Selecting Your Perfect Bottle of Perfume
When choosing a perfume, it is important to note that there are different families of fragrances. Most perfumes fall into one or more than one of these families. Most people have their own particular preference, without necessarily knowing what that preference is called. Knowing what you like will help you immensely when you are searching for a new perfume.
There are five main families of fragrances and at least 4 more that used widely in perfumes today.
Floral fragrances can range from the scent of a single type of flower or a single fragrance can bring an entire bouquet to mind. Floral perfumes are considered romantic and are appropriate for any age. Roses and jasmine are the flowers used most often in florals.
Fruity scents are youthful and fresh. They can be sweet or crisp and are more popular in the summer months. Apple, orange, and lemon are common fruity scents.
Oriental fragrances are warm and spicy. They often contain amber and orange blossom.
Woody fragrances can be an acquired taste. They are more masculine and earthy and include scents like sandalwood, pine, and patchouli. They can range from mossy to smoky. They are the type of fragrance that you either love or hate.
Green scents include the smells of cut grass and fresh leaves. They are fresh and crisp.
Tobacco/Leather fragrances are self-explanatory and generally on the more masculine side of the spectrum.
Aldehydics are synthetic fragrances. Believe it or not, it is possible to have a fragrance made from all synthetic ingredients. Chanel No. 5 was the first perfume to be completely synthetic.
Water or Marine scents are reminiscent of rain, streams, or the ocean. They smell clean and fresh.
Fougère fragrances are masculine, but, like woody or tobacco scents are frequently used in perfumes. Lavender and oak moss is common fragrances from this family.
Perfumes will generally fall into more than one family of fragrances. Usually a good perfume will be a combination of fragrance families. Examples of this include floral/fruity scents, and woody/oriental fragrances.
Be sure to keep these fragrance families in mind while searching for your next new perfume. Don’t rely on word descriptions, or even your first impression of a scent. Try a few, and wear each of them for a while. Each perfume has top, middle, and base notes, and each one of these phases could be a different combination of fragrance families. So, depending on the perfume, it could take all day for you to get the full effect of it.
Once you have selected your favorite one or two perfumes, it is time to purchase them. Consider purchasing your new perfume from an online site. They generally have a great selection and offer better discounts than many stores.
