SCENT-SHOPPING SECRETS
Nobody knows more about how to shop for fragrance than Lorna McKay – not just a fragrance buyer with 30 years’ experience, but a scentophile herself, constantly nosing out new and exciting scents for her own olfactory pleasure. Here, then, are her tips…
• ‘Never shop for fragrance in a hurry. It’s expensive! When you rush, you make mistakes, because you’re making snap judgments and perfumes take time to unfold on the skin.’
• ‘Duty Free is the place to replenish perfumes you love, but not to decide on a new scent – you could have arrived in Italy before the base notes emerge, and those are what you really live with!’
• ‘Blotters are a useful way of eliminating no-hopers and lining up possibles – but they’re not really enough to base a perfume purchase on. You really need to smell a scent on your skin.’
• ‘When you’ve narrowed down your choices, ideally don’t try more than two at a time – one on each wrist. At a push, you can try two more on the inside of the elbow – also good pulse-points.’
• ‘Before you part with your cash, be sure you love every stage of a perfume: top notes, heart notes, and the lingering base.’
• ‘The more you read about perfume – on blogs and in books – the greater your appreciation will be. Try writing down your emotions when you smell particular scents, too: it strengthens the nose/brain link, which can actually improve your actual sense of smell.’
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