Choosing the Perfect Perfume

Determine your budget. Perfume prices vary significantly, ranging from inexpensive options to luxury brands costing hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Before heading out to shop, establish a budget for your perfume purchase.

• If the perfume is intended as a gift, consider both your financial situation and your relationship with the recipient. For instance, you might be willing to spend more on perfume for your spouse than for an acquaintance.

Select the right concentration of scent. Perfumes are categorized based on their longevity. Typically, higher-priced perfumes last longer, while cheaper ones fade faster. Look for the concentration type indicated on the bottle, which determines how long the scent will last.

• Eau de cologne has the lowest fragrance concentration, lasting about two hours, containing 3-5% oil mixed with water and alcohol.
• Eau de toilette is slightly more concentrated, lasting three to four hours with about 4-8% oil.
• Eau de parfum contains a higher oil concentration, lasting around six hours with 15-18% oil mixed with alcohol.
• Perfume, or parfum, has the highest concentration, lasting all day with 15-30% oil mixed with alcohol.
• Consider allergies when choosing a perfume, as an allergic reaction can overshadow enjoyment.

Identify a scent category. Reflect on your or the recipient's preferred scents. Perfumes are typically categorized into four scent families, although many blends include a mix of scents. Observe the perfumes others use, or explore different scents in-store to determine your preference.

• Floral/Sweet perfumes offer a feminine, floral scent with notes like rose, lavender, and carnation.
• Citrus/Fruity perfumes provide a bright and refreshing aroma with tones of citrus fruits like orange and grapefruit.
• Oriental/Spicy perfumes offer a complex, musky scent with hints of spices like cinnamon and vanilla.
• Woody/Chypre perfumes feature earthy tones with scents like bergamot and oakmoss.

Seek recommendations from others. Pay attention to the perfumes people around you wear, and inquire about scents that appeal to you. This can lead you to discover new fragrances without visiting a store.

• If you dislike certain scents, identify the specific aspects you dislike to help narrow down your choices.

Space out your shopping trips. Avoid trying to find the perfect scent in one outing. Smelling multiple perfumes in a single trip can desensitize your nose, making it difficult to differentiate scents. Spread out your shopping over several days to sample a variety of fragrances and make a well-informed decision.

Avoid wearing fragrances while shopping. When shopping for perfume, refrain from using scented skincare products such as lotion, body sprays, or strongly-scented deodorants. These scents can overpower and disrupt the fragrance of the perfume you're testing.

Bring a friend along. Consider inviting a friend to assist you in your decision-making process. Their input, especially if the perfume is a gift, can be invaluable. Evaluate whether having a friend's presence would enhance or complicate your selection process if you're choosing for yourself.

Research your shopping destinations. Select your shopping locations carefully. Opt for reputable stores with knowledgeable staff and personalized customer service. Ensure the stores align with your budget and offer a wide range of options.

• Department stores like Macy's offer excellent customer service, albeit with higher price points.
• Small boutiques may have higher prices and limited selections, but they often provide quality products and service.
• Choose stores specializing in perfumes for a wider selection and expert assistance.

Seek assistance from a salesperson. Approach a salesperson with a clear idea of your preferred scent. Their expertise will streamline your search process.

• Politely ask, “Could you assist me in selecting a perfume? I'm seeking a moderately long-lasting fragrance with a fresh, citrus scent, within the $70-120 price range.”
• If uncertain, request to sample popular perfumes from various scent families.
• For gift-giving, inquire about popular floral scents, which are universally liked.

Limited to six fragrances per trip. Avoid overwhelming yourself by testing only up to six fragrances during each shopping trip. This approach allows you to fully appreciate each scent's nuances without saturating your sense of smell. With your options narrowed down, you can focus on perfumes that best suit you.

Begin with a sniff from the bottle. Before testing on skin, take an initial whiff directly from the perfume bottle to gauge your initial impression. This prevents wasting a spritz on yourself if you dislike the scent upon first sniff.

• Avoid inhaling too deeply to prevent desensitizing your sense of smell prematurely.

Utilize blotter sheets for testing. If you're intrigued by a perfume's bottle scent, spray a small amount onto a blotter sheet. After allowing the scent to settle for approximately ten seconds, evaluate it. Label the sheet if you still enjoy the scent, allowing you to revisit it later.

Test favorites on skin. For perfumes you favor, apply a small amount to your wrist or inner elbow crease. After about ten seconds for the alcohol to dissipate, assess the scent. Perfume interacts differently with skin, so skin testing is essential alongside blotter testing.

• Avoid applying multiple perfumes to the same area to prevent mixing scents.

Rejuvenate your sense of smell. Between testing each scent, refresh your olfactory senses with a neutral scent, such as your skin or clothing. This prevents lingering perfume scents from interfering with your assessment of subsequent perfumes.

Request perfume samples. If you discover a perfume you adore, keep the blotter sheet and inquire about obtaining a sample. Explain to the salesperson that you're considering purchasing the perfume but wish to take some time to decide. Most major perfume retailers offer complimentary samples to genuinely interested customers.

Conduct side-by-side perfume comparisons. Once you've visited all your planned perfume stores and collected several options, gather the samples and blotting sheets. Use the same testing method as in the store to evaluate each perfume. Continuously narrow down your choices until you reach a decision!

Contemplate investing in a sampler set. If you're having trouble selecting just one scent, consider purchasing a sampler set from retailers like Sephora or Ulta. These sets include sample or travel-sized bottles of multiple perfumes.

• You can test each perfume over a few weeks and eventually purchase a full-sized bottle of your favorite. Some sets even come with a voucher for a full-sized bottle.

• Remember that everyone has different preferences. If you're buying perfume as a gift, prioritize the recipient's taste over your own.
• Don't hesitate to seek assistance! Salespeople excel at matching you with products that align with your preferences.
• Don't feel pressured by salespeople to purchase an overly expensive perfume or one that you don't genuinely like.