Perfume is, for me, a luxury limited to Birthday and Christmas presents because of the extravagant
price tags they come with. However, it is the rarity of owning a new perfume that makes them one of my favourite things to lust after and consequently make me incapable of
walking through a beauty hall without spraying myself with so many that I can
longer differentiate between them (we’ve all been there).
Out of my small collection, I
find that I reach for different perfumes according to the season, and in summer, I tend to reach for girly, yet sophisticated scents that aren't too overpowering. Chanel’s ‘Chance’ in ‘Eau Fraiche’ and Stella
McCartney’s classic ‘Stella’ certainly fit the category of light, yet feminine.
‘Chance Eau Fraiche’ by Chanel: This delicate green perfume is the perfect refreshing scent on a hot summers day as the name 'Eau Fraiche' would suggest. I am no fragrance expert, however, I can detect the topnotes described by Chanel as lemon and cedar, and the basenotes of amber and patchouli. When first spritzed, the scent is rather sharp and citrus-y,
however, when it has been sat on the skin for a few hours, the more woody
basenotes really begin to come through. For this reason, this perfume is perfect for a
summers day, as by the time evening comes around, the fragrance has more of a
demure and heady feel. This perfume is around the £55 mark for 50ml, so definitely one for a Birthday list or a student loan day splurge.
‘Stella’ by Stella McCartney: The first thing that
attracted me to this perfume (after the hundreds of blogposts I’d read) was the
bottle design. These little 30ml bottles are known for their pretty prints, which
are updated annually with new themes and motifs. As well as looking eye-catching on
my dressing table, the perfume within the quirky packaging is my idea of the most beautiful summer scent. The fragrance is a blend of florals, with topnotes of rose,
mandarin and peony and with basenotes of amber. It is the amber and the
mandarin tones that set this perfume apart from any other simple floral scent
as a sophisticated and multi layered fragrance. This perfume is fairly priced
at £40 for 30ml, and is a great choice to throw into the handbag for those long summer days out.
What are your favourite
summer scents?