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What perfume should I buy for my girlfriend?

Buying the same scent over and over again for your partner is downright boring. But for the uninitiated, buying her a new scent is akin to selecting the right bra while being blindfolded. “Buying women’s perfume is serious business,” says Chloe Ho, advertising and promotions executive from Ralph Lauren and Giorgio Armani fragrances. “They expect you to know what they like.” And for a lady, “the right perfume is as intimate to her as her own lingerie,” says Lily Seow, training manager for Ralph Lauren and Giorgio Armani fragrances. For a start, snoop around a bit: Observe her perfume bottles and note which are nearly empty, and these are likely her favourite scents, says Ho. She also advises getting lighter, fruitier fragrances instead of heavier oriental scents for our humid clime. “Never buy a perfume simply by smelling the fragrance on someone else or smelling it off a scent card, ” says Ho. The scent will change as time passes, and most importantly, the same fragrance will not smell the same on everyone, she says. “Try smelling the scent card first, then spray it on your wrist if you like the scent. Take a whiff every few minutes and note how the scent changes as it reacts with your body, ” says Ho. If you’ re trying different fragrances, “clear your palette” by sniffing things such as coffee beans or even the detergent smell from your own shirt (assuming that it has been washed recently), says Chew.