As a platonic ideal, a signature scent would act as an olfactory calling card, silently announcing one’s arrival into a room. Ah, Creed Silver Mountain Water — Josh has arrived, or Egad! Britney Spears Fantasy! Quick, let’s make a break for it before Brenda regales us with stories of her highschool cheerleading days. Now, however, the sheer ubiquity of certain scents — no doubt bolstered by #perfumetok — has somewhat stymied the idea of a signature scent. Great, Baccarat Rouge 540; it could quite literally be anyone.
However, it is still possible to identify and define your own signature scent (or scents!). When well chosen (and well worn), your signature scent will come to play an intangible role in the way you’re perceived to others, as well as how you feel about yourself. Having your own signature scent can imbue others with a sense of familiarity and comfort with you when they encounter the fragrance. And while we’re also advocates of cultivating a well-rounded fragrance wardrobe, there can be something comforting in having a couple of default scents that you come back to time and time again.
Finding the scent that best represents who you are is no easy feat, particularly in light of the endless perfume options available on the market. Read on for tips on how to define and select your signature scent.
What are the different types of fragrance strengths?
While many people use the terms eau de parfum (EDP), eau de toilette (EDT), and cologne interchangeably, these all refer to completely different products.
Typically the most expensive of the lot, a men’s eau de parfum has the highest concentration of perfume oil, at 15% to 20%. Eau de parfums have the most staying power (lasting around half a day), and are the best option for richer, deeper fragrance notes.
With up to 15% perfume oil, an eau de toilette lasts for up to eight hours and is an ideal option for everyday use – just be sure to keep a bottle on hand for a top up as the day wears on!
A cologne, or eau de cologne, has a perfume oil concentration of 2% to 5% that is cut with alcohol and lasts for a few hours (around two to four).
How to find your signature scent
1. Start with identifying your favourite fragrance family
When it comes to finding a signature scent, it’s helpful to know the type of notes you tend to gravtiate towards. “A ‘fragrance family’ is a way to categorise similar scents,” Lev Glazman, co-founder of skincare and fragrance brand Fresh, tells Albert Review. “I would recommend narrowing it down to a certain kind of fragrance family and then testing fragrances within that family to see how they perform on your skin and the longevity of the fragrance.”
While many luxury perfumes crossover into multiple fragrance families, identifying the fragrance family that most appeals to you aids in streamlining the search for a signature scent.
There are four main fragrance families:
- Floral
- Woody
- Oriental
- Fresh
Within these, there are various subfamilies and crossovers between overarching fragrance families. Both citrus and aquatic scents fall under the fresh family, while woody floral scents are one of the most popular unions between the fragrance families.
As a general rule, fragrances with fruity, floral, and citrusy notes tend to be lighter and easier to wear, lending themselves to daytime and warm weather wear. Meanwhile, those with notes of wood, amber, leather, and smoke are headier and more warming, making them well suited to evening wear or for the cooler months.
2. Consider what you want your signature scent to say about you
When selecting your signature scent, think about what you want it to communicate about you. Are you looking for something bold and powerful that stands out from the crowd (Creed Aventus or Dior Fahrenheit, perhaps) or are you after something more clean and intimate; a skin scent that stays closer to you, like Maison Margiela Lazy Sunday Morning.
Related: The Best Clean Girl Fragrances Smell Like Your Skin, But Better
To that end, consider how you want to feel when you wear your signature scent. Are you partial to the old-school warm masculinity of Aramis or do you lean towards cultivating an aura of mystery courtesy of scents like Byredo Tobacco Mandarin or the undeniably seductive Frédéric Malle Carnal Flower?
3. Test fragrances on both paper and your skin
Ever spritzed a fragrance on a blotter in the store, only to come home with it and find out it smells completely different on you? Buying a fragrance without testing it on your skin is the olfactory equivalent of purchasing a dress after seeing it on the mannequin without trying it on.
“Every fragrance smells differently person to person because of each person’s unique body chemistry,” Glazman explains. For that reason, a fragrance will smell different on paper than on the skin — and then vary from your skin to a friend’s skin.
“I recommend first trying a fragrance on paper to see if the notes resonate with you or call to mind a memory. Fragrance is very emotional. Then, you can sample it on the skin. On your skin, the fragrance comes alive. You experience the scent with your unique body chemistry and see if it works for you.”
4. Limit your sensory exploration to two to three scents a visit
When testing out new fragrances, it’s best not to go overboard. Trying multiple scents at a time can lead to nose blindness, wherein odours become less detectable following prolonged exposure.
And in the same vein; skip the coffee beans. While often touted as a way to ‘reset’ your nose, sniffing coffee beans in between fragrances can also lead to nose blindness, as you are simply replacing one strong smell with another. Instead, smell an unscented portion of your own skin (like the crook of your elbow) to reset your olfactory palette.
5. Consider trends, but don’t be a victim to them
Much like the fashion world, the fragrance industry isn’t immune to trends; whether they’re ingredient-led (sandalwood and green tea have both had their moment in the spotlight over the past few years), celebrity-driven (anyone bought Burberry Hero because Adam Driver looks good on a horse?) or incited by social media (Le Labo Santal 33, Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540, and Maison Margelia Jazz Club spring to mind). Trends can be useful in ascertaining what’s popular in the market, however, ultimately your signature scent should be determined by your own tastes and instincts. After all, can it really be a signature scent if everyone else is wearing it?
Related: Smell Like A Gentleman With These Forgotten Fragrances Of Yesteryear
6. Spend time with each scent
Scents evolve over the course of the day, smelling differently to how they did when you first sprayed it. Each fragrance is composed of top, middle, and base notes. The top notes are what you smell upon initially spraying a formula and influence your first impression of the fragrance — these last for around 20 minutes. The middle (or ‘heart’) notes emerge once the top notes have evaporated, and typically last from around 20 minutes to an hour. Base notes last from well over four to six hours; while the top and middle notes are present, the base notes underscore the fragrance. Once these have dissipated, they appear more prominently and typically comprise deep, rich aromas like sandalwood, patchouli, vetiver, and palo santo.
It’s important to spend a full day with a potential new scent, to determine if you enjoy it at each phase of its evolution.
7. Don’t feel like you need to commit to a single signature scent
While this potentially goes against the ethos of a signature scent, it’s ok to switch up your daily fragrance based on the weather, occasion, or even your mood.
Glazman suggests changing up your signature scent based on the season. “During the warmer months, we usually gravitate towards clean, fresh, and citrusy notes because we want the fragrance to feel lighter,” he says. “In the cold months, you might want something cosier — something vanilla or woodsy. You can also layer your summer scent with a second fragrance during winter to create something new.”
Related: Atypical Seductive Fragrances For Women
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FAQ
A signature scent is a scent that is inextricably associated with you. It’s one you wear often and one which works well with your unique body chemistry.
Application technique goes a long way to ensuring fragrance longevity. Moisturised skin holds fragrance better than dry skin, with application on the pulse points being best. Apply your fragrance to the wrists, neck, décolleté, and behind the ears.
Words by Arabella Johnson
Feature image courtesy of Mecca
