Fragrant message in a bottle

Unleash your genie from a bottle.Anita N S gives tips on how to choose your favourite perfume.

Have you ever caught a whiff of something that triggered a certain emotion or took you back down memory lane or perhaps reminded you of someone you know. Smells have a powerful impact on us humans and studies have indicated that they are capable of changing moods, or perceiving people differently.

It is tempting to buy the prettiest bottle sitting on the shelf or opt for one that smells exceedingly delicious on someone; however one needs to keep in mind the personality and the style as different body chemistries react varyingly to perfumes. Here are some tips to pick the right scent for your personality and style, how to store your selection and importantly the right way of applying it.

Most scents have three layers of scent or “notes.” As the fragrance evaporates you can smell it in three stages. The top notes lead to the middle notes and end with the bottom notes. The top note is the introductory phase to the scent — it is what you smell as soon as you apply and evaporates quickly.

Upon the evaporation of the middle notes you smell the soul of scent which is typically floral like jasmine, peony and so on and these notes usually dominate the more romantic fragrances. The bottom notes cling to the skin and linger the longest and are usually made of warm rich scents like musk, patchouli, amber and are more sensuous in nature.

To know the kind of scent that matches your personality it is important to identify the kind of personality you have. If you are an easy going person who is not fussy and does not believe deeply in dressing up, if you are someone who enjoys spending time outdoors and like the smells of the outdoors or if you dislike overpowering others with your presence or scent then you are probably a natural. You are more likely to look for fresh fragrances like citrusy or juicy fruits or clean earth notes.

If you answer yes to questions like I feel feminine, sensual, and am attracted to floral and heady smells and like to put an effort into how I look then you are probably a romantic who would be more prone to pick woody scents, mysterious musks and scents that feature the exotic.

But if you answer yes to questions like, do you feel sophisticated and elegant, and like leaving a subtle impression but dislike putting on a show then you probably fall into the category of the sophisticated that radiates originality and elegance and is likely to pick unusual scents that combine a number of exotic ingredients.

When buying scents it is important to note that one must not confuse the nose. It is best that you wait for at least three minutes between smelling different fragrances.
Remember that your nose hits the overload button once you smell three different scents. One way to improve the sense of smell and help you pick the right scent is to shop first thing in the morning when the nose is still not saturated with innumerable smells.

While checking on the fragrances close your left nostril and inhale through your right to heighten the pleasure factor. And ask the salesperson to help you smell it with the help of a paper strip first rather than applying directly on the wrist. Apply a bit on the wrist once you like the scent on the paper and walk away. If it appeals to you after an hour go back and pick the scent.

Now that the pretty bottle that you consider suits your style and personality is on the dressing drawer there are a few things to keep in mind while applying the scent. Remember that fragrances rise from the bottom to the top and linger the longest on warm body spots — mainly the pulse points.

So dab your favourite fragrance on your wrists, cleavage, back of knees, and the crook of the elbow; it is safe not to use the neck area as the possibility of the scent reacting to the exposure to the sun might result in brown marks. To make the scent “hold” on for a longer time apply a tiny amount below the jaw line, near your ears. Also keep in mind that fragrances linger longer on oilier skins than drier ones, so if you have dry skin you need to be a lot more generous.