Women's Fragrances: Recommendations for the right perfume

by iScent

Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils and aroma compounds fixatives and solvents that emit a pleasant smell.  Choosing the right perfume can sometimes be an overwhelming task, where after a while all scents begin to start smelling the same!

Testing perfumes before you buy is a must, and is a great way for you to decide what perfumes may work without having to purchase the fragrance. It is also important to note, that when you test out a new perfume it may smell completely different on the skin versus in the bottle, so try using it in the position that you intend to use it.

To trial a new fragrance the best place to try is either on the wrists or in the inside part of your elbow. Contrary to popular belief, you should not rub your wrists together after perfume has been applied as it “bruises” the scent and causes it to evaporate faster. Waiting for about half an hour or so will give time for the fragrance to settle onto the skin, and also give your body a chance to react to the scent. Pheromones in women actually react differently to scents. For this reason, what can smell great on one woman may not be right for another.

The best advice to use while choosing a perfume is to stick to one that fits with your personality. Most women's perfumes fit into one of five fragrance categories: Fruity, Woody, Oriental, Fresh or floral.

Floral fragrances are suited to women who are romantic and feminine and usually are enriched with gardenia, tuberose, jasmine and rose scents.

Examples of Floral Fragrance: Paris Hilton’s Heiress, Britney Spear’s Curious or Estee Lauder’s Pleasure.

Fruity fragrances are usually citrus based and contain scents of orange, grape, apple, cherry, peach, lemon, raspberry, lime and apple. Women who choose fruity fragrances are said to be optimistic and outgoing.

Examples of Fruity Fragrance:  Chanel No. 5, Calvin Klein’s Escape for Women or Christian Dior’s Poison.

Women who prefer woody scents are prone to be down to earth and easy going. This scent offers a moderate to strong scent. Woody fragrances can also sometimes be considered to be a little exotic and are composed of scents from sandalwood, vetiver, oakmoss, patchouli bergamot, burnt wood, and tobacco.

Examples of Woody Fragrance: Christian Dior’s Miss Dior, Gucci’s Envy or Ralph Lauren’s Romance.

Fresh scents are classified as clean that are light and offer a fresh, airy fragrance. These scents are composed of citrus and natural scents. These scents are usually composed with blends of lemon, fresh cut grass, bergamot, orange, mandarin and grapefruit.

This article was published on Monday 11 August, 2008.

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