Making Sense of Purchasing a Scent for Valentine’s Day – Brian’s Blog

Buying perfume for a lady as a gift for Valentine's Day is one of the most personal purchases that a guy can make. How can you do it and be successful?

Buying the wrong perfume for someone can be a very expensive mistake. Since smell is such a strong memory stimulant, the wrong choice could have repercussions for years.

We ran across some suggestions from AskMen.com about some of the criteria in picking a scent from Victoria's Secret's Mark Knitowski.

 Fragrance is very personal and transformative. It is very dependent on the person — what she likes and how she likes to wear it. Fruity, floral, citrus, and fresh green notes are considered more for day — they are more bright, wet, dewy, and crisp. Musks, woods (cedarwood, sandalwood), suede notes, and vanilla are usually considered more for evening — they are large molecules that project longer due to the way they adhere and interact with the skin.

 

Women who wear floral scents in the evening say they feel more seductive. Women who wear a vanilla- and wood-based scent during the day say it makes them feel good. It is really personal. It will help you tell how well you know your woman and where you are in your relationship if you pick a fragrance that is right for her.

 

What about a woman's body chemistry?

Just because it smells good on a friend, it may not smell good on her. The warmth of the skin, what she eats, what beauty body products she uses all play a role in how a fragrance will smell on her skin. Some women may push green notes more, others the warmth. You really need to try it on your own skin.

 

For men to navigate to the right scent for a gift, they need to be observant and in tune with their woman. What does she wear now? Ask her why, what is it about the fragrance that she loves? When she looks through magazines and smells, what does she like? When you go shopping and you go through the fragrance section, what does she try and what makes her smile? Get a few ideas of what she likes, and why she likes it. This should help guide you through the massive array of scents out there to find one that will connect with her. Plus, it is a gift from you. She may love it just because you gave it to her, regardless if it is a scent she normally would wear.

What's the most common mistake a man makes when buying a perfume?

Not listening or asking what she likes and why. Don’t buy a fragrance because you like the way it smells on someone else — that is a huge mistake. It more than likely will not smell the same on her, and it will make you think of the person who you smelled it on.

This is not good. It should be (and is) all about her! Nobody is a mind reader, so the more you know that special someone the more you will know what will resonate and connect with them, and you will make the right choice.

or asking what she likes and why. Don’t buy a fragrance because you like the way it smells on someone else — that is a huge mistake. It more than likely will not smell the same on her, and it will make you think of the person who you smelled it on.

 

Does that simplify it a bit? If not, here's some help.