Here’s a piece of information that might shock you, as it did me: perfume is the most searched-for category on John Lewis’s website.
Over bedding, barbecues and bags, it is fragrances that John Lewis customers are desperate to buy in 2021. They aren’t just browsing: sales of perfume have risen by 24 per cent for the retailer year-on-year.
I’m going to hazard a guess as to why: there is nothing quite as uplifting as a spritz of a new perfume. A full stop on any outfit, now that our social lives are back on track(ish), a spray of something lovely is the perfect IRL conversation-starter. Whether you wear it to give off an air of confidence, or a cosy sense of warmth, there is a perfume for any mood.
If, like me, you prefer snuggly scents that melt into the skin – usually featuring a modern musk note – you’ll love Avec Amour, below, a roll-on perfume oil by Violette FR. With notes of amber, vetiver and, yes, musk, applying this is like wrapping yourself in a cashmere blanket. While we’re on the topic, do you remember The Body Shop’s White Musk?
I considered it my signature scent as a teen. Relaunched this year in a recyclable bottle, and now vegan, it is, pleasingly, as lovely as ever.
Another throwback that’s had a makeover this year is Guerlain’s Shalimar. Its mouthwatering vanilla reboot, Millésime Vanilla Planifolia, is a real collectible for die-hard Shalimar fans. Just as collectible are Lancôme’s timeless La Vie Est Belle perfumes, and the signature scent has had a musky reinvention (tick for me) in La Vie Est Belle Blanche.
Finally, if you’re looking for something subtle, have you thought about a hair mist? Diptyque’s Do Son version, with its delicious note of tuberose, has become one of my favourites.
