Perfume
- Your Guide to Choosing the Right Fragrance
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by Livia Mercer
So often I hear women complain that they don't really know
what perfume they like, or they are afraid to buy something
new, so they just stick with the perfume they got introduced
to decades ago. True these days we are bombarded with new
perfume launches every time we go to the shops. There are
literally thousands of different fragrances.
How do you pick which is right for you? Perfume is a very
personal choice. What suits one person may not suit another.
Not only do fragrances need to reflect the personality of
the wearer but they smell different on everyone as they mix
with your natural oils and acids on your skin.
Perfumes are generally categorised in eight different areas,
so once you know what category you like best you can narrow
your search down.
1) Floral By far the largest and most popular category.
An accord of different floral notes including Rose, Carnation,
Jasmine, Gardenia and Orange Blossom. It easily combines with
any other family, flowery perfumes are universally loved.
This also includes the single flower compositions such as
rose, jasmine, tuberose, lily of the valley or ylang ylang.
Think Christian Dior J'adore, Gucci Eau De ParfumII and Britney
Spears Curious.
2) Flowery Aldehydic These fragrances are often described
as a little powdery. These are quite soft although the
aldehydes add sparkle to flowery notes. Think Chanel No5,
Carolina Herrera 212 and Bvlgary Omnia Cristalline.
3) Citrus This fragrance group is light, tangy, refreshing
and uplifting. The light, fresh characters of the citrus
notes (lime, tangerine, bergamot, orange, lemon, petitgrain,
mandarin, etc.)are often combined with more sweeter scents
(flowers, fruits and chypre).Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune,
Clarins Eau Tranquility and Donna Karan Be Delicious.
4) Green The green fragrances are fresh with a hint of
sharpness often reminding one of the freshly cut grass,
pine and herbs. It is almost an outdoors or sporty fragrance.
Green notes are natural in character; often married with fruity
and floral notes. Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca and
Christian Dior Tendre Poison
5) Oriental These are very sensual, warm and exotic
fragrances eluding to mystery. Containing musks, oriental
resins, vanilla, precious woods and dark chocolate. These
perfumes are not for the fainthearted or the shrinking violet.
Christian Dior Poison, YSL Opium and Guerlain Shalimar.
6) Soft-Oriental Soft-orientals combine oriental notes
with various florals. Top notes are often fresh. Britney
Spears In Control, Clinique Simply.
7) Chypre(Woody) Based on a woody, mossy and flowery complex,
containing Cedar, Patchouly, Vetiver, Sandalwood, Pine and
sometimes with aspects of fruits, chypre perfumes are rich
and tenacious. Guerlain Samsara, Narciso Rodriguez For Her
and Donna Karan Cashmere Mist.
8) Watery These are aqua or marine notes reminding
one of the ocean or the smell after a big downpour, sea breezes
and cool, fresh dew. Think L'Eau d'Issey by Issey Miyake,
Bvlgary BLV Notte.
Once you have decided on the perfume you like you have a further
choice. What strength you want your perfume to be.
Here are your choices:
PERFUME - The strongest, longest-lasting fragrance
form. Apply at all the pulse points; wherever you feel the
beat of the heart, behind your ears, the nape of your neck,
at the base of your throat, at the bosom, the inside bend
of your elbows, at the inside of your wrists and behind your
knees. The heat of the body at these points will assure a
well-balanced fragrance application. It usually comes in a
dab on bottle. This form will last on the skin for 8-12 hours.
EAU DE PARFUM - One of the most common forms of fragrances
to be found in many of the fine fragrance collections. It
should be smoothed or sprayed just before dressing. This usually
is a spray bottle and it lasts on the skin 6 - 8 hours.
EAU DE TOILET - Usually less concentrated than Eau
de Parfum, it should be applied in exactly the same way as
Eau de Parfum. Always in a spray bottle and will last on the
skin 4 - 6 hours.
COLOGNE- The lightest form of fragrance. Perfect for
splashing liberally all over the body. It is the perfect refreshant.
It does not last very long on the skin.
Once you have familiarized yourself with the different choices
available to you it's time to hit the fragrance counter. But
go slowly. Our noses only recognize up to three smells only.
So don't go dousing yourself in twenty different perfumes.
Once you have tried on three different smells on your skin
walk away.
Leave the perfume area as the air is full of smells here.
Leave the perfume on your skin for ten minutes before smelling
it again. This way you should have a sense of the true fragrance.
If you still like it you're on to a winner.
Note: Never rub your wrists together after spraying your perfume.
This bruises the fragrance notes and you will not get the
true perfume. Happy Perfume shopping!
© 2006-2007 Livia Mercer - The Beauty Review Online Magazine
About the Author:
Livia Mercer is the creator of The Beauty Review. A FREE monthly
online magazine for women who love beauty and cosmetics and
want REAL product reviews by REAL women. For a free, subscription,
visit: http://www.thebeautyreview.com.au
Keywords: beauty,perfume,fragrance,makeup,cosmetics,tips,skinare,how
to
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