Signature Scents: How to Choose Your Stand Out Perfume

Finding that signature fragrance can send you into a reeling tailspin especially after smelling several different scents. Choosing a fragrance is personal because each scent is unique. It is common to choose a fragrance to fit your personality but sometimes it's difficult to get the real smell of the perfume you have selected. There are many factors that can take away and even change the structure of the scent leaving you surprised and upset because it doesn't smell the same at home as when you tried it at the store. Check out these tips to keep your senses sharp and to choose the right perfume for you.

Skin Method

When testing a fragrance remember to not wear any perfume that day. Adding a perfume over-top another perfume will only distort the scent and cause you to think you are getting something you're not. Spritz a few drops on the inside of your wrist or back of your hand but do not rub it. Rubbing the perfume damages the molecules and changes the notes. By letting the perfume naturally evaporate you'll be able to get the intended scent.

Use a Blotter

Although it's typical to use your skin it's not necessary. Special strips of paper called blotters are available when testing fragrances; offering an alternative to using your skin. If a blotter is not available fabric can also be used.

Testing Several Fragrances at Once

Being at the perfume counter with endless fragrances can make you want to smell each one but this is not a suitable tactic for testing perfume. After smelling several perfumes it is difficult to distinguish one from the other. You will often find petite jars of coffee beans to smell in between each fragrance but that's not enough to clear the olfactory senses when they have become saturated. Once you have tested three or four scents take a break and get some fresh air.

Get Some Rest

While it may sound odd,sleep is important when trying a fragrance because it keeps your sense of smell sharp. Much like other things the senses and alertness are hindered when there is a lack of sleep.

Straight-up

Smelling a fragrance straight from the bottle will only allow you to smell the most potent scents which are acid and strong notes. This is not a good perception or representation of what it will smell like once it has been on for some time.

Loving the scent in the store may change once you've had it on for a while because the elements around you can change the fragrance you are selecting. Simple things such as other lingering scents and air conditioning can change your beloved perfume into a dust collector once you get home. A fragrance's real character comes to life once it has settled onto the skin. It's the combination of your body chemistry and perfume that will give you the signature scent you're looking for.

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