Purple is the new pink, in the perfume world, at least …
Forget minimal, pared-back bottles – this summer, perfumes are no wallflowers. Designed to catch our eye and amp up the positive vibes, we’re seeing a rush of bottles the colour of lilac and lavender. And they’re delicately delicious. This purple patch began in beauty last autumn when Chanel’s AW2024 beauty collection championed the colour traditionally associated with royalty.
At this time of year, the glorious lilac starts to bloom and smell incredible. Soft shades of purple hint at notes of violet, iris, lavender and pale roses, making these bottles both alluring and, of course, very photogenic. And body mists and sprays, sunny and more affordable than perfumes, are being presented in bright and colourful bottles, attracting particularly a young audience: see Phlur’s Moonstone Mist (from €25, at SpaceNK) and Sol de Janeiro’s cheery range for starters.
As perfume trends go, it feels like this move towards colourful bottles is set to stay (Ormonde Jayne’s new Vetiveria is in a bright green bottle, for example) as brands look to capture our attention in a highly competitive market. Coloured bottles are for grown-ups, too …
The new eLVes Louis Vuitton eau de parfum, a sophisticated lilac, is an intoxicating blend of fresh floral notes of rose, blackcurrant, peach and a hint of coconut milk, warmed by cinnamon and ginger. The elegant bottle is refillable, so can remain forever on your dressing table. €290, Louis Vuitton at Brown Thomas.
Chanel Chance Eau Splendide eau de parfum is an attractive pale violet described as: “The shade of magic and lightness tinged with mystery and nobility.” Breezy and light, it combines a sparkling raspberry accord with facets of crisp fruit, rose and violet, with a richer floral heart of rose geranium. And there’s a breeze of iris in there, too, hinting at the purple exterior. For me it’s a lighter, more girlish take on the powdery violet that features so dramatically in perfumer Olivier Polge’s leading lady perfume, Misia, in the Exclusifs line. €125 at Boots.
Floris Purple Memoire comes straight from an old English garden with lavender, bergamot and mandarin on a long-lasting base of amber, sandalwood, labdanum and powdery musk layered with creamy vanilla and tonka bean. From €120 (50ml).
Rituals picked up on the lilac trend with the Dream Collection Eau de Parfum, €56, which is a gourmand floral with notes of white peach, tuberose and musk. Try the hair and body mist, too (€26). At stores nationwide and online.
Glossier You Fleur is an airy floral with exotic notes of osmanthus and ylang ylang on a woody, musky base. At SpaceNK’s fragrance pop-up event in London earlier this year, there was huge interest in this scent from a younger audience. Glossier scents have a reputation for being quite subtle, without the sugary overload that’s more commonly piled on for that demographic. €96 for 50ml.
Prada’s Infusion de Figue eau de parfum is not brand new, but it certainly fits this mood. A green, woody light fig with green galbanum, it’s a dreamy summer scent. Currently €130 (down from €162) at Look Fantastic.
Vyrao’s Witchy Woo perfume comes in a glam purple-blue bottle to denote the smouldering Moroccan orris, rose and frankincense inside. Vyrao makes some of the best perfumes around right now, well worth discovering. Irish perfumer Meabh McCurtin is excelling here with scents like The Sixth and Sun Rae. €120, 30ml.
Need to know: If you prefer something stronger in both colour and scent, explore Creed’s Queen of Silk eau de parfum with osmanthus, patchouli and vanilla; Thierry Mugler’s Alien ExtraIntense; Charlotte Tilbury’s spicy amber Cosmic Power or Tom Ford’s banging Velvet Orchid – all a deep, rich purple.
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