How to Find Your Signature Scent? [Explained with Details]

Written By Nazia Haque

A scent can determine a lot about an individual. For example, a fragrance can make you happy or sad instantly.

And a friend or a foe can distinguish your presence merely by recognizing your scent – that’s how strong a fragrance is.

So we will discuss how to find your signature scent today.

I’m sure you are eagerly waiting to know details on how to find your signature scent, so keep scrolling.

How to Find Your Signature Scent

How to Find Your Signature Scent?

Our signature scent is personal and should resonate with our personality. Moreover, perfume always smells different on our skin or after some time have passed. Therefore, you should spend time getting to know a scent and adequately try it out to determine if the fragrance is for you.

Do People Have a Signature Scent?

Yes, people do have a signature scent. And a signature scent can say a lot about you – your personality, taste, etc.

Above all, your signature scent should resonate with you in some way.

So a fragrance must mean something to you. For instance, you and your signature scent are just the puzzle pieces that fit perfectly. And that particular scent should grow on you, captivate you.

But a signature scent isn’t something that wears off of you after wearing it a couple of times.

Therefore, a fragrance can only be your signature if it matches and works best for you. For example, it should be a scent that’s your go-to fragrance, and it makes you more confident.

However, it is not an easy task to figure out your signature fragrance because you need to be absolutely sure that you love the scent.

As a result, you must get to know a fragrance thoroughly to determine if you like it wholeheartedly.

Check out our Ultimate Guide on How to Buy Vintage Perfume?

How Do I Find My Signature Smell?

A signature smell is a scent you would often wear, so it has to be a fragrance you don’t get tired of. For instance, it doesn’t annoy you, or you don’t get sick of it.

So it’s a fragrance you feel comfortable wearing, and you can wear it daily.

As a result, it will be a scent you will be known for because you will often wear it. Therefore, people will tend to recognize that fragrance on you. And when you are getting known for a scent, it slowly molds into a signature scent for you.

In order to be comfortable with a fragrance, to be able to vibe with it – the scent should be versatile. Also, you must know the fragrance’s basics to judge it properly.

Firstly, you have to understand how the notes of a fragrance work. A scent is made up of 3 different accords, and you get a distinct aroma on each level.

Here are the 3 types of notes:

  • Top note

The first accord hits your nose once you make the first spritz. And it doesn’t last long but leaves a lingering impression of what to look forward to.

  • Middle note

It comes after the top note and lasts for quite some time.

  • Base note

The last accord lingers the longest and leaves a lasting impression on us.

Secondly, you have to figure out the longevity of fragrances. And you can determine how long a scent can last by understanding its oil concentration.

Here are the fragrance concentrations:

  • Eau de Cologne 

It has the lowest concentration of about 2-4%, and the rest is alcohol, so it doesn’t last that long.

  • Eau de Toilette 

It has the second lowest concentration of about 5-15% and evaporates quickly.

  • Eau de Parfum 

It has the second highest oil concentration of about 15-20%, so there is comparatively less amount of alcohol. Therefore, it lasts for a very long time.

  • Pure Parfum

It has the highest oil concentration of 20-40%, so it lasts the longest.

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Third, you need to understand how the fragrance family works. For instance, it will give you a better insight into notes and the whole perfumery compositions.

Here are some important fragrance groups:

  • Fresh 

It consists mainly of ingredients such as citrus, fruity, green, and water. And they don’t last long but have a very light composition and are easy to like. Also, you find these for the top notes.

  • Woody 

It is heavier and consists of woods, mossy woods, dry woods, and aromatic.

  • Oriental 

You can find compositions like soft oriental, oriental, and woody oriental.

  • Floral 

It has sweeter notes such as floral, soft, and oriental.

Nonetheless, to find your signature scent, you need to heed small details about the fragrance because you need to connect with it.

Moreover, you can have more than one signature scent. Therefore, you have spent time with a scent to really get it.

How to Figure out Your Signature Scent?

An effortless friendship is what a signature scent should feel like.

On the other hand, if a fragrance clashes with your receptor, skin chemistry, or the way your mind perceives that aroma – like you guys cannot be friends at all, then it’s not for you.

Similarly, a signature scent needs to make you feel a certain way, such as happy, confident, cozy, bold, etc. Therefore, for you to keep coming back to it and not be bored, it needs to do something special.

Try out the following ways to find your signature scent:

Get started

You should get out there and get a fragrance that you like, which fits your budget. For example, it can be something inexpensive but premium. Also, go with scents that have been out there forever but are still very nice.

However, don’t buy a scent with a mindset that you need to please or smell good for others to notice you.

Most importantly, you need to wear a fragrance that you enjoy and wear it for yourself.

Trust your judgment

You shouldn’t just assume that hyped-up fragrances are for you. To clarify, you need to decide for yourself because you are the only person who can find the scent that will work with your skin chemistry.

Furthermore, scents smell different on individual skin types. So, let the scent settle in your skin and then settle for it.

Looking for something different? Then check out our guide on How to Properly Test a Fragrance?

Try, test, and buy

You can even blind buy once you figure out what you want in a scent. And your preferences are the base that you start with.

For example, you may like fresh fragrances, and you can build a collection of them.

But the main beauty of testing and trying is that fragrances can surprise you, and you may end up with a scent you didn’t think you’d like.

However, when you are blind buying or trying a scent for the very first, don’t invest in the big bottle. You can always buy samples of high-end fragrances as they are a cheap and helpful method to get to know an aroma.

Get in the right mood

Do not try a new fragrance if you are in a bad mood or not feeling great– you wouldn’t want to associate a negative feeling with a great scent.

So you don’t want to sabotage the feeling of a fragrance and sink it when it could have been something great.

Wear the fragrance right

For example, how many sprays are enough, the longevity, and is your scent noticeable?

When you overspray, there always remains a chance of choking people around you, so that’s a bad practice.

Meanwhile, a scent smells different on your skin, clothes, or papers. So give it the benefit of the doubt, check the fragrance thoroughly before making the final call, and wear it on your pulse points. Also, when you test it on your skin, you find a better projection and see how the aroma changes throughout the day.

After that, see how a fragrance performs under various conditions. For instance, work environment or date nights.

As a result, you start understanding the character and how the fragrance works in your skin.

Dig deeper into the fragrance

The next step to your signature scent is discovering more about the fragrance you are wearing. So smell the different notes properly before judging the scent.

Also, a fragrance takes time to grow on you. Although you may not like it at first, with time, you can build a connection that may result in making it your signature scent.

Explore more

There is no harm in always being open to trying different fragrances. And you can change your signature scent or have multiple, for that matter.

Since there is a misconception that you can only have one signature scent; however, you can have different scents that you are known for in different scenarios. For example, you can have a distinct smell for summer, winter, work, or date.

Subsequently, sometimes you cannot smell your signature aroma on yourself.

So you kind of have to rely on the comments of others or ask their opinion. And that’s not necessarily mean that you don’t like the fragrance anymore – it can mean that you have nose fatigue or are just used to the scent.

You can wear the fragrance on your clothes during such occasions to pick it up more.

In short, sometimes a scent doesn’t last long, or you don’t smell it on yourself, but most important is that you love the scent and have a strong connection with it to be recognized by it.

What is a Good Signature Scent?

A good signature scent can be something that works multipurpose. As a result, instead of having multiple fragrances for different occasions, you can have only one smell.

Therefore, that scent needs to have characteristics that make it an allrounder.

For example, you can find a fragrance that works all season and on most occasions. So it shouldn’t be too intense, but even if it is, you can layer it with another scent to tone it down.

On the other hand, spray your signature scent on your clothes or combine it with an unscented lotion to make it last longer.

Most importantly, a good signature scent is the one you love, connect with, and are identified by.

Search for Scents

Your signature scent is your go-to fragrance, and people recognize you by it. And that says a lot about your personality, taste, and overall characteristics. Also, it’s solely up to you to pick your signature smell.

Therefore, you need to properly test a scent to determine if it can be your signature scent or not.

Furthermore, you can have more than one signature fragrance. But you should know about the compositions of perfumes to get started.

Also, check our latest investigation Should You Wear Perfume to School?

In conclusion, the quest to find your signature scent is a personal journey that you should enjoy and be patient throughout.

Lastly, if you have any further questions please share them in the comment section below.

About The Author
Nazia is passionate about perfumes. Her love for perfumes started with her father whom she lost in 2017. She’d often reminisce his memories with the help of his fragrances’. Writing about fragrances makes her happy as she can share its wonders with the world. She also loves reading sci-fi novels and traveling.

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