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The only thing that comes close to resembling magic has gotta be art, and fragrances are a practical demonstration of wizardry.
How else can you create something that has the power to transport you to a different phase of your life? Some of our strongest memories are associated with fragrances. That’s because it’s deeply rooted in our emotional memory. Fragrances come in all shapes and sizes and can evoke strong emotions like confidence, joy, serenity, and warmth.
Whether you’re a fragrance enthusiast or just looking to find the right fragrance, this article will help you figure out how you can find the perfect fragrance for yourself. Let’s get into it.
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Research
Okay, so perfumery is no small domain and it dates back thousands of years. There are so many subtle and not-so-subtle nuances that play their part in the creation and selection of perfumes. Fragrances typically fall within one or more of eight categories. These types denote the olfactive family, which is the classification of perfumes based on how they smell rather than what they contain. The notes are the ingredients that make up a fragrance.
Finding the perfect fragrance can be a daunting task, as there are so many options to choose from. The best thing you can do is get an understanding of the basic terminologies and look up new fragrances on the internet. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be able to guess which fragrance you’ll probably like. When you’re doing your research and reading reviews of different fragrances, make sure that your internet connection is fast and lag-free.
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The scent profile
As stated earlier, there are a total of eight olfactive families with two sub-groups; fresh and warm. In the warm group, we have leather, oriental, and fougere. In the fresh group, we have citrus, floral, and aromatic. The other two are chypre and woody. Keep in mind that this classification is based on how they smell rather than what they contain. For example, if you choose a perfume from the fresh category, the fragrance will evoke a feeling of freshness when you sniff it. That’s how olfactive families work.
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Notes
Then, we have notes. A note is an ingredient Typically, a good fragrance is made of three layers of notes, which are top, middle, and base notes. Expensive fragrances are made of complex layers of notes that complement or contrast each other and provide depth to the fragrance. Cheaper fragrances tend to cut corners and keep the composition simple with almost the same top and middle notes.
That’s why you might have experienced a perfume changing its scent after a few hours. When you spray a fragrance, you smell the top notes first, which usually last for a few minutes. Then, it evolves, and middle and base notes come through as you keep on wearing the fragrance.
Seasonality
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Choosing the perfect fragrance
Generally, people prefer wearing light or fresh fragrances during the summer and warm and woody fragrances during the winter. However, there is no compulsion to follow this trend. The same goes for the perfume gender debate. Companies often out gender labels for marketing purposes. You’re absolutely free to wear whatever you feel like you can pull off.
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Figure out the pattern
Start small with the things or perfumes you have in your wardrobe or have smelled somewhere. It can be the scent of a shaving gel or a moisturizer or a flower or a book. Then you need to look up the fragrance composition of that product using the internet. If it is a note, you can go to websites like Fragrantica or Basenotes and look up fragrances that contain that note.
If you do it enough times, you’ll finally start to see the pattern. For example, you reached the conclusion that you like aromatic fougeres. You can then ask other frag heads or read blogs on the best fragrances that this olfactive family has to offer.
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Decants/sampling
Naturally, the best option is to go to a physical store like Sephora and try out the fragrance that you’ve been eyeing. If you don’t have access to a physical store or there isn’t one in your area, look up fragrance communities or head to websites like Frangrancex and get samples. A lot of the sellers also provide decants to customers. A decant is basically a small extract directly from the bottle using the spray method or a syringe.
Conclusion
Once you have the fragrance locked in, getting a sample or a decant can save you from an expensive blind buy that you end up regretting. Don’t be afraid of trying out new fragrances, as you never know where you might find your next favorite fragrance. Stay fragrant.
Sources
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/21/smarter-living/how-to-choose-perfume-cologne-fragrance.html
https://www.vogue.com/article/what-exactly-is-a-scent-profile-heres-how-to-choose-your-next-signature-fragranceandnbsp