Fragrance 411: Do's and Don'ts

The Nose Knows
Every fragrance has three notes: top, middle and base. Top notes are light and can be smelled in the first few minutes of application. Middle notes begin 10 to 15 minutes after application and last about an hour. Bottom notes, the heaviest ingredients, last for several hours.

Fragrance Types

• Perfume or parfum: The longest lasting and most highly concentrated form of fragrance
• Eau de perfume or eau de parfum: Usually in spray form, a little lighter concentration of oils 
• Eau de toilette: Even lighter, this is a good choice for the "less is more" fan 
• Eau de cologne (women's): The lightest form of fragrance, a low concentration of perfume oils with diluted alcohol 
• Eau de Cologne (men's): Unlike women's cologne, it is similar to the concentration of toilet water, eau de parfum, and sometimes perfume 
• Solid perfume: Mixes perfume oil with wax; solid scents often come in jewel-like boxes or tubes; terrific to slip into an overnight bag 
• Aftershave: Meant to cool and close pores after a shave; the fragrance will usually last two to three hours

Fragrance Do's and Don'ts

• Do wear fragrance all over. As Coco Chanel once famously said, "wherever you want to be kissed." That includes pulse points on the wrists, between the cleavage, on the sides of the neck, inside the elbows, behind your knees and around the ankles.
• Don't try more than three scents at one time when you are shopping for a new fragrance. The nose gets tired and won't be able to tell the difference between fragrances. Sniff a coffee bean between fragrances. This will help clear your nose so you can smell the fragrance correctly. 
• Don't choose a fragrance because you like it on someone else. Be sure to try it out yourself. It's your chemistry that is going to determine how the fragrance will smell. How it smells on someone else or a scrap of paper is no indication. 
• Don't be hasty when selecting a scent. After you try on a perfume, notice the change in aroma as the day progresses. Different aspects of a fragrance emerge as the day goes on. Make sure you like the perfume all day long. 
• Do consider the effect different foods and medications can have on your fragrance. Foods high in fat and spice can make the scent more heavily bodied. And medications can alter your body chemistry so a fragrance changes on you. So can smoking. 
• Do apply more often if your skin is dry. If your skin is oily, do the reverse. The oils in your skin, or lack thereof, can enhance or weaken the scent. When it's warm, wear less perfume; warm weather tends to heighten the scent. 
• Do keep your fragrance away from extreme heat or cold. Long exposure to strong sunlight or extreme temperatures can disrupt a perfume's balance and change the scent. To last, perfume should be kept in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. 
• Do use your perfume once the bottle has been opened. Otherwise, it will begin to fade or change its character with time. 
• Don't overdo it. Everyone has a personal "scent circle," and fragrance should be one of the most subtle, personal messages. Use it sparingly. 
• Don't forget the men. Men like fragrance, too. And the same rules apply to them.

Source: The Fragrance Foundation and FragranceNet.com