Spring doesn't just invite the opportunity to overhaul your wardrobe. With a bounty of new fragrance releases, it's also a good time to reconsider your scent. Whether you're looking for a lively, fresh fragrance or something more romantic, there's something to suit every nose. From household names to under-the-radar brands, we've scoured the market to sniff out the best new releases for spring.
1. L'Occitane Terre De Lumiere: £58 for 50ml, L’Occitane
New from French brand L’Occitane is Terre De Lumiere, literally translated to mean “land of light”. If you could put summer in a bottle, this is what it would smell like. Inspired by recreating the mood of a French sunset, it has lavender honey at its heart with a base of almond essence and a bergamot top note for a truly warming finish.
2. Jo Malone Myrrh & Tonka: £105 for 100ml, House of Fraser
A new addition to Jo Malone’s Cologne Intense range, Myrrh and Tonka is a moody oriental fragrance. Tonka bean is the dominant note, mixed with the sweetness of vanilla and the myrrh coming through to give it depth. It is an ideal scent for those looking for something heavy-duty, as with all scents in the Cologne Intense collection, it’s long lasting.
3. Tom Ford Velvet Orchid Lumiere: £76 for 50ml, The Perfume Shop
Lumiere is a new edition of Tom Ford favourite Velvet Orchid. For fans of the original fragrance, there’s the familiar notes of bergamot and mandarin but blended with an altogether fresher finish, making it much lighter than the original. And all wrapped up in sleek purple and gold lines, which the Tom Ford brand is so known for.
4. Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium Floral Shock: £71 for 50ml, YSL Beauty
For those looking for a floral scent for spring, look no further, as you won’t get much more flowery than this new edition of Black Opium from Yves Saint Laurent. It stays true to the original with a coffee note at its base but with the addition of sugary notes of freesia, bergamot, orange blossom and pear. It’s as heady as its predecessor but with a freshness that is ideal for spring.
5. Alaia Paris Blanche: £88 for 100ml, Harrods
Hot on the heels of his debut fragrance last year, fashion designer Alaia introduces Blanche. Alaia has called upon an impressive cohort from the world's of fashion, art and perfume to pull this scent together. Inspired by the colour white, it’s a powdery scent with vanilla and almond notes - one for those who like a heavy musky finish to their fragrance.
6. Narciso Rodriguez Fleur Musc: £60 for 50ml, Selfridges
A scent as pink as its bottle, Fleur Musc is one to add to your shopping list if you have a thing for rose. While the heady notes of rose come through, there’s a whole bouquet of other flowers including sweet peony. The addition of pink peppercorn and woody amber give the fragrance a warm finish which is radiant without being overpowering.
7. Diptyque Eau Dominotee: £55 for 200ml, Selfridges
Here’s something a little different from French brand Diptyque. This is a multi-use fragrance, which means it can be used on more than just your skin (think a spritz around the house or on your laundry). For lovers of the brand, Eau Dominotee has all the hallmarks of Diptyque - heavy on rose and violet which is strong and powdery when used around the home, however on the skin the finish is light and fresh.
8. Michael Kors Sexy Blossom: £59 for 50ml, The Fragrance Shop
This is a fun fragrance for fans of all-American brand Michael Kors. A top note of lychee gives an almost tropical feel to this scent which dries down to reveal a bouquet of pink blooms including freesia, peony and orchid. If that all sounds too girly, the finale of musk and sandalwood adds a depth to the scent, leaving a romantic finish.
9. Jimmy Choo L'Eau: £47 for 60ml, The Fragrance Shop
A new addition to Jimmy Choo’s signature line of scents, L’Eau is a floral-focused fragrance. Invoking the spirit of summer with note of hibiscus flower and bergamot, it comes together to be almost overpoweringly sweet, however a base of cedarwood and musk ground the scent leaving a very pretty, feminine finish.
10. DKNY Be Tempted Eau So Blush: £50 for 50ml, Superdrug
A new addition to the extensive range of DKNY Be fragrances, Be Tempted Eau So Blush is a fresher take of the original Be Tempted. Citrus notes open this fragrance with pink grapefruit and blood orange. Add to that pink peony, jasmine and musk and you’ve got a floral fragrance which is on the fresher side - ideal for those looking to embrace spring but in a lighter, brighter way.
11. L'Artisan Parfumeur Au Bord De L'Eau: £90 for 100ml, Selfridges
This is a new offering from niche French fragrance house, L’Artisan Parfumeur. It’s for those who like their fragrance to refresh rather than overpower or intoxicate. Citrus notes of bergamot, orange blossom and lemon combine with violet and rosemary for an intriguing but strangely addictive combination. This is a unisex scent, so you may find yourself fighting off your other half.
12. Gucci Bamboo Limited Edition: £68 for 50ml, Debenhams
A limited edition update on the original Gucci Bamboo scent which launched back in 2015, now under the leadership of Alessandro Michele it’s been given a makeover. The original scent characterized by exotic lily and vanilla are infused with feminine notes of sandalwood and amber. All in a new art deco inspired bottle design and silver bamboo cap.
Launches in March
The Verdict: New fragrances for spring
“Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking.” These might be the lines uttered in sarcasm by fashion editor Miranda Priestly in the film The Devil Wears Prada, but in the world of fragrances, this is indeed the case. Florals dominate the fragrance offerings for the season. For something a little different, L’Occitane’s novel use of lavender honey and bergamot in Terre De Lumiere offers something much warmer for the season. For the best of a floral bunch, try YSL's new Floral Shock edition which stays true to the original but with a much lighter finish.
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