Nose candy: the guide to this season's best fragrances
From exotic fruits to patisserie pleasures, this season's perfumes evoke blue skies and sunshine. Emma Reinhold finds a fragrance to suit everyone
Blooming marvellous
Florals are a perennial favourite when the sun comes out, and this year, they pack a perfumed punch. Cartier's latest offering, La Panthère blends the heady scent of gardenia with musk and chypre notes (HK$890/50ml, available at Sogo, Causeway Bay).
Karl Lagerfeld's eponymous women's fragrance features floral notes of rose, magnolia and plumeria, freshened with lemon and peach. (HK$800/85ml, available at Harvey Nichols, Pacific Place), while Italian fashion duo Dolce & Gabbana's new feminine fragrance, Dolce, features a feminine blend of white flowers including the never-before-used white amaryllis flower (HK$795/50ml, available at Harvey Nichols, The Landmark).
White florals also underpin Annick Goutal's new eau de parfum, Un Matin d'Orage. Translated literally as "stormy morning", this floral bouquet blends delicate magnolia, creamy tuberose and vanilla with woody undertones (HK$1,980/100ml, available at Joyce Beauty).
Perfumer Francis Kurkdjian recommends trying fragrances on the upper part of the forearm to ensure you get the purest interpretation of the scent. "Never put the fragrance on the back of the hand nor the palm," he says. "The back is rather dry, and the palm always sweats a little. Also avoid the wrist if you wear jewellery or a watch as this can change the fragrance.
Notes to look out for this season include lychee, raspberry, orange and peach, says Anita Yuen, director of beauty at Harvey Nichols.
"When you try a perfume for the first time wait at least 15 minutes for the mist to settle before you make a buying decision," she advises. "Fragrance brands will usually provide a jar of coffee beans which you can sniff intermittently to clear your nose if you are trying more than one scent."
New scents this season include Nina Ricci's La Tentation de Nina, with a mouth-watering macaron theme, comprised of raspberry, almond, lemon and rose notes, along with white musk and vanilla (HK$595/50ml, available from Sogo in Causeway Bay and TST).
Balmain's new eau de toilette, Extatic, blends green mandarin, juicy lychee and blackcurrant with jasmine and musk for a fruity, syrupy hit (HK$400/40ml, available from Lane Crawford, IFC Central), while Lanvin's new Jeanne Couture Birdie features raspberry, violet and peony (HK$650/100ml, available at Faces TST).
Spring is the perfect time to introduce a green scent to your fragrance collection. Elie Saab's new L'Eau Couture Eau de Toilette marries springtime freshness with sunny sophistication, thanks to bergamot, orange blossom and green almond. Its delicate, pastel-green hue makes it a pretty addition to any dressing table (HK$750/90ml, available at Harvey Nichols, The Landmark).
Luscious water hyacinth, apple blossom and a hint of jasmine add a delicate freshness to See by Chloé Eau Fraîche (HK$710/50ml, available at Harvey Nichols, Pacific Place), while Balenciaga's new Rosabotanica features the green milky freshness of fig leaf, blended with green hyacinth, cardamom, citrus and amber (HK$860/50ml available at Lane Crawford Times Square and Balenciaga boutiques).
When the temperatures go up, Kurkdjian advises lighter fragrance concentrations such as colognes and body sprays. "Sometimes changing to a perfumed body product or lighter perfume concentration can be a good alternative in hotter climates, but be careful not to try other fragrances when you have these on."
The refreshing, bright notes of bergamot, lime, mint and juniper berry in Atelier Cologne's latest offering, Cédrat Envirant, is perfect for warmer climes (HK$1,435/200ml, available at Lane Crawford, IFC Central).
