I woke up early this morning...and there was something in the air. It already feels like autumn really early in the mornings. Fall is my favourite season (and not just because it is my birthday!). There are beautiful colours, the air is fresh and a whole new season of style trends.
To find out the latest on perfume trends for fall, I spoke with Tresor Prijs, Editor and Contributing Author at Scent Trunk and William Yin, CEO of Scent Trunk, to find out the latest in pretty scents for autumn.
Tresor shared her thoughts on the top trends for scents this fall.
Though it's been a trend for quite some time in the niche market I've noticed accords of oud, the mould infected heartwood of certain species of Aquilaria trees, take centre stage amongst the new releases once again with nearly every collection containing a fragrance featuring the note.
It's so popular, in fact, that its even begun to expand beyond niche and proliferate the mainstream market. Don't let the rather unique origin of this note put you off though, the accords found in these modern fragrances are almost always synthetic recreations.
Another trend which is dominating a fragrance counter near you is the resurgence of darkness or intensity as leitmotif in a number of new releases, with many successful pillar fragrances being released as more concentrated variants of themselves. These compositions tend to eschew the ebullience of their predecessors in favour of richer accords. Keep your eye out for fragrances marked with things like "Intense," "Noir," "Absolue" or "Extreme" and you're on the right track.
William shared his tips on how you can choose the best scent for your partner:
The biggest issue I see when people are gifting fragrance to a partner, is that they choose a fragrance that smells great in the store that they really like. There are two problems with this. Firstly, fragrance smells different on everyone, as soon as it is applied to someone's skin. So, what you smelled at the department store, is not what the fragrance is going to smell like on your partner. The second problem, is that just because you like it, doesn't mean your partner likes it!
As a guy, I have unused bottles of fragrance on my counter, which I had to pretend to like, but really, I don't really use it. The key is to find something both of you like.
So how do you do that? Well unless you are able to drag your partner out to the store for three hours, here are your best options. You could order samples online and have your partner try them in their day to day lives. They'll experience how the fragrance changes on their skin, how it affects their mood, etc. With fragrance, it is so important to sample. Scent is something that you experience, smelling a piece of paper at a department store, is certainly not truly experiencing it.
William also shared his top tips on how to make your scents last longer:
If you want to make a scent last longer you should moisturize. Choose a moisturizer labeled 'fragrance free' rather than 'unscented'. The moisture make the alcohol evaporate slower which will make the scent last longer. However, I call this a "band-aid," because it doesn't work that well. The best way to make a scent last longer, is to simply purchase a higher quality fragrance with greater longevity. I would strongly suggest exploring niche fragrances.
They use higher quality ingredients and a good concentration of oil. Niche fragrances will last anywhere from six to eight hours, whereas your conventional designer fragrances may only last two to three.
Fragrances with a greater concentration of the oil will last longer. Similarly, fragrances last longer when applied to 'pulse point' on the body. Wrists, centre of the chest, behind the knees, crook of elbow and side of neck.
What will be on trend in the future?
First of all, people are really breaking through the whole idea of "one signature scent." It was really just a mantra that designer brands used in the past to keep customers loyal. Now, we're seeing people have 4-5 fragrances, for different occasions, outfits, seasons, etc. It makes sense though. We don't wear the same clothes every day, so why where the same scent? Fragrance is the ultimate accessory of fashion!
Niche fragrances are on trend in the future, in fact the niche market is growing 10-20%/year for the last decade. Consumers are no longer satisfied with "one-product-fits-all," they want the best product for them. Consumers want to unique fragrances which they can relate emotionally to. Designer fragrances don't really offer that. However, in the past, designer fragrances were largely the only thing consumers were exposed to. E-commerce has changed that. It has allowed small-batch perfumers to find customers. This is great for consumers because there is more variety than ever.
Tresor share her tips on how to best store your scents:
The very best way to store your scents is in a cool, dark place like a drawer or inside of a closet. The main culprits when it comes to the degradation of fragrance are light and heat. Properly stored, a fragrance can potentially last years and years without going off. For those with particularly large collections a temperature-controlled refrigerator is a very sound investment.
Any other tips?
William and Tresor shared their top tips.
Wear what you love, it's really that simple. Experience with new fragrances the same way you might change up your accessories. Pay no mind to which demographic a fragrance is marketed towards, allow yourself to experience the spectrum of this exquisite craft and expand your palette. Find what you love, what brings you happiness and wear it with pride.
I will continue to enjoy perfumes and will share my experiences. If you have ideas or questions about pretty scents please leave a comment below and I will do my best to find the answer for you.
Your suggestions are always welcome, as I continue on my journey to enjoy life to the fullest. Let's have the very best 2015!
Visit Sacha daily at SachaD.com
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