How to Choose a Perfume

Choosing a perfume is personal, and choosing one online can feel like guesswork. It does not have to be. With a few simple decisions you can narrow a whole collection down to the two or three scents that are most likely to suit you. This guide walks you through them, step by step.

1. Start with how you want to feel

Before you look at notes or bottles, ask yourself one question: what should this perfume do for me? Wake me up in the morning, make me feel put together at work, keep me company on a quiet evening, or turn heads at a dinner? A perfume is a mood you put on. When you know the mood, the rest becomes much easier.

2. Choose a concentration: Extrait de Parfum or Eau de Parfum

The concentration tells you how much perfume oil the formula contains compared with alcohol. It affects how rich a scent feels and how it behaves on the skin.

Extrait de Parfum

Extrait de Parfum is the most concentrated form of fragrance. It wears dense and smooth, stays close to the skin and unfolds slowly. Because it is so concentrated, a little goes a long way: one or two sprays on the pulse points are usually enough. Choose an Extrait de Parfum if you value depth and richness, and if you like a scent that is discovered by the people near you rather than by the whole room.

Eau de Parfum

Eau de Parfum contains a lower share of perfume oil than an Extrait. It feels a little lighter and airier and tends to project more in the first hours, which makes it easy to wear from morning to night. Choose an Eau de Parfum if you want a versatile everyday scent or prefer to spray more generously.

Neither is better than the other. The concentration and the available sizes are stated on every product page.

3. Find your scent family

Scent families group perfumes by overall character. Mykonos works with six: Citrus, Floral, Fruity, Woody & Vanilla, Gourmand and Musky. Most people are naturally drawn to one or two of them.

Do you like things fresh, clean and energetic? Look at Citrus and Musky.
Do you like soft, elegant and romantic? Look at Floral and Fruity.
Do you like warm, sweet and enveloping? Look at Woody & Vanilla and Gourmand.

Our guide to the scent families describes each one in detail. If a note on a product page is unfamiliar, the fragrance notes glossary tells you what it smells like.

4. For her, for him or unisex

Perfume has no real gender, but the labels are a useful shortcut. The For Her selection leans towards florals, fruits, soft musks and gourmands. For Him moves between crisp citrus and warm woods. The Unisex perfumes are balanced to be shared and settle differently on every skin. Treat these as suggestions, not rules. If a scent makes you feel good, it is yours.

5. Think about season and occasion

Heat makes perfume bloom; cold holds it back. That is why the same scent can feel perfect in January and overwhelming in July.

Spring and summer: citrus, light fruits, airy florals and clean musks stay crisp when the temperature rises. Our Summer Picks bring these together.
Autumn and winter: woods, vanilla, amber and gourmand notes have the warmth and depth that cool air needs.
Work and daytime: choose something clean and close to the skin. The people around you share your air.
Evenings and occasions: this is the moment for richer, deeper perfumes with more presence.

Many people end up with a small wardrobe: one fresh scent, one warm scent and one signature for every day.

6. Pick a size: 50 ml or 100 ml

The 50 ml bottle is compact and travels well. It is the sensible choice when you are getting to know a scent, when you like to alternate between several perfumes, or when you want something that fits in a weekend bag.

The 100 ml bottle is for the perfume you already know is yours: the one you wear daily and generously. If you wear the same scent most days, the larger bottle simply means you will not run out as quickly.

7. Test on skin, not on paper

A perfume only becomes itself on skin. Your skin type, your body temperature and even what you eat influence how it develops. When you try a perfume, give it time.

Spray once on the inside of the wrist or the elbow, from a short distance.
Do not rub your wrists together. It warms the skin and hurries the top notes along.
Smell it straight away, again after half an hour, and again after a few hours. You are smelling the top, the heart and the base in turn.
Try no more than two or three perfumes at a time. After that the nose gets tired.
If you have sensitive skin, test on a small area first.

Good to know when you order online: a sealed perfume that has been opened can no longer be returned under the right of withdrawal. Use the notes, the scent family and the description on the product page to choose with care, and read our Refund Policy for the details.

8. Store your perfume well

Light, heat and air are what age a perfume. A few habits keep it at its best.

Keep the bottle in a cool, dry, dark place. A drawer or a wardrobe is ideal; the original box is even better.
Avoid the bathroom and the windowsill. Steam, temperature swings and direct sunlight are hard on fragrance.
Always put the cap back on and keep the bottle upright.
Do not leave perfume in a hot car or in a bag in the sun.