Sweet smell of spring: Top 5 scents to pick from this season

As we put away our heavy coats and cashmere sweaters, we look to lighter, more cheerful perfumes to reflect our more buoyant spirits. We have lined up the best fragrances to wear this spring.

Dior, Poison Girl (eau de parfum)

If you filled a patisserie with fresh flowers, it would smell a lot like this - roses and bitter orange warmed with a creamy scent reminiscent of vanilla. “Poison Girl” is Dior’s latest edition to the Poison line, but this one comes with a twist of edginess - a simple scent with high-quality ingredients. It can also be worn in early summer.

Top note: Bitter orange
Heart notes: Damask rose, Grasse rose
Base notes: Tonka bean, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Almond and Tolu balsam

L’Occitane, Neroli & Orchidee en Provence (eau de toilette)

This is the kind of pure floral scent you could wear all spring, and maybe all summer. It is named after its main ingredients: Neroli & Orchidee. However, there is a tea-like vibe to this in the opening notes: peach and tea. It is soft enough to wear in the office, and feminine enough for a fancy dinner. It is subtle, sweet and long-lasting.

Top notes: Orange, Mandarin orange
Heart notes: Neroli, Peach, Fig nectar, Lily of the Valley
Base notes: Orchid, Musk, Iris

Michael Kors, 24K Brilliant Gold (eau de parfum)

The ingredients are simple, opening with mandarin orange, leading to floral notes and ending with woody notes. The scent is similar to Sand & Sable (a popular fragrance since the 1980s) but with a modern twist. The longer you wear it, the better it gets. It is quite youthful compared to previous Michael Kors fragrances.

Top note: Mandarin orange
Heart note: Floral notes
Base note: Woody notes

Jo Malone, Mimosa & Cardamom (Cologne)

The notes are as straightforward as the scent - soft, creamy and spicy with a touch of sweetness. The cardamom is beautifully sweet and spicy, drawing the warm glow of mimosa into full swing. The base note of Tonka bean furthers the longevity of the fragrance. This scent would suit anyone wanting to be a luxurious Bohemian. Like many Jo Malone fragrances, this one is unisex, but does lean toward feminine.

All Jo Malone perfumes and colognes can be combined with other fragrances to your personal taste. I recommend combining this particular fragrance with Jo Malone’s ”English Pear & Freesia” to add warmth.

Top note: Cardamom
Heart note: Mimosa
Base note: Tonka bean

Issey Miyake, L'Eau d'Issey City Blossom (eau de toilette)

The inspiration for this fragrance was nature in the city. Even the most discerning will love it. It opens incredibly fresh, with hints of citrus surrounding a note that is almost rain-like, cut with a hint of pink pepper that is more evident on skin than when sprayed in the air.

The gorgeous mix of lemon, freesia and magnolia mirror the aroma walking past a flower shop, and is tempered by notes of white cedar and musk. This fragrance is for a woman who wants her springtime to be fun.

Top notes: Pink pepper, Calone, Bergamot, Lemon
Heart notes: Osmanthus, Magnolia, Freesia, Lily of the Valley, Rose
Base notes: White cedar, White musk, Ambroxan, Honey