Here’s a new step to consider including in your evening cleansing routine: fragrance. Not one that’s about preparing you for sleep – this trend is not about pillow sprays - but one that helps to ground you in your evening and your own work-free time. This is about quite literally washing off the stresses of day when you get home and then using a perfume as a way to help to make a conscious mood shift. Bid welcome to the rise of Me Moments fragrances, spritzes that aren’t about armour or anyone else’s perceptions or expectations, that aren’t about pitching a specific mood, but simply about centring into yourself, harnessing your own equilibrium.
The shift from statement to self-soothing
It’s a trend within a trend because it’s pegged to the rise of the clean skin girl aesthetic (dewy, glowy skin and a ‘no makeup’ look). Now the growth of associated “clean girl scents reflect the pace of modern life, with fragrance becoming part of a personal wellbeing ritual, something used after the shower to feel clean, comforted and reset,” explains Callum Ross, Shiseido’s designer fragrance education manager. “At the same time, some consumers are moving away from the loud statement perfumers and intense gourmands, towards soft musks and skin-like scents that feel calming, intimate and like a natural extension of the skin,’ he explains. Think fragrances that cling, that feel like an embrace - to yourself.
Grounding notes
© Andrey Pavlov
As fragrance expert and consultant Alice du Parcq who has been involved in helping to create a key perfume in the Me Moment sphere (with thisworks see below), puts it, it’s all “about a wind down fragrance, perfumes that almost with the act of spraying them give a sort of permission to self to just chill out, to close the hectic part of the day and have the evening to yourself.” She recommends seeking out “deep, grounding ingredients like woody notes, perhaps patchouli something that feels like it's very connected to the roots of the earth and the roots of the trees, because those generally feel very calming, as fragrances”.
Of course, you don’t have to go and buy something new. “If there's a fragrance or a smell that you feel incredibly comforted by, it could be the smell of the fragrance that a parent has worn that brings you somewhere happy and warm, or it could be anything that you connect with in a positive and calming way,” then feel free to use that, suggests du Parcq.
Best fragrances for your me-time moment
However, if you are looking for a little Me Moment olfactory inspiration, something special to add to your fragrance collection for the purpose, then here are some suggestions.
Narciso Rodriguez for her Pure Musc Blanc, £139;
Created by the famous nose Sonia Constant, this is a new take on the classic For Her, one that gives luminous and uplifting vibes but comes with a gentle intensity at the same time. It’s a mix of a sparkling jasmine notes, a fresh-feeling jasmine element, a clean aldehyde accord, and all cosied up with a sweet dose of vanilla and creamy sandalwood. Of course, there’s also the central musk accord that is a signature of this fragrant franchise. The combination is like being wrapped up in a warm embrace and feels spiritedly hopeful.
You Doux EDP by Glossier, from £32
Glossier is the OG of the ‘your skin but better’ category of fragrances (it launched in 2017) and this more recent take on the original has a warmer vibe to it with ambrox that lends a musky element, as well as sweet violet, myrrh, frankincense and palo alto. Of course, like the original it will adapt to your skin so it feels totally personal. It’s like the perfect loving hug and a great aid to any nesting desires as you just want to snuggle into it.
Guess Iconic Sublime EDP, £69.00
This new floral aquatic offering from Guess only launched this month (April) and is perfect for the reconnecting-with-the-self fragrant cause. The composition sees a blend of blue Lotus, magnolia, jasmine and deliciously creamy Sandalwood which altogether create the sense being enfolded in love and kindness and is something that can really help you to exhale the day. Even the pale sea-green hue of the bottle continues the mood of exuding calm and comfort.
Issey Miyake L’Eau d’Issey, from £62
A classic just-stepped-out-of-the-shower spritzer since it was first created in 1992, this smells clean and fresh and is the olfactory equivalent to turning the page. It was created by Jacques Cavallier Belletrud for Miyake who wanted something that would smell as clear as spring water, and it creates the sense of water on skin. Notes-wise it’s a mix of clear water notes, melon, lotus, lily of the valley, musk, sandalwood, cedar and amber but it’s light and fresh and more minimalist that those ingredients may suggest. A wonderful, airy reset.
This Works Own Time, from £10
A perfect example of the trend, the name alone signifies its status in the genre, this was created for the exact purpose of unwinding in the evening, a sort of pre-prep for sleep. It has been designed around notes that have been backed by neuroscience to take you through a neuro-journey to help unwind at the end of the working day and take the wearer from tension to tranquillity. Du Parcq consulted on the project with CEO Anna Persaud and perfumer Julie Noé and says it was about making a fragrance ‘that’s a chapter break, the fragrance equivalent to taking your bra off, putting your hair up in a top knot, slamming the laptop shut, putting your joggings on, kicking off your shoes and just preparing yourself mentally and physically for the later stage of the day, sort of stepping away and disentangling yourself from the chaos of the day and enjoying the evening’. To that end they deployed notes of pink pepper, cypress, rose, cardamom, sandalwood, musk, amber and clove. But don’t think of this is simply a functional fragrance, it’s a really elegant and cosseting fine perfume.
Phlur Missing Person, from £32
Launched in 2022 the mission statement for this was to create a perfume that smelled like nude. The result was this woody, floral musk which includes notes of jasmine, bergamot, neroli, sandalwood and white wood. It’s meant to smell familiar which makes it a perfect partner for those moments when you want to hunker down and simply reconnect with yourself.
DedCool Xtra Milk EDP, from £24
© Pixelate ImagingA deeper take on the brand’s original Milk this is a cosy, inviting and even intimate fragrance with notes of white musk, bergamot, and amber. You just want to nestle into it, like a pair of cashmere pyjamas. The brand is based on the idea of making fragrance layering easy, but this can be worn alone, and a quick inhale is an easy way to feel centred and at ease.
Essential Parfums The Musc EDP, £86.00
Launched last month (March) by this fragrance brand that champions the expertise of perfumers, this was created by Calice Becker who said that she imagined it ‘as a cloud of enveloping and comforting musk. A delicious musk blended with red ginger, lavender, a radiant floral heart and soft, woody tones of a sublime sandalwood album from Australia’. If that doesn’t entice you enough then know that this scent evokes a genuine sense of well-being with a real depth of warmth and comes with a dash of a honey note from natural beeswax to lend a touch of sweetness and gentleness.
Chloe Atelier des Fleurs Sable Lavande, from £115
This is part of The Mediterranean Essences collection which launched earlier this year. Sable Lavande was created by Quentin Bisch and inspired by the south of France. With notes of a soft and warm lavender paired with a solar fig accord and ambrofix this is all about revelling in the idea of soft, warm sand slipping through your fingers and that moment in the day when the heat of the Med starts to cool just before dusk arrives. An uplifting dose of quiet, reflective, joy.
Jil Sander Black Tea, £190; Selfridges.com
Launched last year as part for the first Jil Sander fragrance collection, this mixes the tea base note with cinnamon, osmanthus and aldehydes for a scent that has a hint of spice but also a hint of sweetness for a balanced and nuanced spritz of mellowness. There’s something very intimate about it and though it could be worn anywhere it’s also an ideal candidate to bring a little dash of luxury that’s all for yourself.
Alternatively, if you’d like to take a different route to enjoy the trend then you could try:
Mella 1809, Hemming Street Laundry Detergent (£45) and Conditioner (£45)
This luxurious home care range covers everything from clothes laundry to surface cleaner, dishwashing liquid and a scented candle and diffuser. The aroma is intended to help you to slow down and unwind with notes of vanilla, orris root, bergamot, fresh fig, pink cassis, and jasmine so if you’d rather not spray a perfume then instead why not wash your PJs or your bedsheets or a throw (or everything) with this. It’s an easy way to quite literally envelop yourself in soothing smells.
