How to Change Your Fragrance for the Warmer Seasons
Photos DR
Words Anthony Vincent
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Avoid going overboard under the sun by choosing a fresh, light scent that’s made for spring and summer.
As the warmer weather gets closer (we hope and pray!), our desire to switch to a lighter fragrance becomes stronger too. Under the influence of heat, environment, and skin type, a fragrance evolves and reacts differently, which is why the one you love wearing in autumn or winter might seem too rich, strong, or sophisticated for spring or summer.
So, which notes are better in spring and summer?
Unsurprisingly, for the hot summer days, an opulent fragrance with an ingredient like oud could seem a little strong. While it’s always a matter of personal taste, the scents that you’ll smell the most during the warmer seasons tend to be fresh fragrances with marine, green, or citrus notes.
Citrus refers to the family of citrus fruits, including lemon, orange, grapefruit, and bergamot. Particularly fresh and unstable, these fruity and sparkling notes often rely on a floral heart note, with "Eau Sauvage" by Dior being a great example.
Green notes refer to the smell of cut grass, violet leaves, or petitgrain, which bring an earthy, and lively dimension to a fragrance with often a floral heart, like the aptly named “Green” by Byredo or the classic “Un Jardin en Méditerranée” by Hermès.
Finally, the marine notes of a fragrance often come from a synthetic artificial molecule called Calone, the iodized smell of the seaside, as in “L’Eau d’Issey” by Issey Miyake. These three perfume families have the ability to refresh both body and mind, recalling vacations by the sea enjoying fresh fruits. Just add sunglasses, and you’re there.
Is perfume really photosensitive?
It’s important to pay attention to how you apply perfume. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not the alcohol that might harm your skin, but certain molecules in the perfume concentrate called bergapten or psoralen. Today, it’s known that they are photosensitizing, so they have become persona non grata in the industry, and if they remain, it’s in harmless doses. So, you don’t have to worry about perfume messing up your skin any more. However, alcohol can cause mild dehydration in the long term, so it’s beneficial to to hydrate well before applying perfume. And we mean with water, not a cold beer. Finally, using a body moisturizer (or sun cream) after will help slow down the evaporation of the perfume and therefore improve how long it lasts.
Can perfume stain clothes in the sun?
When sprayed on natural, light-colored materials such as linen, perfume can potentially leave a mark, exacerbated by the sun. Therefore, we suggest that if you’re going to apply fragrance directly to your clothes (where it can last longer!), to spray it only on the parts of the garment that aren’t exposed. For example the inside of the collar, wrists, or the lining of a jacket. You can also apply scent directly it to the skin at pulse points like the inside of the wrists, the hollow between the collarbones, or behind the ears, avoiding any potential staining.
Should you change the strength of perfume for spring-summer?
For the warm seasons, you may also want to switch to a lighter variation of your favorite fragrance. Contrary to long-held beliefs, intensity does not necessarily correlate with concentration, and there is no legal requirement for brands to designate an "eau de parfum" as more concentrated than an "eau de toilette," which would itself be more concentrated than an “eau de cologne”. "These nuances are not official, and no perfume house is obliged to follow any specific concentration guidelines to claim these designations," Lauren Patacchini, a fragrance evaluator tells us. "They are no longer really relevant: today, it's often 'intense' or 'eau de...' versions that hit the market and allow a perfume to live through the seasons. It's mainly marketing that has nothing to do with perfume concentrations. It only refers to the intensity felt on the skin."
This is relevant if you’re comparing different variations of the same perfume: "There, yes, the more concentrated version will be more intense. But if you take two different perfumes, it's the raw materials that they’re made of that determines their intensities. A very woody amber fragrance at 5% will be much more powerful than a lightly floral citrus at 20%," continues the expert. Generally, an eau de toilette will be composed of ingredients that give it a fresher and lighter effect, but it won’t necessarily be less concentrated. It may therefore be wise to switch to an eau de toilette, cologne, or fraiche since it's generally with these names that brands indicate some of their freshest scents. Instead of concentration, it's the notes that are worth paying attention to.
So, to sum up: green, marine, and citrus notes in an eau de toilette or cologne, to be worn inside clothing or on the skin's pulse points. You now have everything you need to smell like a fantastic Italian vacation, even if you’re at the office.