I love fragrances and am a big believer in bringing out different scents for different moods, events and seasons. I'm clearly not alone in my thinking, as Andrea Rickard, Trading Director at The Perfume Shop, explains, “While perfume choices depend on the person, their mood and often the occasion we do see a small shift in sales as shoppers opt for much lighter fragrances with ingredients such as citrus and zesty notes which make us feel revitalised and fresh in the spring and summer.”
So, with spring in full effect and summer just around the corner, it's time to start switching up your scent stash. Here are some of my favourites..
First up is the new Dolce & Gabbana Dolce Garden (£66 theperfumeshop.com). Following on from the 2014 Dolce Floral Drops, this feminine fragrance is an interesting floral gourmand. It features top notes of mandarin orange, magnolia, neroli, heart notes of ylang ylang, coconut, frangipani and base notes of sandalwood, vanilla absolute and almond milk. The scent is gorgeous! I would recommend ignoring its name... as the fragrance screams more tropical paradise than garden. Being a more subtle scent, it doesn't deliver great projection, however it does have impressive lasting power.
If you're looking for something with a more powerful presence, opt for Ghost Dream (£38 theperfumeshop.com). This is a multifaceted, floral fragrance that packs some serious staying power. Containing top notes of rose and aquaflora, heart notes of violet, heliotrope, Moroccan orange flower and Egyptian jasmine and base notes of ambroxan, musks and patchouli, Dream is a crisp floral fragrance that is ultra feminine and perfect for the summer season.
A more recent favourite of mine is new the Philosophy Pure Grace Nude Rose (£33 John Lewis). Containing top notes of dew drop and green notes, heart notes of neroli, rose petals and orange blossom and base notes of cedar and musk, this is a floral musky scent that is simple, subtle and light. It is the perfect day scent that is perfect for those that really love rose notes. It has reasonably good lasting power and great projection in the first few hours after application.
Another newbie that's been getting a whole load of attention lately is Arizona, the debut perfume from the amazing Proenza Schouler. Inspired by nature and the vast desert landscapes, Arizona (£47.50 feelunique.com) features notes of orris, cactus flower, jasmine, orange blossom, musk, cashmeran and solar notes. It is a radiant floral perfume that features a unique mineral signature. It has great projection and great lasting power.
If you're looking for something with a more powerful presence, opt for Ghost Dream (£38 theperfumeshop.com). This is a multifaceted, floral fragrance that packs some serious staying power. Containing top notes of rose and aquaflora, heart notes of violet, heliotrope, Moroccan orange flower and Egyptian jasmine and base notes of ambroxan, musks and patchouli, Dream is a crisp floral fragrance that is ultra feminine and perfect for the summer season.
A more recent favourite of mine is new the Philosophy Pure Grace Nude Rose (£33 John Lewis). Containing top notes of dew drop and green notes, heart notes of neroli, rose petals and orange blossom and base notes of cedar and musk, this is a floral musky scent that is simple, subtle and light. It is the perfect day scent that is perfect for those that really love rose notes. It has reasonably good lasting power and great projection in the first few hours after application.
Another newbie that's been getting a whole load of attention lately is Arizona, the debut perfume from the amazing Proenza Schouler. Inspired by nature and the vast desert landscapes, Arizona (£47.50 feelunique.com) features notes of orris, cactus flower, jasmine, orange blossom, musk, cashmeran and solar notes. It is a radiant floral perfume that features a unique mineral signature. It has great projection and great lasting power.
My final favourite is from the new CLEAN Reserve Avant Garden Collection. Avant Garden merges the structure of a traditional clean linear eau de parfum with a luxurious niche approach, designed to transport you on a fantastical journey. Impressively, all six fragrances in this collection are cruelty-free, free of phthalates, preservatives, gluten and artificial dyes, plus infused with safe molecularnnaturals and sustainable notes such as mandarin, cardamom, and sandalwood. The collection is an organic extension of CLEAN Reserve’s mission to conscientiously source raw ingredients that are cultivated using environmentally sound harvesting practices.
The first Avant Garden fragrance I've tried is Muguet & Skin (£129 Space NK) and I love it. It features top notes of cardamom oil and white freesia, heart notes of muguet, heliotrope and jasmine and base notes of clearwood, musk, patchouli, ambrox, captive pamperwood and praline. Like every CLEAN creation, this scent is beautifully unique. It has amazing projection and seriously impressive lasting power.