Daily Tips

How to choose the right perfume for every occasion

There is nothing more inappropriate than wearing a perfume that feels out of place. Leaving the gym smelling of oud or starting a Monday at the office wrapped in a cloud of incense… Are you sure about the olfactory signature you want to convey in every occasion?

At a time when "beast mode fragrances" are taking centre stage, a reminder of common sense feels necessary. It's not necessary to wear intense perfumes every day of the year. If you want to demonstrate your knowledge in perfumery, start by accepting that intensity does not define a good perfume. There are discreet fragrances with a lot of personality.

Do you always look for intensity in a perfume?

Beyond the labels eau de toilette, eau de parfum, or extrait, the real intensity of a perfume is measured by three parameters:

1. How far away others can smell you (projection).

2. The trail you leave behind as you move (sillage).

3. How long the fragrance lasts on your skin (longevity).

In practice, there is a simple rule that almost no one talks about, but you should always keep in mind when choosing a perfume: the smaller the space and the less familiar you are with others, the closer to the skin your fragrance should stay.

Can we talk about "social olfactory awareness"? While there are no written rules, perfume lovers know that smelling good goes beyond the literal sense. When choosing a fragrance, it is worth remembering that it should never feel invasive.

A perfume can smell very good, but it should never be aggressive in certain circumstances: you have a date in a crowded café, and after a few minutes, the seven sprays of your perfume start making you feel uncomfortable and you need to go outside for some fresh air. Imagine what the person with you must be thinking. You have just overdosed on perfume.

Office: a space for discreet fragrances

Shared rooms, buildings with ventilation systems, coffee machines in the hallways, and meetings that run long. A scenario where a fragrance that is too intense can become the unintended protagonist of the morning.

In this environment, perfumes work almost like a dress code:

• Recommended fragrances: clean, crisp essences that don't demand attention, soft citrus, clean musks, light flowers, and light woods.

• Best avoided: animalic ouds, dense tobaccos, heavy orientals, and overly sweet vanillas.

In the work environment, the ideal perfume is the one that is only noticed when someone comes close to speak to you, not the one that announces your arrival from the hallway.

Date: leave a lasting impression without overwhelming

On this occasion, you can choose fragrances with a certain intensity, but without becoming invasive. The perfume should act like a second skin, appearing only when you lean in to greet, when you take off your jacket, when you come close to greet… It can become a very powerful sensory memory.

Enveloping fragrances work well when the trail is controlled.

There is a clear indicator to know if you have overdone it with the perfume: if you yourself are very aware of your perfume throughout the night, it is probably too much for the other person.

• Recommended fragrances: soft ambers, elegant vanillas, warm woods, white flowers, and soft spices.

• Best avoided: very intense or cloying perfumes, tobacco accords, leather, and heavy gourmand scents.

Travel: the art of not overwhelming

Long-distance flights and train journeys are shared spaces: recycled air, limited room, and poor ventilation. In that context, an opulent perfume becomes more than just a miscalculation. It borders on inconsideration.

During the journey, opt for moderation. Discreet fragrances, few sprays, and no applying perfume on clothes that will be pressed against the seat for hours.

Upon arrival, yes: it's time to adjust your perfume according to the plan, whether it's a business meeting or a leisure trip. It's not about giving up perfume, but adapting its intensity to each situation.

• Opt for: light citrus, tea notes, green or aquatic accords.

• Avoid: heavy perfumes, very aromatic, with tobacco or leather.

It is not necessary to do without perfume, but rather to avoid the mistake of wearing the same fragrance in all situations and with the same intensity.

Summer and winter: perfume according to the weather

The same fragrance does not behave the same in summer as in winter. Heat amplifies: what is a soft amber in the cold can become cloying in the height of summer.

In the warm months, fresh and transparent compositions work better, applied lightly. In winter, the opposite happens: cold temperatures mute fragrance diffusion, making room for denser, more enveloping notes. This is where extraits, generous sillage, and "beast mode fragrances" find their natural habitat.

• In summer, choose: citrus, fruity, herbal, aquatic, and light floral scents.

• Avoid: dense vanillas, orientals, oud, tobacco, and very sweet accords.

• In winter, choose: orientals, ambery fragrances, tobacco, vanilla, and soft leathers.

• Avoid: very volatile citrus and excessively light perfumes.

Choosing a perfume is not just a matter of personal taste, but of context. Just as we understand that different activities call for different dress codes, perfume also follows its own unspoken rules. It's not about demonizing intense perfumes or only opting for the most discreet ones, but about fine-tuning the choice for each occasion.