How To Find The Right Perfume For You

With thousands of varieties of perfume scents on the market, how do you know which is the right choice for you? You simply need to ask yourself a series of questions to narrow down the field.

Step 1

Decide how much you want to spend. Ask yourself what you can feasibly spend on a fragrance. Costs range from budget prices to the extravagant. If you are short on cash, drugstores offer generic sprays that are similar to more upscale brands. However, the scent does not last as long nor is it usually as powerful. If you have unlimited funds, then the sky is the limit with brand-name perfumes. Oscar de la Renta, Burberry and Chanel No. 5 are popular choices.

Step 2

Figure out whether you like heavy, musky scents or lighter, more floral or clean scents. Malls often have stores dedicated strictly to perfume, so go into one and try out the scents. However, do not spray all of these on yourself. It will become a mixture of fragrances and you will not be able to tell the difference. Rather, stores should have a stick or square of paper on which to spray the perfume. Once you decide the type of scent you like, you can narrow down the choice.

Step 3

Ask whether the store can provide a small sample once you have narrowed it down to heavy or light. This will enable you to take it home and test it. You need your body heat to react with the scent to determine how it will really smell on you. Perfumes tend to smell differently on different people. Also, if you have a significant other or friends you are trying to please, ask for their opinions, as well. Wait for approximately 24 hours before making a decision. This will allow you to determine whether you like the scent and also if you have any type of allergic reaction to it. Magazines will often offer small samples of brands on some of their pages. You can use these to test out products as well.

Step 4

Purchase with your nose, not with your eyes. Perfume bottles are very attractive for a reason. But do not let that push you into your purchase. It is simply a marketing ploy. Test it out and then return to buy it.

Tips and Warnings

If the scent is a bit too heavy, try spritzing it into the air and walking directly into it. This way you are not directly spraying the scent onto your skin. Limit your time when perfume shopping. Your nose will have sensory overload if you do it for too long.
Keep perfume bottles out of the direct sunlight.