As long as I look good, it is not important how I smell. This statement could be right to some extent if it were the 1980s. However, this concept does not works now. Imagine you are on a flight and go beside the air hostess, and suddenly she says,” you smell good.” How did you feel? Excited, right? In today’s time, how we smell is one of the major personality traits. We must wear a scent that suites our personality, whether it be an office meeting or a date with our loved ones. The fragrance is an invisible part to show our personality and a great way of how others remember us.But a big question lies is How to choose Perfume or Cologne?
A fragrance can go through clothes, into the air, and make the environment pleasing. A great scent can make us feel more confident and even help in reducing our stress. However, thanks to the complications of finding a signature perfume, getting the exact scent are difficult. If I could say it in one line, I would have said: pick the one you like the most. Simple, isn’t it?
However, as you know, it is about the journey, not the destination. The journey can be a bit confusing, but the results should be desirable. We have shared complete details about colognes to assist you in choosing the right cologne for yourself.
Before knowing how to choose a cologne, you must know why to choose a good cologne for yourselves.
Table of Contents
1. Wearing good perfume will make you look more attractive to the opposite gender
People give importance to smell when it comes of choosing a mate. European studies showed that looks matter the most when men are choosing women, and in the case of women, the fragrance is most important while it comes to choosing a man. Like a man uses his eyes while a woman prefers her nose. We all know, women have a better sense of smell. If there are smell tests, women are going to perform better than men do. Women’s nose works better when it comes to the scent of men (scented sex hormones). The smell can also help to make a moment memorable.
2. Fragrance can help to make a deeper emotional connection among the people
The smell is the most powerful sense. It is 150000 times more sensitive than the vision. We can detect over a trillion unique odours. According to science, the olfactory bulb is directly connected to the limbic system, also known as the emotional brain, which helps us remember the memories better than any other sense. There are several instances when our memories are connected with the time when we used to hug our loving ones. When we smell the same scent, we get back to the memory of that time and are emotionally connected with the people.
Steps to find out the right perfume
1. Only three scents must be tried at a time
The first step in how to choose Perfume is to smell limited perfumes at a time.Smell everything if you do not have any idea of what you like. However, exploration must be limited to smelling only three scents at a time, as suggested by experts. Give each fragrance its proper time as our olfactory bulb is getting a new scent each time.
2. Starting should be done with lighter scents
The next step in how to choose Perfume is to go with lighter notes first.50 percent of the population can’t smell musk. We should start with an aqueous or musky scent. Aqueous ones are fresh, and musky are like laundry type scents. Start with musky, then go to citrus, then fruity floral and at last heavy woods.
3. You must have a scent rebound
It’s not like rebounding with a bad boyfriend, if you keep returning to the sample and you like it, somewhere, the fragrance is playing its role. Take a sample of the fragrance. Spray it on yourself. As body chemistry can affect the fragrance of the perfume. Try a new scent either on top of hands or wrists or the elbow because these are the areas that are not washed more times in a day. Then check it every one hour or two to see if you like it or not.
4. Don’t be so stressed if you do not like any scent
Another step in How to choose Perfume is not to get overwhelm. If you find everyone talking about their love for Chanel or DKNY, don’t be bothered if you don’t like their smells. The preference of fragrance is mostly because of familiarity. The questions you should ask yourself are whether this smell is getting you in the right mood, or is it giving a headache.
5. Understanding the smell is important
Musk: Sounding weird? Like a wrestler? Not, musk is actually like a clean laundry scent.
Smoky: Smoky smells like a campfire burning cedar chips or a blown outmatch.
Citrus: It is the best smell to give you a feel of a spa with a yoga studio. Mostly consists smell of lime, lemon, and oranges.
Woody: Ranges from the creamy, nutty flavour, sandalwood, spicy, and dank fragrance, which is like an old musky closet. It also smells like an old pencil (cedar wood)
Green: The Chalky aftertaste of wheat grass shot or dewy moss on a spring morning.
Floral: Floral consists of scents of flowers like gardenia, lilies, roses, violets, peonies, etc.
Aquatic: It’s like a bubble bath with 7 up.
Oriental: Slightly powdery with a little spice or sweetness.
6. Don’t skip smelling coffee beans
A very important step in How to choose Perfume is to smell coffee beans.They are mostly found in perfume shops. If asked to any perfumer, he would tell that by sniffing coffee beans will reset your scent indicators. But experts say that this was said by old perfumers. Coffee beans are a strong scent in itself. Even experts smell it themselves. If you bury your nose inside your elbow that doesn’t have any fragrance, but it still works. There is something about our scent or pH that rectifies our nose.
7. Check the evolution of the scent after 4 hours
Another very important step in how to choose Perfume is to let the perfume notes settle down. When it comes to scents, there are often topics like “top note” and “dry down.” The same way people talk about legs of wine. Fragrances are also like living organisms that evolve. A top note, which is your first impression of the fragrance, lasts only 20 minutes and, for most of the day, lasts the heart part, i.e., for 4 hours.
8. Have an understanding of the cost differences of the perfumes
Ever wondered why some scents cost for 200 while some cost 2000? Why is there a large variation in the costing of perfumes? Don’t worry, here’s the answer. The fragrances having initial strong notes are cheaper, or they smell something like “metallic.” The fragrances with good complexity of heart and dry down are expensive and contain long-lasting power.
9. Hair perfume must also be tried
We are not saying the product billed as “Hair Perfume.” When your search for the scent which suits your personality, just spray it on your hair. It is not the advice of a hairdresser, as perfume contains alcohol, but it is an advice of a perfumer. Hair is an incredible scent carrier as they wave around and create this nest.
Now let us know the difference between different perfumes
Eau Fraiche:
1. Only 1-3% of perfume oil in alcohol and water.
2. It is the most diluted version of the fragrance.
3. Lasts for less than an hour.
Cologne:
1. It is the term used in Northern America
2. One of the oldest term for masculine perfumes.
3. 2-4% perfume oil in alcohol and water
4. Light, Fresh, fruity
5. Most common in younger people.
6. The lasting period is 2 hours
Eau de Toilette:
1. 15% perfume essence in alcohol
2. Lasts for about 3 hours
Eau de Parfum:
1. Both men and women can use it.
2.15-20% pure essence
3. Lasts 5-8 hours
Parfum:
1. Most concentrated and expensive of all fragrances.
2. It is slightly oilier
3. 20-30% perfume essence
4. Its fragrance lasts up to 24 hours
Conclusion
In today’s time. Selecting a perfume for ourselves has become one of the most important tasks. A good perfume, if applied properly, can increase attractiveness, can be used to remember the moments, and can even make the bonds stronger. It’s important to choose the right perfume as intolerance to any smell can cause problems leading to migraines, respiratory issues, and long-term sick leave. While selecting a perfume, start with light perfumes. Smell the new scents again so that you can get used to it. Having a good understanding of smell is important. Try them on your hair too and at last, know the differences between the perfumes (Eau de Parfum, Eau de Toilette, etc.)