Perfume shopping can be an incredibly challenging and frustrating experience. After smelling a couple of different scents, you usually lose the ability to tell one fragrance from the next and what ensues is a futile search hampered by your over-stimulated nose. If you don’t scent-test correctly, you won’t be able to tell a Dolce and G.abbana eau de toilette from a Guerlain or a Versace perfume – they’ll all just end up smelling the same! If you want to get the most out of your perfume shopping session, you’re going to need to follow a few of these scent-sniffing guidelines…
1. Break it up
Never spray different scents directly one after the other. You should allow a few minutes ‘nose resting time’ in between spraying each new perfume – if you don’t you will overload your nostril scent sensors and end up making everything smell the same.
2. Blot it
You know how nearly every store offers blotting papers at the perfume counter or stand? They’re there for a reason. Spraying a scent in the air means it will fly back and become attached to your face, distracting your nose from being able to properly detect the next scent you try.
3. Let it set
When using blotting paper, you should spray one pump of your chosen perfume then hold the piece of card/paper away from your self and give it a very light shake, allowing it to set. After thirty seconds you can bring it about five centimetres away from your nose and gently sniff. By leaving setting time, you prevent your nostrils from being overwhelmed.
Let the perfume set on the card is a great tip, so the nose does not over dose on the scent.
Perfumes I like are quite pricey. So I spray where I would wear one. Walk away and see what happens during the day and next day. Then decision is made by their performance, not just how they smell right when sprayed.