Who doesn’t love smelling fabulous? Perfume has become a product so embedded in our daily ritual that we’d feel naked without a spritz of our signature scent before running out the door. Before you sniff more tester wands than your nose can handle, we’ve listed below some surprising (but important!) things to know about perfume — just in time your next shopping trip!

1. Strange Beginnings: Ambergris is one of the most valuable raw materials in perfumery, used as an ingredient with a smell that’s described as ocean-y and sweet. It also happens to be produced in the intestines of sperm whales—who knew whale vomit could be so fragrant?

2. You’re Spraying It Wrong: You hair might be the best place to spray perfume. Because of your scalp’s oiliness, it will actually keep scent longer than your skin will. Also, because it’s always in motion, it can actually diffuse the scent more easily.

3. Your Nose Doesn’t Know: Apparently, your nose gets used to your signature fragrance, and you can only smell it when it’s first applied or when you consciously pay attention to it.

4. Must-Have Musk: Did you know that musk is actually potent, reddish-brown substance secreted by male musk deer? Since it requires killing an endangered animal, it’s rarely used for perfume today—instead, perfumers use materials that mimic traditional musk, like ambrette or synthetic raw materials.

5. Eau de Cigarette: In 1921, Molinard released a fragrance called Habanita that was intended to scent cigarettes. You placed the satchels in your cigarette case, or applied it directly to your cigarette in liquid form for a “delicious, lasting aroma.”

6. Million Dollar Nose: Jean Carles was said to have insured his nose for one million dollars. 

7. Jasmine—Or So You Thought: Many jasmine notes in some fragrances are actually produced by using a synthetic material named Indole, which is derived from—wait for it—coal tar.

8. Expensive taste: The most expensive perfume in the world is Clive Christian’s Imperial Majesty, priced at $215,000 for 16.9 ounces.

9. The same scent can smell different on two individuals. When perfume is applied, it can mix with your skin’s own chemistry. Sweat, the environment, and even your diet can play a huge role in how your perfume smells on you versus on your friend.

10. Men’s fragrances aren’t just for men. One third of men’s fragrances sold are worn by women. Surprisingly, there’s little inherently masculine or feminine about a particular scent, it’s all how it’s presented.