Favorite Summer Scents
Let me start this by saying that the process of selecting my favorite summer scents is like having your teeth pulled by a maniac dentist who doesn’t believe in anasthesia (something that actually happened to me in good old Soviet times). So, the list below is by no means comprehensive. A momentary whim is a more precise description. So here goes:
Favorite Floral - Monyette Paris
Notes: Tahitian Gardenia, French Muguet, nag champa.
No summer can go by without Monyette Paris. It’s a lush, creamy, tropical floral that stays on my skin for hours and makes me feel all summery. A hint of nag champa adds an incensy kick and makes the scent more captivating. The best tropical scent I’ve found.
Favorite Citrus - Divine Bergamote by The Different Company
Notes: bergamot, ginger, orange blossom, leaf green, rhubarb (wood), musk.
A juicy burst of tart citrus with just a hint of ginger that mellows down to a well-rounded, slightly balmy green rhubarb/orange scent. Sunny and cheerful! Perfect for particularly hot and humid days.
Favorite Amber - Giorgio Armani Ambre Soie
Notes: Chinese ginger, cinnamon, clove, cedar, amber, patchouli.
My nose doesn’t detect much ginger or clove. I get dried plums softened by amber and just a touch of cinnamon. Silky, slightly dusty amber that’s not animalic or “heavy”. It feels like a light summer cashmere shawl for those cool, breezy nights.
Favorite Green - L’Artisan Fou D’Absinthe
Notes: absinthe, angelica, black currant, cistus, nutmeg, pepper, pine needles, star anise, patchouli, fir balsam.
A slightly spicy, peppery blend of angelica and ginger underlined by pine and just a touch of anise. It conjures up the color green, and brings back childhood memories of pine tree forests by the Baltic sea.
Favorite Spicy - Caron Eau de Reglisse
Notes: basil, verbena, tangerine, patchouli, ginger, nutmeg, licorice, musk, vanilla.
A new discovery for me. A spicy, gingery licorice with soft, warm undertones. If I had to make candy out of this, it’d be the chewy and juicy kind. My favorite for summer because it’s not too heavy on spices, yet with enough zing to satisfy my oriental yearnings.
Favorite Leather - Serge Lutens Daim Blond
Notes: hawthorne, cardamom, iris, abricot kernel, musk, heliotrope, leather.
Suede in a bottle. With dry, slightly bitter beginning and mesmerizingly velvety, soft finish with a touch of cardamom. A masterpiece!
Favorite Gourmand - Jalaine Vanilla
Notes: French vanilla, musk.
A generous scoop of French vanilla ice-cream on a hot day! Lush and creamy vanilla with soft musky undertones. Gourmand but not cloyingly sweet. Extremely long-lasting. For a non-vanilla lover like me, this is quite a gem.
Favorite Musk - Frederic Malle Musc Ravageur
Notes: bergamot, mandarin, cinnamon, vanilla, musk, amber.
A sensual elixir. Alluring and seductive. Not a straight musk scent - a deep, animalic blend that sends shivers down my spine. Perfect for balmy evenings. My favorite musk rendition in fragrance.
Favorite Incense - Donna Karan Essence Labdanum
Notes: labdanum resin.
A dark and mysterious aroma. Austere and subdued incense. It stands on its own and demands respect.
Be sure to check out Marina’s list on Perfume Smellin’ Things, Patty’s and March’s lists on Perfume Posse, Cait’s list on Legerdenez, Helene’s list on Scented Salamander, Katie’s list on Scentzilla, Victoria’s list on Victoria’s Own, and Marlen’s list on Perfume Critic.
Please feel free to share your own in Comments!
18 comments June 18th, 2006