Discover your fragrance personality

I love the reaction people get when they discover that fragrance special enough to describe an essence of who they are.

However, some get attached to a certain scent so much that they feel they should be recognized for it...almost like a uniform. Like makeup or wardrobe, feel free to change it up from day to night or summer to winter.

The worst offense is when someone buys a fragrance solely based on the celebrity who endorse it or based on a brand name or advertisement. Who wants to wear what everyone else is wearing? It generally smells generic, and it certainly doesn't speak to your uniqueness. Would you have someone say, "You smell absolutely amazing" or "is that (brand x) you're wearing?"

With that said, here are a few tips that will help you to find your next unique essence. The strength of smells varies with the humidity, percentage of essential oils and how much they’re diluted. The difference between Eau de Parfum and Eau de Toilette is that Eau de Parfum has a higher percentage of essentials.

Also available are water-based fragrances. The main benefit I have noticed from this category that we carry, is that there is no alcohol that can interfere with drying or interaction time on your skin. You can also more easily custom mix these fragrances and still not have them be too heavy or strong.

Fragrances consist of three notes: top (what you smell after application), middle, and base. The middle and mostly the base notes are those that mainly interact with your skin chemistry. In my opinion, the best fragrances are those in which the three notes vary enough to almost constitute their own fragrance, but complement each other in a way that gives the scent its rare complexity.

To make the most of YOUR scent, it's not a matter of covering yourself with it, but rather using enough to know that it's there and making an impact. It's more intoxicating to leave that lingering veil with them as you pass by as opposed to being too overpowering. Try walking into a scent or misting your hairbrush before it touches your hair. Also very effective is to apply the fragrance to your pulse points such as the neck, cleavage, wrists and folds of elbows and knees. Never rub in a fragrance.

Hopefully, now that I have convinced you not to buy scents based on marketing and popular hype, choosing one that's right for you has to account for your personality... among other factors. The majority of perfumes on the market are generally divided into five categories, such as floral, fruity, woodsy, oceanic or oriental.

However, since I have a knack for the unique, we also carry those inventive creations called symphonies (a balanced fusion of fruit and floral), invitation to voyage (combining Eastern sensuality Islands exotics, and scents of Sweet Italian summers), and primal scents (based on pure natural scents of memory-evoking elements) among many others.

To find a category that fits you best, ask yourself, "what smells am I drawn to?" Do you prefer something that reminds you of a lush rose garden, a breezy ocean, or fresh pines? Are you more outgoing or mysterious? Do you want your perfume to convey pprofessionalism, power and strength or an accessible girl next door? Determine the scents that have the biggest impact on you and look for them in a perfume.

If you need extra help, you will probably have your best luck in more independent locations that focuses more on uniqueness and knowledge than marketing, hype or commission. Those who are knowledgeable can even tell you the proper ways to store your purchase to keep the product quality for as long as possible.

Feel free to come in with a list of descriptions of what you like, no matter how strange it may seem. Do you like smells of tomato vines, burning leaves, old books, white flowers or orange groves? Bring them over and have fun choosing your best options. You may even discover something new about yourself.

If you would like me to personally help you uncover your fragrance personality or would like me to help you select the perfect gift for your loved one, you are welcome to e-mail me at fezbeauty@gmail .com. Better yet, stop by at FEZ Studio for the full experience.

I wish you the sweet smell of success!

Fez Studio

1125 NW 9th Ave

Portland, OR 97209