Fragrance is a great way to say I like/love/want you, but how do you make sure to get it right? Follow the advice of some fragrance experts and you can't go wrong.
Buying a fragrance for a partner
Jan Moran ''I'm often asked if the principals of fragrance selection are the same for women and men. Basically yes, because skin is skin and fragrance is fragrance. While women's perfumes tend to have more floral and men's colognes tend to have more citrus, woods, and lavender, times have changed. The lines today are often crossed.
Alix Miral ''Never choose a fragrance in a hurry, whatever the occasion. The two key words when choosing a fragrance are: patience and emotion. You wear his t-shirts, why not his fragrance?''
Jan Moran ''People often ask me if it's okay to wear a fragrance made for the opposite sex. Why not? If it mixes well with your skin chemistry, try it. Remember that fragrance changes with each person's skin chemistry. Chances are that it will be unique on you, too.''
Unisex fragrances — the latest trends
Alix Miral ''Niche fragrances like Palais Royal by Shiseido, Private Blend by Tom Ford, Hermessence by Hermès and Editions de Parfums by Frédéric Malle, are so daring and creative that I consider them unisex. Furthermore you smell more and more fragrances where the boundaries masculine/feminine often cross over.
Traditionally feminine notes are now used in men's fragrances: like the edible coffee accord in A men by Thierry Mugler or the strong orange flower heart note in Fleur du Mâle by Jean-Paul Gaultier. To wear such fragrances you will need to bear their personality: creative, daring and willing to make a statement.''
Yours, mine and ours
Jan Moran ''Unisex fragrances are hot, and the battle of the sexes often heats up at the bathroom counter, where women grab their man's favourite scent, and vice versa. Many women enjoy the zesty citrus or warm woods in men's fragrances, and many men like the sensuality of women's spicy oriental or woody scents.''
Is perfume an aphrodisiac? Why is scent so sexy?
Alix Miral ''[Drom Fragrances International] recently carried out a study together with the University of Munich where we tested the influence of pheromone-enriched fragrances on the perceived attractiveness of women and men. For women, there was no aphrodisiac effect of pheromones traceable. However, for men we got some evidence that the pheromone-enriched fragrance can positively influence men's perception of women and their sexual attractiveness.
''Though of course, other factors exist, like the appearance of a person, which are more powerful than the fragrance. In any case, scents are sexy because — when they fit their users and their skin — they can underline the sensuality of a woman and the masculinity of a man and be the icing on the cake in the game of seduction.''
Michael Edwards ''Scent can certainly make you feel sexier. Smell is obviously linked to our sexuality and some experts believe that hormones released from glands in the groin and armpit act as powerful sexual attractants in the way that pheromones released by animals do. The sense of confidence the right perfume can give, plus the attractive chemical cocktail it helps create, can certainly be a great turn on!''
