fragrance

There are a few places in this world where I’m in complete and utter bliss, and one of those is the perfume department at Liberty. Perhaps it is because I live outside of London without regular trips to the iconic department store, but I know that fellow beauty lovers will agree with me when I say that it’s one of the best places to shop and discover beauty, particularly perfume brands. Tucked away from the bustling Oxford Circus, the Liberty store (which is a Grade II–listed Tudor building built from old ships) is a tranquil haven from the throngs of crowds outside. It’s quieter than other department stores, and it has curated a brilliant edit of fragrances in its beauty hall. From the little-known niche fragrances to the perfumes worn by celebrities, it really...

There a many things that the French do exceptionally well, and one of those things is fragrance. French fragrance houses are considered as some of the best in the world, and Grasse in the southern part of the country is considered as the perfume capital of the world. While luxury fragrance houses Chanel and Dior might spring to mind when you think of French perfume, there is one brand that has totally entranced celebrities, editors, and beauty lovers alike. The brand is question? Diptyque.  Diptyque is one of those brands that has the power to make any beauty editor’s eyes widen at the mere mention of it. If you haven’t yet tried the fragrances, you’ll have no doubt have seen the iconic candles flittered through your social media feeds, or on the mantelpiec...

With Halloween knocking, 2022 has officially reached peak autumn. The air is crisp, the leaves are crunchy and the knits are out. And while we all love to have a little moan about the weather, the truth is, I sort of love autumn and all that comes with it—most notably snuggling up in front of Netflix and lighting a cosy candle.  Yep, I revel in the self care and personal indulgence that takes place during the short period of time between now and the moment I have to start thinking seriously about Christmas shopping. Instead of spending my money on going-out makeup and evening perfumes, I like to use this time to invest in my own headspace by treating myself to a particularly cosy candle—the sort that makes you want to snuggle up in a blanke...

If there is a beauty topic that I could talk about all day long, it’s autumn perfumes. During this time of the year, I feel like fragrance really shifts with the change in seasons. As we wave away to our summer scents, autumn is the time to welcome in warming, cosy and musky base notes. There’s something quite emotive about it. Whether we’re heading out for autumnal walks or hunkering down inside as the temperature drops, there’s fun to be had in matching our scent to the seasonal mood. “A smell, whether in the air, on our skin, or on our clothes, creates a world within our world that is both physical and imagined,” says Aesop fragrance partner, Barnabé Fillion. “A window into nature, so to speak, one that invites a dialogue with surround...

As a heritage luxury French brand, it makes sense that Serge Lutens creates perfumes fit for the coolest French women around. If you’ve never heard of Serge Lutens before, let me give you a quick recap, as I believe that knowing some background might help you to understand why the brand’s perfumes are so special. Born in France, Lutens himself has lived a life filled with best of French beauty. He has, I suppose, helped define the French beauty standard. Having delved into the professional worlds of photography and makeup by the age of 14, Lutens essentially grew up with fashion and beauty royalty—think the likes of Richard Avedon and Irving Penn. In the late ’60s, he created Dior’s first-ever makeup collection. In the ’80s, he helped launc...

Perfume can be an incredibly personal concept. Not only does fragrance have the ability to set your mood or intention for the day ahead, but it can be a way to bring back memories. But sometimes, we love a scent just because it smells incredible. That’s why you might find that some people are reluctant to share their signature fragrance—we all want to keep a brilliant scent to ourselves. There’s nothing like a personal recommendation from someone who is happy to let you in on their scent. However, the way we shop for fragrances has changed recently. It used to be risky to blind-purchase a perfume online—it could be a hit or miss. But nowadays, it’s so much easier to get a sense for a fragrance online. Retailers will often list the specific notes in a scent’s descrip...

I am a total sucker for perfume. I know it, everyone who knows me knows it, and everyone who reads my reviews knows it, too. While this might sound like a totally normal statement for a beauty editor to make, in my case, things are particularly severe. I own nearly 100 bottles of the stuff. And while I don’t (and wouldn’t) wear all of them, I couldn’t possibly bring myself to part with a single one. You see, as someone who surrounds themselves with fragrance all day long, I appreciate great perfumes so much that, even when they don’t appeal to my personal tastes, I like to keep them and smell them from time to time. To me, a great perfume (whether it be citrusy, woody, or sweet) is one that evokes emotion. It might make you want to scrunch your face u...

Perfume can be an incredibly personal concept. Not only does fragrance have the ability to set your mood or intention for the day ahead, but it can also be a way to bring back memories. But sometimes, we love a scent on the basis that it smells incredible. So much so, that we have to claim it for ourselves. That’s why you may find many may be reluctant to share their signature fragrance—we all want to keep a brilliant scent to ourselves. There’s nothing like a personal recommendation from someone who is happy toilet you in on their scent. However, the way we’re shopping for fragrance has changed hugely in recent years. Before then, it would be a risk to blind purchase a perfume online—it could be a hit or miss. However, nowadays it’s so much easier to...

If there’s one thing we love at Who What Wear, it’s discovering a new fragrance. Whether it’s finding our signature scent or finding out the fragrances that celebrities wear, nothing gets the office talking more than when a new perfume is spritzed. Fragrance is so personal to everyone. Some of my all-time-favourite fragrances are warm, woody or musky. I love Narciso Rodriguez For Her, Jo Malone Myrrh & Tonka and Byredo Bibliothèque. They’re bold fragrances with an impressive sillage, so they tend to lend themselves more to the autumn and winter months. So as the colder months draw in, I have a seasonal pang of excitement at digging my favourite fragrances back out again. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimag...

I am the first to admit that I can (sometimes) be a bit of a snob. I like to imagine that, as a beauty journalist, I remain totally impartial every time I try a new product but if I said that I’d be lying to both you and myself. In reality, I am just as much put off by certain product characteristics as the next person—and this is truer than ever when it comes to perfume.  As a general rule, I like my perfumes to be sleek, chic, and expensive-smelling. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the fragrances should be expensive, mind you, they just have to smell that way. Having said that, I’m also one of the most shallow perfume lovers I know. Truthfully, I should know better than to judge a book by its cover when it comes to beauty products, however, unless a perfume bott...

Don’t get me wrong. I am a summer baby through and through. I like the heat, I like floaty clothes, I like sun-kissed strands, I like freckled noses, and I really like the pared-backed beauty routine that so often comes with summer months. For the most part, I’m willing to say that I sort of loathe waving goodbye to summer. Except, that is, when it comes to my fragrance collection. It sounds like an odd thing to say, I know, but the one thing that gets me really excited for autumn is surrounding myself with the seasonal scents. I’m an inherently cosy (read: lazy) person, and something about being snuggled up warm inside, enveloped by creamy, spicy scents makes my typically sun-drenched heart feel a little bit giddy. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates On...

My name is Eleanor, and I’m an accidental candle snob. If you could take a peek into my home, you’d find Jo Malone candles mingling with Diptyque atop my fireplace, and Bella Freud and Boy Smells dotted around my flat. I’m lucky in my job as a beauty editor that I’ll often receive new candles to test. However, I’m aware I have developed very expensive taste. While I might occasionally buy an expensive candle every now and then (I’ll forever buy Diptyque’s Noisetier candle, and I practically ration my Byredo Bibliotheque one), if I weren’t in my line of work as a beauty journalist, I wouldn’t have the money to burn on the really expensive candles. So I decided to find the best high-street candles that won’t break the bank or c...