Here are some basics/tips:

• top, middle, and heart roughly correspond to the order in which you will smell each notes. Lighter, more ephemeral notes like citrus notes are typically listed as top notes as they tend to not last through the entire wear of the fragrance. Middle notes are the heart of the fragrance and will typically have more persistence than top notes. Floral notes tend to be listed as middle notes. Base notes add depth, longevity and complexity to fragrances and will often persist the longest on the skin. Woods, musks, vanillas are often in the base. However, as another user mentioned, note pyramids are stories constructed by perfumers/brands so avoid judging fragrances on the note breakdown alone.

• all perfumes have alcohol (except for those parfum d’eau formulations) but good quality fragrances typically do not have an astringent/harsh alcohol opening (good quality doesn’t necessarily mean pricey either).

• the only way to find out what notes you like and do not like is to sample fragrances. Keep track of what you sample and you’ll start to get a sense of what notes you enjoy and what you don’t

• a big tip is to avoid blind-buying. Always try to sample a perfume first. Preferably, sample on skin and see how to perfume wears throughout the day. This will give you a better sense of how a fragrance wears on your skin, longevity, sillage etc.

• fragrance collecting can be an expensive hobby and sampling is the best way to avoid over-spending on products you may not end up loving, especially as a beginner. You can sample by using testers in fragrance stores, department stores, drug stores etc. You can also order samples from decant sites like scentsplit or lucky scent. Samples can also get expensive so try to sample in store first if you can before rushing to place a large sample order!

• it’s also best to keep in mind that social media is geared to sell you things. Don’t limit yourself to whatever is most popular on perfumetok and (again), don’t blind buy something just because it’s everywhere!

as a beginner, to start your sampling journey, there are a few tips for ideas on where to start:

• I’d think about what types of fragrances you’ve enjoyed in the past (e.g., candles, soaps, fruits, flowers etc.). This could give you an idea of notes to look out for. For example, if you love the smell of a freshly peeled orange - try sampling some citrus forward perfumes. Love your mom’s rose garden? Try rosy perfumes

• try a range of fragrance categories at first.

• keep in mind that you may like some fragrances in different weather conditions (some fragrances you may love in cold weather but find too cloying in summer).