Perfume as Part of Your Signature Brand

Some of us who love perfume do have a signature scent. They like to wear to this reflect their personality and can it even become part of their own personal brand.   

"Perfume is like chocolate without the calories, an affair without the tears, a vacation from which you never have to come back" Marian Bendeth

Findings After Talking to Other Women About Perfume 

I have found that women either ...

(a) Stick to one or two  “signature scents” with their perfume; or 

(b) Like to try a variety of different perfumes 

Sometimes the Perfume Choice can depend on The Day's Activities

Just as deciding what to wear we can be influenced by what we are doing when we choose what perfume to use - for example"

Weekend daytime Scents

Sports, Market Shopping, Running around with the kids something light and fresh  such as Burberry Brit or Gucci Flora or Dolce & Gabban Light Blue 

Everyday workwear Perfume

 Something with vitality and energy …Chance by Chanel or Miracle by Lancome or Dior Addict.   

Romantic/Date Nights

Something sensual and sexy like Gucci by Gucci or Lola by Marc Jacobs or feminine and floral like Romance by Ralph Lauren or Innocent by Thierry Mugler  

Eau de Parfum or Eau de Toilette? 

Eau de Toilette is less concentrated and contains more water than eau de parfum which contains more alcohol.  If you want your fragrance to last from day through to night choose eau de parfum (which is more expensive because of its concentration).  You need to use a lot less of eau de parfum than eau de toilette 

Perfume Points to Remember 

• The general rule is 2-3 sprays of perfume. This is  just enough to notice but not too much so that you knock out your friends and co-workers.
•  Only spray perfume where your skin won't be exposed to the sun otherwise it could cause hyperpigmentation  
• Wrists, behind your ears and behind your knees are pulse points and good areas to wear your perfume 
• If you wear the same perfume for a long time. day after day, your body gets used to that scent. This is because it mixes with your own body chemistry 
• Get to know the type of scents you like  such as  woody, floral, fruity, spicy, and citrus.  Then when you are looking for a new scent to try you have a starting point. 
• I always wait after trying a new perfume on my wrist and see how it smells after it has been on a while before I purchase it.  I prefer trying it on my wrist to the tester strip as each scent reacts differently on different people 
• When spraying hold the bottle eight to ten inches away from you. 
• Only ever try three fragrances in one go as your olfactory senses can easily become overloaded. 
• Store all scents away from heat, humidity and direct light. This is because the oils and alcohol in perfume can break down and change the fragrance or cause it to disappear completely. 
• If you prefer to use essential oils as perfume it is worthwhile learning about different blends from whichever company you obtain your oils from. I was given a beautiful gift from Le Reve and the consultant is always helpful and very passionate and knowledgable.

Perfume Making Course

When visiting Granada in Spain in July 2019 I went to Patio De Los Perfumes and attended a two hour course on perfume-making. It was a fascinating experience. Here is my interview with the gorgeous young lady who took the course

That Jar of Coffee Beans

Most perfume stores provide glasses of coffee beans to sniff to prevent this from happening. I did learn at my course in Spain that this does not work as well as smelling your own un-perfumed skin between smelling fragrances to reset the olfactory sense. There is an article here which also disputes the coffee beans theory.

Moana Robinson from B Styled for Life can be contacted for Personal Styling Advice.