The Scent of a woman

Dear Betsy,
I am fed up with my regular perfume and want to try something new. I almost always find that I buy a new perfume then when I get it home I don’t like it anymore. What tips can you give me to help me to choose a new perfume that I will love? Should I buy eau de toilette or perfume and what is the difference between such products?
Della Pointer, Bahrain.

Dear Della,
Most women (and not a few men) will have done the same thing and these days making a FPM (fragrance purchase mistake) can be very costly. 
Selecting a fragrance is very serious business in my opinion, as our sense of smell is our most primitive sense and is directly linked to our memories.
Humans judge each other on how they perceive each others “smell” even before we speak or look at each other. So it can be a very important purchase. 
One thing you should not do is buy a scent because it smells nice on a friend or colleague. Due to our individual skin chemistry, it will not smell exactly the same on you. It is therefore vital that you try it on your skin.
It can be very difficult to try something new in a beauty store and be sure you will still like it the next day. 
The obvious thing is to request a sample of the fragrance that you can take home and try in your own environment without all the other fragrances, lights, humans etc around to distract your olfactory sensibilities.
I realise that this is not always possible as some companies don’t supply samples and sometimes those sample vials just never reach the customers!
There are a few simple guidelines that you can follow to help you successfully select a new fragrance.
Try not to eat garlic, curried or spicy foods the night before, as these type of foods can alter your own skins odour (when you perspire the odour is released through your skin).  Shower with an unperfumed vegetable soap or shower gel and don’t wear scented deodourant or any perfume or body lotion etc. 
You should apply new scents to your pulse points to ensure you get an idea of the full bouquet and body of the fragrance, these include the wrists and inside crook of the elbow. 
The fragrance should ideally be sprayed onto your skin or if this is not possible then dabbed lightly onto the skin (make sure YOU do the dabbing, not the shop assistant and make sure your hands are clean).
The fragrance should not be rubbed into your skin as this can break up the fragrance molecules and change the smell.
The technique for actually smelling the scent should be approached as if you were a wine expert sniffing a new vintage!
Take several, short, fast sniffs in through your nose (mouth closed). Rest a few moments then repeat, followed by some regular “smelling” of the scent.
The first thing you smell will be the top note (often citrus oils) a few  minutes later you will smell the middle note of the fragrance (often floral ) and after 15 to 30 minutes or later, you will smell the base note (often woody).
If you are fortunate enough to find a well trained fragrance sales consultant then he/she will be aware of most of these guidelines and be able to assist you with your selection.
You should try to let them know what fragrances you really love, as this will help them to recommend something in your
favourite genre or ‘note’.
There are four main ‘notes’ or fragrance classifications and most fragrances will fall into one of these classifications:
floral; citrus; oriental; woody.
There are many sub-classifications such as floral/oriental or citrus/floral.
There is a whole perfumer’s language that would take up pages of GulfWeekly but won’t really help you to choose a new fragrance, so I will leave it out! 
Try to sample only four to six new scents at a time as your olfactory senses will become a bit numb and confused, although it is believed that sniffing some coffee beans can revive them and some perfume houses do keep a jar behind the counter for just such an occasion.
Now to get to explain the differences between eau de toilette (weakest, least expensive, good for daytime and in hot weather) eau de parfum (medium strength, lasts a bit longer, more expensive, good for daytime/evening/cold weather, for those who prefer a stronger scent) and perfume (the pure essence, high in essential oils, longest lasting, most expensive and exquisite, good for evening, special occasions).
Whichever form of the fragrance you decide on you can probably match it up with a range of body products from deodourants, soap and shower gels to body oil sprays, body lotion, talc and luxurious body cream to enhance and prolong the life of your fragrance.
Remember that fragrances can make your skin photosensitive to sunlight so don’t apply it directly to your skin if you are going to be exposed either directly or indirectly to the sun or you may end up with unsightly pigmentation marks on your skin.
Instead, apply your fragrance to your hemline, cuffs, hair, hem of your blouse or jacket or onto your scarf or abaya etc.
Fragrances don’t have an unlimited shelf life. Once opened, they will probably remain sweet smelling for up to two years, but store them in a cool, dry and if possible dark place.
If you don’t want to smell like everyone-else then search out some niche brands such as Annick Goutal (Faces) or Serge Lutens (Al Hawaj) or Caron (Al Hawaj, Seef).
These superb designer fragrances can be combined to create your own ‘signature’ scent.
Finally, how do you know you have chosen THE perfume that suits you best?
When both men and women ask you: “What IS that perfume you are wearing?” as they drool over you .
For me, this happens when I wear a blend of Jo Malone’s ‘Tuberose’  with Annick Goutal’s ‘Songes’ and some … @%$#& ... well … I can’t give away all of my secrets!
Happy shopping Della, hope this helps you find a lovely new scent.