Indulge us if you will – we’ll begin with a little reader participation. Close your eyes and imagine you’re smelling some giddy-making jasmine on an evening breeze; the deliciously aromatic herbiness of hot, dry grass; or the lingering smell of coconut-y sunscreen and sunshine on skin. Then, beyond the loveliness of the scent itself, imagine how that makes you really, truly feel.
Fragrance trends are, essentially, this principle writ large. While perfumers, of course, tap into trends and seasons – giving us floral bursts and citrus freshness in spring and summer, and smokey tendrilled, glowingly warm concoctions in autumn and winter – they do so much more. They tap into the global mood. What’s lacking from life at this moment? What, sensorially, emotionally, viscerally, do we need? And how can…
