| May Day! May Day! Mother's Day is May 11! | | | | 5. There are many rough groupings of fragrance |
| For many of us, even avid and intrepid shoppers, | | | | families. The big ones to know are florals, fruity-florals, |
| Mother's Day poses a special challenge. That's why | | | | Orientals (spice), woodsy (which replaces the older |
| perfume is a favorite gift. It's luxurious, appreciated, and | | | | family name of "chypres" which nobody could |
| most women love it (and rarely buy it for themselves). | | | | pronounce anyhow), and fresh. Orientals include spicy |
| But navigating the perfume counter can be a challenge | | | | smells but don't think "hot." Think vanilla, cinnamon, |
| for newbies and people who don't know much about | | | | cloves. Woodsy smells include "green" scents which |
| fragrance to begin with can find themselves | | | | have nothing to do with being environmentally friendly; |
| completely intimidated. | | | | they include things named for plants and trees (which |
| Here's how you can own the fragrance counter, even | | | | fragrance mavens call "botanicals"), and moss. A |
| if you've never shopped for perfume before. We've | | | | brand-new trend to hit the fragrance world big is a |
| put together seven fast and easy things you have to | | | | group of fragrances called "fresh". It smells very mild, |
| know to survive this. | | | | almost like soap or fresh air. As a rule of thumb: |
| 1. Perfume never goes on sale. It is never cheap. It | | | | Orientals and florals are considered "more mature" and |
| hasn't been on sale since the days Marie Antoinette | | | | stronger; fruity-florals and fresh scents are sporty, |
| suggested peasants eat cake, and it most likely will not | | | | athletic, and suitable for young women (and women |
| go on sale in our lifetimes. It is important to frame the | | | | who think of themselves as young); woodsy scents |
| search properly. | | | | are sophisticated. |
| 2. The people at the perfume counter may try to | | | | 6. Things to tell the perfume counter person about |
| tempt you with carefully packaged gift sets that | | | | your mom to help pick a scent: known perfume |
| combine fragrance and shower gel or spray cologne | | | | preferences, general taste and dress (is your mom |
| and lotion. They will assure you this is the deal of the | | | | sporty? Youthful? Dramatic? Business type? Soccer |
| year. Don't laugh, it's true. It's as close as the fragrance | | | | mom?), and whether or not she follows fashions. If |
| industry is going to come to offering you a bargain. | | | | she's into fashion, get the sales person to steer you |
| 3. Perfume comes in several "grades" from the most | | | | toward the latest arrivals at the perfume counter. |
| potent (perfume) to the least potent (cologne) and a | | | | Believe it or not, the perfume industry has more fads |
| couple of levels in-between (eau-de-parfum and | | | | than the shoe industry and new perfumes hit the |
| toilette water, in that order). However, there are no | | | | market more frequently that news blips about the |
| official standards in the perfume industry so these | | | | Democratic primaries. |
| gradations are a bit blurred. You are pretty safe buying | | | | 7. Try something new. It's tempting to go for your |
| "eau-de-parfum" (pronounced oh-duh-par-fahm, sorry | | | | mom's favorite scent (the one that's sitting half-unused |
| there is no English word) since it's high-quality, very | | | | on her dresser) or older fragrances you know she |
| strong, luxurious, and what most perfume mavens | | | | likes. Perfume is more fun when it's a bit of an |
| prefer. If you think your mother would like something | | | | exploration. Most mature women regard perfume like |
| lighter and airier, you can move down to the | | | | cats. The kind of woman who likes one cat generally |
| unfortunately-named toilette water or cologne. The | | | | likes a whole range of cats, perhaps even all cats. |
| only thing about these products is that they dissipate | | | | That's the same with perfume. Perfume people like all |
| more quickly so the scent just does not last as long. | | | | kinds of perfume. |
| 4. The way a perfume smells fresh out of the bottle is | | | | But it all boils down to one last moment: you are going |
| not the way it will smell on your skin. It is designed to | | | | to have to make a decision. Contrary to your instincts, |
| have something called "top notes" or deceptive little | | | | smelling every scent is not going to help you much and, |
| fragrance molecules that come buzzing out of the | | | | unless the perfume counter person is really savvy, |
| bottle when you get your first whiff. These ethereal | | | | empathetic, and underworked, asking for help is not |
| top notes fade away in a flash; four minutes is pretty | | | | going to be much of a solution, either. You just have to |
| standard. What you really smell over the long haul are | | | | pick. Pick a fragrance family, find a deal (usually a gift |
| the "heart notes." For that reason, it is not really that | | | | set), and make your choice. It's hard to go too far |
| useful to sniff at a bunch of perfume bottles. | | | | wrong. |