We’re faithful to our classic and cult perfumes, but it’s exciting to break out of our comfort zones and wear something fresh and new, too. What better time to do this when roaming through world duty free with time to spare.
Of course, confidence comes from within — but spritzing on a fragrance that leaves you standing a little taller never hurts. There are times when you need a boost of confidence – from your wedding day to a speaking event, or a black-tie evening, and you can curate a perfect capsule collection that complements a particular occasion. Fragrance has the power to transport us back in time – ‘The ‘power of the invisible’ is a feat achieved solely by our olfactory system. It has been said that fragrance is the greatest invisible accessory, and often the deciding influence of how one wants to feel or how one wants to be received.
From intense creations by designer houses to niche brands hitting all the right notes, the fragrance world is a sensorial delight of sweet florals, to sultry vanillas, sharp citrus and earthy aquatics.
One of the most popular notes in fragrance is vanilla – it helps you to feel enveloped and cared-for, comforted, and less anxious. Vanilla tends to be at the heart of many fragrances, it can be sexy, sugary; sophisticated, and at time too sweet dependent upon the composition. But now vanilla is back taking centre-stage with a whole host of perfume houses and Gen Z celebs are leading the change to re-instate vanilla as a leader in the world of perfumery – everyone from Ellis Brooklyn Vanilla Milk, Yves Saint Laurent Libre to Eilish by Billie Eilish, which give vanilla a modern, sensual update.
Exotic Fruits – Fresh and citrus scents are always a go-to when temperatures rise. The calling for sun, sand, sea, or even forest woods and herbaceous greens brings about a spring or summer return to favourites. These charming combinations burst with an invigorating aroma that’s bright with a dark edge and fruity underpinned by hints of musk.
Spice – Spices have been used in perfume for thousands of years – the ancient Egyptians were the first on record to incorporate spices into fragrances. Rich notes will continue to be explored as we seek out the warmth, comfort, and feeling cozy.
Genderless Products
In the Middle Ages, fragrances were drawn from natural sources—flowers, wood—to mask natural odours in men and women, until marketing in the late 20th century began to emphasise the distinctions between genders. But in the mid-1990s, Calvin Klein’s CK One, a now-iconic unisex scent, entered the fragrance cosmos: it heralded a bold new era, where a clean, striking scent profile could be worn by anyone and signature scents had to be neither inherently masculine nor feminine. There are no gender-specific rules when it comes to fragrance.
Any fragrance can work for any person who wants it. At some point along the way, scents began to be labelled for men or women, but now fragrances are too nuanced to be assigned to one group of people
Beauty and Skincare
Celebrity Brands
In recent years, celebrity fragrances were shelved in favour of beauty and skincare lines. There seemed to be fewer and fewer celebrity names making an appearance in the perfume isles. But after make-up and skincare took centre stage, there seemed to be a resurgence of celebrity fragrances during and following Covid. Rihanna launched own fragrance Fenty Eau De Perfum back in 2021. Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, Kim Kardashian and Elon Musk are amongst many to joi
Clean Ingredients
The best perfumes are made with high-quality ingredients. There is a wave of clean perfume companies leading in sustainable and natural ingredients as well as ingredient transparency. Terms like “clean” and “natural” are used interchangeably there is a slight difference in them all. “Clean” refers to fragrances made without harmful ingredients, whilst “natural” is often found in products made from ingredients extracted from raw materials
Working with Bespoke Advantage
Bespoke Advantage is a London based international beauty brand consultancy. We are a team of experts, associates and business partners specialising in supporting our clients – award-winning entrepreneurs, well established beauty and wellness businesses, retailers, investors, trade bodies and embassies – in developing and growing their brands across the beauty and wellness marketplace. If you are looking to launch a beauty or wellness brand or you are looking for support in expanding your brand across markets, GET IN TOUCH.
