5 Scents That Are (Scientifically) Proven To Boost Confidence

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The power of scent is often underestimated, but it can completely transform your mood. Just think about it; a spritz of the right perfume is the ultimate feel-good finishing touch. Whenever we’re going into a meeting or getting ready for date night, we like to spray our fave perfume to give us a little boost. Which made us think, what specific scents are scientifically proven to make you feel more powerful, more confident, and ready to tackle the world? We did some research and were pretty blown away with what we found.

How Scent Impacts Your Mood

If you’re wondering how a single scent has the ability to completely alter your vibe, well it’s all to do with your brain. Your sense of smell is directly linked to your limbic system, which is the primitive part of your brain that’s responsible for your emotions and interpreting your memories. Scent is also intrinsically linked with memories, and often, you’ll associate a fragrance with how you felt when you first smelt that particular scent. For example, the smell of honeysuckle could be comforting if your childhood home or garden was filled with that particular flower. So, now you know how it can impact your mood, here are five mood-enhancing scents that will make you feel as boujee and as confident as Miranda Priestly.

1. Ylang Ylang

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Ylang-ylang is a vibrant tropical flower that isn’t afraid to be noticed (it’s bright yellow), and neither will you whenever you’re wearing it. The scent (pronounced “ilang-ilang”) is super floral and is often associated with strong feminine energy. It’s rumored to be one of the most powerful aphrodisiacs – we wear it every date night to get us in the mood – and nothing’s sexier than feeeeeling yourself.

Our fave ylang-ylang fragrances: Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel, $100, has to be one of the most famous fragrances in history, and we understand why – it exudes confidence. Another classic ylang-ylang fragrance is J’adore in Joy by Dior, with notes of fleur de sal, peach, and ylang-ylang – it’s THE scent of summer.

2. Vanilla

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Vanilla is one of the most popular scents in the world, and that’s down to the way it’s proven to make you feel. In a recent study, the smell of vanilla was shown to elevate the participant’s mood and help them feel more relaxed. It also has a long history of being used to help people connect with their body and awaken their sensual chakras. And what’s more empowering than feeling connected to your body.

Our fave vanilla fragrances: Okay, so we may be a little biased, but the KAYALI VANILLA l 28, $118, smells SO good; it’s sweet, decadent, and luxurious. The Black Opium by YSL, $72, is another great option; its keynotes are black coffee, white flowers, and vanilla, so it’s super seductive.

3. Citrus

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Citrus is another common scent used in fragrance, and here’s why: From just sniffing citrus fruits, it can boost alertness and make you feel energized. Studies have shown the smell of lemon can also help you de-stress and leave a more positive impression on another person. So, if you’re meeting someone new or want to leave your mark in a meeting, have a quick spritz of a lemon-based fragrance and you’ll be good to go!

Our fave citrus fragrances: Chanel Chance Eu Fraiche, $107, is a classic – it’s super light and makes you feel great. Plus, it has not one, but two empowering scents as it has notes of jasmine as well. We can’t forget to mention KAYALI CITRUS, $118, which combines the sensual rose with citrus notes, bergamot, and sparkling pink grapefruit.

4. Jasmine

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If you’re looking for a little boost, spray a jasmine-based perfume; the scent has uplifting properties that can make you feel more optimistic and fill your mind with positive energy. Jasmine oil is used as a natural anti-depressant and is proven to calm nerves – if we’re ever feeling anxious, we place a couple of drops of jasmine oil on our pillow at night to ensure we get a good night’s sleep.

Our fave jasmine fragrances: The Victor & Rolf Flower Bomb Jasmine Twist, $69, is the perfect fragrance; it’s feminine yet makes you feel uber powerful. We also love the Ellie Saab Le Parfum, $52, it smells divine with notes of orange blossom, rose, and honey.

5. Rosemary

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This one may surprise you, but rosemary is a seriously empowering scent, which explains why it’s used in a lot of famous perfumes. The scent has been shown to enhance concentration, brain power, and memory. So don’t limit rosemary to your seasoning because when you wear a rosemary-based scent, you’ll be bringing your A-game.

Our fave rosemary fragrances: Georgio Armani Acqua Di Gio Pour Homme is one of the sexiest scents of all time – although it’s traditional a male cologne, we love to wear it regardless. After all, fragrance is becoming a lot more unisex… it’s 2019 after all! The Tom Ford Neroli Portofino, $150, is another unisex fragrance with notes of rosemary, jasmine, and citrus.

What’s your favorite fragrance and what makes you feel powerful? Let us know in the comments below.