When I buy perfume, I just rely on the smell. If it smells good, I buy it.
Author: Han Yidao
Source: Zhihu
I wrote a guide to using and buying perfume, which should be helpful to you.
Nowadays, in big cities in China, it is common for women to use high-end perfumes, and more and more men are also joining the ranks of using perfumes. Compared with brand-name shoes, bags, watches and necklaces that cost thousands of yuan, various brand-name perfumes (generally priced between 500-800 yuan) can be regarded as the most cost-effective luxury. Spraying perfume is just like women's makeup. It should be one of the most basic and important etiquettes in modern urban life. It can not only reflect a person's taste, but also show the person's personality and temperament. Using different perfumes according to your own characteristics and in conjunction with appropriate occasions can not only give you a confident and refreshing feeling, but also create an irresistible attraction to the opposite sex. So today I will share with you some precautions for using perfume based on Brother Dao’s several years of life experience in Europe. Before we begin, let’s review the basics of perfume with you.
First: Basic odor classification of perfume.
There are many versions on the Internet, and they are also classified according to different standards. But generally speaking, there are the following types: floral, fruity, botanical, oriental (musk, sandalwood), marine, woody, and fougere (leather, tobacco). Among them, floral and fruity are more suitable for women. , fruity fragrances with lemon and orange as the main fragrance are more suitable for young men to use daily or before and after sports; woody and fuzzy fragrances are more suitable for mature and sexy men. This kind of fragrance is rough and slightly classical, making it more popular. It gives people a comfortable sense of security and is more suitable for men with stories, sexy men or men who love to smoke. Marine fragrance can give people a refreshing and healthy feeling, and many women have begun to choose marine fragrances. Oriental fragrances leave people with a warm feeling and a rich mystery, and are especially suitable for Oriental men with reserved and restrained personalities.
Second, classify according to spices and alcohol concentration.
Perfumes can be divided into several levels due to different concentrations of alcohol and spices. Generally speaking, perfumes include essence (PARFUM), perfume (EAU DE PAEFUM), eau de toilette (EAU DE TOILETTE), and cologne. There are five levels of (EAU DE COLOGNE) and light perfume (EAU DE FRAICHEUR). Different grades of perfume have different durability and prices. The duration is 5-7 hours/within 5 hours/3 hours/1-2 hours/within 1 hour; the fragrance concentration is divided into 15-30%/10-15%/5-10%/2-5%/2 % or less; the alcohol concentration is 70~85% / above 80% / 80% / 80% / below 80%, and the price level is from high to low.
Third, the taste level of perfume.
As time goes by, the fragrance continues to evaporate, and the evaporation rates of various spices are different, which also results in different fragrances at different time periods. The top note contains the most volatile components in perfume, which refers to the first aroma that people smell after spraying or rubbing the perfume, that is, the first aroma characteristics that people feel. It can only last for a short time, maybe a few minutes, and its role is to give an initial overall impression and attract attention. ?The middle flavor appears immediately after the top flavor, exuding the main fragrance of the perfume. It is the faint fragrance that diffuses when the perfume begins to blend with the chemicals on your unique skin. This is the main aroma characteristic of the perfume and can remain stable and consistent for a long time. It reflects the main scent of a perfume and generally lasts for at least 4 hours. ?The aroma emitted by the same perfume when sprayed on different people is different, so don’t follow the trend when buying perfume! The aftertaste is the most lasting part of the fragrance, that is, the part that evaporates the slowest. The long-lasting fragrance makes it the summary part of the entire perfume. The aftertaste can last for a day or longer. For some perfumes, the aftertaste can remain for several days or even dozens of days. Therefore, you should choose the appropriate time to spray perfume according to the time you spend outside, and re-spray perfume appropriately just like a woman touching up her makeup. After covering the basic knowledge, we can talk about my feelings about using and purchasing perfume. After bathing, you can generally spray eau de toilette or cologne to make yourself fresh and comfortable. Of course, you can also spray deodorant after bathing. The advantage is that it can stop sweating, while perfume can only cover up body odor. However, after the alcohol evaporates, for those who like to sweat, the body may produce odor. When you go out to work or attend a party, you can spray perfume (EAU DE PAEFUM), and the fragrance will remain relatively long-lasting. The main places to spray eau de toilette and cologne are on the chest and armpits, while for perfume, it is more between the neck, behind the ears and wrists. The reason is that Western etiquette requires hugging when meeting. The neck and behind the ears are the first parts of the two parties closest to the nose that come into contact. This is also the first place where the chemical reaction between the two parties occurs due to smell. For more gentlemanly men in the West, they will kiss the back of a woman's hand when meeting, and the closest place their nose can smell is the woman's wrist. Of course, don't spray perfume on the back of your hands, otherwise it will definitely feel bad if someone kisses the perfume. After talking about the order and location of spraying perfume, let’s talk about how much to spray.
The principle is that too much is never enough. Some people use perfume as an after-bath deodorant spray, which makes their whole body fragrant and can be smelled ten meters away. It is like putting on heavy makeup and can scare away a lot of people. Brother Dao, my suggestion is that you should wear perfume for two purposes. One is to cover up your own odor and highlight your personal characteristics, and the other is to attract the opposite sex. So don't make others think you are like a nouveau riche. When it comes to wearing perfume, try not to wear strong or sexy perfume at work, unless your purpose is to seduce your boss or female colleagues. On the contrary, for weekend parties, you can spray some personalized and stronger perfume, which will make it easier to impress people. When dating, you can spray some sexier perfumes. Men can choose tobacco and leather scents. Of course, if you are a sunny man, you can spray ocean scents. If you are a woman, you can wear a floral or fruity perfume. Rose scent is a good choice. In short, choose different perfumes according to different purposes. At the same time, you should pay attention to the fragrance of your whole body. Some women's shampoo has a very strong fragrance. If it does not match the fragrance of the perfume you spray, it will produce a weird smell.
Finally, let’s talk about how to choose perfume.
First, packaging. If a perfume, no matter how big the brand is, if the perfume bottle cap is made of plastic or synthetic material, I can guarantee that the perfume is not good. If the bottle design is ordinary, then you don’t need to smell it. If you don't even pay attention to the packaging, you can imagine how poor the quality of this bottle of perfume is. Many excellent classic perfumes have great designs, and both materials and designs are impressive. But not all perfumes with well-designed bottles are good perfumes. This is a necessary but not sufficient proposition. So I still have to smell it.
Secondly, smell. Salespersons in many stores will give you test strips to spray on. After spraying, encourage the alcohol to evaporate to smell the first fragrance. If this smell is what you like, then you can spray a little on the back of your hand and wait for the alcohol to evaporate, then smell the fragrance and you The middle smell after physical contact, and finally the after smell can be smelled on the cap of the perfume bottle. If you like all three scents, congratulations, you have chosen your favorite perfume.
Third, comparison. Not everyone is lucky enough to smell a perfume that suits them. Many people will smell many perfumes continuously until their noses can no longer distinguish the fragrance. In fact, this is very bad. You can refresh your sense of smell by asking the store clerk if they have bottles of coffee beans.
How to choose a perfume on the dazzling perfume rack, you can take the following methods:
Ask the salesperson what the best-selling perfumes are, the most classic perfumes, and the latest perfumes What are there. This way you can already narrow it down very quickly. But as a person with independent judgment, don't trust the recommendation of the store clerk. Generally, even if these people are professionals, it is difficult for them to help you choose the right perfume. You still have to rely on yourself. If you don't like these perfumes after choosing them, then you may be more individual and you can try some niche designer perfumes, such as Anna sui, Dsqaured2, Marc Jacob, etc. Of course, if you are richer, you can choose some more awesome perfumes. Generally, these perfumes are not sold in stores like Sasa or Sephora, nor are they sold in department store perfume counters. Some can be purchased at airport duty-free shops, and some may be purchased at high-end luxury stores, sports car stores, etc. Bought in a designer store or high-end club.
How is it? Have you learned?