Women's Perfumes. How to Choose Them, How to Apply them, and More.

Women’s Perfumes are a part of history.

For centuries, women have been adorning themselves with a variety of fragrances.  There is a psychological connection between odours and fragrances that we don’t even process at a conscious level, even while they’re having on impact on the brain.

Think of the various intents behind your perfume selection.  You may have a scent that makes you feel attractive, another that’s just distinctly you, and yet another you wear when you want to garner a positive response from someone you’re hoping to attract.

The power of fragrance doesn’t stop there.  They can stimulate the mind to the point where is unlocks memories buried deep in our subconscious.  It can wake us up, or lull us to sleep.  And the science is there to prove that a powerful connection between scent and the emotional side of our brains.

In essence, perfume is emotion in a bottle.  Choose your perfume wisely and use it to convey a limitless array of moods and feelings.  Learn how to communicate who you are with the power of fragrance.

Call it what you want—eau de toilette, cologne, perfume, parfum, scent or fragrance—there are over 20,000 women’s perfumes.  That’s pretty intimidating!

So, how do you go about choosing a perfume, or your signature fragrance?  Well, your first step is to decide on what kind of mood you’re looking to create.  Remember, scents are inexplicably tied to emotions, so this is a very important step.

In a very general sense, fragrances can be classified into three different groups.  These are classic, delicate and sensual.  Keep reading, as I will explain each group to you!

If you’re already confused by the choices and not sure what kind of fragrance you’re looking for, I recommend going with a classic scent.  These are the tried and true perfumes, the ones that have stood the test of time.  They are the real deal—authentic.  Don’t be fooled into thinking these perfumes are dull or boring because they have been around since your mother’s day.  The classic, little black dress has been around for decades as well, and that will never go out of style!  In fact, it should be a staple in every woman’s wardrobe.  The same can be said of a classic scent.  It will go with everything.  Going shopping for groceries in jeans and a t-shirt, a little more dressed up for dinner with the girls, a business meeting, a job interview, or yes, you are pulling out all stops with that little black dress, a classic perfume will work in any of these cases.  One of the all-time classiest perfumes is Chanel No. 5.  It’s timeless.  A blend of ming, rose and jasmine, it’s a sophisticated and elegant choice and is a favourite of women around the globe.

The second group of women’s perfumes is the delicate scent.  These fragrances are soft and feminine, as the name suggests.   Two of the most popular delicate scents on the market today are from Nina Ricci.  The first has been around for decades and the second has been out for just a few years.  They are L’Air du Temps and Premier Jour.  L’Air du Temps is a floral mixture that mainly consists of gardenia and carnation, but also jasmine, rose and sandalwood.  The ultra modern Premier Jour is based on a note of sugared almond.  Another delicate favourite is Dreaming by Tommy Hilfiger.

The third group of women’s perfumes is sensual.  Bold.  Self confident.  Passionate.  The most notable sensual perfume to hit the market is Opium, which appeared in 1977 and has been popular ever since.  Described as sultry and magical, this fragrance is a blend of carnation, jasmine, lily of the valley, mandarin, amber and vanilla.  Chanel Chance was released in 2002, and is another sensual choice.  Described as spirited and edgy, it’s made up of citrus notes, jasmine, pink pepper and white musk.

There’s a lot to think about when choosing a perfume for yourself.  Remember, your choice of perfume should complement the entire you—your looks, your personality and your lifestyle.  It’s generally a good idea to test a fragrance on your skin first, but this isn’t always doable.  Just remember that perfumes mix with your body chemistry, so the same scent will smell different on every woman.  Once it’s on your skin, it becomes something absolutely individual.  You can make a perfume your signature scent in every sense of the word.

You put your perfume on in the morning, but by lunchtime the scent is gone.  So how can you make your perfume last longer? Or even all day?

First of all, you need to understand that how long your fragrance lasts on your skin depends much on your own physical makeup.  For many people, perfume or eau de parfum lasts for approximately six to eight hours, but eau de toilette will generally only last for about half that time.  However, depending on the concentration of eau de toilette—the higher the better—it should last on your skin a bit longer.  But what if you weren’t blessed with normal skin and have skin that is either dry or oily?  Well, that is going to impact how long your perfume will last.  For those of you with dry skin, you can expect to lose your scent faster than someone with oily or combination skin.  Since those of us with oily skin have a higher degree of moisture, we retain the fragrance longer.  On top of that, everyone has a different PH balance to their skin.  That is to say that the natural levels of acidity in the skin varies person to person.  Other factors, such as anything that brings about a hormonal shift in your body, stress, medication and even the food you eat can have an impact on how long many hours you can expect your perfume to last throughout the day.

One of the best ways to keep your scent all day is to layer it on with different products.  What I mean by that is that if your fragrance also has a lotion or soap that comes with it, use those as well.  The soap in your morning shower, the body lotion then the perfume.  If your favourite perfume doesn’t have a complimentary line on products, make sure you use unscented soaps and lotions.  If you don’t, those scents will be at war with your perfume.   And of course, make sure you dab or spritz your perfume on your pulse points.

Applying your perfume when your skin is still slightly moist from your shower is also beneficial.  This is because your pores are still open—assuming you took a warm or hot shower and not a cold one!—and this allows the scent to absorb into the skin easier.  One of the best ways of doing this is to spray your perfume into the air and while still naked and slightly moist, walk through the falling particles.  You’ll find your perfume lasts much longer when you do this.

Another trick for those of you with dry skin is to smooth a little petroleum jelly onto your pulse points before applying your perfume.  The perfume will cling to that fine layer of jelly instead of completely dissipating on your dry skin.

Do you use your finger tips to apply your fragrance?  Don’t!  It will last longer if you use a cotton ball, or bet yet, use an atomizer.  And when spraying, hold the bottle about twenty centimeters (eight inches) away from your body, applying an even amount over the area surrounding your pulse points.