A Woman’s Guide to Perfume: Choosing The Right Fragrance

Every woman should have a scent that uniquely defines who she is. Plus, when you walk into a room you want people to think you smell good too! Finding your perfect scent isn’t easy, especially if you have no idea on where to start. You may have no clue what scent you want. Surprisingly, the process can be a little bit tedious and scientific.  After doing research and experimenting, however, you are one step closer to finding your favorite perfume. Here’s a quick guide to help you get started:

Figure out what scent(s) you want:

The first thing to do when it comes to finding your fragrance is to consider what scent is best for you. There are different kinds to choose from: Citrus/Fruit, Floral, Musk/Spice, and Woodsy. If you are more into the feminine or softer smells, floral scents are great. These scents include lavender, cherry blossoms, and roses. Citrus has a bolder scent. These include your typical fruity smells, like apples or oranges. If you are looking for something a bit more earthy, look for scents like firewood, rainforests,  or patchouli. Musk gives off a clean linen smell. They can also have a bit of spice, like cinnamon or vanilla.

If you are someone who enjoys having options, it’s best to have at least two scent families in mind. You may want to smell like roses one day and smell like the ocean the next. Regardless of what you choose, just make sure those scents best represent you.

Consider The Fragrance’s concentration levels:

Fragrances are made up of four different levels of concentration, ranging from lowest to strongest. These levels determine how long a scent will last throughout the day. Keep this in mind when you make your purchase because fragrances will often tell you the level of concentration on the bottle. More often than not, the higher the concentration the higher the price. The four kinds of concentration are:

a.) Eau De Cologne- This one has the lowest concentration. The scent can linger up to 2 hours max. It is made up of 5% oil mixed with alcohol and water.

b.) Eau De Toilette- Still a diluted form of perfume but it’s strong than cologne. It has more concentration of 8% and can last up to 4 hours.

c.) Eau De Parfum- Stronger than the last two levels. It lasts up to at least 6 hours and has 18% more oil & alcohol concentration.

d.) Parfum/Perfume- This is just labeled Perfume. It has the highest concentration level up to 30% and can linger throughout the day. 

Test, Test, and Test Again!

 This can’t be stressed enough. However, you want to consider a few things before you test out a perfume at your local store.

a.) Make sure you don’t have any other fragrances on you such as body mist, some other perfume, and even body lotion. This is because your body chemistry is unique and will determine how the scent will be on you.

b.) When you are shopping for a fragrance, you want to limit the number of fragrances. It’s best to test out anywhere between 3-6 per shopping trip.

c.) Spray the scent in the air or on a blotting sheet first before trying it out on your body so you will know what the perfume smells like on its own.

d.) Spray a little on your wrist and don’t mix perfumes. Check to see how the perfume reacts on your skin and how it smells on you. When you are done testing out one perfume, try another one after a few minutes so your sense of smell can neutralize.  

Picking a fragrance is fun but time-consuming. In the end, it will all be worth it. Good luck with finding your perfect perfume, ladies!