Where are you headed this time?
Often, we try to find fragrances that remind us of events in our lives, or the places we have visited. But what if we applied a reverse approach and took specific perfumes to the holidays we would like to cherish forever? What if we consciously selected our fragrances to match the vibe of our destination? Not just as a post-it for memory, but to leave you with a scented trail for your reminiscences.
If something left an imprint on your mind, even if it was fleeting, you may forget the incident or the place, but you’ll never forget the scent. That’s the power our sense of smell exerts over our memory. For instance, anything that even remotely smells of your mother’s scarf (or dupatta) will take you back into her loving embrace. If family meals meant bonhomie and fun when you were growing up, gourmand and spicy notes of vanilla, tonka bean, praline, peppers, and almonds will shift your moods. The romantics might want to visit their own Garden of Eden with the daintiest and most fragrant blooms tugging at their heartstrings. And if a sensual skin-on-skin encounter with another soul filled up your senses, then any hints of musk, oud, ambrox, amber, and woods would hold the power to revive that memory for you.
From buzzy cosmopolitan cities to quaint seaside villas and everything in between, here’s a list of the season’s best fragrances to match your holiday with, to make your next vacation truly unforgettable.
The best perfumes for your mountain getaway
Pack a perfume that reminds you of long walks in the misty mountain air—the scent of pine, cedar, and moss intermingled with wild exotic flowers. In olfactory parlance, look for a fragrance that has an intensely woody base with dominating notes of cedar and sandalwood. A hint of amber or musk works well to accentuate the green feel, too.
Moschino Fresh Couture is a mix of citrus, floral, and woody notes. Though the packaging is a quirky interpretation of an ordinary cleaner, the juice inside is extraordinary, with notes of rose, hyacinth, pomegranate, lily of the valley, musk, and cedar.
Carolina Herrera’s Good Girl Légère is a lighter, more floral-woodsy version of the original. In this one, mild notes of jasmine ylang-ylang and tuberose rest on sandalwood.
Coach Man is a woody scent that opens with refreshing notes of nashi pear and bergamot. The floral-spicy heart of cardamom, coriander, and geranium gives way to the mossy base of vetiver, ambergris, and suede in this scent.
Jo Malone Sakura Cherry Blossom captures scented spring air in a bottle, with a floral bouquet of rose, cherry blossom, and violet freshened by a dash of sparkling bergamot.
The best perfumes to carry to the beach
Look for a perfume that has clean marine notes paired with light florals and refreshing citruses. A marine note, to put it simply, is the scent of the sea, as captured by the highly advanced components of organic chemistry. Think floral, herbaceous, mildly salty, and insanely fresh. That’s why aquatic notes are the go-to scents for summer and will make you feel light and breezy amidst the sultry warm air.
CK One Summer opens with delicate hints of lemon and lime mojito and is mingled with white flowers and fruit accents of pineapple and guava—a great pick for breezy beach days.
Davidoff Cool Water Man Caribbean Summer is the perfect tropical scent with top notes of mandarin, lemon, and grapefruit, paired with basil, juniper, mint, and sage.
The sunny Mediterranean landscape is bottled in Missoni Pour Homme. Scents of green lemon, ginger, pink pomelo, jasmine, lavender, oakwood, and patchouli come together to create this perfume.
Wear Benetton Colors Man Blue to soak in the marine bliss with notes of lemon, tequila, watermelon, and coriander on an earthy and vetiver base.
The best perfumes to carry if you’re headed to a desert
What do you seek when in a desert? An oasis! Similarly, your perfumed trail when exploring the vast stretches of arid lands, strong sun, and clear skies should be green, mysterious, and sensual. The dry desert air can take intense notes of neroli, freesia, incense, and patchouli with ease. To complete your Arabian Nights adventure, soak in the local vibes and let your oud-based scents caress your skin.
Midnight Oud by Juliette Has a Gun is a romantic scent comprised of a cocktail of roses, saffron, geranium, musk, and oud.
Bright and bold, Marc Jacobs Daisy Twinkle is filled with wild berries, violet leaves, and rose blossoms, and evokes the freshness of endless blue skies and sparkling waters.
Bulgari Omnia Pink Sapphire, a combination of bright citrus and exotic florals (frangipani and tiare), is a refreshing accessory for warm days.
An airy and intensely floral version of the original, Mon Guerlain Florale opens with the Carla lavender and is radiant with blooming bouquets of peonies and sambac jasmine.
The best perfumes for the snow-bound
The dry air found in cooler climates creates an ideal setting for perfumes to thrive. Without sweat, humidity, and heat, a perfume smells how it is meant to. This is the time to go for strong, sensual, oriental fragrances that leave a lasting trail. Look for warming gourmand notes like vanilla, tonka beans, and tiramisu paired with musk, spice, and a hint of florals.
Abercrombie & Fitch First Instinct is a fruity-floral fragrance with exotic notes of passionfruit and magnolia, paired with orange blossom and butterfly orchid, on a solid base of tonka bean and amber.
Flowers, musk, and vanilla combine to create a graceful and sophisticated scent in Jean Patou’s Sublime. Wear it to get noticed.
Inspired by the Spanish city, Memo Granada blends the delicacy of the orange flower, jasmine, and heliotrope with addictive notes of musk, woods, tonka bean, and vanilla.
Berdoues Russkaya Kozha blends cade wood from Spain, Siam benzoin from Malaysia, and cardamom from Guatemala into an intense, mysterious perfume.
This article was first published in Vogue.in
