Smelling good plays an important role in regards to hygiene, and definitely while making the first impression. How does one buy the right perfume for themselves?
To pick the right perfume, you need to keep in mind how the perfume acts with your chemistry and your personal preference.
Perfumes and colognes are made up of many different accords to produce a harmonious scent. Our body chemistry is unique to us, so, the same perfume will smell slightly different or completely different, depending on who is wearing it. It will smell different in the bottle or sprayed on a card then it will on your skin.
The composition of a perfume is called accord and describes the three set of notes that appear gradually on top of each other.
Top notes
When you spray the perfume on, you get the impression of these notes first. This note will last for about 10-20 minutes before they evaporate.
Middle notes
These scents appear just before the top notes fade and are usually rounded and soft. The middle notes usually appear a few minutes after application and will last about 3-6 hours on the skin.
Base notes
These scents are heavy and large molecules that evaporate slowly. They emerge late in fragrant compositions and have a rich and deep character. They are also used to give lasting power to the perfume. You will probably detect the first base notes between half an hour to an hour after initial spray, and they can last up to 24 hours on the skin.
Knowing about the families of fragrances helps you pick a perfume:
Floral
Rose, Carnation, Lavender, Orange blossom, Violets. Floral is the most widely used scent in feminine fragrances.
Characteristics: Very sweet and easily recognizable.
Citrus/Fruity/Fresh
Orange, lemon, lime, and other citrus fruits. Apricot, apple, peach, etc. Characteristics: Clean, light, and invigorating.
Spicy
Warm vanilla, spices and incense resins.
Characteristics: Reminiscent of the Far East. Kind of mysterious!
Woody
Scents like bergamot, oak moss, labdanum, and patchouli.
Characteristics: Mossy and very earthy smelling.