Happy Spring Equinox everybody! It is officially spring!
Well, supposedly.
Let’s be truthful here; officially it is spring, but the weather can’t ever make up its mind (here in the UK, anyway). One day it will be spring, the next it’s like we’re back in winter.
This kind of issue creates all sorts of problems: What shoes to wear? It’s too hot for boots now, but too cold for sandals. What clothes to wear? Can we scrap the thick tights yet? Coat or no coat?
SO MANY PROBLEMS!
Not to fear!
I am here to try to help with at least one of those issues - PERFUME.
Perfume to me is just as important as the shoes, clothes or coats. I choose my scents depending on my mood, outfit and most importantly, the weather. The weather plays a role in how the fragrance could smell. In certain types of weather, certain perfumes may not smell nice, but in the summer, they may smell spectacular.
Fragrance can change your attitude towards your day. It is like adding a subtle (or sometimes not to subtle) accessory. It can totally transform your style. I love it!
So what to do during those periods when the weather simply can’t make up its mind? What perfume should you choose? I have come up with a list of scents that I think suit the winter/spring transition when the weather is cold one minute and warm the next, ranging from pocket friendly pick-ups to pound-pinchers!
To help with the list, I have included this guide to explain the best time to wear the scent during the transition.
If the perfume has a (W) next to it, it means that I think it is fantastic for winter and the colder days of the winter/spring transition. Aim to wear these in winter and around the start of the transition time.
If the perfume has an (S) next to it, it means that it is amazing for the springtime and the warmer days of the transition. Aim to wear these as the days get warmer and the flowers are in bloom!
If the perfume has a (B) next to it, it means that the scent is great for either season!
I hope that you enjoy!
Side of the transition to wear:
W = Throughout winter —> start of the winter/spring transition
B = Suits both seasons
S = End of winter/spring transition —> Throughout spring
1. Guerlain - La Petite Robe Noir EDP (W)
Sweet, Fruity.
Photo taken by me.
A lot of people would place this fragrance in the colder weather seasons. I do also, but I also like this perfume as a seasonal transition fragrance between winter and spring, moreso for those days where it’s noticeably warmer than the middle of January, but not warm enough to go out without a coat.
With top notes including bergamot, red berries and cherry, it has a fresh, fruity opening. However, the almond in the top notes also keep the fruit under control meaning that it doesn’t begin like a heavily cliched fruity floral. It has a nutty-sweetness to it.
As the fragrance develops, the middle and base notes, including liquorice, vanilla, rose, tonka bean and patchouli all emerge to create a beautifully sweet-but-not-too-sweet concoction.
It’s garishly girlish but mature at the same time.
Side note: I wouldn’t recommend wearing this in the spring!
I once wore this on a warm day and I discovered that bees and wasps are attracted to this perfume like moths to a lightbulb. Honestly, it’s like you’re one huge, walking, talking buzzy-bug magnet! You have been warned!
Buy from:
Escentual
30ml £39.60 50ml £56.70 100ml £80.10
2. Chanel - Coco Mademoiselle EDP (B)
Patchouli, citrus, sweet
Photo taken by me.
Can you say PATCHOULI!?
This perfume is an incredibly versatile fragrance season wise. You could wear this perfume during any season, but I think that it comes to life in the spring and the autumn.
The fruity-floral aspect screams spring, but the vanilla, patchouli and musk make this lovely for autumn too. The fact that it suits a warm and a cold season is why I love it for this transitional period.
The sillage and longevity of this perfume are amazing. Be careful not to overspray unless you want someone to smell you from miles away!
Buy from:
The Fragrance Shop
35ml £47.50 50ml £66.50 100ml £94.50
3. Montale - Roses Musk EDP (S)
Floral, Musk
Photo from the Montale website
The clue is really in the name: flowers and musk.
The notes of this perfume are simple yet brilliant; rose, musk, jasmine and amber.
The combination screams spring, so for the sake of this list, I would recommend it to be worn on the days closer to the spring side of the transition, so on the days where you first dare to leave the house without a coat!
Wearing this, you will feel like you’re sitting in a field of fresh roses. The musk adds a certain level of maturity, too.
Buy from:
Montale
100ml 100€
4. Juliette Has A Gun - Miss Charming EDP (S)
Fruity, floral, sweet
Photo from the JHAG website
One of my favourites!
The rose in this scent is very prominent, but as it develops the lychee takes centre stage. Balanced with the strawberry, berries and musk… Heaven!
It is a fruity floral, but incredibly well done!
The sillage is moderate, which is great for this perfume. If the sillage was greater, it would be simply too overbearing.
This lives up to its namesake! Charming, indeed!
Buy from:
Les Senteurs
50ml £65 100ml £85
5. Prada - Candy L’Eau EDT (B)
Sweet
From the Prada website
Not all spring perfumes have to be floral and fruity! Take your place on the list, Candy L’Eau!
The caramel in this fragrance is the dominant, wintry note, but the delicate inclusion of citruses turn this into a scent that is appropriate for warmer weather for the gourmand fans.
The inclusion of sweet pea adds a beautiful floral heart that adds that spring essence.
The combination of sweet and floral makes this perfect for the transition period.
The only downside to this perfume is the longevity. I find it to not last long at all meaning that regular re-sprays are necessary to keep the scent alive!
Buy from:
Boots
30ml £38 50ml £51 80ml £67.50
6. Balenciaga - Florabotanica EDP (S)
Floral, green
Photo taken by me
Floral, fresh… this perfume is fierce in a bottle.
This fragrance can split opinions, but one thing that it definitely is is well done.
It could be described as a modern floral. It could be described as bold.
I would describe it as both. Perfect for the modern woman whose femininity radiates, yet she can still hang out with the guys.
The notes include rose, mint, carnation and interestingly, cannabis!
It is a dangerous, quirky floral that thrives best in the springtime, but has a cool enough edge for the end of winter/start of spring days.
Buy from:
The Perfume Shop
30ml £39.50 50ml £52.50 100ml £74.50
7. Cacharel - Lou Lou EDP (W)
Floral, balsamic, powdery
Photo taken by me
This is definitely a scent for the colder days, so aim more towards the start of the transition for this one. It’s also perfect for winter.
Incense. Flowers. A true classic, Lou Lou is a powerhouse.
The sillage and longevity are enormous.
Some people may find this perfume to be a little dated, but it depends on taste. This fragrance is still beautiful for the “younger ones,” regardless of the release date! This perfume is timeless.
Buy from:
All Beauty
30ml £14.95 (at time of writing) 50ml £23.30
8. Narciso Rodriguez - Narciso Rodriquez For Her EDP (B)
Musky, rose
From the Narciso Rodriguez website
Another musky rose? Yes.
This musky rose, however, features patchouli, peach, sandalwood and amber, differentiating it from Montale’s Rose Musk.
This is perfect for the transition period as it suits both winter and spring!
It is warm. It is mature. It is edgy. It is sexy. It is elegant.
This fragrance is soft and not in your face. It fits a personality rather than creating its own.
Buy from:
Escentual
30ml £33.15 50ml £48.45 100ml £63.75
9. Mont Blanc - Legend (S)
Floral, citrus
From The Fragrance Shop website
This perfume is simple yet sophisticated.
Pear, jasmine, orange blossom, vanilla… it is clean but it is strong.
It is a sweet scent, but not ground-breaking or ‘legendary.’
Even still, I add this perfume to this list.
Why? Well, it is inoffensive, subtle, classy… this fragrance ticks all the right boxes.
It is perfect for to wear to work, for coffee or shopping; it is a multi-tasker. It is light, airy and clean. It is stripped back.
This is a fragrance for jeans and a plain vest top kind of day.
Buy from:
Fragrance Direct
30ml £25.99 50ml £37.99 100ml £54.99
10. Comme Des Garcons - 2 EDP (S)
Aldehydic, woody, unisex
From the Comme Des Garcons website
OOMPH! Can you say ALDEHYDES!?
This fragrance…
This fragrance isn’t a scent; it is a personality.
It is unisex without straying more towards either gender.
This is the type of fragrance that will hold memories of the days you wore it. Stories will lie hidden within the scent, coming back to life every time you smell it.
With an opening that is strong on aldehydes joined by orange and floral notes, the heart turns the tables with an ink note, blended beautifully with nutmeg, cinnamon, bay, coriander… It’s a head turner!
Even the base notes pack a punch featuring patchouli and incense.
2 is unique.
I love this scent for any season, but I am adding it to this list because the transition into spring usually brings fun memories.
It is the time of year where people get together to celebrate the fact that we can all enjoy the outdoors sans rain once again and as I stated above, this is the type of fragrance that will hold memories.
Truly beautiful, male or female.
Buy from:
Escentual
50ml £45.60 100ml £60
What are your top 10 winter/spring fragrances?
Post a comment with your list!
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