Find your signature scent it can feel a bit like hitting the jackpot. It aligns with your body chemistry, can transition from season to season, and adds to your essence without disrupting your skin (or pH balance). This is usually not an overnight process, as you have to sniff out a bunch of strange, firm or sweet perfumes to find out which combination suits you best. And you want to capture not only how good it smells, but also what it says about you. Having trouble finding your signature scent? Here’s what experts recommend for the perfect match.

How to find your signature scent

Chavalia Mwamba, the founder of Pink mahoganyHany Artisan Fragrances believes in creating a “perfumery” around the fragrance of one’s choice. Determining whether the scent is intended for self-care, self-expression, or celebration can help the buyer discover their own vibe. If you are a laid-back person who enjoys outdoor activities, you might opt ​​for something that smells clean or wooden. If you’re a driven person who loves planning events, you might want something sturdy or soft, depending on how you feel about leadership. Whether it’s floral, woody or reminiscent of your favorite cocktail, there is a scent. It takes a while to reach that signature scent destination.

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If you like clean scents, look no further than The Maison Margiela REPLICA in bubble bath. It’s part of Sephora’s Fresh fragrance family, which features notes of floral, soap, white musk, and coconut milk. If you’re more of a woodsy vibe person, consider The Oud atmosphere of Tom Forda combination of oud wood, sandalwood and Chinese pepper. If you like sweet scents, try Killian’s love, don’t be shywhich is said to smell like floral marshmallows, a combo for lovers of flowers and sweets. For Keta Burke Williams, CEO of Oursidea luxury fragrance brand made in the Bronx, fragrances can be made and found in the most non-traditional of ways, both for the purpose of luxury and personal connection.

Spice may or may not be popular on the perfume scene, but if that’s your preference, you’ll enjoy Diptyque’s Eau Deuellewhich combines cardamom, pink cherry and saffron. Last but not least, if you want a combination of the scents mentioned above, although more complex or having a different vibe than Love, don’t be shyconsider File Woody Sage.

What Experts Recommend for a Perfect Match

And then there are the trends! Perfumes made famous by a brand or celebrity and associated with a sporty or artistic atmosphere are all elements to consider. However, with the popularity of these scents, it’s questionable whether the notes actually speak to each buyer or whether they latch on to them due to familiarity with the brand. Perfumer and co-founder David of DS & Durga, an immersive perfume boutique in Brooklyn, recommends buyers not to consider the trend on their own preferences. He encourages buyers to “learn to trust your own instincts” and view trends as “useful clues to what’s going on.”

Trends come and go, so you’ll want to stick with what smells good and what makes you feel. What brings you comfort? What inspires you? And how can you incorporate this into your signature scent? How do you want to feel wearing it, and how do you want others to feel after smelling it? The answers to these questions may need to be considered. Additionally, it takes time for a scent to mix with your body; Over time, a scent develops the potential to become your signature.

Whether it’s cologne, perfume, oil, vanilla, wood, or spice, don’t be afraid to experiment with opposite ends of the spectrum to find what really speaks to you. Also consider the accessibility of perfume based on price or location of purchase, as these factors can affect your ability to wear it consistently.