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Perfume Shopping Tactics

You are finally here after an extended journey that had sure told you a lot about perfumes. Today we can tell you that you are ALMOST ready to go out there and start testing those new scents and make your choice. But wait …you’re still one piece of information short. Stay with us to learn about the most resourceful perfume shopping tactics to make a faultless purchase. 

Convey Your Preference 

If you have no clue as to which perfumes you would prefer, our first advice to you would be to tell the sales person about the category of perfume you prefer. This way, he/she can start testing relevant samples for ex: fruity, floral, woody and so on. 

This is very important as this way you will make it easier for yourself to find a scent you might like. If you don’t like Floral perfumes, tell your aid to stay away from sampling perfumes in this category and avoid getting disappointed. 

Let the Cards Test It First

Now that the salesperson has decided on a few alternatives for you, don’t let him/ her spray it all on your skin, not yet. Ask him/ her to spray as many as three options at the most on the card provided by the store, or if none are, then try spraying into the bottle's lid, take a whiff and move on if you don't like it.

Let Your Skin Taste It Next 

When you finally encounter a scent on a card that you liked, only then you can spray the perfume on your pulse point or inside your elbow. Wait for about 8-10 minutes to get a proper idea of how it will smell, and then check it again in an hour or so to see if you still like it. 

My advice would be to keep it a whole day before you buy it. however if you really need to buy it on the same day, go ahead and buy the smallest size available until you're sure it's a scent you want to wear long term. Remember to ask for a wrapped package when you make your purchase.

Always Be In the Shopping Mode 

Whenever you are out shopping, don’t forget to stop by your favorite beauty store to get a quick idea about the new scents available and get two or three spray cards to go home with you. Or better yet have two samples sprayed on your wrists, this way you can experience them and get a feel of what impression they leave on you. By the end of the day, you will know which one you might consider purchasing the next time. 

Not Too Many Trials 

Don't test too many fragrances in one day or you'll be overwhelmed. A maximum of three perfume tests is best to try to prevent olfactory fatigue. A whiff of coffee beans between testing will clear your nose so you don't confuse scents.

Treat it right 

After spraying on your wrist, don’t put you nose into the scent right away, wait for a 30 seconds to avoid getting the initial scent of alcohol and after that you will be able to figure out the top notes of the perfume. It’s also very important to avoid immediately rubbing wrists together after spraying. Doing so will crush the delicate scent buds and can distort the fragrance. Instead, immediately hold your wrist for a few seconds to help the body’s warmth activate the fragrance. 

Early Nose is the best 

To make a good choice, you should try perfumes early in the morning when you can smell things better. However, if you have a cold or you are tired, you should put off your visit till another day.

Take a sample home 

Since it takes time for perfumes to develop their real scent; the middle note doesn’t appear before 20 minutes from spraying and the base note takes up to an hour to make presence. It is then always a great benefit to get a sample to take home with you and try for a few days. 

I promise that by the time you hit the stores once again you will be positively sure of what you really want to wear for a perfume. This is a great tactic especially if the targeted perfume is an expensive one. 

Pregnant women …wait!!

Never buy perfume when you are in transitory phase like pregnancy. The body will be undergoing immense hormonal changes, which affect your sensory perceptions, especially the perception of smell. 

You are now all set to head to your beauty store and start your rounds with selecting your signature scent with confidence. Come back next week and we will tell you how to wear your perfume ….only on MSN Arabia