Absolutely: Perfume

My inaugural perfume column in the absolutely lovely Absolutely Magazine.

Absolutely Columnist Lawrence Roullier White on the art of scent…

In Hollywood’s heyday it wasn’t unusual for stars to be synonymous with one particular scent. Gloria Swanson scented the set of Sunset Boulevard with Caron’s Narcisse Noir, Cary Grant spritzed Eight and Bob and Grace Kelly famously walked down the aisle - a walk that was to make her Princess of Monaco - wearing a perfume created to replicate the aroma of her wedding bouquet: Fleurissimo by Creed

But that was then. Too often people focus on trying to find that single signature scent. My best advice? Spare yourself the struggle and start your own ‘fragrance wardrobe’. In the same way that your weekday suit should be different to the red-carpet-worthy gown you might throw on for an evening out, no one perfume should be expected to fit every occasion.

For day try something light, fresh and zingy. Carthusia’s Mediterraneo is a chic and sparkling number from Capri with crushed lemon leaves and green tea. Or Caldey Island Lavender Water made by Cistercian monks of coastal Wales is a cool and sophisticated minty lavender. La Tulipe by Byredo is uncomplicated, fun and fresh, whilst Aedes de Venustas - a new scent from the New York perfumery of the same name – is an addictive combination of rhubarb and vetiver. This remarkable scent leaps from the bottle and I defy anyone to wear it without a smile. 

Evening fragrances are inevitably more sensual. Tuberose is a night-blooming plant said to drive men wild with desire and thus traditionally harvested only by married women in India. Mona di Orio’s incandescent Tubereuse teamed with an LBD is bound to turn heads.

There are no hard and fast rules when choosing a fragrance, but it is wise to remember the perfume mantra: mood, occasion and season. It is also important to remember that everyone’s skin is different and an individual’s chemical make-up will react in a unique way to every perfume, so while you may love a fragrance you should also make sure that it loves you back. 

In the end, let the people around you be a guide - when friends, waiters, people in the supermarket queue stop you to ask what perfume you’re wearing, you can rest assured that you have found a partnership that will last. And when the glass window of a taxi rolls down and the driver enquires then, trust me, you have found your perfect match.

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