Q: I would like to buy my girlfriend perfume for Valentine's Day but I have no clue what to get, much less pronounce all those fancy names correctly. How can I get started?

A: Do not fear. There is a very simple way to overcome your phobia of perfume shopping, which can be summed up with this simple slogan: Information is power.

First, check out a simple scent primer guide like Sephora's online Fragrance Finder, which is developed with esteemed European fragrance expert Michael Edwards.

Go to www.sephora.com, click on the tab marked Fragrances, then click on the Fragrance Finder link on the left. You can browse scents according to broad categories such as Fresh and Floral.

Alternatively, you can search for perfumes that are similar to those that your girlfriend already likes.

For instance, if she is a fan of L'Eau d'Issey, the Fragrance Finder will throw up a few recommended perfumes that contain similar notes.

After you have narrowed the field, traipse on down to Sephora outlets here or department store beauty halls to make your purchase.

The Escentials section at Tangs Orchard and boutiques like Egg3 in Mandarin Gallery and Asylum in Ann Siang Road also stock niche scents that may interest you.

As for pronunciation, lots of the scents now are in plain English so that should not present a problem. If you need help with more challenging French brands, check out the amusing belabela.posterous.com, where a French blogger has helpfully posted audio files of correctly pronounced French perfume names.

This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times.