The perfume they say, defines your unspoken words, your scented slogan.
As a man or woman, making a statement and a lasting first impression on people is vital to selling yourself as on top of your game and is the key to personal success.
Whether it’s to that next job interview or wooing that special person, a good perfume can mean the difference between a boring and extraordinary entrance. However, with practically millions of perfume brands out there, choosing the right one that suits your personality can be challenging.
So how do you choose the right perfume that will be an extension of your aura and charisma?
Whether you have been using fragrances for a long time or are a first-timer, we cover some guidelines and professional tips here to help you find that scent made just for you.
1. Pick Your Budget
Perfumes are considered luxury items and can get very pricey. They can start from as low as $15 to hundreds of dollars. The most expensive perfume Creed Aventus goes for $350 to $500 on Amazon.
What’s more? Most big perfume stores have very convincing attendants who will go to almost any extent to convince you to spend as much as possible. After all, they were paid to do so.
You want to decide how much to spend beforehand.
If you are not confident in your resolve, you can stay safe by taking the exact amount of money you have budgeted to the store and leave your credit cards and any extra cash at home.
Decide on how much you want to spend before you start your search, and stick with it!
2. Find Your scent, or Perhaps Stick with it
Experts suggest that most people already have scent categories they naturally gravitate to. A lot of times this happens unconsciously but will a little effort, you can pinpoint what ticks with you.
If you already use perfumes and have one you like, it’s always a good idea to find the notes in it and opt for another one in the same fragrance category. Every perfume has a ‘note’ that comes in three distinct layers; the top, middle and base notes. These three layers work in harmony to give the characteristic scent of the perfume.
Look at what you currently have and go for something with similar note constituents. If you, however, want to try out something completely new, think of going for perfume in the same fragrance category.
Some popular fragrance categories include Citrus, floral, oriental and woodsy scents.
3. Choose the Concentration Category
After you have found a scent you like, the next thing will be to choose the perfume concentration. More concentrated perfumes contain more perfume and less alcohol. Fragrances generally get more expensive as the concentration increases and last longer too.
Let’s have a look at the four fragrances types based on perfume concentration.
The first and most concentrated is perfume or parfum (short for Extrait de parfum). A fragrance of this concentration will last you throughout the day and linger on fabric for a few days. Parfum is ideal for people with irritable skin as it contains the least concentration of alcohol in the fragrance types.
The second highest concentrated fragrance is Eau de parfum. This will usually last for five to six hours upon application. Even though it contains more alcohol than parfum, it is still ideal for sensitive skin types and daily wear.
The third level of fragrances is eau de toilette. This has a lower perfume concentration than Eau de parfum and is cheaper. It lasts for two to three hours. Many consider it to be the ideal perfume for the day and Eau de parfum for the night.
The least concentrated and fourth fragrance type is Eau de cologne. It has the least perfume and the highest alcohol concentration. It lasts for one to two hours after application. It is also the cheapest and usually comes in bigger bottles than the other fragrance types.
4. Choosing the Product
Now you have decided on a budget and the fragrance concentration and headed to the grocery store. You have picked two or three different fragrances that appeal to you. So how do you choose between them?
Find the Notes
The first thing to do is identify their notes. Spray them lightly on a handkerchief or on the inside of the bottle cap. The scent you get when you sniff it is the alcohol-dominated top note.
Now leave it so the alcohol can evaporate and go do something else. Take another sniff after say thirty minutes. This new scent comprises the base notes and is the real ‘juice’ of the fragrance. Go for the base note you find most appealing.
5. Test the Fragrance
After you choose a product, you want to test it out before buying it. Humans like many animals secret chemicals on the skin called pheromones. A particular perfume will mix with the pheromones of each individual to produce a distinct scent.
So it is important that the perfume you pick is compatible with your pheromones and body oils to give off the magical scent you want.
Many perfume shops offer free testing samples before purchase. Try one on and go about your daily activity. Note comments from friends, but most of all, trust your gut.
6. Professional Tips to Choosing the Right Perfume
Consider perfumes made by your favorite clothing brands:
Many clothing brands have a perfume line and use them as the finishing touch for their clothing products. If you have a clothing brand you especially like, chances are you might also like their perfumes.
Early to sniff:
When you wake up in the morning, your sense of smell is enhanced. So it’s a good idea to sniff your test perfumes before you become bombarded with the smells of the outside world.
In the End
Choosing the right perfume can be challenging, but with a little effort on your part, you can find the process educative and fun.
Nothing beats the testing phase as it is the sure-fire way to determine how a perfume will smell on you. For whatever product you choose, always remember to stay on budget.
In the end, go for the fragrance you just couldn’t help but keep sniffing.
