I can feel it, the weather has turned. The depths of winter and the never-ending rain of January and February has shifted into a bright, blooming spring (fingers crossed that it sticks) and it’s time to match your perfume to the new mood along side your new haircut and fresh new fits...
If you’re anything like me, you will be spending a lot of time in gardens in the next few months; whether that’s the fresh, floral-filled variety or the pub variety with your besties splitting a G on a pint of Guinness, we can confirm the best days of the year are here. To ring in the soft, breezy warmth of spring, we have rounded up the best garden-inspired perfumes to try for spring. From soft petal florals to the green herbiness of cut grass and breezy leaves and mossy earthy notes that give that freshly-watered plant vibe, there is a garden-inspired perfume for everyone – often these notes are blends with each other for the perfect garden spritz, leaning . Here are our favourites…
Soft garden florals
Floral fragrances for spring is, of course, a match made in heaven and there are so many to pick from, from white florals to fruitier options. But the soft garden floral is a little different to the standard rose or jasmine scent. These mix in notes of rose, sweetpea, lily of the valley and freesias in a light, airy way, like Jo Malone English Pear and Freesia.
Jo Malone London English Pear and Freesia Cologne - 50ml
Never heady or overpowering, at the base you'll find the likes of cedarwood and sandalwood for grounding and the top you'll usually find zingy citrus notes that lift off to reveal the light bouquet of flowers.
Beauty Pie Flower Drench Eau De Parfum
Top Notes: Ginger, Lime, Lemon
Middle Notes: Rose, White Flowers, Lilly, Ylang Ylang
Base Notes: Vanilla, Cedarwood, Amyris, Musk
Top Notes: Italian Bergamot, Petit Grain, White Peppercorn
Heart Notes: White Freesia, Magnolia, Transparent Tuberose
Base Notes: Musks, Sandalwood, Golden Amber
Marks & Spencer Soft Iris Eau De Toilette
Top and Middle notes: Iris, jasmine and bergamot blended with orange blossom essence
Base notes: Vetiver, amber and patchouli
Green and leafy notes
When a green note sits at the top or heart of a scent, it really bursts out. Think freshly-cut grass and vines warmed in the sunshine. Maison Margiela Replica From The Garden embodies this perfectly.
Maison Margiela Replica From The Garden Eau De Toilette
Picking a green, leafy scent is like opting for a matcha instead of a regular coffee, you kind of feel like *that* girl, but in the most unisex, gender-neutral sense, as these scents rarely are feminine, but elegant in an alluring and refreshing way.
Arkive No One Elsie Scent for Hair and Skin
Key notes: Tomato leaf, rhubarb, redcurrant, honeysuckle, vetiver
Le Labo Le Labo Eucalyptus 20 Eau De Parfum 50ml
Key notes: Eucalyptus, Cedarwood, Red Thyme, Olibanum, Labdanum, Gurjun Balsam, Hyssop, Musk
Pigmentarium GENESIS eau de parfum
TOP NOTES: laurel, aldehydes
MIDDLE NOTES: verbena, lily of the valley, green apple
BASE NOTES: fig leaves, rosewood, musk, amber
Garden herbs
Do you want to smell like your local allotment's potting bench? Yes, yes you do, actually. With basil, mint, coriander and rosemary in the mix, you get the illusion of a herb garden in full lush growth bursting with freshness like with DS & Durga's Coriander.
These notes, are often paired with pretty florals for a feminine vibe or zesty and earthy notes for something more gender-neutral.
M&S Apothecary Breathe Eau de Parfum 50ml
Key Notes: Eucalyptus, bergamot and thyme
Jo Loves Green Orange Coriander Fragrance
Top Notes: Bitter Green Orange, Black Pepper
Heart Notes: Coriander Seed, Coriander Leaf
Base Notes: Green Oak Moss, Tonka Bean
Vyrao The Sixth Eau de Parfum 50ml
Top notes: Angelica root, juniper berry
Heart notes: Apple, fennel and peppermint
Base notes: Cedarwood, patchouli and oakwood.
Grounding moss
We get that this vibe doesn't sound as appealing; that wet, mossy, earthiness of a spring garden at first dew, but it's the base of some of the best spring scents that are little bit deeper and sexier for garden scents. Take, Creed's excellent Wild Vetiver – It's earthy and clean thanks to the namesake notes but mixed with berries, blackcurrants and geranium it gets a big splash of garden florals.
Vetiver and patchouli are big players here, and ground even the most floral garden scents.
Commodity Moss-
Key notes: Bergamot, Oakmoss, Petitgrain and Musk
Abel Green Cedar Eau de Parfum 50ml
Top Notes: Magnolia, Cardamom
Heart Notes: Cypriol, Guaiac Wood
Base Notes: Texas Cedarwood, Atlas Mountain Cedarwood
Diptyque Tempo Eau de Parfum
Top Notes: Mate
Heart Notes: Violet Leaf
Base Notes: Patchouli
Keeks Reid is the Beauty Director at Cosmopolitan UK. While she loves all things beauty, Keeks is a hair fanatic through and through. She started her career in beauty journalism in 2013 as editorial assistant at Blackhair and Hair magazines working her way to Acting Editor of Blackhair magazine at 23 years old. She spent much of her career working in trade hairdressing media at Hairdressers Journal, Salon International and the British Hairdressing Awards. Which is why she is a regular contributor to Cosmo's Curl Up franchise. Now, alongside her Cosmo work, she presents, creates content on social media and works with a range of beauty companies; from magazines and websites to beauty brands and salons.
