scents are such amazing things. some can get you refreshed and make you relax. some can energize and even seduce. so what are so many women still doing waiting for special occasions to wear fragrance? any day is a perfect day to smell good!

but how to shop for scents? if you are one of the many customers who can’t seem to decide on any particular fragrance until the assistant is fossilized, here are a few guidelines i learned on how to enhance your skills in choosing perfume:

1. determine your signature scent

choose according to your personality: are you active and athletic? are you sweet and sassy? are you feminine and romantic? are you alluring and sultry? are you daring and adventurous? choose according to occasion: is it for daily wear? for weekend getaways? for formal date nights?

fragrances are divided into four groups: fresh (clean with citrus and green characteristics), floral (very feminine featuring, as the name suggests, flowers like jasmine, iris, etc.), oriental (exotic like spice and amber) and woody (warm featuring aromatic scents like cinnamon and patchouli and, of course, woodsy smells like cedar and pine).

so if you are the romantic type, most likely you’d be drawn to floral. if you are seductive, try oriental. if you like comfortable smells, then perhaps woody. if you are laid-back, go for fresh.

2. take your time testing

one thing i notice about shoppers is they feel so harried and intimidated when a gang of salespersons flock around them armed with testers that they just sniff quickly from bottles, turn then go. so here’s one of my most important tips: don’t be intimidated. countless times have i told them that i would like to shop in peace and this has worked without a hitch so far. you see, to appreciate scents, you need to test them, not just take a whiff from the bottle, so do linger around the counter as long as you can.

what i usually do is test as much as my nose and the coffee beans can handle on testing strips. then i narrow them down to three or four scents to apply on my skin (aside from the wrists, you can also use the insides of your elbows so the fragrances don’t mix). and i don’t buy on the spot. i go around the department store or even go home without locking down on a choice. this way, i can find out which one smells best after a few hours on my skin and even sniff out which one lasts the longest. once i have decided on one, i go back for the bottle. because i take time, fragrances have never caused me buyer’s remorse, ever.

3. select your formula and quantity

you also have to consider the intensity and the duration with which you mean to wear your perfume. are you the type who spritzes frequently throughout the day? do you need one that will last the entire evening for a party? here are the concentrations from highest to lowest: parfum, eau de parfum, eau de toilette, eau de cologne. there’s also solid perfume, one that is solidified in beeswax.

then determine how often you intend to wear it as this will help you decide how big a bottle you ought to get. fragrance, once opened, will normally last up to 18 months stored in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.

4. don’t be afraid to experiment

try to look beyond the endorsements and that cute little bottle (honestly though, i am a sucker for attractive packaging). don’t limit yourself to mainstream brands. there are a lot of fantastic niche brands you would miss if you don’t dare yourself to step out of your comfort zone.

as for me, here are my favorite scents (and their ads that i love!):

chloe eau de parfum

marc jacobs daisy

marc jacobs lola

lacoste pour femme

lacoste inspiration

estee lauder pleasures

images from chandlerburr, impactlab, sophie’s realm, perfume 100.

the first thing we did when i got here? eat crispy pata and tokwa’t baboy, naturally!

and before the stores closed for the holidays this week, i was able to accompany my cousin to makati and squeeze in some minor shopping.

i wrote this entry some months ago with the full intention of purchasing the bcbgirls wedge. i’m so glad my husband and i were too busy with relocation duties at that time and i wasn’t able to buy the shoes… because i was able to buy them now at 50% off! man, i thought these things would have flown off the shelves… apparently, my taste isn’t very widely-accepted…

the same thing happened with the jeans i pined for a longer time ago (story here).

when i wrote about wanting mj lola here, someone eventually gave me a bottle as a gift.

i said here just a few weeks ago that i want chloe edp and there it was, on sale in duty free. and to think this one just recently won fragrance of the year. i assumed this one would go on sale next year yet, but hey now.

maybe my blog possess “the secret” everyone’s been talking about. or is it just me because i’m so positive these days? so i will write

i want a canon s90 digital camera and let the universe give it to me with a significant discount or just give it to me, full stop. i call on the universe.

wait, i call on my husband, that is… i’m off the payroll during my philippine shopping expedition.

canon power shot photo from wired.

as for me, whenever i feel a strong sense of wanting things, i write about them. it gives me a feeling of accommodation… a very misplaced security, but security nonetheless. as if by committing images of these things in my blog makes them mine in a very existential sense. ok, it’s a very perverted view of consumerism, but it sure beats the hell out of overspending. besides, i’d probably end up actually purchasing one or two of the things in consideration (especially if they are on sale; in which circumstance, i can blame marketing for ruining my budget). then i can move on with my life.

chloe eau de parfum. chloe’s concoction bearing its signature represents the unfettered me.

blue fascinator. i’ve always wanted to wear a fascinator. i had opportunities during my 1) wedding (two of them in fact: in court and in church) and 2) during the melbourne cup event here last year. i grabbed neither opportunities. this year, i will be matron of honor in a wedding, so this is my chance. i can’t let this pass me by.

this particular butterfly fairy pendant. ok, if you’ve been looking around here a while, you will notice that i have a thing for flat laser-cut brass pendants. while i have never lost my urge to scour the world over for all necklaces in real-chandelier-form, i look towards other designs too. i am predictable, but i am not one-sided. i am particularly fond of this design because, unlike most fairy images, this one is wearing high-heels. and with her micro-mini tutu, curvaceous body and windswept hair, she looks like one of the victoria’s secret models bedecked in fantasy. in fact, i’m putting the golden butterfly fairy next to miranda kerr for reference.

nike hi-top retro toddler rubber shoes. for my two-year-old who dances each and every morning.

crystal cluster rings. instantly dresses up an outfit in just one finger.

filigree cuff. to go with the cluster rings.

pink boxing gloves. i don’t like pink. but as boxing gloves, i think it’s gorgeous.

…

what do you want?

photos from peach face, ebay, bracelets, bijoux de lou and jewelry recipes.