Developing an Appreciation for Scents:
You’ll Understand the Terminology
To preface the guide, you need to know the difference between the different terms and “jargon” used commonly in the fragrance industry. To start, fragrance is a generic term used to describe different products to help people improve their smell. Eau Fraiche is the most diluted version of a fragrance and lasts for less than an hour.
Cologne is one of the oldest terms for perfume but is used in North America to describe masculine scents which are predominantly used by men. Most colognes last about two hours or slightly above this mark. Perfume, on the other hand, has historically been genderless but is today used by women nearly exclusively. Perfume contains anywhere from fifteen to twenty percent pure perfume essence.
You Can Find Your Own Fragrance
If you’re new to fragrances, perfumes, and colognes, you’ll want to start with lighter and less intense smells at first. Lighter and typically weaker scents ill be musk and citrus. These two scents can’t actually be smelled by about fifty percent of the population. Starting with musk ensures that you’re moving slowly up the chain of smellier and stronger scents and that you know what you like and don’t like on the way up.
Additionally, you should know where to add the cologne to your body for “optimal results.” The pulse points of most fragrances will be behind the ears, the base of the neck, and the wrists. These points help others smell the fragrance easily and will give off the most intense smell while the cologne is on your body.
You’ll Hone Your Sense of Smell
Part of the fun of trying on different fragrances and colognes is expanding your knowledge about your own personal smell while learning about new and exciting scents. There’s a general ladder of sorts that scents fall under, depending upon how strong they are. The first of these is musk, which is associated with fresh laundry.
Musky smells are followed by smoky smells, which are akin to cedar chips or a blown out match; in lighter doses, smoky scents are quite pleasant. Next up the chain are citrus smells, such as lime, lemon, and oranges. These are more frequently associated with women, but they can work just as well on a man.
Next is woody; these scents include a fresh, creamy, nutty flavor, or scent profiles like sandalwood or No. 2 pencils. Again, in the right doses and on the right people, these smells are quite pleasant and alluring. Next is floral, which is a wide range of flowery smelling scents. Like citrus, these scents are used mostly by women, but some work well on men as well.
Finally, there’s aquatic and oriental, two scents which are hard to pin down but smell exactly as they sound. Knowing your smells will greatly help you understand appreciate which scents you enjoy and which you can live without.