Until six months ago, I was living in a semi-arid, high plains environment and I had forgotten what humidity was like. Returning to the area where I grew up has meant returning to Humidex (humidity rating) values and the cloggy, bilgy pockets of air that wallow around an Eastern city. I don’t sweat very much and personally prefer a little swampiness to the near constant gritty wind I encountered out west, but there is only so much stagnant heat a girl can take. During the muggiest days of our summers, I have noticed that a certain portion of the population in Toronto manage to affect a sort of languid, fanning Southern Belle attitude. Those of you who know me — either through online interaction or in what we now rather charmingly call “real life” — will be able to guess I have no ability or desire to pull such an act off. The Canuck obsession with endless discussions of the weather is a long-standing source of humour in my country, so while I indulge myself occasionally, I mostly try to just slog my way through heat in silence, washing my face three times a day and sleeping with a fan roaring into my ear.
One of the few benefits of the closest days is that the low sillage and lasting power of some of your favourite scents no longer seems like a drawback. When every opened door or sluggish second of breeze means you encounter the smells of both yourself and everyone around you, a linear, gentle and smiling scent seems like common sense and courtesy, rather than lack of imagination. Smelling the many colognes and eau fraîches released each year to the market also makes you realize exactly how difficult it is to make something straightforwardly fresh that still smells good. Listed below are five scents that have stood up to the challenge of a humid subway tunnel without wilting.
Guerlain Eau de Fleurs de Cédrat: This fragrance smells extraordinarily like homemade lemon simple syrup mixed with sparkling mineral water — and lasts about as long as such a concoction survives in this household (mere minutes, you understand). Still, the scent is so mouth-wateringly refreshing that it is hard to complain about only getting half an hour of glory.
Etro Anice: People have different sets of notes that call to them as the mercury rises: some, like Kevin, need a soapy freshness, others feel the need for tea-based fragrances. I crave anisic scents and none fits the bill quite like Etro’s Anice. Starting a bit chewy, like those Zouts or dropjes (salted liquorices) that the clearly crazy Dutch eat — the things smell nice, but they taste like road tar! — Etro Anice remains startlingly linear throughout, finishing with a faintly powdered anise-musk. Lovely and carefully crafted in a way that makes you notice the indistinct, tired quality of so many of the pale bases in mass market fragrances.
Thierry Mugler Miroir des Vanités: There seems to be so little love in perfumanity for Mugler’s new set of fragrances that I almost feel obliged to keep mentioning the three I like. While I can’t see myself wearing Miroir des Envies or A Travers le Miroir often, I may eventually have to purchase Miroir des Vanities, a fizzy, bitter-bright cocktail, tinted a perfect cool shade of green. If you are looking for effervescence that lasts, this is a rare option.
Comme des Garçons 3: This one stands out in the bizarre, boisterous stable of Comme des Garçons fragrances for being relatively hushed. Minty, dry and as powdered as incense ash, 3 smells simultaneously odd and familiar. It has the sort of charm that creeps up on you and is therefore perfect for a day when you need to mop your brow with the back of your hand.
Creative Universe Té: Not your standard, brightly stylized summer “thé” but a weird, clean tea realism. Somehow the sweet floracy of ylang ylang, the poultry seasoning blend of celery seed and clove and a mysterious hint of craft paste all add up to the smell of a fresh bag of tea. Don’t ask me how it works, but I love it.
Note: image is liquid ice by atomicshark at flickr; some rights reserved.
Nice piece, Erin. It's been years since I've lived somewhere that gets truly hot, humid, and *swampy*… but I have my own definition of “hot weather” now and the same rules apply for choosing “cool” fragrances for those days when the mercury *soars* into the mid- to high-80s.
I've recently started to really enjoy anise/licorice notes myself and discovered that I really love KenzoAir for my anise fix. Perfect for summer!
You know the bit that got me nodding my head?
The washing your face three times a day.
That sums up my current drooping reaction to the muggy heat in Switzerland that this Welsh lass is just not used to.
Right – off to douse myself in Eau de Cologne again.
Hrm, now doing the Fahrenheit/Celsius conversion, okay, um… 85 F is 30 C! Yes, that is hot. When the sun is really baking, it doesn't matter if there is little humidity, does it? Hey, I love KenzoAir – very inventive scent and one of the few vetiver scents that appeals to me for myself (along with the very different Etro Vetiver and Andy Tauer's new one). Maybe it's the anice – which I never really noticed before. It always seems sort of sandy and breezy to me, lovely for the summer. Enjoy a lot of the Kenzo line, really.
Erin I am one of those crazy Dutch people that love 'dropjes' in each season of the year and I have lived in Toronto for six years and I loved it overthere.
I feel homesick again to TO..:(( Those dropjes I bring to Prague every time I've been in those Netherlands.
Humid weather is really hard for the body and choosing a perfume is not easy. Therefore I really like your post and suggestions.
Andy Tauer's perfumes smell really good on my skin with a high humidex.
Marianne, the reason I know dropjes is my husband is a crazy Dutch person! I have been trying for years to eat the things, but I never make it through half a minute with one in my mouth. My two year old daughter loves them and it just baffles me! (And I have to spray all her clothes to get the black stains out.) Hey, move back to T.O.! Then we could hang out, swap samples and walk through Yorkville or Queen West, eating Greg's Ice Cream in roasted marshmallow flavour – perhaps I'd even eat a Zout in your honour! Prague's not bad either, though
Isn't it icky? Who would've suspect that Switzerland would get really swampy? I guess the valley areas would really trap the humidity. For the first time in my life, I've had some trouble with breakouts this summer. It unsettles me to wipe my sweaty face and see all the grime on the washcloth.
I can't do the southern belle thing, either…people would splutter with derisive laughter. I loved Fleurs de Cedrat, but it was gone, gone in 60 seconds on me. Only Bvlgari's Omnia (Nullia on me) had a more impressive vanishing act. And speaking of the Dutch and humidity, I was just reading that Dutch dressage star Anky van Grunsven is out running in the Hong Kong humidity (by herself, I mean, not assisted by her horse)…I suppose that means I can do it here in the Hudson Valley.
My favorite summer perfume of the moment is Encens et Lavande, which has been very calming on sweltering summer nights. My other current favorite is Tiempe Passate, which I merely liked at first sniff, but have fallen in love with now. It smells like roses and the sea and Montauk.
Hi Erin,
I agree whole heartedly about Fleurs de Cedrat and CdG #3 who's spirit you expressed so adroitly. I first discovered #3 on a humid day in LA, and the sharp mint/cedar/celery scent cut through the smog, even as I was mired in traffic. I think it's one of the CdG masterpieces – I only wish it was available through discounters.
Wonderful post! I too love Comme des Garcons 3 (and Odeur 71) and anise scents during high humidity, which for me is ten months a year (I live in Miami). I will have to give Te a sniff. I love Thayer's Witch Hazel (rose petals or original) to refresh my face when I feel all gross and sweaty. The alcohol free ones are the best for me. I keep them in the fridge.
My top five scents for the dog days would be:
Herba Fresca: the mint, the tea, the quiet flowers all remain interesting without smothering me.
Eau de Guerlain: perfect for any time, but extra perfect during the swelter.
Fahrenheit 32: Lovely. I guess I crave mint as much as anise during the sweatiest days.
Violet Empire: On paper the notes should be too much for an August day, but it works for me.
The Pour Un Ete: if it lasted about two hours longer it would be perfect.
Pennsylvania has it's share of nasty humid days….These are the ones that carry me through each summer. (And, btw, I work “quaintly” in an old building without air conditioning, so stamina is really important here!)
Sonoma Scent Studio Velvet Rose, because a good rose can stand up to any humidy with grace, freshness and longevity, and this one is the best rose soliflore there is….
Calypso Christianne Celle Chevrefeuille because it is green floral fresh wonderful, and it lasts without being too overpowering….
Lorenzo Villoresi Donna because the lemony rose picks up in the worst heat and I can pretend I'm suffering in Italy…..
Annick Goutal Mandragore for the worst of the days when I want to hide away and drink gin & tonics all day….
And, strangely enough, the best time of day for the worst of humidity – right before the awesome thunderstorm…Anick Goutal Heure Exquise, which has that wonderful quiet intensity and seems to magnify right before the rain begins….
LOL, it takes a lot to inspire me to run! I'm not sure a clearly nutty person jogging in a Hong Kong summer would do it.
Have you noticed what it is like in Beijing? I haven't been keeping track. I spent the hottest August of my life in Greece, so I was horrified on behalf of all of our Olympians in Athens.
I think Marina of PST has the same problem with Cedrat, so you're not alone. And you're one of the people who can't smell Omnia, eh? There are quite a few of you, never fear. It is relatively strong to me, but I can't smell NR for her, so I believe y'all. Actually, Tiempe Passate is another one of those rare “blind” spots for me, too, weirdly enough – doesn't smell like much! Too bad, it sounds nice
oblitterati, thank you! Yes, why is 3 not more available? It would be a perfect scent to wear in L.A. traffic, so calming and Zen. It would appeal to those who like the Kyoto (Incense series), I think.
Oh that would be so nice! Whenever I'm back in Toronto then I'll bring you a big bag of mixed dropjes from the Netherlands for your husband and little daughter :D. Would love to go with you to Queen St. West and maybe we could also have a nice ice coffee at Second Cup before or after the ice cream… Wonder if Korean Grill is still there or Sushi Bistro and that nice French restaurant Select Bistro.
We lived near subway station Bessarion (Sheppard).
monkeytoe, thanks. I like the idea of keeping just about everything in the fridge, although I never do. Angela keeps her Eau de Rochas in the fridge, I think, which sounds just wonderful. One day I really will try it.
Like your list. Eau de Guerlain is an any time scent for me. And I love Violet Empire!! Ooo, it's great. I love it on a warm autumn day. The Fahrenheit 32 really threw me off the only time I tried it – wasn't what I was expecting at all, I think – but I keep meaning to re-try it. And I feel your pain on the TPuE – I'd buy it in a heart-beat, except I get so little time out of it.
Great piece! We don't get real humidity in Northern California, but we do get very hot days–it's been over 100 several times already this summer. I usually reach for Eau de Cartier, and keep a bottle of Demeter Ginger Ale in the fridge. EdC is my go-to when I have to visit NYC in the summer, too.
Oh, Le Select! I love that place. They moved it a block or two up from Queen West – moving the wine cellar was an infamous headache, I guess. But it's still great. I live near Bathhurst station (Bloor line), on the edge of Koreatown, so we could always go for stone bowls and kimchi, too
Second Cup very nearby…. I'm just sayin'!
My brother works in one of those buildings, so I feel you. I can't say I'm particuarly familiar with your choices, except the Goutals. Actually, one of my summer faves is AG Chevrefeuille, and I like the Calypso Mimosa, so I could see how that one would work. And Heure Exquise is not strange at any time – “quiet intensity”, that's a really fine description!
Dear commenter Dusan (who I believe is currently in Corfu, the lucky guy) loves Eau de Cartier. I keep meaning to get me some. Thanks for reminding me. And Demeter Ginger Ale almost made the list! Love that stuff. A little spritz of that, along with a Pim's & Ginger (Pim's gin, lemonade, ginger beer and cucumber) makes my day…
I also liked Chanel's eau de Chanel, but it seriously lasted for 5 minutes before the humidity killed it! My other favorite AG for humity is Neroli, but I don't always wear it for some reason.
Rivercat, sounds like we're in the same part of Northern CA, and Eau de Cartier is my hot weather favorite, too! I do reach for the watered-down-but-pretty Do Son frequently, as well.
Erin, your article has convinced me that I need to find an anise fragrance to add to my collection. I'm also finding that a vetiver-based scent is cooling. I'm very tempted to buy a bottle of Sel de Vetiver or one of its ilk.
Thanks for the article!
Is that the Chanel cologne (from the Exclusive collection)? I love that one, but I can't justify spending the money on it, when I could buy 31 Rue Cambon instead. I like AG Eau de Sud in the heat, too, but some people find it sweaty.
I like Do Son, too, so there are a few of us fans out there! I like the watered-down feel, but I'm not a huge tuberose fan, so there you are. I also like Sel de Vetiver, but I find it oddly dense on really hot days, and so I wear my decant of TDC Bergamont instead. Along a similar salty-vetiver angle, though, there is the AG Vetyver, which is interesting. Of course, plain ol' Guerlain Vetiver is great in the heat and the KenzoAir mentioned by joe up there would be a fun vetiver/anise to try.
I feel ya on not completely digging the humidity, Erin. You think sometime in the middle of winter (well, at least I do) that you will NEVER complain about being hot and sweaty again. Then July and August roll around and phew, let's just say that's not a dry heat staining the armpits of my t-shirt. Grumble, grumble.
My top five humid weather scents are Bulgari Eau Parfumee au The Vert, Hermes Un Jardin Sur le Nil and Un Jardin en Mediterranee, Dior Diorella, and good old No. 4711 chilled in the 'fridge.
Who knows someday I will come back…
It is one of those things I dream of doing.
Le Select has fine food so nice to know that they are still there.
We have plenty of good food in Europe but in TO everything is there, all together in one city.
Oh well, it's about bedtime here. What about some nice fresh splashes by Marc Jacobs? Or even Daisy or some new resh summer fragrances by L'Occitane. When it is really hot outside nothing seems right at a certain temp. Some fine soap can work well too.
One more year in Prague and then…of to another country or back home to NL.
Have a lovely evening overthere and I remember where Bathurst is
I thought you might mention my favorite Wichita Kansas triple digit rainy bog flys dropping like flys scents (whew)…the Chevrefeuille and you finally did. Yeah! It's perfect.
I also like Ungaro Fleur De Diva- it's so light you can use it as a splash, Fresh's Sugar Lemon, LA's La Chase a Papillons and Demeter's Incense-it's very light weight. I must try the Calypso. I'm glad someone brought the swelter up.
Joy,
Becca
The newest Aqua Allegoria – Laurier Reglisse – is great for a hot and/or humid day (it's been over 100 for the last two weeks here in Dallas!). It's lasting power isn't bad for its type – and a re-spritz in this weather is welcome anyway! i second Chanel's Eau de Cologne and AG'S Neroli as well.
Living in Washington DC – I promised myself that THIS year I would hunt out the perfect scents for our humid weather. When it gets hot and muggy – basically June – September – I can't stand most perfumes. Thank goodness for decants as I started with a list far more hopeful than successful. I don't think I even have five yet.
My ultimate test is to put on a fragrance and go for a 20 min bike ride at about noon — gotta like it after that!!
All are EDT or cologne – I am not brave enough to test perfume in this heat.
Chanel No. 19 – a truely lovely, elegent scent. It is weird because I used to hate this scent, but no longer!! (yay!)
Patou's Joy – so far the only really floral scent I can wear in 90+ humidity. This is quickly moving up to my ultimate girly scent – I just got my first sample of the perfume and am waiting for cooler weather to test.
Eau de Savage – well, it is perfect for summer at work
Acqua di parma Colonia – I love the citrus and herb mix – also good for work, but also something i like to wear for casual weekend moments like when out sailing or for run to the farmers market.
Bobbi Brown Beach – the perfect summer weekend scent for me
Oh – that is five!! yay!
What I WISH I liked is White Linen – I really, really want to like it. It is so wonderful when sprayed on a piece of fabric, v. elegant – but rough on me
Yes, completely, especially this winter with all the snow and snow and snow. Global warming! Well, I wouldn't mind a few flurries now…
Ah, the The Vert. So luv-er-ly. And I love Diorella, too, but find it a bit strident for the hottest of days. All of you with the fridge! I love it – need to try chillin' my chillers. Thinking of you yesterday and wondering if it will be hot in Chicago. So excited!
Hi Becca: did you mean the AG or the Calypso Chevrefeuille? I love the AG, and it's light. Always forget about the Sugar Lemon, but I like that one – uncomplicated in the nicest way.
I think I might be alone in preferring the Laurier Reglisse to the long-lamented AA Anisia Bella. I like it that much. Good rec!
I honeymooned in D.C. in early September, and man, is that place a *swamp*. I had somehow let my new husband do the packing and I had *no socks*. So I was wearing new sneakers barefoot and they were rubbing my ankles. I looked down at lunch and I had literally filled the right shoe with blood. Hubby said: Holy Moses, how did you not notice that?!? I thought the blood was *sweat*, that's how. Lovely place, but you all are insane for setting your nation's capital there!
I wish I liked White Linen OR Pleasures – they both seem great for hot weather.
I was born and raised in the tropics, in a little South East Asian country right by the equator to boot and I've had to deal with 85 degree, 100% humidity days all year round. As an adult, I've spritzed my way through multiple bottles of Bvlgari green tea, and perhaps due to my upbringing, I'm generally averse to heavier scents (florals, orientals), which I fear is stunting my perfume education! I wish I was into perfume when I was a college student in Massachusetts, but there are at least a couple of weeks of winter left in Australia, where I currently reside, so maybe all's not lost.
agree with you about anise-based perfumes in the humidity and heat. I was in London recently and it was humid and warm and nary an air-conditioner to be found! This is where I truly fell in love with Guerlain's L'Heure Bleue – in all that body scent/humidity the sillage was barely noticeable and the anise note cut through the funk in a wonderful way. True perfume love for me!
Oh, I hug you!! Nobody ever mentions Cedrat … sigh. I have a monumentally ugly bottle (not the nice bee one) but it smells so delish. And you know I'm writing from the swamp … I had a bottle of Etro Anice but gave it to my sister-in-law because while it smelled rather nice on me, it smelled *extraordinary* on her. No idea why.
And I am another person who keeps a large-ish bottle of 4711 in the fridge. Once I read it was meant to be used medicinally — splashed on a cloth, say, and held on the forehead (as opposed to drinking it ;-P ) keeping it cold made even more sense. I swear, coming in from the infernal heat and having a dab of that on my neck is pretty wonderful.
And you have reminded me that I really, really need to retry CdG3.
Erin, lovely post – your Guerlain suggestion sounds like what I need and Etro Anice is intriguing. I have yet to get used to this type of note, as I grew up in Singapore, which is where I think Shryh was born too. The constant heat and humidity makes citrus florals dominate most women's perfume collection, that makes it hard for other darker, deeper scents to gain interest. Now that I live in Tokyo, I'm much braver about my perfumes. Right now, in the summer heat, I spritz a very safe and considerate option: YSL's Paris.
Dropjes? Would those be the same as my husband's beloved Salmiak? Certainly sounds that way…in which case, my little one loves the stuff as well. Husband will be pleased to know that his older daughter will still have access when she moves to Amsterdam from Helsinki soon.
And Erin, you're better than I am… I'm afraid to even try one (granted, I don't like licorice).
So glad there are others who appreciate Do Son. I do like tuberose, but only when it's done quietly and/or with real finesse. How could I forget TDC Bergamote – one of my top faves! Thanks for the two vetiver recommendations – I will test them. And KenzoAir sounds very appealing, too. Thanks again – fun fun fun!
yay! Another chilled 4711 fan – I just bought a big bottle, but the San Francisco weather is not cooperating.
I don't have to deal with much humidity here but I sued to spend my summers in Ohio so feel your pain.
Erin, great piece. Creative Universe Te is wonderful scent to wear on muggy days (whenever we get them in SF!) Not often.
I usually wear CU Te or Bulgari Eau de Blanc when I fly back home to Florida.
I like: AP Premier Figuier & S-Perfumes remix on the hottest days. Days from hell in NYC, too.
4711, that one always works well with very hot humid weather!
Eau de Shalimar smells fine on my skin in these hot days and for some reason I liked Clinique Simply, when it was still in production.
Estee Lauder Pure White Linnen Light Breeze is so lovely for summer as well.
But I stick with Andy Tauer's perfumes for these were “made for very hot weather” and are so different from other perfumes
Salmiak, that is my most favorite kind of liquorice too!! My niece brought me 7 bags with different kinds of salmiak dropjes. YUMMY
I also like Fresh lychee and bergamot.
jonathon – Which particular S-perfume? I've been curious about 100% love since reading about it in TG whether it is overly feminine or not.
I have to say that you don't know heat until you live in
Australia! This March, which is Autumn/fall in the Southern hemisphere, had an avarage temperature of 37 degrees celcius! There were two weeks where it was over 40 degrees every day. Having said that,it can be hard to find a perfume that you can wear without suffocating yourself and everyone around you. I think that this might make a good poll as I am open to suggestions.
I'm talking about the self-named one by Morillas remixed by Laudamiel. About 100% Love, I think it's by far the most feminine of the three; to me it has too strange an accord to be able to wear, maybe bc I'm a guy. I think LT calls it “chocolate rose,” but to me it smells at turns of synthetic chocolate-tasting stuff wrapped in foil and then stuck on top of a plastic stem, at turns of bubble gum penicillin. Though I do think this could be pulled off by the right person and have its time & place. The S-perfume Remix & S-ex, while quirky & out-there, are a lot more wearable.
Also, they are super nice, and also in Brooklyn (like me too). I wrote them a note asking about samples of the others, after I ordered S-ex, to which they replied something like, “no we don't do that.” Then a week later there were 2 3.5 mL samples in my mailbox from them.
Hi, all! I've missed you! Shelley and I have been busy putting the finishing touches on the Chicago Event which has left no time for posting – but I loved this one so much I had to comment. Monkeytoe, I'm totally with you on the WtichHazel. There's something so refreshing about it, isn't there?
I can't second The Pour Un Ete, alas. There is something in there that is sort of stomach-churning on a hot day (for me, anyway). My new go-to scent, courtesy of Nancy @ Fishbone, is Agraria Bitter Orange. It's like a refreshing glass of iced Constant Comment Tea! I'm also back to loving Guerlain's Vetiver and Eau de Guerlain. I used to be a Fresh Lemon Sugar gal in the heat but lately (menopause, maybe?) it's turning 'oily' on me and the sweetness is overpowering the lemon – and that is Not Good!
I have not been able to wrap my mind around Anice in this heat (I'm in Central IL, where it routinely tops 90F with 90% humidity) but I do have a sample and…well, why not? I'll give it a whirl – you never know!
Another one of my favorite hot weather frags is Fresh Cucumber de Bai and it also has great staying power….
Erin, great piece and great responses! Thanks.
Glad you mentioned the Miroirs, because they are truly the Rodney Dangerfields of high-end scents. Love the effervescent woody-green Vanites you mentioned for muggy weather (Vancouver's like that maybe one or two days in a decade!). For the fall, I love Miroir des Envies by Christine Nagel: just like a sweet, warm bakery of minor chords.
Right now, a kind swapper has treated me to Campos di Ibiza Mandarina. It's a hesperide with basil and lavender, petitgrain and moss, among other things, and it is totally refreshing.
Another: Chanel Bel Respiro. You really can't over-apply this, and wherever you are, you're magically transported to a cool French garden in the shade.
Luv, Robin
Very nice piece, although 85 degrees sounds like heaven. I'm in Dallas and it's been over 100 for weeks. So the issue of hot/humid weather perfumes is one I've been seriously pondering myself. Sweet, heavy fragrances are just out of the question in this heat, and yet one really needs a nice personal scent to make it through the day with spirit intact. Recently, I've discovered Lauder's Alliage. It's as cold and dry as they get — grassy, ferny, and anisic as well. Bone dry and a bit off-putting just out of the bottle, it softens on the skin but retains it's elemental cool beautifully throughout the day. It was created in the early 70's as a “sport fragrance” so I suspect it was meant to interact with sweat in a good way. I'll admit I was sweating quite a bit whilst changing my baby daughter in the car recently (not the best olfactory experience all around) when my liberal application of Alliage payed off in a sudden refreshing gust of cool, stemmy freshness. A long warm car ride later, someone sat next to me and commented, “Hey, you smell great!”
Can't resist mentioning another great hesperide, Le Labo's Bergamote 22!! Bergamot, petitgrain, grapefruit, nutmeg, orange blossom, aspic, cedar, amber, musk and vetiver: what's not to love? Goes on citrusy and cologne-splashy, but then the vetiver kicks in and stays, as a light knife-edge crispness to keep you cool and serene no matter how Toronto/Dallas-like the heat and humidity!
Quite fortuitously, during a spell of weather in the UK that has been similarly muggy and hot, I have been wearing three of the perfumes mentioned here: Eau de Fleurs de Cedrat, Heure Exquise and The pour un Ete. None of them hung around very long on me, Cedrat being the most subliminally short. Most uncharacteristically for me, I barely noticed or cared, which leads me to conclude that if I lived somewhere like Florida year round, I wouldn't be half the petrolhead I am in Britain!
On a recent trip to Dallas after having been out of the humidity belt for a good six years, I can't say I relished the smack in the face with a hot, wet towel effect of high humidity. It took me a moment or two to even remember how to breathe in it. lol
The only two scents I took with me were Creative Universe's “Te” and “Element of Surprise”. You are right that they are as clean and linear as shaker-inspired furniture. Nothing baroque about these two. But they were perfect for that humid setting. The vegetal tea smell of “Te” and the crisp lime of “Surprise” were just what I needed to cut the damp curtain of that humidity.
I've yet to try any of the others you mentioned, but I think i need to add them to my 'must try' list.
May I second Jonathan as regards the utter weirdness of S100%Love – and fellow poster Farah agrees with me, as I sent her my sample to get her thoughts. We renamed it S100%Hate as we were so disturbed by the experience of sniffing it. Chocolate mixed with Hoover dust (or incense, possibly) could be the culprit, and as Jonathan says, there is a plasticky undertow to the whole thing. If ever there were grounds not to follow LT's picks too slavishly, for me that would be it!
“The Rodney Dangerfields of high end scents” is very good and even though I had to look up RD to see who he is, I knew exactly what you meant. There is something rather flashy about the line, and the bottles are enormous. I may be alone in quite liking Miroir des Secrets, which I thought was refreshingly aldehydic without any powder getting in the way.
I don't know if Salmiak is the kind, but there is one I swear is like battery acid. And yet I keep trying to acquire the taste. Sounds like I'm just dumber than you
Yeah, that's brutal! I spent an August in Greece where there were countless days at 40-45 degrees C, and it was unbelievable. As I said, don't sweat much, but you could actually stand in the shade and watch the sweat bead up out of your arm. The only one I'd attempt in that sort of weather is Cedrat, I think. I love Aussies because they're so much like us Canucks – we're always saying, you don't know cold until you've wintered in Regina/Saskatoon/Winterpeg (Winnipeg) etc.!
Sounds like you're as addicted as my hubby, Marianne!
Oooo, will have to get the tiny sundresses out for Chicago! (I hope I *have* some tiny sundresses.) Big hugs for all the work you're doing! I can't wait to meet you. “Oily” I totally get – not from Fresh Lemon Sugar, but that the quality that most puts be off a fragrance. Sad to say I get it from Odeur 71, actually. That's one I'd love to love…
Is that one fragrance or two? Sorry, I'm too lazy to look it up…
Over the course of my perfume addiction I have become less and less concerned about sillage and lasting power. The heat convinces me that I could live with just fleeting little “eaus”. But by January, I might miss my Serges
Thank *you*. I'm going to hunt up my decant of Do Son!
But ahhhh to be in San Fran on those rare days when the weather is cooperating!
Sometimes people tsk-tsk about the perfume flankers being made lighter, fresher, more citrus-floral etc. for some of the Asian countries. Hey, if we had that kind of heat and humidity to deal with regularly, we Northern North Americans would also be terrified of the stankier scents, too!
All of us have “issues” to get over as we work through our perfume education. Wearing The vert and being averse to heavier scents at least has the added plus of making you an excellent person to stand in an elevator with. I have a fear of white and spring florals that I'm gradually training myself out of – so all's never lost!
That would be *2* Erin. They are “Sugar Lychee” and “Bergamot Citrus”.
I hug you back, and you smell great! Not sweaty at all
Do you think if I played my perfumes as medicine, the Cheese would let me buy even more? The CdG3 3 really creeped up on me. I first tested it when I was trying White for the first time, and poor 3 didn't make much of an impression. But it weasled its way into my affections and now I can't think of that many times I'd want to wear White, actually. Changing my mind is the only sign I have one, I think.
Very interesting. I wore L'Heure Bleue on a hot, but very dry day last year and the anise really came through on me, too. That said, I'm not sure I could stomach the blue hour this evening!
Jonathon and Vanessa – Appreciate your comments on my question. You saved me a few bucks and another unnecessary bottle *overly* praised by TG. (Brooklyn here too BTW!) Honostly though…(still curious)…sssshhhh…I am just like my cats!
Well, I'm relieved! Lychee and bergamot did not sound good together. Break them up and I'm interested
Yikes: “that's the quality that most puts me off a fragrance”, it should read. Oy.
Lol @ Rodney Dangerfields of high end scents! I thought that spot was already taken by Tom Ford Private Blends.
Thanks. So glad to see another Te fan! It doesn't get mentioned too often, but I love it. Do you get a weird craft paste note? Like the Blanc (and Vert), too.
Can't wait to meet you, either! It's going to be a blast! Bring a sweater/wrap/something, though. Unlike your neck o' the woods, it can drop 30 degrees in a matter of minutes (okay, I'm exaggerating, but just a bit – it really can drop fast, though).
Interesting that you would correct that. My mind saw exactly what you MEANT!LOL!!!
I used to feel silly, talking about a fragrance being 'oily' but apparently it's not just me. Lots of frags do that, to my dismay.
Okay – off to do nametags (they are SO cute – and I am such a freak:-)
xo
I am very glad you're a freak – I'm not particularly good with names. And once I've gotten a name wrong, it sticks. I've mispronounced my husband's name for 10 years, and it drives everyone crazy. Seriously.
jonathan: Rather like one of the LeNEZ scents, I think the S-perfume is the one that smells like a very faint sort of nothing to me. Which would make it very nice to wear in this weather, I guess. Like S-ex, though – like a lot of Laudamiel's work, actually, I think he's great. Have been wearing his fabulous discontinued Slatkin Lime Blossom and Mimosa a lot this summer. We agree on the 100% Love. Just blech to me, too, not my fave SG scent by a long shot. It's good to hear about a generous company (although I don't understand why they told you 'no' in the first place, then).
Have to admit that 100% Love is one of the most egregious “mistakes” in the Guide. Unlike many here, I enjoyed the Guide almost in its entirety, and mostly felt vindicated by LT's reviews especially – but can't agree here.
Thank you for that great line. Rodney Dangerfield once said: “My parents moved around a lot when I was a kid – but I always found them” so I can forgive him many things. (Necessary. Ever seen one of his movies?) So glad you are with me on the Miroir thingys. And I love Bel Respiro, too. Like the Chanel Cologne, though, I feel like I need a bottle of 31 Rue Cambon first.
The SA where I sample the Miroirs really likes Secrets, too, and says it sells well here, so you are not alone!
I love the “Hey, you smell great!” moment. Alliage is one of those EL fragrances impossible to get in Canada (just like my beloved Azuree – thank you Angela!) I meant to try it after it was mentioned in the LT/TS Guide as an andidote to sweat. You make it sound gorgeous.
R, have you tried the Neroli 36? It's interesting, I don't know what to think of it…..
I must try “Element of Surprise” – love that name! Another Te fan, too! We should start our own club. I think NST/Robin would join. And the breathing bit is soooo true. I almost have to re-learn how to do it every couple days
Erin, I have tried LL N36, and my second impression was kinda weird. I wrote a little review for myself, as I try to do — so many fragrances to remember, and I have a sieve brain! — and you can see that my EDIT noted some funny thing going on with it. Did you find the same thing?
Neroli 36 ***
Quite intoxicating. A very hyper-natural neroli, fresh and creamy with a vanilla-accented, slightly stemmy, blossom-like quality. Very much a floral; whatever else is there is fused with the neroli to add dimension to it rather than to create its own impression. Disarmingly pretty, this is one of those delicate fragrances you love to inhale deeply. EDIT: second time around, there was an odd bitter/sharp/musky note I wasn’t fond of. Took a half-star off.
Neroli, mandarin orange, rose, jasmine, calone, musk, tonka bean and vanilla.
Love Aliage but can't get it in Canada. I prefer to wear it in the fall when the leaves are swirling and I can stroll the seawall while wearing moss green cords, an Aran -knit sweater, and brown leather ankle boots. (Those were the days…) The sport fragrance is a strong concentration so I wouldn't wear it in summer but more power to those that do! If we have hot weather here in Vancouver, I wear Eau de Fleurs de Cedrat or White Linen Breeze.
Mypersonal humid weather fav is the recently discontinued Origins Gnger with a Twist. It is light, a little spicy, and has a nice clean citrus smell that last an hour or two.
Annick Goutal's Chevrefeuille, I haven't tried the Calypso honeysuckle fragrance- but the Mimosa sounds nice too.
Another one that completely baffles me is YSL Jardins Romantique.
In the cooler months it smells mostly like fresh cut grass. Now that it's steaming I can smell the delicate rose-violet and the lilacs I didn't even know were in there! I like it best now. It's still light but doesn't become cloying. It seems like the more I sweat only more green notes come. ??? It's the only fragrance I can wear that my dog and cats don't mind. Go figure
Erin, salmiak dropjes are my addiction… true… and I don't mind..:-D
At the snoepcounter (NL) there are little rolls of Lakerisol and these are the ultimate salmiak delights.
Which kind of dropjes is like battery acid? Maybe dropjes with 'laurier' – bayleaf, another favorite of mine?
As a child we used to chew on the original liquoriceroot…yumyumm.
Do you know this little store in Richmond Hill called Niemeyer Imports?
It is a Dutch store with Dutch products and the atmosphere from the '50s and '60s and I am pretty sure they have dropjes, if not then Stophoest is perfect for salmiak addicts.
If your hubby loves kroketjes, haring and Dutch pastry then he might feel pretty good visiting them. And you will have your little culture shock..;D
Oh and if you like Korean food, then htere is a very fine Korean supermarket called 'Galleria', located at Yonge St. (7990?) opposite of Roy Foss car dealer. It is worth a visit.
I really like that one, too, and had put it on this morning before I read your comment. I didn't know it had been discontinued, though. Also Clarins Eau Dynamisante. As well as humid/hot weather, they both also see me through stretches when sensitivity to fluctuating hormone levels mean that practically anything else I put on makes me feel sick and/or headachey.
Hot on the heels of S100%Hate for distastefulness is LeNez's Unicorn Spell, which again fellow poster Farah and I tested consecutively. This is probably not the one you are referring to, as it is quite pungent. I got “occasional leaf peeping through a freshly creosoted fence” while Farah got “pickle water”. Neither of us could detect violets. LT gives that one four stars.
In the hot humid days of T.O. I have a very hard time wearing any scent during the day time as I get major rashes (the alcool in edt??)
But, if it cools down slightly at night (only 75% humidity) I tend to go towards gingery frags such as Aquaman and Zanzibar (V C & A).
Or I also go to Clarins' Eau Dynamisante or my all time fave Lolita Lempicka (man) as the anis in it reminds me very much of a nice glass of pastis, on a patio, on the French Riviera….
It's cold & foggy most of the time, but when the weather's nice, it's pretty spectacular!
Well, heck, I like Unicorn Spell. But then I like pickles, too.
And don't have my Guide, but I think it might be Tania's review? Perhaps my memory fails me…
Another Torontonian! I love it. I always forget those Clarin's Eaus – like them, but have to do some more testing to remember which is my fave. And pastis sounds lovely. Sigh. So does the patio.
Lakerisol sounds familiar… I'm pretty sure those have made their way here on several occasions (my MIL visits us once a year, and my husband goes there once a year). Is the wrapper red, with black text on a white background?
I suppose some day I'll have to work myself up to trying it, but I don't even like normal black licorice, so really…I have low hopes. Otherwise, I'd probably be all over it just for the shock value.
Yes the wrapper is red with white+black text.
Normal black licorice is often too sweet to my taste.
Salmiak and laurier are the great classics in the licoriceworld
You are quite right – I tend to default to LT as shorthand for TG itself, but I know that is not correct!
Also, with pickles, as with tomatoes (CB Memory of Kindness), you may like to eat them, but do you really want to smell of them? : )
Hello! Thought I could hear my ears burning
I absolutely agree that 100% Hate is quite revolting. 'Hoover-bag' does seem an apt description and although I can recognise its complexity as an acheivement, I'm not sure why it gets such love!
I think the violets in Unicorn Spell are very apparent actually, just rendered very pungent with woods (which I usually love) and green notes. There's something very vinegary and salady about the whole thing. I can understand why hardcore violet lovers like it though…it is a very unique, frosty rendition.
I agree with this review (there is definitely somthing funny going on!), but I'd probably give it half a star more. I like the way it uses aldehydes to be sparkling, but not 'perfumey' at all. The dusty musky note in the drydown has grown on me and it may be my favourite of the line.
Weeeee're everywhere…..!
LOL>