Selecting a Perfume
The first and most important rule for choosing a perfume is not to base your choice on sniffing the perfume in the bottle. You must apply it to your body, as the perfume will smell differently on you than in the bottle. Each person’s individual body chemistry is different. What smells pleasant from the bottle or on your friend may turn horrific on your body. So you need to test each fragrance before you buy. However, you should not test more than two at one time or your olfactory sense will become confused. Dab a little on your wrist and wear it around the store for a while. This will give the fragrance the opportunity to develop its unique scent on your body.
All perfumes are composed of three layers: top, middle and base. The top layer is your first impression when you apply the perfume.
It requires a few minutes for the middle layer to develop. The base layer appears after an hour. It is richer and represents the true scent of the perfume on you. You can test the staying power of the fragrance by leaving it on for a few hours. This is especially recommended for expensive perfumes. After all you want a scent that will take you from day into evening not one that will fade away as you step off the front porch. However, people with dry skin need to apply perfume more frequently than those with oily skin. They also need to apply a little more as perfume doesn’t have the same lasting qualities on dry skin.
On the day you shop for perfume, don’t use a scented deodorant or body soap and don’t wear another perfume. There will be a reaction with the test perfume and the resulting scent will be different.
Since your olfactory senses peak in the afternoon, that is the best time to go perfume shopping.
2009 | Fragrance
