Seasonal scents – are they a thing, what are the ‘rules’ and why does weather change how your fragrance smells…?
Have you noticed your favourite fragrance can smell different sometimes? All aromatic molecules need an amount of heat (usually from your skin) to work. The temperature of your skin and the air dramatically alter the rate at which the molecules evaporate and dissipate, and this then changes the way the perfume smells – to you, and others around you.
Because of this, many of us prefer to wear lighter, brighter fragrances in warmer months and swap for something cosier as the temperature drops, but is it really true you should only wear (for example) citrus / fresh fragrances in summer?
One of the things to consider when choosing a fragrance is the weather, because it DOES change how you perceive a perfume, and how it performs on your skin.
Hot weather intensifies the fragrance notes and makes them ‘bloom’ on the skin more quickly – when molecules heat up, they evaporate more quickly.
Colder weather slows down the evaporation rate (so top and heart notes last much longer) and you might find your scent doesn’t project as much in the winter.
But sometimes its not even about how they last on your skin – it’s the feeling particular fragrances evoke. So, just as you wouldn’t wear a heavy jumper in the summer, wearing a fragrance that makes you think of cashmere or velvet and roaring log fires on a sweltering day can just feel… wrong.
Having said all that – there are many cultures and people who actively prefer to ‘lean into the heat’, and wear perfumes which swathe the skin in billowing woods, sizzling spices and sticky resins at the height of summer, or perhaps choose cooler, Cologne style scents in winter.
Seasonal scents are a thing, because of the way temperature makes them change on your skin, but ‘rules’ are entirely up to your personal taste. We know it can be confusing, so with the weather in mind, we put together a specially curated selection of fragrances in a Seasonal Scents Subscription Box…
Eight fabulous fragrances, mainly female and unisex scents, from globally adored leading brands (including miniatures) will land at your door each passing season (approximately every three months) – so you will always have a new scent to make you feel fabulous.
You can choose a Quarterly (£18) or Yearly (£68) and keep the contents a secret until they land at your door – because we just know how many of you adore a scented surprise arriving in the post, no matter what the weather’s doing…
