From elegant floral finds to warm, sensual scents that capture the spirit of summer, take a look at our top picks for the sunniest season.

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Founder of cult fragrance brand Floral Street, Michelle Feeny previously worked at Estée Lauder where she ran successful brands such as MAC and Creme de La Mer. Here she talks about the importance of paving your own way in life, no matter the trends around you and the expectations placed on you…

In an age where it seems to be all about ‘following’ on Instagram, Facebook YouTube etc., it’s important to stay focused on being the individual you need to be! If I had followed others, or followed a path others thought was right for me, I am not sure I would have achieved all that I have. That doesn’t necessarily mean being rebellious, rude or obstinate, but more challenging yourself to think and act differently and also give yourself time to be ‘unplugged’, to leave space for new ideas and thoughts.

When I conceived the idea for Floral Street I knew I want to do things differently. The beauty and fragrance industry has been so slow to address environmental and packaging issues, and I wanted to start a brand that challenged consumers and other companies to make those valuable changes stick – a brand that leads. From recyclable, reusable packaging to sourcing our natural ingredients from sustainable sources, the environment is at the heart of what we do. But so are people.

Fragrance in particular has been dominated by advertising and marketing, which has been ‘selling sexy’ for both men and women. I think now in a more enlightened age of empowerment, we have much more interesting words and ways to communicate moods and feelings. Floral Street is based around being inspired to choose a fragrance based on the way a person feels each day and that’s the way we showcase our scents – by emotive keywords. It’s a totally new way of looking at scent.

self-expression isn’t about age, it’s a mindset.

The joy of launching a new brand with no rules is that you have an idea who you think the customer is, but you have to launch and just see what happens. It takes a leap of faith – but that’s exciting to me. We launched Floral Street knowing that we are attracting women of all ages who are ‘modern, interested customers’ and when we opened our Covent Garden store we saw how engaged people were with expressing themselves through scent.

And the age group was so varied that we knew we had something special – at any one time we’d have customers from 18-80 – self-expression isn’t about age, it’s a mindset. I call myself a 50-year old punk, because I have lived through incredible decades of rock ‘n’ roll and I never want to stop experimenting and having fun. Why should I?

It’s vital to go with your gut – that’s something I’ve learned. I had a gap year at 51 after a very successful career run working at Estee Lauder and launching huge international brands such as MAC Cosmetics. I’d never really had any significant time off in my life so I took it. I chose not to travel or learn an instrument, but to simply ‘be in my life’. I didn’t buy a magazine or get involved in beauty and fashion in any way and that time out taught me what I was missing by moving so fast and being so caught up in just one industry. I watched how my teenage daughter and young adult son consumed information, how they purchased things or not. This helped me realise how Floral Street needed to be if it was to appeal to a new customer. I wanted the products to have meaning and be different, but I also wanted to start to tell my story through the brand to help other women have confidence in themselves. And to start leading, not following.

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To ensure your fragrance sticks around for longer than the time it takes to get from dressing table to dance floor, we enlisted the expertise of Shay & Blue‘s founder Dom de Vetta, and fragrance expert and trainer at Miller Harris, Nick Gilbert to get some much-needed advice…

Know the difference

All scents called eau de cologne, eau de toilette or body spray, will be pretty subtle and won’t have a strong fragrance concentration. Whereas an eau de parfum or extrait de parfum is far more intense and will last longer. In addition, “Woods and musks help keep fragrances lasting longer on the skin – so keep an eye out for sandalwood, cedar wood, vetiver, patchouli, gaiac and oud – all of which create longevity and warmth in a fragrance.” Nick Gilbert explains. If you prefer fresh, lighter notes, look for blends of citrus with woods, musks and amber, such as Shay & Blue’s Blood Oranges, as these will still help the fragrance last.

Layer your scents

Layers aren’t only the remit of your transitional wardrobe. Nick says: “The single most important factor in keeping fragrance on the skin is moisture – the more moisture in the skin, the longer it lasts. Combining your fragrance with a body lotion or butter that matches, is the very best way to help the scent last, as it builds layers of the scent on the skin.” We love L’Occitane’s four-piece collection which includes an eau de toilette, shower gel and body lotion, perfect for creating that layered effect.

If that’s not to hand, try dabbing some regular petroleum jelly on your pulse points before spraying your perfume of choice. This will help to hold the fragrance for longer. Your pulse points include your wrists, neck, inside elbows, behind knees, and on ankles and calves, and are areas on your body where the veins are closer to the skin. This means they emit heat, which then helps fragrance develop faster.

You can even experiment with different combinations of fragrance to create a scent that’s uniquely yours. Just be sure to layer the lighter scent on top of the strong perfume so that the heavier fragrance doesn’t overpower it.

 

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Good morning, sweet peaches . Expect a delicate, cool scent with a surprising elderflower twist from our newest addition, White Peaches. Available to shop online and at our 80 York Street boutique! by @jemlamble. . . . . #shayandblue #bereal #marylebone #london #boutiqueperfumery #boutiquesoflondon #madewithrealflowersfruitandspices #UniqueFragrance #beauty #crueltyfree #perfumery #scent #aftershave

A post shared by SHAY & BLUE | Real Fragrance (@shayandbluelondon) on Jan 11, 2019 at 12:37am PST

Where else is fragrance most effective?

Dom advises applying perfume to clean skin, especially around the chest or decollété area. “Also try spraying a little of the scent onto the clothing you’re wearing, or a scarf. It lasts longer on fabric – but don’t spray on to delicates like silk! Every fragrance performs differently on different people, depending on your skin’s chemistry and natural oils. So you will often see reviews online of the same fragrance where two people give completely opposite verdicts. One will say their fragrance lasts brilliantly, at least 8 hours and another might say they couldn’t smell it after fifteen minutes – they are both right, it is just completely different skin in each case.”

Nick adds, “Fragrance evaporates more slowly from the hair because it is more porous. Spray scent into the hair and around the back of the neck, it will create a beautiful trail, and every time you move you’ll get a burst of fragrance. It’s also important to know where to place your fragrance for your own enjoyment – many of us spray on the wrists and neck, but we don’t get much of the fragrance there for ourselves. A spritz on the décolletage (as long as you are using sun protection or it’s covered!) will send gentle wafts of scent towards your nose for you to enjoy.”

It’s also much better to dab on your fragrance rather than rub it in as this can change the way it reacts on your skin. The top notes in any fragrance are typically lighter and rubbing the scent dissipates them very quickly, so it’s actually better to let the fragrance unfold naturally. Plus if you top it up later in the day, it will refresh those delicate top notes.

Change up for the season

Nick’s advice is that “as the seasons change, so should our fragrances – our wardrobes adapt for the seasons, and fragrance is no different. In summer, brighter and zestier fragrances are perfect. Spring or autumn with their slightly cooler weather calls for gentle florals and woods, and then the winter asks for richer, woodier and muskier fragrances.”

Dom adds that “in summer, because of the heat, fragrance doesn’t last as long, so use a light fresh perfume that you can reapply easily. In winter, use cosier, warmer scents to match the comforting mood of the shorter days and crackling fireplaces.” As we head into those warmer days, we’re loving Floral Street’s Neon Rose EPD for it’s vibrant scent, and the light, elegant fragrance of Shay & Blue’s White Peaches.

So when you’re getting ready tomorrow morning, take on Nick and Dom’s advice and enjoy your favourite scent for much longer. They may even have given us a great excuse to update our fragrance wardrobe for the season with something new.

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Dom de Vetta is the founder and creative director of imaginative, boutique perfume brand Shay & Blue, and previously created fragrances for Jo Malone and Chanel. Here he talks about his belief that incredible beauty products should be accessible to all…

I passionately believe in the power of great value beauty. For example, right now I use Deciem’s The Ordinary skincare products every day. Their vitamin C serum in the day, and retinoid serum at night. My skin has never looked better, and these are products that cost around £10 or less.

I have just never believed that paying extortionate amounts for a product is worth it. Even before The Ordinary came along, my daily skincare product was Nivea Soft, which is a good basic everyday moisturiser. When you look around on the internet, this is pretty much what dermatologists say as well: find a great basic moisturiser, ideally with vitamin C and/or retinoids, and try not to pay too much.

Customers now are really savvy, thanks to the transparency of the internet, and there is a whole new wave of next-gen beauty

And this it the reason that I started Shay & Blue. I wanted to give people very high quality fragrance ingredients for a fraction of the normal price. For example, our 30ml size is only around £25 – whereas most luxury fragrance brands now charge £85, £100, even £150 or more. It has got crazy, and it is profiteering on the part of those companies.

But the world has changed, and people won’t put up with this any more. Customers now are really savvy, thanks to the transparency of the internet, and there is a whole new wave of next-gen beauty companies like Deciem and Shay & Blue that offer amazing quality at very affordable prices. Great value has always been my beauty obsession, it is just so great to see that this is now a big movement that is spreading.

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From fruity concoctions to bold floral blends, here are six of the best spring scents to add to your collection.

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So in the spirit of making those decisions a little bit easier and providing any inspiration you may need, here’s our pick of this year’s must-have beauty buys that you’ll definitely want in your stocking.

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Think spicy, warm and reviving notes to complement the cooldown and enhance your mood. From woodsy, rich blends to fresh of-the-moment fragrances, here are our picks from some of the best in the perfume business.

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