Words to help you imagine a scent
Perfume descriptions often draw on flowers, fruit, woods and qualities such as freshness or powderiness. These are clues to a fragrance's character, but they cannot replace the experience of smelling it yourself.
CHANEL's official product descriptions, for example, use accords and notes to describe different compositions. Reading two descriptions and noticing which words recur can help you identify what sparks your curiosity, without assuming that every perfume in a fragrance family smells alike.
Take your time trying it
If a shop offers testing strips, use a separate one for each fragrance and write its name on it. Smell it again later to compare your first impression with the next. You don't need to decide in the first few seconds.
Write down impressions in your own words: clean fabric, a garden, lingering at the table after a meal. This isn't a perfumery exam. Those associations can be more useful than memorizing a list of notes, and they can help you explain what you're looking for the next time you try a fragrance.
Sources and further reading
A sample article for this editorial proposal. General information, not breaking news or personalized advice.
