FRAGRANCES FOR THE OFFICE
How to choose the right perfume to wear at work
Wearing perfume if you work in an office - which for many nowadays means an open-plan office and attending meetings - can be a watershed and not entirely straightforward. There are certain things to consider if you don't want to be seen as a pariah by your colleagues. Here are some tips to help you avoid involuntary isolation in the workplace.
KEY INSIGHTS
- Be considerate in shared offices: choose fragrances responsibly and account for colleagues’ sensitivity/allergies.
- Favor office-friendly profiles: citrus, clean/soapy and light woods over heavy oud, patchouli, smoke and gourmand notes.
- Show personality without overpowering: opt for elegant, discreet or lightly spicy interpretations at appropriate strength.
There are workplaces with a direct ban on wearing perfume – for example hospitals and certain institutions – but most of the time it is perfectly fine to wear your favorite scent, provided it is done responsibly and with some understanding of the situation.
An office is a workplace where you collaborate and socialize with others, which means you must take your colleagues into consideration and choose your fragrance accordingly. You may even have colleagues who are allergic or simply very sensitive to scents, or perhaps you just don’t share the same view of what makes a delightful fragrance.
So how should one proceed? Here are a few guidelines:
Choose perfumes that are not overly experimental in style, but that still carry a certain elegance in their fragrance profile. Opt for citrus, woods, and fresh soapy/powdery accents. If you go for spices, select something that doesn’t overwhelm your surroundings too much – though that doesn’t mean it has to be boring or without personality.
Therefore, let heavy oud-based scents with animalic notes reminiscent of farmyard, strong oriental spices, as well as gourmands and explosive creations containing smoke, tar, gasoline, and heavy leather stay at home in your fragrance wardrobe. The office environment is not the right context for challenging and creative scent trails – no one will thank you for your experimental spirit, quite the opposite.
CITRUS
Citrus fragrances are a safe bet at work, and there are many interpretations of citrus, whether you choose something classic and retro like Royal Punk by QOT or Nightfall by Benjamin Barber, or something more exotic like Gong by Floraiku. Either way, it’s unlikely that anyone around you will object. Freshness comes as part of the package.
FRESH & DISCREET
If you want to be sure others are not disturbed by your scent, you can choose very fresh or discreet options, such as Widian’s crisp Black Collection series or the summer-fresh Rose Arabia Ginger. Fresh, light, and almost summery notes can also be found in Lophiels Sablo, while those who prefer something more all-round and easy to wear with hints of leather, lavender, and vanilla can go for Benjamin Barber’s Saffron & Leather Edt.
WOODy
If you belong to those who prefer woody accords, there are almost no limits to what you can find on the market – but it’s equally important to make it office-appropriate. Heavy oud or patchouli can be polarizing, so instead go for drier, cleaner woods like sandalwood and cedar, which you’ll find in Dusita’s Erawan and Santal Austral by Matiere Premiere.
For those who want something more complex and exotic, Floraiku’s Black and Red collections offer many exciting alternatives (their Between Two Trees and Sleeping on the Roof can also be layered with other scents in their range).
CLEAN & SOAPY
Sometimes it’s a ten out of ten simply to smell clean and freshly washed – and this is a growing trend. If you want to go more “office” or sophisticated business class, then Fragrance du Bois London Spice, with its aquatic notes and lavender, is a natural winner. For those in leadership roles who can afford the more luxurious segment of soapy fragrances, Heritage from the same brand is a true jewel.
If instead you want to go all-in on soapy and laundry-clean, you can never go wrong with Aura II by QOT. You simply can’t smell cleaner than this – we promise.
SAY IT WITH SPICES!
Finally, we arrive at the more characterful and spicy section. These are fragrances that express a little more but still maintain an office-friendly aura. If you want to feel a bit “safe” yet at the same time well-dressed and confident, Benjamin Barber’s spicier EdP version of Saffron & Leather, called “Intense”, is always the ultimate choice.
For those who instead want to leave a bold masculine statement, Francesca Bianchi’s more daring and niche Etruscan Water might be the way to go. Despite its twist of aromatic spices, it still builds on a vintage-inspired cologne ideal.
