Finding a perfume you love among the thousands on the market can be intimidating if you’re new to the industry. Carolina Herrera Perfume, Beverly Hills, Hermes — which brand works for your lifestyle, body chemistry, and budget? You can find out with a few simple tips.

Consider Your Lifestyle

The first step is deciding how you prefer to use fragrance. Do you want to wear it every day or only on special occasions? Will you wear it to work or out on the town? Depending on your answers, you may benefit from having a few perfumes in your collection.

For example, you’ll need a potent concentration if you plan to wear a fragrance all day; if you only plan to wear a scent to a nice dinner, a less concentrated option will do. Luckily, fashion houses offer several formulas with a variety of staying power:

•       Eau de parfum: 5 to 8 hours

•       Eau de toilette: 3 hours

•       Eau de cologne: 2 hours

If you need a fragrance that lingers for up to 24 hours, you can purchase perfume, which has the highest oil concentration. However, it’s more expensive; the higher the concentration, the more costly a perfume tends to be.

For most people, an EDP, such as 212 VIP Rose by Carolina Herrera Perfume, has ample staying power at an affordable price. You can also get the most from your perfume by practicing these tried-and-proven tips:

•       Moisturize your skin to keep the perfume oils from evaporating too quickly.

•       Allow your body heat to activate the scent by applying the fragrance to your pulse points (back of the knees, behind the ears, wrists, and inner elbows).

•       Dab on perfume instead of rubbing to avoid disrupting the delicate top notes.

Explore Fragrance Families

The more complex (and fun) part of choosing a signature perfume is trying out scents. With thousands of fragrance ingredients available to perfume makers, there’s a perfume for every taste.

One of the best ways to start your search is to figure out which fragrance family appeals to your sensibilities. There are four primary fragrance families, each with three to four subcategories:

•       Woody

•       Fresh

•       Floral

•       Amber

Woody scent notes have woody, incense-like aromas that add warmth and depth to colognes. Among this family, you’ll find inky moss, damp soil, and dry smoke. Predominantly base notes, woody scents linger the longest and often appear in men’s fragrances. CH by Carolina Herrera Perfume is an excellent example.

The fresh family covers a wide variety of scents:

•       Marine

•       Citrus

•       Green

•       Aromatic

Bright and refreshing, notes in this family generally fall into the heart category.

Members of the floral family are well-known and often present in “feminine” fragrances. Powdery and sweet, they usually serve as top notes.

Finally, the amber family is rich, spicy, and herbal. Fans of sugary smells (such as chocolate, caramel, and vanilla) will find their favorites in this gourmand category.

Try New Perfumes

The best way to see if a perfume works for you is to wear it. Not every perfume works for every body, so giving it a test drive will help you find your scent for your personality. Fortunately, you can find a wide selection of affordable fragrances at wholesalers like LaBelle Perfumes.