The Case for Hair Perfume

BY JENNA ROSENSTEIN

•  
•  

When I told my boyfriend that I was writing this blog, he asked, "Why do you need hair perfume? Don't you have shampoo? If your shampoo doesn't make your hair smell good, shouldn't you just get a new shampoo?" I mean, he's not wrong. But he's also not taking into consideration two very important factors: Hair perfumes are a chic yet relatively inexpensive luxury, and I only wash my hair a few times a week. So to cover up any lingering dry-shampoo powdery-ness or otherwise unpleasant odors that cling to unwashed hair, I'll reach for one of these new hair fragrances. They're not quite as strong as regular perfume—and not quite as drying to your hair, either. And they don't just make your hair smell good; they add shine and softness, too. Here, the three new hair perfumes you should definitely try.

Sachajuan Protective Hair Perfume ($72). I'd be lying if I said I didn't immediately love this perfume just for the packaging. I'm such a sucker for minimalism. The formula adds shine and offers UV protection, and it's superlight and misty, so you only need one or two spritzes. Now for the scent: It opens with a crisp green-apple note, then transforms into a sweet floral with notes of peach and rose, before drying down to patchouli, white musk, and cedarwood (it smells just like Sachajuan's other hair products). It's definitely a hair perfume that should be worn in place of your normal perfume—it's strong—but the scent smells clean and expensive and sticks around all day long.

Miss Dior Hair Mist ($48). If you wear Miss Dior already, this one is a no-brainer. It smells like a lighter, fresher version of its eau de parfum counterpart (it has the same mandarin-jasmine-and-patchouli composition). The scent is strong at first, as if all the top and base notes are coming out at once, but it quickly settles into your hair and lasts for a few hours, though not all day. One or two spritzes refreshes my second-day hair but doesn't overpower my morning's spritz of perfume.

Byredo Hair Perfume ($62). If you're into Byredo's perfumes, then good news: The brand released three hair perfumes this month in some of their most popular scents, Blanche (a clean floral), Bal d'Afrique (a zesty citrus), and Gypsy Water (a woody vanilla scent). The formulas have silicone to add shine and softness to hair, and, oh yeah, they smell amazing. If you already wear one of the scents, then they'd make a great addition to your perfume collection since they won't compete for nose time. Just one teeny suggestion: Can the Best of Beauty–winningFlowerhead get its own hair perfume, too?