Perfumes come in a wide variety of scents. In fact, there are literally hundreds of different scents available on the market - each of which creates its own unique smell when applied to an individual person's body. The combination of a person's body oils and chemistry with the ingredients included in the perfume always creates unexpected results.
When shopping for perfume, you will likely be provided with the opportunity to purchase an imitation version of a more expensive brand. You will need to think this decision through carefully. While many imitation perfumes do smell much like their originals, and may even have the same ingredients, not all are exactly the same. As a result, you might find yourself disappointed in your purchase.
As with any perfume, it is also wise to wear an imitation perfume before making the decision to purchase it. While the initial scent may be the same as the perfume it is imitating, the middle notes and bottom notes may not be the same. As such, it may smell great at first, but will start smelling less-than-appealing as the top notes wear off. In the end, you may be stuck with a scent that does not meet your expectations.
In many cases, it is worthwhile to spend the extra money in order to purchase the brand name scent. As with designer clothes versus imitation clothes, they may look the same on the surface but the quality is inferior.
Since quality perfumes are made with oils, they generally have a fairly long shelflife. After a few years, however, you may notice that your perfume doesn't smell quite the same as when you first got it. This is because exposure to light and variations in temperature can wreak havoc on the balance of the top, middle, and bottom notes of the perfume.
As strange as it may sound, the best way to store your perfume for an extended period of time without losing its original scent is to keep it in the refrigerator. Of course, not many people have room in the refrigerator for storing their perfumes and most of us do not keep mini-refrigerators on our vanities or in the bathroom for storing beauty products. If you can't keep your perfume in a refrigerator, keep it in a climate-controlled area with little fluctuations in temperature. This will also help prevent a breakdown of the molecules in the perfume and will help it maintain the desired scent.
Since perfume doesn't smell exactly the same on everyone, you really need to give it a test run before making a purchase. Try the perfume on and let it set on your body for a couple of hours before deciding to make a purchase.
Also, according to history, perfumes were originally worn in Europe mostly to cover foul body odors. Don't follow suit with these olden days. Rather, make sure to start with a clean and fresh pallet before applying your perfume. In other words, don't put on perfume to cover up other odors and do not put on a new scent if the scent of another perfume is still lingering on your body. The combination can really throw off the scent of the perfume and make it quite unappealing.
With these simple tips, you will be certain to smell great every time you wear your favorite perfume!