My default setting when it comes to scent, be it on my person or in my home, is for incense or those that are smoky or leathery. Because, by the time I hit my 30s, scents that were sweet, pretty and fresh had lost their appeal. And while I know the experts tell you to change your scent according to the season, I generally ignore this. Fragrances are increasingly amalgamating heavier ingredients with lighter ones to work across the seasons, so the advice holds less water. A decent oud with rose scent, for instance, can work beautifully in summer or winter. Right now, however, for reasons inexplicable to myself, how I want to smell is shifting into nature, specifically the kind you find in a garden – a fruit and vegetable garden to be precise. Which is why my perfume palette is now gravitating towards scents that are infused with tomatoes, basil, rhubarb, carrots, cucumber and even sweet potato. Florals, of course, are nice (you can’t go wrong with a high-quality rose or jasmine scent), but there is something super-innovative about these scents and they’re perfect if you want something a little different. Also, for anyone who, like me, is not the least bit green-fingered, this is one way to embody the fantasy that I am.
1. Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Rosa Verde (cucumber) £92, guerlain.com
2. LBTY Tudor (ginger) from £45, libertylondon.com
3. Diptyque Oyedo (raspberry and thyme) £98, selfridges.com
4. Prada Infusion de Rhubarbe £140, prada.com
5. Dries van Noten, Crazy Basil £225, selfridges.com
6. Miller Harris La Feuille (tomato) £190, millerharris.com
7. Jo Malone London English Pear & Sweet Pea Cologne £82, jomalone.co.uk
8. Les Jardins Français Eau Triple Caribbean Sweet Potato and Afghan Carrot £150, buly1803.com
9. Byredo De Los Santos (clary sage) £150, spacenk.com
10. Hermès Eau de Basilic Pourpre Eau de Cologne £75,
hermes.com
