Fashion and perfume are intimately connected. In the words of Christian dior “Perfume is the finishing touch to a dress.” Obviously the main purpose is to have a beautiful scent, but it can also reflect your style and aid in the execution of it. Having a signature scent can be apart of your identity, but you also want to match it to occasion, time, as well as place and of course your style.
This is why is fragrence is referred to the finishing touch.When you align your fragrance of choice to your style, it creates a heightened sense of style that isn’t seen but felt. And not only by others, but yourself. It gives you a newfound confidence and develops your personal style to new heights that no garment can offer.
The perfume or clogne you wear should enhance your image and move with you through the seasons. In the same way we make adjustments to our wardrobe from one season to another, our scent should follow. Often brands or fashion houses offer parfum, eau de parfum, and eau de toilette. You can think of this as three levels of a hierachy.
Parfum being the strongest, most concentrated and considered to be the most luxurious of fragrance that lasts Six to eight hours and perfect for special occasions, evening and night. Eau de parfum is diluted, but incredibly rich with depth. Traditionally it is very good to be worn for long evenings out or busy days lasting Four or five hours. Eau de Toilette is the the lightest offering, typically the most subtle and is considered to be appropriate for daytime, school, or office wear. It may need application after several hours, based on how acidic your skin is it lasts Two to three hours.
This is choice based off time, another aspect to consider is the weather since this will impact how the scent opens up. While an Eau de parfum offers greater warmth and substance in cooler temperatures, an Eau de toilette may be preferred in hot or humid climates.
Typically you should apply according to the season and make the selection in line with your looks. Psychologically, there is a close connection between memories and fragrance since the same part of the brain governs memories, emotions, and smell. It’s very primitive. When making a selection it is all about marrying your inner beauty to your outer presence.
Natural elements such as the herbal, coniferous, green, water, and cirus aromas encourage brain activity and the development of the creative thinking process. This is the fresh family, often the core of many fragrances. Rosy, flowery, gentle, and fragile scents fall into the floral family are traditionally feminine and are found within perfumes that may ease anxiety and tension while fostering mental serenity. Traditional masculine fragrances have a reputation for revitalizing and uplifting their wearers with their blend of spicy, dry, mossy, woodsy, warm, and rich notes. The amber family is represented by the rustic, natural, sensual and sweet scents that are found to sooth and nurture the wearer.
You can use these scents in line with your aesthetic, personality, mood, or needs. For example, in “The Psychological Basis of Perfumery” a psychologist Paul Jellinek examined how that emotionally secure and introverted individuals have a higher penchant for potent flowery oriental scents such as YSL’s Opium.
These women in the study were noted for being incredibly creative indivudals full of ideas, yet their ambition can be extremely draining. They have magnetism and charm that appeals, but they don’t look to other’s approval to feel complete. They also don’t want to be the center of attention and focus more on concepts or drive behind doors to shine once ready to go out. The scent carries this sentiment through intensity, mystique, charm, and allure in it’s founding. They’re more mysterious though a dark and deep sort of sweet that mirrors the notes.
So someone with emotionally secure and outgoing personalities tend to select a more welcoming and worm scent such as Valentino’s Born in Roma. This is a flowery fragrance with a spicy undertone, reminiscent of Roman street fashion and cutting-edge haute couture. The exquisite rich pink florals mingled with boozy bourbon vanilla, creates a gorgeously vibrant and warm yet wild scent with complex intensity. Since these people are noted to be dynamic and expressive, naturally inspired, open-minded, and the life of the party or the one that catches everyone’s eye.
That is why when you’re choosing your perfume or cologne, it’s best to opt for one that really speaks to you and you’re nature. It can help you project your image forward, and be more memorable. People will begin to connect your nature to the scent and by extensions your style is elevated.
As an image consultant, I have spoken with clients who want to develop their personal style further. As we know, style is so much more than wearing a beautiful garment, it’s your way of wearing it. How you hold your bag, how you hold yourself. They curate a gorgeous collection, but when they style an outfit it somehow feels that a piece is missing that completes the look.
This is where fragrance comes in, it’s a matter of harmoise the pieces. Transforming an outfit into a look and fragrance has the power to create a moment. To ground yourself into a memory as it has this psychological impact, you want to be conscious of your selection. How you smell is just as defining, expressive, and significant as how you dress, and this is something we may disregard, but even if you’re dressed to the nines, an off scent may completely negate the influence of your outfit. Selecting the perfect fragrance to match your unique sense of style is just as important as styling the perfect outfit for any event. It’s all about mastering the skill of blending your own style with the spirit of the event at hand to produce a look that transcends the moment and leaves a lasting impression..
As french fashion designer Paul Poiret once said, “My perfumes will do for your soul what my dresses have done for your body.” Discovering your true self through fashion is a journey that is both riveting and transformative. It is far more than indulging in clothes. Every thought, feeling, and action that makes up your unique personality can be expressed through the clothes you wear.
From your greatest aspirations to your deepest convictions, your style is a reflection of who you are. Perfume is one-of-a-kind because of it’s intangible nature and has the power to not only express, but ignite and inspire feelings.
The composition of a person’s fragrance may have an effect on how they are seen by others, just to how one’s physical appearance can impact one’s initial impression. because of the distinctive link between the sense of smell and the brain, or more specifically the limbic system which plays a role in learning, memory formation, sexual desire, and regulation of emotional states.
Your perfume should match your environment and the image you’d like to project for an occasion. I will use my style and translate it to fragrance for you as an example. I speak in depth about my style in my q&a, but for the sake of the example my style can be summed up as nostalgic, effortless, and chic. The fragrance that I have here embodies these qualities, it is called “Linderhof am Morgen’ – Aurora and is Eau de parfum, Charles Wong.
The introduction of “Linderhof am Morgen” is evocative of the tranquill mornings at Linderhof Castle; it is ethereal and supple quite airy and light yet velvety with a little of warmth, thanks to the aroma of blue hyacinth, rhubarb, green notes, and buchu. This is much like the nostalgic side of my style, looking back fondly as I do to history, books, past runways and glamour. It is reminiscent of a memsmerizing haute couture gown. Even by it’s packaging, To pay tribute to the fine craftsmanship and Frenchsavoir-faire that went its creation. Charles Wong himself personally conducts the final ornamentation of each and every bottle by hand, including applying the velvet ribbon and wax seal.
The Japanese Tofu (bean curd) cream in the fragrance’s highlight was specifically designed by Charles Wong to evoke the pristine beauty and brilliance of a swan’s white feather in tribute to King Ludwig II. He is often referred to as “the Swan King” for his unwavering pursuit of beauty found in art, music, interiors, archetypes, and so on. This note is one that gives a more effortless appeal, it’s emotions are moreso to do with passion, specifically devotion to the arts. So when I work with a client or maybe just am approached for a conversation, maybe when I go for coffee, it already creates this tone on a psycholgical level.
The middle note becomes light-hearted, yet luxurioues with gentle florals which I feel matches my demeanor and a hint of friut in tribute to Charles’ favorite scent of peach and fig. It’s very heartfelt, just as Wagner’s music begins to win the heart of King Ludwig II due to its splendor and and profound emotional impact. It contrasts with the key scent, which similar in nature how the two terms effortless and chic oppose one another resulting in an intoxicating blend of style and substance. Mastering this opposition in your style creates an cultivated melting pot of life’s pleasures since the appearance is nonchalant and in tune with the world, yet elevated beyond everyday clothes you typically see. It not only aids in forming a stylish appearence, but conveys personality which can be great for establishing yourself just as fragrance does.
I think just by sharing mine, you can understand the sorts ot qualities that are to be looked for. So if you are similar to me you can use mine as a guide or if you have different taste use the points as a frame of references because it’s not just about the notes, but the impression. You should have at least one, or your signature fragrance be really well suited to multiple environments and times of day. It is much more personal and sentimental. It’s a lovely, individualized approach. Even if two people have the same signature scent perfume just comes off differently due to body chemistry, skin type, pH level, diet, and skin products etc so it does not really smell exactly the same from one person to another.
You want to be mindful of where you are and who you may be with. For more formal occasions do light, for social you can use a heavier scents. I will say though, if you find something very idiosyncratic to be your signature, likely if your appearance and personality matches this you can actually get away with this. So say I am going to meet with a client to do a closet edit in the morning, I may not be reaching for a really unique scent like Celine Nightclubbing,which has this after party chic appeal. It is reminiscent of having smoke caught on your jacket after going out, which wouldn’t work in this setting even though it’s gorgeous, so you want to be mindful of your scent not being abrasive if it does have a very specific appeal.
A lot of people do not think about this, they just go oh I like this fragrance, I will get it, which obviously get what you like but really think about your looks if it is something more extreme. Also keep in mind your own nature. For instance, I’ve been told many times I have a really calming presence, so I don’t want to combet my own nature with something really loud, flirty, and so on but that could work perfectly for someone else.
Therefore, when people smell your fragrance, you’re immediately brought back to mind. When we are regularly exposed to a scent, such as the perfume we are wearing, our nose becomes accustomed to the smell and can no longer pick it up. This doesn’t mean to use more to detect it. Some may take a break from using a scent once this happens or if you are someone who has a life long signature you should continue application as per usual. Other people will still be able to smell it and it will become part of your natural scent to them.
So be intentional with how you wear it. Pulse point application is best for this, Inside of wrists, behind the ears, under the jawline at the neck, inside of the elbows, and especially if you are wearing shorts, a skirt or dress behind the knees. This is for when people are seated and you walk by. Men generate heat differently, which I’ve been told by someone holding menswear as their expertise is Behind the ears, the base of the throat, chest, wrists, and knees. You don’t need to apply on all your pulse points, just start with the neck and wrists move forward tapping. You want to spray four to six inches away from the point
I understand that some people put it in their hair, but I’d highly recommend to not do this. It can damage and dry out your hair over time unless it is specifically made for that. I also would avoid spraying perfume onto clothing for a similar reason, it can stain the clothing, discolor, or even just wear away at the fibers over time. Once in awhile is fine, maybe a special occasion but reguarly It is best to put on your outfit once it has dried to your skin. It is the skin’s oils form bonds with fragrance. Any fragrence applied to dry skin will emit quicker, using a moisturiser will allow it to have something to hold onto. It’s best to use an unscented moisturiser or one that will work with your fragrence profile. This is another way to tamper with the scent that should be avoided.
On this note, to store your fragrance, you should keep it somewhere, dry, cool, and out of the reach of sunlight. This could be in your vanity, a drawer of your dresser, and so on. Many times you can find a case though that will be great to display it and also preserve. It also should not be stored in your restroom because of the temperature fluctuations and humidity from the shower or bath which typically unexpectied chemical reactions..If kept in warm temperatures and in the sun it will expire faster. An unopened bottle can last several of years based on how it is stored. Perfume does expire and has the average shelf life of two years once it is opened.
If you’re carrying it in a purse or bag, either opt for a solid version to avoid damaging the bag, travel rollerball, a perfume atomizer is great for liquid form. Some do offer cream, gel, lotion which is easier to carry in a bag as well. Perfume or cologne is such a beautiful way to create a greater sense of fashion and develop your personal style further, everyone has their own story and can put their own thoughts and feelings into it just as the scent of the story which shapes it comes to be.
