MEN'S FRAGRANCES

Fragrance Guide: 5 Steps To Finding Your Signature Scent

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The second thing that makes an impression after the way you are dressed is how you smell. Choosing the right signature scent to invest in, from the millions of perfumes available today in stores is usually a tough challenge…well, until now…

In order to save you time and money from being confused by perfume descriptions or over-eager shop assistant who just want to make sales, this guide will help you find your signature scent in less than 24 hours. Please read on…

Your Signature Scent

As Coco Chanel once said – A perfume is something which is invisible and yet an unforgettable accessory.

Having a signature scent serves as a personal scent memory to people we meet, co-workers, friends or clients. It has an impact on how people see and remember us.

You may already have an idea of how you want your signature scent to smell – maybe aquatic, earthy, strong, manly or sexy or a mixture of everything. But finding that one scent that best suits your style or personality can often time be a daunting task.

A signature scent can linger on clothes, in rooms, over the air, invoking comments and discussions like this one below:

  • Ebuka – “Wow what a lovely scent in the air! Who is wearing that powerful scent?”
  • Toyin – “That’s Jeff’s fragrance, Ralph Lauren Polo Blue – it’s his signature scent”.
  • Ebuka – “Wow! That’s awesome!”

Also, people can easily identify you by what scent you are wearing e.g.

  • Olisa – “Jack o! You smell good bro! Let me guess, that’s Ambre Nuit by Christian Dior, right? What a lovely scent”. 
  • Jack – “Thanks bro! You are absolutely correct. It’s my one and only scent – my signature scent.

But you know, for you to pull off this same effect as Jeff and Jack had on their friends/colleague, you need to find your signature scent and wear it with confidence.

 

Your Signature Scent

Have you tried different perfumes all in the name of finding your signature scent?

Are you tired of searching for that one fragrance that suits your style and personality? Search no further, I present you with a simple, concise and foolproof guide on how to find your signature scent.

 

Fragrance Guide: How To Find Your Signature Scent in 5 Steps

Step 1: Know The Basics – Fragrance Strength vs Fragrance Note

Before you think of how to find your signature scent, you need to know what you’re buying. This means you need to know the types of fragrance and their differences. A bit too much? Well, mastering this will help you make a wise choice. 

 

The Fragrance Strength:

There are five (5) key fragrance strengths you need to be aware of. They are:

  • Perfume
  • Eau de Parfum
  • Eau de Toilette
  • Eau de Cologne
  • Eau de Fraiche

Use the Fragrance Concentration guide below to learn more about the exact rate of concentration. Also, check out the difference between an EDP and an EDT.

your signature scent

 

Then Fragrance Notes:

Like the color wheel for matching shirt and tie, scents are also constructed on a ‘pyramid’ of three different notes. 

Your Signature Scent

  1. THE TOP NOTE: The top of the pyramid are the top notes, which is made up of clean, citrusy, and fruity scent. These scents are evident when you first spray the fragrance. They don’t last for long.
  2. THE MIDDLE NOTE: The middle pyramid is the center of the notes made up of green, herbal, floral, or spicy scents. They are more evident when the top notes start to fade. They last longer for about half an hour than the top notes.
  3. THE BASE NOTE: The last note is the base note(s) which is at the bottom of the pyramid. The base forms the foundation of the scent. It mostly consists of vanillas, chocolates, woods, and musk – earthy scents. It lasts the longest than the other notes and they are made up of the largest molecules in the scent. This note is not easily detectable for about half an hour but they last for about two or more hours to the whole day.
See also  Fragrance Guide | How To Correctly Apply Your Cologne

Step 2: Go Shopping – Test Evaluate and Smell The Perfume

Your Signature Scent

Now that you know the basics, it is time to shop for your signature scents. While it is less stressful to shop online, this is definitely something you’d want to do in a store first, unless you already have a signature scent or fragrances you love to wear. Once you’ve found your signature scent or a couple of scents you love, you can SHOP ONLINE. 

Buy Your Favorite Fragrance Online at KOBI KOACHMAN SHOP‎: Click here

 

When shopping for your Signature Scent you need to try about 5 – 10 fragrances in order to decide on which one you really like.

I would advise that you go to a reputable fragrance store that sells quality perfumes (and not knockoffs).

Be prepared, you need to try at least between 5-10 brands of the fragrances you’ve selected as your preferred type of scent from Step 1 above.

Before you Test, Evaluate or Smell a Perfume, keep the following in mind.

  • Don’t spray the scent directly on your wrist or your pulse point. Since your aim is to find that signature scent, doing this will contaminate every other scent you try afterward. Use scent strips or fragrance tester strips instead. Most perfume shops would have this.
  • Trust your nose – the fragrance is very personal and you should listen to your sense of smell. The fact that a particular scent appeals to a large number of people, doesn’t mean it is right for you. Most salespersons/assistants will try to help you based on their knowledge of fragrance as a whole, and not based on their understanding of your personality (the only exception is an image consultant).
  • While reading fragrance reviews can guide you a bit when it comes to choosing a perfect scent, note that this may not reveal the exact type of fragrance that matches your personal style.

Step 3: Search For Your Signature Scent – Testing Fragrances on Scent Strips

Tip: Be prepared. When shopping for scent, go in with enough time for sniffing. Don’t let yourself be pressured into making an instant decision.

If you don’t find what you need, move to the next perfume shop. You can find something better than what you tried in the first shop. Do the same thing repeatedly until you find a scent that suits you. Some are lucky and find it on the first try, but it’s okay to keep trying until you do.

See also  TOP 10 Most Seductive Colognes for Men

Your Signature Scent

  • Request for scent strips (used for testing aromas and scents), most fragrance shops would have this.
  • Then pick the first two fragrances you wish to try first and then select two (2) scent strips.
  • Just hold out the paper, then spray each perfume on a separate scent strip.
    your signature scent
  • Smell them (remember – Trust Your Sense of Smell).
  • Don’t make a choice yet, leave it on you, and still move around the perfume shop to try out others. Now I’m not saying you should go about trying all the scents in the shop, narrow down your search by picking from the types of scents identified in STEP 1 – The Basics. E.g. If you’ve identified that you don’t like OUD scents, don’t go about trying Oud scents.
  • After trying out 3 different scents, you would have saturated your nose, and your ability to capture the true characteristics of the fragrances diminishes significantly. So before your nose becomes overused and everything starts smelling the same, ask the shop assistant for coffee beans so you can sniff. The smell of coffee beans serves as a “nasal palate cleanser.”
  • In most perfume shops you’re bound to find small bowls of coffee beans set between various fragrances. In between smelling multiple scents, pick up the bowl of coffee beans and sniff.  This is to reduce the effects of olfactory fatigue and allow you to continue to smell fragrance after fragrance. Use of lemon slices, or simply drinking a glass of water and going out for a bit of fresh air are also possible options.
  • When you’ve found what you certainly believe to be your Top 2 or 3 scents in the list, it’s time to test these fragrances on your skin (your pulse points) to have an exact feeling of how it will smell on you. This is the next step.

 

Step 4: Testing Fragrance on Skin

Your Signature Scent

What may smell great on a scent strip might not compliment or be perfect on your skin.

Once you’ve selected the Top 2 or 3 fragrances from your strip test, the next step is to try them on your skin.

Though it’s tempting to try all the nice scents on your skin, try hard to reserve this for the fragrances that stood out for you after your paper/strip tests.

Pay great attention when testing on your skin. The warmth of your skin, it’s natural oils, and your skin’s chemistry will react with the perfume, this will create a scent on your skin that is unique to you. 

  • At this stage, you don’t just focus on the Top Notes.  You want to find out how it still smells on your skin when it’s only the base notes that are left.
  • Take the perfume bottle and spray the first one on your right wrist, and the other on your left wrist.
  • If you picked 3 perfumes at this stage, the 3rd one should go on your lower arm. However, try not to spray close to the wrist as the scents can contaminate each other.
  • At this point, you should know which one is your favorite scent.
See also  The 10 Best Perfumes and Fragrances to Wear This Summer

P.S: It’s not compulsory to buy your perfume the day you smell it first in the perfume shop. So you may wait, test it and come back to the store – when you are ready.

Step 5: You’ve Found Your Signature Scent

Your Signature Scent

After trying different scents, you’ve finally found your signature scent. Yippeee!

The work is not over just yet, there is one more thing left.

 

Take note of our No: 1 Rule of Smelling Great:

Ensure your fragrance will always remain a weapon of mass seduction rather than one of destruction.

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We all know that “The way you smell is one of the best ways to make a great first impression,” however, too much fragrance is a turnoff. For further reading, here’s a helpful guide on how to effectively wear cologne.

FINAL THOUGHTS

There you have it guys! Thanks for stopping by. Now you know how to find your signature scent, I believe that your fragrance problem is solved.

Try the 5 steps listed above and let us know how it turned out. Don’t forget to leave a comment after reading.

If you’ve already found your signature scent, please let us know in the comments below.

Until Next Time, continue to Do Well, Live Well, and Dress Really Well. Stay Dapper folks!

Yours in Style,

Kobi O. Mbagwu

Founder, KOBI KOACHMAN

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Mr. Kobi

My name is Kobi O. Mbagwu, a professional image consultant, menswear style expert, and entrepreneur who uses fashion, style and clothing as key tools in transforming ordinary men into extraordinary classy gentlemen. My personal goal is to help gentlemen dress better, live well, do well and develop a unique personal style that matches their lifestyle and goals. I believe that success can be built through style. I believe that fashion is a tool that can be used to change people’s lives positively. I also strongly believe that if you dress well, you look good, and if you look good, you feel good and when you feel good, you worry less, and the less you worry the more you are able to stay motivated and focused on your goals pursuit and by so doing you are able to live a more fulfilling and successful life.

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My name is Kobi O. Mbagwu, a professional image consultant, menswear style expert, and entrepreneur who uses fashion, style and clothing as key tools in transforming ordinary men into extraordinary classy gentlemen. My personal goal is to help gentlemen dress better, live well, do well and develop a unique personal style that matches their lifestyle and goals. I believe that success can be built through style. I believe that fashion is a tool that can be used to change people’s lives positively. I also strongly believe that if you dress well, you look good, and if you look good, you feel good and when you feel good, you worry less, and the less you worry the more you are able to stay motivated and focused on your goals pursuit and by so doing you are able to live a more fulfilling and successful life.

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