The summer limited editions are starting to appear in force. Here are a few scents you can look forward to using (or not) in the heat of August:
First up, CK One Summer 2008 from Calvin Klein, a unisex fragrance developed by perfumer Harry Fremont and featuring notes of watermelon, watermint, hedione, cucumber, cardamom, moss, blonde woods and musk.
It will be in 100 ml Eau de Toilette, and is expected to launch this month. You can see the 2007 version here. (via perfumerflavorist, cosmoty.de)
From Donna Karan, this year's version of DKNY Summer for women, expected to launch in April. I can't tell if they change the juice every year or just use a new bottle (see the 2006 and 2007 versions) but this one is described as "based around the core elements of the original DKNY Women's Fragrance, introduced in 1999, updated with the addition of ripe red berries"; additional notes include red currant, cassis, vodka-soaked mandarin oranges, thyme, tomato leaves, daffodils, white birch and tulip tree wood. In 100 ml Eau de Toilette. (via moodiereport)
This year's summer duo from Issey Miyake includes L'Eau d'Issey Summer for women (shown, in 100 ml Eau de Toilette with notes of rosewater, pear, peony, carnation, osmanthus and precious woods) and L'Eau d'Issey Pour Homme Summer (125 ml Eau de Toilette and featuring mandarin, cardamom, sage and ambergris). If you're curious, see the 2006 and 2007 versions. The 2008 bottles look lovely and I'll post a better picture later if I can find one; they were designed by Santiago Marotto. (Update: see image of men's version at bottom)
Both fragrances are available now at bloomingdales. (via abc-luxe)
From Yves Saint Laurent, L'Homme Yves Saint Laurent Eau d'Eté 2008, with notes of bergamot, Chinese ginger, ozone, basil, violet leaf, white pepper, vetiver, musk and cedar. In 100 ml, and expected to launch later this month. (via cosmoty.de)
From Estee Lauder, the "Summer Fun" collection for 2008, including Eau Fraîche Skinscent versions of Pleasures (75 ml), Beautiful (75 ml) and Pure White Linen (shown, 100 ml). $49.50 each, and available now at Estee Lauder counters and online. See last year's Summer Fun from Estee Lauder. (via esteelauder)
Wait, I am confused, is Estee Lauder producing a lighter version of Pure White Linen in a summer bottle or is Pure White Linen termporarily available in a summer bottle?
Pure White Linen Summer Breeze is a very nice fragrance so why do they have to add another one?!
Yes to both: it is a lighter version of Pure White Linen, temporarily available in a summer bottle. They do this collection every year.
Pure White Linen Summer Breeze is a different fragrance, here, same fragrance, lighter concentration.
Not sure that was clear — by “here”, I mean, “the summer fun collection”.
Yes I totally understand you. Maybe this lighter version has just less alcohol, like Jean Paul Gaulthier does each summer with his Classic.
If the scent itself is lighter then there is hardly anything to smell. Maybe this is for S.E.Asia then..
Looked it up on their website and this is even another fragrance.
Oh well..I have my mind set on the green one, the Breeze.
Luckily these are being sold in 25 ml or 30 ml bottles
One or two of those might be rather nice (she says generously!) but they're not the Guerlain AAs or the Kerala Hermes Jardin thingy. I called in on the City Hermes store on my way home the other evening as I wanted to cadge a sample of Osmanthe Yunnan and one of the SAs is nice and friendly. She said she'd smelled the new one but she was very enigmatic about it. Not spicy, she said, clean she said which slightly worried me but I'm banking on her just not giving too much away.
Oh dear, hope it is not so bland as Paprika Brasil – I did not like that one. Congrats on finding a friendly Hermes SA! I find them very nice in New York, but the smaller suburban stores are often amazingly snotty.
Right, Pure White Linen Light Breeze, not Pure White Linen Summer Breeze — ack, can't keep them all straight!
Summer is ending here in the southern hemisphere…
But the miyake for men makes me wish it was spring again
I love the bottle too.
Regarding the CK… the only edition I found truly different and yet very wearable was the CK one Electric.. People either love it or hate it… and I THINK I might still be able to snag a bottle somewhere..
FYI Robin, my perfume shopping has come to a screeching halt, at least until my birthday in april… I am moving in into my OTHER obsession, HiFi audio, renewing my rig for the first time in 10 years… So for now all I am doing is making LISTS of perfumes I'd like to buy…. or to give as gifts..
I'm a sucker for Issey, so I've been trying to get an advance bottle of the summer edition. I try them all, but nothing ever comes close to the carnation in the original EDP. Yet I keep trying every year.
I love the original White Linen; the combination of green and aldehydes is classic to me. I haven't been able to get into the Pure and Breeze editions, too soft for me.
P, must say that audio is probably a better long term investment than perfume
They have the IM bottles at Bloomies. They always seem to get the IM summer scents before anybody else in the US.
Any idea of what the JP Gaultier Summer edition will look like? What about Cacharel?
Haven't seen either of those yet, but I'm sure they're coming, and we've also got summer stuff coming up from more of the usual suspects (Tommy Hilfiger, Carolina Herrera 212, etc).
I just smelled the Issey yesterday. It may be that I'm still not up to scent-speed but it smelled pretty much exactly like the original Issey (and I used to wear that a lot so I'm pretty familiar with it). It's not bad but I'm not exactly sure what's really different about it. Maybe someone with a more advanced palate will be able to determine.
Without facetiousness, what is a note of precious woods?
You know, it just means there's some wood in there, seriously. I mean, they aren't going to say “cheapo synthetic wood smell”, right? They're going to say “precious” instead. Mind you, not saying there isn't any “real” wood as opposed to “synthetic” wood in any particular scent, but there isn't any way of knowing that from the list of notes anyway even if they're more specific and list actual kinds of wood like cedar or sandalwood or something.
LOL — the original Issey is a pretty darned light scent. I doubt I'll be able to tell the difference either. There might not even be any difference, although I'd assume it is a lighter concentration, and it might be alcohol-free.
The L'Eau d'Issey Summer bottles are simply stunning.
They did do a nice job this year.