How to Pick the Perfect Perfume for Your Personality

Finding the perfect perfume is essential for the modern woman.  However, it can be a time consuming process, and can take you many years to find the perfect scent.  It’s similar to the difficulty involved with finding the perfect pair of jeans, the perfect bathing suit, or even the perfect man!

 

How to Choose Perfume

 

First up, it’s important to understand that not all perfume is going to smell good on you, no matter what it smells like coming out of the bottle, or how wonderful it smells on your best friend.  This is because the smell of perfume is subtly altered by your body chemistry.  Everyone’s skin has a different PH value (something you may have learned in chemistry), which will chemically alter the smell of any perfume when applied to your skin.

 

The best way to choose a good perfume is to go to a perfume store and test different types.  Most department stores (Nordstrom, Macy’s) that sell perfume have tester sticks and bottles so that you can apply a few squirts and let it mix with your body chemistry. 

 

Tool to Bring Along

 

If you are planning on going on a “Scent Safari” such as this, always take along a small pill case or a container filled with coffee beans.  This is because after trying a few different perfumes, your nose will start to get numb to new smells, and all the perfumes will start smelling the same. 

 

To counteract this, take a good sniff of the coffee beans between every testing, and wait 30 seconds for your nose to ‘reset’ itself.  A sprig of lavender in a zip-lock bag also works well, or any other pungent herb or spice.

 

Perfumes for Different Occasions

 

It’s also important to choose the right perfume for the occasion.  For instance, if you are going out for an intimate occasion, you might not want to pick something clean-scented (such as cotton or vanilla) or fruit scented (such as apple or strawberry), as studies have shown that clean and fruit scents are actually a turn-off to men.  Choose something with a musk base to give yourself an enticing, seductive air. 

 

On the other hand, if you are attending a formal business function, you probably don’t want to wear the same perfume that you would on a date, unless you want to attract unwanted male attention.  You’ll want something very subtle and mysterious that exudes confidence and femininity, without being overpowering or obvious. Try orchid or coco butter for an unusual yet attractive scent.

 

If you’re really picky, you can visit different websites, like ScentCrafters.com or PerfumeLab.com, and make your own, one-of-a-kind perfume.  There are also several ways to make perfume at home with different kits and recipes, but these may wind up being pricier than their store-bought alternatives.


How to Wear Perfume

 

Once you have found the perfect perfume, make sure that you know how and where to apply it.  Your pulse points are always good spots, but you can also squirt a few drops on your hair or clothes.  Don’t apply more than one squirt at one time so the scent is subtle, but lovely.

 

One problem if you have loyally stuck to your favorite scent for many years is that over time, your nose gets used to the scent, so you have to apply more and more in order for you to smell it.  (Yes, that’s why your grandmother smells like that!)  Avoid this common ‘numbing’ problem by giving your favorite perfume a break every few months and experimenting with different scents.  Or pick a handful of perfumes that you like, and switch back and forth between them every couple of weeks.

 

The Perfect Amount

 

How to tell if you’re wearing too much perfume?  If one of your co-workers or family members innocently tells you that you smell nice, or asks what kind of perfume you’re wearing… you’re wearing too much.  If you are wearing perfume correctly, only people who are standing right beside you should be able to smell it – not the guy in the office across the hall.

 

Here’s a good tip if you have a chronic problem with “over applying” – if you want to wear your favorite perfume to work, buy a small empty spray bottle (available at drugstores and chemists for under a dollar) and mix up a solution that is about 30 percent perfume, and fill the rest with water.  That way, you can spray away to your heart’s content without worrying that the guy in the next cubical to you is going to be overwhelmed by the smell of your perfume all day long.

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