Perfumes and colognes are scents that men and women wear to enhance their beauty or even attract a potential mate. They can lift a mood, evoke fond memories, or just simply help you smell really good. There are literally thousands of different perfumes and colognes available on the market today. In fact, wearable scents have become a multi-billion-dollar-per-year business. Thanks to new marketing, new brands, and designer lines, more people than ever before are choosing and wearing different types of perfume and cologne. So how do you know which smell will be the best fit for you? There are several different ways you can decide how to choose the perfect scent that will match your own unique style and personality.
Choosing a Scent
Each perfume or cologne consists of different "notes." These notes determine the overall scent. These notes consist of three different layers called base, top, and middle notes, and they all work in synergy to create a specific smell. Some perfumes, for example would be considered floral and contain different scent notes like rose, gardenia, or geranium. Others may be a bit fruitier, with undertones of citrus or apple. Exotic perfumes contain spicy notes like star anise or even cinnamon. Men's scents have various notes as well. Musk scents have a heavier, more masculine tone, while others may have smells like pine or even leather-based notes. It is always a good idea to determine which types of cologne or perfume you prefer and then see which base notes they contain before making a purchase decision. You can learn more about the different notes used to make cologne and perfume in order to get a better idea of which ones you think will suit your tastes.
Choose a Concentration
Fragrances come in four different levels of concentration. As the concentration gets higher, the price usually gets higher as well. Typically, colognes or perfumes with high concentration have a more powerful scent and last longer. They can be a bit pricey, but some people feel the higher price is absolutely worth it. The highest concentration is simply called perfume or parfum. This level usually will last all day with just one application to the wrists or pulse points. The next lower level is eau de parfum, which typically can last about six hours after application. The third level is called eau de toilette and is usually fairly affordable and easy to find in retail stores. It typically requires more than one application throughout the day to get it to last. The fourth and lowest fragrance concentration is eau de cologne, which only lasts about two hours.
Test the Fragrance
Before you decide to purchase any fragrance, you should definitely do a few simple tests to make sure that it is something you will want to wear and that you will enjoy. Do a simple sniff test of the bottle first to get the main idea of what it smells like. The key, however, is to try a bit of the fragrance on your skin. This is why most department and cosmetics stores offer testers for people so they can try something before they buy it. Our skin has its own unique code of hormones and pheromones that can slightly or even extremely alter the way a fragrance smells. It is a good idea to spray a small amount on your wrists, wait a few moments, and then smell the scent on your skin. Sometimes, depending on your own chemical makeup, it can enhance or diminish the smell. It can also be altered if you have a certain chemistry that does not match the scent's mixture. If you cannot shop in retail stores, try a few simple online tests that can help you find a scent that will fit your own style.
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