How to choose a perfume
Five steps that work whatever your taste or budget, and none of them involve guessing at a counter.
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Step 1: Find your family
Think of scents you already like, in perfume, soap, candles, or food. Look for patterns. Do you reach for flowers, warm vanilla, woods, or citrus? That points to your family. See the fragrance families guide.
Step 2: Decide where you will wear it
A perfume for the office, for evenings out, and for weekends may be three different choices. Close quarters and warm weather usually suit lighter scents. Cool evenings can carry richer ones.
Step 3: Pick a strength
If you want it to last through a long day, look at an EDP or parfum. If you want something lighter, or you plan to reapply, an EDT may suit you better. Remember that these names are typical, not fixed.
Step 4: Shortlist and sample
Choose two or three perfumes that match your family and setting. Sample them on skin, one at a time, and wear each for at least a full day before deciding.
Step 5: Buy the size you will use
A smaller bottle is often the better choice for a first purchase. You will finish it while it is fresh, and you can buy a larger one later.
Prices, sizes, concentrations, and availability change, and brands may reformulate a fragrance. Check the label and the retailer before you buy.
Things that are not good reasons
- A perfume being popular. Popular does not mean right for you.
- A sniff of the first few minutes. Wait for the dry down.
- A marketing story about how a perfume will make you feel. Judge the scent itself.
FAQ
Related guides
General information, not medical advice. Patch test new fragrances and stop use if irritation occurs. See a doctor about skin reactions or breathing concerns.
Looking for the one?
How to find a signature scent that feels like yours.
