Few Kenyans change their scents and some would rather stick to old fragrances, which they wear for every occasion.
The perfume market in Kenya is growing, but not everyone knows how to wear different scents and what to pick for evening or day time.
For work or business meetings, pick a scent that stands out but not so overpowering.
The arrival of the warm or cold weather does not inspire just a change of wardrobe, but also a perfume. But few Kenyans change their scents and some would rather stick to old fragrances, which they wear for every occasion.
The perfume market in Kenya is growing, but not everyone knows how to wear different scents and what to pick for evening or day time.
Kamlesh Nuckchady, Madora Kenya general manager, says there are some ultimate scents that can be worn throughout—evening and daytime.
‘‘A perfume like Mon Guerlain by Guerlain house is timeless and elegant for any woman of whatever age or career, as long as you love the warm blend of vanilla with seductive touch of lavender which make it uniquely sensual. Elegance and sensuality is ultimate for every woman,’’ he says.
Selecting perfumes is driven by emotion, which is usually personal. The choice of the scent will usually depend on the individual.
Different occasions
However, Mr Nuckchady recommends the following:
—For work or business meetings, pick a scent that stands out but not so overpowering. For instance, go for Blue de Chanel by Chanel for the men and range of Olympea by Paco Rabanne for women.
—For a casual weekend, the fresh aquatic outdoor vigour scents like the new Homme Sport by Christian Dior and Jungle by Kenzo for women would work best.
—For a romantic date it would be good to wear warm sensual and highly seductive scents. Noir Ambre by Issey Miyake is a superb evening scent for a man. La vie est Belle or La Nuit Tresor both by Lancome are a must-have for a woman.
Wilson Odiyo, a makeup artist at Madora Kenya says most of the new scents launched in developed markets such as Paris find their way into Kenya very fast.
‘‘Sometimes Kenya perfume shops do launches concurrently with Paris, that means they get the products ahead of time and most of them are worth trying,’’ he said.
For instance, Gabrielle Chanel launched in September in Europe and in Nairobi. The French outlet found a home in Kenya in 2015 at the Westgate mall, targeting the growing interest of locals in beauty and fragrance products from French designers.
The store stocks French brands including Dior, Chanel, Black Up and Givenchy, as well as American Tom Ford, just to name a few of the over 50 brands that have found space on the shelves of the high-end store.
Another new scent in the market is Hugo Boss Tonic by Hugo Boss.
For women who want to smell amazingly seductive in the evening, Goldea Roman Night is the new Bvlgari scent that is perfect for the executive woman.
‘‘We already have received the tester and it’s amazing Oud wood by Tom Ford is also so sophisticated and this Sh69,000 decanter deserves a try,’’ said Mr Odiyo.
Other factors
There are other factors to consider when shopping for a scent.
First, longevity. Is it Eau de toilette, cologne, Eau De parfum and perfume. Not all scents wear the same. Some stay longer, others take few hours depending on perfume category.
Second, consider the season. Many brands are keen on seasons hence they have scents for summer, winter and spring.
Third, learn more about the notes. Perfumers have different ingredients for each notes and knowledge on notes composition a key factor when choosing a scent.
A sophisticated man or woman should have many scents, said Mr Nuckchady.
‘‘On a bare minimum, have at least three scents. One for evening, another sporty and the timeless one which is worn anytime during the day, for office or meetings,’’ he says.
There are many fakes in the market and one needs to identify the authorised original perfume dealers. Mr Nuckchady says to find genuine perfumes, each brand has a personalised logo, colour which you need to familiarise with.
Sometimes, you need to master small details like the texture of the bottle and packaging to know what is authentic or not.
Technology has made it much easier because each product is has a universal code which can be scanned. If the product is genuine then the barcode should be able to generate more information about the product.
