Kubeka states that this season the de rigueur scents are florals and citrus, naturally to accompany the freshness that comes with the season of rebirth. Since Marilyn Monroe famously stated that she only wore Chanel No.5 to bed, women all over the world have been asking how and when should one apply fragrance.
I asked Kubeka and this was her reply: “Apply perfume to the pulses – the wrists, the base of the trout behind the ears and the elbows, this will react with your body heat and therefore emit scent.”
She went on to say that people commonly make the mistake of rubbing their fragrance into the skin after spraying. This is bad because it diminishes the ‘evolving and drying down process.’ Spray and leave it alone is her advice.
She also advises she that you should change your fragrance as the season changes.
“You need to wear something woody in winter, it will be warm and suitable. In summer we move to floral scents which are fresher and citrus,” she said.
The fragrance industry is moving away from alcohol-based fragrances, which can be harsh on the skin, to oil based perfumes which last longer. And there has been a move to go back to a centuries-old method of making water based perfumes. These are perfect for sensitive skin, or those who favour a cleaner, lighter fragrance.
As much as your fragrance can announce your presence you can also give your home a signature aroma. Kubeka advises that citrus, lime and white floral scents can turn your home into a fragrant haven.
There are many products, such as candles, room sprays, diffusers as well as linen sprays that can freshen up your space. But where should you put all these products?
“In the middle or by the windows of your room to allow the fragrance to be carried by the air flow,” Kubeka said.
Let your perfume do the talking as you do the walking
Scent is transportive, you could be walking down the street and a subtle waft of perfume clinging to a pair of wrists or following in a cloud behind someone can take you to a seaside, an orchard or your childhood.
Perfume is a heady signature that announces your arrival and lingers long after you depart. It has been used to seduce and to create a stir.
I discovered the power of perfume when I was a teen, by a fluke. My mother’s employer had gifted her a bottle of Yves Saint Laurent’s Rive Gauche. She didn’t care for it and gave it over to me. The moment I spritzed it into the air and walked into it, I felt elegant, chic and powerful.
It is no wonder the fragrance industry is worth over $60-billion (R912-billion) currently, who wouldn’t want to feel all those things at the spritz of a fragrance?
However, it can be quite intimidating choosing a fragrance. But with a bit of knowledge, the task can be a fun-filled experience.
Firstly, most fragrances can be categorised into four main groups, floral, fruity, woody and oriental. These four categories house an infinite number of combinations.
Then you can let your nose do the walking so to speak, because choosing a signature fragrance is really about preference and your personality. It also helps to ask for assistance within the store.
Sowetan caught up with Gift Kubeka, store manager at Skins Cosmetics in Sandton, which is a highly acclaimed one-stop shop for beauty and household cosmetics, to pick her brain about what scents are in this spring and how to infuse some freshness with fragrance into your house to wow and invigorate your visitors.
Kubeka states that this season the de rigueur scents are florals and citrus, naturally to accompany the freshness that comes with the season of rebirth. Since Marilyn Monroe famously stated that she only wore Chanel No.5 to bed, women all over the world have been asking how and when should one apply fragrance.
I asked Kubeka and this was her reply: “Apply perfume to the pulses – the wrists, the base of the trout behind the ears and the elbows, this will react with your body heat and therefore emit scent.”
She went on to say that people commonly make the mistake of rubbing their fragrance into the skin after spraying. This is bad because it diminishes the ‘evolving and drying down process.’ Spray and leave it alone is her advice.
She also advises she that you should change your fragrance as the season changes.
“You need to wear something woody in winter, it will be warm and suitable. In summer we move to floral scents which are fresher and citrus,” she said.
The fragrance industry is moving away from alcohol-based fragrances, which can be harsh on the skin, to oil based perfumes which last longer. And there has been a move to go back to a centuries-old method of making water based perfumes. These are perfect for sensitive skin, or those who favour a cleaner, lighter fragrance.
As much as your fragrance can announce your presence you can also give your home a signature aroma. Kubeka advises that citrus, lime and white floral scents can turn your home into a fragrant haven.
There are many products, such as candles, room sprays, diffusers as well as linen sprays that can freshen up your space. But where should you put all these products?
“In the middle or by the windows of your room to allow the fragrance to be carried by the air flow,” Kubeka said.