Testing a Perfume: The 10-Step Expert Protocol

Phase 1: Preparation Before the Boutique

Everything begins well before crossing the threshold of the perfumery. Your state of mind and your physical preparation are decisive.

1. The Ideal Moment: The Morning

To choose your perfume, you must rise early. One smells better in the morning; the nose is fresher. Indeed, after a night’s sleep, the olfactory system is “reset”. Throughout the day, ambient odors (pollution, coffee, food) saturate our receptors. The morning is therefore the time when your sensory acuity is at its peak.

2. Your Outfit

Dress in the style in which you feel best. It is the small detail that will allow the beauty advisor to better target you. Perfume is the extension of your allure. If you arrive in sportswear when you are looking for an evening perfume, the discrepancy could skew the recommendations. Be yourself.

3. Olfactory Neutrality

Do not wear perfume beforehand: this would create olfactory interference. Do not put scented lotion on your body. Your skin must be a blank canvas. A mixture between your old perfume, a scented moisturizing cream, and the new trial would create an olfactory cacophony impossible to judge.

4. The Fabric Trick

Remember to bring small pieces of fabric: silk, flannel, or cotton that can be perfumed. This allows you to smell, with a “rested nose” at home, the perfumes that you did not manage to smell on your skin.

Why? There can be good surprises on the base notes that appear several hours later. Fabric, unlike the paper strip, offers a rendering closer to the reality of the sillage.

Phase 2: The Olfactory Experience

Once there, the method is crucial so as not to “lose your nose”.

5. The Blotter Then the Skin

Take your time, smell first on scent strips (blotters). If a perfume catches your attention, spray it on your skin (inside the wrist). The alchemy with the epidermis is unique: a perfume can be divine on a strip and turn on your skin (or vice versa). It is the test of truth.

6. The Rule of 5 Trials

Do not smell too many perfumes; there is a risk of saturation. Five trials is the absolute maximum. Beyond that, the olfactory bulb saturates and no longer distinguishes subtleties. If you must smell more fragrances, step outside to get some fresh air for a few minutes to “cleanse” your nose.

7. Exploring Concentrations

Taste the different concentrations. You will be offered the Eau de Toilette versions; ask also to smell the Eau de Parfum and, if possible, the Extract.

It is in this concentration, richer in noble materials, that one encounters true marvels. It is more expensive but, quite often, a few drops suffice for an exceptional sillage.

Phase 3: Decision and Adoption

Immediate purchase is often the enemy of the right choice. Give time some time.

8. The Test of Time

Go for a walk and return to the perfumery a few hours later. This leaves you time to tame your fragrance. You will thus discover the perfume’s evolution: the volatile top notes will have given way to the heart, then to the base. It is this base that will accompany you all day long.

9. The Trial in Real Conditions

Dare to ask for trial doses. When this is not possible, ask to spray the perfume you liked on a silk or cotton handkerchief.

• The opinion of others: Avoid asking a friend’s opinion; the choice of a perfume is personal.
• The spouse’s opinion: As for the man in your life, do not force him to smell too many olfactory strips; bring your samples home, and above all, wear the perfume directly on the skin and test his reaction in intimacy.

10. The Unmistakable Sign

If you receive compliments, above all, do not let it go! It is the ultimate proof that the perfume is in harmony with your skin and your personality (your olfactory signature). If someone asks you “What is your perfume?”, you have found the right one.