How to test, choose, and apply perfume
There are several things a person needs to know about when shopping for or applying a perfume. In this post, I'll be starting by talking about the various concentrations of a fragrance, the best way to test perfume, how to apply it and how to get the most out of your favourite fragrance. Enjoy!
Concentrations
So you go into the shops, and let's say you're looking to buy a bottle of N°5. Well... which one? For Chanel's N°5, not only are there different sizes of bottles, but there are several concentrations of it too, and the prices vary. Here are the concentrations for this particular perfume:
- Parfum (pure perfume, highest concentration, highest price per volume)
- Eau de Parfum or EDP (second highest concentration)
- Eau Première (this is an Eau de Parfum strength, but a new take on it. Some companies do an eau fraiche, or an eau initial, or an eau tendre, but these are not really a new concentration, but a new take on an existing fragrance)
- Eau de Toilette or EDT (lighter than the EDP, but also a different formulation, less sweet)
- Eau de Cologne (existed when this first came out, but has since been discontinued)
Most brands just dilute more and more as you go from Parfum to EDP to EDT, but Chanel actually changes its formulation and the notes with various concentrations, so you can see why one might want to test several concentrations instead of just picking one at random. They're all different, and they develop differently. My advice is to do a little research and read some reviews before going to test them, this way you know how many concentrations there are of a given fragrance. In fact, sometimes there is only one concentration, like in the case of a lot of celebrity scents where it only comes in the Eau de Toilette format. Most fragrances from big perfume houses like Dior, Chanel, Guerlain, or YSL will come in several concentrations, or at the very least in two of them - the EDT and the EDP.
The EDP is normally what I would go for, because although it's a tad more expensive, it's the truer version, less diluted. It will last longer on your skin too.
The EDP is normally what I would go for, because although it's a tad more expensive, it's the truer version, less diluted. It will last longer on your skin too.
How to test : Dos and Don’ts
The cardinal rule: don’t over sniff. Why? The human nose gets
desensitized more easily than you might think. The more you sniff something
strong like perfume, the less you will be able to smell directly after. This
can make us think that a scent has faded way too quickly, when really it’s still going strong, leading us to over-apply and maybe even make the people around us nauseous. Over-sniffing can also make it hard to
test several fragrances in a row and get an accurate reading of each as we go along. We have a
tendancy to want to breathe deep and sniff our wrist for five minutes at a time
when testing a fragrance, but that isn’t necessarily going to give you a
thorough test.
In light of our easily numbed noses, the
best way to test a fragrance is to:
1) spray very lightly on the skin (too heavily and the perfume will not develop the
way it’s meant to). Testing on a card will give you a very inaccurate sense of
the perfume. Without heat, without the natural oils and chemicals of skin, the
heart notes will have a hard time developing, and the base notes will be
non-existent. All you will get are the top notes. As the top notes dissipate on
the skin within ten minutes or so, you will not get a proper impression of a
fragrance if you don’t let it develop past the opening.
2) Before
sniffing, wait at least two minutes for it to settle. Top notes are the
smells you get when you first spray a fragrance. These fade very quickly, and
they are not the point of the fragrance, just a lead-in. If you can avoid
smelling your wrist while these are going on, do so, because these are also the
notes that will numb your nose the most. In order not to waste your sense of
smell on this stage, sniff ever so lightly and briefly after about the two
minute mark, and then let your nose rest for a few breaths, and try again. Once
you get an impression, stop and leave it settle some more. You wouldn’t believe
how much a fragrance will change in ten minutes, in thirty minutes, in two
hours.
3) Sniff
every ten to twenty minutes at first, and after an hour wait longer in between, up to an hour even. Keep on doing so until the fragrance
is gone. A fragrance could last anywhere from two hours (indicating poor lasting
power, and very bad value for money) to twelve (some of Chanel’s fragrances for instance are real
powerhouses and your clothes will hold the scent for a week, even after a wash,
so beware!).
Testing Tips:
When you go to test perfumes, don't try more than three. Your nose will get very disoriented after that many, and testing more will not be worthwhile, because you won't be able to really smell them. Also, if you can avoid it, don't test three on your skin all at once. if you need to, spray it on paper first so that you don't get overwhelmed by three big sprays of perfume, press one gently to one wrist, another to the other wrist, and maybe one in the crook of the elbow - in other words, if you have to do three at once, space them out as much as possible, but know that you will always get a more accurate impression one at a time.
It's also best to sniff the nozzle real quick before trying, just to see if it really puts you off so that you can avoid a clearly unpleasant experience. If it's horrible, you'll be able to tell from that nozzle sniff, because the perfume settles there and develops enough to tell that much at least.
Testing Tips:
When you go to test perfumes, don't try more than three. Your nose will get very disoriented after that many, and testing more will not be worthwhile, because you won't be able to really smell them. Also, if you can avoid it, don't test three on your skin all at once. if you need to, spray it on paper first so that you don't get overwhelmed by three big sprays of perfume, press one gently to one wrist, another to the other wrist, and maybe one in the crook of the elbow - in other words, if you have to do three at once, space them out as much as possible, but know that you will always get a more accurate impression one at a time.
It's also best to sniff the nozzle real quick before trying, just to see if it really puts you off so that you can avoid a clearly unpleasant experience. If it's horrible, you'll be able to tell from that nozzle sniff, because the perfume settles there and develops enough to tell that much at least.
DON’T BUY UNTIL YOU TRY! A fragrance is a
journey. It’s built of three stages: The tops notes, the heart notes, and the
base notes. You might get a lot of fruits in the tops notes, a lot of flowers
in the heart notes, a lot of vanilla or musk in the base – they really are made
of different notes. The top notes can last up to half an hour, the heart can
last anywhere from two to six hours, the base notes can last from one to six
hours or more. And of course, these stages can intermix. The top notes might
linger as the heart is opening, just as the heart notes might come in while the
heart notes are still unfolding. My point: you might love the top notes, but
hate what comes out in the base notes, so make sure you let a fragrance unfold
all the way before making a decision. Perfume is expensive – make sure you’re
in love with one before you invest.
Most fragrances come as a natural spray. Some people choose to spray it into the air and walk into the mist, but you don't get a very good wear that way. Perfume develops better on the pulse point, so by applying to specific areas, you get a nicer experience. Plus, that way you will get subtle wafts when you move, instead of your fragrance projecting off your clothing and not getting a chance to really develop on your skin.
I like to really control how much I am putting on. When you spray onto your wrist, you might get a little, or you might get a LOT. There are ways around this.
1) Buy a decanting kit, and decant small amounts of perfume into a splash bottle. This way, you dab on what you want.
2) Spray onto a pit of tissue and press it between your wrists, then to your throat. Best to flush the paper after, because if you put it in the garbage, it will make a whole room smell strongly of perfume.
It is good not to apply perfume directly after a shower. Because a lot of the body's natural oils have been freshly removed from the skin, your perfume might not develop well, and you will get a lot more of the top notes lingering on and inhibiting the heart notes.
One of the best things you can do to really make your perfume stand out is to buy an unscented deodorant. Scented ones can really compete with perfume, and because perfume is expensive, we want it to shine as much as possible when we wear it. The best way to give it the spotlight is to buy a non-scented deodorant. It's cheap, and it won't compete with your fragrance.
Hope this helps someone! Have a great day everyone, and thanks for reading!
A.
Application
Important: If you spray perfume onto your wrist NEVER RUB IT! Press your wrists together gently, then press them to your throat pulse point. Don't ever rub.
Most fragrances come as a natural spray. Some people choose to spray it into the air and walk into the mist, but you don't get a very good wear that way. Perfume develops better on the pulse point, so by applying to specific areas, you get a nicer experience. Plus, that way you will get subtle wafts when you move, instead of your fragrance projecting off your clothing and not getting a chance to really develop on your skin.
I like to really control how much I am putting on. When you spray onto your wrist, you might get a little, or you might get a LOT. There are ways around this.
1) Buy a decanting kit, and decant small amounts of perfume into a splash bottle. This way, you dab on what you want.
2) Spray onto a pit of tissue and press it between your wrists, then to your throat. Best to flush the paper after, because if you put it in the garbage, it will make a whole room smell strongly of perfume.
Getting the most out of your perfume...
It is good not to apply perfume directly after a shower. Because a lot of the body's natural oils have been freshly removed from the skin, your perfume might not develop well, and you will get a lot more of the top notes lingering on and inhibiting the heart notes.
One of the best things you can do to really make your perfume stand out is to buy an unscented deodorant. Scented ones can really compete with perfume, and because perfume is expensive, we want it to shine as much as possible when we wear it. The best way to give it the spotlight is to buy a non-scented deodorant. It's cheap, and it won't compete with your fragrance.
Hope this helps someone! Have a great day everyone, and thanks for reading!
A.
Comments
Post a Comment