TikTok made fragrance oils the perfume du jour, but we have loved them forever. Why? They are more potent and last longer, while giving your skin an enviable glow. Editor Trudi Brewer shares a viral trend that is already a classic.
We are spoilt for choice when it comes to fragrance. But sometimes, spritzing scent on your skin doesn’t give you the oomph you crave in winter. Enter perfume oils. They add depth to an otherwise sweet and flirty scent and, most importantly, warm up with your body chemistry. The outstanding benefit of perfume oils is that they last longer on the skin than alcohol-based fragrances - additionally, they are not as expensive as regular perfumes. You can expect them to linger on warm skin for up to 12 hours, depending on the quality and concentration of essential oils. Here is a collection of our favourites.
Kai Rose Perfume Oil, $106
Inspired by holidays spent on tropical islands in her youth, Kai’s creator, Gaye Straza, started her brand from a small boutique in Malabu. It quickly became a celebrity cult favourite thanks to fans like Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Naomi Watts. The original Kai is a fresh blend of exotic white flowers and cucumber essential oils. This version of Kai has the same base, but with the addition of musky, rose damascena, bergamot, and clove.
The easy-to-use, roll-on vial is the perfect travel-friendly, long-lasting vacation scent.
According to French-born, New York-based makeup artist and entrepreneur Violette Serrat, “When you touch a roll-on fragrance directly to your skin, it becomes a sensual way in which you connect back with yourself throughout the day.” She creates gorgeous makeup and a divine roll-on perfume oil, Avec Amour, which translates to "with love" in French. In her words: “It’s best applied wherever you want to be kissed.” So what does it smell like? A floral musk, thanks to amber, santal, and vetiver, with an abundance of ylang-ylang and uplifting citrusy bergamot.
Made in Victoria, Australia, Gentle Habits perfume oils offer a scent blend to suit every moment in your life. The collection includes six: Byron Bay, Tasmania, Bondi Beach, Yamba, Noosa, and (our style director’s favourite), Immersion. Each is created to evoke places and rituals. It’s made from quality essential oils and fractionated coconut oil, which is odourless and more expensive than regular coconut oil, to offer a clean scent experience. My pick, Byron Bay, is a blend of cardamom, cedarwood, and patchouli. Each is refillable, designed with sustainability in mind, helping you reduce waste.
I discovered this beautiful French beauty brand in Paris in 2019 and have been in love ever since. This latest floral blend features seven exotic oils, including tsubaki, borage, hypericum, sweet almond, camellia, hazelnut and macadamia, infused with the scent of grapefruit zest, magnolia, and musk. A shimmering dry oil, which means it’s not greasy, but as hydrating as any oil, and it’s infused with pearl particles to leave a pretty pink-gold glow on the skin. For all over your body, it also doubles as a finishing hair oil. Finally, 96 per cent of the ingredients are of natural origin.
We think this is the jewel in the crown of Kiwi hair stylist, Chloe Zara’s CZE collection. First, it’s free from nasties and full of multi-tasking, plant-based ingredients commonly found in skincare. Made to create lustrous locks and calm frizz, this oil is also beneficial for the skin, thanks to a blend of exotic oils such as sweet almond, Kakadu plum, Moringa, watermelon, hemp, cucumber, camellia, and passionflower. The brand’s signature pineapple, saffron, fig and sandalwood scent doubles as a gorgeous perfume.
A luxe-y way to wear your scent.