How to Find Your Signature Scent: A Step-by-Step Perfume Guide

For the ones who carve their identity!

You have always felt it: That one woman in the office who always has that particular floral scent, or even your friend, who always has a go-to vanilla aura around her whenever you are getting ready for a night out. Doesn’t it feel like they have a perfume guide helping them at all times?

It's the first impression that comes in a whiff and stays for a while! Finding your signature scent is a personal journey that blends your unique personality, lifestyle, and preferences with the art of fragrance. A signature perfume is more than just a fragrance; it’s an olfactory expression of who you are, leaving a lasting impact wherever you go.

If you are confused about where to start building your signature scent, let us walk you through it in this comprehensive perfume guide.

Understanding What is a Signature Scent

Like your signature that is true and unique to you, your signature scent is the fragrance that feels like an extension of yourself. It’s the scent that you wear confidently every day and that others associate with you. Whether you prefer a fresh, floral, or oriental fragrance, your signature scent should complement your personality and lifestyle, making you feel comfortable and empowered.

Step 1: Explore Fragrance Families

Perfumes are categorised into fragrance families such as woody, floral, fresh, oriental, and fruity. Each family evokes a different mood and character:

●    Woody: Warm, sophisticated, and earthy, ideal for those who appreciate classic elegance.
●    Floral: Romantic and feminine, perfect for those who love soft, delicate aromas.
●    Fresh/Citrus: Energetic and crisp, great for active lifestyles and warmer seasons.
●    Oriental/Spicy: Exotic and intense, suitable for bold personalities and cooler months.

Understanding these families helps narrow down your choices based on the impression you want to create with your signature fragrance.

Step 2: Match Your Personality and Lifestyle

Your signature perfume for men or women should reflect who you are. Are you adventurous and bold, or do you prefer something understated and classic?

For example, a feminine and fruity fragrance like the Engage Eau De Parfum Yang suits the person who loves to leave an impression wherever they go. A fresh citrus scent like the Engage L'amante Sunkissed could be perfect for someone with a vibrant and cheerful personality. Consider your daily activities and occasions where you will wear your perfume to ensure it fits seamlessly into your life.

Step 3: Test and Sample Perfumes

Testing is crucial in this perfume guide. Perfume interacts uniquely with your skin chemistry, so it’s important to try fragrances on your skin rather than just smelling them on paper strips.

Here's how try a perfume the right way: Spray the perfume on your wrist, let it settle, and observe how the scent evolves over several hours, from the top notes to the heart and base notes. This process helps you understand how the perfume adapts to you and whether it feels like your signature scent.

Step 4: Consider the Intensity and Longevity

Not everyone prefers the same intensity in a fragrance. Perfumes come in various concentrations:

Please refer to this chart to mention the dosages 

●    Parfum: A standard Parfum will have anywhere between a 20%-30% concentration of fragrance, lasting the longest at 6-8 hours. Perfect for work or long commutes.

●    Eau de Parfum: Slightly less than Parfum, this one has a 15%-20% fragrance concentration, leading to a total wear time of 4 to 5 hours. It's great for going out for parties.

●    Eau de Toilette: It has a great balance and a 5%-15% concentration. The scent of an eau de Toilette lasts 2-3 hours.

●    Eau de Cologne: If you prefer a light, refreshing scent, then Eau de Cologne will be your go-to fragrance choice! It has a 2%-4% fragrance concentration.

●    Eau Fraiche: Literally translating to fresh water, consider this next to a body mist for an added dose of scent with 1-3% concentration of fragrance.

Choose a perfume with the right balance of longevity and sillage (the scent trail) that suits your preference and daily routine.

Step 5: Factor in the Season and Occasion

Seasons influence how a perfume smells on your skin. Lighter, fresher scents work well in spring and summer, while richer, spicier perfumes are ideal for fall and winter. Additionally, consider the occasion-daytime wear might call for subtle fragrances, whereas evening events could be the perfect time for more intense, luxurious scents.

Step 6: Use Technology to Simplify Your Search

To make finding your signature fragrance easier, ITC Engage offers an innovative tool called the Fragrance Finder. This AI-powered tool personalises your perfume selection based on your personality, gender identity, preferences, and occasions. By answering a few simple questions, you receive tailored fragrance recommendations that align with your lifestyle and taste, making the perfume shopping experience more enjoyable and precise.

The Fragrance Finder is accessible both online and in retail stores, providing a convenient way to discover your ideal signature scent without the guesswork. This tool is especially helpful if you’re overwhelmed by the vast perfume options or unsure where to start.

Step 7: Reflect and Trust Your Instincts

Your signature fragrance should evoke an emotional connection. Think about perfumes you’ve loved in the past or scents that have earned you compliments. Trust your instincts; sometimes the perfect scent is the one that makes you feel confident and happy, even if it’s not trendy or widely popular. Your signature scent is a personal statement and should resonate deeply with your identity.

Step 8: Personalise with Layering

For a truly unique signature fragrance, consider layering perfumes. Combining complementary scents can create a bespoke fragrance that changes with your mood or occasion. This approach allows you to express different facets of your personality while maintaining a consistent signature scent.

Explore Signature Perfumes at Engage

Engage offers a wide range of premium perfumes for men and women, including bestsellers like Engage Amber Hues for men and Engage Verona for women. These perfumes are available in Eau de Parfum concentrations that balance longevity and subtlety. Our collections feature diverse fragrance families, from woody and fruity to floral and citrus, catering to varied tastes and preferences.

By using the Fragrance Finder on our website, you can easily discover a signature perfume for men or women that fits your personality and lifestyle. Whether you prefer a fresh aqua scent or a warm ambery fragrance, Engage’s curated selections ensure you find a fragrance that feels like your own.

To Summarise in a Scent

Finding your signature scent is a rewarding experience that combines understanding fragrance families, testing perfumes on your skin, considering intensity and seasonality, and trusting your personal preferences. Using tools like Engage’s Fragrance Finder can simplify this process, helping you confidently select a signature perfume for women or men that reflects your individuality. Your signature fragrance is more than a scent- it’s a personal statement that leaves a lasting impression.

This perfume guide is your first step toward discovering a signature fragrance that truly belongs to you. Explore our extensive perfume collection to find your signature fragrance today!

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