May 11, i.e. Mother’s Day is around the corner. It has to arrive whether you are ready for it or not.
For us, whether we are intrepid and avid shoppers, Mother’s Day brings a special challenge. That’s why perfumes is a favorite gift. It’s appreciated, luxurious, and almost every woman loves it (and rarely purchases it for themselves).
However, navigating the perfume shelf can be a challenge for newbies or for those who don’t know much about fragrance. To start themselves can be completely intimidated.
So, here is how you can don the fragrance counter, even if you have no experience shopping for perfume before. We’ve gathered together seven easy and quick things you have to know to survive this.
Sale
Perfume never goes on sale. It is never cheap. Perfumes have not been on sale since those days Marie Antoinette suggested peasants eat cake. It is important to frame the search properly.
Believe the Temptation
The people on perfume counters might try to lure you with beautifully packaged gift sets. The packages will have combined fragrance and shower gel or lotion and spray cologne. They will assure you that their package is the deal of the year. Don’t laugh and believe them. It’s because the fragrance industry along with the perfume bottle manufacturers will offer you a real bargain.
Know the Grades
Perfumes are offered in different “grades”; from the most potent to the least potent and some levels in-between. However, no official standards are there in the perfume industry and these gradations are blurred.
You are quite safe buying “Eau-de-parfum” (the mid-levels) since it’s stronger, high-quality, luxurious, and what most perfume lovers prefer. If your mother loves a lighter touch, you can move down to cologne or toilette water but understand they wear off quicker.
Know How buy Perfumes Smells
The way perfumes smell fresh out of a bottle is not the way they will smell on human skin. Every custom glass bottles manufacturer makes a design called “top notes”. It has deceptive little fragrance molecules that come out of the bottle like “buzz” when you get your first whiff.
These top notes fade away like a flash; four minutes is standard. What you smell over the long period are the “heart notes.” For this reason, it is not useful to sniff at a bunch of perfume bottles.
Know the Fragrance Family
There are several rough groupings of fragrance families. The huge ones are fruity-florals, florals, woodsy, Orientals (spice), and fresh. Orientals have spicy smells but don’t think “hot.” Think cinnamon, vanilla, and cloves.
The smell of Woodsy includes “green” scents that have nothing to do with being eco-friendly. They include different things named for trees and plants (that fragrance mavens call “botanicals”) and moss.
A new trend to influence the fragrance world is a group of fragrances called “fresh”. It smells mild, like fresh air or soap. As a rule of thumb: florals and Orientals are considered stronger and “more mature”. Similarly, fresh scents and fruity-florals are youthful and woodsy scents are sophisticated.
Tell About Your Mom
Factors to tell the buy perfumes seller about your mother to help pick a scent. You should know perfume preferences, dress, and general taste. Tell the seller is your mom Youthful? Dramatic? sporty? Business type? Or Soccer mom?). Also, whether or not she is a fashion freak.
If she likes being fashionable, get the salesperson to lead you towards the latest buy perfumes arrivals at the perfume counter. Believe me, the buy perfume industry contains more fads than the shoe industry. New perfumes hit the market frequently than news tickers about the Democratic primaries.
Play With Scent
Don’t hesitate to try something new on this Mother’s Day. It’s enticing to go for mom’s favorite scent (the one that suits her dress) or older fragrances she likes. Perfume is fun when it is played a bit. Most mature moms regard buy perfumes like cats. The woman who likes one cat usually likes a whole range of cats, perhaps all cats. That goes the same with perfumes. People who like perfume like all types of perfume.
Wrap Up
It all comes down to one last moment: you will have to make a decision this Mother’s Day. In contrast to your instincts, smelling all scents will not help you much, unless the perfume salesperson is empathetic, savvy, and underworked. Asking for “Mother’s Day” help will be much of a solution, either. You only have to pick.
So, pick a fragrance family, search for a deal (usually a gift set), and make your decision. It’s hard to go too far wrong.