Love at First Smell
Top 3 Tips On Buying Fragrance
Article provided by Carvansons
We've all heard about love at first sight, but is love at first smell a thing? and how important is scent and smell when we talk about love and relationships?
Vicki Last from international fragrance manufacturer Carvansons explores the relationship between scent and our strongest emotion, love. We take a look at some of the most romantic aromas and fragrances available right now and how to buy the right fragrance for your loved one.
Scents and aromas can stimulate deep and resonating memories, which can elicit a wide range of emotions and trigger reactions that we can’t control. This is often noticeable when talking about the holistic benefits of fragrance on mood and wellbeing as a result of the use of lavender and other comforting scents.
However, some of us are more stimulated by fragrances and smells than others.
When thinking back to people we love or have loved, many people can recall their body scent or their perfume. This link between fragrance and memory is a strong one and has the power to make your senses react, often without you even realising. This sense of smell is directly linked to the limbic system in the brain which controls your feelings and memories.
So the link between scent and love is definitely evident and yet surprisingly perfume is no longer in the top 10 of the most popular valentines’ gifts for 2022 and we think we know why.
We have become nervous about getting it wrong.
With scent having such an emotive reaction on our senses, the possibility of choosing the wrong perfume is a concerning one and no one wants to get it wrong on Valentine’s day!
Perfume is an indication of the person we are or want to be. It is symbolic of our identity or our personal brand. As a result, buying a fragrance for your partner can be daunting. Choosing something that can be so personal to your loved one is definitely a challenge. But finding the right fragrance that they love can pay off big time if you get it right. Being able to know your partner so well that you can choose a perfume, shows how much you care and how well you know that person. Plus if you get it right, provides you with a reminder of how well you did every time they wear it!
So we thought we’d give you a few pointers on what to look for and how to choose the right perfume for the one you love.
Are you buying perfume for your loved one this Valentine’s Day? Here are our top tips.
Tip 1 – Tried and Tested
Change is hard and it sometimes feels so much easier to return to perfumes we have bought previously. We love what we know and as a result, will return to those perfumes time and again. It forms part of our uniform and personal brand or identity.
Your choice of perfume can often become an embodiment of how you want to look and feel. Take Bacarratt Rouge, one of the most popular fragrances on the market right now. Many of its biggest fans state that the fragrance allows them to embody empowerment and confidence, with one of its enthusiasts stating that she managed to bag herself a sexy new man as a result of it.
So when looking to select your fragrance for your loved one, it is well worth taking a look through the scents they are already using. By doing this you can gain a better understanding of what sort of fragrances they love and as a result, what similar or complementary fragrances are out there.
Tip 2 – Expand your Knowledge
Get to grips with the world of perfumery. Don’t get me wrong, you don’t need to be a perfumery expert, but if you know what you should be looking for you are more likely to find the perfect scent for your loved one. Perfume is often categorised into a number of segments and there are many that may not suit your partner. We all smell things very differently and where one person delights in a fragrance, another person will find it intense or overpowering.
“At Carvansons, we break down perfumes and fragrances into a number of different categories. These can help you identify the right sort of fragrances and work out which is most likely to resonate with your other half. This is the same process we go through with our customers when they look to create a fragrance for their products.”
Here’s a whistle-stop tour through the basic categories.
- Floral - This is one of the most popular yet traditional types of women’s perfume. Notes of rose, jasmine, peony and lily are all big hitters in this category
- Fresh/Fruity - Although these citrus and fruity smells are more associated with body washes and body sprays, they can add a sparkling freshness to fine fragrances and can be found as top notes of bergamot and orange in fine fragrance.
- Oriental / Luxury - This category is made up of ingredients like sandalwood, vanilla and amber. This category is highlighted for its luxurious and musky scents, perfect for those special occasions and nights out.
- Fougere / Aromatic - Lavender, vetiver, oakmoss and other herby notes make up this group. Fougere fragrances evoke comforting family memories for many possibly due to being popular within men’s fragrances of the 1970’s and 80’s.
- Woody - No prizes for guessing what this family of scents smells like. Although this is a great one for the men/man in your life, these woody fragrances can be found in both men’s colognes and unisex fragrances.
- Chypre - This is one of the more complex categories to describe. Feminine, sophisticated, woody, warm and dry smells are just some of the ways this fragrance direction is described.
- Gourmand - A great one for valentines day; these are the fragrances that smell good enough to eat! Notes of caramel, chocolate, sugary sweets and candyfloss which exist solely to delight the senses.
Tip 3 Talk to an Expert
Our final tip is to talk to the experts. The best way to pick the perfect scent is to get out there and get your nose in it and talk to people who can help advise.
“Having previously worked in department stores, there is nothing that a fragrance expert loves more than to help people find the perfect signature fragrance that they/their other half will love. Going in prepared with an idea of what your other half likes is always a useful place to start and will definitely help guide the decision-making process” says Vicki.
So, let’s take a look at some of the fragrances that the team at Carvansons are loving for Valentine’s day;
Perfect for Valentine’s Day
Tom Ford Private Rose Garden
Well, we just had to start with the new offering from Tom Ford. Released in time for Valentine's Day, his new fragrances are inspired by roses from different countries found in his garden.
Perfect for the Bold Woman
Le Lion de Chanel
This decadent perfume, perfect for a confident and perceptive woman, combines indulgent notes of Bergamot, amber and musk.
Perfect for the Fun-Loving Woman
Light Blue Forever – Dolce Gabana
This fragrance is brimming with youthful exuberance. Top notes of Sicilian Lemon, Apple, Cedar and Bellflower mean this fragrance is packed with zest and lust for life.
Perfect for the Little Sweetheart
Sweet Like Candy - Ariana Grande
This is a floral yet gourmand fragrance for women. With notes of Blackberry, Pear, Bergamot, Marshmallow and Blackcurrant, it’s definitely one for those with a sweet tooth.
Perfect for the Modern Man
This incredibly popular scent with strong leather accords and notes of jasmine and violet has been a big hit with both women and men. This is a favourite among perfumery specialists and buyers alike.
Perfect for the Confident Man
Spicebomb is a woody spicy fragrance for men which includes pink pepper, elemi, bergamot and grapefruit notes with a smoky tobacco and leather base.
Top 3 Tips On Buying Fragrance Top 3 Tips On Buying Fragrance Top 3 Tips On Buying Fragrance Top 3 Tips On Buying Fragrance
