How to: Find a Signature Scent

Don't know your tuberose from your patchouli? No matter. The best scents are the most personal, those you respond to instinctively and still love after a day on your skin.

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Covet from Sarah Jessica Parker, $52/1.7 oz; at nordstrom.com.

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To find your signature, first get a sense of which family of fragrance appeals to you. You may gravitate towards fruity scents with sweet but refreshing citrus notes: Daisy from Marc Jacobs has notes of strawberry and red grapefruit.

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Marc Jacobs Daisy, $55/1.7 oz; at neimanmarcus.com.

Floral scents, like Pleasures from Estee Lauder, are the most popular perfumes, with notes of jasmine, rose, gardenia or hyacinth, among others.

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Estee Lauder Pleasures, $65/3.4 oz; at saksfifthavenue.com.

Green scents (like L'eau D'Issey) are clean and energetic with bamboo, grass, pine or chamomile notes.

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Issey Miyake L'eau D'issey, $84/3.4 oz; at dillards.com.

An exotic scent is more sweet and spice with notes like musk, vanilla or ginger. What's more exotic than Opium from Yves St. Laurent?

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YSL Opium, $269/1 oz; at saksfifthavenue.com.

You'll also want to consider what intensity you want your perfume to pack: Something light (like Pure White Linen) is best if you work close to others; a stronger scent works for a night of clubbing.

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Estee Lauder Pure White Linen, $35/1 oz; at esteelauder.com.

Climate also matters. A basic rule of thumb is that the higher the temperature-and humidity-the lighter your fragrance should be. Intimately Beckham is a light option.

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Intimately Beckham, $55/2.5 oz; at ulta.com.

Take your time when shopping: spritz options on blotters if possible, then take a stroll while they dry. The top note, or opening burst, of a fragrance often bears little resemblance to its "dry down" (the way it smells after a few hours), so you'll want to whiff at intervals. L, by Gwen Stefani, has a fresh top note, but a base of musk.

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L, a L.A.M.B. Fragrance by Gwen Stefani, $55/1.7 oz; at macys.com.

As weird as it sounds, smelling something made of wool between moments of sniffing helps you clear your nasal palette. So bring a scarf or sweater the next time you test drive a scent like Fracas.

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Fracas by Robert Piguet, $95/0.25 oz; at sephora.com.

Work your perfume hunt into a few other shopping expeditions, since you don't want to try more than three scents at a time. Any more and the nose gets overwhelmed.

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Nina Ricci L'Air du Temps, $42.29/3.3 oz; at fragrancenet.com.

If you think you may have found a favorite (like Keira Knightley's fave, Coco Mademoiselle), go back and try it on the inner wrist of your dominant hand-but don't rub wrists together, as friction alters the smell. Leave it on for several hours before you buy, since it takes time to ascertain how the notes will develop with your skin chemistry.

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Coco Mademoiselle, $80/1.7 oz; at chanel.com.

To gauge cost, know that most scents are a combination of natural and synthetic ingredients; the greater the percentage of things like jasmine and Bulgarian rose, the higher the price. Joy by Jean Patou has long been an expensive luxury.

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Joy Jean Patou, $400/1 oz; at nordstrom.com.

Classic fragrances like Chanel No. 5 can be purchased in a variety of forms. Eau de toilette and eau de cologne are cheaper options than perfume, since they contain smaller percentages of fragrance oil and higher percentages of ethyl alcohol.

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Chanel No. 5, $155/0.5 oz; at chanel.com.

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Style 101 for more of what every stylish woman needs to know!