Finding Your Own Scent

"Carman" and I were watching Law and Order the other night.  Detective Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) was saying that she could define an age group based on the smell of her perfume.

Now take the aroma of a grapefruit.

The Smell and Taste Institute in Chicago  conducted a study to determine what makes women smell younger to men.

A grapefruit fragrance, it was determined, created the illusion of a much younger (about 6 years) woman.  

So, ladies, on your mark.  Get set. Go to your cosmetic store.  Or your supermarket.  Whichever is closer.  

Choosing a perfume to suit you can be as complicated as picking out shoes, hairstyles, or clothes.  What smells good on your friend may not compliment you; that's because our scent is determined not only by the fragrance in the bottle but also by our own bodily chemistry which blends with the bottled scent to become our very own. 

 

Follow these fragrance pointers to achieve the impression you're aiming for:

Be patient to get the full impact of the fragrance.

Change your perfume with the seasons.

Change your perfume depending on where you are.

Shop for perfume when your sense of smell is the greatest--in the afternoon.

Dry skin requires more fragrance than oily skin.

Wait until you're showered and dried before application.

Consider your pulse points for maximum effects.

Don't wear another fragrance on the day you plan to test new ones.

Don't overdo your perfume.

Fragrant spray near pearls or costume jewelry can damage them.