How do I know what smells good on me???

Happy Labor Day!,

Sara

Scents are such a personal thing!  Fragrance is such a massive part of the cosmetics industry it is almost daunting.

How do you begin?  How am i supposed to know what fragrance i am going to like?  Most fragrances are quite pricey and the last thing I want to do is spend, $65 or $85 dollar and on a fragrance get it home and discover it gives me a headache.

One way is to read every magazine and look for the Fragrance ads.  Open them up, smell them and rub them on your wrist (if you like it of course) and then see how it wears on you.  Just because you like it in the bottle does not mean you are going to like it when it is on your body and mixing with your own body chemistry.  That also goes for the reverse, if there is something you are attracted to but not sure if you love it, try it on.

Going to the counter at a department store can be over-whelming but talk to a sales associate and get samples of a few you really like take them home and try them each out for a couple of days. Then go back to the same sales person (preferably) and they will be more than happy to set you up with your fragrance, or help you find a new one based on your feedback.

I personally used to go with the department store method (and sometimes still do). Then Sephora came to town, and I found it so easy to shop there.  They used to have this AMAZING fragrance Organ in their store in New York City. It was massive and they would have you smell all these different scents and based on your reaction you were paired with the perfect scent for you.  This was amazing but not practical to have in stores, so they have moved to Kiosks to help you.

These Kiosks are really cool if you are in the store.  But if you are home shopping on line, they have also developed a fragrance finder for that Sephora Fragrance Finder .  I really like this one. It is my first choice.  When i type in my preferences I will usually see other scents I have tried in the past, so I know I am at the right spot.  I then look at some of the reviews on the fragrance and compare the description to my personal favorites. If the notes, I am attracted to are in there, then I will give it a try.

To understand more about notes and for a visual look at Ulta's website for their Fragrance FinderUlta fragrance finder.

And when you are really looking for technical data and more in depth on the World of Fragrance, Micheal Edwards is a wealth of information.
http://www.fragrancesoftheworld.com/index.aspx

Happy Fragrance Hunting!

For more information on Fragrance Personalities be sure to check out Jessica's Blog on Wednesday!

Sara