When I think about the most confident and successful women in my life, they all have a signature scent. Perfume can be as important to someone’s personality or style as hair color or jewelry. Below are 10 tips to keep in mind if you are looking to embark on a quest for your signature scent(s):
1. Try out 3 scents at a time, no more than that.
If you are a fragrance newbie and trying to hone in on what you like, smell everything! But limit yourself to only 3 scents per visit, your nose will thank you.
2. Try to understand what you are smelling.
Being able to explain what you do and don’t like is extremely helpful when you ask someone to point you in the right direction or give recommendations. Here are some definitions to get you started:
Citrus-y: Lime, lemon, oranges. It often feels a little like a spa with a nice yoga studio. These scents are made from lemon, orange and bergamot and are accented with herbal notes. This refreshing scent perks up the senses.
Woody: These scents can range from a creamy, nutty flavor to sandalwood to an old No. 2 pencil. They have dry and musky notes.
Floral: A romantic, light, and slightly sweet scent. A blend of flowers such as rose, violet, lily, jasmine, and lavender.
Oriental: Similar to incense sticks, made from spices such as pepper, cloves, cinnamon and vanilla. These fragrances are warm and sensual.
3. Start with lighter scents first.
Start your search with citrus and floral, and end it with woody and oriental.
4. It’s ok to dislike unfamiliar scents.
Oftentimes we are not attracted to scents we are not familiar with, and those that we are familiar with will oftentimes bring about a certain mood or feeling.
5. Don’t buy right away.
See how a scent changes over a few hours and when you get outside of the store. You might be surprised at how your opinion changes after wearing it all day.
6. Figure out your favorite food and season.
Fragrance preferences are strongly tied to memories you attach to certain scents, so if spring is your favorite season, you might want to start by trying different floral scents!
7. Do the testing yourself.
Scents smell different on everyone, so make sure you are spraying on your own skin.
8. Go fragrance testing in the morning.
Morning is the best time to test scents and make sure you are giving your nose a break in between each of the options.
9. You can have more than one signature scent.
Maybe you have a favorite for each season or have a go-to for day and a different one for a night out. Either way, switching up your scent is part of the fun!
10. If you keep on coming back to a scent, it could be the one!
It might be common sense, but if you keep on comparing the way one scent made you feel to all the others, it might be time to commit!
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