3 Fail-Proof Tips for Finding Your Signature Scent

Well, we just hit the 6 month mark until John and I get hitched! I’m super stoked but OMG are there a lot of details to consider, one of which, is what perfume I’ll be wearing on the big day! Of course, scent is one of the key elements of attraction (True Pheromones users will understand), so I want to get it just right. Everyone wants to smell nice, but the smell on this day is even more important to me. When you think about it, how a bride smells walking down the aisle is kinda important…I mean, the last thing I want is to go from ‘here comes the bride’, to ‘here comes the–what is that gawd awful smell?!’. Amiright?!

But where to begin?! I haven’t really been married to anyone given scent lately, a brief love affair with J’adore from Dior, an unforgettable summer with Guilty by Gucci…a hot and heavy fall with Opium by YSL, you name it i’ve got it…or at least anywhere between 3/4 of a bottle to a few spritzes of what’s left of it.

To be honest, I have found the search for a signature scent to be much like trying to find the perfect little black dress. There are countless options out there, and while a majority of them may fit well or look good, there will be one that feels (or in this case smells) like it is made just for you.

After a longstanding obsession with diptyque’s candles, I decided to give their fragrances a try via their travel set (one of my fave perfume selection hacks), that way I could narrow down my favorite one before committing to a full sized bottle. After following some really helpful advice I picked up from perfumers and spritzers along the way, I landed on diptyque’s L’Ombre Dans L’Eau. Looking for a signature scent of your own?! Read on for 3 helpful hacks to help you find the one.

Signature Scent Hack No. 1 – Ignore Brand Names and Labels

I’ll never forget the first time I smelled Chanel no. 5 – I almost choked. I would say it smelled like an old lady but I wouldn’t want to offend her. First off, I don’t care how much you love a brand or the design of a bottle…unless you want the perfume to sit on your shelf collecting dust, a perfume’s popularity is the last way you want to choose your signature scent. This doesn’t mean that you should discount brand names and labels – they’re established for good reasons after all. I have a friend who swears by Chanel’s Gabrielle Essence, and it really does suit her, so don’t think that I dislike the brand as a whole. No. 5 just isn’t for me. Still, don’t narrow your view to simplify the big names. Explore and reach out a little.

Signature Scent Hack No. 2 – Try Before You Buy

You will often notice coffee beans placed on the fragrance counter, this is to help you ‘cleanse your palette’ in between each scent you are smelling. While that can be helpful for your first pass through at the actual counter, samples are a girls BFF when it comes to finding a signature scent that you will love (and wear) to the very last drop.

Take into consideration, that even though you might dig a scent that a woman on the elevator next to you is wearing, and she tells you what it is, that scent may smell completely different on you, so don’t just run to the store and buy it! Ask the nice person behind the counter for a sample (along with 3 other scents you like) and try them for a few days before committing.

Signature Scent Hack No. 3 – Take Note

Scents have different layers, also known as notes, and as different notes fade, the scent will change throughout the course of the day as you wear it. The science behind perfume is super intense, my brother married a perfumer and I’ll never forget when she was studying for her final exams…it made the LSAT look like a walk in the park.

There are some more common scent categories that can help you narrow down your choices, for example: Musk, Woody, Floral, Citrus…the more you can familiarize yourself with these terms, the easier your hunt will be and the easier you will be able to communicate with the sale associate behind the fragrance counter about the kind of scent you are looking for!

That being said, the most important things for you to consider are how do you like the way you smell when you’re wearing it? How does the scent make you feel? Does it have good staying power, or do you have to use half a bottle for it to smell like you are wearing anything at all? At the end of the day…the nose knows, so trust your gut, ignore the labels and get spritzing!