Aside from it being January’s flower, we think the carnation is a seriously underrated floral. Once at the height of popularity for its symbolism and scent, it has been overshadowed by other flowers that appeal to a more modern nose. So, we’re here to highlight what makes a carnation an excellent floral choice when it comes to fragrance, and which niche perfumes mean you can get a whiff of it immediately

With a history dating back some 2000 years, the Greeks and Romans laid carnation garlands at the base of sacred temples as a way of honouring the gods. If that isn’t already testament to this great floral, we don’t know what is! Fast forward a few hundred years and you’ve got carnations offered as gifts at medieval weddings to symbolise fidelity in the years ahead. It was even the flower which inspired the very first Mother’s Day back in 1912

Hugely fashionable in the Victorian era, the carnation held the spotlight when it came to fragrance. It was THE floral of the moment, but nowadays has been relegated to more of an old-fashioned vibe. There are other flowers which produce stronger or more obvious scents and are quite understandably favoured. But we think this subtle, spicy flower still has a lot to give

The flower itself is a rather beautiful pompom which you’ll find in a variety of colours, and it is usually only processed in Grasse when it comes down to using it in fragrance. But when it takes over 500 kilos to produce just one kilo of concrete, we can easily see why the carnation has fallen out of favour over the years. Not to mention the scent isn’t necessarily as pleasant as an iris or a rose

Really though, the best way to experience anything is to do it for yourself. So, we won’t harp on about the sex appeal of this fluffy layered floral any longer. Instead, here are some scents where you can sniff it and decide for yourself if carnation is a bit of you