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Feeling sluggish or a little low? Spritz on a fragrance for an instant mood lifter. Just as a scent can remind you of a person or an event, the right perfume can smack the doldrums away. Some very lucky scientists study aromatics and the body/mind connection, and research has clinically shown that certain fragrances can make you feel happier or calmer.
When shopping for a new fragrance, why not try a floral pick-me-up or a bouquet to add some serenity to your day? Whether you want to be calmed or uplifted, here’s a list of lovely scents that can brighten your day — and your mood, too.
Keep scrolling to shopFIRST’spicks for the best scents that calm.
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As a rule of thumb, if you’re looking for an energizing fragrance, head towards one that contains green, citrus, or bright floral notes. Green notes can encompass herbs like peppermint and rosemary, or tea leaves, cut grass, bergamot, clover, and even the tasty tang of a crisp fruit like apple. Citrus notes are either lemon, orange, grapefruit, lime, orange, and mandarin orange. Bright florals are flowers like jasmine, hibiscus, plumeria, or violet leaf.
Fragrances smell differently on everyone as they mix with each person’s chemistry. A fragrance that is long-lasting on someone, may not be on someone else. So before you spring for a bottle of your own, ask for a sample so that you can try it before you buy it. This is a good way to discover how it may work with you. If you cannot acquire a sample of the fragrance, find out if the company has a generous return policy. Some places allow a fragrance to be returned because it wasn’t a match.
Skeem Lemon & Oak Print Block Perfume
Where to buy: $24, Skeem Design
A zesty burst of lemon will immediately brighten you your day. Other upbeat ingredients include citrus peel, tea, and amber. This rollerball is just the right size to place in your bag, or your pocket. Its formulation is gentle on your skin and the scent slowly evolves into a gentle woody one that leaves you feeling happy and relaxed.
Golden Door Yuzu Face & Body Mist
Where to buy: $34, Amazon
Golden Door’s Yuzu Face & Body Mist does double duty: It can be used as a both scent and a light moisturizer. The main ingredient is Yuzu, a Japanese citrus fruit, combined with May Chang, jasmine and vanilla essential oils. The combination is uplifting and refreshing. The mist is cruelty-free, and free of sulfates, phthalates, or parabens.
Biggs & Featherbelle Lavender & Citrus Perfume Oil
Where to buy: $9.99, Biggs and Featherbelle
This mixture of juicy and delicious red grapefruit with earthy lavender and patchouli will shake the blues away with one sniff. Think of a verdant garden patch early in the day. Try a whiff of it before an interview for an extra boost of confidence.
Pinrose Wild Child Eau de Parfum
Where to buy: $77, Sephora
You know the feeling you get when you wake up early on a summery morning — the sky is a brilliant blue, there’s a gentle breeze ruffling your hair, and the sun is bursting with joy. That’s exactly how you’ll feel when you take a sniff of this, no matter the season. A mix of bright florals, plumeria, jasmine, and gardenia, will make you feel unconquerable. This fragrance is also cruelty, paraben and phthalate-free.
Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Eau de Parfum
Where to buy: $58, Kohl's
Here’s something that will make you feel giddy and ready to take on anything. The joyous blend of mandarin oranges, fresh berries, sweet honeysuckle and caramel give you a dose of instant optimism.
Lavender has long been a known go-to when it comes to calming scents, and there are many other aromas that can also do the trick. Think: rose, jasmine (known as “nature’s valium” it has both uplifting and calming properties), chamomile, cedarwood, sandalwood, and violet. Each of the below fragrances are feminine, lovely to wear day or night, and can quickly soothe nerves.
Le Marche by NP Boudoir Blush Spray
Where to buy: $32, Le Marche by NP
This soft, enticing spray can be used on both your body and your bed linens. Surround yourself in a soothing aroma that combines chamomile, green tea, white lilies, rose, jasmine, and pink peppercorn. It’s a bouquet that, with one whiff, will make you feel serene and relaxed.
Si Passione Giorgio Armani Perfume
Where to buy: $70, Ulta
Speaking of bouquets, spritz on this fruity feminine floral perfume and you’re (mentally) transported into a serene, lush, sunny garden that’s instantly calming and opulent at the same time. The ingredients, pear, rose, vanilla, cedarwood, heliotrope and jasmine are soothing to frazzled nerves.
Serious Gaze R&Co, Fragrance Spray
Where to buy: $20, Amazon
Serious Gaze can make you feel as if you’re in a cashmere hug. How? Because this relaxing scent can be spritzed on your hair, body, bed linens, and even use it as a room spray. The soft, sweet-smelling tones of violet, dark woods, and leather accord make everything feel better.
Aerin Rose de Grasse Perfume Spray
Where to buy: $235-$325, Nordstrom
There have been many studies on the soothing effects of roses. Scientists have discovered that this flower can lower blood pressure, breathing and pulse rate, and alleviate stress, too. Aerin Rose de Grasse is a rich redolent scent that contains the rare Rose Centifolia, and Bulgarian Rose Otto. Imagine sitting in the heart of a rose, that’s how this feels wearing it. And, yes, while this fragrance is a pricey investment, a drop will last all day long.
Demeter Fragrance Library Lavender Cologne Spray
Where to buy: $15.72, Amazon
Your grandmother was right! Scientists have proven that lavender will alleviate anxiety and help you relax. Feeling nervous? A spritz or two of Demeter Fragrance Library’s Lavender Cologne Spray may make you feel better. Their lavender spray is made with pure lavender and smells just like the flowering shrub.
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