I am ready to purchase some perfume. However, I do not know where to start. I know I do not want something overpowering. I work with a lot of physicians. Any ideas? How would you decide?
How do you decide what perfume to buy?
- Thread starter Sophisticated1
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I agree with @Swanky. Always try before you buy. Do you know if you prefer clean smells, or citrus smells, or spicy, or florals? Knowing that will help you narrow the choices down. If you're not sure get some samples of each to start.
My other huge criteria is not only liking the scent, but longevity. Many perfumes I've loved never last more than an hour on me, so I can't justify their cost. Also, some perfumes will open great but then fade into something else that's not to my liking or vice versa, so making sure you live with it before you commit is important. Go get some samples and take it from there.
My other huge criteria is not only liking the scent, but longevity. Many perfumes I've loved never last more than an hour on me, so I can't justify their cost. Also, some perfumes will open great but then fade into something else that's not to my liking or vice versa, so making sure you live with it before you commit is important. Go get some samples and take it from there.
I sprayed and smelled a number of perfumes I thought I wanted to buy today.
Amouage Dia-Love this perfume but after wearing it for a couple of times I discovered that I can't bear wearing this perfume the whole day.
Stella McCartney Stella-tried a couple of times already but smell is somewhat light, I want it a bit stronger. I want to try this scent one more time. This scent keeps hunting me for a couple of years now
Chanel Beige-doesn't stay long on my skin, disappears in 2 minutes
Chanel Gardenia- love this but I have a number of perfumes with gardenia in it, so I stay away from this lol
I test perfumes at least 3-5x before buying. Maybe it's a lot of testing but it's worth it.
Amouage Dia-Love this perfume but after wearing it for a couple of times I discovered that I can't bear wearing this perfume the whole day.
Stella McCartney Stella-tried a couple of times already but smell is somewhat light, I want it a bit stronger. I want to try this scent one more time. This scent keeps hunting me for a couple of years now
Chanel Beige-doesn't stay long on my skin, disappears in 2 minutes
Chanel Gardenia- love this but I have a number of perfumes with gardenia in it, so I stay away from this lol
I test perfumes at least 3-5x before buying. Maybe it's a lot of testing but it's worth it.
I have found it very hard to test fragrance in store. Even if you limit it to two testers, 1 on each wrist, it will smell completely different an hour or so later, or may disappear. Samples are the best. Try them 1 at a time, and make sure you like it at the beginning, middle and end of the day.
If you are new to fragrance, and don’t have a clue what you would like, Sephora has some samplers:
https://www.sephora.com/sephora-favorites?products=all&searchTerm=sephora favorites&node=1050072
Chanel Chance is a good work-friendly scent, there are a few varieties, again, try before you buy.
If you are new to fragrance, and don’t have a clue what you would like, Sephora has some samplers:
https://www.sephora.com/sephora-favorites?products=all&searchTerm=sephora favorites&node=1050072
Chanel Chance is a good work-friendly scent, there are a few varieties, again, try before you buy.
Definitely try before you buy. What smells good on someone else, might not smell the same on you. I tend to go for floral scents. In particular, rose. I always opt for the EDP, it’s worth paying that little extra I think.
I’m going to echo almost everyone here and say samples, samples, samples! I handle the education/training of a Sephora store and we are more than happy to give clients a few samples. Body chemistry does play such a huge role in fragrance, @pjrufus said it perfectly. It’s hard to test scents on both wrists! And the sampler is a fantastic way to try a bunch of fragrances and really select your favorite!
Good luck!
Good luck!
I just recently purchased Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady body oil which is very subtle. I do wear the
fragrance so the softness of a body oil is subtle.
I agree with the above posters.. Try a few scents & see what appeals to you & because you work around
physicians a scented body lotion or oil might be another option to consider
fragrance so the softness of a body oil is subtle.
I agree with the above posters.. Try a few scents & see what appeals to you & because you work around
physicians a scented body lotion or oil might be another option to consider
Everyone’s body chemistry is different when it comes to fragrance. What may smell great on one person may not on another.
Always spritz the sample or tester on your inside wrist. Do not rub togeather. Smell it, then note how it changes on you. Smell it again awhile later and see if you still like it. Note how long it lasts on you. Don’t try a whole bunch at once.
If testing at the store , remember if it’s on a card, the smell will be different on your skin. Try different ones until you find one you love. Ask the beauty advisor for help. They will ask which scents you like ( spicy, floral, sweet, green ect ) then narrow down the choices for you. That is what they are there for.
If you prefer to figure out what you may like before you go to the store, try https://www.fragrantica.com/notes/ . You can identify smells you enjoy. At the bottom of each note they will have fragrances that contain it.
This website also lists almost every fragrance. When looking at a particular fragrance, to the left of the page it tells you alternate fragrances you may enjoy. I find this quite helpful.
A great alternate to edt and edp is the perfumed body lotions. Almost every fragrance has them. They tend to be a bit more subtle, if you’re concerned about over powering scents where you work.
When you find the one you want, take advantage of this time of year, by purchasing a gift set that includes the fragrance, body lotion and bath and shower gel. It’s always a really good value. If no sets are available, ask if they have a gift with purchase, as these often will have the bath products in trial sizes. ( For a longer lasting fragrance, layer bath products then end with a spritz )
Oddly enough, when I wear the lotions, I always get so many compliments on how good I smell.
Sorry for the long post. I sold high end fragrance and beauty products for many years. Hope this helps! Let us know which one you decide on. Have fun!
Always spritz the sample or tester on your inside wrist. Do not rub togeather. Smell it, then note how it changes on you. Smell it again awhile later and see if you still like it. Note how long it lasts on you. Don’t try a whole bunch at once.
If testing at the store , remember if it’s on a card, the smell will be different on your skin. Try different ones until you find one you love. Ask the beauty advisor for help. They will ask which scents you like ( spicy, floral, sweet, green ect ) then narrow down the choices for you. That is what they are there for.
If you prefer to figure out what you may like before you go to the store, try https://www.fragrantica.com/notes/ . You can identify smells you enjoy. At the bottom of each note they will have fragrances that contain it.
This website also lists almost every fragrance. When looking at a particular fragrance, to the left of the page it tells you alternate fragrances you may enjoy. I find this quite helpful.
A great alternate to edt and edp is the perfumed body lotions. Almost every fragrance has them. They tend to be a bit more subtle, if you’re concerned about over powering scents where you work.
When you find the one you want, take advantage of this time of year, by purchasing a gift set that includes the fragrance, body lotion and bath and shower gel. It’s always a really good value. If no sets are available, ask if they have a gift with purchase, as these often will have the bath products in trial sizes. ( For a longer lasting fragrance, layer bath products then end with a spritz )
Oddly enough, when I wear the lotions, I always get so many compliments on how good I smell.
Sorry for the long post. I sold high end fragrance and beauty products for many years. Hope this helps! Let us know which one you decide on. Have fun!
Have you already purchased your new scent? If not, I recommend trying Jo Malone fragrances as they tend to be subtle but very classy and work appropriate. My current favorite is Wood Sage and Sea Salt. The only downside is some say that JM fragrances don't last long. You'll need to try/sample to see how it works with your body chemistry.
I also really love Chanel Mademoiselle. It has been my signature scent for more than 20 years now. I receive so many compliments when I wear it. Have turned tons of people onto it - too many to count! As others have noted, I purchase not only the perfume but also the creme, body oil, powder of my scents as layering is so important for a full-bodied and long-lasting scent. Love fragrances! Let us know what you decide/decided on!
It is a lot of patience and testing, as everyone has said! What works for you may not work for me, and what works for me on a lazy day may smell very different if I'm active and moving. I've found doing a fragrance sampler (with 8-12 testers) that gives you a full sized bottle of your choice is a good way to go about it. This sounds obvious, but the number of people that purchase a fragrance based on the bottle or brand is ridiculous- ignore that! (Chanel no5 doesn't work on a lot of people, yet they buy it because of the bottle/brand! )
