How To Choose The Perfect Fragrance For Women?

Written by: Anusha Sree Kakara.

Perfumes have been the most important part of a women’s vanity for centuries. Of all the six senses, the sense of smell is the most prominent one and is often associated with emotions of love, joy, sensuality, and femininity - everything women represented! Thus making ‘Perfume’ the must-have for every woman. Now times have changed and fragrances are used as a way of self-expression and to make a statement but their association with women is not lost!

The idea of the perfect fragrance might change from one person to another. It depends on how each person perceives smell and how they relate to different fragrances. But if you know how to find the fragrances that you like, you are on the right path. If not, let us help you on your quest to find the perfect Fragrance for women

Whether you are looking for a perfume for yourself or for a loved one, we hope this article helps you.

Here are some things to remember before choosing a  Fragrance for women

Fragrance For Women

1) Understand notes

Based on the amount of time it takes to disappear, most fragrances have three notes - Top notes, Middle notes, and Base notes. The dry-down time determines how a perfume is expressed and which notes are apparent.

Top notes or as they are also called-opening notes are usually the first whiff of scent you notice when you put on the perfume. Commonly made of light notes like citrus, floral and fruity fragrances for Perfume for women. Top notes are usually the first to fade out as the time passes and transition into the middle notes. It usually takes anytime between 10 min to 2 hours for the top notes to evaporate.

Middle notes are known as the heart of a fragrance as they play an important role in expressing both the top notes and base notes. Heart notes last a little bit longer than the top notes. They stay on your skin for 2 to 4 hours. The heart notes are commonly made of green, floral, fruity, and spicy accords. 

Base notes are enduring fragrance notes that create a lasting impression. They blend with middle notes and slowly reveal themselves with a rich and deep expression. Base notes are traditionally made of musky, woody, and mossy notes that have a unique ability to hold and elevate other fragrances. Base notes stay on your skin anywhere between 4 to 8 hours depending on the perfume concentration.  

Although you may not like the fragrance of each of these components separately, they blend together to form a beautiful scent. So it is important to experience a Fragrance for women in its entirety when you try it first.

2) Study women's fragrance families and how each scent interacts with your body chemistry.

There are 8 fragrance families namely Aromatic, Floral, Citrus, Chypre, Fougere, Oriental, Leather, and Woody. Most varieties of Perfume for women are made of these fragrance families and their subfamilies. To understand these fragrance families, you should experience how each of them smells individually. You should notice how they interact with each other, and most importantly your body chemistry. Until you find a perfume of your liking, try perfumes from different fragrance families and notice how they smell on you. Here is a small guide to help you differentiate between different fragrances and their subfamilies.  

  • Aromatic fragrances have scents like Aquatic, Fruity, Spicy, and Green subfamilies. The spicy and herby fragrances add depth to the perfume. An excellent example of an aromatic perfume is Qafiya 04, the perfect Perfume for women who love masculine fragrances, and Amaze for Women is an aromatic feminine fragrance.
  •  Floral fragrances are by far the most popular choice of Fragrance for women. With the scents of sweet flowers and spring, floral fragrances have become synonymous with feminine perfumes. Aristocrat Femme Floral is a celebrated women’s perfume by Ajmal Perfumes.
  • Citrus fragrances add a zesty and vibrant lightness to your perfumes and are often commonly observed in daytime and outdoor fragrances as the top or middle notes. They give a refreshing vibe that wakes you up. If you want to try a good citrus perfume look no further than Sierra and Dawn EDP for women. 
  • Chypre is a relatively lesser-known fragrance family until you notice the familiar fragrances of citrus, moss, woody scents, and labdanum. Oath Fragrance for women is our best-selling Chypre perfume with the delicate middle notes of this fragrance family.
  • Fougere was a fragrance initially catered to men but slowly gained popularity among women for its neutral and green scents. If you are someone who dislikes the overpowering sweetness of women’s perfumes, Fougere is the fragrance for you.
  • Oriental fragrance has rich and sensual subfamilies like citrus amber, floral oriental, oriental gourmand, woody oriental amber, and spicy oriental amber. Even though oriental fragrances have been around since the beginning of perfumery, they have only gained popularity in recent times. Ajmal Perfumes has a variety of oriental fragrances, specially made for women.
  • Leathery fragrances are now trending, with a lot of women opting for neutral fragrances rather than the conservative gourmand fragrances “assigned” to women for ages. If you haven’t ever tried a leathery perfume, you should start with Qafiya 04. It's a perfect Unisex perfume, so you can share it with your man too!
  • Woody fragrances offer an opulent warmth to your perfumes. They are a crowd favorite among the women who want to stay away from floral fragrances. They are rich and extravagant which makes them perfect to blend with sweet and musky fragrances. Ajmal Perfumes offers the ‘W’ series which celebrates the versatility of woody fragrances.

    Some of these fragrances may suit you perfectly and some may not. Trying out a few will help you find your favorite fragrance.

Read  : The Ultimate Guide to Choose The Best Perfume For Men

3) Experiment with different fragrance concentrations.

Based on their concentration, there are various types of perfumes available in the market. Perfume oils, Eau de Parfums, Eau de Toilettes, Eau de Colognes, Viole de Parfums, and Eau Fraiche are some of the common forms of a perfume. Concentration influences the fragrance’s characteristics like a perfume's durability, the strength of its scent, and its sillage. Perfume oils are the most concentrated form of a fragrance while Eau de Parfum is the most popular Fragrance for women. If you like mild perfumes, you could choose water-based perfumes like Viole de Parfums and Eau Fraiche.

4) Don’t try too many fragrances at once.

Fragrances are quite confusing! It's impossible to choose a Fragrance for women without trying it on first or at least without knowing the fragrance notes in its composition. Be it samples or testers, don’t try more than 3 or 4 perfumes at a time. Wear the perfume for at least 4 hours before you make a purchase because you should experience middle and base notes before deciding whether you like it in its entirety or not. Samples are the best way to understand a fragrance and know how it smells on you during different times of the day and during different seasons.

Fragrance For Women

5) Think about how the perfume makes you feel when you try it.

Perfume for women has always been associated with love, longing, memories, and sensuality. People often say that they remember a loved one by their perfume, that's how strongly we associate with smells. Fragrances are a passive and very effective way of self-expression. We usually wear perfume for our pleasure but we can also use fragrances to express our personality or simply make a statement. Once you start noticing how people around you feel about the way your fragrance smells, you can use it as a powerful tool to attract people’s attention and make them feel good and confident about themselves.

6) Keep in mind when you are going to wear it.

The perfect Fragrance for women exists but there is no such thing as ‘one Perfume for women that fits all’ in the world of perfumes. For instance, fragrances made of citrusy, and fresh notes are perfect for a day out while Chypre and Fougere perfumes are good for work or business-related interactions. For casual occasions, just a dab of fruity or floral fragrance and you are good to go! And we suggest a good oriental or woody perfume for special occasions or date nights. Our suggestion is to buy two or three classic perfumes that are suitable for every occasion in your social calendar and you are all set.

7) How to apply perfume?

The most important aspect of perfuming is where and how to apply it. Experts suggest that slightly dabbing or spritzing perfume on pulse points like the inside of your wrists and elbows and the nape of your neck will improve the way it interacts with your skin and prolong its fragrance. The heat from your skin will allow the perfume to express itself slowly as the time passes for that beautiful fragrance and a wonderful sillage. You can alternatively spritz a little on your hairbrush and comb your hair with it for that lasting scent. Make sure you do not “drown” yourself in the perfume because a spritz of Fragrance for women goes a long way.

8) Expensive doesn’t mean better.

Never ever buy an expensive perfume thinking it would be good just because it's costly. People assume that only expensive perfumes from luxury brands are better but there are plenty of perfumes that give a beautiful expression and enduring fragrance that only cost a few bucks. And you don’t have to be a trained ‘nose’ to recognize those wonderful fragrances, all you need is practice. When you try a perfume, notice if it smells very alcoholic or like medicine, if it does, it is not something you should be investing in. Once you try a few perfumes, you will get better at noticing if it's luxurious or simply expensive.

9) Don’t rush - Don’t end up buying the first perfume you’ve tried.

A good rule of thumb is to try a few fragrances before making something your ‘signature perfume’. You can try a good Fragrance for women by Ajmal Perfumes or scroll through our collection of Unisex perfumes for a unique fragrance experience. Try at least a few perfumes with different fragrance combinations and concentrations and choose the one you like and get the most compliments for.

10) What if you don’t like anything after looking for so long?

We have a suggestion for that too. You can try layering different fragrances or using different fragrance combinations. This can give you a unique fragrance that you might actually like. Work with various basic fragrances until you found something you like. You could also mix your favorite lotion with a perfume you think might blend well with it. Who knows? You might end up making the best Fragrance for women.

If you want to learn more about perfumes and fragrances for men and women or want to find a good perfume for you or your loved ones, visit the Ajmal Perfumes website. Explore the world of perfumes with a new and informed perception along with our expert perfumers.

Read Also: Now Feel Powerful and Smell Your Best with Ajmal Fragrances