spent most of my mid-twenties trying to find my signature fragrance. I’d been wearing Givenchy Organza for ever when I suddenly and arbitrarily decided it was a pedestrian fragrance and I needed something much more underground and hipster. I flitted around for a few years annoying the women in Klien’s on Brunswick Street trying to get something that was same-same-but-totes-different to Organza until the lady behind the counter pretty much told me to get over myself and just wear Organza. So I bought myself a bottle last Christmas and it was an excellent life choice because it makes me smell like a sexy cupcake. For those of you that suffer from perfume indecision here’s a simple no bullshit guide on how to choose a signature fragrance without being weird about it.
Narrow it down
There are far too many fragrance categories and sub-categories for us to get too technical so I like to narrow down to the main categories. Floral, oriental, wood and citrus. There other categories but you have to a bit of fragrance head to really care about them. We’re just doing the basics here.
Floral
Think rose, lilies, fresh cut flowers and lovely shops that sell potpourri and sweet smelling hand cream. Floral scents are very feminine and quite sweet. If you love the smell of flower shops and rosewater you could start with Chloe by Chloe, Flower by Kenzo or Flowerbomb by Victor & Rolf.
Oriental
Oriental fragrances usually have incense, amber and vanilla as their main notes. Imagine chai tea, beautiful vases of jasmine flowers and vanilla bean custard tarts. Oriental scents are quite sexy and seductive so if this sounds like you, try Yves St Laurent’s Opium, Givenchy Organza or Dior’s Poison.
Wood
Wood based scents and orientals can seem quite similar but woods are deeper and heavier than orientals so think cedar tables, leather couches, tobacco and wood fires. If you think you are a wood woman you might want to consider trying some unisex or men’s fragrances like Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille or anything at all by Comme Des Garçons.
Citrus
Citrus fragrances are clean, youthful and summery. Think big green salads with lime dressing, icey cocktails with lemon slices and freshly squeezed orange juice. If you’re a zesty citrus girl try Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin, Guerlain Eau de Guerlain (well known as the citrus masters) or Jo Malone Grapefruit.
Follow your instincts
Once you’ve figured out if you’re floral, oriental, wood or citrus you can start exploring fragrances in your category. You’ll often find that you’re naturally drawn towards bottles of perfume that are in your category. For instance lots of woody fragrances are in dark, moody looking bottles that won’t appeal to someone who likes fresh citrus fragrances. Similarly florals are often in very feminine, pink hued bottles that a minimalist oriental lover wouldn’t be drawn to. Trust your eye and see where it takes you.
Let it cook
Never commit to purchasing a perfume unless you’ve worn it for at least 8 hours. Only try two fragrances at a time, spray one on each wrist and periodically smell them through out the day to see how they settle on your skin. By the end of the day, you should have a fairly solid preference for one over the other.
Try samples
Many perfume stores are more than happy to provide you with samples if you ask nicely. It’s a great way to spend a week wearing a fragrance before investing in a whole bottle. If you visit LuckyScent they actually sell 5 and 7ml samples of most of their fragrances for just a few dollars which is an excellent way to test out expensive artisan scents.
Be adventurous
Mix it up a little. Just because you lean towards loving orientals doesn’t mean that a rose based scent won’t work for you. If you’ve been wearing nothing but powdery Cacheral scents since you were in high school you might like to mix it up with something from a fragrance house with a fresher style like Prada or Gucci.
Get over yourself
Don’t be a perfume snob. Some people get very uppity about cheap or celebrity fragrances but if you love Katy Perry’s latest perfume and it smells UH-mazing on you then wear it.
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What perfume do you wear and how did you decide on that one?
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