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Benny the wanabe Denizen...

This week a lovely grey package arrived at WORLD HQ, which upon opening revealed the delightful new Denizen magazine celebrating the art of living well in this our countries favourite season of relaxation and refinement!

But alas who did we spot, trying to become a little Denizen(er) himself but our own Benny, who shoots his mouth off about almost anything, and here we catch him going off on the fragrance tangent.  Have a read, but what we'd really suggest is bypass the endless 'Benny chat' and pop in to see us in store and enjoy the fragrant experience first hand....oh, and be sure to pick up a copy of the new Denizen issue out now, the gift guide is your new bible, oh and it has the full article if you can stomach any more of his endless chat!

 

'Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel famously said ‘before you leave the house, take a look in the mirror and take one thing off’, for those of you who have seen the self-aggrandising documentary ‘Largerfeld: Confidential’, you will know that Coco’s current heir does not quite agree.  I agree with the Kaiser Karl on this, but not with his view of trackpants.  Accessories are a fraught business, and have seemingly become more fashionable than fashion, however what I’d like to presuppose is that your ultimate accessory is your fragrance – scent and silage over J12 and quilted leather?  Coco was very well known for her enjoyment of fragrance, and was said to be Robert Piguet's best customer for one of his iconic scents - BAGHARI, which she apparently stopped wearing as soon as she developed - Number 5, so perhaps she would agree with me?

Unlike handbags, heels and jewellery we are not delivered the same visual prompts with fragrances, and whilst there exists eons of literature on the subject, there are no generically accepted rules or know fashions for fragrance – whether it be how to wear, or how to select.  With make-up there exists formulae for learning, and the retail experience is wholly about watching and learning, this cannot be said of fragrance. When in our cultural upbringing are we educated about fragrance outside of being thrust imagery of half-naked gods and goddesses pouting with superciliousness?

Not unlike a pair of sunglasses - choose your fragrance as it chooses you.  When selecting a fragrance take care not to overwhelm yourself, after initially smelling from tester strips, narrow your choice to two fragrances and spray one on each wrist. When wearing fragrance be sure to spray on areas of your skin where blood flows closest, hence the back of your neck (especially as you just step out of the shower whilst your skin is warm and your pores are open helping the fragrance last), your wrists, your décolletage (but not too often at the base of your throat as your nose will become immune)  and even the back of your knees (keep in mind scent rises slowly so throughout the day and the fragrance resting on the back of your knees will continue to surprise and delight). 
Like a thumb print, each of us has a different chemical make-up and our skin will affect the different notes in a fragrance. For instance, a more pale skin will, most probably, react poorly to a citrus scent as the acidic build up in the skin will hamper the citrus flavour, whereas on more olive complexion citrus should blossom and last beautifully.  Once you have your two fragrances on your skin, making sure not to rub the fragrance which can bruise and distort the scent, allow the fragrances to sit on your skin for up to 10 minutes.  This will give the different notes within the scent the chance to express themselves, and show development on your skin. 
This is when is helps to know what you like. Does the fragrance speak to you? Does it smell more interesting on your skin than on the card?  How does it make you feel?  Our sense of smell is the most closely linked sense to our memory, and can have a fabulous effect on our mood, so it is important to choose fragrance with occasion or function in mind.  Just as we do not define ourselves by one outfit, we shouldn’t define ourselves by one scent.  Choose a perfume on how it makes you feel; you could have a day fragrance to make you feel content and comfortable, an evening scent to make you feel sexy and confident, a weekend scent when you can be bolder and more esoteric, and importantly - choose a fragrance for occasions. Like your wedding for you and your partner, a cocktail party, even a professional moment of importance - an interview, a presentation - the fragrance will lift you with excitement and reassurance as well as defining that moment in your memory in years to come. 

Understand your fragrance, like any good retailer, the most important tip I will offer is to listen to what the fragrance consultant is telling you.  If they know what they are talking about they will be your greatest ally in finding the perfect scent, they should be able to elucidate the key notes and talk about the perfumers inspiration and history of the scent, all of these elements will create a character in your mind as to whether this fragrance is you, or not.  Like any luxury purchase, from high-fashion to a piece of art or an automobile, you would make sure you knew who the creator was, or who the brand was, so that you are able to take confidence and pride in their work and your taste. Let the authentic craftsmanship speak to you, and don't think it’s shallow to let the bottle itself inspire you...you have to want to pick it up!  Don't buy a fragrance just because; own it because you love it.'

 

Thanks Benny...now that I've finished yawning, do you mind spraying the perfume already!!!!

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