GB Fragrances

A Fragrance Blog

Categories: Perfume Hacks, Top Long Lasting Fragrances

HOW TO FIND YOUR SIGNATURE SCENT

HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT PERFUME

 

How to find your signature scent

 

How to find the right perfume is one of the most commonly asked questions I get. Choosing the right fragrance can be daunting, especially when you’re faced with a wall of scents to choose from, but with a few simple things in mind like your lifestyle, preferences, and body chemistry, you can find the perfect perfume for your unique personality and style. Whether you’re a classic floral fan, a cozy musk lover, or an adventurous scent explorer, there’s something out there for everyone. From understanding the different fragrance notes and families to learning about the different oil concentrations, this guide will give you the knowledge and confidence to find your signature scent.

 

1. What to consider when choosing a fragrance and how to find the perfect perfume

 

First and foremost, you need to figure out what you’re looking for in a perfume. By taking into account your lifestyle, preferences, and body chemistry, you’ll have a better shot at finding the perfect perfume for you.

Your Lifestyle – What kind of environment do you spend most of your time in? Are you a student who kicks back in a dorm room or a businesswoman who spends most of her time in an office? These are aspects of your lifestyle that have a direct impact on the type of perfume you should buy.

Let’s talk about preferences – What are your favorite scents? Do you lean towards floral fragrances or are you an earthy musk lover? Are you looking for a light and airy scent for everyday wear, or something bolder and more exotic for special occasions? Do you want something for the gym, something that’s office-safe, or something more sensual for date nights?

Knowing your preferences and when you picture yourself wearing a particular fragrance can help narrow down your search. Even though I don’t believe in being too rigid when it comes to wearing fragrances according to seasons , I do believe in that perfumes truly bloom when worn at the right time and for the right occasion.

 

2. Understanding fragrance notes and families

 

When choosing your signature scent, it’s important to understand fragrance notes and above all, what notes do your current favorite fragrance/s share among them because you can find a pattern  that will help you find the right perfume for you.

Perfumes’ formulations can be broken down into three main parts: the top notes, middle notes, and base notes.

The Top Notes – These are the notes you smell right away. For the most part they’re light and refreshing, and they usually linger for only a few minutes. Citrus scents, especially bergamot, orange, and grapefruit, are common top notes.

The Middle Notes – These notes are a little more complex and stronger than the top notes, but not as strong as the base notes. While they come into play when you first apply the perfume, they usually fade away after a few hours. Floral scents such as jasmine, tuberose, and orange blossom are common middle notes just to name a few.

The Base Notes – These notes are the strongest and last the longest. They’re usually earthy, musky, and often smell more like the perfume itself. These scents are the last ones to come through when you first apply the perfume. Common base notes are Benzoin, Vanilla, Patchouli, Cedar, and Sandalwood.

I have a quote that I stick to when looking for new perfumes:  “never judge a fragrance by the top notes”. This is basically because they’ll disappear pretty quickly, and you could be ruling out from your life an amazing perfume. However, if you feel that the initial spray is off-putting and you can’t stand it, please move on; there’s enough on the market to choose from so there’s no need to make any type of commitment here. Even though you don’t have to love the top notes, at the very least you have to like them because otherwise you won’t enjoy the fragrance no matter how gorgeous the dry down could be.

 

3. Taking into account your body chemistry

 

Since we are all different, our body chemistry is also different, which means that what smells good on one person might not smell as good on another individual which is totally fine and normal. There are ways to figure out which scents are most likely to work well with your body chemistry, such as using a perfume wheel or by trying to find a pattern in the fragrances you already have. You can also take a quick quiz to find out which fragrance families are best for your body chemistry or you can have a fragrance consultation with me by clicking here. I’d be happy to help you find the right perfume for you 😍.

 

4. Testing fragrances before buying

 

Before you commit to a full-size bottle, you should test a few fragrances to see which ones work best for you; this is why I’ve compiled a list of legit sites to shop for samples and decants here in the US and in Europe. You can get this list for free just by signing up to my newsletter (check my homepage and you’ll see the form when you scroll down on your right-hand side towards the middle of the page).

It’s important to try fragrances outside of your home because somehow, when you change the environment, it “cleanses” the bias you might have when sniffing perfumes at home. Has it ever happened to you that you try a perfume at a department store, you buy it and when you get home it doesn’t smell quite the same? , you can get a general sense of how a perfume smells on you. At the very least, you should test different fragrance families to see what works best with your body chemistry. You should test fragrances at different times of the day to get a better idea of how they’ll smell throughout the day. You can also test different scents on different parts of your body to see how they interact with your skin chemistry.

5. Choosing the right concentration

 

Most fragrances come in different concentrations, so you also have to decide how strong you’d like your scent to be.

Eau de toilette (EDT)

 

EDT is the lightest concentration and usually lasts a few hours. For EDT oil concentration ranges from 5% to 10-12%, and they are a great option for the gym or for work, especially, if  you are surrounded by people who might not be into fragrances. Perfumes can be headache-inducing, so being mindful about the people we interact with is always a good thing to keep in mind.

 

Eau de parfum (EDP)

 

EDP is stronger, and it can go anywhere from 12-15% oil concentration all the way up to 26 and even 28% oil concentration, and it usually lasts 6-8 hours, sometimes even more.

 

Pure Parfum

 

Parfum or extrait is the strongest concentration at around 28-30% oil concentration, and usually they last more than 10/12 hours on the skin. It’s also important to note that EDPs and parfums have less oil than EDTs, which can make them last even longer, but they’ll sit close to the skin and won’t have a noticeable sillage which is the trail you leave behind when you walk. No concentration is better than other, it’s just a matter of preference.

 

6. Choosing the right fragrance

 

Now that you know what to look for in a perfume, you can start the hunt for your perfect scent. A good place to start is by looking at different perfume collections from major brands. You can also browse fragrances by olfactory group, and research the notes present in each fragrance. This can help narrow down your search and give you a better idea of what scents you like. That being said, it’s very important to understand that many notes we like in their purest form, often times don’t smell as such when they’re processed to be used in perfumery, let alone when they’re blended with other notes and accords including synthetic notes and ingredients. For this reason, even though knowing the notes you like is good, isolated notes don’t mean much, so don’t make a purchase decision based on the notes  you saw on the internet, and try to avoid blind buying perfumes. However, if you still want to blind buy, I’ve made a video with tips and strategies to guide you. Click here to watch the video (but don’t forget to come back to keep reading 😉 ).

 

7. Fragrance subscription services

 

If you’re having trouble finding the right scent, you can try a fragrance subscription service. These services let you sample a variety of different perfumes each month, and they usually offer both men’s and women’s fragrances. You can usually select your preferences and scents for each month, and some services let you exchange a bottle if you’re not happy with it. These services are a great way to find the perfect perfume, especially since you can try several different fragrances without committing to one in particular, and usually they come in generous 5-8 ml containers so you’re getting more perfume than what you get with just a sample. There are plenty of subscription services out there, and I recall one that I used to be subscribed to called scentbird (disclaimer: this is not an affiliate link. I’m providing the information just to help my readers find a good deal).

Now, before you start shopping for fragrances, make sure you’re in a positive state of mind. If you go into the experience with a negative attitude, you’re more likely to rule out scents that might otherwise have been great for you. You should also keep in mind that different scents smell different on different people as I mentioned above, and that’s totally ok.

How to find the perfect perfume is such a hot topic that this is actually my second post about it, and both blog posts complement each other so if you want to read my other post about how to find the right perfume, click HERE.

Categories: FRAGRANCE REVIEWS, Most Complimented, Seductive Perfumes, Top Long Lasting Fragrances

Baccarat Rouge 540

Baccarat Rouge 540 Extrait de Parfum | Maison Franckis Kurkdjian

If you’ve heard about Baccarat Rouge 540 perfume and  you don’t get the hype, keep reading.

This post is all about the famous Baccarat Rouge 540 Perfume

 

Baccarat Rouge 540 EDP and Extrait de Parfum

 

Baccarat rouge perfume

Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau De Parfum and Extrait de Parfum

I became familiar with this incredible manufacturer since an early age because I grew up seeing and hearing the word “Baccarat” at home. My mom would throw fancy parties every now and then, and in every gathering, the gorgeous, meticulously carved Baccarat crystal glasses were a staple in my house, along with other stunning decor pieces also made by the same brand.

Fast forward to 2015, Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum was launched to celebrate the world-famous crystal manufacturer’s 250th birthday; what an excitement! Initially, it was going to be a limited edition of only 250 bottles, but given the success and the world’s positive reaction, Francis Kurkdjian, the perfumer, decided to keep it as part of his permanent collection. Quickly, Baccarat Rouge 540 became the most mass-appealing, sought-after, and cloned fragrance ever created.

When I heard the name “Baccarat” I felt I needed to get my hands and nose on it because it was a brand I grew up with and felt like “home”.  On top of that, when I learned this fragrance had saffron in the composition which is one of my absolute favorite notes in perfumery, I felt this fragrance was screaming my name, period; I needed to try it; and so I did the moment Neiman Marcus received it. I tried it not just once but several times, and you know what? I didn’t like it, actually it was totally off-putting !! At one point I wasn’t sure if it was the fragrance or the pushy sales associate trying to convince me to buy it, but it was definitely unpleasant.

Over time, BR 540 EDP grew on me and I ended up loving this beautiful perfume, however, what I find truly captivating is the bottle and all the details that have been incorporated.

The brand’s signature color often seen in their chandeliers, is a deep, bright red. To obtain this vibrant red color, melted (fused) clear crystal is mixed with pure gold, a mix that master artisans utilize to make the fabulous creations that Baccarat is renowned for. Once the creations are shaped, those pieces are heated at 540 degrees Celsius and here’s when the magic happens, and the clear crystal turns red. If you rotate the bottle and look at it from the back, you can see a red chandelier imprinted on the back side of the label as a symbolic representation of the famous brand.

After the huge success of Baccarat Rouge 540 in the eau de parfum formulation, the house (Maison Francis Kurkdjian), launched BR 540 extrait de parfum in 2017 (which is my favorite), with the same nose behind: the master perfumer Francis Kurkdjian.

 

Baccarat rouge 540 candlebaccarat rouge 540

Baccarat Rouge 540 Extrait de Parfum and Candle

BR 540 (both EDP and extrait) are incredible blends of synthetic notes, a true example of modern perfumery which proves that conversely to what many people think, synthetic is not always a bad thing, especially in the perfume industry.

The notes present in this composition are saffron (actually a synthetic form of saffron since in natural form, this highly coveted spice has an allergenic compound), Cashmeran, Ambroxan, red cedar (which gives the fragrance with what many people recognize as “pencil shavings” smell, much creamier and less dry than other types of cedar used in perfumery), and Jasmine.

This master piece smells like nothing that has ever been created before, in fact, it’s hard to describe how it smells, and I think it’s part of what made this fragrance so disruptive when it appeared for the first time back in 2015. There are many fragrances on the market with the same notes and accords, however, Mr. Francis Kurkdjian mastered the art of blending just a few synthetic notes to perfection, and despite all the baccarat rouge 540 dupes out there, it’s still unique and the only one that is 10/10.

BR540’s smell has been described as “burned sugar”, well… not to me. I love cooking and baking and I’m very familiar with the smell of burned sugar which tends to be slightly bitter. In this case though, there’s no bitterness at all, if anything, it has a very subtle salty smell lingering in the background that perfectly balances the otherwise excessive sweetness. Every time I eat berries at home, I sprinkle them with brown sugar and the moment I bite a berry, Baccarat Rouge comes to my mind.

If you ask me what does it smell like, I’d say, it smells like candied berries with sprinkled granulated brown sugar on top (not the “sandy” and moist brown sugar; I’m talking about the dry, golden, crystalized one).

The extrait version is a bit different, but not dramatically different. In fact, someone who’s not into fragrances and smell them for the first time, highly likely won’t be able to tell them apart. However, Baccarat Rouge 540 extrait has a different opening, which is nutty and not as sharp as the opening of the EDP sister. This strong bitter almond accord, in my opinion, is one of the main differentiating factors from the original version.

It’s a pretty linear fragrance that slowly transitions without much change until it settles in the dry down, where you’ll get a less nutty but more woodsy, slightly smoky, and denser fragrance that lasts for at least six to eight hours on my skin. I’d say the extrait is a more mature type of scent compared to the EDP and yes, this is one of my top compliment getters.

 

Fragrance Profile

 

Baccarat Rouge 540 extrait screams “I am expensive”. It’s luxurious and over the top, however, it’s not overwhelming, intrusive, or intimidating.

This might come as a surprise to many since it’s an extrait de parfum, but this perfume is not what in the fragrance community we call a “beast-mode” fragrance with incredible projection and a mind-blowing sillage, conversely, it’s a scent that sits close to the skin. People think that when fragrances are in their purest form which is extrait (or parfum), they are stronger, they project more, and the trail is impressive, and I’m here to tell you that this is not 100% true. Due to the high oils concentration in extrait de parfums, this type of formulation tends to last longer, but usually extraits are skin scents with moderate projection and without a remarkable sillage.

Conversely, lighter formulations like eau de toilettes, since they have higher amounts of alcohol and a lower percentage of oils concentration, will leave a beautiful trail when you walk, and will project from a longer distance, even though they won’t last nearly as much as an extrait de parfum. 

Since oils concentrations vary from house to house, not all fragrance formulations will behave the same way even if they belong to the same category. For example, Tom Ford’s private blend which offers an amazing selection of eau de parfums, has a higher oil concentration than the standard eau de parfums we see on the market so any fragrance from this line will perform better than other eau de parfums with a lower oil concentration.

 

Tell me more about Baccarat Rouge 540 !

 

It appears to have a particular molecular structure because many people experience a “Hide & Seek” game with BR540 EDP. What I mean by this is that after a while, many people can’t smell it anymore on themselves, but people around them can smell it. Unfortunately, this has not been my case. It seems my skin “eats” this fragrance and it disappears after an hour or so and no one around me seems to even notice it, however this is not the case with the extrait version which I love and will always keep in my collection. 

Baccarat Rouge 540 Extrait is a compliment getter and fun fact, most of the comments and compliments I get when I wear this fragrance come from men. If you want to check my blog post about my most complimented fragrances, click here.

This is definitely a night time type of scent, something I’d wear for formal events, and also when I want to feel like a “femme fatale” and red carpet-ready.

Baccarat Rouge 540 is absolutely beautiful in both formulations, especially the extrait. If you asked me a while back if it’s worth the hype, I’d have said yes, because it was a very disruptive scent that smelled like nothing on the market even though it wasn’t love at first sniff for me. Nowadays, there are so many similar fragrances (even dupes / clones) of BR540 that makes the original fragrance lack the exclusivity it once had. That being said, there’s nothing like the original, and personally, I do not like dupes nor do I encourage people to buy them.

Worth it or not, the hype is out there and if you have a chance, give it a try. This is not a safe blind buy so make sure you test it first. It’s very alluring, intriguing and luxurious, and for many people one of their most complimented perfumes of all times. I can foresee it becoming a modern classic and a staple in many collectors’ collections including mine.

 

Categories: Top Long Lasting Fragrances

Long Lasting Perfumes For Women

Top Long Lasting Fragrances For Ladies Lilac Love Amouage, Oud Satin Mood MFK, Hacivat Nishane, Chanel Le Lion, Signature Bond N0.9, Italica Xerjoff, Danger Parfum Colgne Roja Parfums

Top 7 Long Lasting Perfumes For Women

 

When it comes to buying expensive fragrances, lasting power is one of the most important things to consider, for this reason, I want to share with you 7 of my top long lasting perfumes for ladies. As a fragrance lover and as my collection grows, I’ll be adding new long lasting fragrances blog posts so stay tuned 😉

 

LE LION | CHANEL LES EXCLUSIFS

 

A very unique, bold, and long lasting fragrance

 

The first fragrance on my top long lasting perfumes for ladies list is Le Lion by Chanel, and it belongs to Les Exclusifs line. I absolutely love Chanel fragrances, they have niche quality, they’re great performers, and many of them have stood the test of time and became a classic like Coco Mademoiselle, Chance, Coco, Coco Noir, Coromandel, Sycomore, and Beige.

 

Le Lion was initially a Middle East exclusive, but became available to the US in late 2020 and I couldn’t be happier because all I read about the fragrance made me crave it with desperation. The nose behind this long awaited fragrance is none other than Olivier Polge, who’s also the nose behind several iconic fragrances of house such as 1957, Misia, and Boy from Les Exclusifs, Chance Eau Vive, Chanel N5 L’eau, Gabrielle, Gabrielle Essence, and Gabrielle Parfum, and Coco Mademoiselle Intense just to name a few.

Let’s dive into the fragrance

 

This fragrance is a stunner, a gorgeous, sophisticated, and opulent fragrance completely different from whatever you can find in the market, and for the record, the name has nothing to do with the animal; in fact, this perfume has been named after Gabrielle Chanel’s zodiac sign because she was a Leo and this is what this fragrance embodies: her passionate and vibrant personality. To me this is a fragrance for someone who is 100% unapologetic, self-confident, and knows exactly what they want. In my opinion this can be a unisex fragrance but it leans more on the feminine side.

It smells very expensive and luxurious, and it’s a very versatile fragrance to the point that if you go light on the sprays you can even wear this perfume during the day and to the office; now, if you go heavier, I would say this is that night time fragrance that will enter the room before you do.

I’ve heard people comparing this with a combo of Shalimar and Sycomore and let me tell you it couldn’t be more different. I get where this comparison comes from because this is a fragrance with an incredible presence, something we can also find in other fragrances like Shalimar and Sycomore, but scent-wise it’s completely different. If the color gold had a smell, it’d be Le Lion.

 

HACIVAT | NISHANE

 

A true heavy-hitter, extremely long lasting, a 10/10 performer

 

The next one on my top long lasting perfumes for ladies list, is Hacivat by Nishane.

Nishane is an amazing Turkish niche house; there’s not one single fragrance from them that I don’t like, but my heart is with Hacivat, an extrait de parfum that truly delivers and lives up to what we expect from a fragrance at its highest concentration level.

Hacivat is similar to Creed Aventus for Her, but it’s definitely different enough. I have both and I don’t feel it’s redundant; it’s stronger than Aventus, and it has a sharp accord in the opening that Aventus doesn’t.

Now, if the sharp almost dry accord is not your thing, just give it a few minutes because I promise it’ll go away and you’ll get a fantastic fragrance, undoubtedly one of my most long lasting perfumes, very unique, and a massive compliment getter.

It’s a citrusy, mossy, juicy, fruity and slightly tart type of scent, very beautiful, with bergamot, pineapple, and grapefruit, which give this fragrance a very fizzy and citrusy opening. That being said, give it some time because you’ll end up with a gorgeous mossy and woody dry down.

Hacivat projects extremely well, it has a lasting power of 10-12 hours, and it’s completely unisex.

DANGER PARFUM COLOGNE | ROJA PARFUMS

 

If you’re looking to turn heads with a long lasting perfume, try this one

 

The next one on my list is Danger Parfum Cologne by Roja. Let me start by saying that I have two female versions: the parfum, and the essence de parfum, but this male version is unbeatable.

It’s very unique, and absolutely beautiful. This is a spicy / floral / slightly fougère fragrance. It’s very alluring very addictive, it’s a crowd pleaser, people love it!. There’s not one single time when I wear this that I don’t get a compliment or at least someone asking “Who’s smelling so good here?”.

Danger Parfum Cologne is a warm fragrance but not too warm; it’s spicy but not too spicy, and it’s sweet but not extremely sweet, so it has the best of all worlds, a perfect balance that we don’t find often in today’s market where most fragrances (even in the niche realm) tend to smell similar to others reminding you of something you already smelled.

I find this fragrance absolutely beautiful, it’s blended to perfection so you won’t pick one note overpowering other notes, just perfect.

This is perfect for the day or for the night it’s very versatile, and although it has depth, it’s light enough to be worn every day. Definitely signature scent worthy.

It has excellent performance, I get 10 hours on my skin with a gorgeous sillage and great projection during the first couple of hours.

ITALICA | XERFJOFF CASAMORATI

 

A gourmand lover’s dream…

 

https://youtu.be/LbdUcVzlkhE

The next one on my top long lasting perfumes for ladies list is Italica. I love this fragrance so much that I’ve also dedicated an entire video to review it which is linked above.

Italica in my opinion is the queen of the gourmand scents; it’s very milky and creamy, it has milk almond saffron, vanilla, toffee, I’m not kidding when I say that this is a gourmands lover’s dream.

As I mentioned in my video, Italica is beyond a smell, a full experience. It smells like Italian coffee shops, especially, the typical Italian cookies called Cantuccini and this is how this smells. If you ever tried one you know what I’m talking about.

When it comes to performance, I’d say this is a highly controversial fragrance. I’ve heard many people saying that it doesn’t last on their skin, but on mine it does, and with only five sprays I remember the first time I tried I filled up an entire room.

Italica projects really well during the first couple hours, and it lasts on my skin 8 to 10 hours.

LILAC LOVE | AMOUAGE

 

Lilac love …. the epitome of beauty and femininity in perfumery. This is a very soft, feminine, powdery nutty, and gourmand scent, however, this is not gourmand on what I call an “edible level”.

It smells very sophisticated, delicate but with a very strong presence, and it has a very distinctive cacao accord that you can smell it right in the opening as well as lilac and patchouli. I’d say these three notes are the stars of the fragrance.

This beauty also has gardenia, heliotrope, Iris, vanilla, and sandalwood.

As the fragrance evolves, it becomes less gourmand and more powdery, you really need to love powdery fragrances to enjoy this one.

Very feminine and “fluffy”, you’ll feel like you’re on a cloud just with the first spray.

I don’t see this as a unisex fragrance, in fact, I find it very feminine, however, you do you and please go ahead and wear whatever brings joy to your life, this is my motto.

It lasts 10-12 hours; it’s a very linear type of scent, very wearable super versatile, and compliment getter; people really love this fragrance.

OUD SATIN MOOD | MAISON FRANCIS KURKDJIAN (MFK)

 

The next one on my top long lasting perfumes for ladies list is Oud Satin Mood, another master creation by Maison Francis Kurkdjian.

I absolutely love it, and the fragrance guys is to die for it is so so but so special i think this is one of the most beautiful oud rose combos you can get in the market, and it’s also the most feminine out of the oud line from Maison Francis Kurkdjian.

It has Turkish rose, Bulgarian rose, it has vanilla, of course it has oud, and it also has benzoin which you will get more in the dry down.

I love it, it’s absolutely stunning very sophisticated, very luxurious and lush, perfect for night outs especially during the colder months.

This is a fragrance I only wear during the night, and the colder the weather, the better. It’s a “full-bodied” type of fragrance, very soft and and very velvety, super sexy and long lasting. I get 12 hours out of this fragrance which is a record.

I always say that anything above the six hours mark is a bonus, so getting twelve hours is double the bonus 😉 and this is without over spraying or going through my layering process to make fragrances last longer (if you haven’t watched my video on how to achieve this, click here . You can also watch the video below with tricks and tips on how to finally have a long lasting perfume).

Now, a little disclaimer here: remember that we are all different, and since we have different PH and skin chemistry fragrances won’t last and perform the same on all of us.

https://youtu.be/2b-A6D7U5Yo

 

SIGNATURE | BOND N0.9

 

The last one on my top long lasting perfumes for ladies list is Signature by Bond N09. I love Bond N0.9 and this fragrance is to die for. It’s another rose / oud combo but it’s a totally different, in fact, you barely smell the rose here, and it has a very strong and distinctive Bond N9 DNA.

It is absolutely stunning, and this is actually pure perfume; it has a 30% oil concentration, and just to give you some perspective, Eau de Toilette usually have between 8% – 15% oil concentration, Eau de Parfum range between 15% – 20% all the way up to 26%, even 28%, and then we have Extrait de Parfum at around 30%, and this is what we have here.

It’s a very potent fragrance, and the cost per wear will be amortized because a little goes a long way, absolutely beautiful very over the top, very sexy very, seductive, very alluring, it has great great projection, and it lasts around 12 hours 10 to 12 if not more.

I’ve noticed that during the colder months this perfume lasts longer than during the warmer months, and I tend to wear this heavy hitter in the middle of the winter like Oud Satin Mood, in super cold winter nights.

It’s a stunner, a head turner, and despite being a heavy hitter, it’s not intrusive. What are the longest lasting fragrances in your collection what are your heavy hitters? Let me know in the comments below, I would love to hear from!

 

If you want to learn how to make fragrances last longer, click here to find out!