My Best Perfume Tips and Top Picks

7 min readNov 20, 2019

We always want the best of everything, including the best women’s perfume. There are ways to make your fragrance work better, and I will share some tips, but there is no fragrance that is perfect for every person and situation. When shopping for a fragrance, you should definitely consider your own style and preferences.

Reasons why there is no universal “best perfume”:

Each individual’s body chemistry is different, and factors like “heat, humidity, sweat, medications, diet — even age” affect how a scent interacts with your skin (Kirkpatrick, K.).
“Receptors in the nose vary by 30% in two different people,” meaning that two individuals do not interpret the same scent the same way (Spencer, B.). Maybe that’s why you like sandalwood and your significant other thinks it stinks — that’s true for my fiancé and I!
People have different scent preferences. Some women like clean, citrusy scents. Others enjoy floral fragrances. I personally like “oriental” and woodsy perfumes.
The “perfect” perfume depends on how appropriate it is for the person. Yes, I do believe that you can outgrow for a fragrance, and others agree, in part because “our skin composition changes, though, and changes uniquely” as we age (Harrison, D.). Personally, I believe that sophisticated scents are the best choice for adult women (like myself). Your teenage years are your prime time to experiment with candy apple and cotton candy cologne sprays.
Perfumes should be correct for the occasion. A musky, sexy scent works better for a date, while something bright and fresh is great for work.

I also want to abolish the idea of a “signature scent.” When a woman chooses one perfume and wears no other fragrance for years, I feel like that can be boring. In contrast, mixing things up with different fragrances says, “I’m interesting, dynamic, and multi-faceted.” I wear a lot of different perfumes (not at once, of course) for a variety of reasons.

For example, I wear Beautiful by Estée Lauder sometimes because my grandmother wore it and it reminds me of her. When it comes to that fragrance, I usually spritz it on before bed because it relaxes me — it makes me think of Grandma. I do not tend to wear it when I go out, because it smells a bit too mature for my age. Some of my daily favorites include Chanel №5, Demeter’s Laundromat, and Lancôme’s Trésor; each of these scents are drastically different, and I wear them depending on the occasion and my mood.

If you’re shopping for a fragrance, check out more of my top picks below.

La Vie Est Belle: Attracts a Ton of Compliments

Especially if you’re in your twenties, I would recommend La Vie Est Belle by Lancôme. It’s a floral scent and has notes of iris, yet it also has sweet gourmand notes which remind me of a chocolatier shop. It’s sweetness is why I recommend La Vie Est Belle to younger women in particular, though it is suitable for all ages. Julia Roberts is the model that the company chose to represent this perfume, and that beautiful actress is not in her twenties. I also think of La Vie Est Belle as more of a “day time” perfume, and I any time I have worn it, I have gotten compliments. It’s a bright, happy scent, yet it’s not too playful to be worn by adults.

Black Opium: Warm, Sensual, and Superb

In contrast with La Vie Est Belle, Black Opium by Yves Saint Laurent is a spicy, oriental scent that is a great pick for evening use — especially if your night involves some romance. While it has deep notes of patchouli, pink pepper, and cedar, these are balanced with sweet notes of vanilla, jasmine, and orange blossom. Since I like spicy oriental perfumes, I love Black Opium. It is classy and tasteful, without smelling too “mature.” It is also a sexy scent without being over the top. If you have ever smelled Magie Noire by Lancôme, you know that some orientals really intense. Don’t worry, Black Opium is much softer than Magie Noir, and it’s a great spicy fragrance.

L’eau D’issey: A Fresh Favorite

While I typically wear a lot of oriental perfumes like Black Opium, I also enjoy wearing “clean” scents, especially during the daytime. L’eau D’issey by Issey Miyake is an excellent choice for ladies looking for a fresh, uplifting scent. It fragrance has notes of freesia, cyclamen, lotus, and melon. This complex “aquatic floral” fragrance also includes notes of peony, lily, carnation, cedar, and amber. Because L’eau D’issey is long-lasting, you know that you’re getting a good deal. Before I go out for the day, I enjoy spritzing this on my scarf or dabbing it on my wrists. Whenever I want a pick-me-up, I just lift my wrist to my nose and enjoy the fragrance.

Christian Dior J’adore: A Stylish, Sophisticated Floral

This perfume has been popular for a long time never seems to go out of style. I wear J’adore Eau de Parfum often and appreciate that it is soft and not overpowering. Since J’adore features notes of jasmine, rose, and ylang-ylang, it’s no wonder that I love it — those are some of my favorite flowers! I also think it’s a great scent because it is “wearable” both day and night.

Whatever fragrance you choose, here are some tips to keep in mind.

To make your scent of choice last longer, apply it to moisturized skin after you bathe or shower.
Perfumes can ruin jewelry, especially pearls — think about where that atomizer is pointed before you spray.
Consider storing your perfumes in the refrigerator. I keep my fragrances in the fridge because they should be stored in a cool, dark place. Over time, temperature changes and heat can change the way your fragrance smells. Because I have multiple perfumes, I do not use them up very quickly, so I’m selective about storage.
Just 1–2 sprays should be enough. You want other people to smell your fragrance ONLY when they are physically close to you. Have you ever smelled a man wearing a stinky body spray in a store when he wasn’t even on the same aisle? That’s what I’m talking about. Wearing too much of a scent is the olfactory equivalent of shouting.
Wear your perfume on pulse points. For example, applying it to your inner wrists or behind your ears. Because these places are warm, dabbing your perfume there helps to give off the scent.
A perfume might damage or stain clothing, so it’s best to avoid spraying your favorite sweater. I do like to wear my fragrance on an inexpensive scarf sometimes.
When it comes to layering perfumes, don’t go overboard. Your perfume was carefully formulated and won’t necessarily combine well with a second scent. If you’re curious about combining scents, you may want to try it out a few minutes before showering. If your experiment doesn’t turn out like you expected, you can wash it away!

Please feel free to share some of your own fragrance tips and recommendations! Thank you for reading this post.

Note: I do not work for or with any of the brands I mentioned; I am just sharing my personal opinions. If I have used your Unsplash image, thank you for making your excellent work shareable.

Sources:

Harrison, D. (2012, August 28). Am I too old for my fragrance? Retrieved November 19, 2019, from https://lifestyle.howstuffworks.com/style/body-scents-fragrances/too-old-for-my-fragrance.htm.

Kirkpatrick, K. (2012, September 17). Why can one perfume produce different scents on the same person? Retrieved November 19, 2019, from https://lifestyle.howstuffworks.com/style/body-scents-fragrances/perfume-difference.htm.

Spencer, B. (2013, December 9). Why smell of perfume is different for each of us: Receptors in the nose vary by 30% in two different people. Retrieved November 19, 2019, from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2520430/Why-smell-perfume-different-Receptors-nose-vary-30-different-people.html.