How to Select Your Signature Fragrance

There are many people who are expert in picking the perfect scent for them based on their choices but there are few who loves to indulge in the background to understand the scent notes and to only make a choice to buy if the scent matches their preference exactly as they desire. This is the guide for your secret to making the choice.

The various factors to consider while selecting your ideal or signature fragrance are closely linked to your lifestyle and personal preferences. A few of the important factors are listed below:

Personality type: If you're naturally sporty, use a woody scent perfume!

Body chemistry: Due to our own natural fragrances, the same brand of perfume may not smell the same on everyone.

Lifestyle: Take a look at your day-to-day activities. Boardroom executives, for example, are unlikely to want too fruity perfumes floating off of them.

Season and location: You may wish to have one signature fragrance for the hot, humid summer months and another for the chilly winter days.

Cost: Obviously, certain fragrances will be more expensive than others (Chanel versus Britney Spears' perfume line, for example). A perfume does not have to be a designer to fit you and your aspirations, but don't undersell yourself either.

Choosing the right fragrance is a very personal journey for everyone, don’t purchase a scent just because it suits your friend. It won’t suit you maybe always consider the simple rules.

• Don't get overwhelmed and sample too many scents at once.
• Notes are vital.
• Layer fragrances to create your ideal fragrance.
• Don't be a trend follower.
• Consider the occasion for which you are purchasing.

Choosing the right fragrance family:

There are fragrances specially designed based on the genders some are purely for men while others are for women or could be unisex but some people never back out from selecting any scent regardless of the scent family. To make it simple, the process of choosing the right scent family for yourself   Michael Edwards, a fragrance guru, created a useful wheel that categorizes the more than 4,700 smells available for purchase. Here's a cheat sheet for you:

Florals

• Floral family: Certainly the largest and most popular category, florals are lovely blends of -- you guessed it -- flowers. Example: 1876 by Histoires de Parfums.
• Soft floral: This is a combination of florals and aldehydes, which are a component of rose and citrus oils. Example: 212 by Carolina Herrera.
• Floral oriental: Also part of the oriental group, this family is spicier and fruitier than other florals. Example: 273 Rodeo Drive by Fred Hayman.

Orientals

• Oriental: The heaviest family in this category, oriental fragrances combine musks, resins, vanilla and florals to create a rich scent. Example: World of Your Own by Grassroots.
• Floral oriental: These are flower-heavy oriental scents. Example: ZAHRA by Fashion Fair.
• Soft oriental: They incorporate incense, amber and spices to create a lighter version of the traditional oriental fragrance. Example: Youth-dew by Estée Lauder.
• Woody oriental: Patchouli and sandalwood are added to the mix, giving this type of scent a more outdoorsy feel than your standard oriental. Example: 1 Million by Paco Rabanne.

Woody

• Woods: Smells that generally mix the scents of pine, cedar, sandalwood and other common woods found in nature. Example: 1681 by Carthusia.
• Mossy woods: Also known as citrus chypre, this family incorporates mossy tones. Example: 1000 by Jean Patou.
• Dry woods: These smells are different from mossy-woody fragrances because they also include a hint of tobacco, cedar or burnt wood. Example: 154 by Jo Malone.
• Aromatic Fougère: Beloved by men and women, this family is a combination of the fresh, woody, floral and oriental groups. Example: ZIRH by Zirh.

Fresh

• Citrus: Scents that are derived from a blend of oils found in grapefruit, oranges, lemons, and other citrus fruits. Example: 10:10 AM in Sicilia 2011 by Kenzo.
• Water: A newer family that evokes the scent of the sea. Example: Z ZEGNA by Ermenegildo Zegna.
• Green: Scents that are akin to freshly cut grass or hand-picked flowers. Example: Yerba mate by Lorenzo Villoresi.
• Fruity: Combinations of aromas found in peaches, plums, apples, and tropical fruits. Example: Wrapped With Love by Hilary Duff.