Choose a perfume according to age

Among the many criteria to be taken into account when choosing a perfume (personality, tastes, style...), age can already give some indications on which fragrances to choose. A perfume must evolve with you for it to echo your personality. Therefore, you can adapt it according to what stage you are in your life.

Why choose a fragrance according to your age?

Adapting your perfume according to your age allows you to make it evolve according to your lifestyle, your diet and the scent of your skin.

The scent of each skin is unique

Each skin has its own scent. It is unique, just like fingerprints. The smell of your skin reveals you, and its specific scent is the result of your lifestyle, and several factors such as diet, medication and physical activity (active or sedentary).

The choice of fragrance according to age is determined mainly by :

• Education: if your parents or grandparents introduced  you to the world of perfumery (and they themselves were highly educated in the art of scent), then you will be more aware of perfume.
• Olfactory heritage: everyone has a different level of sensoriality. Some are more "visual", others "more auditory",  some are more "olfactory" and naturally sensitive to scents and flavours. They will buy a perfume primarily for its scent, rather than for the publicity  it has received or the elegance of its bottle.
• Experience: some people develop a richer olfactory heritage, especially if they have travelled a lot or made many olfactory discoveries (such as tasting world cuisine, living in an environment with tasty food, or living in the country vs in the city etc.). They will then be more olfactory educated and therefore more demanding in their choice of fragrances.

Choosing a fragrance as a teenager

During adolescence, a period of identity research, the choice of perfume will help define the image one wants to project to society.

For the young teenage girl, all light fragrances, with tart, fruity, sweet and regressive notes (apple, vanilla, red fruits...), will be very suitable. These scents are reminiscent of childhood, while reflecting a very girly side. For more discreet teenage girls, you can choose fragrances composed of floral accords and assorted citrus notes, for a sparkling and light touch.

For the young teenage boy, you can choose a fragrance that will adapt to the changes in tastes and looks (cf. Choose a perfume by look) that characterize this period. For boys, adolescence is also a period marked by a desire to assert their masculinity. To do that, it's best to go for fragrances with woody scents, which are especially suited to very assertive personalities. For more lightness, the fresh woody or fougere olfactory family, characterized by aromatic notes with lavender as the dominant note, as well as fragrances with marine notes, will suit very active and sporty teenagers. Before the age of 20, it is best to avoid overly virile fragrances, which could prove too heady for this age.

Choosing a perfume at 20

At the beginning of their adult lives, young people in their twenties are often characterized by their ambition and their desire to live life to the fullest. Choosing a new fragrance at the age of 20 can mark this turning point towards a more independent adult life.

With this in mind, fruity, floral and green essences are ideal for young women. For example, springtime scents, such as fresh jasmine, rose or lily of the valley, represent this period of blossoming, and can easily go through the various changes marking this stage of life. For a touch of vitality and tonicity, citrus top note compositions made of citrus fruits such as lemon, mandarin or bergamot are very suitable.

Some young women might also like charismatic notes, such as chypre or oriental scents. Others may also be attracted to 'vintage' fragrances. They'll suit young girls in their 20s who are more 'mature' in olfactory terms, those who want to wear original notes or who like to 'provoke' a little.

At the age of 20, the young man is marked by a certain carelessness, but also by a strong feeling of freedom, energy and tonicity. Fragrances with green notes, composed of peppermint, basil or anise, reflect this dynamism. 

The choice of perfume after 20 years can evolve according to the person, their aspirations and tastes. This period of self-searching will be especially propitious for testing different fragrances, and identifying the one that best suits one's personality.

Some young men sometimes want to acquire a certain maturity. They can then choose more faceted and charismatic fragrances to give themselves self-confidence.

Choosing a perfume at 30

Thirties is generally a period of self-confidence and ambition, during which people feel mature and assertive.

Amber fragrances reveal great sensuality and may be suitable for the active woman who pays a lot of attention to her image and wishes to affirm her femininity and dynamism. Floral connotations, such as rose, orange blossom, mimosa or violet, are also very representative of this sensuality and elegance. Finally, aquatic notes, which evoke charisma and vitality, will also be appreciated. For parties and special occasions, fragrances with sweet and oriental notes are more suitable. 

Thirty-year-old men will be able to choose a perfume according to their most marked personality trait: sporty, careerist, sensitive, charismatic, etc. Aromatic fragrances (sage, rosemary, lavender...) will bring vitality and freshness, and are suitable for sporty and dynamic thirty-year-olds who wish to keep a natural and authentic image. Woody fragrances (sandalwood, patchouli, cedar, vetiver), will be more popular with charismatic men who wish to assert their virility.

In general, people  in their thirties know themselves better and know more about what they like and what they like less in terms of fragrances. So there aren't really any precise rules for choosing a fragrance at 30 and it all depends on each person's olfactory journey.

Choosing a fragrance at 40

The forties are generally marked by a great self-knowledge, and a desire for authenticity and depth. It is also, for many people, a stage of reflection, assessment, and sometimes of change.

Women in their forties, confident and at ease with their femininity, will sometimes appreciate elegant and bewitching fragrances with powerful notes. They will be particularly attracted to floral, oriental or chypre families of fragrances with noble raw materials and scents dominated by vanilla, tonka bean, patchouli or amber. They can also appreciate more floral and fresh scents (such as rose, carnation, lily of the valley, or white flowers like jasmine, ylang-ylang, tuberose, or powdery flowers like iris, violet, or mimosa). 

To choose a perfume at 40 when you are an assertive man, wishing to convey an image of natural elegance, should go for refined notes. Depending on his personality, woody, sensual and warm fragrances may be suitable or aromatic fragrances, to keep an authentic and natural touch.

In general, people know at the age of forty which fragrances will suit them best. So there is no particular rule to follow: just choose the fragrance according to your taste.

Choosing a perfume at 50 

At the age of 50, many women want to find a fragrance that reflects their femininity and fulfillment. At this age, elegance, wisdom and maturity are the key words when choosing a fragrance. Sparkling fragrances based on noble raw materials are often preferred.

In the floral olfactory family, essences of rose, gardenia, lily of the valley, lilac, or lily of the valley will be appreciated by women who want to emphasize vitality and freshness. Oriental fragrances with accords of vanilla, tonka bean, and other timeless scents are also welcome. Finally, for women wishing to highlight a more assertive character while keeping a touch of mystery, chypre and woody fragrances will be more suitable.

For men in their fifties who want to convey an image of reliability and natural charm, oriental, woody (an amber accord with nutmeg, cinnamon, or cardamom...) and spicy fragrances will be very well suited, such as vanilla notes underscored with patchouli, sandalwood or vetiver. At this age, some people may also want to radically change their scent, as mid-life can also be a time of life changes.

Choosing a fragrance at 60 and over

From the age of 60 and onwards, many people are hungry for authentic and natural scents, such as plant essences. As the years go by, the perfume will act more and more like a Madeleine de Proust and people will choose fragrances full of memories, evoking an emotion from the past.

To choose a fragrance after 70, men and women will be able to turn to the great classics of perfumery but also to discover new scents or nuances of their favorite fragrance, highlighting the calming strength representative of this period of life.

At the age of 80, many women are determined to remain chic, but with lightness and discretion. Fresh, traditional and refined fragrances will adapt well to this period of life: citrus and green notes (galbanum, daffodil, mimosa, lily, ylang-ylang...), will bring a pleasant and invigorating freshness, reminiscent of certain iconic fragrances of 1970s perfumery.

For many people, their 60's is an opportunity to take stock of their lives. They will want to get straight to the point and will be less seductive. These profiles can then turn to the simplicity of an Eau de Cologne or Eau Fraîche, fragrances that above all bring them well-being.

You can also choose to create a tailor-made perfume, with Sylvaine Delacourte's creations, to find a perfume in harmony with your stage of life, your personality and your tastes.

Sylvaine Delacourte fragrances

Discover Sylvaine Delacourte's brand with her Orange Blossom, Musks and Vanilla Collections. You can try them thanks to the Discovery Boxes (5 Eaux de Parfum x 2 ml) and rediscover these raw materials as you have never smelled them before.