Anyone can wear perfumes, but a truly stylish woman has a signature scent. This is a scent that complements your body chemistry (that’s why the same perfume smell differently on other people) and also captures your personality and lifestyle. And, though you can try different perfumes and colognes for fun, this signature scent is something you go back to everyday—so when people it, they think of you.
How do you find your signature scent? Here are some tips.
Your signature scent, of course, is the scent that you love most. But how do you figure that out while standing in front of the confusing line of perfumes at the beauty counter?
You can start by picking a perfume category. Generally, scents are floral, fruity, green, spicy or exotic.
Floral scents are made of the essential oils of flowers, including jasmine, rose, and hyacinth. They are very feminine, romantic, and delicate.
Fruity scents can have hints of citrus and sweetness (ex. orange, apple, mandarin). Many sporty scents and summer scents have a fruity component.
Other sporty scents have a fresh, green scent from grass, bamboo, chamomile or pine. Tnese scents are very light and natural, and have a free-spirited and relaxed quality.
Exotic scents include musk, ginger and vanilla. Like citrus scents they are sweet, but they have a deeper, warmer quality that is very sophisticated.
Most perfumes have a combination of different elements (like floral and exotic), but you can narrow down your selection by picking a ‘dominant’ category. Tell the perfume salesperson, ‘I want a citrus scent’ or a ‘I’d like to try your green scents.’
Ask her to spray the perfume on to perfume blotters. Bring it with you as you walk around for a few hours, sniffing occasionally to see how the scent deepens and changes over time (what’s called a top note, a midnote and a base note). Single out two of your favorites and go back to the perfume counter and ask to test it on your wrist. Don’t rub your wrists as the heat from the friction will change the smell. Again, leave it for several hours and check how it interacts with your body chemistry and changes over time. If you love the scent at the end of the day, then it’s a keeper.
Choose only a perfume that smells amazing on you, and seems to call out to you (you gravitate to it again and again, regardless of all the other options offered to you at the perfume counter). Take your time; you don’t have to buy the perfume today. It may take a lot of trial and error to find your signature scent, but once you find ‘the one’ you will love it forever.
Photo from discountperfume.com.au