Lovers rejoice, the sexiest day of the year is upon us! Valentine’s Day loved and hated in equal measure, is the perfect time to show your appreciation for those you adore, whether they’re sleeping in your bed or not. If you are a Scorpio, you should be especially grateful for this Christian holiday: studies show that a baby boom is reported every November as a result of all the love (ahem) that occurs around this time of year.
For the masochists out there, you might be spending today sat opposite your partner at a restaurant, chewing on a bone-dry steak, cold chips and the perfunctory chocolate lava cake, all washed down with a bracingly expensive bottle of red. Maybe you’re indulging in a loungey evening of bingeing TV and tag-teaming a tub of Häagen-Dazs as you both try not to pass out. Perhaps you’re doing Galentine’s Day, watching a rom-com and complaining about men as you throw popcorn at the screen. Or, like me, you’re alone in your room, luxuriating with the person who loves you most – yourself.
No matter how you spend it, one thing remains certain: smelling beautiful is of paramount importance. Flowers die eventually and chocolates go bad, but like love, once you find your perfume, it’s a lifelong marriage. In this spirit of romance, we’re recommending some sexy perfumes to make you swoon.
DS & Durga Rose Atlantic
A cliché it may be, but the rose is a classic for a reason, and DS & Durga’s Rose Atlantic is an elegant take on the Valentine’s Day flower. With refreshing bergamot sitting atop a base of passionate rose and marine notes, Rose Atlantic expertly conjures strolling through a pleasure garden in a New England beach house with your beau.
Iris Wallpaper Bibbi Paris
The inspiration behind Bibbi Paris’ Iris Wallpaper is too good not to share. Irises were the favoured flower of Giuseppina Strepponi, the muse of the Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi. Upon her death, Verdi was struck mad with grief, decorating every inch of Casa Verdi with irises, the smell of which is said to linger in the mansion today. A gorgeous blend of iris, leather and vanilla, the fragrance is fitting ode to this season of devotion.
Vilhelm Morning Chess
Picture a warm Summer sun dappled through lacy white curtains, gently awakening you and your lover from a deep slumber, and you can get a sense of the gentle majesty of Morning Chess. A wonderfully refreshing citrus opening gives way to an animalic hit of ambergris and the herbaceous zing of patchouli. Like a relationship, Morning Chess starts reveals its rich and hidden depths slowly.
ETAT LIBRE D’ORANGE Sécrétions Magnifiques
If you’re looking for a more literal take on a sexy fragrance, ETAT LIBRE D’ORANGE has you covered. Advertising notes of “blood, sweat, sperm and saliva”, the invigorating saltiness of Sécrétions Magnifiques, blended with milky coconut and irony seaweed makes for a remarkable conversation starter. A first date perfume this is not, but when the lights go out, I find myself reaching for its fascinating photorealism.
Perfumer H Water Lily
Toothsome watermelon notes open up Perfumer H’s balancing act of delicacy and eroticism. In order to grow properly, water lilies rely on thin stalks that move with the water, and Perfumer H’s Water Lily echoes this drifting majesty with its aqueous formulation and unobtrusive projection. Opening with prightly cyclamen, Water Lily comes into full bloom with a middle note of orange flower, giving way to spicy Haitian vetiver and black pepper. It’s a pleasingly dirty finish for a fragrance that opens so innocently, ideal for all you wolves in sheep’s clothing out there.
Tom Ford Oud Wood
At the end of the day, love is extremely complicated, in spite of what greeting card companies try to tell us. Tom Ford’s predictably nuanced Oud Wood does justice to love’s unknowable depths: inky, balsamic notes meet the titular fragrant wood in a creamy balance. Deeply mysterious and sophisticated, Oud Wood is an expert use of its titular ingredient, one of the most expensive and sought-after ingredients in perfumery.
By Matteo Pini
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