Scent is a very personal thing. The way a perfume interacts with your body chemistry makes a huge difference to the way it smells.
Perfumes have three levels. The top notes hit you straight away, fade quickly, but are what make your first impression. The middle notes are what the scent
eases off to after about 15 minutes, then last as long as six hours.
The base notes are the richer smell that comes to the surface after about half an hour and can be noticeable for as long as 24 hours.
Choose a scent family that matches your personality. They can be fresh, fruity, floral, oriental or woody.
Vary your perfumes over the year. Summer may call for a light, fresh fragrance but in winter you may want to switch to a stronger scent. Cold temperatures reduce the effectiveness of perfume. If you have dry skin you will need to wear more perfume to get the same effect as someone with oily skin.
Shop for perfume in the afternoons when your sense of smell is at its peak. Don't try on more than one perfume in one go - it will just become overwhelming. Apply to your pulse points and walk around, feeling how it settles into your skin. The worst place to get an idea of a perfume is in the shop - there is too much going on to get a good idea of the smell. Take a sample home if you can.
It should last three years but should be stored where it won't be exposed to high temperatures or humidity.
