A Perfumer’s Guide To Choosing The Perfect Fragrance

A beauty signature often comes about by accident. A small detail borrowed from a friend or idol becomes part of your everyday repertoire, usually without you even realising at first. But finding a fail-safe perfume is less straightforward. How often have you admired a fragrance on somebody else, only to be disappointed when you wear it?

The complexity of scent makes it a much more intimate thing. Our responses to different aromas are fuelled by our own experiences and feelings – they can trigger memories and transport us to different emotional states. So it follows that finding the right fragrance to wear day in, day out requires a more introspective approach.

Chemistry is everything

Philippe Paparella is the creator of Molton Brown’s Rose Dunes, a perfume which practically bursts from the skin with intensity as warm saffron gives way to a heart of rose and patchouli, swirling atop a rich oud accord.

For Paparella, key to finding the perfect fragrance is understanding how different perfumes work with your personal body chemistry. Each of us has a natural scent, he explains, influenced by everything from our hormones to our diet. This reacts with perfumes applied to the skin to create a distinct aroma. ‘Our genetic make-up plays a significant role in how a fragrance develops and smells. Each person’s chemistry can reveal different aspects of a scent,’ he explains. ‘For example, I once tried a fragrance that smelled predominantly of leather on me, while on a friend, the same fragrance brought out more floral, osmanthus-like notes [a flower similar to jasmine].’

philippe sat behind a desk, smelling a tester strip

Courtesy of Molton Brown

Philippe Paparella

When shopping for a fragrance, skin contact is vital. You can begin by using tester strips to narrow down a few favourites, but ultimately you won’t get a real sense of a perfume until you’ve worn it. ‘It is essential to see how it develops and if it truly resonates with you,’ adds Paparella. Testing one at a time will allow you to get the deepest understanding of how a scent works on you – if that’s not possible, try one on each wrist to allow for a degree of separation.

Paparella’s most practical tip: do your homework before visiting the perfume hall. ‘Consider the desired strength of the scent (light or strong), and any specific notes or fragrances you already enjoy. This initial thought process will help narrow down your options.’ If you're still in need of guidance, Molton Brown offers complementary fragrance consultations in all of its UK stores.

During your appointment, an expert will guide you through its diverse collection of scents, from the fresh and feel-good Sunlit Clementine & Vetiver (its bright citrus notes grounded by smooth suede and woody vetiver) to the opulent Mesmerising Oudh Accord & Gold and the powdery, soothing Milk Musk (which adds sweet vanilla and sharp elemi to its headline notes).

‘Smell without prejudice’

We each interpret scents in different ways – something Molton Brown is exploring in its Artists of Note project, which sees a series of creatives offer up their personal interpretations of the brand’s most iconic scents (read more about it here). Our predilections mean it’s natural that we gravitate towards certain scent profiles, says senior perfumer Carla Chabert, whose creations include Molton Brown’s Fiery Pink Pepper EDP, an energising clash of warm pink pepper, a peachy-floral heart and a fresh woody base.

In the same way you might have a penchant for minimalism or the designs of a certain decade, you might also be instantly drawn to florals, citruses or aromatics. But it’s important not to become boxed in, especially considering the pace of change about perfumery.

Increasingly, classic notes are being used in ways that defy expectations. Molton Brown’s Coastal Cypress & Sea Fennel, for instance, doesn’t follow the traditional rules of marine scents. The cypress oil at its heart is a quintessential coastal note, but the ‘cold spice’ of cardamom and lingering notes of fresh ginger and fig leaves are anything but.

Courtesy of Molton Brown

Carla Chabert

‘As a matter of fact, I am not particularly fond of marine fragrances,’ says Chabert, who designed the perfume. It was an attempt to translate the colour blue into fragrance, she explains: ‘I wanted to create something reminiscent of the smell of florist shops, of stems dipped in stagnant water.’ Molton Brown has a long-standing legacy of championing the creativity of its collaborators – the perfumers it works with are given freedom to create scents based on their own experiences and points of view, rather than to any trend-driven brief.

Chabert takes this freedom and uses it to constantly explore new combinations of notes. ‘Working in all different olfactive territories is what makes being a perfumer fun,’ she adds. ‘How boring it would be to always work with the same palette!’

When choosing a fragrance, Chabert believes you should listen to your instincts. Often, there's an emotional response to scent – one linked to memory and our own sense of self – that's well worth paying attention to. ‘Close your eyes and smell with no prejudice,’ Chabert adds. ‘Is it love at first smell? Do you feel attracted by it, wrapped in it, comfortable, confident when wearing it? Enough for it to become your second skin, the smell you leave behind?’ The perfect perfume will inspire a resounding yes.