I read the other day that one-fifth of the world’s population is now under lockdown due to the novel coronavirus COVID-19. One-fifth. That’s 1.5 billion people.
We are quickly having to adjust to this new way of life – to working from home, to seeing our loved ones, friends and colleagues only virtually, and to keeping our distance. It’s unsettling and strange, but we have found unity in celebrating those who are out there on the frontlines of the NHS and the key workers keeping the world moving and ensuring we have enough of what we need.
Now we’re spending so much time at home, I’ve put together a short guide on how you can use perfume to make the most of your time, whether that be as a way to make you feel better during this unsettled time, or just to adjust to the new way of doing things. Here are four ways you can wear scent at home right now.
Something Soft and Reassuring
These are strange times for many, and in times like this, we turn to those things that bring us comfort and reassurance. Perfume has the power to do that – it can wrap you in cotton wool, hug you and tell you everything is going to be OK. Smell is primal and much in the same way that the scent of our mothers provided us with a sense of safety as a child, the smells we encounter in our perfumes can do the same.
Take Mon Guerlain for example – a fragrance that envelops the wearer in a silky veil of lavender and caramel. It is soothing, sweet and delicate, and it makes you want to cuddle right up to it. Speaking of cuddling: for guys, Prada’s L’Homme is the softest, snuggliest masculine out there. Based on the note of iris (Prada’s signature material) with hints of patchouli and amber underneath, L’Homme is a fluffy cashmere sweater in a cool shade of grey. Comfort and reassurance in scented form.
Has Mon Guerlain got your attention? Read the full review here.
Something for Working From Home
I used to work with someone who would always throw on full business attire when working from home to get them in the right headspace for a day’s work. That, my friends, is a baller move, and we must respect them for their extreme dedication. I, however, am not that person and like many, I’m more than content working in my pyjamas. Maybe if I have to join a video call I’ll throw on a shirt, or something vaguely smart, but that’s just for the top half – the bottom is all PJs. If you’re like me and could do with bringing a bit of smartness and sophistication to your working from home routine, why not pick a scent that brings a touch of class. I mean, if you can’t (be bothered to) look smart, you might as well smell smart, am I right?
Two choices spring to mind: first up, Gentlewoman by Juliette Has a Gun – a clean, sharply cut orange blossom fragrance that goes full YSL androgyny, evoking the bespoke suit you’re definitely not wearing on that Zoom call. Or for the guys there is Dior Homme, a new masculine scent from DIOR that blends angular cedar, patchouli, and vetiver (all staple, manly ingredients) in a scent so handsome, it would make even the scruffiest of gents appear presentable. Take a spritz of either of these and nobody will even know that you’re all business up top and novelty underwear down below.
Something to Uplift Your Mood
While we may be limited in our ability to go outside, but we can bring the outside in, to uplift our spirits. It’s technically spring out there, and things are starting to bloom, so while we may not be able to admire everything on our singular period of daily exercise, we can enjoy the flowers and citruses in our perfumes.
In terms of flowers, there is no flower scent more uplifting than the rose. Take one sniff of Bulgari’s Rose Goldea, and you’ll know what I mean. It portrays the scent of a thousand pink roses, fizzing with citrus delight under the Italian sun, carried on a warm, summery breeze of musk. It is simply beautiful, and there is no possible way of smelling it and not feeling good. The same could be said for Citron Citron by Miller Harris – a fragrance that smells like a vibrant cocktail sipped at the height of summer, reminding of us what we have to look forward to.
Something You’ve Never Worn Before
Do you have a fragrance in your wardrobe that you’ve always wanted to wear but are worried about how people will react to it? Is there a fragrance you’ve always wanted to buy, but you’re afraid people would run from the hills if you did? Well, my friend, now is your time. Right now is the time to wear whatever the hell you damn well please and to wear ten sprays of it, at least. Now is the time for the heavy hitters, the weird, the wonderful and the downright dirty. It is time for the anti-social scents.
For guys, the ridiculousness of Moschino’s Toy Boy is a perfect guilty pleasure. It’s housed within what can only be described as a kinky teddy bear clad fully in black (there’s something very Tom of Finland about it…). The unusual fragrance takes something inherently feminine (roses) and makes them feel entirely masculine with warming spices and juicy citrus. If however, you have no need for a toyboy, then Angel Muse is another daring delight. Fashioned by the house of Mugler, Angel Muse is a flash of contrasts; fuzzy hazelnut, patchouli and vetiver rub together to create an exciting friction that turns into the most boujee-smelling Nutella (other hazelnut spreads are available).
Learn more about Angel Muse’s delicious scent in this review.
