How to test a perfume before buying it

I rotate through the range. I like fruits, things that pop and burst, and I also love rich deep woods, ambers and heavy spice. So basically everything. That makes me a poor judge of what you'll enjoy, which is why the best test is one you run yourself. Narrow the list on paper strips, wear the favourite on clean skin, check it again later in the day, and only then decide whether you'd reach for it tomorrow.

That's the whole routine. The rest of this post takes each step in turn, explains why it works, and shows how to run the same test at home with a sample or a small bottle you already own.

Start on paper

Paper strips, the little blotters on a perfume counter, are for sorting rather than deciding. Spray or dab one strip per fragrance and write the name and version on it straight away. Two wet strips look identical a few minutes later, and you'll want to know which one you liked. Keep the strips apart so the scents don't mix into one.

A strip keeps changing as it dries, so it's worth a second sniff after you've moved on to the next one. The job here is simple: cut a long list down to two or three you actually want to wear.

Don't smell everything in a row

Your nose gets tired. Smell too many fragrances one after another and they start to blur together, until a rose and a fig seem oddly alike. Try a small group, and when you can't tell them apart any more, step away from the counter for a while. There's no magic number of scents before this happens, so stop when they stop being distinct. Bois de Jasmin has a sensible piece on this that's still worth reading.

Wear the favourite on clean skin

Pick a spot on your arm with no other perfume, lotion or soap scent on it, so you're smelling one thing. If you're testing an alcohol-based perfume, let the spot dry before you smell it, because the alcohol can get in the way of the first impression. Stuga perfumes use an alcohol-free base. You won't have that initial alcohol smell, but still give the fragrance time to settle on clean skin.

Come back to it later

The first sniff tells you about the opening. The later scent, the way it smells once that opening has faded, is what you'll live with for most of the day, so it deserves the bigger say. Go about your ordinary business, make a coffee, walk the dog, sit through a meeting, and smell your wrist whenever you remember. There's no set minute when every perfume reaches its later stage, so check it across the day rather than against a stopwatch.

On me a Stuga spray lasts a few hours to all day, depending on the scent, and some are still there the next morning. Yours may run differently. What matters is whether you still like it when you notice it late in the afternoon.

If you're undecided, wear it again on another day. One try is a first date, and a second one usually settles the question.

Write down what you used

Note how much you applied and where. A dab from a sample and a spray from a bottle can put quite different amounts on your skin, so if the bottle seems stronger than the sample you tried, that may be down to the dose, and a difference in strength doesn't necessarily mean a different formula.

Buy the version you tested

Perfume sold under one name can come in several versions. An eau de toilette and an eau de parfum (the "EDT" and "EDP" on a label, which name different concentrations, meaning how much fragrance is in the mix) can be balanced differently, not simply weaker and stronger. Check that the bottle you buy is the same version as the strip or sample you tested.

At Stuga this part is easy, because the perfumes come in 10ml, 30ml and 50ml sprays. Every one of them is built on three named notes, with a few more in the blend to hold those three up. Take time to wear the one you like before choosing a size. The 10ml is a full bottle rather than a sample vial, and it's a fair way to run the whole routine on something like Sandalwood No. 413 before you commit to a bigger one.

Testing at home

If a sample or small bottle is already on your dresser, you can run the same test without a shop. If you have perfume blotters, label one for each scent, keep them apart, and sniff them again later. You can also go straight to wearing one fragrance at a time on clean skin. Revisit it through the afternoon and note roughly how much you used. Wear it again on a different day before deciding.

That's the routine, start to finish. Sort on paper, wear on skin, judge it later, buy the version you wore. It works for any perfume, whether you're standing at my stall or standing in your own kitchen, and it means you buy something you'll actually reach for. The full range is in the perfume collection if you want a shortlist to start with.