There are thousands of fragrances on the market. How do you choose the perfect one for yourself? How do you choose the perfect one for someone else? Online shopping is a great convenience, but how do you make that choice when you can't smell the product?
I'm Spoiled is here to the rescue! I have an easy guide on how to buy the perfect fragrance online.
Buying for Yourself
This seems like it would be easy, right? Buying for yourself can actually be more challenging than buying a gift. Follow my flow guide on how to pick your perfect fragrance.
Gender - Gender is a marketing description; for women, for men, but what it really means is more floral or more woody. That's the basic difference. Cosmetic companies blend most feminine scents with floral notes of rose, jasmine and lavender, whereas masculine scents feature cedar, lavender and lemon. It really just depends on what you like. Don't let it sway you either way. I identify as feminine, but I do enjoy several "masculine" fragrances. What exactly is unisex. I find most unisex scents are citrusy or clean musks scents. The key here is to examine both categories for choices.
Reviews - Reviews are your friend. I will trust a review over any fancy marketing campaign. Most sites that sell perfume also offer a 5 star rating system, I like the ones with comments. People who like perfume are creative writers as well so prepare yourself for an honest depiction of the scent. Know what to look for in terms of quality. Pay close attention to the reviews that mentions sillage - the degree to which a perfume's fragrance lingers in the air when worn and drydown - last stage of wear when the top and middle notes give way to the base note, and any fragrance notes the review points out. This combination of details can be very helpful to you in making your fragrance decision.
Air Freshener, Candles and Food - If you are a complete fragrance novice. Meaning you struggle between unscented and fresh scented deodorant. I recommend using anything that you own as a guide for a perfume. If you know you like apple scented candles or eating the fruit, you can do a simple internet search for apple notes in in perfumes. For example, Be Delicious by Donna Karan is apple based super perfume. This may not work for everything.
Samples - If you have the time to spare. You can always get a sample of just about any fragrance you want to try. Some companies will offer them for free on their website or you can try EBay where people sell samples and groups of samples.
Buying for Others
My first recommendation is DON'T buy for others unless they have told you explicitly what they like. There is nothing worse than getting a perfume as a gift from someone and discovering that is unbearable to wear.