Answers to Some FAQs about Buying Perfume for Valentine's Day

Buying perfume for Valentine's Day can be confusing for many of you. This morning I did an on-air segment for a talk show in which I tried to make it easier for you to find the perfect scent. Here's some of what we talked about on the show, plus a whole lot more. Hope it takes some of the confusion out of finding a fabulous fragrance for your sweethart.

Where do I start when shopping for perfume for my Valentine?

Knowing which perfumes or colognes your valentine currently wears is a great place to start. This can give you clues about other scents they may like. At the very least, you can replenish their stock or buy a more luxurious version of it. For example, if she would never treat herself to the pure perfume in her scent, you could. 

You can also use the notes in her favorite fragrance to find others. You can find out which notes are in a certain perfume by googling the name of the perfume along with words “perfume notes.” Once you know which notes are in it, you can bring that information to the mall and look for other scents with similar notes. 

When you google the scent, also take note of which perfume category (also called a fragrance family) it belongs to. Sometimes you can sniff it out simply by smelling the perfume, but not always. Knowing the fragrance family helps refine and narrow your search. 

For example, if you go in knowing you're looking for a floral-oriental with rose and jasmine at the heart, you can avoid wasting time on all the spicy, woodsy, green and gourmand scents. 

Conversely, if you don’t like the perfume your valentine currently wears, you can use the list of notes to help you avoid perfumes like it. Even better, just use your nose.

Should I go with what the “perfume ladies” at the counter recommend?

Sure, if you think it will smell good on your significant other. Which means you need to have a fairly solid idea of how your sweetheart smells - naked and scented. 

Just remember: the first thing the perfume ladies will grab, show and try to spray on you is the fragrance they’ve been encouraged to push the hardest that month. It is the one that will get them the biggest commission. Yes, they need to earn a living, but not necessarily at your expense.

If you don't think the perfume they're pushing will smell good on your loved one's skin, don't buy it. This is why the more you know about the way your SO smells and what smells good on them, the better off you’ll be. 

What should I do if I don't know all that?

Try to remember one thing. Perfume makers expect you to make an uninformed, snap decision. So they make the first few minutes of a scent – those few precious seconds right after it’s been sprayed – as alluring and enticing as possible. They want you to fall in love and buy it then and there. 

But here's the deal. Those first notes (they're called top notes) fade in about 10-15 minutes. And when that first thrill is gone, you can be left with something that doesn't move you in the least. Guess what. That's the part of the perfume you actually live with all day and all night (the middle and bottom notes). 

So take your time. Don’t make the mistake of only smelling a perfume for a couple of minutes. Give it time to develop on the tester strip, or even on your skin. Give a scent at least a couple of hours to show you what's it's going to do. 

You don't rush your lovemaking. Don't rush your perfume buying.

But it gets so confusing, trying all these different scents. 

Yes, it does. Here’s what I do. I spray the scent on a tester strip, wait, sniff, wait again, then sniff again. I do this for a few minutes. Then I put the tester strip aside and move on to other scents. If, after a few minutes, I like something well enough on paper, I will try it on my skin. But I try to limit the number of scents I apply to my skin. Two on one arm, two on the other. I've done more and gotten totally confused. 

If you don't want to try anything on your skin, that's okay. It usually helps to smell perfume on skin, but if your body chemistry is a whole lot different than your sweetheart's it may not help you at all. Just write down the names of the perfumes on the tester strips so you can keep them straight. 

Then go do the rest of your shopping and revisit the tester strips toward the end of your shopping trip. You will probably find that one of the scents now appeals to you more than the others. And it may not be the one you expected. Can you imagine smelling and enjoying it on your sweetheart? Congratulations!

Should I buy something I like, or a fragrance I think my valentine will like?

Some guys and gals know what will smell great on their loves. Some don't. For those who are clueless, here's an idea. The next time you smell something you really like on a friend or a stranger, find out what it is and remember it. It's as good a starting point as any. 

I always tell women to wear what makes them feel sexy and confident, because we women are so much in our heads – if we don’t feel good about ourselves, it shows. And men like confident women, so you want to wear scents that make you feel great. He will pick up on it. 

That said, the fragrances that turn US on aren't always the ones that turn GUYS on. So what is a guy to do - should he buy something HE likes, or something YOU like? 

Guys, I suggest buying something you would really like to smell on your gal, something you think would make her feel wonderful and sexy and special. Something you would like to smell on her (and you) all day and all night.

The worst you can do is buy something your sweetie doesn’t totally love. It will still be okay, because the perfume will have come from you, and that is enough to make it special.

Is there any way to get a good deal on perfume? 

Yes, there is. We who live in Houston are lucky to have a street called Harwin, where there are many discount perfume shops. The two I shop at are Discount Perfume and Perfume Time. I’ve found that they have the “real deal” and a decent range of scents - even some hard-to-find and vintage fragrances. You can save quite a bit of money shopping there. 

You can also save a lot of money shopping for perfume online. If you email me, I can tell you how. ((scentsignals@mac.com))   

What’s the bottom line?

For me, the bottom line is that scent is a fantastic adventure. Have fun with it. Go perfume shopping together. There are far worse ways to spend an afternoon. Or bring home samples and try them out on each other. 

My valentine says the best perfume is the one that gets all over him when he and I snuggle. He's absolutely right. Because I love it when I get his scent on me. 

So go out and find something you'd like to smell on your sweetheart and on yourself. Then get to snuggling!

Happy Valentine's Day!

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When you choose a perfume, do not account on anybody except yourself.