How to Choose a Perfume: A Simple Guide to Finding Your Scent
Choosing a perfume gets easier once you know a few basics: fragrance families, notes and concentration.
1. Start with fragrance families
Most perfumes fall into a few broad groups. Think about which of these you already like:
- Fresh: citrus, green and aquatic notes. Clean and light.
- Floral: rose, jasmine, peony and other flowers.
- Warm or amber (often called oriental): vanilla, amber, spices and resins.
- Woody: sandalwood, cedar, vetiver and oud.
- Gourmand: sweet, edible notes like vanilla, caramel, coffee or chocolate.
Shown: Maison Crivelli Tubereuse Astrale, a floral fragrance
2. Understand notes
A fragrance changes as it dries down. Top notes are what you smell first and fade within minutes. Middle (heart) notes make up the main character. Base notes last longest and are what you'll smell hours later. When you read a description, pay most attention to the heart and base.
Shown: Abyss Oud unisex fragrance
3. Pick a concentration
Eau de parfum is usually stronger and longer-lasting than eau de toilette. See EDP vs EDT for details.
4. Test before committing
- Try a mini, sample or travel size first.
- Test on skin, not just paper, and wait at least 30 minutes to smell the dry-down.
- Don't test more than a few scents at once. Your nose gets tired.
5. Buying online
Use the notes and fragrance family in the description, and compare them with perfumes you already own and like. Check the size (oz or ml) and concentration in the product title before you order.
Shown: Blade roll-on perfume
Shop Women's Perfume, Men's Cologne, Oud & Amber, Perfume Oils and all fragrance.