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  3. How to: Find a Signature Scent

How to: Find a Signature Scent

By Instyle
Updated Oct 03, 2008 @ 5:28 pm
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Chanel No. 5, Chanel, fragrance, perfume, Style 101
Credit: Devon Jarvis

How to: Find a Signature Scent

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Sarah Jessica Parker Covet

Sarah Jessica Parker, Covet, perfume, fragrance, Style 101
Credit: .

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.

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

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

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Marc Jacobs Daisy

Marc Jacobs Daisy, Marc Jacobs, Daisy, Style 101, perfume, fragrance
Credit: .

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.

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Estee Lauder Pleasures

Estee Lauder, Pleasures, perfume, fragrance, Style 101
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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.

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Issey Miyake L'eau D'Issey

Issey Miyake L'eau D'Issey, L'eau D'Issey, Issey Miyake, perfume, fragrance, Style 101
Credit: Devon Jarvis

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.

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YSL Opium

YSL Opium, YSL, Opium, perfume, fragrance, Style 101
Credit: Devon Jarvis

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.

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Estee Lauder Pure White Linen

Estee Lauder, Pure White Linen, perfume, fragrance, Style 101
Credit: Devon Jarvis

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.

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Intimately Beckham

Intimately Beckham, Beckham, fragrance, perfume, Style 101
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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.

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L, L.A.M.B. Fragrance

L, L.A.M.B., fragrance, perfume, Style 101
Credit: Courtesy of LAMB

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.

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Fracas Robert Piguet

Fracas Robert Piguet
Credit: James Wade

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.

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Nina Ricci L'Air du Temps

Nina Ricci, L'Air du Temps, perfume, fragrance, Style 101
Credit: Devon Jarvis

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.

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Coco Mademoiselle

Coco Mademoiselle, Chanel, fragrance, perfume, Style 101
Credit: Devon Jarvis

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.

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Joy Jean Patou

Joy Jean Patou, Joy, Jean Patou, fragrance, perfume, Style 101
Credit: Devon Jarvis

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.

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Chanel No. 5

Chanel No. 5, Chanel, fragrance, perfume, Style 101
Credit: Devon Jarvis

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.

BUY ONLINE NOW
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!

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    1 of 13 Sarah Jessica Parker Covet
    2 of 13 Marc Jacobs Daisy
    3 of 13 Estee Lauder Pleasures
    4 of 13 Issey Miyake L'eau D'Issey
    5 of 13 YSL Opium
    6 of 13 Estee Lauder Pure White Linen
    7 of 13 Intimately Beckham
    8 of 13 L, L.A.M.B. Fragrance
    9 of 13 Fracas Robert Piguet
    10 of 13 Nina Ricci L'Air du Temps
    11 of 13 Coco Mademoiselle
    12 of 13 Joy Jean Patou
    13 of 13 Chanel No. 5

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