Ever since I made the decision to cut back on my cosmetic consumption, I’ve become really intrigued with finding ways to make the selecting and purchasing process more intentional. When researching different cultural approaches to the beauty industry, I started discovering how the French view and pursue their perfumes. There’s almost a delicate dance to it; it’s not about a trend or a routine purchase, but something far more personal than that. Perfume is seen as an extension of the self, chosen carefully and worn consistently, often becoming a signature piece over time. The more I learned, the more I appreciated the artistry behind it—the way a single scent can tell a story, evoke a place, or stir a long-forgotten feeling, all of which come together to allude to your life story in a single spritz.

Below, I’ve put together a small guide to help show you how you can follow the same approach and find a signature scent of your very own!

The Art of Choosing Perfume Like the French

A Brief History

The relationship between the French and their perfume has been longstanding, dating back to the 16th century. Catherine de Medici was notorious for introducing perfume culture to France when she married into the French court. She brought with her from Florence a personal perfumer, Renato Bianco. His best known perfume was created as a gift for her soon-to-be husband, Henry II of Valois, for which you can still purchase today.

Fast forward into the present day, France is known around the world for its iconic brands and their products. Chanel being, perhaps, the most notable for both brand and bouquet. While perfume wasn’t invented in France, France certainly read the room well when they met, and together turned the substance into a unforgettable treasure.

The Picking Process

When you first start to consider a scent, the process is simple. Don’t decide right away; take time to shop around! Get a sample, if possible, and wear it for a few days or weeks to see what it brings up.

Things to note:

1. Pay attention to how it makes you feel.

2. What does it remind you of? What memories does it conjure up?

3. How does it relate to you and your personality?

4. Does it last long enough?

Wearing Perfume the French Way

Of all the things I adore about French (or European, for that matter) culture, I favor their appreciation for craftsmanship above all. It isn’t unheard of in America to have a perfume collection. You know, a hodgepodge of relatively enjoyable scents stumbled across on one of the many perusing’s through Sephora. However, mass-marketing isn’t as present in France. Therefore, the influence to believe you ‘need’ anything more doesn’t exist. When the French go shopping, it’s with well-defined eyes, seeking quality over quantity every time. Here are a few rules to wearing your perfume like the French:

1. Evolve with Your Perfume

Scents should do more than just smell lovely; they should turn wheels, mark timelines, and leave lasting impressions. It’s about creating a personalized aura, known as a ‘signature scent’. This scent is something you alone are known and remembered for, even long after you’re gone.

2. Stay Loyal

French women tend to stay stubbornly loyal to their perfumes. They may adopt another later on, if they feel they’ve turned the page into a new chapter of their lives, but otherwise they rarely change it! Once they find a scent they resonate with, they hone into it, adopting it as part of their personal identity.

3. Choose Quality with Less Notoriety

Speaking to a ‘signature scent’, if everyone in France wore only Chanel No.5 then it wouldn’t be much of a secret, would it? French products and perfumes have a cult following for a reason – don’t get me wrong. However, the key is to find something of similar or equal quality, yet with less notoriety.

4. Keep it Fresh & Subtle

For French women, it’s a relatively unspoken rule that you don’t over-do your perfume. You keep everything light, and don’t reapply or “layer” throughout the day. You may smell heavier scents in cities, like Paris, otherwise French women tend to keep things fresh and subtle. I love that about French beauty. It becomes a process that is to be savored, aged into, and done so gracefully, becoming almost natural to who you are.

5. Apply to Your “Pulse Points”

When it comes to application, you want to focus on your pulse points, or where someone may naturally draw close to you. As Coco Chanel has said, “apply perfume anywhere you want to be kissed”. Pulse points include areas like the neck, wrists, or behind the ears. The heat that these areas generate helps diffuse and retain the perfume better.

In closing, the French perfume approach is a process that goes far beyond simply shopping. Take it slow, pay attention, and you will eventually find the scent that is uniquely yours!