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FRAGRANCE

F R A G R A N C E With fragrance expert Fleur Fruzza

S A Y I T W I T H F L O W E R S NEW

GUIDE

FIND YOUR FIT Shop the right scent with this guide to the fragrance categories in our range

Present a bouquet in a bottle on Mother’s Day or for Valentine’s with a scent that harnesses petal power T hey may be gossamer-fine and delicate, but petals are the rock-solid foundation on which modern perfumery has been built. For thousands of years, alchemists have been extracting their essential oils, distilling them and creating exquisite compounds that today we know as perfume.

WOODY A robust, deep and lingering group that also includes musks, it makes for striking scents. NEW Givenchy Gentleman, £65, page 31

Two of a kind: come face to face with your partner in perfume

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Scents of attraction His-and-hers fragrances are developed to work in harmony with each other. Our collection features a number of twinned sets – so which one is yours?

Among the most ancient and enduring of these blooms – cultivated everywhere from northern Africa to the south of France – is the rose (right) and in Estée Lauder Beautiful Belle, £57 (far right), its presence is immediate. Rose mingles with lychee and mimosa in the top notes to evoke an instant sense of softness and seduction. The fragrant freesia (below right), in perfume-making. Its light and crisp profile makes this note ultra-wearable and versatile – in Jo Malone London English Pear and Freesia, £78 (page 13), for instance, it is combined with the bright and breezy freshness of pear and melon. meanwhile, has long been used as a super-fresh floral component

FRESH Often unisex, these scents are light and uplifting. Notes range from zesty citrus to sea breeze. Acqua di Parma Blu Mediterraneo Cipresso di Toscana, £61, page 25

hen creating a new scent that has an edition for both him and her, fragrance houses take into account how

FOR HOPELESS ROMANTICS The name of these fragrances says it all: complex and intense compositions that are utterly unforgettable. In Calvin Klein Obsession For Her , the spicy oriental accord bewitches from the first spritz. And true to its name, this fragrance thrives on an obsessive interdependence with its male counterpart; the fire of her spiciness tempered by the mellowing herbs and woods in Obsession For Men . Both £30, page 18 FORPLAYFULPROFESSIONALS Coffee, pepper, ginger: the Hugo Boss The Scent Private Accord man is always energised and ready to work hard, but thanks to a little pineapple and cacao, this guy is also ready to play hard. He’s met his match in an equally energetic female counterpart who also knows when it’s time towinddownwith relaxing florals and calming tonka. Both £56, page 33

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the two will work together, ensuring compositions are complementary – even interdependent. Here’s our fragrance expert’s pick of perfect partnerships.

FLORAL Feminine in feel, florals typically

FOR HEDONISTS Despite her name, Carolina Herrera’s Good Girl is bad; so bad, she’s good. She beguiles with powdery white flowers, while the sweetness of spiced vanilla and praline quietly permeates to make her too tempting to resist. Which is precisely why the brand’s Bad Boy is equipped with a clear-headed sage and pepper accord, followed by warmwoods to ground Good Girl’s giddy, sugar-fuelled florals. £59 and £45, page 23

NEW ESTÉE LAUDER Beautiful Belle For those who love to break the rules while also celebrating femininity and romance, Beautiful Belle is an irreverent symphony in oriental and floral notes. First is the thrill of lychee, rose petals and mimosa, followed by the bloom of romance from orange flower, gardenia and tuberose florals. Then the scent settles, like a great romance, into lasting comfort and enchantment with orris root, blush suede, ambrox and the gourmand note, marzipan musk. Floral Eau de parfum, 50ml. Unit price £114 per 100ml

contain rose, jasmine or orange blossom, sometimes with a hint of fruitiness.

But for something a little darker, it has to be the tuberose (below), which, for the Victorians, symbolised ‘dangerous

pleasure’. Sensual, sophisticated, heady and hypnotic: this white floral has it all and is at its finest when combined with others, such as gardenia and jasmine, as demonstrated in NEW Amouage Love Tuberose, £238 (page 26). This is flower power at its most potent.

NEW Tiffany & Co Love For Her, £88, page 15

AROMATIC Bridging fresh and woody with herbal notes and cool spices. Eight & Bob, £114, page 32

Long-Haul Flights £57 SAVE £15 (RRP £72) FF349

N E W F L A M E

We wouldn’t wear the same clothes for work and a special night out, so why stick to the same scent? Nei l Chapman, author of Perfume , bel ieves that just as the weather, fashions and your frame of mind change, so should your fragrance. “A perfume can real ly emphasise the mood you’re already in or want to project, whether it’s relaxed and friendly, a ‘hands-off’ spikiness, a fun and up-for-it scent, or for seduction,” he explains. And what better time than the new year to start a col lection? Try Marc Jacobs Daze, £55 (page 17), for a fresh, fruity twist; Roja 51, £195 (page 19), to feel sensual; and cool Tom Ford Neroli Portofino, £131 (page 29), for the office. B U I L D A S C E N T W A R D R O B E INTEL

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Fill your home with the aroma of your favourite fragrance by burning a candle of the same scent. If you love Diptyque Baies , buy the fresh, floral candle on board, £38 (page 21), while fans of Acqua di Parma Colonia scent will find a matching citrussy candle, £43 (online only).

ORIENTAL Rich and mysterious: think sandalwood, vanilla and resins. Diana Vreeland Empress Of Fashion, £150, page 14

Main image Jullia L/Shutterstock. ‘Find your fit’ words: Nick Gilbert. Fragrance categories © Michael Edwards (fragrancesof theworld.com)

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