Types of Perfume

Once upon a time, a woman was expected to have a signature scent. Nowadays, we are more likely to treat fragrance as an accessory, changing our perfume daily - or even more often - to suit our busy lives and shifting moods.
But sometimes, too much choice can lead to confusion. If you're like most women, you have multiple perfume bottles cluttering your vanity table. They taunt you every morning as

you get dressed, with the simple yet silent demand, "Who do you want to be today?"

To help you cut through the clutter, we've created this brief guide to the major fragrance categories, with suggestions for where to wear each one.

Citrus

Infused with the tangy essence of citrus fruits, these perfumes are lively and energetic. They are best enjoyed as a daytime delight, just the thing to wake you up in the morning before you've had that second coffee. Wear a citrus perfume to meet your girlfriends for brunch, brighten a baby shower, or ride your bicycle to the organic market.

Floral

Sweet and romantic, these scents are the "good girls" of the fragrance aisle. Florals are sometimes single note, but generally combine the scents of various flowers to create a classic feminine appeal. Spritz on a floral when you want to show off (or fake) your sweet-and-girly side -- when meeting your boyfriend's parents comes to mind. These scents are also appropriate at church, the ballet, or your best friend's wedding, especially if you've got your eye on an eligible groomsman.

Fruity

Like a cheerleader with a wicked side, fruity perfumes are fresh and spicy. These fragrances please the nose with the bright and familiar smells of apple, peach, berry, mango and other juicy fruits, often blended with florals to create a compelling aroma. Pretty without being overwhelming, these perfumes are ideal for a movie-and-dinner first date. Just apply sparingly.

Green

Smelling of fresh leaves and newly-mown grass, the green fragrances are a natural and energetic group. These scents tend toward the unisex, so are best left on the shelf when you're dressing to impress a hot date. Save them for daytime instead, when their sporty, modern appeal makes them a great fit for any casual or outdoor gathering. Wear one to cheer on your favorite football team, at the golfing range, or on a flea market amble with friends.

Oceanic

Oceanic perfumes are a modern invention, first appearing with Christian Dior's Dune in 1991. These scents use a blend of synthetic compounds to evoke natural aromas such as mountain air, ocean spray or clean linen. Crisp and fresh, they are an ideal choice for job interviews, when you want your perfume to say, "I'm clean, efficient and won't stink up the joint if hired."

Oriental

Think of oriental perfumes as the fragrance equivalent of cleavage and a killer pair of stilettos. Exotic and distinctly feminine, these sensual blends feature an earthy, animalistic base scent such as musk or ambergris, often combined with warm notes such as amber. (When combined with florals, these scents are called "florientals"). The effect is a bold yet mysterious perfume that makes a big entrance, tosses back a few martinis, and leaves with phone numbers in her pocket. Wear one when you want to seduce, whether it's a third date or just a rare night out without the kids.

Spicy

Sugar and spice and everything nice, that's what these perfumes smell like. Uncap one and be transported to your mom's kitchen - if your mom was the type who baked cinnamon rolls and gingerbread from scratch. With notes of cloves, ginger, cinnamon, cardamon and pepper, spicy perfumes are comforting and alluring in an old-fashioned way. Wear one to your next parent-teacher meeting, or at lunch with that handsome officemate who you wouldn't mind sharing pastry with.

Woody (Chypre)

Woody scents are built on base notes of bark and moss, conjuring winding forest paths. While more unisex than other fragrance categories, that's not to say these scents are masculine. They evoke a particular brand of no-nonsense femininity. Think Marion in Raiders of the Lost Ark, or Katharine Hepburn in any movie. This strong and classic appeal translates well to the corporate office, too. Wear one to your next performance review.

MOTIVATION

ROBERT KIYOSAKI

3 Tips on Choosing the Right Perfume for You

With the thousands of fragrances in the market, it can sometimes be tricky to choose the one that is perfect for your taste, personality, the occasion, and other factors. Check out the following basic tips that you may find useful when choosing and even wearing the perfect perfume for you:

    Determine your budget -Perfumes are priced in a very big range, from very inexpensive colognes to luxurious designer brands. Determining your budget or the money you are prepared to spend beforehand will help narrow down the choices and will save you a lot of time.

    Know what particular smell you want and go for it -Decide on what type of fragrance you want based on what use the perfume would be to you. For instance, is it for special occasions? Is it to please or seduce a lover? Is it for everyday wash and wear? If you plan to please someone, make sure to research on the particular fragrances he or she likes. If you want it to be an everyday whiff you can wear to work or school, you may want to buy a lighter and fresher scent. If it’s for big parties and formal events, choose a perfume that makes a stronger impact by blending well with your body chemistry.Other factors like the weather or season are also important to consider. For instance, if you live in a very humid setting, floral fragrances with a woody or musky base often complement the sultry weather. If you’re often surrounded by a lot of people in near proximity, don’t choose a very strong perfume because not everyone likes perfume. Citrus, sea breeze and other herb and floral fragrances are often fresh and rejuvenating, perfect for someone always on the go. If you will be out on a date and want to heighten the romance, choose a scent that is a bit stronger but not overpowering. Usually oriental spices project confidence and sophistication. Meanwhile, aromatic blends are perfect for men who like to smell like a true man exuding with machismo and security.

    Examine carefully before buying -When you’ve finally narrowed down your choices and you’re ready to go to a perfume shop, don’t forget to carefully examine each perfume you fancy before getting ahead of yourself and purchasing. Take note that your nose can only handle so much and testing 20 perfumes consecutively will prove to be futile. Before you start spraying a perfume on your wrist, spray it first on a card or paper and decide if you like it. If not, move on to the next. Once you find a scent you think is perfect, start testing it on your body. Apply a small amount on your wrist or at the back of your arm. Sometimes the saleslady will offer to apply some in her own skin and have you smell it. This is a no-no because each of us reacts to perfumes in different ways. Make sure the perfume is perfect for you by putting it on your own skin. Wait for a few minutes because fragrances start to grow on you and smell different after a while.

5 Tips For Storing Your Fragrances

Fragrance, like other cosmetics, has a shelf life. But unlike most makeup, it can be hard to replace, extremely expensive, and once something happens to it, there's no putting it back together. Because fragrance is so vulnerable to degradation from a number of factors, smart storage practices are important. Want to know how to keep your favorite fragrances smelling exactly as they should for as long as possible? Here's what to do....

    Keep them away from temperature extremes. Most of the time, this means heat, but people who attempt to put their scents in the freezer to keep them fresh often also end up destroying the integrity of the fragrances. The best temperature is a good bit colder than a comfortable room, around 55-60 degrees. If you want the perfect conditions, try storing your stuff in a cooler.

    Don't put them in your bathroom. It makes sense to put your favorite perfume on your sink, but it's actually not a good idea. Bathrooms are hot and humid, which makes them prime areas for breaking down the fragrance's molecules and introducing bacteria.

    Keep your stuff in the dark. Light exposure degrades lots of molecules, including those in most fragrances. So keeping your scents somewhere with little to no light exposure is best.

    Use opaque bottles. If you have to have your fragrances out on display, transfer them to frosted or wholly opaque bottles, since clear bottles allow light to affect the fragrance ingredients.

    Don't leave the top off. Scents that are alcohol-based have a rapid rate of evaporation once they're exposed to air, so forgetting to seal up bottles means that your scent will dry up sooner.