A. Beginners feel lost; at an intermediate level, they become able to advise others; and advanced enthusiasts follow their own path in perfume as if they have attained enlightenment. Yet across time and place, one question lingers in the minds of those who have come to love perfume: “How, after all, should I choose a perfume?” Those with a perfume philosophy of their own, however, have realized: “Choose perfume however you like. It is only perfume, after all.”
And yet, it is perfume. We want to avoid bothering those around us, and how do we even find what we like? We want to enjoy more of this perfume that is called an invisible art. When we are cast into an ocean of possibilities, it is only natural to find choosing difficult.
Fragrance is a treasure hunt through life.
Carlos Benaim
Rather than having an unfamiliar third party write endlessly about choosing perfume, saying, “First, learn the fragrance notes (in Japanese), then study the fragrance pyramid (in Japanese)…,” why not ask the people who created the perfumes themselves? Below, I quote many comments on choosing perfume from perfumers and prominent figures in the industry, in the hope that they will help each reader find a personal approach that feels right.
Learning How to Choose Perfume from Perfumers and Leading Industry Figures
Choosing perfume is rather like choosing clothes. What you wear to the beach is different from what you wear in winter, is it not? Perfume also expresses personality and says a great deal about who someone is. When choosing perfume, try asking yourself these simple questions. I used to ask customers these questions myself when I sold perfume in a shop.
• Where will you wear it? At the office, to look smart? Or out walking in fashion-forward clothes? An elegant image? Something cute?
• Will you wear it in the morning? At night? At work? On a day off?
• To change your life? To change your lover?
• To make an impression? To feel calmer through fragrance? For love?
• After exercise? To feel refreshed? And so on.Picture the moment and the occasion when you will wear it, and choose according to the person you want to be in that situation. Imagining the occasion makes it easier to form a concrete picture when you smell the perfume. When buying an evening dress, for example, you probably imagine a different scene from one in which you would wear jeans. Perfume is exactly the same.
It is also best to choose something you feel comfortable wearing, something that does not feel out of place. This may be true of makeup and fashion as well, but rather than wearing something because you want to be like a close friend or a film star, I recommend wearing a fragrance that lets you be yourself. There is no need to torture yourself by wearing something you do not much like just because she says this fragrance is good. It is not something that suits you.
In a shop, I would like you to smell it on a blotter and actually wear it, to see whether it smells beautiful on you, whether you like it, and whether you feel comfortable. What matters is a match in which the perfume brings out the wearer’s personality, and the wearer brings out the perfume.
Frédéric Malle
Since perfume becomes part of the personality of the woman or man wearing it and accompanies that person throughout the day, it must, above all, harmonize with their character. This places many constraints on the perfumer.
To choose a perfume effectively, you must exercise intellectual curiosity, try to understand why and how perfume is used, and develop the appropriate abilities while refining your taste in smells. In other words, train your sensitivity so that you do not make hasty, superficial judgments. Merely taking a quick sniff at the mouth of a bottle is like trying to judge a musical work solely by its introduction.
Edmond Roudnitska
A person’s taste, or sense of style, improves through constantly cultivating the self at a deeper level. Is that not the same as engaging with painting and sculpture, or opening your mind to music and literature? Improving yourself is, we might say, the path to finding a perfume that is good for you. When you know yourself deeply, you will naturally come to recognize the fragrance that suits you best.
Edmond Roudnitska
My advice is extremely simple. Walk into a shop without overthinking it, and first smell the fragrance chosen for you on a blotter (in Japanese). If you think, “This is it!”, have it applied to your skin. Ideally, spend a day or two with the fragrance. Then check whether that feeling is still there.
Christine Nagel (Hermès’ in-house perfumer)
What matters is the emotion you feel when you smell that fragrance.
Mathilde Laurent (Cartier’s in-house perfumer)
For me, the only way to find your signature scent (in Japanese) is through your heart, your personality, and your emotions. The very famous perfumer Edmond Roudnitska said that a good perfume delivers an emotional shock. I think this is the only way to choose perfume. So you should always choose perfume with your heart and your emotions.
Mathilde Laurent (Cartier’s in-house perfumer)
I want people to become able to decide things for themselves. I have been in the perfume industry for 20 years or more, but the question I am always asked is, “How should I choose a perfume?” Everyone is at a loss.
What I hope is that better information will allow you all to enjoy yourselves more. At the same time, I hope you will find a particular fragrance that makes you more beautiful, and keeps doing so.
Mathilde Laurent (Cartier’s in-house perfumer)
Choosing perfume is like falling in love. You fall in love at first sight, and nurture that love as you go through life. In the end, it is a matter of time. A perfume takes time to get to know, because it diffuses from its top notes (in Japanese) through to its base notes (in Japanese).
I firmly believe that wearing only one fragrance is an outdated legacy of the past. Today, we have more freedom and can express every aspect of our personalities. That is why I created a fragrance wardrobe.
Francis Kurkdjian
The only advice I can give is, “Take your time.” Do not hesitate to try different perfumes in order to make the right choice. I also recommend trying them on your skin to see how they change throughout the day. A perfume should surprise you and unfold pleasantly.
Jean-Christophe Hérault
If, after trying it on paper, you want to get to know it better, try it on your skin. Then go out to lunch just as you are. Check the result: 1) it disappears, 2) it is boring, 3) it is unpleasant, or 4) a wonderful scent remains.
Tania Sanchez (from Perfumes: The Guide II (in Japanese))
Perhaps you feel there can be no logic to choosing perfume. After all, the sense of smell is so emotional. Yet the perfumes you enjoy most may belong to one or two of the 14 fragrance families (in Japanese). As with anything worthwhile, finding the right new perfume takes a little effort. I recommend beginning by understanding how the fragrance families differ.
Michael Edwards
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