Chanel, Dior, Chloé, Atelier Cologne: 4 favourite perfumes to choose from as your ‘signature scent’

There’s nothing more personal than choosing your own scent. A scent lingers in the room after you’ve gone, a little fragrant memento for the room to remember you by.

Because of this, deciding on your own “signature scent” often feels like a heavy burden. You don’t want something trendy that becomes snidely known as grandma’s scent a few decades down the line.

But the decision shouldn’t be so hard that it becomes paralysing. Perfumes are a fun way of self-expression, and if you stop liking one, you can always switch to another.

Here are a few of our favourites to consider:

Orange Sanguine from Atelier Cologne

Don’t let the name fool you – the fragrances from Atelier Cologne are unisex and carefully designed to be used by men and women.

The young company (it was established in 2009) is known for its range of scents that look to those found in nature for inspiration. From a romantic Ambre Nue to a delightfully citrusy Clementine California, each bottle is an ode to nature.

Why: This is one of its bestsellers and for good reason. It’s zesty (thanks to its concoction of blood orange from Italy, geranium from China and sandalwood from Australia), full of life and – there is no better word to describe it – just fun. It’s summer in a bottle, but not in a cheesy way.

No. 5 perfume from Chanel