Smell good for yourself

Challenging the notion that a perfume is the last thing you spray before leaving home to meet someone, the writer reviews a line of scents to lift the spirits in lockdown

The pandemic destroyed the need for some things for sure, lipstick and perfume topping the list. The first was done in by the mask, the latter because the assumption is that you wear fragrances for others, not yourself.

After the first few weeks of embracing the slacker lifestyle during the lockdown, I started dressing up for Zoom calls, dabbing on some perfume too. With social life on hold, certain scents brought back memories of holidays and freer times, taking me back to a feeling of normalcy. 

Designer Anita Dongre seems to have understood this need. Her range of homegrown scents in partnership with Ajmal Perfumes, launched under the AND and Global Desi banners, includes four perfumes and body mists each (Rs 1,800 and Rs 350 onwards for eau de parfum and mists respectively). 

And’s Ethereal Dreamer did wonders to lift the spirits on a manic Monday, as I dived into the dreamy concoction of bergamot top note, vetiver base and jasmine and iris-wafting sweetness in between. It transported me to a crisp London morning in March, when the sun was shining, but I still had to reach out for a cosy jumper. AND’s Eternal Radiance, a favourite of Abdulla Ajmal, business mentor and perfumist at Ajmal & Sons, was a fruity-floral mélange of sweet peas, freesia, patchouli and geranium. But it’s the addition of citric mandarin and oaky musk that lent it powdery rich warmth.

I saved Global Desi’s Dreamy Daze and Mythical Bloom for Thursday and Saturday. Both use a light, creamy vanilla in the background to enhance the salubrious effect of tuberose and sandalwood, and mandarin and patchouli, respectively. Verdict: Crisp, comforting and lush without being demanding. Hello, weekend.

WHAT: Homegrown scents from the House of Anita Dongre
WHERE: AND and Global Desi brand websites and stores

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