Exclusive: Spring 2012 Scent Forecast from Victoria’s Secret VP of Fragrance

Sabah Karimi

As cold and gloomy days give way to sunshine and warmer temperatures, it's time to do away with those deep, musky, and exotic scents of winter in favor of some lighter, flower-infused fragrances. Spring is the perfect time to indulge in fruitier scents and pick out a fresh new signature fragrance -- I'm still on the hunt for my signature fragrance for the upcoming season but I'm leaning towards a light floral scent with a hint of spice.

I interviewed Mark Knitowski, VP of Fragrance at Victoria's Secret to find out what's in the forecast for spring 2012. Here are a few scents to add to your wish list this season:

Top Fragrance Trends for Spring 2012

Spring 2012 perfume trends include some mouthwatering, fruity scents as well as some warm vanilla notes with hints of musk. If you're looking for a light, playful scent you can wear by day, look for something with petal notes, infused florals, and a hint of musk. Mr. Knitowski recommends fragrances with hints of wild grass, ivy, morning dewdrops, and fresh herbs for a refreshing, wake-me-up scent.

When you're looking for something more comforting, stick with warm vanilla notes. Mr. Knitowski says, "This scent gives a feeling of comfort with illuminated woods, ambers and clean musks. Notes of fluid vanilla, whipped gourmand, golden amber, airy woods lead the way in this olfactive experience." This scent would be perfect for date night or when you just want to treat yourself to a soothing, indulgent fragrance. Just be careful when you're layering other fragrances with vanilla-based scents; you don't want it to be too overpowering.

If you're the sporty type, stick with scents made with soft, white-petaled flowers with hints of clean spice. This scent offers a "new seduction," says Mr. Knitowski. You'll find these scents infused with blonde jasmine, rainforest lily, orchids, and magnolia. These are great scent profiles for active types who want a fresh but flirty fragrance for the season.

You can't go wrong with fresh and fruity scents this season, especially if you're looking for something for the weekend and low-key days. Mr. Knitowski highlights lemon, black plum, lime and mandarin as the season's top choices. Mandarin and orange scents are also great pick-me-up scents; if you're feeling low on energy or just want to feel more peppy in the morning, stick with something with a strong citrus scent.

3 Fragrance Picks for Spring and Summer 2012

Since it's a season for musky florals, fresh fruit scents, and warm vanilla notes, here are three fragrances that could be your signature fragrance for the season:

1. Gucci Guilty Intense. Gucci Guilty Intense is perfect for date night, a warmer scent with notes of mandarin, pink pepper, amber, and peach. In a recent press release, President of Scentsy, Inc. Heidi Thompson stated that pink pepper "fits the mood of our time." Scentsy has announced pink pepper as the up-and-coming fragrance note for 2012.

2. Victoria's Secret Very Sexy Touch. This new fragrance will be available in March 2012. Mr. Knitowski says it's, "A great complement to the original because it's still provocative yet more youthful with a great sensuality." Very Sexy Touch has a scent profile that includes: juicy red pear, honeysuckle, gilded apricot, fresh citrus, vanilla orchid blossom, amber wood, creamy coconut, and musk. It's a seductive and flirty fragrance you could wear day or night.

3. Calvin Klein CK One Summer 2012. Also available in March, this limited edition scent is designed for the beach lover with hints of blue mint, lime, bergamot, apple, rosemary, and aquatic accord. This one is a unisex scent but does have some strong floral notes.

Sources:

Interview with Mark Knitowski, VP of Fragrance at Victoria's Secret

Scentsy Names ScenTrend™ 2012: Pink Pepper is the New Year's Up-and-Coming Fragrance Note

Gucci Guilty Intense via Sephora.com

NSTPerfume.com - Calvin Klein CK One Summer 2012

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Published by Sabah Karimi - Featured Contributor in Beauty, Travel and Lifestyle

Sabah Karimi is a Featured Contributor in Beauty, Travel, and Lifestyle. She writes beauty, style, luxury travel, fitness, wellness, food and wine, and personal finance content for several Y! channels. She i...  View profile

3 Comments

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  • KD2/21/2012

    You need to be more clear in your article and state information that is more concise. The article states some great information, but some Scentsy consultants are under the impression that Gucci is quoting the owner of Scentsy and that Gucci is taking scent trends from the Scentsy company. It is actually the writer of this article that is stating this information, not Gucci. Additionally, the article was written by a writer, not by Victoria Secret, this is also not clear to some in the Scentsy business.

  • Heather2/15/2012

    I am super excited about ScenTrend 2012 with Pink Pepper, a scent available from Scentsy to mix with other Scentsy fragrances to create new and exciting scent blends!

  • Malina Debrie2/7/2012

    I love the soft, spring fresh fragrances. Thanks!

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