How to find your essence: Part 1

Finding your signature scent will take time, and this is an important thing to remember. You must keep in mind that you must undertake this journey as lightly as possible.

Like everything in life, perfume is a personal choice, and just because you don't like something right away doesn't mean you won't like it the next time you try it.

We will reveal this and many other secrets in the following definitive guide on your journey to find your perfect perfume.

Step 1: Take it easy

Not only can it be a potentially expensive hobby with a couple of "loves at first sight" that will go sour after a while, so it's good not to take things too seriously, but rather take things slowly.

These are the questions you should ask yourself before you start:

1. What do you hope to find or achieve with your perfume?
2. How much money are you willing to spend on your signature fragrance?
3. How will my perfume affect other people?

Let us give you more information on the second and third questions. Since you'll be using your personal perfume daily, you'll go through a bottle much quicker than you normally would with a fragrance you wear occasionally.

Some fragrances are cheap, while others are expensive. Each of them could be your signature scent, so think about how much you are willing to pay two or three times a year.

Depending on your lifestyle and hobbies, which will have a separate chapter in this article, you will also have to take into account whether your strong perfumes positively or negatively affect co-workers, friends and family.

Step 2: Start with smells you already know

Another good way to start is to start smelling everything around you. From food, spices, flowers, even taking a hike or a walk through the forest to smell the air and the earth.

Everything matters, so let your olfactory senses go crazy. So, if you think about it, you will know a basic idea about what type of fragrance to look for.

If, for example, you are a gardener and you love the smell of lily, lavender and rose, you will research that perfume find.

So, before entering a perfume store, write a list of the things you like to smell. You'll thank yourself later.

PRO TIP : If you already have perfumes, keep the best ones in mind. It will save you time and serve as a starting point.

Step 3: Consider your hobbies and lifestyle

Your hobbies are directly related to step number 2. Hobbies and interests, such as gardening and cooking, can serve as a point of orientation for the type of fragrances you may like.

But don't limit yourself to hobbies, as you may want to smell completely different than you would while occupying your time with your personal interests.

While smelling like flowers and cinnamon may work in the garden and kitchen or on romantic date nights, figuring out how your signature scent will work with your lifestyle is another pair of shoes.

Working at the office? Although the die is cast, rarely will someone tolerate too strong a perfume while sitting next to you. Fresher, lighter scents work best in the office.

On the other hand, working outside and being constantly on the move gives you the opportunity to wear whatever you want without fearing that someone will complain about your perfume.

Everyone knows that person in the office who suffocates everyone else with their strong perfume, and no one wants to be remembered that way.

Choose wisely and let a fragrance discover you instead of announcing you.

Step 4: Research before buying and trying

Research, research, research before going to a perfume store. Being well prepared is already a battle half won.

Now that you know what kind of scents you like in daily life, it's time to start researching online. We recommend that you take a look at the perfume lists, reviews and scents on fragrantica.es, or also on accounts like @andresperfumeman and @huelememucho on Instagram for perfume suggestions.

Step 5: Arrive at the store without wearing perfume

Before arriving at the perfume store, do not wear any perfume or aromatic deodorant that day. This way, your palate will be fresh and odor-free.

PRO TIP: Avoid wearing yesterday's clothes if you used a scented product the day before. Mixing two or more perfumes will only confuse which fragrance is which.

Step 6: Try only a couple of perfumes per visit

Our nose is a powerful tool that contains olfactory sensory neurons that help us significantly.

Without olfactory sensory neurons, common odors such as lemons or cocoa would be difficult to distinguish. And without smell, our food would taste bland or almost non-existent.

When it comes to perfumes, getting lost in the perfume shop, smelling dozens of scents, will positively cause nose blindness and leave you confused.

Furthermore, it seems that trying a perfume in the morning helps even more, since our nose is not yet saturated with other smells, and we are still fresh.

Therefore, your research before visiting a store plays a very important role. After you have selected between two and four fragrances that seemed sensational to you while reading about them, it is time to try them.

Which brings us to the next article " How to Find Your Scent: Part 2 " on how to test a perfume the right way.