6 beauty products that smell so good, you'll skip your favourite perfume
Why multi-tasking, perfumed products deserve a space on your vanity
By Balvinder Sandhu -
Who doesn't love to smell nice? Some of us have favourite scents we keep returning to over and over again while others love experimenting with different perfumes to find one – or more – that we think suits us best.
Jason Lee, Founder & CEO of Scent by SIX, says that the primary benefit of multi-purpose perfumed products is the ability to create a personal, signature scent. So, by using different products like perfume oils, hair perfumes and scented body lotions, one can layer various scents to create a unique fragrance that evolves throughout the day. Additionally, these products often contain moisturising and nourishing ingredients that benefit the skin and hair.
“The longevity of a fragrance can be increased by applying the scent to moisturised skin – a perfume balm or body lotion serves well for this,” he explains. “The oils in these products give the fragrance something to 'hold on to', making it last longer.”
Perfumer Roja Dove, founder of Roja Parfums, says that multi-purpose perfume products work to enhance the fragrance you wear on your skin: “I created hair perfumes as an extension of some of my fragrances (Elixir, Enigma, 51, Amber Aoud and Taif Aoud) as they enhance the fragrances' aura, offering another level of luxury and refinement to the ritual of applying fragrance.”
If you want to use more than one scent, Jason advises to avoid very heavy, complex ones when layering as this can often result in a confusing or overpowering fragrance. As a rule of thumb, it's better to pair a complex base fragrance with simpler, more linear scents to ensure a harmonious blend.
“When layering with products like a hair perfume, shower gel, body lotion, perfume balm or perfume oil, begin with the product that has the lightest scent (often the shower gel), then layer on products with increasingly stronger scents,” he says. “Remember that perfume should be a personal reflection of the wearer, so I encourage experimentation until you find the combination that makes you feel most 'you'.”
Roja reveals that the secret to making a fragrance last is in the concentration – some 50 per cent will stay on your skin for approximately 24 hours. How you apply fragrance is also important.
“When applying fragrance to your body, put two or three sprays on your wrist. Having a concentrated volume of scent in one place on your body is something you will really feel throughout the day,” he explains.
“We move our arms throughout the day, and it is movement that brings a fragrance to life. Another beautiful place to put scent is the clavicle. As you move your head, you have the beauty of smelling it right under your nose, as do people you greet.”
Also ensure you're not mixing fragrances that are too different. “I would suggest being mindful of complex fragrances that already have distinctive characters. Layering two fragrances with two different stories to tell could be like listening to Guns N' Roses and Schubert at the same time,” says Roja.
Here are six products to try out for a beautiful, long-lasting scent.
Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle is a fragrance 'designed for rebellious individuals who have a taste for elegance'. The scent mixes the freshness of citrus fruits with the sensual aroma of patchouli. This hair mist consists of a formula that's specially designed for your mane. Plus, it's enriched with an emollient that gives you silky-smooth hair. Its travel-friendly size means it's easy to keep in your handbag and spray it throughout the day to keep you smelling fresh.
Bulgari’s signature EDT is now available as a hair mist. Floral scent lovers will find the traces of velvety rose and lily of the valley a joyous addition to their beauty routine. It's a delicate scent that should be the final touch to your haircare regime; it will waft through your day and keep you feeling fresh. Spray it on your hair from a small distance and get ready to smell the roses at every turn of your head.
Les Adorables is a collection of three scented bodycare creations – The Body Cream, The Shimmering Body Gel and The Shimmering Body Scrub. It's bodycare reinvented, with each of them developed according to their distinctive features. First, The Shimmering Body Scrub's texture transforms in a milky fluid on contact with water. It gently exfoliates the skin and is subtly scented too. Then, The Body Cream, which contains over 90% natural-origin ingredients, nourishes and hydrates.
It's easily absorbed and leaves the skin soft and satiny, with a subtle scent. The Shimmering Body Gel is enriched with jasmine extract and is fresh and light, with a transparent gel texture that is immediately absorbed. Create a highly-nuanced fragrance trail with this scented bodycare collection, with softer, shimmery skin as a bonus.
A range of heavenly scents awaits you in this Celestial Collection, which features a shower gel, a body lotion, a body cream and a fragrance mist. There are three out-of-this-world fragrance sets to choose from – Prismatic Stars, Golden Eclipse and Sapphire Moon. Prismatic Stars is a magical blend of raspberry dust, mystic plum and cosmic cashmere, while Golden Eclipse features notes of berries, blossoms and sun-warmed woods. Finally, Sapphire Moon is a sweet scent with notes of sparkling pear, freesia and moonlit musk.
This mood-enhancing balm is meant to evoke emotions through scents. It's a smouldering scent that's discreet but lasting. The top notes of star anise, cardamom and geranium give it a spicy touch, while base notes such as smokey leather add an alluring whiff. Its size means its portable and easily usable anytime, anywhere, whenever you want to enhance the fragrance.
This roll-on perfume comes in a travel-friendly size so you can take it wherever you go for a freshen-up at any time. A gorgeous milky coconut scent mixes with notes of vanilla, caramel and sandalwood to create a frothy fragrance that lingers on your skin. Dab it on your pulse points before you leave home.