How to Choose a Perfume

Guidelines on How to Choose a Perfume

Choosing a perfume to buy can be a daunting task. With so many new perfumes hitting the shelves each month, it can seem as though one is inundated with choices.

Many people end up making an impulse choice when choosing their fragrance, buying a perfume because it is recommended to them by a friend or sales assistant, because it is a “classic”, or because it is from a top designer. However it is important to remember that the scent of a perfume matters much more than the label attached to it, and what works for one person in a perfume might not work for another.

It is therefore useful, when selecting a perfume for oneself or others, to spend time considering which perfume is right for the individual. Follow the steps below to discover how to sift through the choices on offer and sniff out a perfect signature perfume.

Consider Personality When Choosing a Signature Scent

Whether one is buying a perfume for themselves or as a gift for another, it is important to think about the personality of the intended wearer. For instance, if the wearer is a girly girl, perhaps a sweet, flowery perfume, such as Ghost's Sweetheart may fit the bill. Alternatively, for a sophisticated lady, a luxurious classic scent such as Eliazbeth Arden's 5th Avenue might be a good choice.

Many perfumes now consciously tailor their products to personality types –such as Vera Wang's Princess and Glam Princess perfumes and Vivienne Westwood's Let It Rock – which makes it easier to choose a perfume to complement personality type.

Think About Appearance and Consider the Image Behind a Celebrity Perfume

They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but in terms of perfume this isn’t so true; looking at the bottle, box and promotion posters for a perfume can actually tell you lots about its smell.

Perfume manufacturers deliberately pick images for their boxes, choose celebrities for endorsements, and design advertising campaigns that match the image of their product and their target audience. Even something as simple as the colour and shape of the bottle can say a lot about the product it contains.

Therefore, looking for a bottle of perfume that appeals visually or is backed by a celebrity the wearer feels an affinity with can actually be a useful way for one to narrow down their choices and find a scent that suits their personality.

Choose a Fragrance Family

Perfumes generally fall into one of several families of fragrances. The four main families of scents are woody, spicy, fruity and floral. Individuals will generally have a preference for either one or two of these families, which can be ascertained by looking at the scents of the perfumes they already own or prefer.

The families which current and prospective perfumes belong to can be determined by asking a sales assistant or looking for a perfume on a website that categorizes perfumes according to their families, such as The Perfume Shop's. Once individuals have decided which type of fragrance they prefer, they can narrow down their choices further by sticking to this perfume family.

Match the Occasion to the Perfume

While the above tips are good methods for choosing an everyday perfume, if a perfume is being selected for a particular occasion one should also think about tailoring their choice of perfume to that occasion and to the image they are hoping to project.

For instance, if the wearer is going on a date, they may wish to choose a musky or spicy scent to enhance sex appeal, such as Provocative by Elizabeth Arden. Alternatively, for a job interview, a cleaner, fresher and more subtle scent would be a better choice for projecting an air of professionalism.

How to Smell Perfume

Once the individual has narrowed down their choices of perfume to a few favorites, they can now see which perfume passes the smell test. This might sound obvious, but there are actually a few tricks to sniffing out your favorite. First of all, it is important to try the perfume on one’s own skin rather than on a testing stick or on someone else. Perfume smells differently on different people’s skin, so it is important for the wearer to be sure of how each perfume will smell on their skin.

Secondly, once the perfume has been applied, it is important to allow it to settle and see how it smells after an hour so. Perfumes change in smell over time, so a perfume that smells nice at first may change for the worse or improve over time.

Lastly, one should only try a maximum of two or three perfumes at one time (on different parts of your wrist), as the scents will start to blend and you will be unable to make an accurate judgment after this.

Selecting a Signature Perfume

Many people choose a perfume based on trends, recommendations and brands. However, it is more important to select a scent that will fit one’s own personality and make them feel happy, confident and unique. By selecting perfumes based on one’s own personality, tastes, preferences, needs and lifestyle, buyers can easily identify their own signature scent.