I’m a Beauty Editor and I Always Take a New Perfume on Holiday – Here’s Why

If I ever get a whiff of D&G Light Blue Perfume (£54.40) I’m instantly taken back to the summer of 2001 and my girls’ holiday to Magaluf. I can almost taste the bright blue cocktails and hear the garage soundtrack playing in the distance. It also reminds me of my first boyfriend, my childhood pal-turned-lover, which may have only ever been a school age romance, but still brings back many fond memories all these years later.

There is something so powerful about the way we connect fragrance with a period of time, a person or our emotions, making it one of my favourite beauty genres to write about and to invest in. It may not deliver or promise the results of a skincare treatment or have the power to transform the way you look like makeup, but what it does for your mind is so much more than all of that.

“Scent has an intrinsic link with memory so taking a new fragrance away on holiday with you is a lovely thing to do,” Emmanuelle Moeglin, Founder of Experimental Perfume Club tells PS UK. “It means that you can attach a whole new experience to a new fragrance profile, that will (hopefully!) remind you of warm summer days and good times for years to come.”

Studies have found that scent actually impacts how our brains work, which is why aromatherapy has been used for centuries to help control our moods and been found to have positive results. This is why brides tend to really focus on their chosen scent for the big day and why many people like to scent a special occasion. For my engagement party I filled the room with Neom Happiness Scented Candles (£38) and I will always think of that night when I get a sniff of that scent, and even just the notes of neroli can have the same power of evoking all those core memories.

Once I realised the power of scent to transport you to a different time or I place I started scenting my holidays. It may sound strange, but if like me you live for seeing and experiencing new countries and cultures, you will probably find yourself thinking you always feel happier when you’re away. If this resonates then this tip is for you, as it can give you that holiday feeling for a few seconds even on the rainiest, most Monday of Mondays.

Before I go away I try to pick a new scent. I often use a sample or trial size as I find these are not only great for hand luggage, but it’s a good way to see if you really like the perfume, how it works with your skin, and if it lasts before buying a full size. For all of my signature scent gang, this is not about changing what you always wear, it is about finding a perfume for the now so you can have a bit of fun and deviate from the notes you tend to go to.

For my recent trip I picked Jo By Jo Loves, a citrusy, woody eau de toilette, which I had in a hand cream and fragrance duo set (£50) which contained a 50ml hand cream and a perfectly sized 15ml bottle to take away. I made sure I applied the morning of the flight and then as I got on the plane. This is also another tip – I always apply to the cuffs of my jumper or to a fabric scrunchie on my wrist, which can swiftly be placed under my nose if there are any unsavoury smells on the plane. This is such a lifesaver, especially in the hot summer months when things can get a bit, erm, pongy.

In regards to notes, it’s important to understand that the top notes, or the first ones you can smell, will be the first to disappear. With this perfume you instantly smell the grapefruit and lime, before being left with the woody middle notes, and then the base of black pepper and hedione (a slightly floral, jasmine smell), all of which really suit the back drop of a summer holiday. “Scent profiles also tend to change with the seasons and summer has its own host of fragrances like citrus, fig and jasmine (among many others),” explains Moeglin. “All are lovely to wear as it reflects the season you’re in.” If you want to really lock those memories in, try to focus on the base notes as these will be the ones that stay on the skin longest and will become engrained in your memory bank.

I used the scent every day whilst away and since being home even the slightest whiff takes me back to walking along the beach with the breeze in my hair, eating a greek salad and sipping on homemade limonata. And if the holiday doesn’t turn out how you planned? Then you can go back to your regular perfume without it ever reminding you of a holiday disaster, so its a win-win on both accounts, making it my holiday non-negiotable.

Lauren Ezekiel is an associate editor at PS UK, where she writes about all things beauty and wellness. With a degree in journalism and 12 years’ experience as a beauty editor at a leading Sunday supplement, she is obsessed with skincare, hair and makeup, and is often found offering advice to innocent bystanders. Her work has been published in Grazia, OK, Health and Beauty, The Sun, ASDA, Dare and Metro.