Choosing the right perfume involves more than simply finding a scent that you like. It also entails finding a scent that goes well with your body chemistry. Fortunately, there are many fragrances to choose from so you can find one or dozens that work.

As for why chemistry comes into play, skin moisture and temperature can affect how a fragrance smells. It can smell great in the bottle, but it can change once it is on the skin. For example, a fragrance travels better in warm weather, which is why there are summer and winter fragrances.

The condition of the skin is another factor. If the skin is moisturized, a fragrance will last longer than it will if it is applied to dry skin. That is why it is commonly recommended that you apply Shea Butter or Vaseline to your pulse points before applying perfume to those areas.

Always apply your favorite fragrance to your pulse points instead of on your clothes or other places on the body because you’ll get more bang for your buck. Fragrances never last long when applied to clothes because there is no body heat to work with.

Consider Fragrance Note Classes

Something else that you need to know when choosing a fragrance is the classes of fragrance notes. They are:

• Head/Top Notes – These notes are the first ones you smell in a fragrance because they are the first to evaporate.
• Heart/Middle Notes – After the top notes evaporate, these are the notes that you smell. These notes hide the base notes as the base notes’ fragrance improves with time.
• Base Notes – These notes are what you smell hours after applying a fragrance. The composition of these notes determine how long a fragrance will last.

From there, you have floral, oriental, woody, and fresh categories. Which category a fragrance fits in depends on its notes. Your body chemistry is going to help you determine which class of fragrance works best for you.

Using Skin Type to Find the Right Scent

One major component of your chemistry is skin type. If you have oily skin, perfumes are going to last longer on you. This makes a citrus or light floral scent best on you because you won’t smell too strong after applying the perfume. If you like the muskier, darker scents, use a small amount.

If you have dry skin, you need a stronger perfume because the scent won’t stick to you very well. A woody, musky fragrance will work well because of fragrance strength. You can even choose fragrances with a more aromatic note or floral head note unless you like lighter scents, which will require you to moisturize your pulse points.

Pay Attention to Your Body Heat

In addition to skin type, body temperature plays a huge role in how well a fragrance lasts or doesn’t last. A person with a higher basal body temperature will get a better pay-off from the perfume because it will linger longer. A person with a lower basal body temperature will need stronger fragrances.

If you aren’t sure about your basal body temperature, think about times you have “run a little hot” when everyone else has been cold. Then again, you might be the type of person who is always colder than everyone else.

Don’t Buy On a Whim

One last and very important buying tip is that you shouldn’t buy a fragrance just because it smells good on someone else. Consider your skin type, body heat, and preference so that you can choose a fragrance that fits your unique body chemistry. Keeping these things in mind will help you choose a fragrance that fits you.

A fragrance is a fragrance, right? Well, not really. You’ve probably noticed when shopping for something that appeals to your nose, there are different fragrance types to choose from. This can make it difficult to determine which is right for you if you don’t know the difference between them.

For instance, you have eau de parfum and perfume. You know they are different, but what are those differences? How are they the same?

To answer this, it is best to look at them as cousins and, just like cousins, they have their similarities and differences that can influence your choice.

The good news is that you are going to get to learn about the fundamental differences between the two so that you can make a fragrance decision that works for you. There’s a good chance that you’re going to be very surprised at what sets them apart and how that influences your fragrance choice.

1. Differences In Concentration

The primary difference between eau de parfum and perfume is the concentration. Perfume is the most concentrated, which means it is usually 20% to 30% pure perfume extract. Basically, a single application is going to last up to an entire day, which is why you want to take it easy on how much you wear.

There are some perfumes that will contain as little as 15% perfume extract or as much as 40%. How much it contains depends on the type and brand.

Eau de parfum is second to perfume in that it contains between 15% and 20% perfume extract. This means it lasts up to 8 hours versus perfume’s up to 24 hours. It’s also not as oily as perfume, which has to do with the difference in concentration.

This oilier, thicker consistency of perfume is why it is mostly sold in stopper bottles rather than sprays. Spraying a perfume would also result in too much being put on at once. Eau de parfums can be found in spray bottles because they have a thinner consistency and a single spray can distribute the right amount.

2. Which One Costs More?

As for which of the two costs more, it’s probably a given that perfume is more expensive because of its concentration and how that contributes to its wear time. You can use less and get more mileage out of it, which can require re-application more than once within a 24 hour period.

Of course, there are many eau de parfums available that smell wonderful and, if 8 hours of fragrance is all you need, that might be exactly what you need. However, there is more to it than that, which you are going to learn.

3. Gender Specification

Perfume is typically associated with women’s fragrances, while cologne is used to identify masculine scents. Eau de parfum is genderless. That’s why you’ll see both feminine and masculine scents described as “eau de parfum.”

4. Is There a Difference In Quality?

This one is very tricky for the fact that eau de parfum doesn’t necessarily mean the fragrance is less than a perfume. There are some essential oils that you don’t want on you in large concentrations, so they aren’t included in perfumes like they are eau de parfums.

If you want a real musk or ambergris, you’re looking at a high cost for something that isn’t always very pleasant smelling in its pure form. An eau de parfum can be the answer to this because it can use less of something while also being more.

However, eau de parfums tend to have more alcohol and water in them, which means a lighter scent. Again, this can be a blessing in disguise when it comes to certain types of fragrances.

Choose What’s Right for You

All in all, what it comes down to is choosing what’s right for you. Perfumes can have specific qualities that you prefer, while an eau de parfum in a certain scent can be exactly what you need. Think about your preferences, apply that information in your search, and use what you learned here to make the right decision.