The Art of Perfumery: A Guide to the Different Types of Scents

The importance of wearing perfumes goes beyond just smelling good. Wearing perfumes can boost confidence, improve mood, and even have an impact on our overall well-being. Choosing the perfect perfume can be a daunting task. With so many different scents available, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. However, understanding the different types of scents can help you make an informed decision and choose a perfume that suits your personality and style. In this article, we will explore the various types of scents and their unique properties, so you can make an informed decision and find the perfect perfume for you.

Floral Scents

The most common and easily recognisable of all the fragrance types is the floral scents. As the name suggests, these scents get their essence from flowers like roses, jasmine, lavender, peonies and more. They have a calming and soothing effect on them, thus often being the first choice for aromatherapy. For the same reason, floral scents are also found in perfumes, candles and air fresheners.

The Best Floral Perfumes

Dioriviera is an Eau de Parfum with a long-lasting note of roses in combination with the sweet smell of fig.

Creed Spring Floral has strong floral characteristics because of the key ingredients like jasmine and white flowers inside the fancy pink bottle.

Citrus Scents

Derived from the essence of citrus fruits such as oranges, bergamot, lemons, and grapefruits, citrus scents have a refreshing and energetic feel to them. They are also known for their uplifting and invigorating properties thus making them popular choices for morning routines. As this scent family evokes a sense of freshness, it is often associated with the summer season.

The Best Citrus Perfumes

Acqua di Parma’s Arancia La Spugnatura has Vanilla Orange, lemons and mandarins as its starring ingredients which give the perfume its zesty and citrusy smell.

Gucci’s The Alchemist Garden 1921 is another luxurious perfume which has its citrus ingredient, citron lemon, on the top note thereby allowing you to smell it in the first spray.

Woody Scents

Woody scents are extracted from the essence of trees such as sandalwood, cedarwood, and pine. They are known for their grounding and calming properties, making them desirable choices for meditation and relaxation. Due to their strong connection with nature, woody scents easily attract outdoorsy people who love hiking, camping and other outdoor activities.

The Best Woody Perfumes

Le Labo Santal 33 was created to replicate the smell of a campfire, for which the brand included extracts from Australian sandalwood and cedarwood to bring out a woody fragrance.

Bleu de Chanel is appreciated by connoisseurs for its pleasant and perfumy woody notes that come from the New Caledonian sandalwood extracts found in them.

Spicy Scents

Spicy scents are derived from the essence of spices such as cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. They are known for their warming and alleviating properties, making them popular choices for the fall and winter seasons.

The Best Spicy Perfumes

Aesop Gloam is concentrated with essences from spices such as pink pepper, cardamom, saffron and more that strongly appeal to your olfactory senses.

Imagine the sweet aromas that you smell in a coffee shop, that is mildly what Yves Saint Laurent’s Black Opium smells like with the sparkling black bottle holding essences of the coffee accord, pink pepper and more that give it its spicy fragrance.

Aquatic Scents

Aquatic scents mimic the aroma of the ocean and sea breeze. They essentially remind you of relaxing at a seashore or going on a cruise trip. They are known for their fresh and clean properties, making them popular choices for the summer seasons.

The Best Aquatic Perfumes

Jo Malone London Wood Sage & Sea Salt is characterised as a standout aquatic perfume for invoking the refreshing smell of the sea.

Hermès Eau des Merveilles Bleue is rejuvenating as it smells like the ocean with this eau de toilette possessing the fragrances of the salty pebbles that you find on the seashore.

Well groomed: Skincare essentials for men

Gone are the misconceptions that men do not need skin care products. Modern men are increasingly more conscious about their personal wellness, hygiene and appearance. In fact, the global market for male grooming products is expected to rise to US$81.2 million by 2024, according to Research and Markets, a global market insight and analysis company. But with such a diverse range of skincare products from oil-control to vegan-based formula and unisex options, navigating the market for a product right for you can be daunting. Here’s a list comprised of some of the top brands for men’s skincare and grooming products:

Although men’s skin is thicker and more resilient to ageing than women’s, thanks to their higher collagen density and natural testosterone, the skin, regardless of gender, is still vulnerable to external factors such as poor diet, pollutants and excessive UV exposure. Though there is no one-size-fits-all solution to skincare, the holy grail to any healthy and hydrated skin consists of a cleanser, exfoliator and moisturizer. Additionally, grooming products such as serums and beard oils also help support and reinforce the benefits of your skincare routine.

To start, the Venn Moisture-Balance All-In-One Face Cleanser is a vegan all-round cleanser to suit various skin types, especially those with a combination of oily and dry patches. Its non-foaming formula mimics the skin’s natural pH levels mildly exfoliating and brightening the skin for a fresh start to the day before a shave.

Depending on how sensitive the skin is, skincare routine can alternate between face cleansers and exfoliators for an occasional facial skin therapy- removing dead skin cells and allowing for your grooming products to be absorbed more efficiently. La Mer’s Replenishing Oil Exfoliator is especially refreshing after a workout or before a shave. Infused with sugar crystals and sea salt, the exfoliator refines, detoxifies and replenishes the skin.

To top off a clean face, applying moisturizer is key to keeping the skin hydrated and fighting signs of ageing. Dr. Barbara Sturm’s face cream for men is designed to keep a combination of different skin types fresh for 24 hours, countering inflammation from razor burn and other irritations. It targets signs of ageing and supports the body’s natural skin renewal function. For quick absorption, Tom Ford’s Oil-Free Daily Moisturizer absorbs fast and has a matte finish that keeps your skin hydrated and energized.

Rounding up the grooming regime, serums and beard oils are the perfect boost of hydration and revitalization to reinforce the effects of moisturizers. Serums contain a higher concentration of active ingredients (eg. hyaluronic acid and vitamin C) than moisturizers and provides extra attention to skin management such as reducing wrinkles. Clinique for men’s Maximum Hydrator encapsulates antioxidants and super-moisturising hyaluronic acid that adds a boost of hydration for the skin. Alternatively, Natura Bissé’s Essential Shock Intense Complex reduces the depth of wrinkle lines and tightens the skins with ingredients such as Iris Florentina flower extract, amino acids and encapsulated vitamin C

For a refreshing aftershave, the luxurious Acqua Di Parma’s dedicated line of beard care products are crafted with ingredients that help soothe and condition facial hair effectively. Alternatively, Espa Men’s Triple Action Grooming Oil is enriched with vitamins A and E, candeia tree extract and omegas three and six to replenish moisture and smooth coarse bristles for effortless grooming

Acqua di Parma: Signatures of the Sun

Italian luxury label Acqua di Parma has epitomised the art of perfume-making for over a century now, with its master scent crafters having long perfected the artisanal process of selecting the finest ingredients to compose the most vibrant olfactory aromas.

Perhaps the most outstanding fragrance collection within its considerable back catalogue is the Signatures of the Sun, sun-filled aromatic interpretations of precious ingredients that range from camelia and yuzu to sakura. The essence of the collection is best expressed by Laura Burdese, Acqua di Parma’s President and CEO, who expounds: “For over a century, Acqua di Parma has created fragrance blends that vibrate with emotions and tell unique and surprising stories. Signatures of the Sun is the utmost expression of our art of perfume, an art that turns light and discovery into its expressive tones.”

Now, the renowned high-end brand has pulled back the curtain on the newest addition to this illustrious line– Osmanthus. Taking its name from the small yet headily-scented flower of the same name, it’s one that has long been described as the ‘flower of happiness’ in Asia.

Acqua di Parma distils the purest and most valuable essence of the osmanthus and enhances it into a fragrance that brings out in it a bright new elegance. Warm and sensuous with hints of peony, ambrette and patchouli , Osmanthus will add a radiant lightness to any day.