Finding a fragrance is hard work; there are a myriad of factors to consider before rushing to the shops and spritzing so severely that you run the risk of suffering serious head spins.
Luckily, we’ve put together an insider’s guide, bursting with tips and tricks to keep in mind when you’re pursuing the perfect perfume (with a little help from The Powder Room’s Samantha Taylor).
1. It’s not all about a ‘signature scent’, finding a scent for all occasions is great, but the fun thing about fragrance is that it can change with your mood and emotions, or according to your wardrobe, so if you find one you like – go for it!
2. Don’t shop for fragrance straight after lunch, as the food you eat can affect the odour of your skin, and disrupt the way a scent may normally sit on your skin.
3. Once you spritz a perfume on your wrist don’t make up your mind straight away. It’s important to allow the fragrance to develop, from the top notes, all the way through to the base of the perfume, which normally takes around ten minutes. Go for a walk, sniff your wrist a few times and then decide.
4. Be sure to spray perfume on your wrist and not straight onto the neck or décolletage, as the alcohol can irritate and dry the skin. Spritzing in the air above the head will ensure the scent falls into your hair and is distributed over a greater area.
5. It’s important not to ‘bruise’ the notes of the fragrance when testing; rubbing the inside of your wrists together can disrupt the layers of the fragrance and thus alter the way the scent develops.
6. Remember, fragrance smells a little different on everyone, depending on the acidity of our skin. Don’t purchase a perfume simply because it smells sensational on your bestie, be sure to try it on yourself first!
7. When buying a fragrance for the first time, don’t opt for 100mL because you love it, check which size is the best value for money; it’s not always the largest size.
8. Although it’s not entirely true that a fragrance ‘goes off’ it can definitely develop over time, depending on where it’s stored and what type of flacon it’s housed in. Keep perfume out of direct sunlight, in a cool area and ensure the bottle is airtight, keeping it in the box is also recommended. The combination of these will ensure the shelf life of your scent is extended.
Our date night perfume picks:
Urban Rituelle Beachcomber Ruby Mango Summer Scents
Badgley Mischka Fleurs De Nuit
La Prairie Silver Rain Fragrance Eau de Parfum Spray
Jo Malone French Lime Blossom Cologne
Awesome tips
I’m far from being scentible haha