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Do Charlotte Tilbury’s new perfumes really boost your mood? I put them to the test

The scents are engineered to elevate certain emotions such as love, happiness and serentity

Lucy Partington
Wednesday 17 April 2024 11:04 BST
Charlotte Tilbury’s new perfumes
Charlotte Tilbury’s new perfumes (Charlotte Tilbury)

It’s unlike Charlotte Tilbury to do anything by halves, so when I found out she was branching back into the world of fragrance (her first foray was in 2016 when she launched scent of a dream, which has since been discontinued), I immediately knew it would be both special and extravagant. And following a top secret visit to CTHQ back in February, I wasn’t disappointed.

Charlotte’s so-called “fragrance collections of emotions” features a wardrobe of six(!) brand new scents – more sex, love frequency, joyphoria, magic energy, calm bliss and cosmic power. Each one is “powered by emotion-boosting molecules backed by neuroscience and 40 years of research” and has been specifically designed to boost and improve your mood in different ways.

As well as working alongside master perfumers (including Anne Flipo, Juliette Karagueuzoglou and Dominique Ropion who, between them, have created iconic fragrances for brands including Chloe, Coach, Burberry, Paco Rabanne, Dior and Viktor & Rolf to name a few), Charlotte also collaborated with neuroscientists at the IFF. Together, they were able to harness the power of AI and an IFF proprietary tool – called ScentIntelligence – to identify fragrance accords and ingredient combinations known to enhance specific emotions.

That’s not where it stops though, because every little visual detail has also been considered. First there’s the bottle design, which is inspired by 18th century alchemist potions and perfumes that Charlotte’s obsessed with, and then there’s the bold colour palette, each of which has been chosen because they match some of the most healing crystals in the world. Finally, the jewel-shaped lids, which act like orbs to attract positive energy.

But how do the fragrances actually smell and do they live up to the claim that they last up to 18 hours? I put them to the test to find out.

How I tested Charlotte Tilbury’s fragrance collections of emotions

The fragrances are £130 each or £20 for tester bottles
The fragrances are £130 each or £20 for tester bottles (Lucy Partington)

I have had 10ml bottles of each of the six perfumes in my possession since mid-February, and since then I’ve been wearing them one by one in place of my usual perfume. I took note of how they smelt immediately after spritizing, what they smelt like after they dried down onto my skin, any comments or compliments they attracted, and, importantly, how each one impacted my mood, as well as how long they lasted.

Charlotte Tilbury more sex eau de parfum

Charlotte Tilbury more sex eau de parfum review indybest
  • Type: Eau de parfum
  • Sizes available : 10ml, 100ml
  • Key notes : Black pepper, leather, ambroxan, musk, sandalwood
  • Why we love it
    • Long lasting
    • Comforting and familiar

It’s safe to say this is my favourite of the bunch and it’s the one I wore the most throughout the trial period. Immediately it reminded me of Maison Francis Kurkdijan’s viral Baccarat Rouge 540. Not just because of the colour palette, but it has a similar sexy, sweet, addictive vibe that I loved and that’s guaranteed to turn heads.

Notes of comforting musk, bold leather and sensual sandalwood are powerful without being overbearing. I found that it was incredibly moreish, and although I can’t say that it lived up to its claims of enhancing feelings of seduction, it did bring in lots of compliments and I found it lasted on both skin and clothes really well.

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Charlotte Tilbury love frequency eau de parfum

Charlotte Tilbury love frequency eau de parfum review indybest
  • Type: Eau de parfum
  • Sizes available : 10ml, 100ml
  • Key notes : Pink pepper, saffron, rose, musk, cashmere woods, patchouli
  • Why we love it
    • Feminine
    • Warming
    • Rosey

Arguably the most feminine of the bunch, I love the pink bottle that love frequency is housed in. A modern rose scent, it’s important to note that I’m not a huge fan of floral perfumes, but this one was a hit. Soft and delicate, with its notes of pink pepper, saffron and various types of rose extract, it’s designed to give an all-encompassing feeling of being loved and in love, which is something I can definitely get on board with.

Although this one is heavy on the rose, it doesn’t feel as overpowering as it could and I think it’ll be one to save for a balmy summer’s evening. However, I found that it didn’t last quite as long as it could have once on the skin. It’s worth noting that the dry down is incredibly beautiful though; the combination of bold rose notes with creamier musk creates something that feels almost nostalgic in the best way.

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Charlotte Tilbury joyphoria eau de parfum

Charlotte Tilbury joyphoria eau de parfum review indybest
  • Type: Eau de parfum
  • Sizes: 10ml, 100ml
  • Key notes : Coconut water, jasmin sambac, vanilla bean extract, powdery musk
  • Why we love it
    • Musky
    • Summery
    • Mood-boosting

Joyphoria feels very classically Charlotte Tilbury, and it’s the one that feels most similar to the brand’s original scent of a dream (which has since been discontinued). It’s inherently familiar, warm and radiant. Every time I wore this I was transported to a sunny beach with the waves crashing against the shore: it’s a summer holiday in a bottle, which makes sense given it’s designed to enhance feelings of happiness.

The notes of neroli, coconut water and petitgrain smell like they belong on a luxurious island paradise where nothing bad ever happens – which was a far cry from the cold London flat that I was in when I wore this. But its ability to transport the wearer was seriously impressive. I wish that initial hit of sunshine lasted longer on skin, but I did get wafts of it throughout the day from my hair, and it did also pull in a few compliments, too.

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Charlotte Tilbury magic energy eau de parfum

Charlotte Tilbury magic energy eau de parfum review indybest
  • Type: Eau de parfum
  • Sizes available: 10ml, 100ml
  • Key notes: bergamot oil, cashmere wood, palo santo accord, cypress
  • Why we love it
    • Earthy
    • Energising
    • Spiritual

A citrus-woody scent that works to awaken the senses and give you a hit of grounding energy, this is the perfume that we could all do with when modern life gets too overwhelming. It’s uplifting and energising, and its notes of bergamot oil, myrtle oil and sweet jasmine sambac are reminiscent of a calming, magical, woody forest.

While there is no denying that it’s an incredible fragrance, I didn’t love it enough for it to be something I would actively choose to wear day-to-day. However, once it dried down, it turned into a creamy, musky scent that did actually induce some calm. As a room spray or perhaps even a candle, this would be the perfect antidote at the end of a long, stressful day – so Charlotte, if you’re reading, take note.

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Charlotte Tilbury calm bliss eau de parfum

Charlotte Tilbury calm bliss eau de parfum review indybest
  • Type: Eau de parfum
  • Sizes available : 10ml, 100ml
  • Key notes : Bergamot oil, neroli oil, orange flower absolute, tonka bean
  • Why we love it
    • Aquatic
    • Vibrant

As far as I’m concerned, you can’t go far wrong with a water-inspired fragrance, and calm bliss doesn’t disappoint in the slightest. Billed as “serenity in a bottle”, I can attest to that. Sweet neroli oil is combined with a watery accord that’ll transport you to a perfect turquoise tranquil oasis.

I loved the addition of the warm tonka bean, but this really does smell incredibly calm and blissful from the first spritz. It’s relaxing and soothing, and while this one didn’t draw any compliments from my nearest and dearest, it made me want to stop and slow down, to take deep breaths and realign my mind. It does have an almost masculine edge when it dries down, but that added some interest and, if anything, made us enjoy it more. It’s worlds apart from a traditional relaxing kind of scent, and for that alone I love it.

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Charlotte Tilbury cosmic power eau de parfum

Charlotte Tilbury cosmic power eau de parfum indybest review
  • Type: Eau de parfum
  • Sizes available : 10ml, 100ml
  • Key notes : Amber, cinnamon bark oil, vanilla bean, clove, frankincense
  • Why we love it
    • Warming
    • Bold
    • Magical

OK, be warned, because cosmic power is probably going to be the most divisive fragrance in the range. If you imagined what Charlotte Tilbury herself smelt like, it would probably be this. This one is warm and spicy, it’s enchanting and it’s incredibly opulent. I wouldn’t say it’s an everyday fragrance (unless your name is Charlotte Tilbury), but instead it’s one to save for a black tie dinner.

Although it has bold notes of cinnamon and clove, I like that it also has undertones of sweet vanilla bean extract to take the edge off – something that becomes more apparent as it dries onto the skin. Of course, this one did get a lot of comments, likely because it’s the most bold and isn’t the type of perfume I would usually wear during the day, but it did also have the most longevity of the bunch.

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The verdict: Charlotte Tilbury fragrance collections of emotions

There’s absolutely no arguing that these fragrances are incredible in every way. There really is something for everybody, and while I didn’t necessarily notice the mood-enhancing claims, the perfumes themselves are beautifully made and smell complex. You can tell there’s a lot of passion and research that’s been put into every element of them, from the bottles to the colours and the juice inside.

Like most good quality fragrance, they aren’t cheap, but £130 for 100ml of product is quite good value, and I like that each scent is available in a 10ml tester bottle (£20 each) so you can try before you invest in a larger size.

My personal favourite is more sex, but I would also recommend sniffing out love frequency, even if you’re not a fan of rose fragrances. However, joyphoria is definitely a crowd pleaser and is the one that I think is likely to be the best seller.

Charlotte Tilbury Fragrance Collections of Emotions are £130 for 100ml, and are available from 30th April on the Charlotte Tilbury app or from 2nd May online and instore.

For more of our fragrance reviews, read our verdict on the Aēsop gloam botanical scent

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