Perfect Scents

For a personal indulgence or lavish gift, perfume strikes all the right notes, writes Elisabeth King.

Puttin’ on the spritz with divine new fragrances.

This season’s fragrance releases generally fall into two camps: tuberose-based florals and outdoorsy aromatics. What unites them is an overall impression of luxurious refinement, whether you prefer the vivacity of citrus and fruit notes, the earthiness of woody accords or the warm maturity of white flowers. Take your pick from the latest in fresher, lighter scents for day and select a deeper, muskier fragrance for after dark.

Aerin Tuberose Le Jour and Le Soir (both $295/50ml)

Tuberose is divisive: you either love or hate it. This duo of parfum sprays by Aerin Lauder is for devotees. Le Jour, the day version, captures the dewy, feminine scent of tuberose blooms at dawn, blended with jasmine, neroli and orange flower absolute. The grown-up evening version partners tuberose with sandalwood and vanilla to really ramp up its voluptuousness.

Tiffany & Co (from $110/30ml)

Fine-jewellery icon Tiffany & Co has used the iris as a design motif since the 19th century, so it was the perfect signature ingredient for its new eau de parfum, developed in association with Coty. This soft floral accord comes in a faceted bottle that mimics a precisioncut diamond, nestled in a box of the brand’s famous robin-egg blue. Along with iris, sparkling top notes of mandarin and musk give way to a feminine drydown that clings closely to the skin.

Gabrielle Chanel (from $174/ 50ml)

The prestige French house’s first headline fragrance since the launch of Chance some 15 years ago is a major event in the world of fragrance. Gabrielle Chanel is a chic, sophisticated floral eau de parfum with citrus and blackcurrant notes sparking off a bouquet of tuberose, jasmine, ylang-ylang and orange blossom. The result is subtly complex rather than full-blown, and wearable for women of all ages. Subtle metallic accents put a fresh spin on the iconic square bottle.

Molton Brown Coastal Cypress & Sea Fennel ($88/50ml)

Australian sea fennel sourced from the Cape York peninsula adds a local touch to this woody eau de toilette with a heart of jasmine and violet leaf. It’s great for travel, thanks to its unisex salt-spray character, and the spicy overtones are equally suitable for a lunch date or dinner by the beach. To increase the scent’s longevity and intensity, you can lather up with a matching shower gel.

Gucci Bloom (from $105/30ml)

The sensuality of white florals has made them chart-toppers for decades. This airy eau de parfum is the first scent from the Italian fashion house under the guidance of creative director Alessandro Michele. Powdery and crisp, with Chinese honeysuckle, jasmine and tuberose, it’s an elegant charmer for summer nights. And the lacquered bottle is a fabulous addition to any fragrance collection.

Jo Malone London English Oak & Redcurrant (from $98/30ml)

Fresh and fruity at first spritz, this all-day wrist-sniffer has an earthy warmth that makes it a great trans-seasonal scent. Jo Malone fragrances are never labelled as gender-specific, but in this cologne a heart of rose tilts the dial towards a more feminine drydown. To boost the luscious effect, try layering it with another fragrance from the brand, such as cult favourite Blackberry & Bay.