Imagine that you caught a whiff of a perfume that smelled so delicious and attractive on your friend. So, you asked her what perfume it was and she told you.
You purchased a bottle of that perfume but it doesn’t smell that good on you. Nobody is complimenting you and sometimes, the perfume even smells outrightly bad on you.
So, you start thinking that you probably got a fake but you ordered from a trustworthy store. The problem is that perfume smells different on everyone.
There are reasons for the phenomena and we discuss some of them so that it will guide you in choosing a perfume for yourself.
1. Skin ph
The ph of skin differs from person to person. Ph is the acidity or basicity of a solution and your skin has one too.
Your skin reacts with perfumes to produce unique chemical reactions which results in the distinct smell you carry even with the perfume. So, different skins will unravel scents differently.
2. Diet
Herbs and spices can change how your perfume smells because they affect your skin too. Spices like garlic and turmeric alter the body’s scent once they have been absorbed.
RELATED: Diet: A Factor That Affects Perfume And Fragrance
The smell of a vegetarian and one who binges on all sorts of junk food will be different and their perfumes will come out differently too.
3. Hormones
A study showed that women overheat when estrogen drops in their menstrual cycles. This can cause increased sweating too. Naturally, this change will affect how long a perfume will last on you and how the perfume even smells.
High levels of testosterone have also been reported to enhance the smell of men.
In fact, the way hormones the affect skin to unravel perfumes is the main reason why some people believe that some perfumes are inherently masculine or feminine.
4. Skin type
Perfumes have lipophilic properties; which means that they cling to oil on your skin. So, people with oily skin are more likely to hold top notes of perfumes longer and their skin even exaggerates certain ingredients in the perfumes.
On the other hand, scents evaporate faster on dry skin types. So, people with dry skin are usually able to pull off heavy fragrances like heavy florals, oriental, chypre, and spicy perfumes.
5. Your other skincare products
Your perfume layers on top of your body lotion and sometimes other perfumes products. So, the perfume is bound to react with those other scented products to produce another unique smell.
If you want it to be only your Eau de parfum’s scent that will be on your skin, you should avoid using other scented products that are not compatible with it. These include: scented shower gels, shampoos, aftershaves, soaps, lotions, and other perfume concentrations. Instead, use their unscented versions.
6. Your clothes
Fabrics have different components, so different types of fabrics will react differently with the same perfume. Suede, satin, and leather are reputed for being picky with alcohol-based perfumes.
Your clothes also absorb your body heat. So, when you add perfume to this mix alongside the different temperatures everyone is exposed to, you’re bound to get a unique smell.
7. Your health
Conditions like diabetes have been proven to cause a different smell on the people living with them. This might case perfumes to have a different reaction with their skin and smell different.
Smokers have also reported a change in how their perfumes smell after years of smoking.
