Perfume Shopping Tips: How to Find the Perfect Perfume

It’s easy to get confused and overwhelmed while shopping for perfume you want to buy. Depending on the size of the store there could be as many as a hundred fragrances to choose from, plus there’s a huge chance that there will be some pushy salespeople who’ll do just about anything to get you to try their product.

perfume shoppingPerfumes can be expensive and it would be a shame to end up shopping a big bottle of something that you don’t want to use after all. To get your money’s worth and for a smoother perfume shopping experience, do try these suggestions and see how it goes:

  • Avoid shopping shop when you’re hungry, but don’t shop when you’ve just finished eating either. Shopping for anything on a hungry stomach will cause you to hurry and not think thoroughly, and you might just end up regretting your purchase. On the other hand, if you go straight from dinner at a restaurant to testing various scents at the perfume section, the combinations of smells could seriously make you feel like throwing up. Try to go an hour or two after a meal.
  • Research online and make a list of the perfumes you want to try and think you’d like. You can narrow it down according to brand, scent type (floral, gourmand, oriental, etc.), season, occasions, or other personal categories. If you have a list, you can prioritize which fragrances you’ll check out first and not get so distracted that you’ll want to try every single scent you’re offered.
  • Often, scent strips are given to customers when they are interested in smelling a fragrance, but ask if the perfume could be sprayed on your arm instead. This way you can preview how the perfume will smell on you. Our body chemistry affects how perfumes develop, while on paper strips they can smell flat or harsh.

    coffee beans
    coffee beans
  • Remember to sniff at coffee beans to ‘clear’ your nose between each perfume you try, so you won’t get the scents all mixed up. These really do help to refresh the nose and distinguish one fragrance from another. Jars of coffee beans are usually available at perfume counters.
  • Don’t get pressured by aggressive sales associates. I’ve encountered a lot of pushy salespeople at department stores who try very hard to talk me into trying or buying their product, but remember that you can always just politely say no if you don’t want to try it, or tell them directly that you’d prefer to browse by yourself. There’s also the option of shopping online, which is rather convenient, but of course, you won’t be able to try out the scents before buying.
  • When you’ve found a fragrance that you like, don’t buy it immediately. You may like the way it smells right after you spray, but wait as its middle and base notes come out too, to determine whether you like it as a whole. Let at least 30 minutes pass to see how it evolves on a patch of your skin. Walk around the store or elsewhere while testing, or you can leave and come back the next day if you’ve decided that you love it and will definitely purchase.

These tips are based from my own personal experiences. I hope they help you make a fulfilling choice when you decide to go shopping for perfume.

Also Read:

How To Choose The Right Perfume
Types of Perfume: Perfumes, Colognes, Scents & Fragrances

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18 thoughts on “Perfume Shopping Tips: How to Find the Perfect Perfume

  1. I’ve spent 3+ hours today finding a perfume online. I can’t make up my mind!
    I need something I can carry around in my book bag all day and doesn’t need many touch ups…any suggestions?

  2. Nice post Ida!! I have one Esscenza showroom opened near my home, and have been contemplating to go there soon!! I’ll definitely keep these tips in mind!! 😀 😀 😀 😀

  3. i get too confused on choosing a perfume , i really liked Adidas’s Fruity Rhythm but when i tried at hm i felt it as sheer waste of money…even cant feel the smell of Hugo Boss for women that i m using right now…..see how weird i am :struggle: :struggle:

  4. Hi Nimisha 🙂 Maybe the reason you don’t like the Adidas fragrance anymore is that your preferences have simply changed? And about the Hugo Boss, aside from colds I find that when I wear a scent for so long and so often, sometimes I can’t smell it anymore..that’s one possible reason.

    Another tip I forgot to add is to try to ask for fragrance samples (the little 1ml vials), in order to test the perfumes longer and more thoroughly. 🙂 🙂

  5. Ida these are just fantastic tips. your first tip is so awesome. It’s such an obvious thing but we generally don’t think about it so much. I will esp keep thing tip in mind next time I go perfume shopping. :))

  6. Thank you Rati! 😀 It’s true, it’s an obvious thing but it’s also easy to forget or just not do. Enjoy shopping :)) :)) :beauty:

  7. :yes: :yes: :yes: greaaaat tips! fab one of a kind post..
    its soo tru about the base notes… seriously mot of the times its the base notes which i dont end up liking..and i never used to wait so much to buy perfumes before.. and used to end up not likin them becoz of the base notes… now i make sure i dont buy a perfume very immediately..
    il surely remember all of these points when i go shopping!any type of shopping rather!

  8. Thank you Neha! 😀 True, often the base notes are just so different from the top notes for fragrances…and the base notes are the ones that stay longest on the skin. I do hope these make your shopping experience better. 🙂 :)) :))

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