Perfume Guide: How to Find Your Signature Scent?

According to fragrance experts, the best way to identify your ideal fragrance is by considering the scent families and perfume notes, and by trying out different scents at a perfume shop.

As you know, a signature perfume acts as a happy memory scent for your family, friends, and colleagues. It lingers on your clothes and skin, triggering thoughts and reactions.

However, finding the right fragrance can be almost as tricky as trying to understand the plot of the Christopher Nolan movie, Tenet.

You need to understand what you’re smelling, that’s why you should consider the scent notes and try out various scents at your local department store.

Contents

What is a Signature Scent?

It’s a fragrance that defines you. It represents your personality, character, and style. The perfume also works perfectly with your body chemistry, boosts your mood, and often garners a compliment or two.

Do You Need a Signature Scent?

Yes, you do.

The perfect scent complements and upgrades your outfit. It’s the first impression you make to the world when you enter a room. Like a signature style, the fragrance makes you more memorable and recognizable.

8 Tips on How to Find Your Signature Scent

Here are some expert tips to finding your signature scent:

Understand the Fragrance Families

While it’s essential to ensure your nose is in tip-top shape before trying out a new perfume, the best way to find that perfect fragrance is by considering the olfactive families.

Each scent family offers a specific note, which allows you to determine what you do and don’t like. Some of the popular olfactive families include:

Floral: These scents feature everything from gardenias and jasmine, to rose and violets.

Fresh: These feature a whoosh of citrus notes like grapefruit, orange blossom, and mandarin.

Oriental: These perfumes feature soft, sweet, and warm notes like incense sticks, musk, and vanilla.

Woody: These include fragrances like cedarwood, patchouli, and sandalwood.

Try Out Scents

Though it can be tempting to go overboard when testing fragrances, doing this can leave you feeling confused and overwhelmed. That’s why experts recommend trying three scents at a time.

In any case, you don’t want to purchase another bottle of perfume only for it to become another dust-collecting ornament.

And while many people in the fragrance industry suggest sniffing coffee beans between trying scents, experts recommend burying your nose in your unscented elbow. Something about your smell and pH recalibrates your olfactory senses.

Another pro tip?

Make your way to the department store in the morning. You’ll be less stimulated, and the perfumes will smell better.

If you’re purchasing fragrance online, choose a sample set before buying a full-sized bottle.

Consider the Fragrance Notes

The perfume pyramid isn’t as overwhelming as it might seem. The idea is to allow all the light and heavy notes to blend to form a perfume halo.

Base Notes: These are heavy, spicy scents that blend the perfume. They include fragrances like vetiver, oakmoss, and labdanum.

Middle Notes: Also known as heart notes, these fragrances form the backbone of a fragrance. They include floral notes like lily and rose.

Top Notes: The most important thing you need to know about these scents is that they evaporate faster. Popular top notes include citrus and aromatic notes like apple, bergamot, lime, pink pepper, and thyme.

Allow It to Sit

After figuring out the notes, you need to wait and see how your new fragrance works for you. This is because a top note only lasts up to 30 minutes, meaning it changes after a certain amount of time on your skin.

So, once you spray the new scent, allow it to sit for an hour. The fragrance will evolve and allow you to smell the heart note and the base note.

See How Long the Scent Lasts

If you’re trying to identify your signature fragrance, you also need to consider how long the perfume will last.

That’s where eau de parfum (EDP), eau de toilette (EDT), eau de cologne (EDC), and perfume come in.

EDCs have the lowest perfume oil concentration and can last you about two hours. EDTs last about three hours, while EDPs last five to eight hours.

Perfume lasts you all day.

Remember to wear the fragrance on your wrists or in the crook of your elbow as this is where perfume leaves a lasting impression.

Look Out for Harmful Ingredients

Thanks to the International Fragrance Association (IFRA), a special regulatory body that intentionally monitors the perfume manufacturing process, you don’t have to worry about toxic elements in your fragrances.

The agency makes it hard for perfumers to include alternatives to natural ingredients, like oakmoss and cedarwood.

However, it’s always good to be vigilant. Before you wear a new fragrance, ensure that you check the ingredients as some synthetic fragrances contain phthalates which can be toxic to your health.

Consider the Temperature Changes

Temperature can alter how a fragrance smells, so it’s recommended that you revisit your beauty arsenal seasonally to ensure it’s working for you.

Don’t be scared to experiment with two to three fragrances that’ll carry you through seasonal changes and suit your different personality traits.

Perfume is emotive, so you might not always want to smell the same every day.

Take Your Time

The best way to find that perfect fragrance is by taking your time. Make sure you understand what makes your senses tingle and what doesn’t.

Visit stores and try out the fragrances. And remember, what works for one person might not work for you.

Can I Create My Own Scent?

Yes, you can.

All you have to do is mix and match your existing perfumes or find a new blend to add to your beauty collection and create a fragrance that’s as unique as you.

How Do I Know if My Signature Scent Smells Good on Me?

You can tell that a scent smells good on you when you keep getting compliments.

The Bottom Line

Fragrance is a personal thing. You have to consider what you want the scent to portray. Does it give you that much-needed edge? Does it elevate your mood?

If you ask yourself these questions, you’ll more than likely be able to confidently identify your new signature scent.