When the seasons change, so do our wardrobes, skincare regimes and makeup looks. However, the most important change is one we make to our fragrance collection. So, pack away the summer scents and make way for something with a little more warmth. Here are my recommendations...
My first autumnal favourite is the Terre de Lumière (£79 John Lewis), L'Occitane's first gourmand fragrance that is a desert for the senses. This eau de parfum is composed around many facets and a multitude of notes. These include top notes of bergamot, ambrette, and pink pepper, heart notes of honey and lavender, and base notes of musk, acicia, bitter almond, and tonka bean. Terre de Lumière was created by three women (including Shyamala Maisondieu and Nadège Le Garlantezec), however the main nose behind this beautiful scent is Calice Becker, the woman who brought us Christian Dior's J’Adore, Tom Ford's Velvet Orchid and Tommy Hilfiger' Tommy Girl. The scent has great projection with reasonably good lasting power, remaining on my skin for around 5 hours after application.
Next up is one of my all time favourite fragrances, the Tom Ford Black Orchid (£58 feelunique.com). This is another modern classic that shook up the fragrance world in the same way that Thierry Mugler did with Angel in 1992. It is a fragrance blended with dark, tempting florals and rich fruit accords. It features top notes of jasmine, gardenia, blackcurrant, lemon, bergamot, mandarin, and tuber, heart notes of orchid, spices, lotus, and fruity notes, and base notes of vetiver, patchouli, sandalwood, incense, amber, chocolate, and vanille. It has good projection and very good lasting power.
For those looking for something really unique, I recommend the Officine Universelle Buly Eau Triple Lichen D’Ecosse (£155.00 Selfridges). This is a fresh, crisp fragrance that fuses old and modern ideas together to create a scent like no other. Three simple notes makeup the fragrance, and these are oakmoss, green grass and sea notes. Unlike many other scents, Lichen D’Ecosse features a water based formula that makes the fragrance gentle on the skin, and enables it to be used in the hair (a real bonus). This Buly beauty has a reasonably good projection with an impressive lasting power, remaining on my skin for over six hours after application, even more when applied to my hair!
Next up is the Oscar de la Renta Signature (£81 Superdrug), a fragrance that provides whoever's wearing it with an abundant floral bouquet and soft, woody accents. This eau de toilette was inspired by the lush gardens of Santo Domingo, which are filled with the intoxicating scent of ylang-ylang blossom. Signature is a feminine scent that features top notes of orange blossom, basil, coriander, galbanum, peach, and gardenia, heart notes of ylang-ylang, jasmine, tuberose, rose, rosemary, cyclamen, lavender, and orchid, and base notes of opoponax, carnation, patchouli, sandalwood, lavender, and amber. It has impressive projection and equally as impressive lasting power.
My final fav is the Agent Provocateur Signature, a modern classic that embodies seduction and pleasure. This eau de parfum contains top notes of Indian saffron and Russian coriander, heart notes of Moroccan rose, Egyptian jasmine, French magnolia, ylang ylang, and white gardenia, and base notes of Hatian vetiver, amber, and musk. Signature has a reasonably good projection with a surprisingly great lasting power, remaining on my skin for a good eight hours after application (£69 Debenhams).