Fragrances
What is the power of scent? Why do certain smells hold so much meaning for us? According to a raft of research, smell is the strongest of the five senses when it comes to memory recall with us remembering pongs with 65 per cent accuracy after a year, while visual memory is only 50 per cent right after three months. Studies have also shown that smell is hardwired into our emotional recollection with three quarters of our feelings of wellbeing and pleasure linked to it. The fragrance industry has long cottoned on to this, which is why hundreds of new products are launched each year. But with the olfactory market so saturated - will these newbies have the sweet smell of success?
Spring is here and Jason Jones is feeling fresh!
1. Tom Ford Private Blends Patchouli Absolu
(50ml, £142) Tom Ford has become the go-to guy for the ultimate in exotically luxe scentage and this latest addition to his exclusive Private Blends is a variant on the same sophisticated nose palate reminiscent of boho 70s retro. Pricey, but who said class came cheap.
2. Pharrell Williams Girl
(100ml, £80) Celebrity scents are often hit’n’miss, but Williams has sensibly teamed up with veteran fashion house Commes Des Garçons and the world’s top perfumers to ensure that this unisex scent hits all the right warmly smell-tastic notes. Plus, the bottle looks like a little work of art on the bathroom shelf.
3. Nuit D’Issey By Issey Miyake
(125ml, £59) Issey Miyake’s fragrances have usually followed the same minimalist ethos as the Japanese designer’s schmutter relying on fresh marine minerals and citrus. As the name suggests, this is a departure into heavier, spicier territory that is more black-tie than beach bar.
4. Jimmy Choo Man
(100ml, £62) Renowned for providing the well-heeled with killer heels, this is the celebrity cobbler’s first foray into men’s fragrance. Combining aromatic, fruity and woody notes this is a great everyday all-rounder. It’s just a bit strange when you say its name out loud. Think about it.
5. DSquared2 Wild
(100ml, £50) As designers who champion unorthodox edginess, the ingredients here are typically outthere. Santolina, also known as a cotton lavender, is blended with opoponax, a resinous gum found in trees, to give a balsamic undertone, while hummus extracts – yes, really – adds a peaty earthiness. For the adventurous among us.
6. Karl Lagerfeld For Men
(100ml, £52) Like its creator, this comes clad in chic black and also like the Chanel head honcho is an amalgam of understated classicism and up-tothe-beat modernity. Sandalwood and amber provide the familiar trad tones, while apple and mandarin zest give contemporary crispness.