A Simple Guide to Finding Your Fragrance Soul Mate
Finding The One is tricky; it can take years of week- or monthlong flings. Of course, you have to play the field to know what you like, but there comes a time when you’ll want to settle down with your fragrance soul mate (what did you think we were talking about?).
A fragrance soul mate is a little like your real-life human soul mate; you don’t always know straight away that they are The One. You might try them on, break up, and then get back together. Often you think you know what is 100% your type on paper, but the scent you end up with won’t necessarily include any of the ingredients you thought it would.
To help you find your perfect perfume partner, we called on perfumer Tom Daxon to help you find The One—think of him as your very own fragrance Cupid. Keep scrolling for his top tips for finding your scent soul mate.
first impressions count
“Apart from the obvious Do I love the way this smells? and Can I picture myself wearing this? do bear in mind that some fragrances are now all about the initial impression: They might smell great at first only to fade to an unpleasant hum. Make sure you try before you buy.”
Don't think about it too much
“Perfumers probably don’t have a better sense of smell than you per se; they’re just simply more skilled at recognising the ingredients used. You don’t need to worry about how well you can smell a perfume; all you need to consider is whether you like the scent or not. The simplicity of the purpose of fragrances—to smell good—is their biggest appeal to me.”
keep your body products in mind
“On days I’m trying fragrances, I tend not to use strongly scented shower gel, lotion or deodorant, as these can make it hard to smell the fragrance properly. As a customer, though, if you’re wedded to another fragranced product already, I wouldn’t avoid wearing it; you’re going to want to find a fragrance that complements it.”
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avoid fragrance fatigue
“When you’re shopping for a fragrance, your nose can start to fatigue. Stop as soon as it becomes boring or they all start to smell the same.”
Take your time
“People say coffee beans can help reset your nose between smelling fragrances, but then I can just smell coffee! Take a little bit of time between fragrances, perhaps head outside and get some fresh air every so often. Manically wafting different blotters in front of your nose is just going to confuse you.”
Blotters vs. Skin
“Use the cardboard blotters to get a first impression of a perfume; then, if you like it, spritz it onto your skin. When testing multiple perfumes spray each onto a small patch of skin on your arms. If you’re trying just one fragrance, then I would recommend spraying your neck and wrists.”
Next up, the best unusual perfumes as recommended by fashion insiders.
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