The Art of wearing Fragrances is a very individualized and personal journey. So today on #BeautyMinute, it is all about Fragrances and choosing the perfect one for you. Wearing fragrance is more than smelling good. An excellent signature fragrance is alluring and sexy. And it helps to improve your mood and boost your confidence while adding to your Style. But considering the many options available today, how do you pick the one that suits your needs and complements your body chemistry?

No doubt, choosing the perfect fragrance or scent for yourself is daunting. Have you ever loved a particular scent on someone else, but it did not work when you tried it? Or have you received a sample on a perfume card that smelled amazing, so you purchased it, only to realize it did not work for you? So, on today’s #BeautyMinute, I will share a guide to help you find your signature scent.

So, how do you find the perfect scent for your body’s chemistry?

Have you ever worn a particular scent for years only to wake up one day and realize it no longer smells the same on you? Or perhaps one day your chosen scent wears perfectly while on another day it is too strong or not strong enough. Well, it all comes down to the unique make-up of your skin chemistry. The chemistry of the body influences how well you wear a scent.

Choosing a signature scent can take a while. First, it takes patience because finding the perfect scent is about trial and error. Then you can deconstruct the notes and recognize how they work with your unique body chemistry—and finally, you determine the perfume scent profile.

Here is a Guide to Choosing the Perfect Fragrance for Yourself.

Do Your Research

Before hitting stores, take time to do your research. We will discuss notes shor,,tly but before we get th,,ere I would like you to keep the following in mind. Some scents play into more than one fragrance family, but knowing what notes you lean towards the most can quickly narrow your search for your signature scent. Florals are more feminine and mature, while spicy fragrances are warmer and sultrier, woody scents are more earthy and masculine, and fresh perfumes are citrusy and lighter.

Of Course, there are many online resources that will provide you with additional helpful information about different kinds of fragrances. The Smell Ya Later Podcast offers additional resources to assist you with this process. And several brands also provide details of their products on their websites. Doing a personal evaluation and proper research will give you insights into different fragrances.

Identify Your Notes

Notes are the scents that make up the perfume. They are divided into three layers: Top notes [Head notes], Middle notes [Heart notes], and Base notes [dry down notes].

The top note influences your attraction to any fragrance since that is the one that you smell first. However, the heart and dry-down notes are the most important as they are the scent’s authentic signature.

• The top notes or Head notes give the initial scents you smell immediately after it is applied. They are the lightest of the three notes and evaporate quickly, providing the first impressions of a perfume. Typical top notes include lemon, eucalyptus, orange, bergamot, and grapefruit.
• The middle notes, also called heart notes, emerges as the top notes fade, dominating the fragrance. This scent layer forms the main body of a perfume. Typical middle notes include lavender, cinnamon, ylang-ylang, rose, and lemongrass.
• The base notes or dry-down notes are the longest-lasting scents of perfume. They consist of heavy, large molecules that evaporate gradually. Typical base notes include vanilla, sandalwood, amber, musk, and patchouli.

Choose Your Perfume Concentration

There are different types of perfume concentrations. Perfumes with high concentrations last longer and have a more potent scent. They contain less alcohol and more perfume oils.

• Parfum contains the highest perfume concentration of between twenty to forty percent. It gives a long-lasting scent that can last all day. Parfum is the most expensive of all the fragrance types.
• Eau de parfum contains a perfume concentration of between ten and twenty percent and lasts around four to five hours.
• Eau de toilette contains a perfume concentration of between five and fifteen percent and lasts between three to four hours.
• Eau de cologne contains a perfume concentration of between two to four percent. It is cheaper than the other types of fragrances and lasts for up to two hours.

Try out the Fragrance

When choosing the perfect fragrance for yourself, be careful of trends and spend time with your choice of scent. Trends comes and goes so you need to test any fragrance before purchasing. Pick one to try out and spray it on your wrist, do not rub wrist together. Wait twenty to thirty seconds for the scent to settle on your skin before you smell the fragrance. If possible before purchasing a full-sized bottle of perfume, get a sample or purchase a travel-sized bottle and sit with the fragrance for a week. There are many brands that offer sample sets.

The perfect fragrance remains a beautiful way to elevate your Style and home. It is the fastest way to evoke memories or transport yourself to someone special or a moment with a lover or relative. Of course, the way you dress, the make-up look you choose, and your hairstyle reveal a lot about your personality, but a signature scent is an intimate way of revealing the type of person you are. So take your time finding your signature scent–it is the thing that is the most personal to you and it is what sets the mood you want to set at any given time.