In a recent conversation, I was asked how much perfume a woman really needs. My interrogator used the term "a woman," but she really meant me. She was not being unkind; I think she was willing to assume that this hypothetical woman was a woman of fragrance and so I think she was going to allow that the proper answer was beyond one or two, but she was probably thinking more along the lines of six, whereas I am pretty sure it is some expontential factor of that same number. I do not know what the number is or if it is even a number; perhaps it is more like a range. At any rate, I am quite certain that my own ample collection of fragrance products is nowhere close to that range. But, as I launch out on another online venture to add to my collection, I started to wonder about the question myself. Why do we perfume lovers need so much fragrance? And I know part of the answer for today at least. Because it's summer...



Why do we need all of those choices?

One reason is mood. Aromatherapy may be suspicious in scientific circles but most of us fragrance fans know that perfumes can enhance and even affect our moods. There are scents that seem business like, scents that seem playful, scents that are sexy, and scents that are perfect for a night on the town. Since life is hectic and most of us multi-mood as well as multi-task, it is almost a given that you'll need a few different scents just to get you through the week.

Summertime is a great time to get some new scents, particularly because the warm and more relaxed months of summer require lighter, sportier scents. Summer is a great time to test-drive some of the gender-spanning scents (try One by Calvin Klein or Gramercy Park by Bond No. 9) or to try something playful (Incanto Charms by Salvatore Ferragamo and360 degrees Blue by Perry Ellis come to mind)

Summer is perfect for citrus-based scents. Just like fashion, everything old becomes new again. The original "cologne" is 4711 Cologne from Cologne, Germany. It's been around for centuries and after years of being in the closet as an old-fashioned scent, this light citrus scent is perfect for the warm summer months of 2007.A more recent entry to the roster of great citrus scents include Lemon Sugar by Fresh; one of my personal favorite citrus perfumes is Little Italy by Bond No. 9.

There is a whole slew of new food-inspired type fragrance products available right now and these pleasure-loving, fun scents are a great counterpoint to the more traditional scents of the perfume counter. Get out Coney Island by Bond No. 9 (Margarita-inspired), Groove by Carol's Daughter (peachy), Sunset Heat by Escada (tropical fruit), and Sake by Fresh.

Florals are always great scents but in the summer, it's nice to go with tropical flair (Euphoria by Calvin Klein, Beyond Paradise by Estee Lauder) or to go with something that's light yet wonderfully dramatic (Very Irresistable by Givenchy).

Coco Chanel once said that a woman should apply perfume to only those places she wishes to be kissed. For those romantic summer moments, my pick is Agent Provocateur. It's British, not normally a good sign for a perfume, but this stuff is intriguing and complex but without being heavy.

And you can't beat the classics, even in the dog days of summer. What's wrong with adding Chanel No. 5 (or even better for summer, No. 19) to the collection? Throw in some Beautiful by Estee Lauder and Premier Jour by Nina Ricci.

Summer is an active time for most of us and all of that activity in the hot weather can cause perfume to wear off sooner. During the summer months, either upgrade to an eau-de-parfum or perfume product for more staying power or re-apply more often. Since summer time generally increases the frequency of showering, that means we can switch fragrances more often.

If you perspire a lot, you will have trouble getting scent to last. Tips from the experts include layering your fragrance (using fragrant shower gel and soap, then applying fragrant lotion, then the perfume), but I am not convinced this works. It's fun, I just don't believe you gain much on fragrance scent-span if you sweat a lot. A better option is to apply perfume to your hair and clothing as well as your body. If all else fails, just keep on spritzing.

Summer is also a great time to experiment with new perfumes. Want something wonderful that is just a bit off the beaten path? Try Aegean by Niel Morris (great new "undiscovered" perfumer), Stella by Tocca or Delices by Cartier. These are fabulous fragrances for summer and they're not the sort of fragrance that "everybody" is wearing.