Choosing a perfume to match your mood

It is no surprise that scent and emotion are closely intertwined. Used in aromatherapy to enhance moods and alter behaviour, different fragrances can have a significant effect on our mental wellbeing.

Lush product perfumer Emma Dick explains: “Smell is one of the most powerful senses. You can catch a whiff of something in the air or the scent of a product and immediately have an emotional response to it.”

Emotional reactions to scents can catch us off guard; we may find certain scents profoundly comforting, nostalgic or repulsive without really knowing why. These reactions are thought to develop from a young age, where we begin to associate different scents with memories, whether good or bad.

Emma states: “Perfume can have an effect on your mood, emotions and energy levels. With a clear rise in the levels of stress and anxiety, more people are looking for essential oils and products to boost their emotional wellbeing.”

Our fragrance choices are deeply personal. So next time you’re choosing a perfume, why not pick one based on how you want to feel? Look out for the following essential oils and perhaps you’ll experience their mood enhancing benefits...

Bergamot oil

For lovers of sunny scents, this fresh and zesty oil comes from an inedible, yellow citrus fruit - the bergamot orange. Uplifting and fresh, bergamot helps to clarify the mind, reduce feelings of worry and energise. This slightly floral and herbaceous fragrance can be found in Love, a sharp, slightly peppery fragrance which plays a melody of citrus and reveals reassuring, sweeter bergamot notes when spritzed on skin.

Patchouli oil

Behind its tie dye-clad, flower child reputation lies a deep, aromatic scent with a sophisticated edge. A close relative to mint, patchouli oil comes from the leaves and flowers of an evergreen perennial. Naturally mood enhancing, it is renowned for its ability to ground and balance with a sweet, yet naturally musky aroma, evocative of a dewy forest floor. Used in Karma for its woody base note, this earthy perfume is matched with pine oil and cheerfully scented Brazilian orange oil for a soothing, yet intoxicating blend.

Jasmine oil

This stirring and heady scent comes from the flowers of a climbing vine or bushy shrub. A decadent oil, it can increase sensuality and alertness, improve mood and help to subdue anxieties. Nicknamed the ‘queen of the night’ for its aphrodisiacal effects, jasmine oil can be found in the sultry perfume Lust. Heady ylang ylang sits alongside jasmine with an underlying base note of warm and spicy sandalwood. Enchant admirers with this deeply floral and utterly irresistible fragrance.

Lavender oil

When your shoulders are tight with tension, lavender can help you to unwind. Famous for its calming effect on the mind, this beautifully botanical oil comes from the flowers of a perennial shrub and can help to alleviate stress or agitation. Lavender oil has a strong herbal scent with a sweet, floral undercurrent and is used in What Would Love Do? - a delicately warming perfume. Beneath verdant lavender lies elevating tangerine oil when you need a boost.

Neroli oil

From the blossom of the bitter orange tree, this powerfully green and floral oil will brighten your mind and leave you feeling energised. This cheerful scent has a fresh, honeyed aroma and is often used in perfume as an uplifting top note. Found in Breath of God - a contemplative fragrance, neroli helps to still the mind and lift the spirits. Curls of smoky incense unfurl, shrouding the body and mind in an intoxicating blend of deep cedarwood and vetivert. Grapefruit provides an unexpected blast of fresh air in this ritual of scent.

Set the mood and browse the perfume collection; who knows, a spritz of your favourite fragrance may help you to start your day, or night, right.