@Bostondalgal
The idea of a signature scent, that single scent you want everyone to associate you with, has been falling out of favour and fragrance houses are now promoting the idea of a fragrance wardrobe where you wear what suits your personal mood. This is in part, a cultural change in the way we think about fragrance. In the past, the thinking and advertising was dominated by the idea of using fragrance as a part of attracting and seducing others. Now, there's less emphasis on that and there are scents that are more about conveying a landscape or certain areas, maybe memories or concepts and so on.
But if you want to hunt for that signature scent, I say go for it! Wear what pleases you, for the reasons you want 🙂
I definitely second the recommendations by @SportyGirly125 and @heartsmyface. It's a good idea to become at least a little familiar with different fragrance genres to see what suits you. We have some newer genres being developed in niche like the smoky genre but generally, they are as listed by @heartsmyface. There's also the ambers, which were referred to as "orientals" in the past. Aquatics are another one that really took off in the 90s. Greens were big in the 70s and are kind of making a comeback. The genres are also not really as distinct as in other art forms. Fruity-florals continue to dominate the market and are kind of a cross between gourmand and floral. If you do an image search for fragrance wheel, you'll see they're all different 😛 But to keep it simple, I'd start with
- fresh
- floral
- woody
- leather
- amber
- gourmand
and try to get to know at least one representative of each genre if not 2-3. If you don't want to do a deep dive, you can stick with contemporary fragrances and Sephora has conveniently categorized its fragrances by genre 🙂
I would personally recommend, if one wishes to explore fragrance at a deeper level, to start chronologically. Begin with the classics first, which will introduce you to older styles like the chypre, a genre that is sort of making a comeback at the luxury tier. There are some great books out there to help you get a lay of the land like Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez's Guides, Roja Dove has a great one though I've forgotten the title, NEZ published one called 111 scents to smell before you die. These books can help you identify the Western "perfume canon" if you will and in learning these classics, you not only understand where your own preferences lie but you will understand how to situate contemporary perfumes, know which fragrances they're referencing and the context they exist in. For example, when you smell Malle's Noir Epices and recognize this as a part of the oriental genre, you understand how daring it is, because it strips out all the plush vanilla and opulence associated with the genre and offers a very severe interpretation instead.
I'd also recommend smelling essential oils and raw ingredients to train your nose. Sometimes I look back on the notes and impressions I had when I was just getting into perfume and it's a little hilarious, like my brain was really confused and I would find things similar when they had hardly a passing resemblance!
It takes a lot of time to discover and develop your taste in any art form and perfume is no different. Of course, if all of this sounds daunting, you absolutely do not have to do any of this to enjoy and appreciate perfumes!!! I just write this here because it's what I found most fruitful for myself, personally ❤️
Whatever you do, enjoy the fragrant journey 🙂