Who is your fragrance style icon?

Audrey and Sophia – two ladies at very opposite ends of the femininity spectrum!

Sophia Loren has been attributed with defining the “sex kitten” look – feline looking almond eyes, ringed in black kohl, tousled “bed” hair and a pout to rival Posh but she was also a successful actress and the first to design her own fragrance.  Backed by celeb fragrance experts Coty, Sophia designed the self named fragrance many years ago but it is no longer available.  It was thought that Creed produced the Irisia fragrance especially for her as well – although it has recently been discontinued too!  It seems like in this world of girly, light, ultra-florals that the heady, womanly scent that Sophia would have enjoyed is getting harder to track down.  If you like a “dirtier” “raunchier” fragrance and are bored by sappy “florals” you could try Black Orchid Perfume For Women by Tom Ford or Narciso Rodriguez 50ml Eau De Toilette for Women and Agent Provocateur Eau de Parfum as they have a modern musk/amber base and beautiful depth.

However, if ultra-girly IS your thing, you will be spoiled by Creed’s latest offerings, as they have brought out a number of beautiful florals to appeal to the contemporary market.  Audrey Hepburn was attributed with inspiring Creed’s Spring Flowers, which was created for her in the mid-80’s and released 3 years after her death. It is absolutely timeless and beautifully feminine, just like our Audrey.  Most famously, she had L’Interdit created for her by Monsieur Givenchy and you can see a bottle of it in Breakfast at Tiffanys in the background.  Sadly, this fragrance has been reforumulated since then and has lost much of its character.

Two gloablly adored, tragic princesses, snatched from life long before their time.  Both were though to be the biggest style icons of the 20th century and looked effortlessly beautiful in every picture.

Diana had so many changing styles, she was a chameleon when it came to dressing – be it for a glamorous state ball, a Vogue photoshoot or a day at the races – she very, very rarely got it wrong.  Kate Middleton has extremely large shoes to fill.  Here I have illustrated the intrepid side of Diana, her earthiness which is what bonded her to so many people worldwide.  If you are a woman who enjoys exploring, the outdoors and is a bit of an adventurer – but can still appreciate the glamour of a little black dress – you could try Diana’s signature scent which was Annick Goutal’s L’Eau d’Hadrian.  If you aspire to Diana’s more formal side – Diana wore Quelques Fleurs by Houbigant on the day of her wedding as a way of documenting it through smell.

Princess Grace of Monaco {Grace Kelly} was a glacial, blonde Hollywood icon whos poise, grace and charm captured the heart of a European Prince.  He commissioned Creed’s “Fleurissimo” for their wedding day – which is a soft and feminine composition where the floral notes were reputedly selected to match the flowers in the bride’s bouquet.  Betrothal by Grossmith is a regal and romantic fragrance fit for all modern day princess that you could also try.

For an everyday princess vibe – you could try Kelly Caleche by Hermes, as it was Grace Kelly who inspired the Kelly bag and in turn, this fragrance.

Marlene was famous for wearing Tabac Blonde, a strong leather/tobacco scent which personified her masculine edge.  It may not be to everyone’s taste – so if you are the kind of woman who likes to wear the trousers and command respect from those around you – in business and in your personal life – there are a few mens’ fragrances that can be worn by a super confident woman.  My favourites are Tom Ford’s Grey Vetiver and Guerlain’s Homme.  If you want to stick with a specifically feminine fragrance – you can try Reckless by Roja Parfums – for an actress who stood out in the crowd and had nothing to prove, this is a fragrance created for women who know their mind, but follow their hearts.

Marilyn is best remembered for saying she only slept in Chanel No5 and to this day, even a whiff of this fragrance evokes an image of this unique individual and what she might have been like.  I can’t wait for the time that it becomes appropriate for me to wear this as a slightly more mature lady.

For those of you looking for a Marilyn-esque fragrance, she was also know to wear Piguet’s Fracas and Joy by Jean Patou or you could try the contemporaryBlessings by Belinda Brown – Feminine, seductive and sweet – a fragrance that personifies Marilyn Monroe.

I will be writing a further piece on how to chose a signature fragrance – meanwhile if you are in London you can pop by the Harrods Urban Retreat’s Haute Parfumerie room – possibility the most beautiful place in London (well certainly from my point of view anyway!)  They stock Creed, Tom Ford, classic Guerlain, Roja Dove, Caron, Clive Christian and many more unique fragrances.

If you don’t live in London – you can order samples of some of these niche and unique fragrances from Les Senteurs – they are £3 each with free delivery and there’s a fantastic range to choose from.  Consider it the beginning of an expensive hobby!