The best time to ... test a perfumeWhen: During ovulation and two to three hours after you spritz a fragrance on your body
Why: During the week of ovulation, increased hormonal activity triggers a heightened sense of smell. According to Bond No. 9 Founder and President Laurice Rahme, it's best to take advantage of this sensory spike to find your new favorite fragrance. But simply smelling a fragrance on a tester strip can be misleading. "You need to wear a fragrance for a few hours to determine if you really love it and will continue to do so after leaving the department store," Rahme advises. Why? Because fragrances develop on the skin in phases or layers, and to really know what you're buying, you need reach the bottom note.
According to Rahme, the top note is what you smell right away -- "usually the sparkling and vivacious fresh notes that invite you to smell a little bit longer." The middle note, or "heart" of the fragrance, is where the essence of the scent comes through (think warm and sensual, floral and intoxicating, aromatic and clean). The bottom note surfaces last and stays with you for hours, long after the top note has disappeared. "This base is what blends with your own skin scent to create a scent individual to you," Rahme explains.
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