Level Up On Your Winter Perfume Game With These Scents
‘Cold-weather’ fragrance may sound like a trendy soundbite. But if your scent becomes a distant memory after just a few hours, it may be the one to invest in
Perfume is meant to be like invisible ink. At first spritz, a clear spray settles on your pulse points before different notes begin to unfurl on your skin: an urgent rush of citrus, a swoon of freshly snipped flower stems, followed by musks and woods.
What a perfume is not meant to be is a fleeting sensorial experience; scent should hover in the air around you like an aura from dusk until dawn. But if you find you’re battling fragrance fade in the colder months, there are several factors to consider.
First, a science lesson. Perfume needs heat to work. The temperature of your skin and the air affect the rate at which aromatic molecules evaporate. “When the temperature is lower, the evaporation of a perfume is slower and less diffusive,” explained Remy Parisi-Pettier, the Creative Director of Ojar fragrances at Givaudan. “So even if a perfume stays longer on the skin in cold weather, it is harder to smell it. Cold weather also affects your skin’s natural moisture levels and that impacts directly on a fragrance’s lasting performance.”
Put simply, fragrance is a bit clingy. Aromatic molecules like to hang on to a gossamer-fine veil of natural sebum or moisturiser on the skin a bit like using a primer under foundation. “Applying a body lotion or oil before using perfume opens the pores and creates a thin layer that can hold perfume on the skin,” said Remy.
“You can match the scent of a body oil with that of your perfume to increase its effect. Or you can mix different scents to create your own signature,” he added. Not to mention indulging in the ritualistic layering of attars such as oud, rose or jasmine. For ease, Ojar’s Body Oil Mist is spiked with hydrating prickly pear oil, while the fragrances mirror and enhance the brand’s Absolutes.
Alchemical Wizardry
When it comes to cold-weather scents, the strength of the perfume is a factor, as are the notes. An Eau de Parfum has a higher percentage of perfume oils – typically between 15 and 20 per cent – in the formula than an Eau de Toilette, which is designed to give out softer puffs of scent in hot weather and is therefore more prone to fade. Likewise, citrus top notes are like the ‘teaser’ to a fragrance and best avoided in high quantities when temperatures dip. Made up of small, light molecules they evaporate quickly – ergo they give energy and vibrancy to a perfume.
Rather, focus on darker, warmer base notes such as woods, vanilla, and tonka bean that are made up of heavier molecules. “These dense notes reveal themselves slowly four to five hours after the perfume is initially sprayed,” explains Christophe Raynaud, the perfumer behind L’Artisan Parfumeur L’Orient fragrances, which are brimming with ingredients from the Middle East. “Base notes are the ones that you still smell at the end of the day and are responsible for our emotional attachment to a perfume,” he revealed. He also noted that when it comes to spraying fragrance on clothing, silk and wool hold scent better than cotton, linen or synthetic fabrics in cooler climates.
Excellent examples of cold-weather scents include Christian Louboutin Loubiworld Intense Loubiprince, which is grounded in warm tonka bean. Another is Guerlain Santal Pao Rosa, where tender rose is made more tenacious with myrrh and creamy sandalwood. As its moniker suggests, Initio Oud For Happiness drapes pulse points with oud, alongside ginger, liquorice and cedar; likewise Ajmal Perfume Amir One sloshes citrus and florals in this dark resinous wood note for added staying power.
In Maison Francis Kurkdjian Gentle Fluidity Gold ambery woods, musks and vanilla temper the fresh bite from wintery juniper berries. While in Byredo’s Mumbai Noise famously strong notes of tonka bean and bitter coffee sit at the heart rather than in the base, meaning it takes on an infinitely warmer, smokier scent of incense, leather and wood.
If richer notes aren’t your thing, try playing with complementary scents instead. Fruity florals such as Dolce & Gabbana The One Gold and Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia – with its addictive brown sugar note that swirls up through the layers of pear blossom, jasmine and gardenia – go well with woods and can brighten an otherwise deep winter fragrance. Similarly, Raynaud recommends layering L’Artisan Parfumeur Contes du Levant with Mûre et Musc Extrême: “This accentuates the rose and patchouli notes in the trail. The base becomes stronger with a more powerful amber scent,” said Raynaud.
The over-arching takeaway? Fragrances don’t need to be particularly fierce or have masculine overtures to float close to the skin in cooler temperatures. The right blend draws its potency from artful manipulation at the hands of a perfumer and your own mindful application techniques, to ensure even the most flighty scents stick around longer.
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s January 2022 issue