Q I recently moved to Singapore from a temperate climate and my favourite perfumes seem too strong for the weather here. What are some better options?

A Unfortunately, the hot and humid weather here is extremely unkind to heavier perfumes that feature elements like musk and jasmine - these notes tend to be very rich and heady and are best appreciated in chillier conditions, where they are not as overpowering.

This is why fragrance launches during the summer season tend to feature light, citrus-heavy scents.

These tend to fare better in hot weather but they also tend to be more simplistic, one-note scents.

However, some recently launched scents are both light and lovely, so you might want to try them out.

American brand Bond No. 9's Astor Place ($431 for 100ml, from Sephora) is a winner.

It features notes of violet leaf, mandarin zest, freesia and iris root, and manages to be fresh and comforting without being overpowering.

A Scent by Issey Miyake ($80 for 30ml, from all major department stores) comes in a lovely frosted bottle and was inspired by the smell of the mountains in Japan. It is a light, floral perfume that features notes including verbena and galbanum.

My personal favourite of the lot is Winter 1972 by New York niche brand CB I Hate Perfume ($100 for 15ml, from Asylum).

The ingredients are mixed with a beet juice extract, which perfumer Christopher Brosius feels is a better medium because his scents are not diluted or distorted by alcohol and also last longer when applied on skin.

Winter 1972 features a blend of metallic and woody notes and evokes the quiet chill of winter remarkably. Wearing it makes you feel like you are carrying around your own private winter, even in sunny Singapore.

This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times.