...the Perfect Prescription for your Bridal Fragrance.
To find the perfect wedding fragrance, one must first walk in Nature's garden and bathe in its ocean of scents. With an idea of your wedding bouquet, dress and possibly even partner's fragrance in mind, begin to embrace the myriad of blends available and set about determining which best suits your desired goal.
Meet the fragrance masters
Speaking to the experts is the only place to start. You may think you know a perfume and what you like the smell of, but it's also likely that this knowledge simply touches on the tip of the iceberg when it comes to discovering your perfect wedding fragrance.
Most in-store perfume gurus will provide excellent guidance when delving beneath the surface of your likes and dislikes and adeptly lead you beyond your initial preconceptions and prejudices. Take the Burlington Arcade's prestigious Penhaligons for instance - In a brief consultation, the experts ask their clients a variety of questions, ranging from favourite food and drink to the types of fabric one enjoys feeling against their skin. After assessing the given responses (Negrini, silk and pad thai - for example,) a selection of chosen fragrances are then placed before the nose, proffered with no further insight into each scent's name, colouring or packaging. By 'blind smelling' each fragrance and whittling out the least favourite from the changing assortment of choices, one is finally left with three favourite scents and allowed to spray these against the skin. In such an instance, it is highly likely that the recipient of the consultation will enjoy the surprise of ingredients previously overlooked and discover blends that may never have caught the eye.
Mysterious magic, suspense and discovery
Just as it can be brilliant to hone in on your favourite ingredients, so too can 'blind smelling' provide a wonderful element of suspense and discovery when
choosing the perfect wedding fragrance. Often, we are reluctant to even lightly dust ourselves with a scent containing an ingredient we 'know' we don't like: 'Lavender reminds us too much of our Grandmother and I simply hate anything to do with Liquorice.' By accepting our automatic inclinations, we shut a multitude of doors and unwisely narrow our scope of discovery. You might think Lily overdone or Rose a little too feminine, but how will you know what they smell like when laced with Peppercorn or Orange Blossom if you never commit to a little experimental indulgence? If you're out with a friend or your partner, let them lead you down the rows of twinkling bottles with your eyes shut and enjoy the variation of randomly selected, anonymous scents they alternatively spritz you with each day - only make sure they remember which is which - one might be
the one.
Trust your fragrance instincts
There's no shame in not knowing exactly what it is you're after. In fact, that's half the fun! What might be helpful to work out is what type of bride you wish to be; what type of wedding you envision having and what mood you would like exaggerated on your special day. If you have some semblance of understanding on these matters, you're well set to embark on your journey of trialing and blending, spraying and layering. Commenting on Dior's Pure Poison, Byrdie's Beauty Editor, Deven, remarked that "it's either a throwback or a classic, depending on how you look at things. Either way, there's no denying it belongs in the sultry category. It makes me feel powerful, like a woman who commands attention. The blends of florals with amber and musk is the perfect balance of femininity and masculinity." Take time to fully understand a fragrance's assets and to become entirely enveloped within the way it makes you feel. If you want to hear the breath catch in his throat and to know that all eyes are locked on you as you elegantly make your way to the alter, Poison might just be for you tooÉ
Nature's garden, an inspirational fragrant haven for you to explore
In Luca Turin's beautiful tale 'The Secret of Scent' he writes;
É Perfumers and flavourists are constantly humbled by the greatest perfumer of them all, Nature. A walk through a Rose garden in June will reveal every varietal to have a unique smell, ranging from that peculiarly lemony style which one never encounters in perfume, to the heavy oriental via all shades of peppery tea. A ripe mango, with its combination of incense-like austerity and sulphurous decadence, is a perfumery idea of genius. The exhaust blast from the coffee-roasting shop down the street is as rich and beautiful as anything bottled by man. That is probably why most perfumers see themselves as craftsmen, not artists.
Natural blends are always a favourite for their light, aromatic undertones and sweet, floral accords; perfectly subtle, inviting and warm. 'Fresh' blends lend a breezy vibrancy to collections of aquatic lightness and muted floral sweetness whilst 'Aromatic Green' blends are sure to compliment the fading summer sun as it sets over scenes of your dancing friends and family. Try Gardenia by Elizabeth Taylor for flowers thrown in the dappled light of a laughter-filled church yard. The top notes of Lily-of-the-Valley and Green Leaves layer beautifully with the Peony, Orchid, Gardenia, and base notes of Musk and Carnation. Alternatively, why not woo and wow with a show stopper such as Flamboyant's Wedding Day, an oriental fragrance featuring Amber, Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Woody Notes, Cedar, Patchouli and floral undertones.
Whatever you choose,
revel in the chance to become your own craftsman; walk inquisitively through Nature's oasis of shifting scents and morphing layers and fall in love as you make a new discovery at each exciting, delightfully unexpected turn.
