InStyle's online editor Amanda Spackman chats to Professeur de Parfums, Roja Dove, about where to apply your fragrance for greater longevity. Plus he matches scents to suit your personal style…
Coco Chanel once said, "A woman who doesn't wear fragrance has no future." I often ponder over this quote as I spritz on my fragrance in the morning. A scent is a powerful and personal possession, so you should wear fragrance with vigour. Roja Dove, who is no novice when it comes to matching scents to women's personal taste, has been creating his own fragrant concoctions and harmonising scents for men and women for more than 7 years. Here, he shares his expertise on the perfect perfume, how to wear it and how many you should have.
How and where should you apply perfume? "An eau de toilette or eau de parfum should be applied all over the body with a little scent applied to the wrists, the inside of the elbow, and the hollow of the collar-bone. Once you have applied it use the body cream or lotion to 'lock' the fragrance in place. Always use the cream last as the alcohol in the fragrance will damage it and it will not be so effective."
How many fragrances should a woman have in her collection? "I believe the majority of women will always gravitate to their perfect scent when they are going to a special event. That said, look at the different types of shoes you have, sexy high heels, sensible court, gym etc. Marry one fragrance up for each style and you have the number of fragrances that is right for you."
Is there a particular scent in your memory that helped create the foundation for your interest in perfumery? "Without any question it was my mother's scent. I remember her wearing it when I was a very small boy and she came to my bedroom to kiss me goodnight as she was going out to a cocktail party. Her fragrance always made me think of how my mother became a glamorous goddess and her perfume was the thing that heralded the change."
What makes a great fragrance? "Good-quality materials and a perfumer following their own heartbeat and not copying someone or something else. Look at the use of blackcurrant in Halston Woman (on sale September 19) and how it gives a very unusual tart-freshness wrapped around bergamot."
What fragrance would you say is the greatest ever made? "Mitsouko by Guerlain, Arpège from Lanvin, or the most influential of them all Quelques Fleurs from Houbigant, as without it, all floral creations as we know them could not exist."
What are your top three favourite fragrance ingredients? "Jasmine—I love its carnal sensuality, Labdanum for its smooth, smoky, leather-like sensuality, and Ambergris with incomparable refinement and sensuality."
What makes a signature scent? "It is a scent that makes you feel like you are invincible and makes you grow without the need for heels."
Want a failsafe fragrance, guaranteed to suit you? See below which beautiful scents Dove suggests to match your style.
