Choosing the right perfume to gloss up your personality and style quotient

You can choose your perfume based on the type of fragrance, or how long the scent lasts; luxury perfumes are prices upwards of Rs 10,000, so take your time and make a discerning choice

It isn't just how you look, but also how you smell, that really defines your personality. Don't you ever recall being overwhelmed more by a certain someone's body odour than his or her physical appearance or the manner in which he or she spoke? Fragrances tend to be that invisible element of personality which can significantly add to, or take away from, as the case may be, your overall appeal. 

According to Shikhee Agrawal of The Body Shop India, “Fragrances lift the mood, give a feeling of refreshment, evoke fond memories or just help in making you smell good and feel confident. There are three classifications in perfumery: top/head, middle/heart notes and base notes; they all work in synergy to create a specific fragrance.”

Fragrances can be categorised on the basis of the composition (sweet, spicy etc) or how long the effect lasts -- whether it lingers on for a few minutes, or stays for hours or a even full day. Essentially, there are eight types, starting with Eau Fraiche, the most diluted version of fragrances with less than 3 per cent perfume oil in alcohol and water. This is the the cheapest and lasts for less than an hour. The second is Eau-de-Cologne with less than 4 per cent perfume oil, but again, one should not expect it to last too long. Cologne is more male-centric and is in the affordable range. Third is Toilette (Eau-de-Toilette), with less than 15 per cent perfume oil and mainly alcohol with very little water. This is a medium-priced offering and is the most common available in the market. Next is Perfume (Eau-de-Parfum), which contains as much as 20 per cent pure perfume essence and finally Parfum, the most concentrated and expensive of all fragrance options. 

Says Rahul Kapoor, Co-founder, Excedo Luxuria, the exclusive retailer for Hayari Perfumes Paris, the luxury fragrance brand from France, “Slightly oilier, Parfum should not be confused with Perfume, as the former has an average of 35 per cent pure perfume essence and lasts a whole day. In fact, you might even wake up next morning with traces of the scent.” 

Fragrances make you to smell sweet or spicy, floral or fruity, citrus or woody and green, as per the diktat of your mood or time of the day. However, there are some ground rules to help you choose what to apply, where to apply and how. But first, how do you decide which fragrance (sweet or spicy) works best for you? Rahul Kapoor says nails it down to one thumb rule" “It all comes down to your natural body scent and natural aroma.” 

There are different ways to wear a perfume. “Body, clothes, hair -– you have to play with it,” says Caroline Chaume, Perfumer at Firmenich, a Swiss company in the fragrance business. One should target pulse points to get the best result out of your fragrance, advises Agrawal of The Body Shop India. Apply it behind you ear and on your wrists for long-lasting effect. After applying the perfume, don’t rub it forcefully -- it will crush the molecule and decrease the effectiveness. Allow the perfume to absorb and diffuse as the body heat “warms” the scent fragrances.

Interestingly, different cultures not only have different preferences, but also different styles of wearing perfumes. For instance the lifestyle habits of an European and an Indian differ, especially so when it comes to how they like to wear their fragrances. Dhruv Arora, director, Sacheerome, gives an insight. “An European typically takes a shower in the morning, then applies shower gel. He applies cream on the body followed by a deodorant, and after sometime, a fine fragrance. The thing is, he doesn’t want to smell the same throughout the day. But in India, the fragrances that work are more performance-oriented and Indians love fragrances that can last longer and are more diffusive. But, of course, it depends on personal passion, affordability and how discerning the individual is,” he says.

Currently, one of the bestsellers among perfumes is OUD, which is popular with both men and women. This is one of the most expensive perfume ingredients in the world and comes with an intoxicating musky scent that can be quite potent and has been used for centuries in India, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Today, many perfumers in the West use it as a base to create some amazing fragrances for men and women. 

Prices of luxury fragrances start upwards of Rs 10,000 and go up till hundreds and thousands of rupees.  

Dos and don'ts 

•  In autumn or winter one should target areas exposed to the air: the pulse points of the neck and the wrists or inner elbows work well for men. 

•  During the summer, spray your hair, cheeks and pulse point, and also your shirt or an item of clothing where your sweat won’t actually break down the oils rapidly and the air will allow for diffusion.

•  It is important to keep in mind that the fragrance a certain perfume delivers to one person, may not the same fragrance it delivers on you.

•  Choose concentration. Higher the concentration, the longer the perfume’s effect will last. It will usually last the whole day with just one application to the wrists or pulse points.