Scent of a woman

Selecting a perfume is a question of how far your body matches with it,
says Banalata Bipani

A survey by cosmetologists reveals that every modern woman has in her boudoir six perfumes. Two bottles are gifts, two are image/trend driven, and a couple selected by the individuals as relating to their true personality. Very often you get perfumes which you cannot use or are averse to, for, nowadays, the correct perfume has become a major factor in your office or social life. The mood also might be different, sunny, one day, romantic, another day; the next day, full of energy, and the fourth day, playful.

In western countries you can have custom-blended fragrances. An expert perfumer will ask you for your basic preference, whether you want floral or citrus/spicy/outdoor type of perfume. Then the selections are wafted under your nose and you will have to select the base note that most suits you. But in India, as yet the perfume market is hardly worth Rs 300 crore, and not even 1 per cent of the world market of over Rs 60,000 crore. As such, it will take some time before we will have such expert advice. In the meantime, you have to depend on yourself and here are some guidelines.

Selecting a perfume is not just smelling the contents, and having it dabbed on you. It is a question of how far the perfume and your body match with each other. Some perfumes linger for long after they are sprayed, and others just fade away. This is because the scents have different reaction to the body chemistry of individuals.

For the working lady, the type of perfume trail you leave behind determines the good/bad impressions with your colleagues. For parties and celebrations, it is essential that your perfume is recollected with subdued cordiality.

Naturally, this puts a load on the way you select a perfume. On many occasions you will find two different ladies wearing the same perfume but the fragrance may be different, based on their inherent body odour and chemistry.

As such the first thing to consider is the factor of your own natural body odour. If you want to check up as to whether any particular perfume is OK on this count, spray it on your wrist, allow the alcohol base to dry, and then check up after 10 minutes. Then you will get a clear indication as to whether your body odour has accepted the new perfume as its complement.

If you use a particular perfume, ensure that the body wash and lotion are of the same category. Otherwise, you will have to over perfume yourself for the same results. In western countries you can have custom-blended soaps/bodywash/lotions matching the perfumes you are currently using.

There are some important factors in selecting your perfume. For one thing our sense of smell is at the sharpest at the end of the day. Hence, make the selections in the evening when you return from office.

Be careful that you test the perfume on your wrist and not on that of your companion. Initially, just dab the perfume on the back of your hand to check that you are not allergic to it.

Further, do not try to check out more than one perfume at a time. The maximum you can check out at one session is four. Lastly, wait for a few minutes after the perfume is dabbed. Sometimes it takes several minutes before you can experience the fragrance.

The second factor is as to whether you have an oily skin or not. If the answer is positive, then ensure that you put on an oil-based lotion, before putting on the perfume.

Then again, the weather counts a lot, as in winter the intensity of perfumes gets reduced. You will have to dab a stronger variety.

Last, but not the least, again, choosing a perfume depends a lot on your age, what emotions you want to get the feedback wearing it. If you are in your twenties, you may opt out for a floral or fruity perfume. In the thirties it would be some oriental fragrance.

It is surprising how many women believe in spraying their blouse or saris just prior to leaving for a function. Actually you have to apply it on pulse points like wrists, behind knees, nape of the neck and inner ankles for the scent to be effective, just an hour before leaving the home. By and large, it is expected that a good perfume will last six hours, cologne three hours and eau de toilette three hours. Lastly, do not forget the suitable mini fragrance spray for your handbag. You may require topping up sometime or the other.

Before going to buy the perfume, make a list of the specific fragrances that you like and the ones you don't like. Pay close attention to the perfumes that you have at home and take note of the ones you tend to use frequently. This will give you an idea of your type of perfume.

Be sure not to wear a perfume or any other body spray when shopping for a perfume since it can be very conflicting with your smell sight. — MF