My Two Favourite Spring/Summer Fragrances

Before I started working with perfume in the cosmetics department, perfumes baffled me. I knew what smells I liked, but talk of Eau de Parfums, notes and floral groups all went sailing over my head. So here's a quick jargon buster, for everyone, who like me, is perplexed by perfume.

Fragrances most commonly come in Eau de Parfums (EDPs) and Eau de Toilettes (EDTs) Most come in both forms so there are a few differences that are useful to know.

EDP: An EDP is more concentrated than an EDT and therefore longer lasting and more expensive. An EDP lasts roughly 4-6 hours on the skin, the scent is stronger and tends to differ slightly than that of the EDT.

EDT: An EDT is less concentrated than an EDP and lasts around 2-4 hours on the skin. The top notes are perceived more than the heart or base notes, which makes the fragrance evaporate more quickly and gives it a lighter scent.

When people refer to 'notes' in perfumes, they are essentially talking about the layers of smells in the fragrance. The top notes are the first layer of scents in the fragrance, these are perceived immediately after the perfume has been sprayed. Heart notes are the middle layer of the fragrance and are smelt after the top notes have dissipated, which can be 2 minutes-1 hour after the perfume has been applied. Base notes are the last layer in the fragrance and appear around 30 minutes after application. 

Okay, so now onto my two favourite spring/summer fragrances and why I love them!

Honey by Marc Jacobs (EDP)

Honey was released in Summer 2013, adding to Marc Jacobs' already thriving collection of delicate, floral fragrances. The bottle features a more dainty top in comparison to Jacobs' other fragrances such as Lola or Dot, but still manages to capture the charming and playful essence of the range. On first spritzing this fragrance, you get beautiful top notes of orange blossom but as the base notes come through notes of honey add a real depth to the perfume. What I adore most about Honey is when wearing it, throughout the day I always catch wafts of rich honey scents. Honey is a fresh, fruity but intense perfume which is truly unique and perfect for daytime.

Si by Giorgio Armani (EDP)

Si by Giorgio Armani was released in 2013 into the well established compendium of Armani perfumes. The sleek, minimalist bottle oozes elegance, which is exactly what this perfume is. Elegant. Si boasts top notes of mandarin oil and heart notes of Egyptian Jasmine, but for me the most striking scents are amber and vanilla in the base notes. I find this perfume to be full bodied and sumptuous and it's aromas always evoke images of a sunset stroll through Mediterranean villages for me, pure luxury. This is always my go to evening perfume for the spring/summer. 

Tip: Apply your perfume whilst your moisturizer is still tacky, as perfume lasts longer on moisturized skin. 

Happy Easter!

Ellie xo