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Apr 05, 2025
The rules for wearing fragrance without overpowering others (take note, Macron)
Following claims that the French president wears an ‘industrial amount’ of Dior, here’s how to master the right balance of spritz Copy link twitter facebook whatsapp email Copy link twitter facebook
Following claims that the French president wears an ‘industrial amount’ of Dior, here’s how to master the right balance of spritz
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There are few among us who haven’t experienced the headache-inducing horror of an overpowering waft of someone else’s perfume. But it seems that this is an unusually frequent occurrence for the aides of Emmanuel Macron, who can allegedly “scent” the French president’s presence before he enters a room.
Extracts from a newly released book The Tragedy of the Elysée, by Le Parisien journalist Olivier Beaumont, claim that Mr Macron spays on “industrial amounts” of Dior Eau Sauvage “at all hours of the day”.
The bestselling fragrance, which retails from £64, is citrus-led and faintly spicy. According to Dior, it features notes of Calabrian bergamot and Papua New Guinean vanilla extract, which “unfurl a powerful and noble trail”.
According to the book, Macron is well aware of this. “Just as Louis XIV made his perfumes an attribute of power when he paraded through the galleries of Versailles, Emmanuel Macron uses his as an element of his authority at the Elysée,” it states.
For those in the surrounding area, it sounds like overkill. One of his former aides is quoted in the book describing the president’s industrial-scale spritzing as “not subtle”, but rather a way of asserting power and “marking his territory”.
It appears that the president may be suffering from the olfactory equivalent of “blusher blindness”. The term, popularised on social media, refers to an inability to objectively gauge how much blusher one is applying – often resulting in overly rouged cheeks. Perhaps Macron has spent so long swept up in a cloud of Eau Sauvage that he’s become desensitised to it.
But that doesn’t mean everyone in his vicinity has, and it must be remembered that scent sensitivity can vary wildly from person to person – not least those affected by hormonal fluctuations. While it’s chic to have a signature scent, a little restraint is advisable when it comes to its application. So how should men apply their fragrance?
“Scent can be very potent, so if you’re spending time in close proximity to a lot of other people you should be a little more gentle with your approach,” says fragrance journalist Alice du Parcq. It pays to be thoughtful with where you spray rather than dousing yourself, she continues, recommending two moderate spritzes on each side of the neck underneath the ears.
Instead of wrists, she suggests an additional spray on the top of each forearm. “This makes the scent last longer as it’s less likely to come off every time you wash your hands,” she says. “Fragrance holds better here because the skin is more textured and it also clings to arm hair, which is porous.”
The kind of fragrance also has an effect, of course, and those looking to strike the right balance should consider products with a lower concentration of fragrance oils than strong eaux de parfum. “An eau de cologne is a good way for a man to wear a pleasant fragrance without making a statement or overpowering,” says fragrance expert Thomas Dunckley, who also recommends steering clear of resinous amber notes. “Classics like Eau de Guerlain, £99, or Acqua di Parma’s Colonia, £108, bring subtle elegance through fresh citrus notes, warming herbal notes and clean musks,” he continues.
For an even more subtle way to fragrance yourself, keep perfume – whatever the concentration – away from skin altogether. “Doing one spritz on the inner lining of your coat or jacket is a really nice way to introduce a hint of fragrance every time you take it off, put it back on, or move around in it,” says du Parcq. “The jacket trick gives a really nice scented aura without absolutely rocking the room.”
Hair mists, designed to lightly fragrance hair, are another way to achieve a low-key effect. While most are marketed towards women (for now), some of Diptyque’s have unisex appeal, including the bitter orange and subtle spice of Eau des Sens, £60.
Macron, it seems, will be sticking to a boat-load of Eau Sauvage. But while he might be attempting a bold monarchical statement with his perfume application, it’s subtle spritzing that has the most powerful effect.
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