Sofía Palazuelo and Fernando Fitz-James Stuart y Solís, Dukes of Huéscar, the main protagonists of 'the Goya of perfume', accompanied by Antonio Banderas, Xandra Falcó, or Carmen Lomana.

A perfume awards evening may be all polished tailoring, jewellery and photographs, but its most useful lesson is far less glamorous: the right fragrance should feel considered, not overpowering. The appearance of Sofía Palazuelo and Fernando Fitz-James Stuart y Solís, Dukes of Huéscar, alongside well-known guests including Antonio Banderas, Xandra Falcó and Carmen Lomana, put scent at the centre of the occasion.

For anyone with half-used bottles at home, or who has bought a perfume that seemed perfect at the counter but felt wrong a day later, the key is simple. Choose fragrance according to how it develops on your skin and where you will wear it, rather than judging it by the first spray alone.

What a fragrance awards evening can teach us

Major perfume awards celebrate far more than attractive bottles or famous names. They draw attention to the work involved in creating a fragrance, from perfumers and ingredient producers to design, retail and communication teams.

They also underline a useful point about wearing scent: occasion matters. A formal evening might invite a more expressive fragrance, but a strong perfume is not automatically a better one. The most successful choice is one that suits the wearer, the setting and the people nearby.

Fashion can offer inspiration without becoming a rule. Romantic pastels, sharp black tailoring, rich colours and relaxed evening clothes can all work with very different scents. Rather than trying to match a perfume exactly to an outfit, consider the overall mood you want to create.

A good fragrance should feel like a detail of your style, rather than the first thing everybody notices.

Start with your real-life occasion

A perfume that feels wonderful during a winter dinner may seem heavy on a crowded train in July. Before testing a new scent, think honestly about when you expect to wear it.

These broad fragrance families can be a helpful starting point:

• Citrus, tea and green notes: often light and easy for daytime, weekends and warmer weather.
• Soft florals and clean musks: can suit close-contact settings such as lunches and workplaces, used sparingly.
• Woods, amber and gentle spice: often feel at home during dinners, theatre trips and cooler autumn or winter evenings.
• Leather, incense, oud and rich gourmand notes: tend to have more presence, so start with a light application.
• Marine and aromatic scents: can feel crisp and uncomplicated in spring or on holiday.

The British climate is changeable, and central heating can make a perfume feel stronger indoors than it did outside. It is useful to have one lighter option for mild, humid days and another that feels more comforting in cold weather.

Test perfume properly before buying

A blotter card is useful for identifying the general direction of a fragrance, but it cannot tell you how it will wear on your skin. Body warmth, skin dryness and the formula itself can all affect what you smell over time.

1. Begin with a blotter

Spray one fragrance on a blotter and allow the alcohol to evaporate for a moment. This gives you an initial sense of whether it is fresh, floral, creamy, smoky, sweet or woody.

Do not make a decision at this stage. The opening can be very different from the scent that remains an hour or two later.

2. Limit skin tests to one or two

If you like a perfume on paper, apply a single spray to a wrist or forearm. Trying six fragrances at once makes it difficult to distinguish them and can leave your sense of smell temporarily tired.

There is no need to rub your wrists together. It will not destroy the perfume, but it can alter how quickly the opening notes evaporate and make it harder to assess them calmly.

3. Give the fragrance time

Where possible, wear it for several hours before buying. Notice it in fresh air, in a warm café, on public transport and at home. Does it stay comfortable? Does it become overly sweet, powdery, sharp or faint?

4. Judge the dry-down

The dry-down is the stage after the brighter top notes have settled. It is often the part of a fragrance that lasts longest on skin and clothing. If you still enjoy it after a few hours, it is much more likely to earn a place in your routine.

Build a fragrance wardrobe, not a bottle collection

You do not need a dressing table full of full-size bottles. A smaller selection is often easier to use and enjoy, particularly if each scent has a clear role.

Consider three practical categories:

• An everyday fragrance: comfortable, familiar and suitable for ordinary working days.
• An evening fragrance: a deeper or more distinctive scent for dinners, celebrations and nights out.
• A mood-lifting fragrance: perhaps a bright citrus, a soft floral or a nostalgic note that makes you feel more put together.

Samples, travel sprays and discovery sets are sensible ways to experiment before committing to a large bottle. Department stores, specialist fragrance retailers and independent perfumeries may offer sampling options, though availability varies.

Keep a short note on your phone with the names of scents you tried, what you liked or disliked, and how they wore after a few hours. It is more reliable than trying to remember an entire afternoon of testing.

Make scent last without using too much

Longevity is not determined by price alone. The formula, concentration, your skin, the weather and even the clothes you wear can all make a difference.

Apply perfume to clean, dry skin. If your skin is very dry, an unfragranced moisturiser applied first may help the scent feel more even. Start with one or two sprays on areas such as the wrists, neck or inner elbows, then wait before deciding whether you need any more.

Perfume may last longer on fabric, but alcohol and fragrance oils can mark silk, satin, pale clothes and delicate fibres. Test an inconspicuous area first, and avoid spraying treasured garments directly.

Hair can retain scent too, but ordinary perfume may be drying if used frequently. A fragrance made for hair is usually the safer choice. If you use a standard perfume near your hair, apply very lightly and avoid the scalp.

Aim for a personal scent bubble: noticeable only to someone standing close by.

Match fragrance to texture, not just colour

Red-carpet dressing suggests a useful styling principle: contrast can look more modern than an exact match. A sleek black outfit may work beautifully with a clean iris or airy floral, while a pale, romantic look can carry warm woods or amber surprisingly well.

Think about fabric and finish:

• Crisp cotton, linen and tailoring can complement citrus, neroli, herbs and clean woods.
• Knitwear, velvet and heavier evening fabrics often suit amber, vanilla, sandalwood and spice.
• Satin, sequins and jewellery can work with luminous florals, musks and soft powdery accords.
• Leather accessories may pair well with tea, suede, woods or restrained incense notes.

These are prompts, not rules. If a fresh cologne makes you feel most confident with an evening outfit, it is the right choice for you.

Common mistakes when choosing and wearing perfume

A few habits can make even an appealing fragrance disappointing:

• Buying after one quick sniff: allow time for the dry-down.
• Testing too many scents in one visit: take a break, or return another day.
• Assuming a higher price guarantees longevity: cost and performance do not necessarily match.
• Adding repeated sprays because you cannot smell it: you may have become accustomed to it; ask someone you trust before applying more.
• Storing bottles on a bathroom windowsill: heat, sunlight and humidity can affect fragrance over time.
• Copying another person’s signature perfume exactly: the same fragrance can smell different on different people.

Store and use perfume safely

Keep bottles upright in a cool, dry drawer or cupboard, away from sunlight, radiators and hot cars. Their original boxes can provide extra protection from light. There is usually no need to refrigerate perfume.

Perfume is flammable because it commonly contains alcohol. Keep it away from naked flames, candles, hobs and cigarettes, and do not spray it near a heat source.

Fragrance can also irritate sensitive skin. Patch-test a new product on a small area first, particularly if you have previously reacted to fragranced cosmetics. Avoid broken, freshly shaved or sunburnt skin, and keep perfume away from your eyes. Stop using it if irritation occurs and seek advice from a pharmacist or healthcare professional if needed.

Finally, be considerate in shared spaces. Offices, classrooms, theatres and public transport are places where a light application is usually enough.

Choose the scent that feels like you

A fragrance awards event may bring together striking outfits and familiar faces, but perfume remains deeply personal. It can sharpen the start of a working day, make an ordinary dinner feel special or bring back a memory in an instant.

Take the useful lesson from a glamorous evening: wear scent with intention rather than excess. Test patiently, choose for your real life, and let your perfume become a small detail that feels unmistakably yours.