PERFUME

In the 17th century, the French, like many others, did not bathe. Famously, even Louis XIV seldom washed. And so in the 19th century the French invented synthetic perfume to hamper the smell and improve the nation’s confidence.

That feeling of confidence remains one of the reasons people continue to wear fragrance today, says Sue Phillips, who has created scent for Tiffany & Co., Burberry and Diane von Furstenberg, and is the founder of custom perfumery Scenterprises on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

“When it is corroborated by a compliment, when somebody you hug says, ‘Oh my God, you smell amazing’, it’s such a feeling of validation: I’m special. People like me for who I am. They like me for my fragrance’,” Phillips says. “It makes you sit up straight, makes you feel taller, makes you feel very confident, and brings you joy and happiness.”

Indeed, that feeling of fearlessness, of boldness and brashness among consumers, is something the luxury giant Hugo Boss is banking on as it adds two new fragrances — one for him, one for her — into the $62 billion global perfume market. Since 1924, the Hugo Boss brand has aimed to inspire us to be confident — and confidence is seductive.

Boss The Scent Elixir for Him ($242 for 100ml) was created by perfumer Nelly Hachem-Ruiz, who has created fragrances for brands including Davidoff and Otto Kern. It features a spicy aroma with red-hot pimento on a woody base of Caledonian sandalwood, to evoke attitude. Boss The Scent Elixir for Her ($213 for 50ml) was formulated by the perfumer Louise Turner (Chloé, David Beckham, Roberto Cavalli) and contains pink peppercorn, edgy floral notes of Atropa belladonna, commonly known as deadly nightshade, and a rich ambery accord through Ambrofix, a trademarked synthetic substitute for ambergris.

“Typically, a seductive scent will fall into the spicy amber category,” says Phillips. “Everything that’s in your spice cabinets — cumin, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla is a lovely spicy note.” She continues: “Amber from ambergris is very sensual. Sandalwood, birchwood, cedarwood remind you of the fresh outdoors, but they can be wonderfully sensual. Sandalwood from India is amazing. It’s beautiful — rich without being too cloying.”

The world is made up of scents, reminds Phillips. “When people lose their sense of smell, their entire psyche gets so depressed,” she says. She notes that sufferers of anosmia (loss of smell) can’t enjoy food the same way, and can avoid going out to socialise because food and taste are such big parts of those experiences. Phillips has seen this firsthand: she has helped more than 250 people regain their sense of smell after they lost it to a heady bout of Covid-19. How? The fragrance connoisseur takes them through 18 of her aromatic blends. The first woman she helped smelled nothing for 13 of them. “By the time she got to the 14th blend, she suddenly said, ‘I smell something and it’s beautiful’,” Phillips recalls. “She started to cry. She hadn’t been able to smell for 15 months.”

Getting one’s nose back is clearly life-changing. And if people don’t know what type of fragrance they like, Phillips says they should look to their lifestyle. “What do they like to do? Do they like to go walking, jogging, swimming, playing tennis? Do they like to go to the library? To concerts? To the theatre? Are they sophisticated? Are they more formal or casual? All of those little clues will determine what your scent personality is.”

With the right scent, one can feel confident and seductive. “And when they get a compliment, it’s the most wonderful validation that the fragrance suits them,” Phillips says.

This is an extract from our latest issue.

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