How to Choose the Right Perfume or Cologne

Figuring out which cologne or perfume suits you and your personality best can be exhausting. With the many types of scents, it seems to be easier just to pick the first fragrance you see. However, understanding more about what you require and what´s available will help you make up your mind. Follow this guide when you are shopping for fragrances so you can make a better decision.

Figure out your budget.

Perfume and colognes are a luxury, no matter the brand you use. There is a huge range of price points between brands. Some perfumes might be less than $20 while others may cost hundreds of dollars. You need to decide how much you are willing to spend for the right perfume before you go shopping.

Choose the scent´s concentration.

You need to understand that a fragrance has a different name depending on their concentration, thus, their lasting effect. Generally, the most expensive perfumes are those which will last the longest while cheaper fragrances will not have as much lasting power. All perfumes usually state their concentration on the bottle just under its name. Here we provide a a list of the names and their meaning so you can have a better idea on selecting the right concentration.

• Eau de cologne:

  with the lowest concentration, it usually lasts about two hours as it is about 3-5% oil in a mixture of water and alcohol.

• Eau de toilette:

  with higher concentration, this type of fragrance will usually last three to four hours. It is composed of about 4-8% oil.

• Eau de parfum:

  since its concentration is slightly higher than eau de cologne and eau de toilette, this fragrance can last up to six hours, being made of 15-18% oil mixed with alcohol.

• Perfume:

  it is simply the fragrance with the highest concentration of oil. It has great lasting effect that will stay on your skin for up to a day. It is composed of 15-30% oil mixed with alcohol.

Select the desired scent family:

Start thinking which type of scents you enjoy. All fragrances can be generally separated into four categories, even though most of the time all perfumes contain different scents. Do not worry if you do not know what type of scents you like. Here are a list of scent families to help you identify the ones you like:

• Floral/Sweet:

  they usually smell like freshly-cut flowers. The most used floral perfumes are rose, lavender, carnation and orange blossom. They are the most used for women perfumes because of their feminine scent.

• Citrus/Fruity:

  these scents usually smell like fruits, specifically citrus fruits. The most common tones are orange, grapefruit, lime, apricot, apple or peach. These scents are usually bright and refreshing.

• Oriental/Spciy:

  these perfumes smell musky and are not simple. Most of them contain scents such as star anise, cinnamon and vanilla.

• Woody/Chypre:

  these perfumes have a woody and earthy scent. They usually contain scents like bergamot, oakmoss and patchouli.

• Woody/Chypre

  perfumes smell woody and earthy. Many contain scents like bergamot, oakmoss and patchouli.

Learn about the perfumes others use:

Keep your eyes open (or your nose) and try to identify the scents used by people around you. If you catch a scent that you really like ask whoever is wearing it what type of perfume they are using. If there´s something you do not like about your friends perfumes keep it in mind as it is also valuable information that will also help you find the right fragrance and narrow your options.