How to Buy the Right Fragrance Online When You Can't Test It First

Fragrance has such an intrinsic relationship with our sense of smell, it might seem strange to even consider buying a new scent without testing it first. But, in the same way that we now think nothing of buying clothes, shoes, and beauty products without trying them on for size or seeing them in real life, an increasing number of us are shopping fragrances online without ever having smelt them. 

And it's easy to see why. There are lots of opportunities to buy cheap fragrances online, while the ease and convenience of online shopping make it all the more appealing in our busy, modern world. What's more, if you live miles from your nearest department store or your local chemist has a limited selection, buying fragrance online may be your only option. 

Even if you can't test a fragrance before you buy, we have lots of advice to ensure that your online fragrance purchase is a successful one. Keep reading to find out more about choosing fragrances online. 

Do Your Research

Seventy-six percent of UK consumers research products online before making a purchase. And shopping fragrances online is no different to buying a new phone or the latest fashion trainers. The most important thing is to arm yourself with as much information as possible before you buy. 

When it comes to researching fragrances, your best source of scent inspiration will be the fragrances you already know and love. Start your research by finding out what notes feature in your favourite fragrances. For example, if you're a fan of Jean Paul Gaultier's Classique EDT, there's a good chance you'll like other fragrances with the same top notes of anise, tangerine, and orange blossom. 

You should also consider the fragrances you've smelt and taken an instant dislike to as well. Finding out which notes these fragrances contain will highlight the notes you don't like or those which don't suit you. As a result, you'll know what notes to avoid when choosing fragrances online as well as those to look for. 

Know Your Notes

While we're on the subject of notes, understanding what these refer to can help a lot when you're choosing fragrances online. There are main six themes or families in the world of fragrance notes - fresh, floral, fruit, spice, wood, and musk. With a better idea of what these mean, it'll be a lot easier to know which theme suits you best:

Fresh

Fresh notes are light, citrusy, and fresh. This makes them popular as top notes, meaning that they're the first notes you notice. Popular fresh notes include lemon, orange, and bergamot. 

Floral

Floral notes provide a natural, feminine feel to many women's fragrances while they can add a touch of the unexpected to a male cologne. Lavender and rose are popular floral top notes, while jasmine, geranium, and ylang-ylang are full-bodied enough to use as heart notes, making up around 70 percent of the total fragrance. 

Fruit

Fruit notes are often the heart notes of many fragrances, used to give added depth and durability to a scent. But, while strawberry and apple tend to be sweet and juicy, blackberry adds a richer, more musky scent. 

Spice

Spice notes add warmth to a scent, often mixing well with floral notes in the heart of a fragrance. Rosemary and basil are popular options for a fresher, more herbal scent while nutmeg and cinnamon add sweetness and spice. 

Wood

Wood notes such as sandalwood and patchouli in a fragrance's base help strengthen the lifetime of a scent. Most wood notes have more of an earthy, outdoorsy quality, although cedarwood and oud give off a sweeter scent.  

Musk

Musky notes are often the base notes. Their rich, long-lasting quality helps increase the duration of the scent, although different types of musk, such as black musk or cashmere musk, can add a distinct trait to any fragrance. 

Consider the Name

Although it's not always the case, a fragrance's name can sometimes offer clues to the kind of scent you should expect.

For example, fragrances with names like 'intense', 'night', 'dark', 'black', and 'passion' give the impression that they'd be heavier, more full-bodied scents that would be more suitable for wearing at night. In contrast, names featuring words like, 'fraiche', 'water', 'ice', 'light', and 'air' convey a sense of a lighter, more subtle fragrance that works better for the daytime. 

By considering some of the best-selling men's fragrances we can see this theory at work. Fragrances such as Bvlgari Man Black, Mont Blanc Legend Night, and Jimmy Choo Man Intense are all rich, warm scents that are perfect for wearing in the evening. And, as you'd expect from their names, Davidoff Cool Water and Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue are clean, fresh fragrances that are better suited to daytime. 

Pay Attention to the Packaging

They say you can't judge a book by its cover. When it comes to fragrances, however, the packaging can offer a lot of clues as to what kind of scent you can expect. This is especially true of the colour of a fragrance's bottle or box:

Red

Red conveys passion, energy, and danger. Fragrances with red packaging are likely to be spicy and full-bodied. Davidoff Hot Water, for example, is warm and spicy, while Narciso Rodriguez Narciso Rouge is a bold, passionate, and romantic fragrance. 

Blue

In advertising, shades of blue conjure up ideas of freshness. In fragrance packaging, blues are often used for scents that follow this theme with an air of crisp, clean, and sometimes salty freshness to them, such as Dunhill Desire Blue and Davidoff Cool Water. 

Green

As you'd expect from fragrances in green packaging, the scents they contain tend to evoke concepts of nature, from rolling fields to dense forests. As such, scents in green bottles can range from the fresh, crisp notes of Thierry Mugler Aura to the more intense and woody Guerlain Vetiver Extreme. 

Yellow

Yellow brings to mind the spontaneity, energy, and promise of summer, with many scents in yellow packaging seeking to embody this idea. Versace Yellow Diamonds, for example, is a bright and zingy summer fragrance. 

Pink 

As you'd expect, women's fragrances in pink packaging tend to be extra feminine. Paler pink bottles and boxes tend to signify more subtle floral fragrances such as Gucci Bloom and Chloe Roses de Chloe, while fuchsia bottles such as Versace Bright Crystal Absolu are more likely to contain sweeter, more intense fragrances. 

Gold

Fragrance manufacturers often use gold packaging to signify an exotic and opulent scent that's perfect for night-time. With this in mind, even if you've never had the chance to sample Gucci Guilty or Paco Rabanne 1 Million, one look at their statement gold bottles will give you more than a good idea of the rich and heady concoctions hiding inside. 

Black

Black packaging tends to signify that the fragrance is intense and full of depth, and that it works best for the evening. Tom Ford Noir is a great example of a sensual, heady fragrance for women, while Jimmy Choo Man Intense is warm and masculine. 

Read the Fragrance Description

When you're buying shopping fragrances online and have limited information to go on, every possible hint can help. Luckily, all our fragrances come with a full description of the style and intention of the scent itself, as well as the notes used to create it and the emotions it conveys. 

These fragrance descriptions are perfect for getting an understanding of the scent and whether it would match your lifestyle and personality. Try to find descriptions that match how you'd describe yourself and those that appeal to your personality and outlook on life. 

For example, if you're looking for a light everyday fragrance, a description that emphasises how rich and sensual a fragrance is will soon suggest that this isn't the right one for you. Likewise, if you'd describe yourself as bright and sunny, a fragrance like Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh Daze - described as 'feel-good', 'fresh', and 'fruity' - is sure to appeal to you. 

Stick with a Brand You Know

If you're still a little apprehensive about buying discount fragrances online and ending up with something that's not quite you, play it safe by sticking with a brand you already love. 

Many fragrance houses use a signature note, accord, or combination of notes in all their fragrance compositions. This scent signature works to tie all their fragrances together and gives them a certain congruence in an ever-expanding market. As well as ensuring that each new fragrance unmistakably theirs, this tactic often makes fans of one scent more likely to buy another fragrance for its similar feel and emotive quality. 

Which is where you come in! If you know that you love one fragrance from a particular house, there's a good chance that you'll love other fragrances they have to offer. 

How to Buy the Right Fragrance Online 

Above all, when buying fragrance online you need to take your time and consider many different factors before making a purchase. 

But, by taking everything in this guide into account, from the packaging to the description, the name to the notes, you should have a good idea of what to expect from your chosen fragrance before you get the chance to smell it. 

For more information on finding the perfect fragrance, feel free to contact us today!