The Reinvention Of Rose Scents And Other Classics

Wait, what are fragrance notes?

Fragrance notes are the equivalent of ingredients in skincare. The majority of perfumes have a combination of top notes which you smell instantly upon spraying, heart or middle notes, and base notes which tend to come through once the scent has dried and settled. The combination of top, middle and base notes come together to create your fragrance.

There are natural and synthetic fragrance notes and most scents use a combination of both.

Revisiting the classics

Rose, musk, Oud and vanilla are just a few of the classic perfume notes that have been taking centre stage recently. “The return of these fragrance notes speaks to the rising interest from Gen Z in niche fine perfumery from heritage European houses and more obscure perfumers,” explains Lisa Payne, Head of Beauty at trend forecaster, Stylus. [copy]“What we see resonating most strongly is the combination of classic notes like rose or oud with more contemporary and surprising ones, such as saffron, rice, strawberry or cherry. They’re giving the old guard new life so to speak,” says Lisa.

Return of the rose

Rose is probably one of the most common fragrance notes. It’s romantic, it’s whimsical and it’s been reinvented hundreds, if not thousands, of times over the years. In the past decade, perfumers have worked hard to dust off the powdery connotations and freshen it up.

If light and airy perfumes are your vibe, try D.S. & DURGA Rose Atlantic, £155.00 – it’s fresh yet salty. Tom Ford proves that rose scents can be spicy with Tom Ford Rose Prick Eau De Parfum, £290.00 and those who want to make a statement with rose should look to the new PHLUR Rose Whip Eau De Parfum, £32.00. The fruity floral notes of blackcurrant and rose are blended with warming amber and musk.

Modern ‘musketeers’

Like rose, musks have had a reputation for being quite dated in scents. Remember The Body Shop’s White Musk? The tide is changing. “I personally adore musks and love that they’re having a moment,” says Bee Shapiro, founder of Ellis Brooklyn. “There are so many different types and for me, they always reference bare skin which is most sensual thing in perfumery.”

Skin scents usually always contain musk. What are skin scents? Perfumes that are designed to enhance your natural scent. DedCool Xtra Milk Eau De Parfum, £24.00, Glossier You Eau de Parfum, £32.00 and D.S. & DURGA I Don’t Know What, £155.00 are three of the most popular skin scents right now. The beauty of skin scents is that they can be layered with other perfumes to create a truly bespoke fragrance.

Authentic Vanillas

Vanilla is the ultimate gourmand note and with foodie fragrances booming right now, it’s no surprise that the sweet scent is having its own moment. There are plenty of gourmand perfumes that really are good enough to eat, but Juliette Has A Gun Miami Shake Eau de Parfum, £25.00 is one of our favourites to date. The fruity strawberry notes and smooth whipped cream are blended with a base of vanilla for fun, mood-boosting scent.

Kilian Paris Angels’ Share Eau de Parfum, £37.00 also utilises vanilla as a base note along with praline and sandalwood to offer a creamy, soft sweetness, while Maison Margiela Afternoon Delight Eau de Toilette, £62.00 swaps praline for madeleine accord for a sweet treat.