Today is ‘Blue Monday’, AKA the most depressing day of the annual calendar. Countering the day that’s in it, we’re beating the blues with these mood-enhancing fragrances.
As we experience what may feel like the most January of Januarys, it’s high for a little mood boost (in the form of uplifting fragrances) to combat the blues. A generous spritz of perfume can do so much more than deliver a delicious scent. It is an elixir to transport you to sunnier shores, unlock nostalgia, and boost your spirits too.
James Craven, Fragrance Archivist at niche fragrance store, Les Senteurs, says, “Perfume affects our moods because of the human biological system that interprets all scents. Our noses transmit smells to the brain through our frontal limbic system (the intricate arrangement of cells, which process and analyse our memory, emotions, and moods). Thus everything we smell is inevitably and inextricably connected to a life experience and an association.”
What notes shall we be looking for in our fragrances for their mood-boosting properties? James says, “to unwind, follow your nose and employ the principles of aromatherapy: use a soft gentle perfume such as a mandarin citrus, or a rose to calm, relax and elevate. Citrus fragrances are also famed for their energising qualities. Such scents often contain oils of orange, lemon, bergamot, neroli and grapefruit. Amber and vanilla offer comfort and warmth. They heat the person, as it were, both within and without. Lavender is always a faithful friend: steady, empowering, comforting and encouraging.”
Scroll below for our CF edit of the uplifting fragrances to spritz yourself into a sunshine state of mind…
Bursting with lemon, petitgrain, and bergamot, this scent is bright and invigorating. The clarifying notes of green leaves help you tackle the day. According to Miller Harris – "more herbaceous essential oils have been the subject of many studies to prove that they may increase energy and improve positive feeling."
According to Miller Harris – “more herbaceous essential oils have been the subject of many studies to prove that they may increase energy and improve positive feeling.”
Inspired by the sun-drenched American West Coast, Sun Song is part of a trio of unisex fragrances that conjure the euphoria of long summer days. I’ve been turning to this fragrance whenever I need a mood boost, thanks to dizzying notes of lemon, orange blossom, bergamot, neroli, and jasmine. The sunshine-hue bottle, gives a dose of serotonin, even before the first spritz.
According to James Craven of Les Senteurs, this is "a bouncy, sexy, joyous fragrance inspired by the smell of a brand-new fuschia lipstick. A gorgeous shiny laughing perfume." With zesty notes of grapefruit, the spice of coriander, the bountiful floral notes of roses, iris, and violet, with the sharp sweetness of raspberry, I’m inclined to agree.
Byredo Sundazed is like liquid endorphins when spritzed liberally on skin. There are sunny notes of mandarin and Californian lemon, and gleaming white floral notes of neroli and jasmine. It's topped off with an exuberant whiff of cotton candy too, conjuring nostalgic childhood memories of the funfair. Purely addictive.
Byredo Sundazed is like liquid endorphins when spritzed liberally on skin.
Like the sun on salt-sprayed skin, Costa Azzurra is as transporting as it gets. The bright citrus notes are grounded with woody cypress and oak, whilst amber provides warmth. The marine notes are like a reviving plunge into sapphire blue waters. It's sensual and mesmerising (this is Tom Ford after all), and has us dreaming of the laid-back glamour of the Mediterranean coast.
Available 27th January.
If you want to stand apart from your Santal-33 wearing pals, opt for Bergamote 22 – a delicate fresh floral scent thanks to petit grain, cut with the hypnotic bitterness of grapefruit, which warms to a comforting base of amber. It’s guaranteed to pull you out of a slump – and leave a trail of admirers in your path.
It’s guaranteed to pull you out of a slump – and leave a trail of admirers in your path.
Chloé’s eponymous scent has been a long-time heritage favourite, distinguishable by its feminine, light, white-rose heart. Reimagined with a new zesty fruitiness, this fragrance is laden with juicy just-peeled tangerine, jammy blackcurrant notes, and the warmth of amber and cedarwood. It's elegant and uplifting.
The best fragrances pull you out of the every day and unlock our most treasured memories, such is the case with this scent. Sparking memories of endless summer days spent in the countryside. It's a sharpening scent. thanks to sparkling lime, the earthy freshness of green tea, spicy coriander and woody cedarwood. Light and transporting, you'll want to wear this every day.
The best fragrances pull you out of the everyday and unlock our most treasured memories, such is the case with this scent: sparking memories of endless summer days spent in the countryside.
We feel instantly revived by simply looking at this happy-making bottle from Dolce & Gabbana’s Fruit Collection. Inspired by the bustling markets of Palermo, this is a sweet, zesty symphony of lemon, bergamot, earthy vetiver, and the warming fire of ginger. It's punchy enough to lift your mood, even on the darkest of winter days.
A lingering, complex scent, as cossetting as your favourite cashmere. It is a fragrance of contrasts: sweet vanilla is grounded by woody moss to stop it being too saccharine. Fresh florals are cut through with the sharpness of lime and spicy coriander. You'll instantly fall in love.
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