Perfume is an extremely personal product, like running shoes. You will know if it really works for you after a few interactions. What works for one person can be completely different for another.

Here are the four crucial aspects for profiling a scent of your choice, broken down in what they mean and what they don’t:

1. Uniqueness

What it means:

• The structure of a perfume—how it begins, evolves, and concludes—defines its unique identity. This composition is often referred to as the DNA of a scent.
  
  

What it doesn’t mean:

• Just because it’s low on the uniqueness metric doesn’t mean it’s generic.

2. Longevity

What it means:

• Longevity is a contentious issue because the duration of each note is unique to every formulation and often a deliberate choice by the perfumer. For instance, top notes usually last for 15–30 minutes, heart notes linger for about an hour, and the base or end notes can last for several hours—depending on your clothing, number of sprays (ideally 7–8), and weather conditions. What truly matters is that the transition between the top, heart, and base notes flows like a smooth symphony.

What it doesn’t mean:

• Perfumes are not deodorants. They are delicate sensory experiences. A bad smell can give you a headache or repel people; therefore, a perfume that you think doesn’t last or changes smell over time is often crafted to evolve that way by design.

3. Sillage

What it means:

• How far your scent radiates from you is a personal choice. It often reflects your personality—whether you’re more introverted or extroverted—or simply your mood for the day.

What it doesn’t mean:

• A soft sillage doesn’t mean the perfume is weak or low quality.

4. Strength

What it means:

• This comes from the concentration of perfume oils and affects how the scent evolves over you. For instance, we work with 21% concentration; Pure Parfums only.

What it doesn’t mean:

• Strong doesn’t always mean better. Balance and harmony matter more than the sheer intensity of a fragrance.
  
  

Perfume Profile by Ōkami Lifestyle

The chart above offers a clear breakdown of our parfums across the four defining factors — Uniqueness, Longevity, Sillage, and Strength — helping you explore each fragrance’s personality and discover what makes it truly meaningful and personal for you. 

Guide to Wearing Perfume

This guide is a mere indicative framework for those exploring the nuanced world of perfumes. Seasoned fragrance wearers often curate their scents the way they choose their garments, often guided by mood, situation, weather, and presence.