Ari Driver - Perfume Paradise

WM: How much do I put on?
AD: You don’t want to announce your presence with your scent. I would say you should generally wear one to two squirts of cologne on your chest area and an aftershave on your face. By chest I mean upper neck area, but if it’s a really strong scent, the lower on your chest you spray it the better, as it will waft up.

WM: How do I go about picking a cologne?
AD: First, don’t bend to the hype and buy something just because it’s the newest, hottest thing or has great packaging. I suggest coming in and getting it on your skin first. This will tell you pretty quickly if it mixes with your body chemistry, or if you have an allergy to it. We also do custom samples that you can wear for a while to make sure you like it.

WM: What if I’ve worn the same cologne for 20 years, is there any need to change?
AD: Fragrance is part of the fashion world, and just as fashion changes, fragrances also change. If you are a traditionalist and like colognes with spice or wood notes, you probably won’t be interested in newer colognes that have a lot of citrus and floral in them. If you have a favourite cologne, we can look up its composition and find an updated version that is similar.

WM: How do I decide what perfume to buy for my wife?
AD: All women have a bottle of perfume some guy bought for them that they have never used. The best option is to get her a gift certificate so she can come down, have a full consultation, and we can find the perfect perfume for her.

Ari Driver—Perfume Paradise, 253 Vaughan St., 275-7493