Eau de FROW
If the closest thing you’ll get to a front row spot at one of this month’s shows is flicking through these pages, fear not. The latest crop of fashion fragrances offers dash minus the drama – plus, not only will they be the most stylish bottles on your dressing table (we’d expect nothing less), but they smell pretty darn good, too. 1. The sweet, enveloping hum of honeyed peach and freesia is an unexpectedly whimsical opener for a fragrance from a house renowned for its polish and sharp lines. But whatever the contradiction,
BOSS The Scent, £44, is a heady, perfect-fornight number that’s got us hooked. 2. Channel catwalk fever with a spritz of this vibrant juice from Parisian powerhouse Paco Rabanne. While the base of patchouli and cocoa bean adds earthiness, Lady Million Privé, £45, is tinged with the creamy sweetness of honey, vanilla and heliotrope flower; a cocktail of deliciousness for those who like to smell good enough to eat. 3. If Christian Louboutin Bikini Questa Sera EDP, £215, were a shoe it would be a bejewelled sandal, perfect for pairing with a billowing kaftan and oversized sunnies. Forgive the daydream, but with heart notes of jasmine and tuberose absolute softened by Australian sandalwood, it’s a dreamy evocation of sundowners at sunset.
4. Being huge fans of the original, there was no doubt we were going to fall hard for CK One Gold, £40. Amazing bottle aside, the scent is a clean mix of fig, neroli and vetiver. The olfactory equivalent of a slick white trouser suit. 5. Originally created as a gift for customers at the first Hermès store in NYC in 1930,
Galop d’hermès, £183, is an intriguing mix of leather, saffron and quince. Some things never go out of fashion. 6. It may be sacrilege to mess with a classic, but when the result is a reimagination of Chanel’s No.5 that’s as addictive as it is chic, it’s all good. Bursting with citrus notes of lemon and mandarin, Chanel No.5 L’eau, £68, has truly earned its place in our fragrance hall of fame.
7. If you thought Givenchy was all tough leather and heavy hardware, meet its softer sister, Dahlia
Divin Le Nectar, £48. A blowsy blend of mimosa, rose and sambac jasmine tempered by warm sandalwood, this sexy scent lingers beautifully on skin.
8. We’ve long admired JW Anderson’s work so were delighted to discover Loewe 001 Woman EDP,
£61, the first fragrance offering under his tenure at the brand. A fragrant interpretation of a woman the morning after a romantic tryst, it’s an intoxicating union of tangerine, sandalwood and vanilla.
9. Think Alexander Mcqueen and you envisage exquisite craftsmanship fused with bewitching femininity. Well, Mcqueen Eau De Parfum,
£75 – a seductive mix of sambac jasmine, tuberose and ylang ylang – lives up to its (designer) name and is now our date-night staple. 10. There’s no denying the sex appeal of a Tom Ford frock, and now we’re taken with its aromatic counterpart. Vert
Bohème, £148, is a punchy blend of white florals hyacinth and magnolia, and crisp green notes of Sicilian mandarin and vetiver. Wear when you want to be noticed. 11. To own a piece of Prada is the stuff of dreams and Prada La Femme, £49, is within reach. A timeless fusion of frangipani, beeswax, vanilla and tuberose, it has a delicious skin-like quality that builds the longer you wear it. 12. We love it when a scent embodies its designer house, and
Coach, £49, does just that. With raspberry and Turkish rose giving way to sultry suede musk, this feels both classic and modern. n