I found that there are five basic steps you need to consider when shopping for perfume, so here they are for your perfume delight and delight…

1) “This is going to take some time…”

Yes, buying perfumes is something to be savored, enjoyed and definitely no hurries. Spend a good chunk of time in the day visiting local perfume department stores and smaller fragrance shops. Try to keep an open mind when you see a perfume that your friend may have dismissed, and don’t judge a perfume by its packaging. You’re going to have to trust your nose on this shopping expedition, not your eyes.

2) Before you start shopping for perfumes, decide on your budget

Purchasing a fragrance can cost you as little as $50 or as much as $5,000 (yes, there are perfumes with those kinds of price tags!), so it’s important to figure out your budget before setting foot in a perfume store. First, decide if your fragrance will be for everyday use or just for special occasions. Are you looking for a perfume named after a celebrity or just a well-known brand? What season is your perfume for? Sometimes it’s nice to have a cooler, lighter scent for the hotter summer months and perhaps a more subtle fragrance for fall and winter.

3. Understand the different perfume concentrations available

Perfumes come in three distinct categories that tell you about the concentration of the perfume oils in the bottle. The most concentrated, and therefore most expensive, perfume is known as ‘Scent’ and you won’t need to use much so it should last longer. Scent It has a concentration of between 15% and 22% fragrance oils. The next is ‘Fragrance’ with a concentration of between 8% and 15%, a fairly popular choice for many women. Last, and least expensive of the three concentrations, we have ‘Bathwater’ gold ‘Eau de cologne’. With a concentration of between 3% and 8%, a spray of this perfume will give you and those around you just a hint of the aroma to tantalize the nasal senses. Bathwater it is, of course, the least expensive option, but you may need to use more than the other, more concentrated preparations.

4. It’s time to put your nose to work

So you’re at the perfume store. It’s time to start sniffing some fragrances by spraying a few sample bottles of each perfume onto those fun pieces of white cardboard. They are called ‘samples’, like color samples, but for smelling. Attempt dry the perfume in the sample before smelling (do not touch), as the fragrance will change subtly over the minutes. After several minutes, you will smell the ‘basic notes’ instead of the original ‘high notes’. Ah, now we are getting technical. The base notes of the fragrance are the scents that will become more apparent as you perfume yourself throughout the day. If you really want to be prepared, take a small container of coffee beans with you. Take a whiff of the beans to ‘reset’ your nose before sniffing the next perfume – it’s a trick that works. Keep going and you should be able to narrow your search down to maybe just three or four fragrances.

5. Time for some real fur

Is it to be hoped that you have now managed to select a handful of perfume candidates? Now it’s time to spray some on your wrist. Let it dry naturally without rubbing and smell. Oh, by the way, best advice: don’t wear any fragrance when shopping for perfume for obvious reasons. It’s also wise to avoid eating hot or spicy foods beforehand, as your nose won’t be as sensitive as it usually is.

I hope you found some or all of these “perfume indicators” enlightening. The best perfume for you is available and you will only need a little preparation and patience to find it! Happy perfume shopping!