Perfume bottles on a beige blank background | Picture: iStock
One of the things that most people pay barely any attention to is how much of a factor temperature plays in how we experience most things in life. Food, drinks, clothing, beauty products and even fragrance.
Temperature can either be artificially applied before or during usage of consumption or it can come from the surrounding environment.
According to the Perfume Society, hot weather intensifies fragrance notes and makes them “boom” on the skin more quickly.
This is because when molecules heat up, they evaporate more quickly. Just think of boiling water…
Additionally, the Perfume Society further explains that colder weather slows down the evaporation rate, allowing the top and “heart notes” to last much longer. You may also find that as a result, your scent doesn’t project as much in the winter.
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If you’re a fan of fragrances, both for your body and home, here are some tips from experts about what to keep in mind when it comes to your fragrances as South African weather gets colder.
Q: Do you recommend changing your perfume as the seasons change? If so why?
A: Traditionally light, fresh fragrances are worn for spring and summer and heavier, more intense fragrances are worn in the autumn, winter. It will depend mostly on the individual’s preferences and of course, the outcome they would like to portray to the world on the day.
Introverts, tend to be attracted to light, fresh/subtle fragrances, whereas extroverts tend to be attracted to more intense/provocative fragrances, especially in the Western World.
This is not true for the Middle East as they predominately are attracted to the more mysterious, ambery fragrances, they require fragrances that will last longer on their skin.
More Intense fragrances tend to have a lot more powerful ingredients that when combined, act like a zip and hold together longer, for this very reason, depending on brands, EDT’s can last just as long as an EDP.
Hermes is well known for this innovation in their fragrance creations, molecular ingredients have also changed the way we traditionally think of a fragrance holds on to the skin.
Another factor to consider will also depend on the Master Perfumers directive from the Brand “Maison”.
The specifications will always be created around an inspiration, this will determine for which season the fragrance can be worn that is ideal for the changes in seasons.
Keeping in mind that fragrances can be worn during any season, it is more important to think about how the wearer would like to feel and be seen by others on the day.
A perfect example is DG Light Blue, the inspiration is a summer holiday, fresh, invigorating and yet still so sensual.
On cold winter days, warmer, more intense fragrances are the norm, however, if one is feeling tired and slightly depressed, a great recommendation would be to spritz a fresh, uplifting fragrance.
DG Light Blue would be perfect as it takes you on a journey where you can immediately feel like you are on a holiday, it enhances your feel-good emotions as it sparks memories when scented.
Limited editions are normally created with a specific season in mind. Overseas, Issey Miyake creates summer editions once a year.
To get the optimum experience out of one’s fragrance, depending on the occasion or the emotions one wants to portray and evoke emotions in those around them.
It is advisable to spritz a different fragrance every day.
The most important reason is our noses become familiar with the same scent and if worn every day, we can no longer scent the fragrance as when we first started wearing the fragrance, so we spray more.
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This then has an impact on those around us, overwhelming them and the wearer being unaware the scent has become overpowering to others.
Q: What should people keep in mind when changing perfumes for this reason?
A: Ultimately, it is what the individual wants to feel like on the day, what image they would like to portray to the world, does the scent bring out the best qualities they
want to portray. Does the scent match the occasion, if going to a business meeting wear something fresh that will give you confidence and not be too provocative.
If going on a first bind date wear something more subtle and sensual, until you know your partner’s preferences better. Try to avoid fragrance scents that your partner does not enjoy.
Q: What signature scents do you have in store that would work well for South Africa’s upcoming change of season?
We have great new launches that are launching in South Africa now and in the next few months (February to June/July).
Q: Would the same concept apply to home fragrances?
A: Most definitely, taking into consideration the different purposes of the room in your home, the scent needs to match the room’s purpose or the occasion that will be taking place.
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“Fragrances are the most amazing of our senses, close your eyes and inhale … Like an artist create your own world, like a poet write your own story… ‘Who would you like to be today?’” – Floral Street.
Q: Do you recommend changing your perfume as the seasons change? If so, why?
A: There is no hard and fast rule about how often one should change fragrance, however, some scents simply work better in different seasons. This is due to the fact that temperature has a huge impact on how the scent of perfume is perceived.
Hot weather usually intensifies the notes while cold weather makes it harder for them to evaporate. So, one might find that the scent doesn’t project as much in winter, which is why it is important to choose your scents carefully.
Q: What should people keeping mind when changing perfumes for this reason?
A: Besides the weather and how it can impact the scent, we should also keep in mind that fragrance is a key player in supporting our mood. Our sense of smell is essentially the highway to our brain and is one of the fastest ways to impact our emotional state. I always love to use fragrances that support one’s well-being.
At Elizabeth Arden, we have just launched our new White Tea EDP, a fragrance that was crafted using Givaudan’s VivaScentz™ technology, a fragrance design tool. Together with the use of this tool, we were able to develop a fragrance that enhances well-being with mindful, sustainably sourced ingredients.
With every single spritz of the White Tea EDP, it is guaranteed to awaken a deep sense of well-being.
VivaScentz™ is a fragrance design tool allowing perfumers to create compositions that will enhance well-being, based on the understanding of the link between fragrances and well-being.
VivaScentz™ comprises fragrance creation guidelines based on a proprietary questionnaire developed and validated with the University of Bristol (UK) for the measure of well-being.
Q: What signature scents do you have in store that would work well for South Africa’s upcoming change of season?
A: For the upcoming change of season I would say we focus on the new White Tea EDP.
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