How to Choose Perfume

perfume or cologne might prove heavy on the pocket. But it gives the best value for money compared to other packaged fragrances like deodorants, body sprays and eau de cologne.

First, they have the longest staying power. Just a whiff is enough to keep you smelling great for hours.

They also lend relief when you are crammed in public transport system!

"I find myself clambering for just a whiff of Dior's Dunes or Carrera, so that the fragrance can overpower less enchanting bodily odours," says Shirish, a collegian who braves the Mumbai local trains every day, and is saving up for his first bottle of cologne.

It is going to be Polo Sport by Ralph Lauren for Shirish.

~ Perfume etiquette

It is politically incorrect to drench yourself in perfume just because you like the fragrance.

If you do, your humongous cloud of vapour will follow you wherever you go, pierce every nostril in the vicinity and leave people choking on the smell for hours after!

Be a little altruistic. Try not to infringe on another's personal space.

Etiquette expert Dr Tushar Guha shares some subtle hints on how to wear your perfume right:

i. Choose your perfume with care depending on the occasion.

ii. A cocktail party, a meeting with one or two people, a day at the office, a corporate event, these occasions demand a little sophistication. So go with a subtle scent that does not jerk an unsuspecting nostril out of its peaceful reverie.

iii. But if you want to make a splash at a wedding, a party or on a night of clubbing, go in for something stronger, but nothing too loud, unless a 'loud' image is what you really want to project!

iv. We all want to be accepted and your choice of perfume should complement what you stand for.

Apply it with finesse

i. While applying your perfume, don't splash it all over your clothes. Apply it behind your earlobes, the upper sides of your palms and on the right and left side of your neck. These are your pulse points and the fragrance will sustain for a longer period. Besides, you won't soil your clothes.

ii. Even though you might have seen it in the movies, do not rub your wrists together after spraying on perfume. This reduces the effect of the top layer of perfume.

iii. If you like a little flamboyance, do it the filmi way, by spraying some into the air and walk through it. Now, you are soaking in your favourite scent!

iv. Keep the spray away from your nostrils, else you might inhale the chemicals. This could lead to breathing trouble.

v. How much should you apply? One round of application to all the pulse points will do. Unless you perspire a lot, in which case, you could go in for round two.

vi. Many people love to spray perfume everywhere, including their hair, handbag, cushions and sheets.

Well, go ahead and indulge yourself. But when it comes to spraying it on to your silk sari or tie, restrain yourself, else you will end up ruining your best silk!

~ Shopping tips

According to Vilobha Vijay Joshi, perfumer with International Flavours and Fragrances, and a 'nose' to be reckoned with, the same fragrance will smell different on two people as the body heat and inherent body odours are different.

So please make sure you test your perfume on yourself and not your friend. Else your friend will smell like lily of the valley, while you could emerge smelling like durian!