If you’ve ever been shopping for a fragrance, you know that it can be confusing. Where do you wear it? How much should you spend? Should you spray it on clothes? How many sprays? This week, I will tell you the three best things to think about when buying and wearing any fragrance.
- Don’t worry so much about the price
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I’ve noticed that many people believe that you have to spend upwards of $100 to get a decent smelling fragrance or that if you buy a more inexpensive fragrance at less than $25, you won’t smell very good. This is simply untrue and is one of the biggest myths in the fragrance world. There are so many fragrances out there at many different price points from Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille at around $250 – not worth the price IMHO – to Glossier You at around $60 – so worth it, especially if you like more laid back scents with a bit of spice.
The thing about fragrance is that it’s incredibly subjective. I may like a fragrance that you don’t and vice versa. This is all to say that you should wear what you like. If you like a fragrance that’s $400 a bottle, awesome. The same goes for a fragrance that costs $25. Do you boo, and smell like the amazing queen you are!
- Know the different strengths
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When I first became interested in fragrance, I was incredibly confused about what all the different terms meant. Eau de Toilette? Eau de Parfum? Let me get you informed so you don’t have to go through the same things I had to.
Fragrances go from weak concentrations to stronger concentrations. The overwhelming majority of fragrances are a mixture of perfume oil and alcohol, and it’s not the type you drink. You’ll usually see the concentration right on the front of the bottle. Eau is pronounced like the letter “o” and literally translates from French to English as “water.” De is pronounced like “day” and translates from French as “of.”
Eau de Cologne is the weakest concentration and has 2 – 4% of perfume oil with the rest being alcohol. Eau de Toilette is the next strongest concentration and has 5 – 15% perfume oil. Fun fact – eau de toilette literally translates from French as “toilet water” (translations can be funny like that sometimes). Eau de Parfum is the next strongest concentration and has 15 – 20% perfume oil with Parfum translating from French as “perfume.” Finally, the strongest concentration is Parfum which has 20 – 30% perfume oil.
I do want to let you know, though, that a fragrance’s strength doesn’t always denote how strong it will smell. There are some fragrances that only come in an Eau de Toilette, such as Paco Rabanne 1 Million Lucky, that smell stronger than other fragrances that come in a Parfum, like Dior Sauvage Parfum.
TL;DR: eau de toilette is a weaker concentration than Eau de Parfum but a fragrance’s concentration doesn’t always denote how strong it will smell.
- Spray on skin and remember the two – six rule
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If you’ve ever seen someone spray on their favorite fragrance, they may have sprayed it in the air and walked through the mist, sprayed their clothes, or some other third way of application (I’ve seen a lot of really hilarious ways to apply fragrance but I’ll save that for later). The thing is that fragrance works most effectively when sprayed directly on the skin. That’s right, you should spray fragrance right on that beautiful skin of yours. Now you might be asking, where on your skin you should spray your fragrance and how many sprays? Let me tell you something that’s gonna change your life.
Always spray fragrance where your body releases heat. That means places like the crook of your elbow, your wrists, the inside of your neck near both sides of your collarbone, and even your hair are excellent places to spray your favorite fragrance. I know what you might be thinking, but yes, spraying your favorite fragrance in your hair can actually make that fragrance last a whole lot longer.
One tip that I’ll give you is that you should never rub your wrists together if that’s the spot you choose to spray. This causes the fragrance to break down and who wants a broken down fragrance that won’t last as long? I know I don’t, especially if I’m trying to smell my best for as long as possible, okay?
Alright, so you’ve got your favorite fragrance, and you’ve found a place to spray. How many sprays should you use? While this is a subjective topic, I would recommend no less than two sprays and no more than six. I’ve found that this is the perfect way to ensure that you and other people can detect how wonderful you smell while not being overwhelmed.
I know we all remember middle and high school where some people – I won’t name names – smelled like they bathed in body spray that morning. As long as you follow my two – six rule, you’ll be smelling like the extravagant, enchanting queen that you are!
I know this article was a bit long, but you made it to the end, so congratulations! I wanted to give my favorite people some useful tips so that you can walk out of that door and smell like a sunflower at sunrise.
Be great, smell great!