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When it comes to fragrance, the samplings are your local department store are a pithy representation of the perfumes made in other countries and "niche" brands that are available through specialty sites such as Luckyscent.com, Aedes.com and Beautyhabit.com.
Parfums MDCI, Montale, The Garden Party, Juliet Has a Gun, Crazylibellule and the Poppies---these strange names mean nothing to you now; however, they are a few of the currently extremely popular, yet-to-be-discovered-by-the-masses fragrances that are available for purchase online or at boutiques that specialize in fragrance.
One thing that becomes evident upon comparing mass-manufactured scents to those made overseas by smaller perfume houses is the definitive difference in how the fragrances are composed; for example, creations by French perfume houses such as L'Artisan, Serge Lutens and Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier seem to have more transparency---every note of the perfume rings clear---compared to department-store fare. This is because these houses rely on the perfumer as artiste.
Shopping for a fragrance made far off the beaten path can be a rewarding adventure. As a result, the perfume shopper often feels as though a certain fragrance is tailor-made for her, and it seems even more so if exactly none of her other friends are wearing it.
Shopping for a classic fragrance to call your own means sniffing outside of the box. Contrary to what young perfume shoppers may think, Calvin Klein isn't the world's oldest perfume house. Chanel No. 5 and Guerlain's Shalimar might be considered classics, if the timeline comes to a grinding halt after the past century. But to find a true classic, you might want to revisit the bastions of perfume-making from before the 18th century. Great Britain's House of Creed, a family-owned affair that began in 1760, was the official perfume supplier to Queen Victoria. Italy's I Profumi di Firenze still makes the same fragrance it created for Catherine de Medici in the 16th century. And Santa Maria Novella is a brand that is more than 600 years old, originally started by Florentine monks in a small pharmacy. All of these international perfume houses continue to make beautiful fragrances that can be purchased online, if you can't find them for sale in your city. -
Because buying sight-unsniffed is a dodgy prospect, the above etailers have brought their vast perfume counters to you through low-cost sampling programs that permit future customers to try out fragrances before they invest in an entire bottle of perfume. Additionally, ThePerfumedCourt.com not only provides individual perfume samples for sale, but entire sampling packages for those unfamiliar with niche brands, specific perfume houses or perfumers.
Which perfumes should you try before you buy? That depends on both your tastes and your budget. Basenotes.com and Makeupalley.com have community forums devoted entirely to the discussion of fragrance, as well as an online review site. Simply reading through these boards may give you a good feel for what hot new perfumes have recently been released. -
Whether you're shopping in a brick and mortar or sitting at home with your perfume samples by your side, there's a right and wrong way to determine if a perfume is for you. Try only one perfume at a time. (If you feel the need to sample numerous fragrances, remember to give your nose a break. Sniff coffee beans or eat a mint to clean your olfactory "palette.")
On initial application, you'll smell the entire composition of the fragrance---the base notes, heart notes and top notes. Top notes are fleeting and the first to be "lost" in the perfume's drydown. Jasmine and citrus are two such notes that seem to "evaporate" with time. In the next few hours, the heart notes begin to be less prominent. The fragrance "residue" that you smell at the end of the day reveals the perfume's base notes, usually vanilla, tonka bean or musk. A well-balanced fragrance will retain its composition even after hours of wear.
When testing a fragrance, don't just give it one sniff and decide that it's not for you. Wait until the perfume dries down on your skin. Revisit the fragrance in various settings---at work, while grocery shopping, after you go for a jog. Just like your clothing, fragrances are fashion. Is this one appropriate for your lifestyle? Is there something about it that's distinctly "you," or do you find it troublesome? Some women find that they cannot abide clingy, cloying white florals, and even more eschew matronly scents involving roses and powdery ambers. Some fragrances are more appropriate by season. For example, Hierbas di Ibiza's brisk unisex citrus connotes sunny summer seashores, while Serge Luten's dense, smokey Chergui is more appropriate for winter nights in front of the fire. Don't turn your nose up at a beautiful fragrance because it seems too heady for a particular time of year; just like your winter coats, perfumes can be brought out of rotation. If you like a fragrance but feel you'd wear it after the weather gets cooler, simply put it on your perfume "wish list."
When in doubt, remember that there's no need to choose favorites. You're not relegated to one signature scent, in fact, you can have many. The mark of a devoted perfume shopper is that she's always shopping for a scent slightly more perfect than her last.
