What does 2017 smell like? - the perfumes and fragrances to have on your radar this year 

The heart of home

With so much uncertainty outside, it’s no coincidence that we’re being lured back into our homes by the concept of hygge. Hugs-in-a-bottle come from L’Occitane Terre de Lumière, £58 out in February, an aromatic Provençal field of a fragrance, with trickles of lavender honey, bitter almond essence and pillowy white musk.

The long-awaiting Escentric Molecules Escentric 04, £75 available from March, focuses on a sandalwood molecule called Javanol, which its creator, Geza Schoen, describes as ‘liquid metal grapefruit peel poured over a bed of velvety cream-coloured roses’, creating a cosy but loose cable-knit scent shot through with beams of cold morning sun. Alaïa’s Blanche, £43 out 30 January, is a soothing mix of vanilla and almond milk with ‘solar notes’.

Over at Chloé, Love Story Eau Sensuelle, £47 from 1 February adds a coat of sweet heliotrope to the original orange-blossom scent, and Aerin’s Tangier Vanille, Amber Musc and Evening Rose – are being released in more potent versions, £210 each out March.

Blue-sky thinking

Ultra-clean, crisp colognes are getting a second wind, following those first light sprays of L’Eau d’Issey and Acqua di Gio in the ’90s. Setting the tone is Francis Kurkdjian, with the heaven-sent Aqua Celestia, £130 out in February, which combines mint, sharp blackberry buds, soft clouds of pollen-like mimosa, swirls of foggy musk and vivid rays of lime.

You may not have heard of Project Renegades yet, but this crew of anti-corporate perfumers lands at Harvey Nichols in February with Bertrand Duchaufour, £155, which has notes of gin, Japanese pine, fir balsam and driftwood. Fans of Michael Kors’s bold, luxe-lifestyle fragrances will love Turquoise, £43 out in March, an exhilarating drench of crystalclear sea notes such as water lily, cucumber, fleur de sel and lime softened with sunny jasmine.

And this spring, a breathy, outdoorsy fragrance floats in from L’Artisan Parfumeur. Au Bord De L’Eau, depicts the feathery strokes and pastel tones of Renoir’s Impressionist riverboat scene, with bergamot, neroli, violet wood and dashes of glistening lemon.

A sunny filter

In 2016, Chanel did the unthinkable: it gave No5 a makeover. Imagine uploading a photo of the original Grande Dame scent on to Instagram, selecting the Clarendon filter, then ramping up the brightness and toning down the contrast. No5 L’Eau was tangy, luminous and revitalised yet still decadent. And following suit next year are more glamour-bomb scents injected with that youthful glow: Miu Miu L’Eau Bleue, £49 out in February, takes the original, potent lily of the valley recipe and freshens it up with morning dew, just-torn foliage and sparkling honeysuckle, ‘like that specific moment, seemingly out of nowhere, you realise that spring has arrived,’ says its creator Daniela Andrier. Estée Lauder’s sultry Modern Muse slips out of its fur coat into shimmering sequins with Le Rouge, £46 from February, thanks to black cherries and sharp, succulent mandarin. And Jimmy Choo’s eponymous heady rose and peony scent gets a translucent update with L’Eau, £36 out 30 January, like a high-exposure flash of cleansing citrus notes and juicy nectarine.  

Green machines

The #fitfam health trend shows no sign of slowing. Spurring you into action is Neom Organics’ first fine fragrance Energy Burst, £49 out 1 February, which comes with the tagline ‘Spritz, Kick Ass, Repeat’. This jolting, electric scent features grapefruit, lemon and rosemary. Another first comes from Korean skincare brand Erborian: within its new trio of fragrances, Nokcha Drop, £35 out in February, is a mainline injection of green tea – refreshing and recharging. Bathed in sunshine and exploding with citrus is Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria Bergamotto Calabria, £48.50 from February, which feels like a stroll through a bergamot orchard. For an instant hangover cure, take a deep breath of Amouage Bracken, £225 out in January. This bracing green hit is packed with tangled ferns, stalks and foliage. Shay & Blue Dandelion Fig, £55 from March, is more ballet than boot camp, with dandelion leaf and tomato vine, lemongrass and fig. Eau de cologne gets a wake-up call in Thierry Mugler Les Exceptions Hot Cologne, £135 out in January, which has warming cardamom, ginger and a shot of green coffee. Finally, L’Oréal Paris is to launch Botanical Fresh Care for hair. Out in March, the apothecary-style collection is scented with coriander and camelina for start-the-day gusto.

Staying power

Perfumers are channelling stealth and post-Brexit Britishness this year, embodied spectacularly by Jo Malone London’s Bloomsbury Set collection, £46 each from March. Inspired by the artists, poets and literary luminaries, the five scents are a whimsical reminder of their eccentricity. "We liked how their proper outer elegance contrasted with their promiscuous partner-swapping hedonism," says its fragrance director Celine Roux. The collection charts a typical day at the Bloomsbury Group’s countryside hideout, Charleston House, including the softly smoky Tobacco & Mandarin cologne representing the set’s Thursday evening brainstorming sessions. It is calm and crisp like a starched white shirt embedded with earthy pipe tobacco, tea and zesty drizzle cake. Whisky & Cedarwood leads us further into the night, catching bare footsteps creaking along waxed wooden floors: think linseed oil and beeswax swirled into an aged whisky seeped with honey and rose. The British theme continues with Yardley’s elegant Freesia, £9.99 out in February – a sunny, golden floral full of hope. And there’s a rumour of a clementine scent from Atelier Cologne, promising the juicy shine of perfect fruit at a farmer’s market.

Style vials

Famous names will dominate 2017, with designers Monique Lhuillier, Proenza Schouler, Ralph Rucci and Zac Posen releasing their first-ever scents. But the most exciting of all is perfumer Frédéric Malle’s collaboration with former Lanvin creative director Alber Elbaz. Superstitious is based on their fascination with what fuels them as artists: expect a big, bold, fizzing recipe of rose, jasmine, peaches and apricot. And following the success of her cosmetics collection with Estée Lauder, it’s rumoured that Victoria Beckham will follow with fragrance. Lauder’s global creative director Richard Ferretti could once again be the ideal partner.