Perfumes —
The Good, the Bad & the Smelly
E
veryone wants to smell good — well, O.K. At least no one out there wants to smell bad!
Fragrance is an important part of your personal style and perfumes react differently with everyone’s body chemistry, diet and even their hormone levels. Remember, just because it smelled amazing on the salesgirl, doesn’t mean it will smell the same on you or the person you’re buying it for.
Giving the gift of a perfume is the sign of affection. Scents are a very personal preference though, and if you’re buying a perfume as a gift, it’s best to know the name. People often wear certain fragrances because it triggers memories or reminds them of someone (mother, grandmother, best friend). Many people have multiple scents that they wear at different times, so don’t be intimidated if you decide to get them something you think they may enjoy.
If you’re buying for a female, consider what her “type” is. If she is into dresses, frills and prints, consider a fragrance that is floral. If she is more comfortable in jeans and T-shirts, try something with citrus tones. Leather and spiked jewelry? Woodsy notes may be a good fit. The more understated the person’s style, the lighter the fragrance. When in doubt, fresh scents are usually the best bet. The salesperson can help you to find something suitable.
If you already know her favourite scent, buy a gift of a matching body product (body cream, shower gel or soap).
Did you know that over 80% of men don’t regularly wear fragrance? Most women know that buying a new cologne as a gift for the man in their life is really a gift for themselves! Enroll your mate in a monthly fragrance subscription club and let him choose from over 450 designer and niche scents at scentbird.com.
Studies have shown that women rate scent as the most powerful factor in choosing a mate, so that should be incentive enough for all the single guys reading this to retire the Old Spice and try something new!
Think of scents you like in everyday life. Perhaps you love the lemony smell of your shampoo or the heady fragrance of roses, or maybe you enjoy walking through a pine forest after a rain. Use these as a guide and start by sampling a fragrance that includes one of these fragrance notes.
To make sure you like a scent, spray a sample on your skin and always let a couple of hours go by before making a decision (head for the perfume counter before you do your other shopping). Don’t try more than 4 scents at a time and avoid the sample cards (also called “mouillettes”) as they won’t tell you how your body chemistry reacts with the fragrance. Citrusy scents fade the fastest and spicy and floral fragrances take longer to dissipate. Musks, vanilla, mossy, and sandalwood notes last the longest.
The best places to apply a scent are around your neckline (so you can smell it all day), in your inner elbow area on your pulse point, and along your wrists. Apply to your skin, not to your clothes. Never rub it in as friction will disrupt its chemistry. You can also spray a mist into the air and walk through it (the fragrance will be less concentrated but spread all over your body) but that is a waste of the fragrance — your carpeting will smell really nice though! Above all, remember that less is more. It shouldn’t overpower.
Perfumes are best stored at room temperature and kept in a dry and dark place away from sunlight and cold fridges. Bathrooms are not good spots because of heat and humidity. Yes, we know that there is nothing more refreshing than a spritz of citrus or lavender water during the summer, but keep these moments for homemade essential oil mixtures.
Don’t be afraid to have more than one signature scent. Citrus and fruity fragrances are great for summer but tend not to last in the winter weather. On the flip side, oriental and musky fragrances are perfect for fall and winter, but can become stinky and overpowering (rather than pleasant) during the hot summers.
Just because it’s expensive doesn’t necessarily mean it's great quality. Are you really paying for a fancy bottle and a designer’s name? Some of the most popular fragrances over the years have been relatively inexpensive.
That being said, expensive fragrances tend to last longer due to the essential oils that are used for the mid and base-notes. Eau de Parfume lasts up to eight hours compared to an Eau de Cologne which lasts between two and four hours after application.
If people start telling you that they like the scent you’re wearing, you know you’ve made the right choice.
Check out these sites for reviews of various fragrances: fragrantica.com basenotes.net.
By D Revelins
Photo Credits: See Acknowledgements