How to Select a Fragrance

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By Audie Metcalf
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The olfactory senses are wildly important. I mean, sure, in order to taste food you have to first smell it, and it helps to be able to sniff smoke should your house be on fire, but more important than eating and rampant domestic fires is this: Smells bring about memories.

How amazing is it that when you get a whiff of Opium perfume you instantly think of your friend in France? Or how freshly mowed grass brings you right back into your childhood yard with a Nancy Drew book? Oh! Or how the sharp, sweet smell of gasoline reminds you of that trip you took cross-country with your family?
Nothing takes us there like our sense of smell. So, when you choose you personal scent, remember--whether you like it or not--you're making a memory.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Step 1

A fun, albeit excessive, thing to do is make a list of all the smells that you respond to. Positively, I mean, because it really wouldn't be prudent to have you craft a list including "nail polish remover" and "rancid milk." That would just be silly. Although, including some specific perfumes you loathe is smart--for example, if this was my list, it would read something like this:
1. Love: Tuberose, musk, dirt, tobacco flower, black truffle, babies
2. Hate: Old-school fragrances.
It's just that easy.
Step 2

Trot, list in hand, to your nearest perfumery. No, I don't mean the marked-down kiosk at the mall that specializes in Elizabeth Taylor's Poison and Elizabeth Arden's Sunflowers. Not that.
Go to a shop that offers a "fragrance bar" of sorts. Once you present your list of faves/hates, a seasoned olfaction-specialist will know the notes of fragrance you respond to and steer you toward the perfect perfume for you.
Step 3

So, maybe you live in Timbuktu and can't find a specialty fragrance bar. No worries. The Internet is the answer. Check out some of my favorite sites for creating the scent of your wildest dreams(scroll down to the bottom).
Step 4

Sometimes certain simple scents make us happy. Maybe it's that grass from your childhood, a crisp ginger ale or a sunny-ripe tomato from your garden. For one-note wonders like these, nothing hits the spot like Demeter fragrances. Their most popular, interestingly enough, is Dirt. (my fave is Laundromat)

Comments

Lolabug26 said

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on 11/10/2008 Great info and writing! Thanks!

leanan said

on 11/8/2008 Awesome writing!

mommashopper said

on 11/4/2008 I like the seasonal change idea. I was always told to have one signature fragrance that reminds people of you, but I love fragrance and could never do with just one! I think that I will chose 4 of my favorites and use at different times within the year. thank you so much!