I scents Spring

It's Easter, which is fun all round I suppose. Four days off work works for me, but taking home a new perfume and an easter egg is much more exciting. Gobble some Green & Black's and spritz some feel-good fragrance and the world is right again.

For months I have been working D&G's The One in the ingot-like purse spray format - it's addictive and smells like heaven in the evening. But now I think it's time to lighten up and I'm looking for something that feels right when getting caught in April showers. Rifling through the samples there are a few stand-outs.

Marc Jacobs is on the money. If you thought you weren't into perfume, try the new additions to his Splash range, which Allure's Jessica writes about with aplomb. Layers and notes might seem complicated, so take it down a notch with a scent you can understand, and choose from Basil, Grapefruit or Pear. Pear's my fave, with everything you like about a men's fragrance and nothing you don't, and Basil hits the spot too. I don't like to sugar-coat it, but maybe the Grapefruit's for sweeter ladies than me.


If Agyness Deyn's leggy enthusiasm on the tv promo is anything to go by, Burberry's The Beat is the scent du jour. With a dubious shaped bottle which is more hip flask than hip, even the scent inside is found to be boozy. But some will love it, as it smells pretty and English and minty and faintly reminiscent of Pimm's. The first Pimm's of the season is an event in itself (best enjoyed in a pub by a river), so maybe The Beat's an aperitif?

If you're buying for a boy, head to Banana Republic (recently landed on Regent Street; really, you can't miss it). In fact, you might want to take your muscle man along to the store with you, as this is one heavy bottle, fashioned out of a huge chunk of wood which we can only assume is supposed to make the boys feel less metro, more hunter gatherer. I like the Slate version - nuzzle away, this is no Lynx.

Don't be a big copy, but - Chloe's spanking new Eau de Parfum is purely divine. A little cream card inside tells me it captures the essence of the Chloe spirit - 'effortless chic and femininity.' I've seen a lotta perfume ads and read a lot of releases, but here's a claim to fabulous I finally agree with. The weighty little pleated glass bottle is satisfyingly pretty (not cutesy) and the perfume captured inside keeps me coming back to my wrist for yet another whiff. Thank Coty for Chloe.