HOW TO.. PICK A FRAGRANCE
Choosing a signature fragrance can be tough on sense and sensibility. Not only will all your sensorial organs be working in overtime, there’s that search for the elusive one who’ll live up to your personality & preferences.
We’re breaking it down for you – from notes to families and beyond.
Notes
Each fragrance has 3 categories of Notes – the top, the heart and the base. The top notes are the ones you smell first’ they’re strong and distinctive and usually the ones that help you make the choice if you’re cinched for time.
However, we recommend experiencing the fragrance for a day at the least so you can interact with the perfume as the day unfurls.
The middle or the heart notes are at the center of the fragrance. A balance of strength and subtlety identifies them. Heart notes need to be peppy enough to stand out yet quiet enough to lead the way to the base notes.
The base notes could be regarded as the foundation upon which the perfume is created. Subtle and longlasting, these come into play more towards the end of the day.
A good fragrance has a creative balance of all three types of notes – they need to complement each other and yet need to stand out just so that they cast an impression.
Olfactory Families
A quick guide to choosing a fragrance you may like is through the olfactory families.
Citrusy
Fresh and tangy, this family includes citrus fruits such as lemon, bergamot and orange, among others.
Bergamot
Floral
Romantic and fresh, the floral notes add sophistication and sass to a fragrance.
Aromatic
Earthy and subtly masculine, this family includes ingredients like sage, oak moss, thyme and wood.
Woody
Warm and strong, the subtle woody family features ingredients like patchouli, sandalwood and vetiver.
Vetiver in Haiti
Oriental
Warm and sensual, the amber or oriental family is distinctive and features ingredients like musks, vanilla and precious woods.
Amber
Evocative of warmth and opulence, the amber family seeks to emulate the golden warmth of the fossil.
