you are going for shouldn’t include skin damage.
9. Don’t rush to judgement. You should allow at least 2-3 hours before making any conclusions since it takes that amount of time to develop. Waiting will also give you a better sense of how you will be smelling throughout the day.
10. Don’t be fooled by a brand’s advertising but do use it as a guide. For example, if the picture is showing sun and beach chances are that the fragrance is a lighter, summery scent. If the picture shows a woman in a red formal gown it is probably a stronger more complex scent.

A FEW OTHER THOUGHTS…

Perfume is a wonderful gift, especially for yourself.

Perfume pricing is determined by the brand and doesn’t necessarily determine the quality.

There are many expensive scents that are hideous (to me) and less expensive ones that are amazing!

If you find a scent that you absolutely adore you should stock up on it. There is always that chance that it will be discontinued or reformulated.

Until the next time,