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How do you choose what perfume to wear?


How do you choose what perfume to wear? By the season? How you feel? Occasion?

I’d say more by occasion or season than how I feel. I tend to reach for lighter scents for spring/summer and daytime wear, heavier scents for evenings out.

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xamyx Avatar

My “go-to” perfume is Lou Lou (Cacharel), and if it were easier to procure, I would wear it every day. While it hasn’t been completely DC’d, it’s not available at mainstream counters. It’s been my signature scent for 25+ years, and on me it’s the perfect balance of sexy, yet demure, and is perfect for everyday. No other perfume even compares, so I typically just use whatever happens to be around. Between what I receive as gifts or what my mom dumps on me, there’s always something at hand.

blueraccoon Avatar

I don’t wear perfume 🙂 I’m pretty sensitive to scents in general, and while I don’t mind things like scented body wash or scented lotion or makeup, the scent needs to dissipate pretty quickly or it’ll give me a migraine. I have to be careful around other people wearing perfume or cologne for the same reason. When I can, I buy things that are either fragrance-free or have neutral scents.

MIRIANV Avatar

 @blueraccoon Perfumes and such used to cause my migraines or irritate them further, but i refused to stop wearing perfume. I think I just got used to it so now when i wear perfume it doesn’t bother me. I also only use one-two sprays on the wrist that i rub behind my ears. I have found that if someone else is doused in a strong scent, then it’s migraine central.

Dominique33 Avatar

As a perfume lover, actually… I don’t know. Typically I always have 5 or 6 perfumes, so I have choice. I definitely love floral perfumes and for everyday wear it’s usually Diorissimo, Baiser Volé or another one. I never choose a perfume to feel sexy, I wear perfumes for myself and maybe for others ( ? ) I can’t name a favourite because I have 20 or more favourite perfumes. I do prefer romantic or strongly powdery flowery perfumes as I said but not always !

Quinctia Avatar

I have a mass collection of perfume oils.  I’ll be honest, I tend to have a lot in the same family of scents.  Nine times out of ten, I’m going to be slathering on something that’s full of ginger, cardamom, clove, etc.  But I’ve got fresh, fruity, even one or two florals (I can’t wear most floral notes–they tend to make me ill), musk, etc.
 
I’ve got two boxes, and I’ll alternate between having one box out for awhile.  On a daily basis, I grab what’s in the box the fits my mood.  But I definitely take a little bit of care when dressing for special occasions, choose what I think fits best.  Totally pay very little attention to seasons when I comes to what I’m putting on!

DelilahC Avatar

I decide usually when I am getting dressed, sometimes the day before.  I belong to a number of perfume boards and we have theme days, like Transported to another place, Sexy, Green etc.
Oh I have on last count about 168 bottles of perfumes, I love vintage and niche but some mainstream.

MIRIANV Avatar

 @DelilahC 168?? I’m so JEALOUS. I love perfume so much, but it’s a more expensive hobby than make-up so I have to pick and choose 🙁

+RYOU+0013+ Avatar

I pretty much wear what I feel like, although I would obviously consider the occasion as well. I enjoy smelling like a dessert, however, and no one better complain about that. 😉

MIRIANV Avatar

i have so many scents i wear! i can never decide. I have a constant battle between my two different types of scent, floral or oriental. My floral is Tocca’s Graciella and i tend to wear this more often because it’s inexpensive and the dry-down is very soft and feminine. I think a lot of people will like Graciella. I was never into florals, but this perfume is just so feminine because of the lily. I love it!
 
My other and FAVORITE scent is the Bond No. 9 Signature scent! It’s a lovely Oriental Oud (Rose, Oud, Tonka and Musk) and it’s a Parfum (20%) so a little goes a long way. Unfortunately is so expensive 🙁 so only special occasions.
 
Other than those two, i have a few others in my collection i rotate and I plan on adding some more daytime florals!

AwwRITE Avatar

My daughters choose for me! The older one is 3 and the younger one is 1 1/2 years old. Everyday after breakfast, we march into my room and they choose red (Burberry Brit Red) or Green (Bvlgari au The Vert) from my dressing table. I spray it into the air and we all run through together. It’s a great bonding experience, especially because memories can be triggered by scents! Hopefully, even when they are much older, this will be a really positive memory for all of us.

Nicola Avatar

I agree! I tend to base my perfumes on season and occassion. If I’m attending an occassion that is fancier, I’ll lean more towards Michael Kors or Juicy Couture scents. My all time favourite go to perfume for the spring and summer is Daisy by Marc Jacobs! Love it so much!

EstherKudron Avatar

I’m really simple when it comes to scents. As of right now, I have two bottles of body spray (well, four, but it’s two sets of a bigger bottle and a smaller travel-sized bottle). One kinda smells like a crisp september day, and that’s for autumn/winter. The other is light and fruity for spring/summer.

paneradfisk Avatar

I DO like floral light scents, but when you have so many of them you get kind of tired of them.. Lately I have been reaching for a little bit interesting scents. I don’t think much about it, I just reach for my favorite, which right now is Illamasqua – Freak. I also love Paco Rabanne – Lady Million and Juicy Couture – Viva la juicy.

Kafka Avatar

 @MIRIANV  I like Lady Million too! I got a big sample of it a while back and received quite a lot of compliments on the scent.  I totally forgot about it until now, so thanks for the reminder.
 

SekarVanDeuschn Avatar

By how it affects you throughout the day! i swear vanilla calms me a lot, while i feel like fruity-floral perfume brings out the energetic spirit inside of me! 😀

sihaya09 Avatar

I have scent –> color synesthesia, so I have to wear a perfume whose “color” coordinates with what I’m wearing. I can’t wear, for instance, a perfume that smells pastel blue to me with a red shirt.  I’ve put perfume on in the past had to change clothing because the “color” of the perfume and what I was wearing clashed too much!
 
That said, I have an arsenal of BPAL perfumes as well as some other perfumes, and I do pick from what’s seasonally appropriate.  Right now I’m a big fan of BPAL’s Aizen Myoo and Litha, as well as Haus of Gloi’s Insalata Nocturna and Atelier Cologne’s Orange Sanguine.  Perfect for the hot days of summer.

blueraccoon Avatar

 @sihaya09 yay for synesthesia!  I have word –> color synesthesia, and I’m a writer, so when I’m naming characters I have to make sure the colors of the names fit the character, and fit together, or the character has to be renamed. It’s why characters changing names in books drive me nuts, because the colors don’t fit 😛 

lexap Avatar

I actually don’t look to whether something is floral, or whether something has vanilla; its mostly about how it reacts with me.  I tend to test out fragrances by going to Sephora and getting little samples of the ones that attract me.  Then, I either spray it on and walk around the mall to see how I feel, and how it reacts with me,or I even try it out for a week.  The time frame usually depends on how badly I need a new fragrance in my life!  So, I’m kind of OCD about it, but it does help me discover new fragrances I would have never reached for 🙂

vennnii Avatar

for me.. scents are like a craving.. i have so many perfumes and body sprays from everywhere, a collection.. every day when im about to leave home.. whatever i see first or think of.. i spray that. sometimes i just ‘crave’ a certain scent  and just sniff the bottle.. and yea, there are some perfumes that are left untouched 🙁  it really depends on my mood, if its for a night out or just school.. then i choose something very light, or very floral in smell

annedreshfield Avatar

Depends on the season and what I’m doing/where I’m going! Since I go to school in LA, I don’t really have a lot of heavy scents. I tend toward vanilla and citrus scenes. If I’m going for something special, I’ll typically use the heavier vanilla scent, and if I’m running around I’ll go for the lighter citrus scent. Sometimes it’s just what I’m in the mood for in that moment, though! 

Kristabelle Avatar

I wear a body spray for everyday (work/school)- I alternate between Victoria’s Secret Vanilla Lace, Love Spell, and Beauty Rush Candy Baby so I don’t get sick of anything. For casual dates/daytime events, I love Lavanila Vanilla Grapefruit- smells like candy and I’ve noticed guys love it. For night or anything dressy, I love the original Intimately Beckham- also guy-approved, pretty but not too strong.
Honestly, if I could afford it, I’d wear Vera Wang Princess every day, but I can’t buy it very often so that’s only for very special occasions. Oh, the joys of minimum wage…

Becca @The Beauty Sample Avatar

Usually i just have one perfume that is my “signature scent” and I will wear it til I’m sick to death of it–I wore Clinique’s Happy Heart for almost 6 years! Just recently though, I started to get more into perfume for different seasons and have been looking into a great summer perfume

Marianne Bekebrede Avatar

Usually, it depends on my mood and the occasion. If the weather is really hot, I tend to wear lighter scents. But mostly, I decide by my mood.

Skin Care Specialist Avatar

I don’t usually wear perfume but when I do, sometimes it’s based on my instincts. I always prefer the scent that makes me think of summer or spring, too. It lightens my day all the time. Anyway, do you buy oil-based perfumes? 

Nicole Avatar

For the last years I only had one signiture scent, Truth by Calvin Klein. This is me. Last year I bought Ralph by Ralph Lauren to have an alternative, but I hardly use this one. I feel more confident by smelling after Truth.

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