Starting from the basics, it’s important to understand what we mean by ‘signature scent’. We’re talking about a signature perfume, one that is uniquely yours and people associate with you. It’s a scent that works best for your style and – due to the unique way it reacts against your skin and body heat – is solely yours. Why is a signature scent important? Rodrigo Flores-Roux compares it to a men’s wardrobe.

Fragrance Notes and Accords

Don’t let the terminology confuse you, ‘accords’ simply refers to a scent or a distinctive smell made up of several perfume ingredients, which are called ‘notes’ that blends to form a distinct fragrance.

If you’re not too keen on perfume, you’ll be happy to know that fragrances come in various strengths. Understanding the different strengths and concentrations is an important step in purchasing your signature perfume, so you get the right potency for you. Each perfume will usually state its concentration somewhere on the bottle. These are the most commonly used fragrance concentrations from lowest to highest (don’t let the French phrases complicate it, it’s simple enough).

Just like fashion, certain classes of fragrance can be grouped depending on their similarities in scent. There are four main families in the fragrance world:

1. Start With Familiar Fragrances

We all have our favourite smells. Start to notice the smells you enjoy as well as the ones you don’t enjoy as much. Do you swoon over the smell of morning coffee? How about the smell of certain spices when cooking dinner, like cinnamon or cardamon? Maybe the smell of trees, bark and that lavender tree on your walk to work are scents that make you feel all warm and fuzzy.

Think about your day-to-day lifestyle and routine. If you spend most of your time alone or out and about running errands, consider a scent that speaks most to you.

You can never do too much research when it comes to finding your signature scent. Even before heading into the store, head online and check out what’s out there. Draw on what you’ve learnt in the previous steps and research certain perfumes that incorporate scents you enjoy from your daily life.

While your nose may be a little bit worse for wear after this step, it is essential for discovering your signature scent.

At the end of the day, after all the perfumes have been smelt and sprayed, it comes down to what you like – you are curating your personal scent, after all. Your signature perfume is meant to reflect who you are, your personality and your style and if we know one that it’s that when it comes to defining who you are, no one’s opinions should matter except yours. So, get out there, wear whatever you like and own it.

As mentioned, our experts have put together lists of all their fragrances. These are typically broken down into seasons, with everything from summer to winter signature scents included, check out our lists linked below.

Seasonal Colognes & Fragrances