Help! Suddenly, those going ‘out-out’ scents we saved for dressy occasions can feel rather too cloying or stifling in the summer, and so we urge you to reach out and match the feel of your fragrance to the fabric used in the outfit you’ll be wearing. There are so many scents out there evoking the sensual textures and moods of silk, cotton and linen. So, start with the look for inspiration and finish with the fragrance that best enhances it as your invisible accessory. It’s the most cohesive way to feel put-together and instantly event-ready, no matter the occasion…

Juliette Has a Gun Musc Invisible

If you’re wearing something more simple but beautifully cut – say, a stunning cotton dress, the airy perfection of broderie anglaise, or the clean lines of summer two-pice –  you don’t want to overwhelm the look. Pair with this dreamy blending of radiant jasmine absolute with deliciously soft cotton flower, resting on a featherbed of soul soothing white musk. Want a scent to wear every day, not only for a special events? This is your new go-to for any occasion.

Cacharel Noa

Created by none other than famed nose Olivier Cresp, this is a timeless masterpiece of understated loveliness – and perfect for those on a budget (if you pushed the boat out for the outfit!) Who doesn’t want to be wrapped in a whisper of white, soft cotton and pretty, powdery peonies? Weightless yet fluffed around the edges, the soothingly nuanced freesia nuzzles fuzzy peach skin, ylang ylang and a shower of sheer rose petals to the creamy, transparent incense base.

Floris Tuberose in Silk

A ‘celebration of voluptuous tuberose’, think elegantly draped silk – the captivatingly iconic flower enrobed in the solar breeze of jasmine, the soft musk of warm skin and a surprisingly fruity benzoin base. Sourcing a natural tuberose absolute from southern India, there’s sunshine folded within, so it blooms beautifully for hours. In-house perfumer Penny Ellis worked with perfumery director Edward Bodenham to create this hand-poured, small batch edition. Stock up now!

Creed Queen of Silk

For something more va-va-voom, this wows with the intricacy of a lavish pattern that emerges from a roll of the finest silk. Fusing the opulence of tuberose with the rich qualities of patchouli, think of those notes as the warp, the scented structure of this composition, while succulent passion fruit balances smooth vanilla and amber-rippled woods act as the colour-shift weft. Threaded together, they drape with magisterial presence for a perfume that demands attention.

Estèe Lauder White Linen Legacy

‘I named it White Linen because I envisioned the woman who wore it as fresh, crisp and clean’ said Mrs. Estée Lauder of her original masterpiece. Reimagined here with the help of Frederic Malle in the Legacy collection, White Linen feels elevated beyond simplicity to become, as they describe it, more ‘geometrical.’ The pureness feels exquisitely tailored, a symphony of airy aldehydes, breezy rose and jasmine wafting to the warm, musky, hay-like vetiver base. Sublime!

Named after a renowned French botanist, Pierre Magnol, who first came up with the ingenious concept of classifying flora into ‘plant families’, the flowering of the magnolia tree has to be one of the most outrageous shows in nature – those fat fists of buds suddenly bursting and producing saucer-sized, chalice-like blooms that have so often stopped me in my tracks to gasp at their audacity.

Originating in both Asia and the Americas, there are around 200 different species, and they’re thought to be one of the most ancient flowering plants, dating back to prehistoric times: as we noted in our first magnolia feature, it’s kind of mind-blowing to realise that dinosaurs could have sniffed their blooms – though not yet been able to daub themselves in the scent, poor things.

The secret of a magnolia’s aroma is found in their thick, waxy ‘tepals’ (a primitive combination of petals and sepals), where chemical scent compounds including the citrus-y smelling linalool (a naturally occurring terpene alcohol) are exuded. As Judith Adam exclaims in the blog gardenmaking.com, ‘Creamy magnolia blossoms in the crisp spring air are the fulfilment of a gardener’s winter dream,’ and the very temperature of the air can dramatically alter the aroma of a magnolia’s blossom. ‘Consequently,’ she explains, ‘magnolias can smell like sweet candy, spicy verbena, tart lemon, citrus-honey or dusty violets.’

In ancient China, magnolias were symbolic of womanly beauty and gentleness, of nobility and dignity, and an Emperor might graciously deign to gift you a magnolia as a sign of great respect; while in the American South, bridal bouquets often contained magnolias, thought to emphasise the bride’s purity. But this innocent side of magnolia’s charm is juxtaposed by their more potently sensual charms…

The beauty of the magnolia blooms has historically been a popular image for artists to attempt to capture, and pioneer photographer Imogen Cunningham became famous (one might even say infamous) in the early 1920s for her close-up images of magnolias – her work often tut-tutted at over teatime gossip that her floral photos were overtly sexual, focusing as they did on the rather phallic arrangement of stamen and petals, and receiving the same criticism levelled at painter Geogie O’Keefe, whose exotic floral studies were thought to be rather, ahem, labial in nature.

The multi-faceted magnolia is one of those white floral ingredients that perfumers (and perfume lovers) just adore, and there may be a scientific reason we’re so enraptured by their scent. And innocence has nothing to do with it.

Researchers at the Ruhr-Universitat Bochum in Germany have shown that the lining of the human nose has a specific type of receptor called VN1R1. So when we stand under a magnolia tree and inhale, methyl dihydrojasmonate [an airborne compound released by magnolia flowers] directly binds to that nasal receptor, triggering an area of the brain linked with motivation and memory.

Collaborating with a research team at the University Hospital Dresden, the scientific team also discovered magnolia activates the hypothalmus, which regulates hormone levels. According to the article ‘Sensual Scents – How Magnolias Turn on the Human Brain’ in The BioPhiles blog, ‘The effect seems specific to magnolias and jasmine,’ as further tests with other floral compounds had no effect on that receptor. ‘It seems magnolias are in fact producing the scent of romance – or at least lust,’ the piece concludes.

From evoking purity to provoking carnal lust, is it any wonder modern floral fragrances are still waxing lyrical about this creamy, dreamy scent…?

Here’s our edit of three fragrance houses your nose needs to know…

Is your fragrant future in the cards…?

Joy Isaacs is the founder and CEO of ARgENTUM, a luxury skincare brand which recently launched a range of stunning fragrances based on soul-searching, tarot-inspired ‘Archetypes’. Although she’s been fascinated by tarot and its symbolism since 2010, Joy insists: ‘I don’t think it’s some magical oracle in the sky.’ Instead, she believes ‘…we all hold our truth buried in our subconscious and are willing to project it onto many things – for example, people, life circumstances, poetry, music and of course, imagery (art). It allows us to tap into what is just below the surface and access what is really going on – with our own personal truth.’ Thus, explains Joy, ‘Our Archetype cards invite you to uncover symbolic imagery that reflect inherent energies – patterns that are common to us all.’

Using beautiful black-and-white illustrations by artist Sam Gray, ARgENTUM’s twelve cards are shuffled and used as part of a ‘fragrance reading’, whereby – rather than randomly picking a perfume – the fragrance finds you. This initial scent-matching isn’t set in stone; it’s used merely as a starting point, a way of editing down your possible fragrance choices to a more manageable number, while also making you think more deeply about them. (For those who can’t make it in person to ARgENTUM’s Notting Hill boutique – which is honestly worthy of a pilgrimage – the experience has been skilfully recreated on their website.

‘As an element, air encapsulates a masculine energy of thought and communication. Born at sunrise in the crisp breath of Spring ~ air is imaginative and intelligent, but without flow can become stifled and cruel. Moist and warm, air symbolises a nurturing energy that celebrates your knowledge and ideas, the beginning of something intangible and without permanent form. This brisk and exhilarating element stimulates the mind and cuts to the heart of your quest for connection.

• Become: All encompassing, balancing, beginnings
• Creator: Creative energy, trust, manifestation
• Sage: Wisdom, knowledge, awareness
• Ruler: Balance, adaptability, vulnerability

Wearable feel-good vibes…

For Vyrao, it’s all about wearable good vibes, and anyone who’s had a sluggish day or simply felt dull, blah and down in the dumps can attest – spritzing a scent can be an instantaneous remedy and our sense of smell is a potent way to make us feel brighter, more confident, and ready to face the world. With such potential power at our pulse points, Founder Yasmin Sewell sought a way to harness this energy so it could be at our fingertips whenever we need it. Having been ‘a lifelong advocate for personal self-care, wellbeing and energetic connection,’ Yasmin’s also trained in Integrative Quantum Medicine™ and Reiki, and so was well placed to reach out to Louise Mita, President and CEO of The Art Of Energy, Inc., and creator of Integrative Quantum Medicine™, who’s studied metaphysical alchemy, healing, and martial arts since 1968.

Together, they took a deep dive into researching specific ingredients they could use in the fragrances to help the wearer feel better. Explains Yasmin: ‘Science has shown that positive emotions and feelings can contribute to better health. I believe that in the future more of us will come to understand and accept the influence of energy as part of our overall well-being. We’ll know how to channel it, clear it, raise and work with it, and Vyrao is at the heart of that purpose. Vyrao helps us connect to ourselves.’

If you’re new to this more soulful way of wearing scent, the High Five collection really is the best way to dip in and gain a better understanding – both of what you like, but also (more importantly) what your soul is crying out for. It may surprise you… Included in the first five fragrances from the brand, you will get to experience:

• Free 00: To feel alive and uninhibited is Free 00.
• I am Verdant: A fragrance sprouting fresh green growth.
• Witchy Woo: Wake up the powerful alliance of your courage and creativity.
• Magnetic 70: For attraction and protection.
• Georgette: For self-love.

Finding fragrant harmony…

When her PR and communications job took her to Hong Kong, little did Elementals founder Deana Wyland-Fries know, it would change the direction of her life forever. There she discovered feng shui – and soon learned that it is not merely a belief or superstition in China, but a science and a way of life. As she explains: ‘For centuries, the Chinese have believed that, everything in our universe can be allocated to one of five elements – water, wood, fire, earth and metal. Not only are these elements found in our environment, but also within ourselves. What’s more, we are born with an element that dominates our lives, dictating character, relationships, career and health. If our element is out of balance, we experience a sense of discomfort within…’

Ultimately, Elementals combine the simplicity and harmony of feng shui with the classical beauty of fine French perfumery. The result is a collection of surprising, innovative creations that seek to nurture mind, body and soul – while smelling, of course, utterly divine. Deana explains: ‘Because I am working with energy, I do not apply the classical olfactory pyramid in my creations…  there are three main energies in the Universe: Heaven’s Chi, Human Chi and Earth Chi. In Chinese culture, these represent the three energies that, when working in harmony with one another, create perfect balance.’

Here we find ‘Heaven notes’ of bergamot, cedar and grapefruit to enhance concentration, with ‘Human notes’ of orris, tagetes and geranium, and a base, or ‘Earth notes’ of patchouli, Palo Santo (a sacred wood often used in meditation) and guaiacum (also known as guaiac wood). Wood represents the rising of energy, and the season of Spring, when blossoms are beginning to bloom again and signs new life are in abundance…