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While some prefer the heady scents of oud to linger on their skin and others get their sweet fill from gourmand notes I, on the other hand, like my fragrances to smell like me, only better.
I’m not the only one who favors the subtle joys of skin scents. Once unknown among the seven olfactory groups, superseded by citrus and floral aromas, skin-like perfumes are on the rise, thanks to a growing perfume trend for minimalism which has filtered from our wardrobes down to our beauty routines, and notably, a boom on PerfumeTok where the hashtag has upwards of 50 million views.
Viral perfumes like Glossier You and Phlur’s Missing Person have also had a helping hand in catapulting barely-there aromas to the forefront of perfume, for now there are myriad formulas, from the soft and subtle to the ever alluring, and those that possess the unique power for people to ask repeatedly: “where’s your perfume from?” And the best part: with some harnessing molecules that adapt to your own skin, they smell completely different on everyone.
What is a skin scent?
Skin scents are designed to mimic or enhance the smell of your natural skin. By perfume standards, they meld certain ingredients which, according to perfumer and Escentric Molecules founder Geza Schoen can include “musk, sandalwood and sweet powdery notes, such as vanilla.” They will also usually have a comforting or nostalgic quality. “Skin scents offer a comforting sensation, a familiar coziness and cocooning desire,” she adds.
Núria Cruelles, house perfumer at Loewe, agrees. “These scents offer something intimate and unique—the idea of having a scent all for yourself. The ingredients used are very soft and skin-like, such as musk and orris.” Unlike the viral perfumes you see today, she explains that skin scents typically don’t employ a lot of top notes (usually the first notes you’ll smell upon spritzing a perfume), they’re more about the base.
With that, they’re a little more subtle and elusive, which is exactly their allure. I see so many era-defining and bestselling perfumes and I can immediately sniff them out: I know exactly what to expect from Le Labo’s Santal 33 or the world’s favorite Baccarat Rouge 540, but a skin scent is ever-changing—it’s unique and personal to you, and you alone. “In Molecule 01, which contains only one aroma molecule ingredient, Iso E Super, this opens up the mystery because some cannot actually smell the fragrance on themselves at all, however, they still choose to wear the perfume, because it draws attention from others—it adds to its allure,” shares Schoen of the brand’s popular skin scent. “It’s a conversation starter for those who can smell the fragrance and find it infatuating and unique.”
How to choose the right skin scent
“Choosing the right perfume for you comes down to the chemistry between skin and scent, mostly with the natural ingredients involved. That chemistry creates your skin scent,” shares perfumer Veronique Gabai. “Of course personality plays a role too, which is why I designed my personality test to guide scent selection.”
The best skin scents for 2024
Below are the 11 skin scents I wear on rotation that all offer something different, from the buzzy Acne and Frédéric Malle flacon to Celine’s addictive ZouZou.
An olfactive ode to sunshine, fashion brand Cult Gaia’s first foray into the world of scent, the Mast Eau De Parfum has quickly become a staple of mine. Though typically not your classic skin scent, it harnesses bergamot and tropical coconut but is softened by sweet Brazilian cumaru, culminating in a scent that’s reminiscent of post-beach skin.
If you were to envisage the feeling and the aroma of heavy rainfall on holiday, this would be it. Bottled in Le Labo’s Baie are the contrasting notes of patchouli, musk, green leaves and juniper berry; it’s addictive, subtle, and distinctive all at once.
I can count on two hands the number of times I’ve been stopped on my commute and asked, “sorry, but what perfume are you wearing?” There’s something about Diptyque’s L’Eau Papier that leaves you wanting to know more. It’s become a signature for me—I never tire of the musky, woody finish and slight peppery undertones (picture nosediving into a brand-new hardback).
Colleagues in the ELLE office have told me they can now tell my whereabouts based on the lingering scent of this perfume. Since launching earlier this year, this beautiful scent has become a firm favorite. As you’d expect from such a compelling duo as this, it combines the fragrance excellence of Frédéric Malle and the style prowess of Acne, culminating in a soft and sweet blend of both creamy and fruity notes.
Zouzou, Celine’s latest flacon, could be the French fashion house’s most intriguing yet. On first spritz, you might mistake this for a gourmand perfume. Really, it’s so much more—it’s warm, fresh but not too overpowering. I’d like to think of it as the perfume equivalent of a crisp white shirt. It goes with absolutely everything.
Though it may be one of the most worn and universally loved fragrances the world over, Glossier You smells different for everyone so you don’t have to fear sniffing your signature on someone else. As for the notes, this is a true skin scent: earthy iris, amber and warm musks.
Some will tell you that Byredo’s famed Blanche is the hero skin scent in their perfume portfolio, but I would argue that Mojave Ghost is the unexpected player to add to your fragrance wishlist. Musks, cedar, woodiness—there’s nothing I don’t love about this mysterious perfume.
If there’s one perfume I know is going to give me an instant lift it’s Veronique Gabai’s Le Point G. More of an evening scent, it’s a fresh twist on your classic skin scent with iris, musk, and vanilla, and the more unexpected leathery notes making it ideal for long summer nights.
If there’s a perfume that epitomizes skin scents, it’s D.S & Durga’s I Don’t Know What. The magic of this fragrance isn't about the blend itself but its power to enhance your other perfumes. Even if, like me, you’re a novice at the art of perfume layering, this one is guaranteed to smell good with your existing rotation of fragrance.
Founder Geza Schoen explains the USP of Molecule 01 perfectly: “It is highly unusual and you can never get enough of it. One sniff and you’ll want the whole bottle.” For Schoen, it’s the effect of this perfume rather than the notes that makes it so appealing. The blend reacts with your chemistry, and your skin, and will smell different on me as it does for you.
Anyone who has burnt a Trudon candle will know that this family-run brand is all about blending and bringing together unexpected notes—and in the most aesthetically pleasing bottles, we should add. It’s no surprise then, that this woody fragrance isn’t your typical skin scent: it’s light and refreshing, floral and aromatic, but with an ambiguous, skin-like quality.
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