You’re in desperate need to fall in love with a new fragrance! The butterflies in your belly… that rush when you finally find the one. Our entire life, we’ve been told that the best way to choose a perfume is to test it on the skin. It might be true but… did it ever feel easy to find the perfect scent? We can only try a couple at a time, because, as humans, our noses are easily overwhelmed with too much information. As you may now have succumbed to online shopping, we’d like to present you with the ultimate guide on how to shop fragrance online. It should help you whether you’re shopping for yourself, or whether you’re looking to gift someone with a new signature scent!
On this post you’ll learn:
- How to shop fragrance online (when you don’t have any idea of what you like)
- How to shop fragrance online (when you do know what you like)
How to shop fragrance online (when you don’t have any idea of what you like)
If you’re creative, an idealist or a dreamer
In this case, we’d say that it is essential to find a genuine engagement, an emotional connection with the brand, in order to shop fragrance online. Are you attracted to a particular brand? Does the image represent you and your style? Can it be a symbol of your personality? If your answer is yes, chances are that it is a match!
The color and style of the bottle all offer valid hints to help you understand the fragrance inside: feel free to judge the book by its cover! Regardless of the gender they are marketed to, perfumes will often feature stylized packaging that may help you make a decision. Is the packaging colorful and young, or is it classic and demure? Does it give you a sporty, casual feeling, or does it make you want to dress up? Which one of these styles would describe you better?
Now, that we’ve narrowed down the indicators that match your style, let’s examine the color codes! Generally speaking, blue bottles represent fresh, aquatic and marine fragrances; green speaks for naturality, citric or verdant fragrances; black and gold express intense scents with a luxurious feel. Last, but not least, pink-bottled perfumes may be more romantic and floral, while white bottles will often hold powdery, lightly floral and clean fragrances. Now that you know what visual information to search for, you’re ready to sail towards your new fragrance!
If you’re pragmatic, analytic and rational
An excellent approach in this case would be to be guided both by the notes and the fragrance family of your desired fragrance. The first thing you need to do is look up your favorite scents of all time; find their fragrance family, along with a list of their top, heart, and base notes. You’ll find one of two possible scenarios: either there’s a clear pattern among your favorites, or they have little in common. If there’s an obvious match of elements, congrats: you’ll be able to use the appropriate filters to find your next perfume from our perfume selection! If there are no matches to be found, congrats again! You are able to love more than one category of perfume! In this case, let’s use the procedure we’ve created for our idealist friends above; use color schemes and other visual hints to define your style, and explore from there.
If you feel like you need more criteria to narrow down your selection, consider browsing the fragrance family of your favorite perfume; alternatively, use filters to combine your favorite fragrance notes!
How to shop fragrance online (when you do know what you like)
Are you familiar with perfumes types and concentrations, fragrance families, and scent notes? Then you’ll have an easier time picking a new favorite fragrance.
Fresh
Citrusy, refreshing, sparkling or zesty: there are many words that perfectly portray fresh fragrances. The favorite ones to use in warmer months as well as in hot and humid climates, fresh fragrances can be found mostly in light or transparent bottles. The fragrance family is also helpful to find these perfumes. When it comes to notes, look for bergamot, lime (citruses in general), fig, and green, ozonic, or marine notes. If you like the sound of a particular combination, grab it!
Oriental
Warm and rich, oriental fragrances often feature resins, balsams, spices, woods and ouds, as well as amber and vanilla. These fragrances are easily recognizable by their unique character. Suggested for everyone, these perfumes are incredibly intense, a little love-it-or-hate-it. The bottles tend to be adorned in gold, looking both opulent and sophisticated. With intense presence, an oriental perfume is an excellent choice for the evening, as well as for formal occasions. Does this sound like you?
Floral
One of the classic families of perfumes, the romantic florals. Comprising virtually an endless list of notes, and crossing over the full spectrum of colors, it is a hard task to name a few. Popular floral notes would be iris, orange blossom, jasmine, tuberose, peony, violet and ylang-ylang–and of course, roses. You can find floral notes in almost every perfume without it necessarily meaning that they’re floral! A good hint to differentiate true florals is in the color of the bottle: look for pink, violet or purply glass.
Woody
Woods and mosses are present in most fragrances as base notes–but it is a different thing entirely to be a woody perfume. Generally speaking, some woody notes have more of a fresh and soft character (like vetiver and cedar) while others are deeper and more intense (such as patchouli and guaiac wood). Woody scents can also feel more earthy and green and are typically associated with masculine fragrances. However, we think that they are for everyone!
Sweet
Edible, sweet, gourmand… and irresistible! Sweet fragrances range from more youthful fruity-sweet to more sensual vanilla and creamy amber. If you spot vanilla, cinnamon and caramel on the main notes, you’re probably looking at an addictive sweet scent.
Extra Tip: you shouldn’t focus too much on the gender the perfume is marketed to. Ultimately, perfumes are compositions of notes that might appeal to anyone, regardless of gender!
