MODERN CLASSICS

SPOIL YOUR MUM WITH A CONTEMPORARY TWIST ON HER FAVOURITE FRAGRANCE THIS MOTHER’S DAY, WRITES JULIETTE WINTER.

How to choose a contemporary take on your mum’s favourite fragrance to spoil her this Mother’s Day.

MASTER PERFUMER Jean-paul Guerlain was completely right when he said that “perfume is the most intense form of memory”. Of all the senses, smell is the most closely tied to our emotions. “We often remember fondly the scent that someone special in our life wears,” says Lisa Ianno, buyer for fragrances, beauty and cosmetics at Myer. “That’s what makes fragrance the perfect gift for Mother’s Day, it evokes fond memories while complementing new ones.”

Chances are, your mum already has a favourite fragrance and, if you’re thinking of gifting her a perfume, it’s a useful indication of the fragrance family she is drawn to. Take Chanel No. 5 Eau de Parfum, an ever-popular 1920s soft floral designed to turn heads. “Chanel No.5 is Gabrielle Chanel’s magnum opus, and with good reason,” says Lisa. “It has a seductive depth and intensity that is still unique and continues to resonate 99 years on.” If you spy this couturier classic on mum’s dressing table, it signals she is drawn to floral aldehydes (organic compounds that are synthetically reproduced in a lab). Amouage Gold Woman is a modern floral aldehyde similar to Chanel No. 5; it has elegant notes of jasmine and rose, the warmth of vanilla and sandalwood, and sophisticated floral aldehyde notes that give it a smooth edge that grabs attention.

Another floral classic is Jean Patou Joy Eau de Parfum Spray. Created by the French couturier in 1930 as an ode to luxury, it’s an explosion of roses and jasmine. A similar, but more modern floral is Lancôme Idôle Le Parfum Eau de Parfum with the same fruity hint of pear in its opening, rose at its heart, and musky dry down that exudes extravagance.

If your mother is a fan of the hugely popular 1960s Cacharel Anais Anais L’original Eau de Toilette, it indicates that she gravitates to fresh white florals with a soft, innocent edge. In all likelihood, she is bound to fall in love with the more recent Jo Malone London Waterlily Cologne, a white floral modernised with a twist of fresh orange blossom and jasmine sambac.

Christian Dior Miss Dior Eau de Toilette Originale is another fragrance that has captured many hearts since its launch in 1947. “Dior gave women a fragrance to celebrate femininity,” says Lisa. “It’s another incredible floral with the Centifolia rose still grown and harvested at Monsieur Dior’s family home in the French Hills near Grasse.” If your mum is drawn to this classic chypre floral, she’ll love the new Tom Ford Rose Prick Private Blend Eau De Parfum, which has a beautifully timeless rose heart reinvented for modern women with notes of pink pepper, turmeric and tonka bean.

While florals dominate the bestseller list, there are exceptions, such as the 1953 launch of Éstee Lauder Youth Dew Eau de Parfum ($84 for 67ml). “It bucked the floral trend with strong oriental spicy notes,” says Lisa. Jo Malone London Vetiver & Golden Vanilla Cologne Intense is a modern oriental with warmth and simplicity — spicy cardamom, hints of fresh grapefruit, and a dash of sweet vanilla balance out the earthy vetiver notes.

Even punchier than Youth Dew is the biggest statement scent of the ’70s, Yves Saint Laurent Opium Eau de Toilette. “This provocative fragrance leads with warm oriental amber and vanilla notes, evoking seductive images of the mysterious East,” explains Lisa. If mum gravitates towards orientals, it opens up the possibility of introducing some intriguing modern options. The Australian-made Goldfield and Banks Velvet Splendour has vintage-style oriental notes of sandalwood, patchouli, and tonka bean, while Byredo Rose Of No Man’s Land is a modern oriental that shares some typical Opium characteristics: peppery and fruity top notes that fold into a floral rose heart and a long-lasting white amber that lingers on skin.

“Fragrances are innately intimate and personal with the powerful ability to conjure memories and associations,” says Lisa. “There’s always something quite lovely about someone asking what you’re wearing.”