How to Find ‘Your’ Fragrance (Without Spending Thousands to Get There)
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Ever hugged a friend and thought ‘she always smells amazing,’ or ‘how come perfume always just seems to smell ‘right’ on her’? Same. Because unlike a lot of my friends, no matter how hard I try, I just can’t seem to find my ‘signature’ scent – one that I’ve stuck to for decades.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve definitely had my fair share of temporary signature scents. There was CK One in my teen years, See by Chloe for my wedding day and now a (probably) unhealthy obsession with the rather pricey but oh-so beautiful Jo Malone Beach Blossom. But there still hasn’t been one that I think would instantly remind my friends and family of me.
Can you relate? If so, I’m with you! But perhaps we should relieve the pressure a bit. Because maybe it’s not about finding just one perfect perfume. Our personal tastes change over time anyway so accepting that there isn’t just one out there for everyone might be a bit more realistic.
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If you’re determined to find ‘the one’ though, how do you do it (without spending thousands on duds to get there)?
We called in the experts Jonnie Swarbrick, creative director at Fragrance Du Bois, and Alex Goddard, Head of Training at Kenneth Green Associates, for their tips to find ‘your’ fragrance.
Why it’s so difficult to find your signature scent
Firstly, you should know that you’re not alone in finding fragrance buying difficult. And chances are that your friend with the amazing signature perfume probably just found hers by accident. Swarbrick explains.
“Finding a signature scent is an incredibly personal journey.”
“Fragrance is tied to memory, mood, and personal style, so the “perfect” perfume isn’t just about how it smells—it’s about how it makes you feel. Many people struggle because they’re drawn to multiple scent families or simply enjoy variety and don’t want to be limited to just one. Others find that a fragrance can smell one way in the bottle but transform entirely on their skin.”
Good to know. But how exactly do you go about narrowing down that perfect scent then? Read on to see the experts’ 5 steps to your signature fragrance.
1. Consider your individuality
Have you ever noticed how the same fragrance can smell different on one person compared to someone else? This is no coincidence. “The heat and moisture from your skin not only help your fragrance to develop but can also impact the scent itself,” explains Goddard.
“Slight variations in your own temperature, the level of moisture and even the balance of oil in your skin (sebum) can all alter how your fragrance smells, effectively making a fragrance unique on each of us.” Even your surroundings make a difference, “like the environment you are in, whether you are indoors or outdoors – even the temperature and weather,” he adds.
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This means that what smells great on your bestie may not be the perfect scent for you. You’ll want to try any potential new fragrance on your own skin, and also over a period of time in different environments before really being able to determine if it’s ‘the one’.
And age and nostalgia play a part in your fragrance tastes too. “Most of us will have noticed our tastes change in many (if not all) things as we get older – music, food, fashion (to name but a few): of course, fragrance is no exception,” Goddard continues.
“Our preferences are often tied to many childhood scent memories, but of course we add to these. Just as we experience more around us in our everyday lives, we experience more scents and our relationship with them evolves too.”
This isn’t just enough reason to take the pressure off finding one fragrance to stay with you for decades; it’s also a reminder that finding your signature scent requires asking yourself some questions about what you’re really looking for.
Are you in a playful phase of life? Or are you going for a more grown-up vibe? The sort of feeling you’re going for will have an impact on the type of scent you’re looking for.
2. Pick a perfume ‘family’
You may have heard the pros talk about ‘notes’ in fragrance – these are the individual smells or ingredients that make a fragrance unique. There are usually top notes, mid (or heart) notes and base notes.
“Every fragrance has a structure,” explains Swarbrick. “The initial sparkle [top notes], often fresh and fleeting. The emotional core [heart notes], where the character of the scent blooms. And the depth and staying power [base notes], lingering on the skin for hours.”
But which note is more important? “They are all important,” Goddard says. “Without the right balance designed by the perfumer, your fragrance would smell completely different. The top, heart and base notes all play a key role in the evolution of the scent, but ultimately your base notes are what the fragrance effectively ‘dries down’ to and will leave the lasting trail of the scent.”
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If you still need a bit of extra help, there are also fragrance families you can consider too. Swarbrick lists them below:
- Citrus: “Fresh and energising, featuring notes like bergamot, lemon, and mandarin.”
- Floral: “Romantic and timeless, with notes such as rose, jasmine, and ylang-ylang.”
- Woody: “Warm and grounding, often including sandalwood, cedarwood, or oud.”
- Amber: “Rich and sensual, with warm notes like vanilla, spices, and resins.”
- Fresh/Aquatic: “Clean and crisp, inspired by water, air, and green accords.”
- Gourmand: “Sweet and indulgent, with edible notes such as caramel, chocolate, and tonka bean.”
So how do you know which family is right for you? “Whilst it is not the easiest thing to do when there is so much out there to try, the best thing is to smell as many different types of fragrance as possible and you will start to learn what you like,” Goddard advises.
“It is entirely possible that you may enjoy scents from different families: sometimes a blend of these will work well for you, but other times it might not. Find an expert who can guide you to fragrances that belong more to one single family. This can often help you work out what you like.”
The key here? Pick a perfume department with expert staff and enjoy an afternoon trying different scents to get a feeling for the perfume family you’re most drawn to.
3. Consider your preferred perfume strength
According to the experts, there are three things to consider when you’re choosing how strong you want your perfume to be; ‘projection’, ‘sillage’, and concentration.
Allow them to explain.
- Projection
You may have heard perfumers referring to a ‘fragrance’s projection’, but what does this actually mean? In short, how light or heavy it is. “All fragrances project,” explains Goddard.
“This is how far a fragrance effectively travels from you, so that other people can smell your fragrance – the question to ask yourself is: do you want a fragrance to project more so others can smell you or would you prefer a fragrance that you can smell on yourself?” he says.
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You know that annoying phenomenon when you can’t smell your own perfume yet people keep complimenting you on your scent? Yep, that will be a fragrance with less projection.
So how do you find out whether a scent projects well or not? According to the experts, it’s not as simple as picking a ‘stronger’ fragrance (for example, an eau du parfum) over something less concentrated (like an eau de toilette).
According to Goddard, “A fragrance with a higher concentration (eg Parfum) may not necessarily have greater projection. It will last longer on the skin but may not project as far. It depends entirely on how a fragrance is designed and the ingredients it contains.”
The answer? Ask an in store expert, or ask a friend to gauge how noticeable your chosen fragrance is.
- Sillage
And then of course there’s the other way your perfume is smelt by others; ‘sillage’.
“’Sillage’ refers to the scent trail a perfume leaves behind,” says Swarbrick. “A strong sillage means the fragrance has excellent projection—like Fragrance Du Bois New York Intense, which announces itself with sophistication.”
Again, ask an expert or take a friend along to judge whether your perfume follows you around once it’s on your skin.
- Concentration
Finally, the strength of the perfume you choose will also determine how long it lasts on your skin.
If you prefer a scent that lasts all day, you’ll want to choose a different type of fragrance compared to if you’re happy to reapply throughout the day.
Swarbrick says how long a perfume remains on your skin all depends on its concentration. An eau de parfum has the highest concentration, therefore lasts longer, followed by an eau de toilette and then a cologne is the lightest.
Also, “longevity also varies based on your skin type, climate, and how the fragrance is applied.” His top tip? “Spritz on pulse points like the neck, wrists, and even the back of your knees to maximise wear time and sillage.”
4. Start testing fragrances
Swarbrick says the best place to start is in-store, with the fragrance spritzed on a blotter or stick. “If you like it, try it on your wrist to see how it reacts with your skin,” he says.
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Why your wrist? “Fragrance uses the heat and moisture in your skin to develop, so the best advice is usually on the pulse points,” recommends Goddard. “If a fragrance is not known to you and you are worried about sensitivities, try it on your wrist first.”
Swarbrick suggests wearing it for a few hours before making your purchase, “or even a full day,” he says. “Fragrances evolve throughout the day, and it’s important to ensure you love every stage. If you’re unsure, ask for a sample to take home and test it in different settings before committing.”
It can be tricky to tell whether a fragrance is good quality or not, but you can look out for signs. “Ultimately you are relying on the reputation of a brand and how they source their materials and manufacture their fragrances,” Goddard says.
Price can be a good guide. “Whilst you are often also paying for the name of a brand and the packaging, a fragrance using the highest quality raw materials would always have a higher price tag.”
5. Consider scent layering
Layering fragrances could be the ideal solution if you’re feeling particularly indecisive. “It’s a great and easy way to create your own scent,” explains Goddard. “Whilst not all brands will encourage this, you can effectively blend any fragrances you want to create a unique signature scent.”
So what’s the best approach? “Blending similar scents to bring our key notes in each other (e.g. two florals) or using contrasting fragrances to add something new (e.g. layering a citrus scent on top of something more woody to brighten it),” he says.
The takeaway
So whether you want to stick to one signature scent or dip into more than one, depending on your mood or tastes, these expert tips should give you more clarity when shopping for your fragrance.
Think about those all-important notes and fragrance families, decide how strong you want yours to be and how long you want it to last. And if you’ve had a great first impression of a perfume in-store, wear it on your wrist for the rest of the day to know how you really feel about it (and, crucially, before spending your hard-earned cash). You can even layer more than one on top of each other for a unique result.
Meet the experts
Jonnie Swarbrick is creative director at Fragrance Du Bois
Alex Goddard is Kenneth Green Associates head of training.
Get Glowing!
