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When I was a precocious pre-teen, I bought a bottle of cheap perfume at a yard sale. This was no light floral body spray — it was a cloying, musky assault upon the senses, the kind of perfume comedian Demetri Martin must have had in mind when he joked, “If I could talk to old ladies, I would tell them, ‘Hey, the amount of perfume you’re putting on, just divide that by a thousand.’” But to me, it was glamour in a bottle, and I walked around in a cloud of the stuff until my mother bribed me to throw it out.
That was pretty much the extent of my adventures in personal fragrance until recently. The bottle of Philosophy’s Pure Honey spray I had adopted as my signature scent for every special occasion for the last two decades was finally about to run dry. Suddenly, simply replacing it wasn’t an option. I wanted to smell good 24/7.
Midlife is the perfect time to reconsider your perfume game. Not only has research found that body odor changes as we age, but a good number of studies have shown that fragrance may help ease menopausal symptoms and possibly help stave off cognitive decline. Losing your sense of smell has been linked to numerous diseases, but researchers also believe that “olfactory enrichment,” or exposure to different scents, may help mitigate inflammation. Not to mention, there’s evidence that smelling good makes you appear more confident and attractive, and can ward off depression.
Science aside, perfume is personal. “Fragrance is an expression of who you want to be in the world,” says Saskia Wilson-Brown, founder and executive director of The Institute for Art and Olfaction in Los Angeles. “And that process benefits from age.”
That certainly rang true to me, as the last five years have been a time of tremendous self-discovery and growth. I felt ready to express myself; I just had no clue where to begin. The world of fragrance seemed harder to navigate than makeup (and I’m no pro there either), and mistakes more embarrassing and costly.
“Fragrance is the most intimate category within beauty, hard stop,” says Jeniece Trizzino, vice president of innovation and physical product at Scentbird. “It’s important because it's so personal. For me, fragrance is the finishing touch. I am not a person who wears a lot of makeup, really ever. But as long as I smell good, I feel good about myself.”
With that goal in mind, I quizzed fragrance experts about how to find what works, avoid what doesn’t and other insider tips.
Start With What You Know
“There’s always going to be something you know you like,” says Wilson-Brown. Maybe it’s the perfume your grandmother or mother wore, a favorite flower or a place you went on vacation. You can even start with baked goods if that’s your thing. The key is to figure out the base notes you like and try scents with similar notes. Scents fall into one of the following major olfactive families: floral, fresh, gourmand (food-related scents) and woody.
Try it On
Historically, the way most people experience fragrance is on a sample card at the mall or a spritz in the air. But perfume smells different when it reacts with your specific body chemistry, says Trizzino, and will smell different on different people. “You have to put it on your skin to judge it,” she explains. She recommends spraying it directly on your wrist or the side of your neck and letting it dry. Don’t rub it in — that can affect the composition. “Fragrances are designed to bloom in a very specific way,” she says. You can also ask for samples at makeup counters or try sampling services like Scentbird that allow you to try a variety of scents in your own home without having to invest in an entire bottle.
Let it Linger
“People are too quick to dismiss a fragrance,” says Trizzino. A scent evolves as you wear it because it’s composed of compounds with different molecular weights. The top notes, which weigh the least, are what you notice first, but they quickly vanish. Middle and base notes last longer. Trizzino recommends allowing at least three minutes (10-15 is better) to experience the full transformation. “The way a fragrance settles is important because that's how it's going to last on your skin 90 percent of the day,” she says. “Fragrance is something you have to live with. It’s a vehicle of self-expression and not something I think should be rushed.”
Match Your Mood
The days of having a single signature scent are long gone. Today it’s all about “a scent wardrobe,” a term coined by Annette Green, past president of The Fragrance Foundation. “This one scent might be right for a barbecue, this other one might be good for the opera,” she says. You can vary the way you smell according to the venue, the season or even your mood.
“Scent has a really powerful connection with emotion. It triggers specific limbic systems in your brain and can transport you instantly,” adds Trizzino. “If you’re feeling funky and flirty and fun, maybe you want to put on something brighter.” She suggests starting seasonally, as you would with clothing. Have one daytime fragrance (light, bright) for spring and summer, and another (bold, deep, rich) for fall and winter. You can add a nighttime or special occasion scent for each and build from there.
Double Up
The idea of using two fragrances at one time, a technique known as scent layering, sounds like a bit much to me. But done properly, it can create a really unique scent, and that’s the point for most people. “Layering is something that’s really arisen out of the rise of customization and an intrinsic desire customers have to create something unique to themselves,” says Trizzino. “Some people will layer because one scent is almost perfect, but not quite. So it can be a fun experiment to see what plays nicely together.” The key is to layer fragrances with similar base notes — think vanilla musk and sandalwood — but some contrast. “If a scent is very simple, I’ll add an extra layer on top,” says Wilson-Brown. But in general, she appreciates perfume’s artistry and likes how they unfold on their own as intended.
Know Your Own Strength
Older women get a lot of flak for overdoing it with perfume. This may be because our sense of smell tends to deteriorate with age. It also helps to understand that not every product has the same potency or “fragrance load.” According to Trizzino, a body mist is lowest, followed by eau de toilette, then eau de perfume, which are around 15-25% concentrations. Newer to the market are elixirs, which have a 25% or higher fragrance load and last up to eight hours. It can also depend on the olfactive family, says Trizzano. “Citrus will flash off quickly, while vanilla and jasmine last a really long time.” She is unapologetic about wearing bold scents. “I like to be smelled before I am seen. So I wouldn’t say using too much is a mistake, but if you’re going on an airplane, it may not be the most polite move.”
Make it Last
If you want a scent to last longer without having to use a lot, the secret, Trizzano says, is to moisturize. “Fragrance adheres better to well-hydrated skin.” Don’t worry about scented lotions or other products competing with your perfume, as they have a very low fragrance load and dissipate quickly. Another trick she likes: “I always spray a lot in my hair,” she says. “The alcohol in perfume can be drying, but your hair holds scent better than anything else.” A little hair flip instantly reactivates your fragrance.
Store Them Properly
A good perfume is as intoxicating as wine, and it’s also as delicate as one. “Most fragrances have a shelf life of 3-5 years, though that can vary,” says Trizzano. “Unopened bottles can last longer, around 7 years.” But prolonged exposure to light and heat can cause discoloration and olfactive shifts over time, so it’s best to store fragrances in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight or humidity. They can go rancid and develop an off odor, so if you shop vintage — or say, at a yard sale — buyer beware.
Do any of you wear perfume? What kind? Let us know in the comments below.
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