Perfume samples

wdah

I'd like to treat myself to a new perfume this Christmas - what's the best way of trying out different scents? I find it really difficult to judge with the wall of testers in Boots. Do they still give out samples if you ask?

paddyrg

It's actually really hard - perfumes smell different over time, and different on different skins. Even if you spent all day in Boots, it wouldn't give you a definitive answer! A lot of perfumes are sold on the strength of advertising/celebrity and not quality. That means you're paying almost the whole cost for marketing and celebrity, instead of ingredients.

Perhaps start by seeing if anyone you meet/work with has a perfume you like, and asking them what they use? You can then see how that works on you, or search the internet for perfumers sites where they will suggest 'like x? try y or z.' There are a few absolute classics (Coco Chanel, for instance) which if they suit you, are going to be a great signature scent.

I'm a great fan of Arabic Oudh-based scents. Arabian perfumes are maybe a little uncommon to find in the UK, but they have some incredible and very distinctive perfumes, which again will make a great signature perfume if you find one you like - certainly more epic and enduring than a fashion/celebrity scent.