We love perfume! It is an indulgence, but it’s an easy way to make your day a little better. Do you feel like pampering yourself for an afternoon? Go perfume shopping! Don’t know how? We’re here to help…

Let the scent sit for a bit: If you’re looking to buy perfume, the best way to tell how a scent will react on your skin is to spray a sample from a “tester” on the inside of your wrist. Then shop around for a while. About 20 minutes later, take a whiff of the fragrance on your wrist to decide whether or not you like it. Do you love what you smell? Go back and buy it.

Take it to go: If you can’t wait around for 20 minutes, take a few sample cards of the scents you think you’ll like—the cards are usually on the fragrance counter, or ask a salesperson to get you some.

Sniff test to find the best: Once you’re home, brew some unflavored regular or decaf coffee. In between sniffs of each fragrance (from your sample fragrance cards), cleanse your nose’s palate by smelling the used coffee grounds. That way, you’ll be able judge each perfume sample on its own merit without the scents blending together.

Bonus: Put open, empty perfume or cologne bottles (or the fragrance cards from magazines or sales mailers) in your undergarment drawer or linen closet. The aroma will gently infuse your intimate things.

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