The Spring fragrances that have made it onto my dressing table

Avengers Assemble! Here's my better-days-ahead fragrance edit

Spring: you took your bloody time mate! I’m no good at the trans-seasonal bit whatsoever: that weird lull from Feb to mid-March where no one knows what’s the hell is going on. I’ll start the day in a Big Coat and jumper layer, and end up carrying the whole lot in a sweaty, frizzy, rain-soaked mess on the hot, steamy tube by 6pm. Then it’s bedsocks at nighttime. So confusing. I just want one single outfit and coat ‘weight’ that will work whether I’m on the 8am school drop-off or an evening work event, rather than change three times a day. I’m the same with my perfumes - I want consistency with a fixed collection that suits the same weather vibe. Finally, it feels like we’ve made it to DefinitelySpringNow, so I’ve overhauled my confused perfume wardrobe and committed to a small rota of seasonal scents; like the perfume equivalent to a rack of perfect trench coats and denim jackets to pair with the various moments of my week.

This idea of rotating your fragrances like your outerwear totally makes sense to me - and, from your feedback in my DMs, this is how you shop, wear and think about perfume too. It’s what I explained when I was recently invited by writer

Liza Belmonte

to contribute to her style feature (below), by sharing my advice on switching up your perfume for Spring.

047. Transitioning Your Wardrobe To Spring

This is the advice I sent her for the piece…

The penny dropped and I realised I needed to practice what I preached. On my dressing table was a rich, dark blanket of wintery fragrances; beautiful, precious and beloved ones (Celine Black Tie, Chanel Coromandel, MFK Grand Soir, Comme des Garçons Avignon, Guerlain Cuir Beluga and Diptyque Benjoin) but they just don’t feel right for right now. They’re little black dresses; they’re cable-knit scarves; they’re black sooty eyeliners with extra mascara. Fabulous and glorious, but not at all right for right now.

Off they went back into my cupboard (read this piece on storage if you need some tips on putting candles and perfumes away for a few months) and off I went to - quite literally - shop from my own stash. Here’s what went through my brain as I stood in front of the shelves:

I NEED SOME DEFAULT EASY-BREEZIES

There are many days when life is pretty mundane. To be honest, they’re my absolute favourite days. I get myself ‘medium-ready’ first thing (that means shower, skincare, a smidge of concealer, top-knot, comfy clothes), I get the kids up, make brekkie, take them to school, come home, log on and work solidly (with a quick lunch-in-front-of-MAFS break, obvs) until it’s pick-up time, then I’m in mum mode. For these days, I crave a clean, crisp cologne that makes me feel like I’ve got my life together, which is slightly energising and sophisticated enough to make up for my day-3 greasy hair. I know I bang on about Acqua di Parma Colonia but, to me, it is perfection and smells like the steam billowing out of a posh Italian marble bathroom. I picked Jo Malone London Basil & Neroli for that crunchy, jungle-lush twist of metallic basil and sparkling orange blossom. It make me think of an alternative life strolling through meadows in Provence in a white broderie Anglaise sundress. As you know I’m a big fan of Clarins Eau Dynamisante, but I am aware it doesn’t last long. However when layered with the shower gel and body lotion, it creates the most soul-pumping, spirit-lifting start to the day. Below the bottle itself I’ve linked to the bodycare products, which I highly recommend if you’ve ever worn and loved ED and want to enhance its magic on your skin. By the way, in all the underlined links below (some of which are affiliate) I’ve chosen the most affordable and smallest-sized version I could find.

Tap to shop Acqua di Parma Colonia 50ml, £54.85, at AllBeauty.com

Tap to shop Jo Malone London Basil & Neroli Cologne 30ml, £55, at JoMaloneLondon.com

Tap to shop Clarins Eau Dynamisante 100ml, £34.95, at AllBeauty.com

Tap to shop Clarins Eau Dynamisante Melting Body Lotion, £35 at JohnLewis.com

Tap to shop Clarins Eau Dynamisante Fresh Shower Gel, £27 at JohnLewis.com

I NEED A LONG-LASTING WORK-DAY POSHOE

For a perfume to last a long time, you need either two things. A truckload of shit-kicker base notes such as tonka bean, vanilla, incense resins, big fat creamy woods, hessian-rich patchouli and camel-fur ouds. But they’re flavour that don’t really work for a Spring wardrobe. The other option is to take fresher, brighter notes - such as orange blossom, neroli, citrus fruits and airy petals, and add A LOT of them to the recipe. Unfortunately that becomes tres tres expensive, so if you want a long-lasting fresh, citrusy scent, you are going to have to invest. Your spend will be worth it, as they stick on skin well and they’ll have been blended by incredible perfumers to maintain luminosity and clarity for hours. Matiere Premiere Cologne Cedrat (by Aurelien Guichard) is like Claridge’s version of a Fanta Limón: there’s a flash of black pepper oil, lots of bergamot and some tea notes built around Italian cedrat lemons to conjure a spectacularly bright, fizzy and sunny citrus. For something a bit more green and dewy, I absolutely loved last year’s launch of Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Media Cologne Forte (by the perfumer himself). That bite of fennel top, the glowing watery greens, tranquil green tea.. then a beautiful skin-hugging musky-wood sensation at the end. It’s back in my life for Spring and it feels so uplifting and mind-boosting. For something a little bit more mossy, but still in that spirit-pumping vibe, is Maya Njie Voyeur Verde. It’s like rubbing your wrists on the fresh, damp bark of a cypress tree - it’s foresty, earthy and cool, with a glow of incense to give it luminosity.

Tap to shop Matiere Premiere Cologne Cedrat Eau de Parfum 50ml, £115, at HarveyNichols.com

Tap to shop Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Media Cologne Forte 35ml, £115, at HarveyNichols.com

Tap to shop Maya Njie Voyeur Verde 50ml, £95 at MayaNjie.com

PS: Keep an eye out for L’Objet Kerylos (a sharp, bitter, lip-smackingly beautiful citrus made by Jean-Claude Ellena), and Molton Brown Sunlit Clementine & Vetiver, a warm, sunbaked citrus made by Julie Masse. Both are coming out soon and are phenomenal.

I NEED AN EVENING SHOWSTOPPER

Because I still have a social life beyond Christmas! I’ve chosen two really precious ones here, which have excellent longevity, depth and richness, but they’re not fur-coat heavy. They’re more like a soft duster coat or a lightweight cashmere shawl. I am very new to Floris Platinum 22 (which was made for our late Queen’s Jubilee by Floris’ perfume director Edward Bodenham and perfumer Nicola Pozzani) but, my God, I am head over heels. It’s creamy and oaty, with nutty warmth and buttery iris, with a gentle black tea note that feels so reassuring and grounding. I feel such a pull towards L’Artisan Parfumeur L’Eau d’Ambre Eau de Toilette; so much so that I think this might make it onto my own Desert Island Spritz list. It’s a golden, slightly sweet, medium-rich amber, and the Eau de Toilette version has spiritual lightness that feels appropriate for Spring evenings (rather than the bible-bashing sexychurch glambombs I love to wear in Winter).

Tap to shop for Floris Platinum 22 Eau de Parfum 100ml, £200, at FlorisLondon.com

You can also get a small 2ml vial here for £5 or an in-between travel sized 10ml vial here for £30

Tap to shop L'Artisan Parfumeur L'Eau d'Ambre Eau de Toilette 100ml, £145 at Harrods.com

What are you wearing and loving this Spring? I’d love to know! Thank you so much for subscribing and do consider upgrading to a paid membership to access all my articles. See you soon.