A signature scent is a fragrance that truly defines you and says precisely what you want it to say about you.
A signature scent is something you can’t get enough of and don’t want to change, no matter the season.
It’s also something you keep coming back to over time and wonder why you ever stopped using it.
Lastly, a signature scent is something that never gets old.
In this article, you will learn how to find your signature perfume in six easy steps.
Consider What You Are Looking for in Your Fragrance
Fragrances are comprised of fragrant notes layered together to provide a particular fragrance profile.
A perfume’s top note is the first smell you’ll notice, but although the strongest, it’s also the one that fades the fastest.
The middle notes remain to be the star of the show once the top notes fade, and these are the ones that linger for a little longer.
The base notes, though, are the ones that stay on you for hours and the ones that will be sensed by someone who hugs you, even when you can no longer smell your fragrance on you.
Therefore, when choosing a signature perfume, you have to have at least an idea of which kind of scents do you like, as this will make it easier to pick notes that feel like you and perfectly describe you as an individual.
Narrow Down Your Choices
Since fragrance is something you actually have to smell first to decide whether you want it, you definitely have to play around with sampling different scents while on your quest to find the one.
However, while sampling different perfumes might sound like the perfect way to spend an afternoon, the truth is that going overboard will ultimately leave you feeling confused and perhaps even irritated.
Fragrance notes are like pheromones, and they make you feel a certain way.
This makes sense when you consider that scent molecules flow to the limbic system in the brain, where feelings, moods, emotions, sexual behavior, and memory are processed.
And because scent builds into a powerful story that can affect your emotions, smelling something pleasant can instantly lift your mood and make you feel better, while smelling something unpleasant can put you in a bad mood even quicker.
This is why sampling many different scents might be a bad idea, especially when trying to find your signature scent.
Not quite liking anything you sample after the tenth try will not only have you forget how each one smells but can overwhelm and put you in a bad mood due to the mixture of scents you just inhaled and the messages these sent to your brain.
Which also makes sense because, most often than not, you just end up frustrated when you couldn’t find the scent that you were looking for, even if you didn’t know what that was in the first place.
This is why narrowing your search down to two fragrances might be the best thing to do because the more you narrow it down, the more you know you truly like a scent, and the easier it will be for you to choose.
We often experience analysis paralysis when given a ton of options, and even if we end up choosing something after taking a long time to decide – we tend to regret it and ask ourselves why we didn’t choose the other one.
This can especially be the case when choosing cosmetics and perfumes.
So, next time you enter a perfumery, opt for two perfumes whose notes you find attractive and decide between them instead of asking to sample more scents.
Spend Some Time With The Sample You Picked
Once you’ve picked the perfume sample that suits your taste, sniff it a couple of times to get used to its fragrance.
However, don’t immediately run to the counter and buy it. Remember, you are choosing your signature scent, so give yourself some time to figure out if this is what you really want.
To really experience the notes, you need to allow those base notes to shine after a few hours of wearing the fragrance, which is why you should spray some on your shirt, and some on a strip and take these home with you.
Don’t wash your shirt, and don’t discard the strip. Instead, leave your shirt in your wardrobe where it wouldn’t be able to absorb other smells (from cooking, for example), and leave the strip in a drawer.
Then get back to them tomorrow, as this is the best time to experience the true scent of the fragrance.
At that point, you would have likely made a decision whether this is your scent or it’s time to move on to something else.
Understand the Basics of the Olfactive Families
Choosing your signature fragrance doesn’t only consist of sniffing and deciding.
There’s some science involved here, so understanding the basics of how perfumes are grouped into different families may help you understand what you are looking for in the first place.
Here’s an easy-to-understand explanation of the olfactive families and what to expect from the notes:
- Musk: a clean-laundry scent.
- Smoky: campfire burning, fragrant cedar chips, or a blown-out match.
- Citrusy: lime, lemon, oranges, summer.
- Woody: these scents can range from a creamy, nutty flavor (like pralines-and-cream ice cream), to sandalwood, to spicy and dank like a musky old closet (patchouli), to an old No. 2 pencil (cedarwood).
- Green: a dewy moss on a spring morning.
- Floral: encompasses everything from white florals (gardenia, lilies, ylang, etc.) to roses, violets, and peonies.
- Aquatic: fresh seawater notes combined with aromatic compounds.
- Oriental: warm and spicy notes, incense sticks, can be slightly powdery.
Don’t Fall Into the Trend Trap
A word of caution: don’t let yourself be swayed by the latest trends.
Trends come and go, but your signature scent should last you a lifetime.
When it comes to fragrance, there are no rules, so if something about a specific scent grabs your attention, then go ahead and try it on.
However, avoid being swayed by trends and celebrities.
Keep your preferences in mind and try to express yourself through fragrance instead of trying to be someone else.
If you feel that a particular scent is feminine but doesn’t resonate with your feminine side, there’s no point in buying it just because everyone around you loves it.
You need to know what kind of scents you like and what scents make you feel good.
Invest in Your Signature Scent
Cheaper fragrances tend to have top notes that are initially very, very strong.
Or, to some, they smell a little “metallic-y.”
More expensive fragrances have the complexity of a heart and dry down and also tend to have longer-lasting power.
So, if you find a scent you love, but it’s a little more expensive than what you’re used to spending on perfume, don’t shy away from it.
Think of it as an investment in your signature scent.
Once you’ve found the perfect fragrance for yourself, you are likely going to stick to it, so investing in something that makes you feel like yourself but more powerful and confident is definitely worth it.
