Louise McSharry: On the hunt for a lighter spring fragrance? Here are my top six fresh scents

One area I struggle with at this time of year, however, is fragrance. (‘Struggle’ is a relative term here, of course.) I naturally gravitate towards smokier fragrances suited to autumn and winter, and they just don’t feel right in the context of blossoms and blooms.

With that in mind, I’ve been on a mission to find a favourite spring scent. Should you be on the same hunt, I thought I’d share my current shortlist with you.

1. Cloon Keen Lá Bealtaine (€130 via cloonkeen.com) — This gorgeous fragrance comes at a luxury price, but buying a Cloon Keen product is a luxury experience. Every aspect of the brand has been carefully considered, from beautiful stores to gorgeous packaging. This fragrance is named after ‘the day when spring moves into summer and the earth tilts its face towards the sun’. It smells fresh and sophisticated, blending bergamot, mandarin and neroli with patchouli and cedar. Plus, it’s made in Galway!

2. Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess (€68 via brownthomas.com) — This is a fragrance that smells like summer holidays. The official fragrance notes include tropical tiare flower, coconut, amber and vanilla but if I were writing them they’d read, “heat on your skin, sun tan oil and fancy cocktails”.

If you don’t like floral fragrances, this is an ideal spring/summer option which won’t give you a headache. If you’re going to be in the airport any time soon, keep an eye out, there are often great deals on this.

3. Chanel Chance (€113 via mccormackspharmacy.ie) — This is a fragrance which was a solid part of my college years, and I’ve loved returning to it lately. It’s floral but fresh, with notes of pink pepper, jasmine and amber patchouli as well as white musk and vanilla. If you like to feel feminine, this is a classic of that genre.

4. Zara Applejuice (from €7.95 via zara.com) — Zara’s fragrance range has lots of fans, partially because they smell great for a low price, and partially because a few of them are very similar to perfumes that cost 10 times the price. When you spend less on a fragrance you usually compromise on its ability to last on the skin, but this deliciously ripe and fruity blend of apple, orange and pink grapefruit is a great option to have in your handbag.

5. Gucci Flora Gorgeous ­Gardenia (€80 via boots.ie) – Gucci’s Flora collection is truly joyful, with beautiful packaging representative of Alessandro Michele’s colourful time there. Thankfully, the scent is just as good, with three options each of which emphasises jasmine, magnolia or gardenia. Gorgeous Gardenia is my personal favourite, thanks to the blend of the sweet and floral via notes of gardenia, jasmine, pear blossom and brown sugar.

6. Marks and Spencer Discover White Coconut (€13.50 via marksandspencer.com) — If you haven’t checked out M&S’s fragrance range yet, I highly recommend you do. Beautifully blended and easy on the pocket, there’s something for everyone. I love White Coconut for spring/summer — it’s another ‘holidays in a bottle’ product. Expect to smell coconut and exotic white flowers against a warm base of vanilla musk, sea moss and amber.

Lost in translation

As we’re talking fragrance this week, I thought we’d clarify a term which you’ll often come across when reading about perfume — accord. You may read that a fragrance includes “an accord of white musk”, and while it sounds like a complex technical term, it really just means a blend of fragrance notes.

Perfumers or ‘noses’ artfully combine several different scents to create something new, which is then referred to as an accord. In case you were wondering, it is not easy to become a perfumer — it requires up to seven years of study, including a qualification in chemistry.

Something old…

Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun SPF 50+ (€24 via kskin.ie) may not be the most well-known SPF, but more and more people are jumping onboard its train as they discover it. It’s a Korean product, and the Koreans know about skincare, especially sun protection.

This formula is lightweight and creamy and delivers high-level broad spectrum sun protection while being comfortable to wear. It absorbs quickly, meaning you don’t have to worry about pilling (when your makeup or skincare starts to come away from your skin in tiny balls). It also sits beautifully under makeup. Basically, it ticks all the boxes.

Don’t forget, SPF should be used every single day, and it clings to the skin so a good cleansing is required each night to avoid product buildup.

... Something new

Pestle and Mortar is an Irish brand founded by Sonia Deasy, whose passion for skincare comes across clearly both through the brand’s products and if you’re lucky enough to meet her in real life. Each product launch from Pestle and Mortar is carefully considered and evaluated based on customer needs, and their latest launch is no different.

If you want to do things properly though, you need time, which is why Daily Shield (€38 via pestleandmortar.com) was 10 years in the making. This fragrance-free, broad-spectrum SPF delivers what everyone wants: factor 50 protection, which is comfortable to wear, doesn’t leave a white cast and sits nicely under makeup.

People who love Pestle and Mortar are deeply loyal to the brand, and I feel confident this will be a staple of many of their skincare routines.