Smell good, feel great

Perfumes leave memories that linger along with their scent. 
They lift your spirits and enhance your mood, says Kiran Ranga

WE have different motives for putting on perfumes. We apply fragrances either to be perceived in a certain way by others, or to feel a certain way about ourselves. Some of us also use perfumes to make a fashion statement and project a desired personality.

At the outset, you need to be clear on what you want a perfume to do for you. Once you are clear with the intentions, then decide what your signature fragrance should be. This is determined by your personality type. When you decide to use a certain fragrance to feel a certain way about yourself, you seek to reconnect with your inner self.

It is important to keep in mind that men and women both have different physical odors. Women, who are feminine in nature, prefer floral fragrances. Perfumes in the floral family, as the name suggests, have a typical floral accord as their foundation. They can lean towards green, fruity, aldehydic and aquatic directions while retaining their floral character. Since floral fragrances are naturally refreshing and uplifting, citrus blends work well for women who don’t want to wear an overpowering fragrance.

Marilyn Monroe, a symbol of beauty, intensity and charisma, swore by Chanel 5, which falls under the oriental category. These fragrances have a heady mix of spices, amber, balsams and resins. These rich and musky traits are suggestive of warmth and exotic sensuality. Dense, spicy and balsamic accords are perfect for women with bold, unique and memorable personalities. Sporty and brisk, green scents make good buys for the outdoorsy woman. If you are the adventurous kind, then Chypre fragrances with their fresh citrus and mossy accord are perfect for daytime wear. A notably woody-mossy mix, this fragrance was given its name by French perfumer Francois Coty, who created a scent based on his impression of the island Cyprus.

Chypre is simply French for Cyprus, and is pronounced Ship-ruh. Hints of bergamot, oak moss, citrus and patchouli enrich this sweet and earthy aroma. Sharp, grassy notes blend with pin and juniper to create memorable perfumes.

For the uber cool metro male, who is always on the go, the heat of a Fougere fragrance with its lavender and mossy accord is ideal. French for fern and pronounced Foo-jhair, it is a combination of fresh herbs and mossy ferns, which come together in a sophisticated urban style. While men typically wear Fougere fragrances, they still capture a woman’s olfactory attention.

Perfumes will smell different on different people. There is no assurance that you will like what smells so good on someone else when you wear it yourself. That too should be taken into consideration when choosing a perfume. It is important that a man chooses his fragrances carefully, whether it is his aftershave, cologne or perfume. He should make sure that the aftershave he chooses is not too strong, or it will overpower his perfume.

The obvious differences between men’s fragrances and those of women are that perfumes for men are much stronger and more expensive. Cologne usually does not have a long-lasting effect like perfume, and is normally much milder. Cologne is primarily designed for men and is used in larger quantities than perfume. While cologne can be applied to larger areas of the skin, perfume has a much stronger scent. So just a few drops should be used.

For both the genders, it is important that you choose a fragrance according to the occasion and time of the day.

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