Choosing Your Perfume

Choosing a niche perfume online takes a method. A description, however precise, cannot stand in for your skin, and a perfume is judged over a full day, not on a paper strip. This guide brings together our advice on choosing, trying and gifting a perfume, and on matching it to the season or the occasion.

The four-step method

  • Start from what you already like. Write down three or four perfumes you have enjoyed wearing and look for what their base notes have in common.
  • Identify the matching family: woody, amber, floral, fresh, gourmand, fruity, green or spicy.
  • Order three to five samples in that family, from different houses.
  • Wear each sample for a full day, one at a time, and write down your impressions after one hour, four hours and eight hours.

Try before you buy

Every perfume in the shop comes in a 2 ml spray vial, enough for several days of testing. It is the safest way to choose a full bottle of niche perfume. The formats and how to use them are explained in How to Get the Most Out of a 2 ml Sample, and all the samples are on the Samples page.

Get some guidance

Our quiz suggests a selection based on a few questions about your tastes and habits. The Best Sellers collection gathers the perfumes whose samples most often lead to a full bottle. You can also write to us from the contact page, and we will reply with concrete suggestions.

By season and occasion

Heat speeds up evaporation and makes dense perfumes feel heavier. Cold slows it down and mutes very light compositions. In summer, fresh, green and floral families work best. In fall and winter, woody, amber, spicy and gourmand scents take over. At the office, moderate sillage keeps you from filling the room. In the evening, a perfume with more presence has its place, as long as the dose stays reasonable.

Giving perfume as a gift

Giving a niche perfume to someone whose taste you do not know well is a gamble. A sample set, or a few vials in the family they already wear, often makes a better gift than a large bottle chosen blind.

Articles in this guide

All the articles in this section are collected on the blog's Choosing page.

Frequently asked questions

How many samples do I need to choose?

Three to five is usually enough, as long as you wear them one at a time over a full day. Beyond that, your nose gets tired and your impressions blur together.

Can I choose a perfume from its description?

The description helps you make a first shortlist. The final choice happens on skin, because the same formula develops differently from one person to the next.

Does a unisex perfume suit everyone?

Most niche perfumes are designed without a gender in mind. A “masculine” or “feminine” mention on a product page shows a leaning, not a rule.

What perfume can I give without knowing the person's taste?

A selection of samples in the family they already wear, or a best seller with a broadly appealing profile. Avoid very animalic or very smoky compositions for a first gift.

The other guides: understanding perfume, perfume materials, niche perfumery and perfume houses.