5 Tips for Finding Your Signature Scent

Sure, you could just wander around the nearest perfume counter to find your signature scent, but if you don’t know what to look (and smell) for, you’ll wind up with yet another barely used bottle of fragrance. These five helpful tips will help you narrow down all the choices and find the signature scent to match your unique personal style.

What is a signature scent?

A signature scent is one that you return to again and again. It evokes your personality, leaves an impression on others, and conjures special memories and emotions. Even if you have several different fragrances that you rotate, your signature scent is the one that’s a go-to.

Over time, your preferences for a signature scent may change – just as you change. But it will always be that one fragrance that makes an easy style addition to your day.

Understanding Fragrance Families

Finding your signature scent starts by figuring out which “family” a fragrance falls into and which ones have the most appeal for you. Sometimes, a luxury perfume may blend notes from different fragrance families, but one tends to dominate.

Basically, fragrances in the floral family tend to be more feminine, while earthy, woody scents lean towards the masculine. Fragrances in the oriental family are spicier and sexier, while the “fresh” family of scents lean towards lighter, more citrusy notes.

Then, within the fragrance families are subcategories that add further depth and interest to a scent. It just makes finding your signature scent that much more of an adventure!

Main Categories

• Floral

  The floral family extracts oils from flowers like roses, jasmine, lily-of-the-valley, and the like. Their scent can vary in intensity, but in general, are feminine and romantic. Floral scents are frequently blended with other notes like citrus or wood.

• Oriental

  Oriental scents are rich and warm, with an overall exotic feel. They can include notes of patchouli, spices, or amber. They tend to be more “grown-up” than other perfumes.

• Woody

  As its name suggests, the woody family of luxury perfumes draws scent from trees, earth, and wood. Sandalwood, cedar, and patchouli are common notes in this warm, rich grouping of fragrances.

• Fresh

  Signature scents that fall in the “fresh” category are light, bright, and clean. They feature citrus notes, as well as elements that replicate things like the smell of rain, ocean breezes, fresh-cut grass, or sweet tropical fruits.

Subcategories

• Gourmand

  “Gourmand” notes are smells that draw from things that are edible like vanilla, cotton candy, almonds, and such. These ingredients are balanced out with other elements to add complexity to the scent.

• Chypre

  Chypre luxury perfumes tend to have stronger, earthier smells, often balanced with a lighter, citrusy top note. They’re frequently described as “refined.”

• Fougere

  The term comes from the French word for “fern” and represents fragrances that lean towards grassy or mossy scents. They’re a bit heavier and more masculine, frequently blended with citrus or stronger floral notes, like geranium.

• Aquatic

  As the term suggests, these light, airy scents evoke the feeling of being near water. They blend natural and synthetic materials to create a scent that suggests the ocean and fresh maritime elements.

Identify Your Preferences

Start by thinking about the smells you prefer in everyday life, like a favorite shampoo or scented candle. Next, consider how and where you’ll wear your signature scent. Will it be part of your daily on-the-go routine? In that case, you might want something lighter and fresher. Or does your life involve lots of sophisticated events?

What kind of impression do you want to make? What kind of experiences do you want your fragrance to evoke: a beautiful time at the beach? Laying in fresh-cut grass on a summer’s night? A cozy fire in winter? Thinking about these moments will help you zero in on a signature scent.

Exploring Different Scents

Scent changes with your skin’s chemistry and at different times of year. It’s a good idea to live with a fragrance for a few days to see if it’s a good long-term match. Sampling is an important part of the process of finding your signature scent; ask for sample sizes, then wear them for a week. This is especially important if you plan to invest in an expensive luxury perfume.

Creating a Fragrance Wardrobe

While you may have a signature scent, you may also want to mix things up with a fragrance wardrobe. Just as you don’t wear the same kind of clothes for every occasion, different fragrances evoke different moods. Consider the same notes that you love in your signature scent (citrus, floral, etc.) and build a wardrobe around those.

Take Your Time When Testing Scents

Experimenting with fragrance in a store isn’t always the best measure of how it will really smell on you. For one thing, you’re being overwhelmed by many other scents, so your own nose isn’t a great barometer. Those little sampler papers or a spritz at the counter won’t accurately reflect how your unique body chemistry and time itself affect the fragrance as you wear it.

A better practice is to use perfume samples and “live” with the fragrance over a few days. See how it changes throughout the day or night, and how weather conditions affect it. Enjoy the exploration of these complex scent blends and find the one(s) that will best express your style. Aqua D’Keys offers a perfume sampler kit that lets you road-test all of our hand-crafted fragrances.

Consider Your Lifestyle and Personality

A signature scent is meant to seamlessly blend into and enhance your real life. If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, a heavy fragrance may not be the right fit. On a similar note, if your lifestyle revolves around sophisticated events and culture, a light breezy scent doesn’t quite capture that aspect of your personality on an ongoing basis. These kinds of scents may work in your revolving fragrance wardrobe but for that one key fragrance, focus on how and wear you’ll most often wear it.

Understand Notes and Longevity

For every scent, unisex fragrance, or luxury perfume there are basically three “notes.” The top notes are those you experience right off and tend to last anywhere between 15 minutes and an hour before dissipating. The softer middle notes (also known as “heart” notes) then emerge, lasting up to 3 hours. Finally, it’s the base note which is the foundation of the perfume. These are richer and long-lasting, the fragrance that you smell on your clothing days later. When it comes to longevity overall, some scents last longer than others.

Trust Your Instincts

While there’s a science behind creating a fragrance, the wearing of it is an entirely personal thing. You may be an outdoorsy person whose lifestyle would suggest a lighter, fresher scent. But then you fall in love with a heavier, more oriental fragrance. That’s OK! One of the pleasures of experimenting with different scents is the endless possibilities they offer to add beauty and style to your life.

Conclusion

Creating a fragrance is a fascinating, time-honored process. But despite the history and science of fragrance experts that go into it, the end result is something totally unique to you.

The right perfume can elevate your mood, make a statement, and evoke memories of special times and moments. The process of finding yours is fun and exhilarating; give yourself an instant boost with a new signature scent!