Do you know how many press releases about another “unique fragrance for a strong woman” arrive in my mail every month? Dozens. And they are all written as if the perfume will solve my problems with deadlines, my back, and my children’s school. But no bottle will make you a different person. But it can be a good filter for reality when that reality is a bit too much, informs Ukr.Media.
All perfumes gather in their “families.” It’s like companies at a party: some talk about philosophy, some come to get drunk, and some just stand there looking beautiful.
Take floral scents. We all pretend to be complicated sometimes, but at the end of a tough Tuesday, you just want to cuddle up with your mom or bury your face in a huge bouquet of peonies that you bought yourself, of course. That's what floral scents are all about. They don't require you to be an iron lady. You can pick up the new Miss Dior, which now sounds surprisingly clean, or Chanel Chance Eau Tendre if heavy plumes annoy you. And for the snobs (whom I love dearly), there's always Byredo La Tulipe — it smells like you just cut a tulip and accidentally got your hands dirty with its green juice.
But flowers alone are not enough, especially when the alarm clock rings at seven in the morning. Citrus fruits come to the rescue here. Bergamot, lime, grapefruit and rosemary rubbed in your fingers act like a cool shower. They wash away the remnants of sleep and yesterday's fatigue. Yes, they disappear from the skin before your morning meeting, but that's their charm. Citruses do not oblige. I splashed on transparent Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Universalis or bold Acqua di Parma Colonia CLUB – and ran.
When I need to pull myself together and maintain a serious look, I reach for bottles with woody aromas. Cedar, vetiver, resins, old books and heated wood. Of course, Le Labo Santal 33 is already smelling like every other creative agency in the city, but it works. If you want something softer, without that harsh pharmacy, then Tom Ford Oud Wood will save the day – it fits like an expensive jacket that you threw over a wrinkled T-shirt.
It's a similar story with chypres, but they're even more bitchy. Chypre requires some kind of posture from you. All these oak mosses mixed with bitter lemon and rose – this is the smell of an adult. Chanel Coco Mademoiselle or dry Narciso Rodriguez (the one in the black or pink rectangle) will not be able to be worn passively. They seem to constantly remind you: “Hey, don't slouch.”
But if you want to hide from everyone, but in a way that will make you remembered – welcome to the east wing. Spices, thick darkness, vanilla, which makes your head spin a little. These aromas are absorbed into your skin and scarf. Yves Saint Laurent Libre Le Parfum or the classic Guerlain Shalimar – these are kind of heavy velvet curtains that you can use to block off the outside world.
In general, sometimes I look at my shelves and realize that I'm tired of being serious. And then fruits and berries come into play. Modern fruity scents have long ceased to smell like cheap shower gel. It is more reminiscent of sticky passion fruit juice or a cut apple. Burberry Her Elixir or Kayali Eden Juicy Apple say: “Listen, no drama today.” They make you smile, and now they are a scarce commodity.
By the way, if you are annoyed when perfumes run ahead and clog the noses of those around you, you need musks. They imitate the smell of a clean, warmed-up body or freshly washed clothes. Like “I didn’t spray anything at all, I just woke up feeling so cool.” Glossier You or Juliette Has a Gun Not a Perfume mix with your own scent, and people then ask what it is that smells so cool on you, thinking it’s your natural pheromone (naive).
And finally, my favorite category for escaping reality. Green and aquatic. When the city concrete or endless traffic jams suck out the last joy, Diptyque Philosykos with its fig leaves simply brings you back to your senses. Or Hermès Un Jardin sur le Nil — as if you are walking on wet grass, not asphalt. Aquatics (from the good old Issey Miyake to the modern Maison Margiela Sailing Day) generally smells like watermelon rind, salt, and a white shirt on a naked body. You apply the fragrance — and for a second you believe that you are somewhere by the sea, and not in front of a laptop.
Choose what resonates today. Because the best fragrance is not the one that's trendy, but the one that you don't want to part with right now.
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