perfume

Perfuming the body is an ancient beauty ritual. Pamper yourself with fragrances that enhance your lifestyle, your personality, and always remember the occasion.

7 Steps:

1. Select your fragrance. Finding the right fragrances for yourself can be a challenging task. Before you venture out and invest a fortune in perfumes, know your own lifestyle, the kind of activities you do, and the kind of person you are.

2. Collect a few samples before you buy. Visit the fragrance counter in a larger department store. Speak with the representative(s) of several perfume brands. Tell them you are looking for fragrances suitable for you. Let him/her know the types of fragrances you¡¯re most interested in trying. Spices for casual wear. Floral for more elegant occasions. Natural scents for work and everyday.

3. Shop around and try on various fragrances. Before you go shopping, tuck a few cotton balls, a handful of plastic sandwich bags and a small note pad into your pocket or purse. Most fragrance representatives will provide you with either a sample vial of the scent or apply a sample to a small, business card size piece of paper. On the paper, write down the name of the scent and where you obtained it. Put the scented paper into a sandwich bag, fold it up and take it home with you. If this courtesy is not available, squirt a sample from the "tester" bottle onto a cotton ball. Make yourself a note reminding yourself the name of the fragrance and where you got it. Put the paper or the cotton ball (or both) into a sandwich bag. It¡¯s oh-so-tempting to pick up a "tester" bottle of the newest product on the market, saturate your wrist with it, and immediately put your nose to the test. Resist this temptation! You will not get a true sense of the fragrance. There will be too many other scents in the store environment to isolate the one you are trying, and the fragrance will not have time to "mingle" with your own body chemistry.

4. Put it to the test in your own environment; at home, at work, and at play. Remove one of the "tester" cotton balls or paper slips from the sandwich bag. (If you collected fragrance vials, moisten a cotton ball with a little of the sample.) Rub your wrists with the cotton ball, and then tuck the cotton ball into your bra. Go about your activity. Either you or someone who comes into contact with you will identify if this fragrance is right for you.

5. Apply the fragrance correctly. Less is more; you want to bring people to your attention, not clear the room. Real perfumes usually have a stronger power than colognes. Use either of them with discretion and in good taste.

6. Straight from the bottle: Unscrew the cap from the vial/bottle. Holding the bottle in one hand with your finger over the bottle opening, tip the bottle until the fluid moistens your fingertip. Apply the fragrance by dabbing the perfume to the pulse points of your body, i.e, on your neck just below your ear lobes, behind your knees, at your ankles, between your breasts, and at your wrists.

7. Using an atomizer: Using an atomizer to apply your fragrance can be tricky. Many atomizers distribute too much fragrance to a specific point. To avoid "overdose," squirt the fragrance into the air above or directly in front of you and "walk" into the falling mist. If you choose to spray your body directly from an atomizer, apply it to your body trunk and rub your skin to distribute the fragrance.

4 Tips:

1. Always apply your fragrance before you dress. It is very difficult to remove the scent of perfume from clothing.

2. Do not spray scent directly on your clothes because perfume can stain fabrics and cling to them. If you want to scent your clothes, mist undergarments or your nightie, and put dusting powder in your shoes.

3. Are liquid perfumes too strong for you? Look for scented cream or lotion fragrances. Try fragrance-enhanced bath soaps, beads or salts. (Aroma therapy salons will carry many varieties of fragrance bath products.)

4. Here¡¯s a simple, stimulating shower or bath tip: Before you dry after a shower or bath, rub your body with a sprig of fresh rosemary. This natural scent is refreshing, stimulating and pleasant.