How To: Pick Your Signature Scent

Consider Your Personal Style

Think about your style not only in terms of the clothes you wear, but of the image, vibe, and attitude that you exude. You can change in and out of your clothes, but a scent has more depth. Choose one that draws you in; it will likely draw others in, too.

Know the Scent Families

1. Citrus: As the name states, these are all citrus-derived scents. They are described as fresh, bright, and juicy.

2. Aromatic: These are herbs, grasses, and other mossy or rooty notes. They are brisk, green, and more woodsy.

3. Aquatic and Ozonic: Marine and airy notes. They are very crisp or refreshing.

4. Woody: Similar to aromatic. These include woods, resins, and incenses.

5. Florals: Oddly enough, these run the spectrum between dainty and rugged. Some are very strange. I personally love how jungly, green, and crunchy a gardenia can smell.

Match Your Mood

Using a darker, woody fragrance may say you have a more serious, mysterious, or rugged personality, and something fresher and brighter may represent a lighter, more outdoorsy personality. Dont try too hard to match your multilayered personality to one scent. That's why we make more than one: So you can use different ones depending on your mood.

Embrace Change

This is fragrance, not a marriage. It's an easy, attainable luxury, so you should have fun with it and vary your scents, whether from weekday to weekend, or from one season to the next.

Research the FragranceOr At Least Read the Packaging

Most fragrances have a backstory, which can be a great conversation piece when people ask you about your scent. For example, each one I create comes from an actual site visit to somewhere remarkable. It has to have a great story and a natural scent must be involved. This gives the fragrance a unique identity and provides me with creative direction. I use the ingredients present in the place, which will then determine the scent family. From there, I refine what kind of man or woman would wear it and decide which season is best for launch.

Click here to watch Carlos Huber describe his own finishing touchesboth on crafting scents and on his own personal style.

This article is part of the Birchbox Man 31-Day Challenge for January 2015. Click to see all daily challenges and to learn how you can win sweet stuff all month.