How many times have you purchased a perfume only to have the scent change on you the next day? Or you borrow a friend’s perfume, only it doesn’t smell the same on you as it does on your friend? Choosing a new fragrance can feel a bit overwhelming and confusing, especially when facing a wall of numerous fragrances. To facilitate the search, start with the following facts and tips when purchasing a fragrance.  

The scent of a fragrance is divided into four notes and each time you spritz a fragrance, you will experience the following three notes:   

Top – appears in the first 5-10 minutes after spritzing and presents the scent at its strongest. Scents in this note include greens, citrus, aldehydes (powdery undertones) and delicate florals.

Middle (Heart) – appears after 20-30 minutes after spritzing. At this point, almost all of the alcohol has evaporated. Middle/heart notes consist of rich florals.

Base – appears approximately 2 hours after spritzing and helps to “bind” the fragrance together (gives fragrances perfect pitch and staying power). Warm woods and fixatives such as cedarwood, sandalwood and vanilla are placed in the base notes.

The final note of a fragrance is the “missing note” – each individual’s skin chemistry that helps determine the intensity and longevity of a fragrance. This explains why fragrances can vary on each individual.

When shopping for a new scent:

·           Limit yourself to sampling three fragrances to prevent olfactory fatigue.  

·           Spritz each fragrance on the thin end of a moullete (testing strip) or bottom of the square-shaped tester cards available at department stores. Avoid spraying on any ink printing, which may alter the fragrance.

·           After spraying, wait for a few seconds to avoid getting the initial scent of alcohol.

·           When testing a scent on the wrist, avoid immediately rubbing wrists together after spraying. Doing so will crush the delicate scent buds and can distort the fragrance. Instead, immediately hold your wrist for a few seconds to help the body’s warmth activate the fragrance.

·           If you have extra time, wait for the top note to settle in (5-10 minutes) so you can get a better idea of how the scent will work with your chemistry.

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