Perfume has been a part of human societies for at least the last few thousand years, according to archaeologists, and it’s not hard to understand why we love it so much. Fragrance has the power to instantly enhance our mood, energize or relax us, and even remind us of beloved people or places. Plus, smelling good makes us feel attractive and confident.
By curating your own perfume collection, you’ll be able to match your fragrance to fit different occasions, seasons and, perhaps most importantly, moods. You may even choose to layer scents, creating personalized fragrances that satisfy your unique taste and even turning perfume into a mode of self-expression.
In this blog post, we’ll share some tips for creating a perfume collection that includes a range of different notes and brings you joy day after day.
How to try perfume
If you’re a first-timer when it comes to perfume buying, the first thing you need to know is how to properly try on a new fragrance; that way, you can be sure that you really like it before making a purchase.
You can start by spritzing the perfume in the air, waving a paper blotter through the cloud, and giving it a whiff. This kind of sampling gives you an idea of which scents you like, but once you narrow down your options to a single scent that really interests you, it’s time to do a skin test.
Perfumes smell different on skin because they react to our body heat and mix with our skin’s oils and natural scent, which varies from person to person. The smell of a perfume also evolves throughout the course of a day. As it gradually wears off, different notes will be accentuated. So it’s best to try a perfume for about a 6-hour period, periodically smelling the site where you applied it to check if you’re still happy with the aroma.
The three kinds of perfume notes
Every perfume has different notes, and which one is accentuated depends on how many hours of wear the scent has. Let’s go over the three kinds of fragrance notes.
Top notes
Top notes have an important role in creating your first impression with a perfume. They’re the first smell you detect when trying a fragrance, but also the first one to wear off, lasting no longer than fifteen minutes. Floral top notes are one of the most common kinds, especially in perfume for women.
Middle notes
Also known as “heart notes,” these aromas become more detectable when the top notes fade away. Middle notes tend to be more balanced than top notes, and also have a longer duration. They’re strongest between fifteen minutes and an hour from perfume application, but they’ll remain present even after several hours. Pepper and cardamom are two examples of common middle notes in perfume for men.
Base notes
Last but not least, long-lasting base notes create a foundation for the perfume, enhancing (and sometimes contrasting with) the other notes in order to create a nuanced, well-rounded fragrance. Common base notes include vanilla, musk and sandalwood.
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