How to choose a perfume
To choose a perfume: identify the olfactory family, pick a concentration that fits the occasion, test it on skin and wait 30 minutes, judge longevity after four hours, and only then choose a size.
- Step01
Identify the family
Recall fragrances you have liked and find what they share: flowers, wood, citrus, sweetness. That is your family, and where the search starts.
- Step02
Pick a concentration
Take eau de toilette for heat and the office, eau de parfum or extrait for evenings. Perfume oil works when you do not want projection.
- Step03
Apply it to skin
One spray on the wrist, and do not rub. Rubbing breaks the top notes and speeds up evaporation.
- Step04
Wait 30 minutes
Top notes disappear within 15–30 minutes. The decision is made on the heart of the fragrance, not the first seconds.
- Step05
Check longevity, then choose a size
Smell the wrist again after four hours. If it is still there, longevity will carry a full day. Make your first bottle 30–50 ml.
The families and what they mean
- Floral
- Built around flowers: rose, jasmine, tuberose, iris.
- Amber
- Warm resins, vanilla and benzoin — what used to be called oriental.
- Woody
- Cedar, sandalwood, vetiver, oud — a dry woody base.
- Citrus
- Lemon, bergamot, mandarin: light fragrances for hot weather.
- Chypre
- Citrus on top against oakmoss and patchouli underneath.
- Fougère
- Lavender, coumarin and moss — the classic masculine structure.
- Gourmand
- Edible notes: vanilla, caramel, praline, coffee.
- Aquatic
- Marine freshness, salt and ozonic notes.
- Leather
- Tanned leather, smoky birch tar and tobacco.
- Musk
- Soft musks: clean skin, linen, powder.
Concentrations and longevity
- Eau de Toilette
- 5–15% fragrance concentrate. Lasts 3–5 hours and stays light.
- Eau de Parfum
- 15–20% concentrate. Lasts 6–8 hours — the most common format.
- Parfum (extrait)
- 20–30% concentrate. Lasts 9–12 hours; apply a single drop.
- Perfume oil
- Alcohol-free, applied to skin. Soft sillage, high longevity.