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How to Scent Your Way to Success: HC’s Guide to Picking the Perfect Perfume for Any Occasion

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Wake Forest chapter.

I’ve got a pair of lucky polka dot socks for exam days. I have this one black bandage skirt that I wear on any night out when I want to feel super confident. I even have a white cardigan that I always wear around my boyfriend’s parents because it’s conservative yet trendy. I’m sure you all have these pieces in your closet too – those clothes that always make you feel like you’re dressed for success!
  
Of course, what you wear all depends on the occasion. You would never wear sweatpants to a black tie event or your teeniest mini skirt to an interview! And the same goes for your accessories, including – guess what – your fragrance! The way you smell can really make a statement – so you don’t want to smell like a baby prostitute (Get it? Mean Girls?). Just like different outfits, different scents can amp up your confidence for any occasion. Check out my favorite perfume picks to help give you that extra oomph, no matter the occasion!
 

Date Night: Taylor Swift’s Wonderstruck              
 
Whether it’s your first date with a guy you’ve got a crush on or your eight-year anniversary dinner with your long-distance honey you’ve dated since high school, you’ll want your scent to be romantic, sweet and attractive. What could be better for a night of romance than a scent made by the girl who is obsessed with all things L-O-V-E?  I mean, the scent is named after a song all about falling in love at first sight! I am probably the world’s biggest T-Swift fan over the age of 15 (so maybe I’m a little biased), but this brand-new scent is both floral and fruity without being too sweet. With notes of freesia, green tea, apple blossom, raspberry and dewberry, Wonderstruck will make you feel absolutely dazzling. If you’re still not convinced, just watch the commercial… it’s the beginning of something magical.
 

Chilling with Friends: Burberry Brit Sheer
 
Sometimes certain scents can be a bit too heavy, too musky and just too much for everyday wear. We’re young, vibrant collegiettes™, so we’re wanting something fresh and fun! Enter Burberry Brit Sheer – a perfume that exudes classy sans stuff. With light, playful notes of yuzu, litchi, pineapple, peony and peach blossom combined with white musk and creamy amyris woods, the overall effect is one of understated elegance. If you’re feeling brave and want something a little heavier, feel free to try the original Burberry Brit scent.

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Out On the Town: Vera Wang Princess
 
With a name like Princess, how could this perfume not be perfect for any dress-up occasion? Princess is incredibly flirty, whimsical and very sweet, but not cloyingly so. In fact, I love the sweet smell so much that this is actually my everyday perfume! But if you don’t want to wear it every single day, this scent is perfect for a night out when you want to stand out from a crowd of plain floral scents. Princess has the lovely floral notes of water lily, lady apple, mandarin and apricot accented with dark chocolate, pink frosting and chiffon vanilla. Doesn’t that sound simply delicious?!
   

Class/Meeting/Exam Week: DKNY Be Delicious
  
During your more stressful weeks, you’ll want a scent that’s refreshing and crisp, just like a green apple! DKNY Be Delicious has a light yet invigorating scent that is fruity without overdoing it. And I guarantee you that it will keep you smelling fresh even during that tough week when showering just becomes your last priority (don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone!). Just spray one quick spritz before heading to an exam, and you’ll be smelling sweet (and feeling great!) in notes of American apple, cucumber, grapefruit, sandalwood and white amber. Still not sold? Just check out how cool the bottle is!
 

 

For Your Guy: Ralph Lauren Big Pony Collection
 
Last but not least (now that you smell great), you want your significant other to smell his best as well! Cologne is a great Christmas/Valentine’s/Birthday/Anniversary gift for any beau (especially if he’s still wearing that same Abercrombie scent from middle school). The Big Pony Collection has four different scents, each in gorgeous, brightly colored bottles that are very preppy-fun. All four scents come with their own totally different vibes and bottles … and even have hunky models to go along with them! Big Pony #1 is Sporty (blue bottle/shirt) and is a fresh scent with lime and grapefruit. Big Pony #2 Seductive (red) has spicy and seductive dark chocolate and musk. Big Pony #3 Adventurous (green) is crisp and outdoorsy with notes of mint and ginger root combining to trigger an adrenaline rush. Big Pony #4 Stylish (orange) is citrusy and unique with mandarin and kyrawood scents. Choose the one that sounds most like your guy, or just buy him the whole 4-pack!

Jackie Swoyer is a rising senior at Wake Forest University majoring in Business and Enterprise Management, concentrating in Marketing and minoring in Economics. While her collegiate years have been spent in the Carolinas, this aspiring marketer currently calls Cincinnati, Ohio home...although she has spent years moving all over the country and beyond (including a five year period in Europe!). She is currently prepping for a summer internship in the Frito Lay Marketing Division in Plano, Texas, a new stop on her geographical repertoire. An avid reader of all things Her Campus, Jackie also loves to write, listen to Pandora, practice her cooking skills, and find live music anywhere she can.