How does one pick a new perfume?

[Radical Edward]

I've had the same bottle for the last 5 years. It's down to a few drops. It's Bath and Body Works Cotton Blossom scent. Do they still make that? I have no idea. Before that I had a bottle of Freesia. For special occasions I have a tiny bottle of Obsession, but it's too heavy to wear for every day. Also people my age think it's old lady perfume. They r rong.

Anyway, it's been a long time. Like, what do I do, go sniff around the Bath and Body Works store again? What are my criteria? What if I did just wear Obsession every day?

WHY SHOULD THIS BE HARD?

[Dragonlady]

I love Obsession! Even before I was an old lady. I may go buy some, I haven't had any in years, mostly because I don't wear perfume.
As for your current problem, perfume cannot be bought without smelling it. No description is accurate enough. Looks like you favor florals, Go to Bath and Body Works and start with anything that sounds floral.

[Radical Edward]

Hmm. Before the Cotton Blossom and Freesia, I had a bottle of Moonlight Path, and before that Lavender Flowers. I don't think they make the lavender one any more, but I do have a smidgen in a bottle that I keep put up to sniff now and again. It's from middle school, so literally twenty years ago. It's a shame it can't be found now except on Ebay, and I'm not fooling with that. ;_;

[hajario]

One of my exes loved perfume. I went with her a couple times to a perfume store and they had a shit ton of test bottles. There were these long thin wicks things that you’d dip into the bottles to smell.

I hope this isn’t useless common knowledge

[Radical Edward]

Besides Bath and Body Works, I don't think we have anything in the area that could be considered a perfume store. I think there's a perfume counter in Belk? Idk. That sounds AMAZING tho.

[Solfy]

If you go to a B&BW and tell them what fragrances you've liked of theirs in the past, they should be able to suggest something similar.
Belk should have a perfume counter. Those sort of fragrances will be expensive compared to BB&W. Sephora also has a good selection if there's one near you, as well as Ulta which is slightly less expensive (but less selection). They should all have testers available as Haj said, where you can spray it on a piece of paper and let the alcohol evaporate out and give it a sniff.

Some places with perfume counters have tiny vials with enough to try for a week or two. They used to give those out for free but now some charge for them. YMMV. When I order online from Sephora I can often select a perfume sample as a freebie. I've found two perfumes I like that way (and many I don't). Another option if you think you like a pricey perfume but don't want to commit to a big bottle is to buy a travel sized one for $20-30.

Another option for trying different perfumes are the tiny bottle variety gift sets. They'll have four or five fragrances from the same brand and are popular at the holidays so there might be some floating around. They often show up at TJ Maxx or similar stores if there's one of those in your area.

[hajario]

That reminded me that Sephora was the place where I went with the ex.

[thylacine]

It is perfume overuse that keeps me from enjoying the company of people, please remember nobody but you and a lover should be able to smell it. I am fucking sick of some old bag dropping me by passing by in the street. They give many folks migraines as well as setting off poor lungs. Keep it personal please, if you can no longer smell it don’t just add more, time to change for a while to reset your receptors.

Oh ETA if I ever hear “oh no, it couldn’t be my perfume, it was expensive!” again in my life I’ll start running over people with my ebike. I don’t make up the coughing, wheezing or turning blue.

[Rebo]

Originally Posted by thylacine

It is perfume overuse that keeps me from enjoying the company of people, please remember nobody but you and a lover should be able to smell it. I am fucking sick of some old bag dropping me by passing by in the street. They give many folks migraines as well as setting off poor lungs. Keep it personal please, if you can no longer smell it don’t just add more, time to change for a while to reset your receptors.

Oh ETA if I ever hear “oh no, it couldn’t be my perfume, it was expensive!” again in my life I’ll start running over people with my ebike. I don’t make up the coughing, wheezing or turning blue.

+10

[JackieLikesVariety]

Originally Posted by thylacine

They give many folks migraines as well as setting off poor lungs.

seriously.

if I spend too much time in the laundry supplies area of walmart I start getting a headache from all the scent.

AND it makes me super angry that getting "unscented" whatever frequently costs a lot more.

[Solfy]

Originally Posted by thylacine

It is perfume overuse that keeps me from enjoying the company of people, please remember nobody but you and a lover should be able to smell it.

100% and that goes for men and cologne as well as women and perfume.
Scent should be discovered, it should not announce itself. It definitely should not leave a trail marking where one has been. There was a guy at work who didn't work on our floor but would have business there occasionally. We could tell when he'd stopped by hours after he left.

Originally Posted by JackieLikesVariety

if I spend too much time in the laundry supplies area of walmart I start getting a headache from all the scent.

AND it makes me super angry that getting "unscented" whatever frequently costs a lot more.

I feel kind of stupid about this, but I buy unscented detergent and unscented softener. Then I buy scent beads anyway.
But wait! It's logical! I don't like the default scent of Tide, and I don't like the fragrance from one product added to the other. Also I'm convinced the blue coloring in the regular Downy was making my whites look greige, but the only version without colorants is also without fragrance. When I use the scent beads I just use a pinch of them, so I get to control what the laundry smells like and how strongly, including leaving fragrance out altogether.

[thylacine]

Our washing machine died and while looking for sales and choosing a model I went to the laundromat around the corner expecting huge scent issues, there are none! The commercial machines really clean out whatever was used before. Even our unscented stuff comes out smelling less detergenty. We haven’t bought a new machine, that money is going there. Magic.

Aldi supermarkets here are unenterable by most asthmatic folks as they have the foulest detergents that must be very poorly sealed to hit you at the front door when they are at the back. It’s all air pollution to me, expensive perfume or cheap teen boy body spray or the strong detergents my neighbours use before hanging their clothes on racks in the driveway.

I was surprised that a lot of products marked “sensitive” have strong scent. Deodorant caught me out once.

Thanks for the support, I was a little uncertain as to whether to pipe up but damnit, it is important.

[Radical Edward]

Ok well it took me 5 years to finish a bottle, so I don't think I'm killing anyone with it.

[thylacine]

I dunno, if you only wore it twice in that time you could have taken out whole suburbs

Everytime my partner goes out with friends (all 60+) she comes home reeking, the overuse seems a teen and old lady thing, in between is usually fine. I’m sorry if you felt attacked for asking the question, not my intention, it was just a side drift.

[Solfy]

I believe you. Teens don’t know better and older people have gone nose-blind to scents they’ve worn for a long time, making them heavy handed.

[Diamonds02]

I say it’s whatever the sex(es) you’re attracted to….and what they like. Several of my female friends liked the smell of the American Crew Fiber pomade I used in my hair. So I wore it for several years lol.

[Senpai]

My absolute favorite scents from B&BW is Sea Island Cotton and Sweet Pea!! My dad's girlfriend also got me a lovely body cream from there in the scent Sapphire Moon, and I absolutely ADORE it. I also love their Aromatherapy Eucalyptus Spearmint scent. It's so incredibly amazing. LUSH's scent Dirty is also a big favorite of mine. You can shop online if they don't have a location around you.

[stormie]

When you smell samples you gotta move away from all the others!

I love a puff of perfume - used to do the spray-in-the-air-and-walk-through-it thing for everyday.