What are you smelling?
Most of us, who have an interest in perfume and fragrance beyond the most popular lines in Boots, will be able to identify at least one key oil or ingredient. Fragrantica, the online encyclopaedia covers the vast majority of designer, niche and indie houses and provides a useful guide to direct you in the direction of the style of fragrances you generally gravitate to. Retrospectively I've found I've naturally preferred fougeres and woody aromatics, and made a lot of incredible discoveries subsequently. Another way is by having a go at mixing essential and synthetic compounds myself (more of this in a future blog). Being familiar with specific oils have helped me make more nuanced choices in subsequent perfume purchasing. Having said that, always sample where you can or wear from a tester before purchasing a full bottle.