Brûmée's Guide: How To Buy Perfume Online
Wondering how to choose perfume online? Choosing the perfect scent can be challenging, especially when looking online. A lot of thought goes into buying a perfume, what perfume suits my personality? Will this be my everyday scent or occasional wear? Who am I buying it for? Whilst perfumes are a beauty staple, it is not something most of us are used to buying online; ultimately, we decide on a scent by smelling it.
The world of perfumery is an art - it is explorative, playful and has no boundaries, so why limit yourself to fragrances you can only buy in the store? We have compiled some helpful tips for you to consider when purchasing a scent online.
Familiarise Yourself With Ingredients, Notes & Fragrance Families:
It may sound simple, but a great way of choosing a fragrance online is to stick with what you know, by gauging which type of fragrance you are naturally drawn to. This will help you indicate which fragrance family you should look for, or which perfumer’s style reflects your personal taste. Many perfume brands will mention which family a fragrance belongs to help you refine your choices.
At Brûmée, we use the Olfactory Pyramid to represent the fragrance notes and their composition within a perfume. When smelling a scent, The Top Notes are what you will pick up first, giving you your first impression of the perfume. However, they’re only fleeting compared to the heart and base notes. As their name suggests, Heart Notes make up the “heart” of the fragrance, and around almost 70% of the total scent. Base Notes form the fragrance’s foundation and help boost the lighter notes above whilst adding depth and resonance.
Choose By Mood, Memory & Occasion
Our sense of smell is most closely linked to our memory. When the smell of perfume can trigger an emotional response, it becomes an essential part of our life. If you’re looking for something familiar, opt for scents that remind you of key moments in your life, special memories, people or places.
If you have an occasion coming up, think about how you want to feel. If you know you want to feel confident at an interview, or if you’re looking for a memorable perfume for a wedding, opt for scents that will make you feel that way. You can find out more about the mood-boosting effects of fragrances here.
Picking a Fragrance For Someone Else
Purchasing a perfume as a gift for someone else can be difficult, especially when confronted with a range of fragrances it can become overwhelming to narrow down the choices. However, you can take some simple steps to make the experience of shopping for someone else more manageable. When shopping online, think about the person you’re shopping for. Those that love nature are more inclined to prefer fresh end energising notes like citrus and earthier scents. Whereas, a more sentimental person may prefer sweeter, warmer fragrances with notes such as vanilla and lavender.
If you’re still undecided, you can browse perfumes using the bestseller filters to find what’s popular. Alternatively, you can purchase discovery sets, which allow you to test a range of scents before investing in a full-sized bottle.
When in Doubt, Speak to An Expert
The beauty of perfumery is the personal experience. Having an expert on hand to make sense of what you are looking for and translate that into the perfect fragrance can put you at ease. That is the general appeal to shopping in-store, it’s the direct customer service you receive. However, just because you are purchasing online, this doesn’t mean you can’t speak to a real person to help guide you with your decision.
At Brûmée, we have these expertise on hand. Having worked in a well-known french perfume house and having a doctorate in pharmacy, our founder, Dr Anne-Claire Walch, understands the relationship between skincare and fragrance. Dr Anne-Claire Walch and the rest of the Brûmée team are always here to guide you - drop us a DM or an email!