Find your signature scent
Scent is the most personal thing you wear. Before anyone notices your coat, they notice how you make the room feel. Here is how to find a fragrance that is unmistakably yours.
What a signature scent is
A signature scent is one you return to, until people begin to associate it with you. It needn't be rare or costly. It should feel like an extension of your personality: the same quiet confidence as a coat that fits perfectly.
The surest shortcut is to start with your style signature. The way you like to dress already says a great deal about the way you like to smell. A polished dresser rarely loves a heavy gourmand, and a relaxed one rarely wants something formal and sharp.
Your Style Profile includes your scent family.Seven questions, two minutes. Discover your colours, cuts and the fragrance family that suits you. Begin your profile
The six families, by signature
Every fragrance belongs broadly to a family. Begin with the one that matches your signature, then explore its neighbours.
Woody & aromatic
Bergamot, lavender, cedarwood and vetiver. Crisp, polished and quietly confident. Works for the office and the evening alike.
Green & earthy
Fig leaf, green tea, vetiver and soft musk. Fresh air and linen in the sun: effortless, never sweet.
Amber & spice
Saffron, pink pepper, amber and tonka. Warm and magnetic, made for evenings and occasions.
Clean musks & skin scents
White musk, ambrette, iris root and soft woods. Worn close to the skin: discovered, never announced.
Floral & powdery
Rose, iris, violet leaf and peony. Soft and graceful. Iris and violet are as beautiful on men as they are on women.
Leather & smoke
Leather, cedar, tobacco leaf and smoked woods. Grounded and warm: an open fire and a waxed jacket.
There is no such thing as a men's or women's family. Those labels are marketing. Wear what suits your character.
Parfum, eau de parfum or eau de toilette?
The name tells you roughly how concentrated the fragrance oils are, and so how strongly and how long it will wear. Exact figures vary from house to house.
- Parfum or extrait. The richest, often around 20–30%. Wears close and lasts longest. A dab, not a spray.
- Eau de parfum (EDP). Often around 15–20%. The best all-rounder for a signature scent.
- Eau de toilette (EDT). Often around 5–15%. Lighter and brighter, ideal for warm days and the office.
- Eau de cologne. Often around 2–5%. A fresh splash that fades within a couple of hours.
The same fragrance can smell quite different in each strength, so test the version you intend to buy.
How to test a fragrance properly
Paper first, skin second
Use a blotter to narrow the field, then wear only your final two or three on skin. Your skin changes how a fragrance smells.
No more than three at once
After a few, your nose tires and everything smells alike. Come back another day.
Wait for the heart
The first minutes are the bright top notes. The character of a fragrance arrives after twenty minutes or so, and the base lingers for hours. Judge it at the end of the day, not at the counter.
Start with a sample
A discovery set or a sample is the elegant way to live with a fragrance for a week before committing to a full bottle.
If you have sensitive skin, test on a small area first, and stop if it irritates.
How to make your fragrance last longer
- Apply to moisturised skin. Fragrance holds better on hydrated skin. An unscented moisturiser first makes a real difference.
- Pulse points. The neck, behind the ears, the inner wrists and the inside of the elbows: warm places that gently lift the scent.
- Don't rub your wrists together. Let it dry naturally.
- Mist your hair from a distance, or spray once into the air and step through it for a soft, lasting trail.
- Store it well. Away from sunlight, heat and the steam of the bathroom. A drawer or wardrobe is ideal.
A scent wardrobe
A signature scent is a beginning. Many people add two companions, just as they would with a coat:
- For the day: your signature, or a lighter version of it.
- For the evening: something deeper from your own or a neighbouring family. Amber, leather or a richer floral.
- For the season: fresher and greener in summer, warmer and woodier in winter.
Less is always more.Your fragrance should be discovered by someone close to you, not announced to the room. If you can smell yourself all day, you are wearing too much.
Discovery sets, chosen for your family
We are curating a scent edit for each signature, beginning with discovery sets so you can live with a fragrance before you commit. Be the first to know.
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