Anti-pollution products have been limited to moisturisers, cleansers and face masks – until now. Yes, we’ve seen clean-air technology in creams protecting us from polluted air and even devices that offer deep-cleansing for those who live in the world’s most polluted cities (because our hands have totally gone out of fashion, don’t you know). Now I’m psyched to introduce the answer to anti-pollution perfume: fresh air scents…
A major perfume trend for 2017, fresh air scents are taking the world by storm. ‘The clean-living movement has dominated the essence of “cool” for the past few years and has subsequently transformed into this,’ says perfumer Roja Dove. ‘The smell of fresh air is captured through headspace technology. This is a method where odour molecules, which come from raw materials, are captured and then taken to a laboratory, where perfumers attempt to recreate the smell.’
But with London breaking its annual air pollution limit just five days into 2017 (poor effort), could the fresh air perfume trend be THE subliminal message we’ve been waiting for? Are we all just craving a breath of fresh air, a hole in the clouds to lift our spirits or just a walk down a high street that doesn’t smell of polluted buses?
I, for one, am a firm believer in fresh, unpolluted air. I choose park paths over roadside walks and am at my happiest at the top of a mountain in the French Alps (with a glass of rosé, I should note). So when I discovered that my favourite brands were launching perfumes with fresh air molecules, I felt a change coming.
From now on, even if you live in your city’s most polluted area and don’t have the bank balance to jet off abroad, you can still smell hope. Hope that smells incredible, especially when blended with pomegranate, jasmine and rose, as in Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Bloom for her, which has liquid air accord at its base.
Then there’s Montblanc Legend Spirit for him, a mix of ozonic accord, grapefruit and pink pepper that’s inspired by exploring new places, seeing beautiful skylines and going on inspirational journeys. It’s the stuff of legends, trust me.
But this smell of freedom should remind us of the reality – that air pollution isn’t going to get any better. Perhaps this artificial creation of a smell we long for is the wake-up call we need to start making a change…
