This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Katelyn Rodriguez. Find her on Instagram at @katelynrodwrites. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
It’s officially 2023 and instead of making resolutions I know I won’t stick to, I decided to create a series of goals for myself to accomplish this year. One of those goals is to find my signature scent. When I first wrote down the goal I was a little intimidated because of how many different fragrance brands and stores there are — I also have a history of buying perfume and never using it. I am determined to break my past perfume cycle and find one (OK maybe multiple) that I genuinely like. On that note, here are five tips on how to find your signature scent!
Take Perfume Quizzes
This step is pretty easy and helpful if you’re new to the perfume search or just need a little push. I ended up taking two, one from well-known beauty retailer Sephora and the other from fragrance company Dossier. Considering that Sephora’s in-store perfume wall is always stocked, I expected a little more from their fragrance quiz. There were only three questions regarding what kind of scent you’re looking for, how you want it to smell and if you want to see bestsellers, trending or top-rated fragrances. The results are a bit overwhelming, but well-rounded because they provide you with a variety of scents, as well as rollerball options, home fragrances, cologne and gift sets. On the other hand, the Dossier quiz, in my opinion, is perfect. It asks you a range of detailed questions regarding your preferences, including what brands you’ve previously used, what scents you like or dislike and what kind of scent you want (masculine, feminine, neutral, etc.). While you do have to insert your email to see your results, I think it is worth it. It shows you results from the brand and tells you what popular scent it’s close to. A bonus is that Dossier’s fragrances range in price from $29 to $49, so they definitely won’t break the bank.
Don’t Follow Scent Trends Just Because Your Favorite Celebrity/Influencer Uses It
Just because your fave uses a specific fragrance or is featured in a campaign for one doesn’t mean you should buy it. For starters, it could be overpriced, which isn’t always great. Secondly, you might not like the scent. Going to a store and smelling a fragrance in person is always a crucial step to finding one you want to wear. For example, I remember when Harry Styles was in Gucci’s campaign for Mémoire D’une Odeur. Being a Harry Styles fan, I thought it would be a good idea to buy the smallest size of the fragrance. However, this was during COVID and Sephora wasn’t letting anyone use the testers so I had to go in blind and buy it without smelling it first. Upon opening the package, spritzing some and smelling it I discovered I hated it. It wasn’t what I expected from the fragrance, so I, unfortunately, had to return it. I made a vow to myself from that moment forward to never buy something my fave promotes unless I try it first.
Go to a perfume lab and create your own scent
A quick google search can easily show you perfume labs in your area so you can create your own custom scent. While this option might be more costly, you can still have the satisfaction of telling people you made your own fragrance. If you don’t want to go to an in-person lab, there are also a variety of online options for you to choose from. For example, the website Waft allows you to create a custom fragrance, pick a bottle and add your custom message to it all for $59.
Testers and samples are your best friend
In any perfume finding situation, testers are going to be your best ally. Once you find one or multiple scents you like, either spray some on or ask if the store you’re in gives out samples of the product to try at home. Take home multiple samples if you can. This way you can switch it up daily and find one that works best for you and your everyday life. This is an important step because fragrances change with your body chemistry, so they will smell different on everyone.
Try finding fragrances for multiple seasons
Lastly, finding a fragrance for different seasons can also be beneficial. If you’re trying to find a fragrance in the spring, lean more toward florals if that’s your thing or opt for something light. Crisp scents or citruses work well as summer fragrances, whereas warmer, spice-laden scents are better for fall and winter. Having multiple fragrances in your wheelhouse is always good since you can change them up based on your mood too if you don’t want to seasonally. Overall, finding your signature scent is something that might take some time based on your personal preferences, but is worth it in the end.
Do you have any other tips on how to find your signature scent? Let us know in the comments!
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