Much is made of the beauty choices of the royal family. The late Queen Elizabeth II's penchant for Essie nail polish in Ballet Slippers is well documented, while the less said about Prince Harry's use of Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream the better (if you know you know), but no royal beauty obsession captures our imagination quite like Princess Diana's perfume.
According to Prince Harry, his beloved mother loved First by Van Cleef & Arpels. In his memoir, the Duke of Sussex likened his late mother's scent to LSD, writing that he took a bottle along with him to therapy to unlock memories of the princess.
"I brought to [the therapist's] office a bottle of Mummy’s favourite perfume. (I’d reached out to Mummy’s sister, asked for the name.) First, by Van Cleef & Arpels," he began. "At the start of our session, I lifted the lid, took a deep sniff. Like a tab of LSD. I read somewhere that smell is our oldest sense, and that fitted with what I experienced in that moment, images rising from what felt like the most primal part of my brain."
© Tim Graham Photo Library via GetPrincess Diana's perfume
The fragrance, which turns 50 this year, has notes of amber, sandalwood and aldehyde – the note responsible for the light, sparkling brightness of the fragrance. It has a distinct similarity to Chanel No5 – some might call it old-fashioned, but timeless and classic would also hit the nail on the head, with an unmistakable powder vibe.
For me, First presents as a 'grandma' or 'old lady' fragrance (indeed, Princess Diana would be a grandma now at 64 years old, if she were still with us). It undeniably smells like something the older generation would spray, and one I would never consider reaching for, despite it being immediately comforting.
What we consider grandma perfumes is a funny concept. The women who wore these scents were likely young when they first started wearing them – it's just that we only smelled them on older people, because fragrance trends shift and evolve.
After the wave of what we now consider grandma scents washed away, gourmand fragrances such as Thierry Mugler's Angel took hold in the 90s, followed by androgynous scents such as CKONE. Does this mean that Gen Z and Gel Alpha will think of the trendy unisex scents of the 90s as 'granny scents'?
And will the generations below think of the millennial obsession with skin scents, such as Glossier You as old-fashioned? It's hard to picture, but probably inevitable.
© Getty ImagesSoft power
While I consider First to be old-fashioned (it is turning 50 this year, after all), it leans into the decidedly modern soft power fragrance trend – and it certainly isn't staid.
Soft power perfumes are designed to be smelled up close, when you hug someone or borrow their clothes. Don't get them wrong, though. Soft power scents aren't subtle; they still announce themselves when you notice them, but they are more lived-in and warmer, created to be intentional rather than overwhelming. Other examples of soft power scents include Ormonde Jayne's Vanille des Afriques Intensivo and Maison Louis Marie's Vanille Inifinie No15.
© Getty ImagesThis marks a stark departure from not only heady, heavy ouds that make a statement the second you walk into the room, but also from our beloved skin scents, which are often close to undetectable and different on each wearer. Soft power scents are instantly recognisable when you smell them, making them ideal signature scents - an alien concept to my friends and I, who switch out our fragrances daily, depending on our moods, outfits, weather... living up to the indecisive reputation of millennials, I suppose.
Fragrances in the soft power category tap into the current demand for beauty nostalgia, harking back to simpler, happier times. They challenge the norms of what is popular (again, looking at you, skin scents), and illicit a feeling of comfort and calm.
Will the tube suddenly be awash with eau de granny? Let's see.
