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power in a bottle perfume scents of success

SCENTS OF SUCCESS

face in moments of mild distress – when the interviewees were sprayed with a scent they didn’t like. But those who were given a pleasant scent displayed far greater signals of confidence and a distinct decline in self-adaptors. The message? It’s time to find the right fragrance; it will be all the power-dressing you’ll ever need. So how does scent influence the perception that others have of us? Picture the scene: a boardroom full of nononsense executives waiting to interview you. To impress, do you try to express dominance by adopting a ‘one-of-the-boys’ stance, or try to appeal to them with some feminine guile? The answer is neither. It’s all about balance and using elements of your femininity in cohesion with some testosteronedriven confidence to get you where you want to be. Which is exactly the key to finding the perfect power fragrance. Coco Chanel understood the power of scent. “Perfume is the unseen, unforgettable, ultimate accessory of fashion,” she said. “It heralds your arrival and prolongs your departure.” That is the message we all want to convey after all; to be memorable in all the right ways.

SAY IT WITH SCENT “A definite fragrance immediately gets our attention and makes a statement,” says Richard Hawkins, Guerlain’s director of education and development of fragrance. “If somebody wears a stronger fragrance it can be associated with power or a confident sensuality. A more androgynous fragrance – with earthy, woody notes – is indicative of influence and seriousness, unlike the messages of overly feminine scents.” So what is the right fragrance? Perfume expert Roja Dove says: “If you want to come across as the leader of the pack, you have to pick a scent from the Chypre family of perfumes (which have denser, woody base notes). Floral perfumes suggest a wispy girliness and will not convince people that you mean business. Oriental scents (heavy and musky) are by nature a little full-on and could come across like you’re trying too hard.” The Chypre, when it was first created by Francois Coty, took very masculine materials like wood and

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SCENTS FROM THE CHYPRE FAMILY OF PERFUMES ARE BEST FOR WOMEN WHO MEAN BUSINESS

moss to evoke the fawn – a Victorian symbol of masculinity. The fragrance is about tailoring, achieving the perfect balance between heady floral notes at the heart of the scent and a more robust base, to poise perfectly between male and female notes. Reflecting the social and political elements of the time in which it was created (as perfume always does) Coty’s Chypre perfume came onto the market when the suffragettes finally won the vote. It was closely followed by Caron’s Tabac Blond, which was inspired by the revolutionary flappers of the Twenties, who had taken up smoking and made it chic. Women were changing and so was

POWER FIGURES’ SIGNATURE SCENTS

X MARGARET THATCHER Guerlain’s Mitsouko (Chypre) X THE QUEEN Guerlain L’Heure Bleu (Floral) X MERYL STREEP Guerlain Shalimar (Oriental) X CATHERINE DENEUVE Chanel No 19 (Chypre) X MICHELLE OBAMA Creed’s Love In White (Floral) or Boadicea The Victorious in Divine (Chypre) X ANGELINA JOLIE Bulgari Black (Oriental)

fragrance. The most influential woman of our time has been Margaret Thatcher. A photograph taken of her dressing table almost 20 years ago was said to show Rochas’ Femme and Guerlain’s Mitsouko – two heavy, archetypal masterpieces of the Chypre family, both with a longer-lasting cloud of maturity that you might associate with your mother or even grandmother. “There is definitely an association between Chypres and strong, confident women,” says Lyn Harris, perfumer and founder of Miller Harris Fragrances. “These scents are characterised by being bold, impressive, sensual and enduring. They are statement fragrances, with stories and meaning behind them. Earthy, woody notes like vetiver and cedarwood suggest strength, as do certain spices like cinnamon and aromatic notes like rosemary and sage.”

WOMEN OF SUBSTANCE And in today’s sombre economic climate, it seems that a statement perfume is what’s required. Not that our generation is tied to one single signature scent. According to Annick Goutal Parfum’s Isabelle Doyen: “These days a woman is no longer just one single thing: she’s a mother, a wife, a professional, a sister. The modern woman is transformative and so is the scent that she wears.” There’s been a recent return in the demand for enigmatic and powdery Chypre scents. Women are, according to Doyen, opting for fragrances they associate with old-fashioned values combined with the glamour and presence of iconic matriarchs such as Jackie Onassis. So after decades of dense, feminine Florals and heady Orientals dominating the market, the sharp, tailored Chypre is back, adding a gravitas that goes hand in hand with a shift away from reality-TV culture, and a return to role models with substance and intelligence. The right scent could also lead the way to that next promotion and give you the confidence to stand your ground. Remember, less is more, and everything hangs on achieving the right balance: a hint at the fact that you’re a power to be reckoned with is all you need.

THE� POWER�LIST

Narciso Rodriguez Eau de Parfum Intense Musc (£50) The perfume that led the way in the return to Chypre. The masculine musk and patchouli is softened with a powdery orange blossom floral. Prada Eau D'Ambree (£46.48) An old-fashioned amber base note is infused with a decadent floral May Rose. A ladylike choice; the perfect combination of masculine and feminine. Chanel No 19 (£54) The classic Chypre scent. Green and powdery but a deep woody base with just a hint of jasmine. Gucci by Gucci (£35) The musky patchouli notes make a bold statement, while the lingering tropical flowers hint at a softer, more feminine side. Hypnôse Senses (£32) Full of warm sensuous notes like the white omanthus flower, that contrasts with amber and vanilla tones for a superstructured scent. Like a flash of pink girlishness beneath a tailored power-suit. Boadicea The Victorious in Divine (£80) Purchased by Michelle Obama. The deep violet at the centre packs a punch, but the comforting sandalwood softens the impact. The matriach’s scent (selfridges.com). Dior Diorrella (£45) Has a soft floral and musky base to give it the depth of a cologne. The initial subtlety gives way to a lingering gravitas. Tom Ford Private Blend Italian Cypress EDP (£100) This is pure sensuality, taking cypress essence and island moss to evoke sun-warmed skin. For women in sky-high heels, plunging necklines, and sexual prowess. Think Sofia Loren.

Miller Harris Terre de Bois (£75) A zingy green Chypre which has a grounding seriousness to it thanks to its vetiver and verbena elements. This is for an immaculately dressed woman who’s not afraid to speak her mind.

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