If there’s one beauty brand that I’ll buy just about anything from, it’s Charlotte Tilbury. The woman herself is an absolute icon, and then there’s Pillow Talk… Need I say more?
So when I discovered that the brand was launching a new range of fragrances, I didn’t hesitate to see if I could try them. But what I soon discovered is that these aren’t just any old perfumes.
Backed by neuroscience, Charlotte Tilbury’s new Collection of Emotions are fragrances that draw on more than 40 years of research to ‘bottle six universal feelings’.
Each perfume has been distilled by a master perfumer and contains emotion-boosting molecules and ‘magic’ fragrance notes which are meant to activate different areas of the brain. These in turn trigger specific emotions, such as love, happiness, or a sense of calm.
The six different perfumes, which launch in stores on May 2, include More Sex, Love Frequency, Joyphoria, Calm Bliss, Magic Energy, and Cosmic Power.
More Sex is described as being ‘addictive seduction in a bottle’, Love Frequency is said to be a ‘love portal’, Joyphoria is intended to enhance happiness, Calm Bliss is ‘serenity in a bottle’, Magic Energy is intended to boost your confidence, while Magic Energy simply gives you a boost.
So, how do Charlotte Tilbury’s perfumes work?
Over the past 40 years the International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) have tested thousands of fragrance notes in an unconscious study into brain emotion. By reading brain patterns that respond to certain ingredients, the IFF claim to have identified six emotions that can be targeted through the power of scent.
Charlotte collaborated with neuroscientists and master perfumers to harness this data with her new fragrance collection. She says that when the fragrances are sprayed, they immediately immerse you in worlds of love, happiness, sex, energy, empowerment, and calm.
To make the perfumes, Charlotte described the way she wanted the user to feel and the perfumers used a palette of three types of ingredients – natural raw materials, synthetic raw materials, and accords – to create the fragrances.
Charlotte adds: ‘Each fragrance feels like a portal to another world, transporting you through different dimensions to however you want to feel, and whoever you want to be, empowering everyone, everywhere to design their dream day and night with fragrance.’
Do Charlotte Tilbury’s new perfumes really boost your mood?
A perfume that can enhance your sex life, and another that can help you feel more in love sound a little too good to be true, so the Metro Lifestyle team decided to put the collection to the test, as priced at £130 for a 100ml bottle these certainly don’t come cheap.
We each took one of the fragrances and wore it for a week in order to give it a good go – and see whether we noticed any changes in our emotions during this time.
These are our honest thoughts on the new Charlotte Tilbury perfumes…
Joyphoria (tested by Jessica Lindsay)
I normally prefer spicy fragrances (Tom Ford Black Orchid and Lush Lord of Misrule are my usual go-tos), so I was initially unsure about the idea of Joyphoria. Most perfumes centred around ‘happiness’ are all citrus and gourmand notes – I don’t really want to smell like a marshmallow dipped in lemon juice – but this is much more grown-up.
The tuberose, jasmine and musk cut right through the freshness of the neroli and petitgrain, and the coconut water accord adds a nostalgic sunscreen element which genuinely does boost your mood.
I haven’t thrown out my antidepressants just yet, but my boyfriend’s reaction when I spritzed myself in Joyphoria for the first time managed to coax a smile.
I will say, the bottle isn’t quite as luxurious as I’d expect given the high price point – it’s not a fragrance you’d necessarily display on your dressing table. Looks aside, though, it pleases my olfactory senses which is pretty much the goal of a perfume, and manages to bridge the gap between uplifting and interesting. Big fan!
Love Frequency (tested by Eleanor Noyce)
Supposedly powered by love-boosting molecules, the Love perfume claims to ‘bathe you in the glow of love.’
With notes of pink pepper, rose ultimate and saffron, it smells mostly sweet – but with a hint of spice underneath that gives it an extra, alluring layer.
I’m not wholly convinced that it’s made me feel more ‘loved up’ over the last week but I’m certainly in love with the scent itself.
Friends and family have also complimented me on the scent, which is always a good sign of a hit perfume.
Calm Bliss (tested by Courtney Pochin)
Anyone who knows me, knows I’m a worrier. I’m very much the worst-case scenario girl who overthinks every little thing. So it’s fair to say I could do with a bit of calm bliss in my everyday life.
And while this perfume isn’t perhaps one I’d usually go for as I’m not a big fan of lavender (the fragrance contains lavandin oil), I have to say that I really like the scent – it’s not overpoweringly sweet, and has a really fresh and clean smell.
In terms of the impact on my emotions, it might sound nutty, but I do actually feel like it has helped. Call it a placebo effect if you want, but I’ve definitely been feeling much more relaxed this week while wearing it.
Even driving into central London, felt like an absolute breeze. I didn’t panic once, and for me that speaks volumes. I haven’t driven in years as I rely on TfL to get me everywhere these days, so this is something that usually would have made me a nervous wreck, but honestly, I was cool as a cucumber the whole time.
This perfume isn’t going to cure your anxiety or work wonders, but if you’re on the lookout for a new fragrance and are a perpetually stressed out girlie like me, then I’d recommend giving it a try. Even if you don’t end up feeling any different, at the very least you’ll smell great!
More Sex (tested by Alice Giddings)
More Sex? It’s never going to be something I’m opposed to, although I already feel blessed that my partner and I have very similar sex drives. We do it almost every time we see each other and sometimes twice. So when Charlotte Tilbury brought out a perfume that promised even more sex, I had to try it.
I will say that, while I think the bottle itself is gorgeous and fun, the smell is something I’m not entirely sold on. I’m a sweet, floral or fruity perfume kind of girl – becoming pretty obsessed with the bargain Hollister Juice House collection. More Sex, on the other hand, is very musky. With notes of black pepper, ‘sexual musk’ and amber wood, it’s very rich and very mature. At 24, I just don’t feel like that’s my vibe.
However, the perfume promises more sex and, I have to say, I don’t think it’s lying. I spritzed it on my wrists and neck for the first time while waiting for my boyfriend to get out the shower. He walked into the room, towel round his waist, and immediately pulled me towards him by my legs, before we had some of the best sex we’d had in a while. It was passionate, sexy, confident and, honestly, quite mind-blowing. He commented on the perfume, saying he loved the smell of it. The next time I wore it, we had sex again and I was a very happy lady.
My only gripe with More Sex, is that Charlotte Tilbury promises the scent can last up to 18 hours, although just a couple of hours later I was struggling to smell it on my wrists.
While it was a turn on for my relationship, the major turn off for me, personally, was the price. In today’s financial climate you’ll never catch me dropping £130 on 100ml of liquid – especially when I can pick up my favourite for a humble £12.50.
Magic Energy (tested by Kristina Beanland)
If there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s burn the candle at both ends. I know mine is not a unique situation: I try to work hard, while also attempting to cram in some exercise and have a social life too. Ergo, I am almost always tired. So, when I was asked to try out Charlotte Tilbury’s new Magic Energy perfume, which they describe as ‘energy in a bottle’, I was more than on board.
With notes of ‘reawakening bergamot oil’, I hoped this would be pro-plus in a fancy bottle. And the packaging is indeed fancy. An emerald green potion-esque bottle, it wouldn’t have looked out of place in Hocus Pocus – and looks great on my dressing table.
The scent however, doesn’t feel quite so upmarket. In fact, it’s giving Radox. Of course, there’s nothing unpleasant about that refreshing scent, but it definitely seemed more suited to the kind of three-in-one product your boyfriend haphazardly throws into his shopping basket, than a Charlotte Tilbury offering.
But, the key question is: does it actually work? When you first spritz it on, there is a little zing of alertness – but I can’t say it lasts… or has any real long term effect. I’m still sleepy.
Unlike some perfumes though, the scent doesn’t disappear (a colleague announced one afternoon that she could ‘smell man’ – only to discover it was me). Of course, for some this smell will be just what they go for, but it wasn’t really to my tastes. I think I just need a good night’s sleep.
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Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
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