Insight: How can perfume affect your mood?

Here at Milton-Lloyd, we live and breathe perfumery, enjoying many fragrance variations, from warm and woody through to fresh and floral fragrances. But the question we’re asking today is, how can perfume affect your mood?

In our recent blog, Perfume Trends of 2021, we discussed how the future of fragrance is going to focus on well-being, using perfume oils in a similar way to aromatherapy oils to relax our minds, body, and soul.

Aromatherapy has been around for years, using the natural powers of ingredients such as lavender, ylang-ylang, and bergamot to boost moods and aid stress relief. So how can we link this to the perfumes we wear every day?

Fragrance families have a big part to play and by layering notes, perfumers can create an everchanging scent that lasts all day, uplifting you in the early morning and keeping you calm in the late afternoon.

So, what mood-boosting benefits will we find in perfume?

There have been a lot of studies based on answering this question, with some suggesting that specific scents can enhance work performance and behaviour. Whether you’re looking for increased alertness, invigoration or relaxation, there’s a fragrance note out there to help.

Calming and relaxing

If you’re needing to take 5 minutes from your stressful day, choosing a perfume with notes of chamomile, jasmine, lavender, or vanilla could help you to keep your calm. Looking for perfumes with these ingredients throughout the top, middle, and base notes will help you to feel relaxed all day long. We recommend you try Colour Me Pearl.

Uplifting and invigorating

If you need to add a spring to your step, choosing a perfume with sharp, fresh notes such as citrus fruits, ginger, peppermint, or pine could do just the job. These revitalising fragrances help to inspire and excite, giving us that little extra bounce as we step out of the door in the morning. We recommend you try Perfumer’s Choice Sofia.

Warm and welcoming

Want to snuggle down on the sofa after a long day? Choosing a warm, winter fragrance might be just what you need. Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and amber can all be classed as warming notes, working in harmony with other fragrance families to keep you feeling cosy. We recommend you try Stars.

Fragrance and our memories

But it’s not just about specific perfume oils. Our sense of smell is an intricate one with the part of the brain used to process smell also being the part that stores memories, meaning a simple spray of perfume could transport you to anywhere in the world at any given time.

Whether rose scents remind you of your grandparents or orange blossom of your first family holiday, fragrance has the power to change your mood in an instant. Playing on our emotions, perfume can trigger both happy and sad feelings and everything in between. Choosing a perfume that reminds you of something positive is a great way to see you through the day – no matter what lies ahead.

Tell us about your favourite perfumes and how it affects your mood over on our social media channels! We’d love to hear from you.