Fragrance as a category is all about emotion. Our sense of smell is deeply intertwined with our memories – they sit next to one another in the brain – and so perfume can have a profound effect on our thoughts and feelings. This goes for all scents, but there’s a new category of functional fragrance utilising precious raw materials, crystals, essential oils and good vibrations to take the mood boosting benefits even further. Scoff if you will, but the IFF (International Fragrance Foundation) is even putting money into its research.
So whether you want to find calm, cultivate confidence, get in the mood for love, or simply render the object of your affections powerless to your allure (and who doesn’t), I’ve got the perfumes for the job. The best in functional fragrances, below.
Vyrao Ludatrix
Ludatrix is all about desire. It’s latex and lipstick in perfume format, energetically charged with crystals to get you in the mood. It’s spicy but sexy, and uses ingredients proven to enhance sensuality by 81%, according to neuroscience (and the IFF’s Science of Wellness program).
Vyrao Mamajuju
Mamajuju on the other hand is formulated to bring you back to Earth. It’s a mix of grounding sandalwood, warm clay, spicy rum and olibanum – like the smell of sweet soil that’s wet from the rain. Like all of Vyrao’s fragrances, there’s an energetically charged Herkimer diamond within the bottle for additional good vibes.
PHLUR Mood Ring
This technicolour dream scent is bright, bold and nostalgic – like looking through a kaleidoscope. With gummy accord, pitaya, sunny marigold and glazed musk, it’s a scent to cultivate a sense of giddy, child-like euphoria.
Tulita Agati
Tulita’s plant-based fragrances play on the idea of chakras to rebalance and realign the wearer. Agati is for your root chakra; a grounding blend of Indian sandalwood, ginger and cyprus for calm, clear energy.
The Nue Co Functional Fragrance
I wore this in the RUSSH offices last week, and the team wouldn’t stop asking me about it. Functional Fragrance is the perfume equivalent of five deep breaths. It’s by perfumer Frank Voelkl (who also created Santal 33, plus the PHLUR Mood Ring scent mentioned above), and smells clean but Earthy with an undercurrent of musky. Think of it as forest bathing, minus the forest.
Charlotte Tilbury Joyphoria
I will never forget my interview with Charlotte Tilbury, where she told me she worked with neuroscientists to develop her fragrance line (Joyphoria included). It’s a super bright white floral, with creamy coconut, jasmine, tuberose, vanilla and neroli – like sunshine in a bottle. I feel it would be impossible to have a bad day while wearing this scent.
Cyklar Sex Musk Perfume Oil
If the name doesn’t give it away, the evocative note profile of this clean perfume oil will (rose, tonka, musk, amber). While sexy, it’s classic (thanks to the rose) and nostalgic given its creamy, dessert-like warmth. One for those who want to smell like Mena Suvari on the movie poster for American Beauty.
Escentric Molecules Molecule 01
While not functional in a modern sense, Molecule 01 is the original ‘pheromone’ perfume that takes on a life of its own, based on the wearer’s pH. The synthetic note in question is Iso E Super – it projects as mostly clean, slightly woody and a little metallic. If you’re into the idea of smelling irresistible but also like you’re wearing nothing, this is the perfume to try.
Comme des Garçon Odeur 10
I recently tried this and was taken back by its freshness (if you know Commes de Garçon perfume, you’ll know they’re typically dramatic and unusual). It’s citrusy and clinical, a distillation of ‘oxygenated ultrapurity’, according to the brand. I’ll admit it’s window cleaner adjacent on the first spritz, but settles into a soft but minty mix of aldehydes and musk. If bright white had a scent, this would be it.
Ikkari Aura Balancing Mist
This is a mist rather than a perfume, but is formulated with essential oils to encourage focus and clarity. With clary sage, cassis and oak moss, it’s meditative but energising, perfect for your desk or before a yoga class.
Images: @vyraoworld, @phlur
