winter fragrance
(Photo : Vecteezy/Mykhailo Polenok)

As winter sets in, many individuals feel the winter blues, but here's a simple solution: functional fragrances.

You've heard of scents making you smell good, but there's more to it. Functional fragrances not only smell nice but also have a purpose, like making you feel better or boosting your mood.

Unlike regular perfumes, whose sole purpose is to give you a pleasant smell, these fragrances are all about triggering specific feelings or reactions.

They often use elements from aromatherapy, a method using natural oils to make you feel physically and mentally better. Functional fragrances can help reduce stress, sharpen your focus, help you relax or lift your mood.

Check out these five functional fragrances that can brighten your mood and beat the winter blues.

1. Estée Lauder Tender Light

Tender Light from Estee Lauder is characterized as a radiant burst that transports you into a dreamy palace, embodying the warmth and joy of sunlight. This citrus green fragrance, part of the fresh fragrance family, is exhilarating with its light and fresh scent. The overall essence of the fragrance evokes joyful positivity, awakening, illumination, and energy, leaving you feeling "radiantly alive."

In winter's sun-deprived days, Tender Light becomes a refreshing companion, countering the season's gloom and offering a delightful escape with a burst of warmth and vitality.

2. NEST New York Madagascar Vanilla Perfume Oil

NEST New York Madagascar Vanilla Perfume Oil offers a warm and comforting aroma, perfect for finding solace in the chilly winter season. This cozy scent seamlessly weaves together Madagascar vanilla and coconut, creating a smooth and soft aroma.

According to Fragrantica, the top notes feature vanilla bean, followed by vanilla orchid in the middle, and coconut as the base note. This perfume oil offers a delightful blend that promises to cocoon you in comfort throughout the winter season.

3. The Nue Co. Water Therapy

Water Therapy from The Nue Co. draws inspiration from the idea of "blue medicine," the notion that water has a positive influence on mental well-being through its soothing and stress-relieving properties.

Crafted with a calming combination of scent notes inspired by the sea, such as seaweed, salt, cardamom, and rose, this functional fragrance employs olfactory technology to recreate the sensory experience of being in or around water. It claims to help relieve tension, balance mood, and reduce stress, making it an ideal olfactory companion in combatting winter blues.

4. Abel Pause

Pause by Abel is carefully crafted to serve as a restorative essence, aiming to center, balance, and calm the mind and body during periods of hormonal change. It incorporates key elements such as violet leaf for stability, mimosa to support hormone balance, narcissus to promote deep sleep, and hay to offer a sense of tranquility.

Together, these components create a harmonious blend that extends its appeal beyond its therapeutic effects. Beyond its evident feel-good properties, Pause is a confidently textured floral fragrance. Notably, Pause's efficacy extends to the winter season, where its comforting and grounding qualities come to the forefront.

5. Vyrao Magnetic 70

Vyrao Magnetic 70 is an intricately crafted fragrance boasting a blend of beneficial elements. With vetiver, it instills both sensuality and grounding, while cedar wood attracts positivity, and frankincense adds a touch of illumination. Angelica seed offers protection from negative energy, and iris absolute contributes cleansing and harmonizing properties. Juniper wood aids in releasing negative energy and emotions, while elemi aligns chakras, and black pepper serves as an anti-anxiety component.

This well-rounded fragrance proves to be an excellent choice for the winter season, providing a comforting and grounding essence during the colder months.