Not Ready to Switch to Heavy Perfumes for Autumn? Try These Dreamy Body Mists Instead
Main image – Courtesy of writer
After a summer as hot as this one, our favourite perfumes can start to feel a little heavy day-to-day.
When temperatures are still hovering around 30 degrees, the last thing I want is an intense fragrance lingering on my skin. My solution? Switching to a body mist.
Body mists are often infantilised, reserved for memories of the school changing room post-PE. Personally, I think the nostalgia is part of their charm, but they’re also wildly underrated- many offer the same complex notes as an eau de parfum, just without the heaviness.
I’ve been carrying them around for months, and these are a few I’ll be taking with me into autumn.
Orebella
Image – Courtesy of writer
Founded by supermodel Bella Hadid, Orebella has found fame for its oil-based perfumes. Now, the brand is adding body mists to the mix. The scents are delicate and fresh (perfect for the warmer transitional months) and leave your skin with the most beautiful glow (while we’re still baring a little flesh).
Neroli’s Halo is my mist of choice. Its sweet, floral scent feels made for summer, particularly those weekend escapes somewhere sunnier.
The oil-infused formula makes these feel a little more luxurious than your average body spray, too. I particularly like them on days when I want my fragrance to feel more like part of my body care routine than a separate perfume.
SHOP OREBELLA BODY MISTS
£32 from Selfridges UK
$39 from Ulta US
Rare Beauty
Image – Courtesy of writer
Rare Beauty has created a selection of body mists inspired by its Find Comfort range. The scents are subtle, but surprisingly long-lasting – I rarely find myself needing to top up throughout the day.
I love wearing the Find Comfort Body & Hair Fragrance Mist to the gym. When I don’t want a heavy scent lingering as I work up a sweat, a quick spritz gives me that hit of freshness without feeling like too much.
They’re also ideal if, like me, you sometimes get fragrance fatigue. The lighter scent makes them easy to wear on days when a full eau de parfum feels like too much, whatever the weather.
SHOP RARE BEAUTY BODY MISTS
£28 from Space NK UK
$28 from Sephora US
PHLUR
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If you’ve seen body mists anywhere lately, you’ve likely seen a PHLUR one. The brand has made them cool again, and for good reason. They pack a similar punch to an eau de parfum. Yes, you’ll need to top up a little more often, but they’re handbag-friendly, so that’s hardly a problem.
I love their musky gourmand mists the most, like Vanilla Skin and Heavy Cream. Both are deliciously moreish without that heavy hit you can get from a traditional perfume.
They’re also a great introduction to gourmand fragrance if you usually find sweeter perfumes a little overwhelming. As the weather cools, I’ll be layering mine with warmer perfumes too, rather than retiring them until next summer.
SHOP PHLUR BODY MISTS
From £26 from Space NK UK
From $26 from Sephora US
OUAI
Image – Ouai
Headed for a beach day, at home or away? You might want to pack an OUAI Body & Hair Mist or two. The haircare brand’s mists have become cult favourites, capturing the feeling of a tropical escape in a way that’s light, uplifting and made for summer.
My personal favourite? The St. Barts Hair and Body Mist. It smells like coconut, sand and sunsets. Even when I’m nowhere near any of those three things, one spritz transports me straight there.
And while St. Barts will always smell like summer to me, I don’t think these need to disappear once autumn arrives. A fragrance that reminds you of somewhere sunnier might actually be even more appealing when the days start getting darker.
SHOP OUAI BODY MISTS
From £26 from Look Fantastic UK
From $28 from Sephora US
The takeaway
Body mists might come into their own in hot weather, but I’m no longer convinced they’re just a summer fragrance swap. They’re lighter, easy to reapply and a great way to experiment with scents you might find too much in a traditional perfume.
And as we move into autumn, I won’t be putting mine away. I’ll be wearing the sweeter gourmands on their own, layering lighter mists with my usual perfumes and keeping the fresher ones around for those days when I simply don’t want my fragrance to enter the room before I do.
