Your ultimate guide to luxury fragrance
What makes a luxury fragrance so desirable?
Scientific research suggests that scent can influence perceptions, even at a subconscious level. So, having a distinctive personal smell can help to make you stand out from the crowd and make a lasting impression because it smells interesting and has enough power to be noticeable, but most importable of all, it suits the wearer. A higher price and access to more ingredients give perfumers more creative freedom, which can result in more distinctive, higher concentrated fragrances. It is also worth considering that a high-priced perfume buys you exclusivity!
Top high-end picks:
22
RRP: £93.00Current price: £69.75
BVLGARI Omnia Crystalline Eau de Toilette
8
£88.00
Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Eau de Parfum
71
RRP: £67.00Current price: £56.95
How important are high quality ingredients in a fragrance?
All perfumes from big, well-known brands use high-quality ingredients. The fragrance industry is closely regulated because of potential allergies the wearer may have, especially in higher concentrations. These brands are held accountable and must follow all regulatory advice for their formulas.
If you’re looking for reasons to indulge in a luxury spritz, think of it as an investment. With pure ingredients that are labelled as Eau de Parfum concentrated, the smell should last all day. So, there’s no need to keep topping up. Rich, heavier scents such as wood, amber and oud typically sit longer on the skin. Not to mention, most brands put as much time and detail into the bottles as they do the scent; it’s almost like a small work of art on your dressing table.
How are luxury fragrances typically developed?
Luxury fragrances are developed by a whole team of specialists, all of whom make contributions to bring that scent to the market: it's a bit like how a blockbuster movie is created.
The Creative Director at the Fashion House: owns the 'big idea' - they drive the creation and design of the new fragrance.
The Perfumer: the crafts person who builds the fragrance based on the idea.
Fragrance Evaluators: review the perfumer's work at different stages, suggesting changes based on the brand's olfactive identity and the customer market. There are also a large number of supporting contributors you may never have considered: farmers and chemists grow and create new-to-the-world ingredients for perfumers to use. A team of Quality Control scientists ensure all ingredients have consistent smell from batch to batch. Product Designers create pack designs, while Engineers convert the best pack design into bottle and cap moulds, and develop new decoration processes. Graphic Designers create artwork for the carton and specialist printers manufacture the cartons.
Our top 3 luxury fragrance picks:
Hermès H24 Eau de Toilette 100ml / £100
Discover H24, a lively combination of intoxicating sage scents, electrifying narcissus, invigorating rosewood and warm, metallic notes of sclarene, inspired by a daring blend of nature and technology.
14
£100.00
Tom Ford Ombre Leather Eau de Parfum 100ml / £127.50
Truly luxurious, Ombré Leather is an androgynous floral-leather fragrance with unexpected notes of white flower and jasmine sambac that create a comforting sweetness. Inspired by adventure and vast landscapes, the scent takes the wearer on to a sensorial experience.
94
RRP: £152.00Current price: £121.60
Jo Malone London Myrrh & Tonka Cologne Intense 100ml / £150
3
£160.00
What’s the best way to store your luxury fragrance?
We know that fragrances are best kept out of direct sunlight, but the ultimate storing place? The fridge! A constantly cool environment with no direct sunlight to weaken the essence of the fragrance – perfect! Anywhere which is not too hot, dry, benefits from a steady temperature and is out of the sunlight is ideal to store your perfume. The bathroom shelf, therefore, is probably not the best option. Any scent which has been carefully stored should last a minimum of three years, but if you’re not using a bottle in that time, maybe you should move on to a new signature scent.
Where should you be applying your fragrance for optimum results?
As Coco Chanel famously said “Where should one use perfume? Wherever one wants to be kissed.” There’s no wrong place to apply your favourite scent, but a spritz on your pulse points is a good place to start. Why not spray just a touch in your hair to take in a refreshing wave of scent with every movement throughout the day. Just remember to keep away from your eyes, mouth and freshly shaven skin – it doesn’t taste pleasant, and it can be uncomfortable on sensitive skin, although it is not harmful.
12
£82.00
24
RRP: £152.00Current price: £121.60
£95.00
My large family of mainly women has made me passionate about all things beauty from a young age: from routines passed down from my grandmother, to trying the latest products and trends. After training as an MUA at MAC Cosmetics, my love for makeup has now evolved into making sure my skincare creates the perfect canvas for any look. I love anything that can make my base feel fresh & bright while accentuating my features – Bobbi Brown's Face Base is my holy grail at the moment!
