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The right perfume can make you feel confident, alluring, and chic. But how do you find it? It’s a good idea to match your fragrance to your personal style. Are you sexy and mysterious? Perky and flirty? A boho free spirit? There’s a fragrance out there waiting to become your signature scent, so get out there and find it!
You’re going to have to kiss a few frogs—and by that, I mean spritz on a lot of different scents before you find the one that works for your unique self. You should always sample a perfume long enough to experience the fragrance as it evaporates off your skin. You’ll smell the top notes first, then the heart of the fragrance, and finally the base notes in the “dry down.” Your personal chemistry will interact with all of these notes, which is why a perfume can smell great on your bestie but not on you.
Put perfume on your pulse points—inside your wrists, behind the ears and knees, cleavage and neck, etc. Be sparing, however; you don’t want to overpower people when you walk into a room! You can also try lightly spritzing your hair with a mist of perfume before brushing.
These are timeless fragrances that evokes Old Hollywood glamour and chic Parisian runways. Notes of peony, mimosa, and iris are common, as are jasmine and lily. These light florals complement a ladylike style. Look for a fragrance with a sophisticated base note like oak moss, sandalwood, or vetiver to keep the perfume from smelling too old fashioned.
You like clean lines, minimalist color palettes, and sharp tailoring. And you don’t want a fussy, overly feminine fragrance. Look for fragrances with unusual, androgynous notes like cedar or oud. Citrus and silky florals, such as jasmine or rose, balances the strength of the woodsy notes.
If you’re going to dress like a modern-day hippie, it’s only fitting that you pick an incense-inspired scent. Patchouli and sandalwood, blended with citrus and a perky, spicy note like pink pepper, creates an unforgettable signature perfume.
Are you more of a fun girly-girl? Look for sweeter fragrances that combine fruit and gourmand notes—plum or pear, with sugar, caramel, or even coffee. Some of these fragrances also contain a light floral like lily of the valley. Just watch out that the perfume doesn’t become cloying.
If you love luxe fabrics and sexy styles, then go for a bold scent. An oriental fragrance with strong notes of clove, incense, bergamot, and wood will help you feel glam and mysterious like a femme fatale. Rawr!
If you change styles with the weather, it’s okay to mix up your perfume wardrobe too. Lighter scents play better in the spring and summer, while heavier fragrances are better in fall and winter. You can also switch to something sexier—notes of amber and musk—for evening.
