Fragrance has always been personal, but a growing approach to perfume is asking us to think beyond simply how we want to smell. What if the question was: how do I want to feel?
There are certain fragrances that can take you somewhere almost instantly. The perfume you wore on a favourite holiday. The scent someone you loved always wore. Vanilla that reminds you of home, or perhaps a fresh citrus scent that immediately makes you think of summer.
That emotional connection is nothing new, but we are becoming much more conscious of it when choosing what we wear.
Enter functional fragrance, an approach to scent that considers not only whether a perfume smells beautiful, but how it fits into our mood, routine and the different moments of our day.
So, what exactly is functional fragrance?
The idea is relatively simple.
Rather than choosing one perfume and wearing it regardless of the occasion, functional fragrance is about selecting scents with a particular feeling or moment in mind.
You might want something fresh and uplifting in the morning, a fragrance that makes you feel confident before an important meeting, or something softer and more comforting at the end of the day.
Jonny Webber, Fragrance Expert at PerfumeDirect.com, believes our relationship with perfume is becoming much more intentional.
“Fragrance is evolving into much more than another beauty product,” says Jonny. “Perfume shopping is becoming increasingly intentional, with consumers looking for scents that reflect how they want to feel.”
And perhaps that explains why the idea feels so relevant. Beauty routines have become increasingly personalised, so why shouldn’t our fragrance choices be the same?
Is the signature scent being replaced by a fragrance wardrobe?
For years, finding your signature scent was almost the ultimate fragrance goal.
Now, there’s another way of looking at it.
Instead of expecting one bottle to work for every part of our lives, we’re building what has become known as a fragrance wardrobe.
Think of it in the same way you think about clothes. The outfit you choose for work probably isn’t the one you’d wear for dinner, on holiday or for a quiet Sunday at home. Fragrance can work in much the same way.
Jonny says people are becoming increasingly situational with scent, choosing something fresh for the working day, something different for going out and perhaps a softer fragrance when it’s time to wind down.
It doesn’t mean you need a shelf full of perfume. A small collection of scents that make you feel different things could be enough.
The fragrance notes to know
There isn’t one fragrance guaranteed to make everybody feel calm, happy or energised. Our response to scent is incredibly personal, and our own memories and associations play a huge part.
There are, however, certain notes traditionally associated with particular moods.
For an uplifting start
Citrus notes such as bergamot, lemon and grapefruit have a bright freshness that can make them lovely choices for mornings or days when you want something that feels light and energising. Green and aromatic notes can have a similarly refreshing character.
For focus
If you prefer something crisp and stimulating, look towards herbal and spicy notes. Peppermint, rosemary, black pepper and coriander are among the notes associated with a sharper, more invigorating fragrance profile.
For comfort
This is where gourmands really come into their own. Vanilla, creamy woods, sandalwood and milky notes can feel warm and cocooning, while scents reminiscent of baking or sweet treats may also tap into memories we already associate with comfort.
For winding down
Lavender and chamomile have long been associated with relaxation and are already familiar ingredients in bedtime products. Introducing a softer scent specifically into your evening routine could become another way of marking the transition from a busy day to switching off.
Perhaps the real power of fragrance is memory
Of all the ideas behind functional fragrance, this might be the most interesting.
Scent and memory can be incredibly closely intertwined. A single smell can remind us of a person, place or period of our lives before we’ve even consciously thought about it.
And that means fragrance doesn’t necessarily have to follow a prescribed set of rules.
If vanilla reminds you of baking at home, it may feel comforting. If coconut takes you straight back to a brilliant holiday, that could be the scent you reach for when you need a little escapism.
The same fragrance could create a completely different response in someone else.
As Jonny explains, fragrance isn’t a magic answer for changing how we feel, but scent can act as a powerful sensory cue, particularly when we choose smells that already have positive associations for us.
How to start your own fragrance wardrobe
You don’t need to completely rethink your perfume collection.
Start with three moments: energise, perform and unwind.
Perhaps that’s something bright for mornings, a fragrance that makes you feel polished and confident for work or going out, and something softer that you associate with being at home and relaxing.
Most importantly, choose fragrances because of how you respond to them.
Because perfume has always been emotional. Functional fragrance simply encourages us to pay a little more attention to that connection.
And the next time you’re standing at a fragrance counter wondering what you want to smell like, perhaps there’s another question worth asking:
How do I want to feel?
Jonny Webber is a fragrance expert at PerfumeDirect.com.
