Find Your Signature Scent and Have Fun Doing It
How to find perfume you love without overthinking it
“I don't know what kind of perfume I like.”
Good.
That's actually a really fun place to start.
You get to smell things without deciding ahead of time what you're supposed to like.
Forget fragrance families for a minute.
Do you want to smell yummy? Clean? Juicy? Floral? Warm? A little mysterious?
Start there.
Don't Let the Notes Boss You Around
Fragrance notes are clues, not rules.
Take vanilla. Vanilla can smell creamy, sugary, caramelized, chocolatey, woody, dry or fluffy.
Saying “I don't like vanilla” might just mean you haven't smelled your vanilla yet.
And you don't need fancy perfume vocabulary to figure it out.
I describe scents as juicy, creamy, sparkly, buttery and syrupy because that's how I experience them.
Smell enough perfume and you'll start developing your own language for what you love.
How Do You Know When It's the One?
Wear it.
If you keep smelling your wrist, notice it again hours later, or find yourself thinking about it the next day, pay attention.
That's usually how I know.
The right perfume doesn't just smell good.
It feels like another layer of you.
You Don't Need One Signature Scent
I can't commit to one color, so I'm certainly not committing to one perfume.
Some days I want clean. Some days creamy. Sometimes juicy, sweet, dark—or something that smells like questionable decisions in the back of a library.
That's why I prefer a scent wardrobe.
Think favorite jeans, cozy sweater, ridiculously good dress.
Different moods. Still you.
Your signature isn't one perfume. It's you… with options.
Smell More. Buy Smaller.
If you're figuring out what you like, discovery sizes are your friend.
Try the perfume you think you'll love and try the weird one too.
Wear them on your skin. See which one you keep reaching for.
That's how you learn what you love without committing to a full bottle every time.
And Then Play With It
Layering is where I really have fun.
I don't just like blue. I like blue with yellow today and blue with purple tomorrow.
Perfume works the same way.
Love clean skin scents but want something cozier for fall? Add a little vanilla or something warm and spicy.
Love a sweet perfume but want to make it a little deeper? Play with it.
You don't have to smell exactly like everybody else wearing the same bottle.
Make it yours.
Start Building Your Scent Wardrobe
The biggest mistake you can make when choosing perfume?
Choosing it for somebody else.
Don't worry about what's supposed to be sexy, sophisticated, trendy or appropriate for the season.
You're the one wearing it.
Smell everything. Change your mind. Layer weird things together. Wear vanilla in July and juicy fruit in December.
There isn't a right answer here.
Wear whatever feels like you.
Wear only what you love.
xoxo,
Julie