Print ArticleWhether you?re in search of a new signature scent, or trying to pick one out for someone else, shopping for scent can be mystifying. Here are some fragrance selection tips from Alison Blackman Dunham of the Advice Sisters and creator of the monthly Advice Sisters ?What Works? Beauty, Cosmetics & Fashion Review column http://www.advicesisters.net/whatworkscol3.html . These will help you narrow you search and make it successful:
Buying A Fragrance For Yourself:
Identify the type of fragrance you like and want. ?When you open a bottle of perfume you?ll get a general impression that defines the type of scent it is,? says Ms. Blackman Dunham. The basic types are: Floral (flowers); Fruity (fruits); Fougere (grassy, green, herbal); Oriental (incense, spices, exotics); Chypre (woods, earthy) and Oceanic (synthetics meant to evoke a particular feeling such as: ocean, sand, rain, fabric)
Don?t judge a scent just by how it smells in the bottle. Perfumes have top, middle and bottom notes?ingredients blended together to give you a first impression, but you must wear it on your skin to really understand how it will smell, hour after hour, on you.
Resist Trends: Not all scents work equally well with an individual?s body chemistry. Even if something is trendy this year, such as chocolate or green tea, it might not smell wonderful on you. Trends are here today and gone in an instant. Scent is an investment so choose wisely.
Fragrance Options: If you love the way a particular scent smells, you like to layer products (makes scent last longer), or if you just want to try a scent in a less expensive form, the perfume options are: Perfume (most expensive, because it contains the largest amount of distilled essential oils and is very concentrated?use sparingly). Cologne and Eau de Toilette (often called ?toilet water?))and solid fragrances (less expensive than perfume and less concentrated); Body Splash (even less concentrated); Bath & Body Gels, Body Lotions & Creams, Candles, Potpourri, Aroma Sticks, and Room Sprays
You have an audience! Your fragrance is not meant to be smelled across the room, but when others are up close.
Seasons Change and so should you. The weather, your moods, the clothes you are wearing, and your unique, overall body chemistry will affect a scent. Lighter fragrances are generally the best bet during the warmer months, heavier scents are best for the cooler ones and special occasions. It?s best to have one scent for each of the four seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer & Fall.
Fragrance is an investment, take care of it. Like a fine wine or anything with organic ingredients in it, fragrance can ?turn? over time. If you purchase a large bottle, use it up within a year or you may find it?s original allure is fading. Additionally, fragrance should be stored in cool, dry places away from the sun. Some people put their fragrances in the refrigerator when the mercury, rises.
What you get for your money: In general, the more expensive fragrances include more expensive and exotic ingredients and they?re blended by skilled experts. The less expensive scents may be less complex, but that doesn?t mean you can?t find something you like that won?t break your budget. Once you know what you like (experimentation is key) you can often find those same ?notes? (key ingredients) in another fragrance that might not be quite as costly (although it won?t be quite the same, either). You might also try a unisex scent and share the bottle and the cost with your partner.
Get a sample! If there?s none available and you must buy a fragrance that day, let the salesperson spritz one scent on one wrist only, and walk around in it for a few hours to see how it will really smell in the days to come. This is also especially important if you have sensitive skin?.some fragrances might react with it.
HOW TO BUY A GIFT OF FRAGRANCE FOR SOMEONE ELSE:
Consider Personality & Lifestyle: Do they wear fragrance at all? If so, give them something in the same range or get a home scent instead. Are they casual, stay at home, or do they work in an office all day? And, give them the license to return a fragrance if they truly dislike it. Fragrance is a personal gift and you shouldn?t obligate someone to wear something they don?t like (or that reacts with their skin). On a budget? If money is really tight, forgo the perfume and get a candle, scented soap, or moisturizer, instead
Celebrate Spring! From May through July, The Advice Sisters? Great Relationships Web Site (advicesistersdotnet) is offering participants a chance to win one of five great prizes to help them enjoy the Spring season, with a new contest: Celebrate Spring! An entry form and contest details can be found on the Advice Sisters Great Relationships Web Site. There is no fee to enter.
To contact Alison Blackman Dunham, visit the Advice Sisters Web Site http://www.advicesisters.net or email advicesisters@advicesisters.net
Buying A Fragrance For Yourself:
Identify the type of fragrance you like and want. ?When you open a bottle of perfume you?ll get a general impression that defines the type of scent it is,? says Ms. Blackman Dunham. The basic types are: Floral (flowers); Fruity (fruits); Fougere (grassy, green, herbal); Oriental (incense, spices, exotics); Chypre (woods, earthy) and Oceanic (synthetics meant to evoke a particular feeling such as: ocean, sand, rain, fabric)
Don?t judge a scent just by how it smells in the bottle. Perfumes have top, middle and bottom notes?ingredients blended together to give you a first impression, but you must wear it on your skin to really understand how it will smell, hour after hour, on you.
Resist Trends: Not all scents work equally well with an individual?s body chemistry. Even if something is trendy this year, such as chocolate or green tea, it might not smell wonderful on you. Trends are here today and gone in an instant. Scent is an investment so choose wisely.
Fragrance Options: If you love the way a particular scent smells, you like to layer products (makes scent last longer), or if you just want to try a scent in a less expensive form, the perfume options are: Perfume (most expensive, because it contains the largest amount of distilled essential oils and is very concentrated?use sparingly). Cologne and Eau de Toilette (often called ?toilet water?))and solid fragrances (less expensive than perfume and less concentrated); Body Splash (even less concentrated); Bath & Body Gels, Body Lotions & Creams, Candles, Potpourri, Aroma Sticks, and Room Sprays
You have an audience! Your fragrance is not meant to be smelled across the room, but when others are up close.
Seasons Change and so should you. The weather, your moods, the clothes you are wearing, and your unique, overall body chemistry will affect a scent. Lighter fragrances are generally the best bet during the warmer months, heavier scents are best for the cooler ones and special occasions. It?s best to have one scent for each of the four seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer & Fall.
Fragrance is an investment, take care of it. Like a fine wine or anything with organic ingredients in it, fragrance can ?turn? over time. If you purchase a large bottle, use it up within a year or you may find it?s original allure is fading. Additionally, fragrance should be stored in cool, dry places away from the sun. Some people put their fragrances in the refrigerator when the mercury, rises.
What you get for your money: In general, the more expensive fragrances include more expensive and exotic ingredients and they?re blended by skilled experts. The less expensive scents may be less complex, but that doesn?t mean you can?t find something you like that won?t break your budget. Once you know what you like (experimentation is key) you can often find those same ?notes? (key ingredients) in another fragrance that might not be quite as costly (although it won?t be quite the same, either). You might also try a unisex scent and share the bottle and the cost with your partner.
Get a sample! If there?s none available and you must buy a fragrance that day, let the salesperson spritz one scent on one wrist only, and walk around in it for a few hours to see how it will really smell in the days to come. This is also especially important if you have sensitive skin?.some fragrances might react with it.
HOW TO BUY A GIFT OF FRAGRANCE FOR SOMEONE ELSE:
Consider Personality & Lifestyle: Do they wear fragrance at all? If so, give them something in the same range or get a home scent instead. Are they casual, stay at home, or do they work in an office all day? And, give them the license to return a fragrance if they truly dislike it. Fragrance is a personal gift and you shouldn?t obligate someone to wear something they don?t like (or that reacts with their skin). On a budget? If money is really tight, forgo the perfume and get a candle, scented soap, or moisturizer, instead
Celebrate Spring! From May through July, The Advice Sisters? Great Relationships Web Site (advicesistersdotnet) is offering participants a chance to win one of five great prizes to help them enjoy the Spring season, with a new contest: Celebrate Spring! An entry form and contest details can be found on the Advice Sisters Great Relationships Web Site. There is no fee to enter.
To contact Alison Blackman Dunham, visit the Advice Sisters Web Site http://www.advicesisters.net or email advicesisters@advicesisters.net
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