Choosing a Fragrance

Which Fragrance is right for me?

Sometimes selecting a new perfume for yourself, or as a gift for someone else, can be a very difficult task. To help you find the right perfume or aftershave regardless if you’re buying a fragrance for yourself or searching for the perfect fragrance gift set for someone else, The Fragrance House is here to help with some top fragrance tips and guidelines on how to pick a new fragrance.

Fragrance Families

There are several different fragrance families and generally if you like one fragrance from that family, the chances are you’ll like another perfume or aftershave from the same fragrance family. We have listed the 10 most popular families below and given you some fragrance suggestions from each to make it easier to find the right perfume or aftershave for you. On our website you’ll find all our fragrances are categorised under the 4 main fragrance notes of Floral, Oriental, Woody and Fresh to make it even easier to find the one which is right for you.

Citrus: oranges, lemons and limes are used to create fresh, zesty scents.
Green: This family uses leaves and grasses to create earthy notes.
Fruity: Using berries and apples to create fun, sparkling fragrances. Nina Ricci has the right idea with her fruity fragrance Nina L’Elixir with red toffee apple and red berries.
Floral: This is a very feminine family, using mainly rose, jasmine and orange blossom. Jimmy Choo is the perfect example of a floral fragrance that radiates with style and beauty.
Oriental: This is a strong, spicy family pairing citrus with vanilla, amber, and woods. Look for CK One Shock For Men or Prada Candy as great examples of oriental fragrances
Floriental: A Mix of floral and oriental, usually soft and sugary,
Woody: Most popular woods are Cedar wood and sandalwood to create warm, rich scents. Boss have the perfect example of this with their Boss Bottled Night fragrance with cardamom and African violet mixed with sensual Lauro Amerelo for added seduction.
Chypre: (sheep-re) This family is from Cyprus and usually uses signature patchouli along with mosses and citrus for a warm, fresh fragrance. Van Cleef & Aprels Oriens will leave you spellbound if you like Chypre fragrances.
Fougere: (foo-jair) This is French for Fern. Using lavender citrus and mosses and woods, this again gives a warm, fresh scent and Gucci Guilty Pour Homme is a great example of this.
Marine: Marine is our finally family, reminiscent of the sea with the clean scent of a seaside breeze. With reminders of the Mediterranean Sea, try Moschino Glamour if you’re looking for a perfume or Davidoff Champion Energy if you’re searching for an aftershave.

Fragrance Structure

Now that you know about the different fragrance families, we’ll tell you a little bit about the structure of a fragrance. A Fragrance is often made of three layers.

Top Notes: These are the scents you will smell as soon as the fragrance hits your skin, usually citrus notes that are fresh. Top notes develop quickly to give an initial impression and are often fresh and uplifting.

Heart Notes: This is the main body of the fragrance that will last around 2-3 hours on your skin, depending on the type of fragrance. Usually compiled of fruity, floral or spicy notes and are the longest lasting of the fragrances layers.

Base Notes: The final scents of the fragrance usually support the heart notes with warming scents like woods and musk. Base notes are often sensual and seductive to draw people close at the end of the night.

Different Types of fragrance

There are 4 types of fragrance which are categorized depending on the percentage of perfume oil they contain. Scents with a higher percentage of perfume oil last longer than those with a lower percentage of perfume oil.

Pure Perfume contains the highest concentration of fragrance oil, 15% to 30%, and tends to be reserved for exclusive brands and ranges. Pure Perfume is the most expensive type of fragrance and it has real quality to its scent, lasting anywhere between 6 - 7 hours on the skin. Pure Perfume has a multitude of different notes and depths making them great fragrances for special occasions such as Valentine’s Day, Birthdays or Anniversaries.

Eau de Parfum, commonly referred to as EDP, has between 8% to 15% concentration of perfume oil and tends to last between 5 - 6 hours on the skin. EDP’s make a great evening fragrance as the scent is stronger and can last all night!

Eau de Toilette (Female), or EDT’s for short, are the most common fragrance type and contain 4% to 8% concentration of fragrance oil, enabling the fragrance to last 3 - 5 hours on the skin. Although Eau de Toilettes are a fairly common fragrance type this does not mean the fragrances themselves are not special as they are highly adaptable to allow them to carry the full range of fragrance families and can be a perfect day time or night time fragrance.

Eau de Toilette (Male). Contrary to popular believe EDT’s are not just for women, almost all male fragrances are available as an EDT and in many cases have become more popular than the aftershave version. EDT’s for men are composed differently from those for women meaning that they have between 5%-10% essential oils, allowing them to last from 3-6 hours on the skin. EDT’s for men are intended for the body and not the face.

Eau de Cologne, often referred to as EDC, are the weakest of the fragrance types containing only 3% to 5% concentration of fragrance oils. Never the less they can still last up to 3 hours on the skin making them the perfect introduction to a new fragrance family if you are looking for a change or simply a great fragrance for everyday wear.

Aftershave has a concentration of between 2 - 5% essential oils, meaning that the fragrance doesn’t last as long on the skin as an EDT. Aftershave is often ‘splashed’ onto the face, however many aftershaves are now available in a spray. Given the alcohol content in aftershave, it is not advisable to spray on the face in order to avoid irritating the skin.

Buying Tips

When buying fragrance online there are some easy questions you can ask yourself in order to gain a better understanding of the type of fragrance you are searching for. These questions can be applied whether you’re buying for yourself or as a gift for someone else;

When will the fragrance be worn?: As fragrances are designed with different parts of the day in mind it’s important to think about when it will be worn. If it’s to be worn in the day time go for something fresh, uplifting or floral, if it’s to be worn at night time or on special occasions the perhaps go for something more luxurious like an Eau de Parfum which will also last longer on the skin.

What’s my fragrance budget?: Setting yourself a clear budget will allow you to quickly find the ideal fragrance for you and we have even designed budget scales within our fragrance searches to make things even easier. Although we do focus on luxury and select only the best brands for The Fragrance House, all of our fragrances are competitively priced so you can get the right fragrance at the right price with us.

What other fragrances do i like?: Fragrances are housed in different families and if you like a fragrance from one family then there is a good chance you will like another fragrance within the same family. However, don’t rigidly stick with the same fragrance family or even your favourite perfume time after time as there are lots of exciting fragrances out there just waiting to be discovered. It’s the same principle as music, you may have your favourite band or genre that you keep going back to but don’t be afraid to experiment. You might just find something wonderful you never knew existed!

If you are still struggling to find your perfect scent, why not pop into your nearest The Fragrance House store, where our team of knowledgeable staff will be waiting to assist you. Don’t worry if you can’t tell your Chypre’s from you Citrus fragrance, all of our staff are fully trained and will be able to help you find the right fragrance for you. Below are some guidelines to help when choosing a fragrance:

When testing a new fragrance in store, make sure to try it on clean skin. Everyone’s Biochemistry is different and this affects the smell of a fragrance. Anything from your diet to the shower gel you use can change how a perfume smells on you.
Once have sprayed the fragrance on your skin, DO NOT rub your wrists together as many people commonly do. This merges together all the different layers and can remove the top notes making the perfume smell completely different.
When looking for a new fragrance, try not to smell more than 3 different fragrances at once as your nose will de-sensitise and you will no longer be able to distinguish between the scents. All our stores have coffee beans which you should smell in order to cleanse your palette. This will allow you to continue smelling other fragrances.
A technique called ‘layering’ can prolong the life of a fragrance on your skin. This is when you use accompanying shower gels, body lotions or aftershave balms as a base. You then use the matching fragrance on top of this to create a fragrance layer, making the scent last longer on your skin. Once you have found a fragrance that you like, why not treat yourself to one of the corresponding body lines and get the benefits of layering!
A good tip for applying your favourite fragrance is to ‘dress yourself’ in it. If you spray your fragrance into the air and let the mist cover you, the fragrance will take to your hair and clothing as well as your skin, allowing the fragrance to be released each movement or brush of your hair!

We hope this guide will help you when purchasing a new fragrance and don’t forget you can view our full range of fragrance at www.thefragrancehouse.co.uk

!! Happy Shopping!