The explosion of ecommerce has reduced the number of visitors to physical stores. Each industry has had to adapt to these shifting consumer preferences. But what for the fragrance industry? One where your nose holds the key to your heart? It can seem quite impossible to buy any fragrance whether attar, oud, perfumes, or perfume oils without physically being there.
So the question proposed here is, is it possible to buy a fragrance with your eyes? Well, here are some tips you can follow - and hopefully you'll love your fragrances long afterwards.
1) Know Your Notes
To begin with, understand what notes mean, what the top, middle/heart, and base notes represent.
The exact number of minutes a note will last will vary greatly, especially between perfumes (that contain alcohol), and perfume (and attar/oud). However, the general idea does apply, and the note types also tell you the concentration of the respective oils. Hence, your first step in learning about a fragrance should be its notes pyramid, here is an example of one of our fragrances:
Looking at this alone we can come to many conclusions about the fragrance: a) its an attar (as it has a sandalwood base), b) its floral, and c) likely more towards a male audience (musk). Furthermore, the base notes usually make up 50% of the total concentration of the fragrance, the heart/middle about 30% and the top notes about 20%.
2) Read Description
The description is not always a fairytale, they often describe the emotions evoked by the fragrance. This allows you to see if this fragrance suits you.
Furthermore, the description should detail the audience type, the longevity of the fragrance, and the family it belongs in. There are 4 main categories:
- Floral: flowers, as the name suggests
- Fresh: Simple, elegant, and clean notes. Usually something citrus.
- Oriental: Big and bold fragrances, will often contain musk or vanilla.
- Woody: Contains sandalwood, Birchwood, or cedar. Often reminding you of the great outdoors.
3) Research
Check customer reviews, or search the fragrance and see if its been covered by a blogger or influencer.
4) Samples
Though its an extra step it allows you to try before committing. You can try out a sample, or sample pack. This gives you a variety of fragrances that you can test out. Brands will often offer discovery sets.
5) Communicate
Don't shy away from reaching out to sellers directly. They are often quite knowledgeable about their craft, and can help you narrow down your choices.