Summer calls for a fresh fragrance. But did you know that picking your scent is a fine art? Perfume is basically like a fine wine—you want to make the most of its flavour (well, scent) until the very last drop. Gritty Pretty caught up with Ainslie Walker, scentsmith extraordinaire, to get the full breakdown of what to look for in a summer fragrance and where to apply it. Plus we share the best scents that will take centre stage this summer.
Notes are the secret to creating harmony. No, we’re not talking about musical notes here!
“Notes generally indicate accords which are groups of ingredients that create a type of harmony or effect,” explains Walker.
Top notes:
The first notes you smell after spraying your perfume. Top notes evaporate the quickest.
Middle notes (heart notes):
The main expression of a perfume, and the notes linger.
Base notes:
The slowest to evaporate, and the fixative of the scent.
The words ‘light’, ‘fresh’ and ‘citrusy’ spring to mind when a summer scent is mentioned, right? There’s a reason for that. A super sweet perfume can be a little sickening in the summer heat. This phenomenon is known as ‘cloying’. Walker notes that it’s best to stick to “fragrances which are not cloying, especially in humid conditions.” If you’re into floral scents, Walker suggests going for the lighter, zesty ones. “Like Amyris from Maison Francis Kurkdjian to deep amber’s like Tom Ford Amber Absolute or super green florals like Madagascan Jasmine from Grandiflora.
Lightly spritzing perfume across your body and over your clothes feels so luxurious. And you know you’ll be turning heads left, right and centre—like your own perfume ad!
ICYMI, there are some clear spots on your body where perfume application is recommended for maximum impact. Anywhere where your veins flow close to the skin is the (not so) secret spot—aka, your pulse points. These spots produce heat, which helps fragrance to develop faster.
Your pulse points include the neck, wrists, cleavage and behind the knees.
Walker loves to apply perfume to her dresses and skirts in the summer to get that “breezy and swirling effect.” The wrists are her go-to for pulse point application.
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