With a new season upon us, there is no better time to update your fragrance wardrobe with a new signature scent! Picking one that is perfect for you is easier than you think. Here are some things to consider when choosing your next fragrance:
It’s all in the chemistry: Each fragrance is as unique as you are. A combination of notes make up their “fingerprint”. With so many options and so many combinations of notes and ingredients, it’s never an easy task to settle on just one. Not to mention, that each fragrance reacts differently with each person’s skin, interacting with heat and natural scent to create a relationship between fragrance, notes and wearer.
Lasting Power: Fragrances are developed with different strengths and concentrations: eau de colognes (light), eau de toilettes (medium), eau de parfums (strong). This applies to the ratio of “the juice” or ingredients to alcohol. The strength of a fragrance will give you an indication as to how long the scent will last on your skin.
Good to know: In most fragrances, colognes and eau de toilettes are constructed around the head and heart notes, while eau de parfums and parfum extraits (containing the highest concentration of perfume oil) are constructed around the heart and base notes.
Know Your Notes: Traditional fragrances are built around the classic fragrance pyramid structure.
Head Notes: These notes will give you the first impression of a fragrance. They tend to be light, bright and invigorating notes of citrus or green – lemon, neroli and bergamot, as well as herbaceous notes of basil, thyme and lavender. These are the notes that set the scene of the fragrance.
Heart Notes: As the scent evolves, the middle notes become more apparent. This is the heart of the fragrance and usually include floral notes of violet, rose, orange blossom and gardenia. The heart can also include spicy, woody and amber notes. It can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour for these notes to develop and then sometimes blend with the head notes or accompany the more complex base notes.
Base Notes: These are the anchor notes. They are the heaviest notes that round out the fragrance and add richness, depth and gives the fragrance significance. It is these notes that you will likely be most attracted to: woods, resins, oakmoss, vanilla, amber and musks. They appear at the “drydown” and evaporate slowly, usually around 30 minutes after the first spritz.
Means To An End: The “drydown” is a term in the world of perfumery that describes the final stage in the evolution of a fragrance. These are the end notes that remain after the head notes have faded and the heart and base notes are left to remain on the skin. This is the soul of the fragrance. The drydown is unique to everyone, no matter what fragrance they wear since the notes in the perfume react differently with each person’s body chemistry. This is why some fragrances smell better on certain people.
One of the great joys of wearing perfume is the journey it takes you on. From the initial spritz and sniff, down to the warm and intimate scented aura left on your skin. Finding a fragrance that smells the way you love it, only on you, is very special.
It’s important to take your time and understand your own scent preferences, the notes and structures of each fragrance. Once you have an idea of what you like, sample, sample, sample! Always test a fragrance before purchasing. As wonderful as it is to read countless perfume reviews and get recommendations from others, in the end, you must try fragrances on your own skin. This is why we have developed a Fragrance Sample Program! An easy way to order samples of any of the fragrances that we offer from wherever you are in Canada… and if you are still unsure and need some expert advice, we are always here to help.
CLICK HERE for more information on our Fragrance Sample Program!
