Your own body chemistry affects how different notes react on your skin. Anything that affects the “natural” smell of your skin, such as stress, hormonal changes, your current diet or medications, might change how a scent smells on you.
How do I test a new fragrance?
Women shopping for a new fragrance should never try more than 3 scents at a time, since their nose will lose the ability to differentiate among them. When testing a new fragrance, apply it directly to the skin, since one cannot get a true reaction to it from the bottle.
What are top, middle and base notes?
Top notes provide the first scent impression of a fragrance once it has been applied to the skin. They are usually lighter, more volatile aromas that evaporate readily. Their scent usually lingers for between 5 to 30 minutes. Middle notes, sometimes referred to as “heart notes”, make up the body of the blend. They may be evident from the start, but will usually take 10-30 minutes to fully develop on the skin. They are the notes that classify the fragrance family i.e floral. Base notes are those with the greatest molecular weight. They last the longest, and are important as fixatives, that is, they help slow down the evaporation rates of the lighter notes, giving the fragrance holding power. Common base notes include oakmoss, patchouli, woods, musk and vanilla.