Trying fragrances on the skin is something you should definitely be doing.

It helps you to understand how a fragrance will change on your skin and how you actually feel about it.

Fragrances react to your body chemistry and will oftentimes smell different from person to person. This can be due to medications, the food you eat, your activity levels, how hot or cold you are or the the temperature of the area you're in. All of this can drastically change how a fragrance smells from one day to the next. 

On top of this, a fragrance can smell different when smelling it from the nozzle, on a blotter, a dabber sample, a spray sample, and from the full bottle. 

I have a couple of examples for you, from my own(Val) personal experiences.

The first time I ever tried Kashmir from Ormonde Jayne was from a spray sample vial. I have no idea what was going on that day, whether it was the sample or my skin or what, but it ended up smelling like a cross between a dirty diaper and a port-o-potty that had just been cleaned yesterday and then used today. I could not stand it on my skin, and I didn't understand the review hyping it up.

A few months later, I tried Kashmir again from the full bottle and it was a completely different fragrance. 

It was fresh and musky, I could smell the hint of the Rose, and it ended up smelling like fresh, clean, crisp mountain air next to a meadow full of flowers.

Then there is Nil Imperial from Imperial Parfums. The first time I tried this scent was from a spray sample vial. My notes just said, "Chocolate and Woods?". The second time I tried it was from the full bottle and I was getting more of a watery, mineral, aquatic, kind of musky scent with hints of flowers. With a cue that the scent was kind of inspired by the Nile River in Egypt, it made me think of a secret oasis within Pharoah's palace that opens to a private section the the river. Something earthy and wet and a little bit floral.

I then went online to read some reviews, and tons of people were describing this scent as a Gourmand, floral scent. Huh? So, that same day, I gave Nil Imperial time on the skin and re-smelled it, and then I started to get more of the sweeter, floral elements, but it still had this aquatic and earthy vibe to it.

I decided to scratch everything and start again on clean skin. So the next day, I tried it again for the third time. This time, it smelled like a sweet and sugary Gourmand leaning scent. It made me think of sugar coated Rose petals or candied Roses.

Trying fragrances on the skin, is key to deciding if you actually like the scent. Sometimes you may even want to try a scent multiple times before you decide whether you want to go for the full bottle. Purchasing samples to try is a great option, especially if you can't get to the store to try scents in person. 

Always try fragrances on the skin!