How to Sample Perfume the Right Way: Don't Trust the Paper Strip

Paper strips are great for a first impression, but they are not the truth. Paper doesn't have skin chemistry, body heat, or pH levels. A fragrance that smells like a masterpiece on paper can turn sour or disappear on your skin. Always use paper to narrow down your choices, but never buy a full bottle without a skin test.

Fragrance is a story with a beginning, middle, and end. The top notes (what you smell first) only last 15-30 minutes. The 'Heart' of the perfume emerges after an hour, and the 'Base' only truly shows up after 3 or 4 hours. You haven't truly met a fragrance until you've worn it for half a day.

Your nose can only process so many new scents at once. After 3 or 4 fragrances, your brain will start to 'shut down' its receptors to avoid overload—this is called olfactory fatigue. When sampling, take breaks, sniff some unflavored coffee beans (or your own skin), and never test more than two fragrances on your skin at a time (one per wrist).