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Sweet smell of success

Smelling good and doing it in style. That’s the way to waft through the day



Day long freshness Perfumes should be worn at pulse points

A heady trail of a bouquet of flowers or the power-packed smack of lemony cologne. The scent of a person is definitely something he or she is judged by. No one really wants to stand and talk to someone who stinks. It’s time to pick up some soph isticated and luxurious fragrance that will make you feel all that and more.

Since India is now becoming a brand-crazy nation, people of all age groups are coming out of their nut shells to showcase their variety of fragrance for different occasions. DNA being one of the Indian hot brands of Ripple Fragrances has perfumes like Blueprint and Helix for men while Species and Genus for women for this festive and party season. “These fragrances respect the individual for who he or she is and further enables them to extend their persona,” says Kiran Ranga, CEO Ripple Fragrances. Keeping the urban youth in mind, Kiran comments, “Fashion connoisseurs prefer a prestige brand that focuses on the need for transformation in the identity or enhancing the essence of an individual. The urban youth prefer brands that provide fragranced lifestyle accessories, which are making it huge this festive season.”

Tatte, Country Manager, Boucheron, Aigner J Del and Pozo, Mumbai says: “Choosing the right perfume is a personal way of communicating one’s sensuality and attractiveness, and is an integral part of one’s personality. A special touch and feel of fragrance can make an unforgettable impression on others and wield tremendous power on the opposite sex; hence one must choose and invest in a perfume that compliments your persona.”

While buying a perfume, always keep in mind the occasion and environment the perfume is meant for. If you are testing the same perfume that your friend wore, there’s no assurance that you’ll like what smells so good on your friend, when you wear it yourself. Generally all fragrance reacts differently on different body types. Anything that affects the “natural” smell of your skin, such as stress, hormonal changes, your current diet or medications, might change how a perfume smells on you. Difference in temperature and humidity also changes the fragrance from its originality.

Also while testing perfumes, if you try out too many perfumes in succession, your nose will quickly go “blind” because of odour fatigue and you’ll no longer be able to differentiate between what you like and what you don’t like. That’s why you should never test more than four similar or five to six different fragrances at a time. Else try them out on un-perfumed areas of your body that are far apart from one another.

Wearing the right perfume for the right event can get tricky. Women can opt for flowery and fruity fragrances for an office environment. Brands like Charlie, Cool Water, Ralph Lauren Blue, and Aqua Di Gio are some of the official scents. But for a party, a spicy flavour is a must to set the mood for some fun — something like Armani Mania, Coco, Opium, Visit etc. While men generally opt for spicy, woody and musk, Calvin Klein (Euphoria), Davidoff, Boss, Issey Miyake are some of the hot ones.

RJ Rashmi of Radio One prefers wearing a sporty brand like Adidas, or Armani. “These fragrances have the capability of staying longer and can also be worn on a regular basis. Such brands suit all moods, personalities and occasions. For traditional events I love wearing the jasmine attar as the fragrance lingers for a long time.”

Kushal, a Bangalore-based model, loves collecting perfumes regardless of the brand and has Bvlgari Aqua and Versace Dreamer in his kitty. “I use light fragrances like Issey Miyake Summer and Davidoff during the day and during the night I use more macho fragrances like Ferrari Black, Prada, and John Varvatos. For me it’s all about fragrances that match my mood and personality.”

If you want your perfume to stay longer on you, then wear a relatively thick body lotion or cream on the part you want to wear your perfume. Applying a cream that matches the fragrance, unscented creams, petroleum jelly or jojoba oil increase the perfume’s longevity.

If you want to save the perfume bottle for a longer time, the best way to safeguard your perfume is by storing it properly, and by keeping it away from heat and light. A dark closet or a covered box is best. Also avoid direct exposure to air. Splash bottles, which expose the fragrance to air every time they are opened, are problematic.

Daubing the right quantity of perfume at the right spot is important. Do not over-wear perfumes, it might irritate others or someone close to you. The perfume should not dominate your personality, in fact it should support your persona. Perfume can be worn on pulse points — areas of skin where the blood flow is strongest and the skin is warmest —such as wrist, behind the ear, chest, neck, behind the knee and inside the elbow. Or spray a fragrance in the air and walk through it.

With so many international fragrances lingering around, it’s time to re-define your smell and force a subtle reminder of your presence long after you have left.

LATIKA R. CHUGANEY

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