Have you ever wondered if that heavy oriental scent you’ve worn right through winter is a little too heavy for the sultry season? WORLD designer and self-confessed fragrance enthusiast and collector, Benny Castles, talks us through all the fragrance rules – and how to break them.
Is there such thing as a summer scent?
Yes indeed, but the first thing to note is fragrance is personal and should be considered by each individual to suit themselves. Scent is so effecting and effected by mood. Summer offers a new feeling when choosing your fragrance, it might mean you are looking for something more playful instead of a more comforting Winter scent. Most commonly people tend to chose citrus or marine scents to work with the warmth and outdoor lifestyle that summer brings. Keep a nose out for some of the fruity florals and citrus florals coming through this season – energising and exciting scents that zing off the skin and offer that outgoing personality to your scent that Summer demands.
Yes indeed, but the first thing to note is fragrance is personal and should be considered by each individual to suit themselves. Scent is so effecting and effected by mood. Summer offers a new feeling when choosing your fragrance, it might mean you are looking for something more playful instead of a more comforting Winter scent. Most commonly people tend to chose citrus or marine scents to work with the warmth and outdoor lifestyle that summer brings. Keep a nose out for some of the fruity florals and citrus florals coming through this season – energising and exciting scents that zing off the skin and offer that outgoing personality to your scent that Summer demands.
How do heat and humidity affect the way we experience fragrance in summer?
Everything about our skin affects how fragrance smells coming off the skin. So during the summer as our skin darkens or tans we are better suited to absorb and hold some of the lighter colognes and citrus fragrances. The warmth in the air and amount of skin on show due to wearing less clothing also has an effect on how much scent we are able to wear and how or skin reacts to the scent.
Everything about our skin affects how fragrance smells coming off the skin. So during the summer as our skin darkens or tans we are better suited to absorb and hold some of the lighter colognes and citrus fragrances. The warmth in the air and amount of skin on show due to wearing less clothing also has an effect on how much scent we are able to wear and how or skin reacts to the scent.
Should we be taking a different approach to the way we wear fragrance in summer?
This comes down to the individual, some people spray their fragrance on different part of the body due to fashion outfits, a good example is for woman who may want to put fragrance on the backs of their knees, this is where blood runs close to the skin and throughout the day the scent rises with the warmth of the skin. You may also look to wear a lighter fragrance and apply it in a larger dose in the morning and reapply throughout the day to keep up the excitement of the head notes as the dry down of the lighter fragrances will always be less intense than the dry down of a deep musky scent. But in saying all this, I tend not to change the type of scent I wear in summer, I bounce daily between all types of scent on a daily basis and sometimes that deep dark spice of an oriental or gourmand fragrance is exactly what I want on warm day…there are no rules!
This comes down to the individual, some people spray their fragrance on different part of the body due to fashion outfits, a good example is for woman who may want to put fragrance on the backs of their knees, this is where blood runs close to the skin and throughout the day the scent rises with the warmth of the skin. You may also look to wear a lighter fragrance and apply it in a larger dose in the morning and reapply throughout the day to keep up the excitement of the head notes as the dry down of the lighter fragrances will always be less intense than the dry down of a deep musky scent. But in saying all this, I tend not to change the type of scent I wear in summer, I bounce daily between all types of scent on a daily basis and sometimes that deep dark spice of an oriental or gourmand fragrance is exactly what I want on warm day…there are no rules!
What notes would we find in your summer fragrance wardrobe?
I keep all scents on the table during summer, but I might lean a little more towards florals and fruity notes. Something like ARQUISTE’s Boutonniere No.7 which is a green gardenia note and an incredibly refreshing scent, or Grandiflora’s Madagascan Jasmine which is a burst of sharp jasmine with a green aquatic base. Or possibly I will wear a little more of P.Frapin & Cie 1270 which has a lovely woody dry down with fruit notes reminiscent of cognac, or possibly Orange Sanguine by Atelier Cologne which gives off a first note of freshly squeezed Orange Juice on a summers morning…anything that will put a smile on my face…as a fragrance should that first of all!
I keep all scents on the table during summer, but I might lean a little more towards florals and fruity notes. Something like ARQUISTE’s Boutonniere No.7 which is a green gardenia note and an incredibly refreshing scent, or Grandiflora’s Madagascan Jasmine which is a burst of sharp jasmine with a green aquatic base. Or possibly I will wear a little more of P.Frapin & Cie 1270 which has a lovely woody dry down with fruit notes reminiscent of cognac, or possibly Orange Sanguine by Atelier Cologne which gives off a first note of freshly squeezed Orange Juice on a summers morning…anything that will put a smile on my face…as a fragrance should that first of all!
