Begginer's guide to perfume: How to become perfume expert in 7 baby-steps

While I have always been interested in perfumes and loved discovering new scents, it has been the last two years that I have actually developed my understanding of perfumes and perfumery. Now I feel like my sense of what perfume is and my taste for perfume is deeper and better than what it was. I believe that anyone can train their nose and become a perfume expert, and the only condition for becoming perfume connoisseur is true love and passion for perfume. I think that the best way to discovering the world of perfumery is to train one's nose by smelling and analyzing the olfactory scenery of our everyday life.

Here are 7 baby steps to become a perfume expert:

1.  Analyze perfume you own and you know 
   
   Write down all the perfume you like and dislike. Go to Fragrantica.com and find those perfume. See what note they contain. Try to find some patterns: are there some notes that often appear in the perfume you don't like? Or maybe all the perfume you love have some notes in common? For me, it all begun with the discovery that I really like the powdery note of iris. I then started to look for other iris perfume and soon become an expert in detecting iris in perfumes. I also discovered a whole lot of new accords I didn't know before. Observe how scents evolve on your skin with time. How the first impression differs from the perception of the scent after a couple of hours? 



You probably own some perfumes already. Try to figure out what do you particularly like and dislike about them.



2. Try old and new. Train your nose on different types of perfume
   
   Train your nose not only on the mainstream, popular men or woman perfumes. Try old perfumes, seek for classic compositions that are out of fashion. Visit your grandma or grandpa and ask what perfume they use. Try to recall what perfumes your parents used. Soon you will start to notice that perfumes can be grouped on the basis of their style and ingredients and contemporary compositions are new takes on old ideas. You will notice that perfumes from the same group (let's say colognes, chypres or woody-orientals) play the same notes in slightly different styles. And you will understand perfume fashions have been changing. 


3. Smell your surrounding: train your nose on plants, herbs, chemicals 
   
   Smell not only perfume but also herbs, plants, flowers, materials, essential oils and chemical substances that you have at home. Getting to know single ingredients is really helpful in developing the ability to detect those notes in complex compositions. Smell wet wool. Smell burnt butter. Smell freshly cut grass. Smell rocks and shells on the beach. Smell books in an old library. Discover how rich and amazing is the olfactory landscape of your life.



Smelling herbs, woods, and other things you encounter on a daily basis will allow you to train your nose.

4. Get to know niche perfumes
   
   If you sometimes feel like all perfume smell the same, you are probably right. The mainstream perfume market is rather monotonous. However, there is a lot more to discover. Go to niche perfumery and try things! Ask for samples. Explore the weird and fascinating world of niche perfumery. Never miss an occasion to try something new.

   

   Niche perfumery often employs unusual ingredients, that are uncommon in mainstream perfume. One of the niche notes I particularly like is incense. 

5. Train your nose on food and wine 
   
   Explore the world of scents together with exploring new food. Taste wine, try new dishes. You will be surprised how taste and smell are connected. Smell your food. 

   

   Going out with your friends is a great occasion to train your nose. If your order a glass of champagne, try to remember its scent. You can find the fascinating champagne note in some of the most beautiful niche perfumes. 



6.  Read about perfume
   
   Get some great books about perfume, and then get samples. Compare what you read with what you smell. Think, if your perception of perfume is similar to the author's. Try to understand not only the scent but also the context. What does it say? Is it serious or fun? Is it complex or minimalistic? Is it loud or discrete? Is it classic or avant-garde? Is it sensual or intellectual? 


7. Talk about perfume
   
   Try to find some friends who also have a passion for scents. Join web forum. Meeting other fume-heads will encourage you to explore your passion and help to discover new wonders out there. It will also allow you to develop an analytical approach to perfume and understand what you like and why. 

This is my take on how to train nose and become a perfume expert. What do you think? Are there any other ways you could recommend? How did you learn about perfume? Let me know in the comments!