Sports fragrances: keeping cool on and off the court

Light and constantly in motion, sports fragrances, be they coolly chlorophyll-scented or sharply acidic, are a refreshing reward after a workout.

By Renaud Legrand . 08/06/01

It all started in the late 70's. Following the trend in America, sports began invading everyday life in Europe. Suddenly everyone was working out, jogging, playing squash... This gave rise to a new lifestyle and a new fashion: sportswear. The casual chic of male tennis players or golfers stood fashion on its head, and perfumers have rounded out the new look with sports perfumes. Fragrances that make the wearer feel good, created to wear both during and after a workout.

A cool shot

Sports means heat, therefore a need to cool off. To reward athletes, perfumers chose sparkling and cheerful citrus notes (lime, citron, bergamot and oranges), green and rustic notes (herbs, mint) as well as ferny tones (lavender, bergamot, oak moss and wood). What's the final score? Give Lacoste for Men a try, just to experience the liveliness of bergamot and lime, perked up with menthol, lavender and cloves. Although if you prefer ocean breezes, spices and exotic woods then you will love the tangerine, bergamot and lime in Polo Sport by Ralph Lauren.

Hitting the spot

Since they have some of colognes' hersperide notes, sports fragrances also have some of their traits, such as simplicity, good humor and straightforwardness... in a word, they are good sports. But they also possess the volatility of perfume... which should suffice to silence those cynics who think that sports fragrances are nothing but a marketing concept. When you've worked up a a sweat, it's not a good idea to try to mask body odor with strong, heady fragrances. It's better to use a bit of a light and acidic note, imbued with sunshine, rather than the sensual shadows of an oriental fragrance. As a matter of fact, Olivia Jan -- a perfumer at Robertet -- explains, "Instinctively, when we want to cool off, we shy away from fruity or overly floral notes as they are too heavy and clammy after a workout." And if Olivia were to compose a sport fragrance, she'd naturally go for herbal notes such as rosemary... to obtain a "river atmosphere".

They've Got Game!

For the sake of authenticity, these eaux find their inspiration in sports: polo for Ralph Lauren, tennis for Lacoste (this fragrance has served on courts for 20 years now), horseback riding (Hermes, of course, and their Eau d'Orange Verte), as well as windsurfing too, thanks to Davidoff's Cool Water, and scuba diving with Ice Dive by Adidas and golf with Trophée de Lancôme... a fragrance for every sport!