"Perfume is like a new dress, it makes you quite simply marvelous." -Estée Lauder

Many are heading back to work soon after performing their jobs at home for over a year. Or, for some of us, remote work continues. Either way, what better way to enter fall than with a new fragrance? Whether you're feeling nervous or excited, a boss-level fragrance is an instant confidence boost. What makes a good work scent? 

As a general rule, it's not a good idea to overwhelm others with our fragrance, so any fragrance could probably be acceptable if applied with a light enough hand. However, many prefer fragrances that are clean-smelling, versatile across seasons and situations, not overly challenging, and not too loud. Of course, though, if your workplace has a strict fragrance policy, or if you know that you work with someone sensitive to scent, it is better to respect those boundaries and spray away after hours. If not, then read on! From the home office to the board room, we have the perfect recommendation for you to help you feel like your best professional self.

Casual

Atelier Cologne Vanille Insensée

Notes: lime, citron, coriander, vetiver, oakmoss, jasmine, vanilla, oak, amber

Courtesy of Atelier Cologne (Facebook)

Atelier Cologne masterfully crafts twists on the traditional eau de cologne, a blend of citrus and herbal oils, so any of their fragrances are guaranteed to make you feel clean and refined. Vanille Insensée takes that citrus zing and adds a healthy dose of coziness. It's an excellent choice for a casual setting where you and your colleagues adopt an everyday style, or perhaps if you want a fragrance that transitions well from day to night. It opens with an invigorating lime, but the sharp citrus quickly takes on the fuzzy, creamy aspects of vanilla and amber, while the oak and vetiver lend a slight scratchiness that feels almost textural, like wearing your favorite sweater. Warm and interesting, with just the right amount of crowd-pleaser. 

Smart Casual

D.S. & Durga Debaser
 

Notes: fig, coconut milk, iris, white woods, tonka bean

Courtesy of D.S. & Durga (Facebook)

You may be thinking, "What, pray tell, is smart casual?" This is a more elevated version of casual, likely to include trendier or more professional and fitted wardrobe pieces, such as blazers and dresses. Debaser is the perfect scent to lend some chic to your outfit in this type of setting. This fragrance displays fig in several facets: the opening is juicy, fresh, and fruity, but this develops into the green fig leaf woodiness that combines the smell of fresh-cut grass with an antique wooden chest. The fruity sweetness is replaced with the milky, lactonic touch of coconut, which blends seamlessly with the woods and sweetgrass effect of tonka. Debaser isn't exactly sugary, but somehow the overall effect is quite self-assured and feminine. The person who wears Debaser is bringing a whiff of fresh air into the board room with them. 

Business Casual

Diptyque Fleur de Peau
 

Notes: aldehydes, pink pepper, angelica, bergamot, iris, Turkish rose, musk, ambrette, carrot, ambergris, sandalwood, leather, amber wood

Courtesy of Muzio Profumi (Facebook)

Business casual takes yet another step up from smart casual, and while it still incorporates some less formal garments such as khaki pants and sweaters, it also includes more formal wear, such as blouses and button-down shirts, typically with more understated accessories. If you love an elegant blouse or a crisp white button-down, Fleur de Peau is the perfect fragrance for you. Somehow, I always picture clouds of the tiniest, most delicate periwinkle flowers when I smell it, even though no such note is listed. The heart is all cool, clean skin fresh out of the shower while the breeze from the garden carries the ephemeral scent of blooming roses and irises through the window to mingle with the steam and fine luxury soap. However, angelica and pink pepper lay a peppery, sparkling shimmer over the top that is somewhere between champagne bubbles and the bitter greenness of freshly snapped stems. As introspective as it is alluring, Fleur de Peau will elevate any outfit.

Business Professional

Chanel No.19 Poudre 
 

Notes: galbanum, neroli, Mandarin orange, iris, jasmine, vetiver, musk, tonka bean

Courtesy of Fragrantica (Facebook)

What kind of list would this be without Chanel? Naturally, I had to save Chanel for the business professional office environment. No.19 is already famous in the fragrance community as the ultimate boss scent: intellectual, sophisticated, angular, cold, and unapologetic. A power suit in a perfume. No.19 Poudre recalls the pairing of bitter greens with squeaky clean, slightly soapy white flowers, but the addition of tonka bean softens the edges with its slightly almond-vanillic, hay-like sweetness. The effect is more one of cosmetic powder, with something of the air of the vintage starlet, or perhaps Jackie Kennedy in her famous pillbox hat.

Work From Home

Maison Margiela Replica Bubble Bath
 

Notes: soap, bergamot, lavender, jasmine, rose, coconut, white musk, patchouli

Courtesy of Sephora (Facebook)

If you're still working from home, then it goes without saying that you can wear whatever you want! However, if you are looking for a fragrance that evokes domestic relaxation while helping you stay centered, try out Bubble Bath. Despite the name and note pyramic, it doesn't really smell like soap. Light and fresh, Bubble Bath is a very gentle scent combining the cozy effects of musk and coconut with citrusy tones for a clean, pleasant, comfortable effect. Bubble Bath will give you the feeling of clothes straight out of the dryer, with the slightest fresh edge to lift the composition. You'll have to let us know if you think it smells like an actual bubble bath.

Check out our 5 Wedding Season scents here. 

What perfume do you like to wear for work? Let us know in the comments.