The latest trends, techniques, and insider secrets—revealed.

Spring Fever
Ditch the heavy winter musk—there’s a fresh, flirty fragrance waiting right around the corner.
By Claire Sulmers

It will soon be time to replace our wool sweaters with formfitting tops, chuck those long johns for flouncy skirts, and trade in our strong winter scents for something decidedly lighter. But finding a seasonal fragrance that strikes just the right balance between jolie and je ne sais quoi can be hard work. Walk into any department store, and you’ll immediately be inundated with a dizzying array of competing scents and salespeople (a scene that’s usually more harrying than it is helpful). That’s why at Beauty Addict, we’ve spritzed, sniffed, and grilled the experts—so you don’t have to! Here, a step-by-step guide to picking the perfect spring fragrance.

Narrowing the Notes
One of the first steps to choosing an aroma is acknowledging that fragrance is exceedingly personal. “Each woman has her own unique odor identity,” says Rochelle Bloom, president of the New York City–based Fragrance Foundation institute. “Individual body chemistry is what makes a fragrance special.” So just because your coworker smells great in Chanel No. 5 doesn’t mean you will. Mandy Aftel, owner of the California perfumery Aftelier, adds, “The single most important thing is how a perfume smells on your own skin, not the image that’s connected to the fragrance.” In other words, you may love Marc Jacobs couture, but don’t automatically assume that his perfume is for you; you’ve got to try it to be sure.

When contemplating which fragrances to sample for spring, consider floral, citrus, or marine scents with light aromas. Floral scents, the most popular and far-reaching fragrance category, have the romantic, feminine notes of a single fresh cut flower or, more likely, a blend of several blooms, such as rose, jasmine, honeysuckle, tuberose, and lily of the valley. Citrus fragrances blend the zesty notes of fruits like lemon, orange, mandarin, and grapefruit, while marine scents are clean, effervescent blends reminiscent of sea breezes and cool morning dews.

Choosing a Compound
Now that you’ve narrowed the field a bit, you’ll want to remember that most fragrances come in five key concentrations that determine their strength and staying power (the higher the concentration, the pricier the scent). Particularly in warmer weather, many women opt for a lighter concentration to achieve a subtler olfactory effect.

Perfume: The most intense and long-lasting concentration, perfume has an 18 to 24 percent fragrance compound. It can be applied to all pulse points, from the ankle to the ear.
Eau de parfum: With approximately 15 to 18 percent concentration, eau de parfum is lighter than perfume and can be sprayed from head to toe before dressing.
Eau de toilette: The strength most women purchase for themselves, eau de toilette has an 8 to 15 percent concentration. Spray it on every two to three hours to keep the aroma fresh.
Eau de cologne: With a 3 to 8 percent fragrance compound, eau de cologne can be applied liberally. It doesn’t provide long-lasting fragrance, so it’s best combined with a similarly scented lotion or cream.
Body sprays: Ideal to carry in your purse for pick-me-up spritzes, body sprays have the lowest fragrance concentration.

Finding a Fragrance
Once you’ve determined the type of scents and concentrations you prefer, it’s time to try on a few for size. Experts agree that a scent strip is the first step. “People should first preview the fragrance on a strip, then if they like it, try it on their skin,” Moran says. After you’ve dabbed a scent on your wrist, wait a few minutes to allow it to mingle with your body chemistry and heat (this will allow the top notes to subside a bit and the middle and base notes to emerge). When you feel you have a good reading and are ready to try your next selection, sniff the coffee beans available on the counter to reset your scent receptors. Test the second scent on your other wrist, and the next on the inside of your elbow, again taking a coffee-bean break in between.

Though you may be tempted to hit every bottle, Bloom recommends testing no more than three perfumes on your skin per visit. “The sense of smell quickly develops odor fatigue if it’s exposed to too many sensations in a short time,” she explains. If you don’t find what you’re looking on your first trip, don’t feel pressured to make a purchase; continue to take trips until you find a keeper. Once you’ve purchased your dream scent, be sure to store it in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight. Also bear in mind that that once a perfume bottle is opened, its scent begins to fade, so it’s best to spritz and spray away. And while misting your clothing may seem like a good idea, remember that perfume can stain fabrics, so spray scents on your body before you get dressed, and you’ll avoid unnecessary trips to the dry cleaner.

Photo credit: Emma Payne

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