I have got a friend who always complains that her expensive Ralph Lauren perfume smells much better on her sister than it actually does on her.

Well, it might be sad for my friend for she had invested a major portion of her first salary on that bottle, but it definitely underlines one of the major difficulties in choosing the right perfume.

Choosing the right fragrance is very important as it speaks a great deal about your personality and even your likings to some extent. Finding a fragrance of your choice is not a matter of concern here. The problem is perfumes never smell the same on the body as it does in the bottle. More interestingly, every body has its own chemical composition, and so the perfume reacts differently on different bodies taking up an individualistic characteristic.

However, with proper time-tested checks in place, finding the right kind of fragrance is not a very difficult task. Here are some important steps on how to choose the right perfume –

First and foremost you need to know what fragrance you like the most. If you have a favorite then great, but if you’re confused then you can take advice of the salesperson at the perfume counter. Fragrances are usually categorized into broad scent groups like floral, oriental, fruity, greens, woody and oceanic.

Most people have a tendency of trying fragrances one after another at a random. But it is important to note that our nose can smell at the maximum three scents. So be careful.

All good perfumes always have three notes in them. By ‘note’ we mean three levels of fragrances – the top note is the most fragrant level that hits you most but it is also the first to evaporate. The middle note takes time to develop and lasts for a longer period of time. And finally the base note is the one which stays with you all through out the day.

Since most perfumes are very expensive you should always take your time. Apply a bit of the perfume on your pulse and try the first note. Then keep it for at least 10 to 15 minutes to try the second note. In some perfume you can get the third note within an hour. However there are some that take few hours also. In such cases my advice would be to come back the next day to make the purchase.

Always choose a perfume only when you like its fragrance and it suits your personality. Never make the mistake of buying a perfume just because it is new in the market and is considered fashionable in that season.