FACTORS TO CONSIDER ON HOW TO CHOOSE THE FRAGRANCE THAT FITS YOU (SKIN TYPE)
The art of wearing Fragrance is not a one-stop-shop, one size fits all kind of deal.
In reality, the art of wearing a fragrance is a very personal thing. Liking a particular scent on someone else, like it on you, and liking it when you are in the store spraying it on paper — doesn’t mean your friend’s fragrance will be perfect for you, your fragrance is enjoyable to another person’s nose, or taking the fragrance home from the store and spraying it will work.
SKIN TYPE
First and foremost the most important thing that affects how a perfume smells on you is your skin type. And, “there’s a simple rule of thumb to follow: is your skin dry, or oily? The oilier your skin is, the less perfume you need for the scent to be impactful, and the longer the scent will last.”
There are three different skin types: dry, combination, or oily skin. The characteristics of your skin should be taken into consideration before choosing your fragrance. However, other factors intervene with the alchemy between the perfume and your skin (the epidermis), making it difficult to make generalizations based solely on these characteristics.
The reaction between perfume and skin
How a fragrance reacts on the skin will depend on the following factors:
The relief of the skin: the more skin is moisturized, the longer the fragrance will last. It is therefore advisable to drink at least one litre of water a day to maintain good hydration.
The Ph of the skin: the Ph is a mixture of water and sebum called “hydrolipidic film”. The more supple the skin, the better the fragrance will hold. However, sweat can also distort the fragrance. A concentration of 20% or more is more suitable for people with acidic skins (eau de parfum or perfume extracts).
The person’s activity: it has been noticed that an active person sees his perfume last longer than a person with a sedentary lifestyle.
The olfactory heritage: a fragrance composed of scents that revive pleasant memories for a person will suit them perfectly. It will be in perfect harmony with the positive olfactory heritage of the person who wears it. The more children under the age of 7 will be awakened by the many scents of everyday life, nature, good food, and travel, the richer their olfactory heritage will be when they become adults.
Food: what we eat affects the smell of our skin. For example, eating meat or onions in large quantities has an impact and changes the smell of the skin. The perfume applied will then be perceived differently.
Skin temperature: the temperature of the human body is usually stable, but if the body temperature rises or falls to a greater or lesser extent, the fragrance can be influenced.
Medicines: Some medicines alter the scent of the skin, and therefore the perfume that will be applied to it.
The climate: depending on the country and the climate, you will not smell your perfume in the same way. For example, you will find it harder to smell your fragrance in an air-conditioned atmosphere.
Disease: it has been proven that some diseases disrupt the skin. Some diseases can be diagnosed using olfactory molecules.
The seasons: the fragrance will not smell the same in summer or winter, and will react differently on the skin depending on the time of year.
The hormonal cycle: the sense of smell fluctuates according to the hormonal cycle. During a monthly cycle, a fragrance will be more or less perceived on the skin. On the other hand, the hormonal changes that take place during adolescence, after pregnancy, or at menopause, can alter our tastes and change our preferences in terms of fragrances.
Age: Older skin will generally dehydrate more quickly, so the fragrance will last less time.
Perfume for men or women: depending on the skin, a very feminine fragrance applied to a man’s skin can be masculine, and vice versa. Perfume is an “emotion” that acts beyond the sexes. More often we hear unisex perfumes. For this reason, perfumes are less and less often classified by gender, especially in so-called confidential perfumeries (cf. Buying your perfume in stores). On children’s skin, perfumes evolve in a very soft way, they take more strength on teenagers’ skin.
Hair colour: in the past, there were preconceived ideas that there were fragrances for blondes and perfumes for brunettes. This argument has become obsolete and is no longer claimed in perfumery neither by perfumers nor by perfumery consultants.
Remember that it is common to hear that a fragrance “turns” or “fades” on the skin. That’s why it’s important to take your time and try the fragrance for a whole day, or an entire night, to validate the alchemy with the epidermis (your skin). Indeed, perfume is a living product that is constantly evolving. A perfume you like on your friend may not give the same impression on your skin. It’s really the skin that has the last word and chooses the fragrance.
