What fragrance describes you?

Us girls, we all have our secret addictions when it comes to certain things. From purses, to shoes, to jewelry, etc. (the list could go on forever). My secret addiction is perfume. For as long as I can remember, I have always liked perfumes and enjoyed buying them. It did not take long for my family and friends to notice my little obsession, therefore receiving a perfume as a gift became a common thing, as well as the giver was almost always certain that you could not go wrong with buying me that and I would be very content with my present.

As I love perfumes, with time, I learned a lot about them (little secrets). Typically, there are two kinds of people. There are those who prefer to have a signature fragrance, which usually represents them perfectly. Then, there are those like me, who can’t get enough and will not settle for just one kind of perfume. I like to have different kinds, and use them according to the occasion.

There are four different kinds of fragrance: parfum, eau de parfum, eau de toilette, and cologne . Fragrance is a mixture between the oil and the mixing of the smell depending on the essence (woods, sage, gardenia).

• Parfum – has the highest amount of oil to alcohol ratio, which means it is the strongest. You apply it and it lasts all day
• Eau de parfum – has the next highest amount of oil and it typically lasts for a whole workday (8 hours)
• Eau de toilette – has a lower oil amount and it lasts only 4-5 hours, which means it has to be reapplied
• Cologne – has the lowest amount of oil to alcohol (about 5% oil), only lasts about 2 hours

Have you noticed that the same fragrance smells different on you than on another person? Fragrance works with your individual body chemistry, there is a note in each fragrance that does not have a smell and with each person the smell is different. Throughout the day fragrance changes. Initially after sprayed, each fragrance smells like alcohol, after about 20 minutes different notes start to develop and throughout the day the smell changes. First when you spray it the top notes develop, after 20 minutes you will start to smell the heart notes, and after an hour you will smell the base notes, which is what stick with you all day.

Each fragrance tells a story of a time period in your life or brings up a memory. When you buy a perfume, you don’t buy smell, you buy a memory. Also, different fragrances are good for certain personalities and occasions.

My three favorite fragrances:

La vie est belle 

This fragrance is a classic. The bottle itself is a work of art. La vie est belle is for a woman who is chic, timeless, never goes out of style. It’s great for different occasions: for work, for elegant dinners, or nights out. The smell is very striking, always makes a statement. I fell in love with this perfume instantly and it is actually one of the ones I use daily.

Tresor – Midnight Rose 

Another one of my favorites, this bottle is very sexy and it was designed to look like lingerie. The name itself “Midnight” reflects that it is very sleek, sexy, meant for a date night. The sensual, seductive smell is very strong. Some of the ingredients are vanilla, rose, and jasmine (which all smell very sweet).  This perfume is great for summer nights.

Bebe Nouveau 

This timeless fragrance is one that I always come back to. I purchased it a few years ago before going to Europe. Every since then whenever I wear it, memories are stirred up from my trip and sometimes I even get nostalgic. This fragrance is delicate, radiant, and fresh. I like wearing it on different occasions, as it is perfect for the daytime at the office, shopping, or a night out.

Aside from these three perfumes, there are many more that I love, however I would ultimately run out of space to write as the list is long. Currently I like these three a lot, as I feel that they characterize me best and reflect my personality.

Do you know what your fragrance is?