Choosing perfume

Knowing what to look for
If you’re looking for your own ‘signature’ scent, you need to define your ingredients of choice. It’s a jungle of floral, fruity, woody and amber fragrances out there, and choosing the one for you isn’t easy. Choose a perfume that suits your skin, feelings and personality. It could even evoke particular memories.

Testing, testing…
Each person's skin has its own fragrance. The epidermis of the skin changes the characteristics of a perfume, depending on skin type. To find whether a perfume suits you, test it on your pulse points (neck and wrist). If you wait half an hour you'll be able to tell its true character, the aura it gives you and the feel of it on your skin, and you’ll know if you wear it well or not. Testing on the back or palm of your hand isn’t advised; nor is spraying near your jewellery, as metal acifidies skin on contact with perfume.

The different notes in a fragrance
Perfumes are works of architecture: they’re built in three-tiered scent pyramids comprising top notes (fresh, strong scents that are immediately apparent when you spray the perfume onto your skin), heart notes (more sensual scents that become apparent after about 10 minutes); and base notes (heavy, more durable notes that make the perfume last). You can only really find out what a perfume’s real fragrance is like after an hour’s wear, when all three notes have come out.   

Chooosing the right one
It’s not easy to know which perfume is best for you when you’re confronted with all manner of different types: eau de toilette, eau de parfum, summer perfume, perfumed oil and perfumed lotions. For daily use, eau de toilette is ideal for giving you a discreet scent. The same goes for perfumed lotions and powders, which give skin a delicate fragrance. For more of a statement on dressier occasions or nights out, go for perfume or eau de parfum.

Applying your perfume 
It's often said you should wear perfume wherever you want to be embraced! Perfume is a seduction weapon par excellence, so make it work for you by applying it to strategic zones: your neck (incuding the nape), décolleté, around your ear and the inside of your wrist. You can also spritz your clothes to give yourself a light aura. That said, perfume should still be subtle! Two or three sprays should be enough to keep you smelling gorgeous all day.

Looking after your perfume
Perfume doesn’t tolerate light, heat or temperature change well, so keep it in a dry place in its original packaging. A well-kept perfume has a life expectancy of 2-5 years, though if it’s already been opened the air can alter and distort the fragrance. A bottle that hasn’t been opened can retain its true scent for years. While its colour may change, it doesn’t mean the fragrance itself has changed.

5 essential tips for choosing the right perfume
1- Choose a perfume that matches your personality
2- Test it properly
3- Choose the right format (eau de toilette/eau de parfum)
4- Apply with care  
5- Take good care of it!