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Finding your signature scent will take time, and this is an important thing to remember.
Keep in mind to take this journey as light-hearted as possible.
Just like everything in life, perfume is a personal choice, and not liking something straight away doesn’t mean you won’t like it the next time you sample it.
This and many other secrets are revealed as you read the following steps on your journey to finding your perfect scent.
Step 1: Take it easy
Assuming that you are going to follow the previous chapters before your perfume journey begins, let me tell you to take a deep breath and take it easy.
Not only that it could be a potentially expensive hobby with a couple of “love at the first sight” that will grow sour after a while, that’s why it is good not to take things too seriously.
Some fragrances are cheap, while others are expensive.
Each of these could be your signature, so think about how much are you willing to pay two or three times a year.
Step 2: Start with smells you already know
Another great way to begin is to start smelling everything around you.
From food, spices, flowers, even taking a hike or walk through the forest to smell the air and earth.
Everything matters so do let your senses go wild.
This way, if you think about it, you’ll know a basic idea about what kind of fragrance to look for.
If for example, you are a gardener and love the smell of Iris, Lavender, and Rose, you’ll do research on that find of perfumes.
So, before stepping into a perfume store, write down a list of stuff that you love to smell. You will thank yourself later.
Step 3: Consider your hobbies and lifestyle
Your hobbies directly relate to step number two.
Hobbies and interests such as gardening and cooking can be used as a point of direction what kind of fragrances you may like.
Just don’t limit yourself to the hobbies, since you may want to smell completely different than you would while occupying your time with personal interests.
While smelling like flowers and cinnamon may work in the garden and kitchen or romantic date nights, figuring out how your signature will work with your lifestyle is another pair of shoes.
Working in the office? Rarely anyone can stand One Million by Paco Rabanne while sitting next to you. Fresher and lighter scents work best in the office.
On the other hand, working outside and constantly moving will give you a chance to wear anything you like without fearing about someone complaining about your perfume.
We all know that one person in the office who is suffocating everyone else with their strong perfume and they are known as a “cologne guy”.
We don’t want to be remembered that way.
Choose smart and let a fragrance discover you, rather than announce you.
Step 4: Do your research before purchasing and testing
Research, research, and research before going to a perfume shop. Being well prepared is already a half-won battle.
Brands such as Christian Dior and Tom Ford offer on their websites helpful insights about their products, which you can also check out.
Step 5: Arrive at the store without wearing a perfume
Before arriving at the perfume store, don’t wear any perfume or fragrant deodorants that day.
This way, your nose palate will be fresh without odors.
Pro tip: Avoid wearing clothes from the day before in case you wore a fragrance product day prior.
Mixing two or more perfumes will just confuse you.
Step 6: Try out only a couple of perfumes per visit
When it comes to perfumes, getting lost in the perfume shop, smelling dozens of scents will positively cause nose blindness and leave you confused.
I find that testing the perfume in the morning helps even more since our nose is not yet saturated with other scents, and we are still fresh.
After you have selected anywhere from two up to four fragrances that felt great to you while reading about them, it is time to test.
Step 7: Test on skin
Did you know that the top notes that you smell on the test strip are the ones that make you buy a fragrance?
Well, it is not unusual that these notes are the most intense and most pleasing.
As you have guessed, that is not an accident, and beauty brands pump in a lot of money to make you do a snap decision.
Unfortunately, most of these snap decisions end up being failed purchases.
That is why you are going to approach testing a perfume differently, no matter what the sales assistant tells you.
After you have found up to four fragrances you wish to test, you are going to spray each of them on the test strips first and let them dry down for a minute or two.
After the perfume settles down, sniff them again and decide which two are worth spraying on each wrist.
Since every person’s skin is slightly different, so will each perfume react differently on you. And that’s about it. Leave the shop and let the perfume develop.
Step 8: Wait for the dry down
After you have chosen a couple of fragrances that you initially liked on the strip and sprayed them on your skin, it’s time to see how they develop.
Each perfume develops differently throughout the day, and after a couple of hours, you will see how a particular fragrance works with you.
Some fragrances may end up dull, while some others may develop wonderfully. Either way, you have sampled the potential purchase the correct way.
Main fragrance groups
Fresh – citrus, fruity, green, water
Woodt – woods, mossy woods, dry woods, aromatic
Oriental – soft oriental, oriental, woody oriental
Floral – floral, soft floral, floral oriental. — scentgrail.com.
Online Reporter