Despite our good-natured rivalry, we do in fact, owe a lot to the French. From great food, fashion and wine to beautiful landscapes, the French contribution to culture has been vast. And with Bastille Day upon us we should consider all that’s good about our brethren over the Channel. Take fragrance for instance…an area where the French have led the way and where today we all indulge in a little scented pampering ourselves.
From the early 17th Century where adding fragrance to everything from gloves to furniture got the court of Louis XV named “the perfumed court” to the French Revolution where there was even a scent named for the guillotine, the French have taken perfume seriously.
Today there are hundreds of fragrances to choose from, here are a few categories to help make shopping for a new scent a little easier.
The classics. If you are looking for a timeless scent there are a number of brands that maintain their cache through the years. Look to Chanel, for instance, for strong, beautiful fragrances that are classics - and have been for decades. Starting with No. 5 to No. 19, Mademoiselle, Coco, and the more light Allure and Chance. You can’t go wrong with scents designed by the big fashion houses: Yves St. Laurent, Dior, Cacharel, are just a few others.
Reborn favourites. Remember the fragrances of your youth? Dior’s Poison? Calvin Klein’s Obsession? You can find many old tried and true, as well as, new variations on these decades-old perfumes. Dior has created Midnight Poison as a spin on the old favourite and Calvin Klein still offers its 1985 Obsession, in addition to favourites along the way such as Eternity.
The celebrity invasion. Over the past few years there has been an acceleration in the number of celebrities that have created fragrances. The list is long and includes: Glow, Still and Live by Jennifer Lopez; LAMB by Gwen Stefani; Christina Aguilera’s self-branded scent; Midnight and Fantasy by Britney Spears; Unforgiveable by Sean Combs; and many more. Fragrance is a fun way for a celebrity to express a little more of themselves (and their brand persona) and for an admirer to think they are getting a little closer to their favourite celebrity.
The important thing to remember about fragrance is the smell! Don’t just be seduced by the name or person behind the bottle. Take it from the French who never compromised on picking the perfect scent, at the end of the day you need to make it your own.
