Talking scents

If you've become disillusioned with your scent, it may be because, 'It's just so last season, dahling'.

The perfume industry is beginning to imitate the fashion world and the latest fragrances from Pucci, Balmain and Balenciaga have descriptions which read like a Fashion Week catwalk schedule.

That heady winter fragrance you were spritzing during the party season will soon feel about as redundant as your sparkly party dress, when spring has sprung.

"Over the last twenty years we have witnessed a move towards people having a 'fragrance wardrobe' rather than just one signature scent," explains Mark McCormack, owner of Rich Perfumerie (www.richperfumerie.co.uk).

It seems your wardrobe isn't the only thing needing a revamp as the season changes.

Closet perfumer Changing your style every six months to stay on trend is an expensive fashion game, but if seasonal change appeals give your fragrance collection a spring clean instead.

"Different perfumes can now be worn for day and night but also seasonally," McCormack says.

"Just as musky, spicy notes work well to warm you up on cold winter nights, fresher, lighter notes can refresh and cool as we approach hot summer days.

"Spring can still be a touch on the chilly side, so you will still need a fragrance that has more depth and warmth to it than a summer fragrance which is usually a light cologne or a variation of your usual scent."

If you can't bear to say goodbye to your signature scent, many fragrance houses are tapping into the market of fresher, summer versions of their best selling classics, such as Daisy Marc Jacobs Eau So Fresh or Jean Paul Gaultier Classique Summer.

Fragrance fauna Just as catwalk trends dictate fashion, fragrance houses also echo the style vibe of the season.

"I have seen two main trends emerging so far for spring/summer 11: floral blooms and the Seventies," McCormack reveals.

"Very Irresistible Givenchy L'Intense, Chloe Rose Edition and L'Eau d'Issey Florale all have roses at the heart of their floral explosions, with Clinique Happy In Bloom summing up the trend with an amazing floral bottle."

Post-Valentines Day, Selfridges saw a 25% increase in rose fragrance sales last month.

Seventies fever has also come up smelling of roses; back in fashion - and in fragrance - if recent ad campaigns for Gucci and Chloe are anything to go by.

"There are plenty of scents that give a nod to the Seventies without being quite so strong smelling," McCormack says.

"The decade is back in fragrance vogue with Flora by Gucci Eau Fraiche giving a nod to Seventies glam with its white capped bottle and Seventies favourite patchouli aplenty in Guerlain's Idylle Duet."

It's designer, dahling!

When that It bag is just beyond your reach and those Louboutin heels are likely to send you bankrupt, you can still do the haute couture of fragrance with a designer scent.

Forget the trend for celebrity fragrances, the past year has seen an influx of signature smells hit the luxury shelves - with a surprisingly affordable price tag.

"The most recent designer scent to cause a stir in the fragrance world is Jimmy Choo, who launched his eponymous scent this year to much praise," McCormack says.

"It's likely such fragrances will be the epitome of a brand distilled into a bottle of beautiful smelling juice, rather than having a new one every season like a catwalk show.

"It would be very rare for designers to launch a scent to go with each of their new season's collections - this is because perfumes take many years to create from initial idea to launch."

Get spritz selective Fruity, floral or woody, whatever your poison go forth and hunt out your seasonal scent. Roni Raithatha, The Fragrance Shop expert offers her top tips: :: Your spring fragrance should be light and airy with a touch of 'summer garden' about it. A good general rule of thumb is to avoid overpowering scents - it's important people see you before they smell you!

:: Apply a fragrance you haven't worn before on the back of the wrist then leave for a few minutes for the scent to settle, enabling the different levels of the notes to absorb into your skin and mix with your body chemistry.

:: Don't test more than three fragrances at one time as your nose will become desensitised and you won't be able to detect the complexities of each fragrance.

:: Use scent strips to try before you buy and take away the scent to smell. Spray the fragrance on the tip, bring the strip towards the nose then gently tap the strip, this helps release the fragrance.

:: For the summer season, try an EDT (eau de toilette) or EDC (eau de cologne) as you don't want your fragrance to be too strong in the hotter months.

Tried & tested :: Return to Glory This Works Rejuvenating Leg Treatment, £75 for 1 hour. Receive a £25 discount with a Pamper package at the Vitality Show (March 24-27, Earls Court). Visit www.vitalitylive.co.uk I admit it, I'm a spa junkie. So when I stumbled across the at-home Return to Glory Rejuvenating Leg Treatment, I was sceptical it would match up to an all-singing, all-dancing spa. Less than five minutes after walking through my front door, my friendly therapist had set up a luxury treatment table complete with fluffy towels and relaxing music twinkling in the background. With the addition of a cooling eye mask, I'd soon forgotten I was in my lounge - and my to-do list of chores.

With spring fast approaching This Works' product based treatment aims to bring limbs back to life ready for no tights season - eek!

The treatment begins with a thorough exfoliation using Daily Boost Body Scrub to banish dead skin cells and boost skin tone. Once this was gently removed with a wet towel my feet were treated to Perfect Heels Rescue Balm, which was soothed onto my dry feet so the thick cream could absorb into my soles during the third step, massage.

Using the hydrating Skin Deep Dry Leg Oil, my therapist's technique felt confident with a firm pressure and she managed to detect and tease out all my tense areas before switching to softer, soothing strokes working with the direction of the lymph nodes to eliminate toxins.

This Works' Perfect Legs was the shimmering final touch leaving my legs ready to party. But blissed out from the massage it was refreshing to wave off my therapist and relax on the couch instead of traipsing home.

This leg treatment certainly gives spas a run for their money.

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