It was a hoot walking through Sephora’s brand spanking new outlet in the Meat Packing district in New York during its recent perfume exhibition called Sensorium. Sponsored by fragrance and flavour manufacturer Firmenich, it was tailored to make people rethink the notion of scent and how our olfactory senses work. There were booths to challenge, question and reconnect you with your sense of smell and to show how scents are put together for various companies.
The sense of smell is still the most misunderstood. It’s very difficult to explain. What scientists have come to realise is that it is stronger than first believed. Scents somehow tap into our psyche and prepare our brains to react to love, excitement, fear or lust.
I cannot imagine a world without scent. Helen Keller summed it up as “perfumes are powerful magicians, being able to transport us through years that you have lived”. She also observed: “Love is like a beautiful flower which I may not touch, but whose fragrance makes the garden a place of delight just the same.”
The power is beyond description when you give someone the gift of a fragrance. It is thought, emotion, dedication and care all wrapped and squeezed into a bottle of essence. This is despite the fact that many give perfumes as a last resort or an easy option.
Make this festive season different and look to giving a scent as an extension of your feelings for the person, whether it is family, a close friend or that special someone. Giving perfume is a huge responsibility; it is truly the one gift that is for that person to enjoy and reminisce.
Before dashing out to buy the first scent you set your eyes upon, think, question and find out more about the person you are buying for. Check the scents they are currently wearing and what scent family they enjoy, whether floral, spicy, gourmand, sugary, fresh or citrusy.
Buy fragrances first thing in the morning when your sense of smell is fresh and the counters are not overwhelmed by the many options. Don’t eat anything with a strong flavour of garlic or spice beforehand as this may dull your ability to smell. And don’t let price or hype determine your selection – let your nose do the choosing.
Spread some cheer this festive season, surprise someone or, better still, transport a loved one to a happier place. Photographer James Van Der Zee says: “Happiness is perfume; you can’t pour it on somebody else without getting a few drops on yourself.”
Have a wonderful festive season.
Special Purchases
These rarer, more niche fragrances are leaders and innovators and they might just win you extra brownie points for the season and the coming new year
Tom Ford Violet Blonde EDP (50ml, $155) is bold, sexy, sensuous, mysterious and provocative, this scent packs all of this in one sleek bottle. Violet leaf, mandarins, Sambac jasmine, rose, orris butter and absolute, cedar, vetiver and musk – pure ecstasy.
Lady Vengeance Extreme by Juliette Has a Gun (100ml, $208) the mixture of patchouli, vanilla and rose is pure genius. This is a green floral scent that is certain to be a classic in no time.
Estee Lauder Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia EDP (30ml, $150ml) the perfect bouquet of tuberose and gardenia, it is at once modern and classic in its display of notes, a sophisticated floral scent for women who don’t need introductions.
Fleurissimo by Creed (75ml, $259) exquisite does not begin to describe this famed and well-honoured perfume house. Fleurissimo is subtle, deft and sublime in the way it blends ambergris, tuberose, Bulgarian rose, violet and Florentine iris.
Royal Oud by Creed (75ml, $279) this sexy unisex fragrance of fragrant woods, spice, lemon and bergamot would set any heart racing.
Black Jade by Lubin (100ml, $249) is Marie Antoinette’s lost scent, originally created by Pierre Lubin’s mentor Jean-Louis Fargeon for the trend-setting empress. It is rumoured to have been created in honour of the empress’ secret garden and this scent is a joy for the senses – a floral paradise with a trace of crispness.
Batucada by l'Artisan (100ml, $149) it is as if this scent was made for our glorious summer months. This niche but well-respected company has concocted a tropical paradise of coconut, lime and citrus, with a hint of fruitiness, aromatic woods and a dusting of saltiness. This is pure sunshine.
Balenciaga L’Essence Set ($145) a new launch that is ever-so chic with notes of violet leaf, a green scent with a hint of floral and leather undertones.
Bottega Perfume Set ($180) every trendsetter’s dream collection.
Oh Lola! by Marc Jacobs Set ($120) the sweet smell of success with sugary florals and pretty-in-pink packaging.
Bulgari Jasmin Noir Gift Set ($136) I want this set just for its über-cool packaging and sleek design, and the fragrance is divine too.
Fragrance sets
Dior J’adore Eau de Parfum 100ml Christmas Jewel Box ($207) pure perfection; the purse spray is a definite must and it only comes in this set.
Elie Saab Le Parfum Gift Set ($138) This year’s ultimate crowd pleaser.
Gucci Miniatures Gift Set ($84) the best fragrance sampler.
Gucci by Gucci Pour Homme Gift Set ($94) the best men’s fragrance set for this season.
Stockists » Balenciaga and Tom Ford selected David Jones stores. \ Creed, L’Artisan, Lubin, Juliette Has a Gun 07 3846 2227 (all available in Melbourne; call to check stockists). \ All others available at Myer/David Jones.