A perfume can make an immediate impression, but the first few seconds rarely tell you everything you need to know.
When trying a new fragrance, you may first encounter it on a fragrance stick. This is an excellent way to explore several perfumes and understand their general character. But if you are considering buying and wearing a perfume, it is worth taking the testing process one step further.
So, should you test perfume on skin or paper?
Ideally, use a fragrance stick to explore and compare, then test the perfumes you are most interested in on your skin. The two methods serve different purposes, and understanding the difference can make choosing a perfume much easier.
What Is a Fragrance Stick?
A fragrance stick is an absorbent paper strip designed for sampling perfume. It may also be called a perfume blotter, scent strip, or perfume testing strip.
Fragrance sticks are particularly useful when comparing several perfumes. Instead of spraying multiple fragrances onto your wrists and arms, each perfume can be experienced separately.
They also allow you to revisit a fragrance. Write the perfume name on the stick, put it aside and smell it again later. You may notice that the scent has changed from your first impression.
This makes fragrance sticks an excellent first stage in perfume discovery.
What Can a Fragrance Stick Tell You?
Quite a lot.
A fragrance stick can introduce you to the overall style and character of a perfume. It can help you recognise whether you are drawn towards a floral composition, warm spices, rich woods, fresh aromatics or something more unusual.
It is also useful for narrowing your choices. If you are exploring five perfumes, for example, you may quickly realise that two particularly interest you. Instead of trying all five on your skin, you can concentrate on those two.
The next step is to find out what those fragrances are actually like to wear.
Why Testing Perfume on Skin Matters
Perfume is made from aromatic materials with different physical properties and rates of volatility. Once sprayed, these materials gradually evaporate and diffuse into the surrounding air. Some are more noticeable early on, while others evaporate more slowly and remain perceptible for longer.
The surface onto which perfume is applied can influence this process. A fragrance stick is an absorbent paper surface, while skin introduces different conditions, including warmth, moisture and natural oils. Research into fragrance evaporation has shown that the substrate can affect how fragrance materials are released, while studies of perfume on human skin have also examined the influence of factors such as skin temperature, hydration and sebum.
This is more precise than simply saying that everyone's “skin chemistry” changes a perfume. The composition does not necessarily become a completely different fragrance on each person. Rather, the conditions of the skin can influence how its materials evaporate and, consequently, how the fragrance is experienced.
This also helps explain why perfume changes as you wear it. The opening you smell immediately after spraying is only one part of the composition. As more volatile materials become less prominent, other facets gradually come forward. A bright citrus opening may soften, florals or spices may become more noticeable, while woods, resins, musks and other longer-lasting materials can become increasingly apparent.
These changes are traditionally described through top, heart and base notes, although they should not be thought of as three rigid stages. They overlap, with the balance of the fragrance shifting gradually over time.
Eventually, you experience what is commonly called the dry down: the later character of the perfume after the opening has settled. This is particularly important when choosing a fragrance because you may experience this part for much longer than the initial first impression.
A perfume that immediately captivates you may develop in a direction you enjoy less. Equally, something that seems understated on first spray may become far more beautiful after an hour or two.
This is why testing your favourites on your own skin is so important before making a final decision. It allows you to experience not only the opening, but the way the perfume develops and how much you enjoy wearing it as the hours pass.
How Long Should You Test a Perfume Before Buying It?
There is no single correct amount of time because perfumes differ considerably in composition and performance. When possible, however, give a fragrance several hours rather than several minutes.
You do not need to smell your wrist constantly. In fact, it can be more revealing to stop concentrating on the perfume and simply wear it.
You may notice it again while moving, when your clothing shifts or as you go about your day. These moments give you a sense of the fragrance as something you are actually wearing rather than something you are deliberately analysing close to your nose.
Pay attention to how your opinion develops too. Do you still enjoy it later? Are you curious to smell it again? Does a particular aspect become more beautiful with time?
These questions are often more useful than deciding whether you like the first spray.
How Many Perfumes Should You Test at Once?
Trying more perfumes does not necessarily make choosing easier.
Our sense of smell can adapt after repeated exposure to an odour. This is known as olfactory adaptation. After prolonged or repeated smelling, your perception of an odour can temporarily become less sensitive.
This is one reason a long perfume testing session can become confusing. After smelling fragrance after fragrance, the distinctions that seemed obvious at the beginning may become harder to recognise.
Rather than trying to smell an entire collection in rapid succession, work in smaller groups. If everything begins to smell indistinct, take a break and return to the fragrances later.
Should You Smell Coffee Between Perfumes?
You may have seen bowls of coffee beans beside perfume testers with the suggestion that smelling coffee will “reset” your nose.
It is not necessary.
The more important consideration during an intensive perfume testing session is olfactory adaptation. Taking a break and giving your sense of smell some time away from fragrance can be more useful than immediately introducing another strong aroma.
Fresh air and a little time can be all you need.
How to Use a Perfume Discovery Set
One advantage of a perfume discovery set is being able to explore fragrance at your own pace rather than making a decision during a single testing session.
At Chandrika Thomas London, our Discovery Sets include fragrance sticks, so you can begin by sampling the perfumes individually and creating a shortlist.
Spray each fragrance onto its own stick, note the perfume name, and return to it later. Once you have identified your favourites, try them individually on skin, ideally on different days.
Give each perfume several hours to develop from its opening through to its dry down.
Testing this way removes the pressure to decide within a few minutes. You can experience each fragrance properly and discover which one you naturally want to return to.
A Simple Way to Test Perfume
If you are trying to choose a new fragrance, follow these simple steps:
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Begin with fragrance sticks. Use them to explore and compare several perfumes.
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Create a shortlist. Choose the one or two fragrances that interest you most.
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Test your favourite on clean skin. Avoid strongly scented products on the same area.
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Allow the fragrance to develop. Do not judge it only by its opening.
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Wear it for several hours. Notice how you experience the perfume naturally throughout the day.
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Try another fragrance on another day. Give each perfume the opportunity to be experienced on its own.
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Notice which one you want to wear again. Sometimes that is the clearest indication of which fragrance is right for you.
Fragrance Stick or Skin: Which Is Better?
There is no need to choose one over the other.
A fragrance stick is an excellent way to explore and compare perfumes, particularly when you have several possibilities in front of you. But once you have found the fragrances that interest you most, your skin gives you the opportunity to experience them as they were intended: worn over time.
A perfume is more than its first spray. Its character unfolds gradually, from the initial impression through to the dry down.
So before deciding on your next perfume, give it time on your skin. The fragrance that captures your attention at first may not always be the one you ultimately want to wear, and sometimes the perfume that reveals itself slowly is the one you find yourself returning to.
