How to choose and use a decant

Start with a mood

You don't need to know perfume vocabulary to choose well. Start with the feeling you want. If you like warm, comforting scents, look at Sweet and gourmand. If you prefer something deeper and drier, try Oud and woody. For gentler, everyday scents, start with Floral and soft.

Pick two, not ten

Trying too many scents at once makes them blur together. Choose one or two decants, wear each on its own day, and give each a fair chance.

Wear it on skin, not paper

Spray on your wrists or neck and leave it alone; rubbing your wrists together does not help. Notice how it smells at the start, an hour later, and towards the end of the day. Many perfumes change as they settle.

Wear it through a normal day

A scent you love at home might feel different in a warm matatu or a cold office. Wear the decant to the places you actually go, and see whether you still enjoy it in the evening.

Then decide

If you find yourself reaching for it again, it is probably the one. Order the full bottle. If not, you have spent far less than a full bottle to find out.

Keeping your decant

Store it upright, with the cap on, away from direct sun and heat. A drawer or cupboard is better than a sunny windowsill or a hot car.