I love perfume. I love it so much that one of my bucket list items is to create my own perfume line. There are three parts to a memory...sound, sight, and scent. Have you ever smelled a cologne that your crush from high school or college used to wear? Did the scent transport you back to your teens or your early twenties? Could you feel the same butterflies you felt back then? According to the study cited in this Psychology Today article, that is the power of fragrance. Choosing a signature fragrance can be overwhelming, especially in stores like Ulta ( I LOVE their perfume section) ,Sephora, and departments stores which usually have large varieties of fragrances to select from. These are some tips that have helped me find fragrances that I love and avoid buyer's remorse when I shop for new perfumes.

Do Your Research

Make sure you consider each of these elements before you start your search for your signature scent:

• Personality- Maybe you're a romantic who loves ruffles, lace, and dramatic florals. You might be a modern classic who prefers simple leather tote bags, clean lines, neutrals, and fresh green scents that have a touch of vanilla for warmth. Study a fragrance family chart to find the group of scents that matches your sense of style.
• Body Chemistry- My personal rule is that I never buy a perfume that I can test first. Your body's chemical makeup can make a scent smell totally different on your body than it does in the bottle or in magazine samples.
• Fragrantica is my favorite website for researching perfumes. It gives you the breakdown of the notes in perfume and has reader reviews about just about any perfume on the market.

Think About How You'll Use It

• What Events Will You Wear It To?- If you're wearing your scent to a professional event like an interview, subtle, simple scents are best. Evening scents are typically more intense and concentrated.
• What Part Of Your Body Will You Wear It On?- Your pulse points along with your inner thighs and chest are the best places to wear perfume since they produce the most heat. This heat helps your signature scent radiate and reveal all of its layers.

My Favorites

• La Vie Est Belle By Lancome- It's a floral fruity gourmand (sweet) fragrance. Right now, it's my everyday scent. It's girly yet sophisticated enough to be appropriate for work. I've gotten a lot of compliments on it.
• Mademoiselle By Chanel-This one is an oriental woody fragrance. Chanel is my favorite perfume maker. Everything they make is very layered and feminine, but not overdone.
• Pretty much anything at Anthropologie. That store smells amazing every time I go in there. I love a store with a great olfactory ambiance.

What are your favorite perfumes?