How to Choose Fragrance

A BEGINNER'S GUIDE CHAPTER TWO: HOW TO CHOOSE A FRAGRANCE

Finding the right fragrance is often like choosing a lover - deeply personal, instinctive and frequently without rationale. There are no set rules... trust your gut, be certain of what you like... and when you've found The One, you'll know.

(There may of course be many more than one, but we all have to start somewhere!) 

Choosing a perfume is a unique personal experience, so listen to your instincts and tune in to your true sense of self. Don't feel obliged to like a certain ingredient, enjoy the same scent as a friend wears, or be swayed by the designer of the moment.

It's ok to do your own thing; in fact I highly recommend it... niche fragrances are treasured with good reason.

SENSUAL

TRUST YOUR INSTINCT

Just like us, fragrances are individuals, each with their own personalities and traits. Some uplift and soothe, while others bring happiness and pleasure. We're all drawn to particular scents - and if you have a collection, chances are that they feature similar notes.

When choosing a new scent, trust your nose and try not to be swayed by preconceptions of certain ingredients or what you think you should or shouldn't like. This is the very reason we number STORIES Parfums scents rather than naming them.

TAKE YOUR TIME

A quick spray is not enough to gauge how a perfume will develop throughout the day. There are so many variables when it comes to picking a scent: personal preference, strength of the base oil, the blend of ingredients and more. Try a perfume sample and pay attention to its smell as you move through the day. 

LISTEN TO THE NOTES

As top notes of the fragrance give way throughout the day to complex middle notes, you may respond differently to each one and experience moments of connection to your past. Later still, the depth of the base notes might captivate your imagination of what could be.

'Notice if you have an emotional connection to the aroma... does wearing it lift your spirits and make you feel good?'

FAMILY TIME

Fragrances are classified by olfactory families based on their characteristics and dominant notes: Fresh, Floral, Oriental and Woody. Different groups fall within these families (cousins if you like), such as Floral Oriental, Dry Woods, Citrus and Fruity. It can be helpful to know which family or group you're drawn to when choosing a perfume. Most of us will be instinctively drawn to one or two particular groups, depending on our mood or the occasion.

LASTING POWER

The length of time you can expect a scent to last will depend on the type of fragrance you choose: Parfum, Eau de Parfum, Eau de Toilette or Cologne (longest to shortest). The quality of a scent is related to the concentration of pure base oil: the higher the percentage, the longer it lasts on your skin.

HOW TO WEAR

You've found the one. How to wear it well? At STORIES Parfums, we recommend locking in your fragrance story for longer by applying a layer of Hand & Body Lotion first. Mist the Eau de Parfum onto pulse points or spray onto your hair to diffuse the fragrance naturally throughout the day.

If you still need a little help, get in touch to book a bespoke fragrance discovery session with me - it would be my pleasure to talk you through the process.