Blech. Despite being born a May baby, I have never been a fan of spring. I'm sure it's different in the other parts of the world, but every year, people above the 39th parallel in Europe and North America stand on street corners at this time of year, leaning at a 75 degree angle into gusting drizzle, and insist: "It wasn't like this last year!" Trust me, it was. The mud, the wind, the Easter snow or hailstorm, the false hope of that one giddy day near April Fool's when the sun shone and the warm breezes blew, like in a laundry detergent commercial, before the rain and gray chill returned — it all happened last year. I am not a pessimist. It is merely that I believe in the motto of mothers everywhere: let's not get worked up here. Crazed displays of Birkenstock sandals and patio furniture will only end in tears. I support measured celebrations of spring's small pleasures. For one, it is ramp season. Perhaps you have received your tax return. The road salt has melted away and you can go to 2D movies without being subjected to aliens, robots or robotic aliens. And it is time for some of your freshest, prettiest, newest fragrances to grace the air.
Composing a Top 10 for this most uncertain of seasons, I have tried not to dwell on lost favorites or the flood of recent scents I've missed. Jean Patou Vacances, Gobin-Daudé Sève Exquise, and L'Artisan Jacinthe des Bois are all gone and it somehow felt irresponsible to include them in the list. I have vintage samples of the many spring classics that have been damaged or ruined by reformulation — Balmain Vent Vert, Caron Violette Précieuse, the silver fluidity of Diorissimo, the mysterious smoky-green of Worth Je Reviens, the original Dior Fahrenheit's honeysuckle-and-wet-blacktop — and I use them sparingly and despairingly. I have not tried MDCI Un Coeur en Mai, Byredo La Tulipe, ElizabethW Magnolia or CB I Hate Perfume Wild Pansy and am trying to convince myself that I don't need to do so. With no further excuses, my Top 10 of Spring:
Parfums de Nicolaï Le Temps d’Une Fête: This perfume seems to me like Patricia de Nicolaï's fusion of two classic florals by her mentor and uncle, Jean-Paul Guerlain: Chamade and Chant d'Arômes. There is a nod towards the lush, fruity hyacinth and the powdery-sticky pollen feel of the former, while Le Temp's base has some of dry warmth of the moss-vetiver dry down in vintage Chant d'Arômes, which reminds me of spring soil. It is a perfume that perfectly mirrors the duality of the season: I feel both exhilarated and a bit stoned when I wear it, and have to be careful not to walk into the path of on-coming traffic.
Guerlain Après L’Ondée: Piercingly beautiful any time of year, Après is another Guerlain that almost defines late spring, with its perfect meringue of rain-washed violets, fresh anise, and the creamy stationery-paper-smell of heliotropin. Tender, sad and as fleeting in Eau de Toilette as its lovely name suggests, it is one of my very favorite fragrances.
Hermessence Rose Ikebana: Nothing earth-shaking or heart-breaking here — just a darned pretty scent in a pretty pink bottle (with optional pricey, if pretty, leather holder in red). Bit of a no-brainer for spring, really: peony, fresh rose, lots of tart rhubarb and a touch of vanilla honey.
The Different Company De Bachmakov: It is hard to forgive a fragrance that can't rise up to meet the flight of fancy of its press release, no matter the dizzying, thin-air heights to which the copy writers or art directors ascend. Faced with translating what was no doubt a mystic, Sibylline brief into actual chemicals, the unsuccessful perfumer comes up with a hodge-podge of notes that don't coalesce into the abstract whole the concept required. De Bachmakov is not such a fragrance. It is almost more like imagistic poetry than standard perfumery. Somehow, perfumer Celine Ellena got it all in there, the whole rambling, terribly serious story about Thierry de Baschmakoff’s Russian ancestry and the Année France-Russie: the journey across sun-lit expanses of nothing, green buds pushing through the snow, chilled vodka, the fatalism and generosity of the Slavic soul, the winds scraping the chalk and rocks of Siberia. It's weird, I have to say, and yet it works and wears very nicely in early spring.
Honoré des Prés I Love Les Carottes: Very, very carrot-y. Accented with a dry iris, orange juice, benzoin, vanilla and something that must be unlisted nutmeg — but yes, it's mostly carrots. (Surprise!) A strangely comforting gourmand.
Prescriptives Calyx: Prescriptives has always advertised this as "the exhilarating fragrance". It opens with green, sparkling citrus and tropical fruits (guava, passion fruit and mango) and the burst of that start is indeed wild and cheerful. Despite the crisp citrus and the cologne-ish lasting power, Calyx is rather sharp at the beginning and for me it gets a bit too intensely green and sneezy with lily and cyclamen aldehyde for the heat of summer. Instead, it is perfect for those days in spring when you need to be reminded that summer will inevitably follow early promise. Model yourself on Calyx's nose, Sophia Grojsman, who said: "Sometimes when I feel lousy I spray it on and I perk up immediately." (via Women’s Wear Daily, 9/4/1992)
Le Labo Iris 39: Almost as much about patchouli as it is about iris, this is a dirt-caked, rooty, radish-y sort of fragrance. With a small squeeze of lime and some kick from the ginger and cardamom, it smells raw, but nevertheless has the careful arrangement and suave understatement of an amuse-bouche at a good locavore restaurant. Underrated.
Ormonde Jayne Frangipani Absolute: The Ormonde Jayne website has been promoting Osmanthus and Champaca for spring, and while I can't argue with those choices, I love Frangipani at this time of year. I just bought myself a bottle with the Easter discount. Both bright and soft, this is a much fresher presentation of frangipani than the usual tropical beach oil stuff. As Robin so aptly writes in her review, it is "like a greenhouse right after the flowers have been watered, with just the right number of windows left open".
Christian Dior Dune: It isn't warm enough to leave behind all our orientals, and with its fresh, quiet opening of broom and what is apparently carrot seed¹, Dune is ideal for the season. The base is rich and opaque with vanilla and chocolatey amber, but somehow the musks save it from being too heavy or sweet. Yesterday I got an erroneous pump of almond syrup in my iced tea-lemonade at Starbucks and the dissonance reminded me to include Dune in my list. The scent is a perfect fit with its transparent, pale orange bottle and is a little oasis of oddity at the Dior counter.
Givenchy L'Interdit: You know, I thought the Givenchy Les Mythiques collection of re-issues did not get the attention it deserved. There was not a real dud in the bunch, many were great and all of the sprucing up was respectfully done. There they stood, in their new frosted glass bottles, broad-shouldered in a sea of awful Very Irresistible and Pi flankers. With the exception of Organza Indécence, they quickly disappeared from retail stores, as you might expect them to do, if you're as jaded as me. L'Interdit is a classic spring bouquet perfume, inspired by Audrey Hepburn, reassuringly warm and natural and yet also old-fashioned and full of aldehydes, lactones and other miracles of science. Givenchy III, from the same collection, is also an excellent choice for this time of year.
You can find more Top 10 lists at Bois de Jasmin :: Grain de Musc :: Perfume Posse :: Perfume Smellin' Things.
1. The carrot seed is not from Dior's released note list, but was identified by Luca Turin in Perfumes: The Guide.
Note: image is [Untitled] by titanium22 at flickr; some rights reserved.
I’ve never left a comment on here, but I do love reading your reviews! I myself can’t stand spring. Living in the Chicago metro area my entire life, I’ve known for years that we don’t have spring in this region. I’m still spritzing my sweaters with fragrant warmth: DSH Cimabue and PdG Un Crime Exotique, then there’s always my old friend Casmir, 14 yr. old bottle still smells wonderful!
I had such a difficult time finding warm weather fragrances that I liked until I learned about the world of niche (what a wonderful tool, this internet thing!). I’ve fallen in love with Lutens Nuit de Cellophane and CdG’s Series 1 Calamus. The first green perfume that is absolutely perfect to my nose! Smells like grass and crushed leaves, bright, but not sharp, just enough sweet… Now I’m longing for that turning point when the weather goes from 50 (today it’s 47 degrees but the sun is out after days and days of rain and clouds) to 85 w/ 100% humidity, and we’re all scrambling to get the A/C ‘s in the windows!
Welcome! Love your nickname and say “Hi” to Chicago for me – great city. Yes, my mom was just saying spring can be very short around here: we often go from late winter to humid heat quickly. Not quick enough for me, though! I actually don’t mind real winter, but I hate that lingering time sitting around 0 degrees C, looking at the shrinking snow banks covered in dog pee. Happy to see a Casmir fan, and I was considering Calamus for this list – that’s another cool one, too.
Welcome to Now Smell This epicuria
A very nice list, Erin. (And a happy May birthday to you!)
The bipolar weather is getting me down this year; we often get it, but somehow it seems worse than it has in the past. Open the window, close the window, turn on the heat, GAH turn off the heat and get the fans out of the attic…
I don’t know that I have a Top Ten for spring. And I notice that I’ve been testing un-springy things like mad over the past couple of weeks, which is messing with my brain. However, I do notice that I haven’t been wearing my springy greenies this year, possibly because I feel unsettled. I’ve been wanting florals, in general. No. 19 and Silences are pouting, Jolie Madame has given up pouting and is downright glaring at me. Crown Bouquet is sulking and refuses to speak.
But Le Temps d’une Fete – which seems more floral to me in warm weather, and more patchouli-moss-wood in chilly – is a three-season favorite for me, and I am about to finish up a 1oz bottle, probably the first bottle I’ve killed since I got bit by the fumie bug in ’09. And I’ve hauled out the lilac scents (favorite? DSH White Lilac) and the violets, of which I mostly have samples, but many. My Paris flanker, too, has gotten some play. And Cuir de Lancome is getting a lot of wear, as is Mary Greenwell Plum, which is quickly joining LTdF as a multiseason favorite.
Thanks, Mals! And Robin said something very similar about the weather: Erin, it really is worse this year, I swear. It’s probably true. When I’m not on mat leave, I work in a hospital and the heating/cooling is always totally wacky in this so-called “shoulder season” – glad I’m not in my office today!
Jolie Madame is definitely more of glarer, not a pouter. And that Plum again!!! I was going to put it on the “not tried yet” list, but it was too painful for me to type the name…
In the Northeast USA, the HAS been one of the wettest Aprils on record. And it has been the worst Tornado season in at least 40 years in the US Southeast.
Well, of course, all kidding aside, despite the gloomy weather here lately I know I’m very lucky to have that rocky Canadian Shield under me. In addition to the flooding and terrible tornados in parts of the U.S., there’s also been the Japanese earthquake and tsunami in March.
Erin: Such a lovely and realistic post! I too live in the land of snow and salt and wildly unpredictable springs. The Easters with spring dresses covered in downy winter jackets… We’ve been accosted with lots of cold, damp, rainy weather this spring and the forsythia have only come out the past few days. The tulips and daffodils have yet to get going in earnest. My favorits spring fragrances this year have been very different from my norm because of the cold damp. We only had five days in twenty when it wasn’t raining or snowing. Here we go:
Teo Cabanel Alahine – I think the jasmine and incense smells like pure sunshine – so dry and warm and cheery. It’s certainly helped me feel sunny during such drab weather.
Sonoma Scent Studio To Dream and Champagne de Bois. Yep, I am now happy to finally “get” CdB. Maybe it was perfect timing b/c of the weather, but all those warm woods sure kept me cozy. To Dream was the perfect compliment to CdB – so pink and green and warm. I could wear them together and it was very pleasant.
Guerlain Chamade – I did manage to squeeze this one in the other day when the sun was shinning. Nuff said. Chamade is the queen of spring.
And my new weird favorite layering combo – Lancome Magie Noir for the warmth and L’AP Drole de Rose for the light green iris and roses. These two are a match made in heaven. Somehow the deep rich rose and woods of MN are the perfect frame for the lively iris and rose in drole.
BTW – I totally agree with you about the Givenchy Les Mythiques. I have both L’Interdit and GIII and they are very well done. I’d normally wear GIII in the spring, but we haven’t got warm enough yet! It’s a shame they’ve kind of disappeared. But now you’ve made me want to wear L’Interdit which I haven’t for a while.
I’ve been testing To Dream recently and definitely see a relation between it and CdB.
Yes, there is a similarity in the woody base. Maybe that was my ticket? I do think my nose is changing a bit to accept more woods and incense. There were a few days recently when I was only wearing CdB from the spray sampler Laurie offers. Now I am totally sold on it. Dry and warm was all I wanted. I wore To Dream this morning. I’m having one of your classic throw downs between To Dream and the orginal Lieu de Reves. I have TD on my neck and LdR on my wrists. It’s interesting how they are the same and different.
It’s always nice to wear something when it’s “just right” and finally get it.
Yes, it is nice when it happens. I’ve been retesting CdB for three years now off an on. I’m incense challenged and musk anosmic, but finally my nose worked it out. Tree falling in the woods type of stuff, who knows? But there it was. This fall a FB is on my want list.
Hey, that layering combo sounds improbably great! I busted out some Drole de Rose last week to test it for possible inclusion on this list and it was one of those says where it just didn’t work (though I usually love it.) I can see the depth and woody bitterness in Magie Noire counteracting the sweetness in DdR. Alahaine sounds like it would be awesome now, too – I’ve got to remember to try those Teo Cabanels.
Agh – “days when it didn’t work”, of course.
You’ll have to try it – it really is bizarrely good.
Erin – what a great list! After a lousy wet week, we’re having a nice spring day in Boston. I’m still waiting to try DeBachmakov, as it apparently is not destined to ever get to my local Barneys. I would add Chanel #19, Hiris, and my new fave from Hermes – Amazone. It’s a dry wood fragrance, only slightly floral, but perfect for a cool or even chilly day. What did everybody think of Kate’s gown? I thought she looked just beautiful. I really want to know how Victoria Beckham managed to keep her pillbox hat mostly on her forehead. Is there double sided sticky tape for hats?
Great choices! You know, I don’t have cable/satellite or read the paper often, so our house is a a bit of a media-free zone (excluding the internet, of course). I forgot it was the wedding until I logged into my email account this morning, so I’ve only seen a few pictures. I agree that the gown was very Grace Kelly, classy-traditional and that Pippa looked great, too. I wish the married couple luck, and think, unfortunately, that they’ll need it, the kooky, public way their lives must be.
Amazone is great stuff. It has those wonderful white flowers but with that nice chypre-ish base. I have a mini and often contemplate whether I should get a full bottle.
…and I thought the dress was really gorgeous too. She had the perfect body for that type of cut that can look fusty or wrong on another person. It also reminds me a lot of this Dior gown I saw in a bridal magazine in the early 90s – classic torso with lots of lace and a gorgeous duchess satin skirt. Very classy stuff. I loved that she wore her hair half-down too. She really came across as being herself and not just playing dress up.
She did look lovely and I admire her for how she’s handled all the press and pressure and silly Waity Katie stuff. My only churlish complaint – and it would be my only complaint with her style generally, she’s very smart-looking – is that I wish she’d lay off the bronzer and very black eyeliner. All the makeup ages her a bit, I think.
Loved the wedding gown, Dzingnut! That dress and her posture created a sort of medieval silhouette that was simply perfect in the atmosphere of the cathedral and the archaic language of the vows. I’d like to think the striking contrast with Lady Diana’s dress is a good omen, too. Well done!
I also wonder about those forehead hats. Can they be pinned to the tiny swath of hair that they overlap? They look rather uncomfortable to me.
Posh’s was not even the most ridiculous, either. Did you see the ribbon ring number on Princess Beatrice, Prince Andrew’s daughter? My word, it looked uncomfortable!
I’m really fascinated by the ribbon hat – it echoes the ancient Isis headdress, and her dark eye makeup echoed classic Egyptian kohl eyes. I know everyone thought they looked hideous, but I found them compelling in an archaic-Tim Burton kind of way. Greatly preferred their thrilling weirdness to Posh’s dull, hard-edged, relentlessly trying to set the standard for chic look. Beck’s soft tie and collar were fab, though.
Well, I’m never impressed by Posh’s fashion and her eight inch heels all the time (talk about uncomfortable). I *am* impressed with your knowledge of ancient Egyptian iconography and glad Beatrice’s hat and makeup found a fan. I think she should possibly have flagged the Egyptian connection more obviously, though, if she was aware of it and trying to be fashion-forward. I’m not sure at this point it’s a trend likely to catch on…
What a fascinating analysis of that outfit! And you’re exactly right Nozknoz about the similarity to the Isis head dress. I doubt Princess Beatrice had any idea of it, though Philip Treacy, the designer very well might have.
Ha, ha – I bet your are right on both counts, Rapple!
Perhaps some Brits posting here can provide an explanation; are Tim Burton, crazy architectural hats part of some British tradition for formal dressing? To U.S. eyes, they look like an attempt to upstage the bride (a big No No for all wedding attire) and/or something that one would wear to a quasi-costume event.
Wait….there was an Easter discount at Ormond Jayne? Ugh! I, too, love Frangipani and have been wearing my decant a lot. I really want a full bottle. I am also in agreement about Dune. I’m wearing it today and it could not be more perfect for this time of year.
Wonderful to see another Dune fan. The Easter OJ discount was just free shipping – hope that makes you feel better?! – but yes, I did jump on it, after missing the Valentine’s Day coupon code. Hope you get your full bottle, it’s just gorgeous.
Great post, Erin! Laughed out loud at your description of spring. So true – ha! Can’t say it’s felt much like spring til TODAY! Sunny, high 50’s, and everything’s starting to turn green. Wouldn’t you know it, though, I didn’t choose a “spring” scent at all. I’m wearing Attrape Coeur, which for me is good in any season.
As to spring scents, I recently discovered Hilde Soliani’s Il Tuo Tulipano. Very bright and cheery. Actually smells like red jello to me – fruity and fun!
Hope your better weather continues! And a few people have recommended those Hilde Soliani scents to me and I keep forgetting to write them down on my “To Purchase” sample list. I’ve always wanted to try Vecchi Rossetti and Fraaagola Saalaaata, too…. There. Now I’ve added them. Thanks.
I’m also loving a decant of Il Tuo Tulipano – it’s SO pretty and cheerful. But la la la – I can’t hear what you said about red something. To me ITT is the spring/summer variation of BK Liaisons Dangereuses, which I adore but only in the fall.
Well, you know I love me some Liaisons Dangereuses….
Thanks for the lovely post Erin, it was inspiring and nostalgic in the best way.
I love Chamade, it reminds me of laying in a warm field of grass holding buttercups under my siblings chin to see the yellow reflection.
Other spring fragrances are Guerlain AA Anisia Bella – great for summer too and Guerlain Mahora – I love this slutty, tropical floral.
I sound like such a Guerlain Fangirl, but there are more scents I love when the weather starts to turn warmer- Hillary Duff With Love, YS Yvresse, Caron Bellodgia, Coty Sand & Sable and my new sample of DelRae Amoureuse.
Speaking of inspiring and nostalgic, I am suddenly possessed with the need to run out and find some buttercups – what a wonderful memory!
No apologies for being a Guerlain Fangirl. As I made up this list, I was wondering why spring just seems to belong to Guerlain. Is it just that they are one of the few houses left who really put money into the best naturals, into doing lush, heady florals? Funny thing about Sand & Sable – was just thinking yesterday that it’s one of very few places where I can stand lilac.
It seems from the comments that the weather this spring has been wet everywhere but Texas. If any of you would like to send some of your rain down here, please, please do so. We are in severe drought and would love to see some wet stuff. My poor Easter lilies, which should be blooming in another week or so, are down to about a third or a fourth of what I usually get.
I tend to like violet scents in spring. It just seems fitting, although we don’t have real violets around here. I also love Apres l’Ondee, and have it in both EdT and extrait. I also have been wearing Guerlain Meteorites lately, and I just got my SSS order with Voile de Violette and Wood Violet.
Being a May baby, I have always felt that lily-of-the-valley scents were appropriate, although I have never smelled the real thing. Coty Muguet des Bois was my first “real” perfume, a Christmas gift from my great-aunt when I was about ten, and it is still my favorite LotV. My bottles are vintage, though, I don’t know what they are selling these days. I have some vintage Diorissimo EdT, and was frankly disappointed in it. It has this strange note in it that my nose interprets as “plastic”. I don’t know what it is, but I also found it in the top note of Un Coeur en Mai. After the first 30 minutes, UCeM is beautiful, but that first half-hour rather spoils it for me. I remember also detecting a trace of it in Balenciaga Paris, though not nearly enough to ruin the perfume for me.
As a mother of two, I try to avoid thinking about whether the seeming sudden increase in End of Days events – floods, droughts, earthquakes, waves, wind storms, dead bird flocks falling from the sky – is partially due to our increased exposure to what’s going on all over the globe through the media, or whether it’s all really the earth taking its revenge on us for poor stewardship.
Hey, Happy early Birthday! (I *do* love emeralds, our birthstone, so don’t really mind being a spring chick.) Could your weird plastic note be hyacinth? People sometimes get a chemical smell from that and I thought I picked up a trace in Balenciaga Paris. Hmm, don’t remember it in Diorissimo, though.
Erin – any time you get bummed out by all the crazy weather systems, just remember that a looong time ago, the surface of the earth was one big continent. It can be sad, and certainly modern human lifestyles have done a lot to increase global warming. But the earth has a life of it’s own. It’s always changing and it always will. Now we have the tv and internet to show us the things that always happened. It’s just sad to see so many people harmed so much. In my first life I wanted to be an archaeologist so it is fascinating to me to know the ebb and tide of the earth’s and human history. Don’t worry too much. Even if we could erase our pollutions and CO2, the earth would still live by it’s own agenda. We’re just lucky to be here to enjoy the good and deal with the bad.
Very true. I’m a present-focused person, but whenever I feel like my own small problems or real troubles elsewhere are overwhelmingly tragic, I read Loren Eiseley’s natural science and anthropolgy essays. They don’t actually make me feel *better*, but they give me perspective.
I literally LOL at your opening comments re Spring! So true!! For me Spring is the end of my beloved basketball season, the start of the crazy-busy time at work, and horrible weather! But even though we’ve had three times our average rainfall this month, horrible flooding and tornados, I’m NOT complaining – it’s not the devastation that is Alabama. My heart and prayers go out to those people.
Great list, but three cheers for differing skin chemistry and/or tastes in perfume as several of the scents on your list don’t work at all for me! I haven’t transitioned all the way into my warm weather perfumes with this crazy stormy weather. I’ve been wearing mainly Vol de Nuit (vintage extrait if you’ll allow me to boast) with its gorgeous citrus and green opening and quiet floral heart of jonquil and iris, Champagne de Bois (I’m one of the very few oddballs who loves this in warm weather), vintage Samsara, and Unspoken – wish I had a vat of that!
Nice post, Erin. And Rappleyea, I’m right there with you on that vat of Unspoken — that’s some wonderful juice!!
Hard to beat a good floral chypre. But I’m not sure I could use a vat – that patchouli start is strong!
What patchouli?!? Seriously, I get *no* patchouli! We’re definitely not scent twins, maybe est’s though!
My word! Yes, I get a big bunch of patch. It can be useful to have an EST, so hopefully we’ll be of some service to each other…
Yes, spring has been no joke down by you, Rapple. It’s awful. Stay safe, my friend. Our thoughts are with all Southerns today.
Chuckling at your “if you’ll allow me to boast”! Vol de Nuit is great at this time of year (and in the fall, too). The spring really is Guerlain time. I liked Unspoken, too.
Oh no, my dear – you have company regarding CdB in the summer. Sandalwood is cooling in the heat, especially with jasmin added! In fact, I think I wear CdB more often in warm weather than cool.
Hi Erin – great article! I was literally GOL [giggling out loud] over your entire first paragraph. I’ve always said that spring is the most frustrating of the seasons, but I do appreciate the rejuvenation it inspires. I agree with many of your picks and look forward to trying those I haven’t been able to yet. [That lesser known Elizabeth W Magnolia you haven’t tried is quite nice and perfect for spring BTW.]
Oh & I forgot to mention a couple of my favorites for spring: Penhaligon’s Orange Blossom, L’Artisan Iris Pallida and Chamade to name a few.
Those are all beauties!
Thanks for giggling and sharing some of my frustration (while sensibly appreciating the best of the season, too). It’s been sun-showering here today and I keep expecting a rainbow to appear to admonish me for my grumpiness.
I really liked that Iris Pallida and keep thinking I should get in on a split or a bottle from EvilBay. And, oh good, another fan of Jessica’s elizabethW Magnolia. Really I was hoping for somebody to talk me about of my decision to skip a sample. I knew I’d come to the right place
I was considering several of your top ten for mine, including I love les Carottes which is a great variation on iris, and Le temps d’une fête which should really be in every year’s spring selection. I also think De Bashmakov is a very beautiful scent, though I’m getting so much of a Japanese vibe from it I’m pretty sure that was the starting point rather than Russia. Perfect for a cool, wet spring…
D, I really enjoyed your list, it was so different from mine (to match your weather!) I loved seeing Eau de Glorie. It NEVER gets mentioned and I’ve gone through a few samples and decants over the years, as it was one of the first little treasures I found when I caught the perfume bug in 2004.
Very interesting about De Bachmakov: the notes and smell don’t really say “Japan” to me, but I can totally see the Japanese style being there. Traditional Japanese poetry is very imagistic, of course, so maybe my brain was leading me toward the same train of thought.
Mind you, I’ve never been to Japan so I’m not saying it’s a realistic rendition. At any rate, the stories we tell ourselves with perfumes are all true and add to their aura… Hard to tell how we would have perceived De Bashmakov in a blind test, but I suspect it would have held its own.
I recently rediscovered Eau de Gloire in a Parfum d’Empire sample set and that incense just drew me to it… It’s such a shame there are so many launches we haven’t got the time to really explore the older offerings of niche brands that have been around for a while.
I think we all feel you on the launch rate. I looked at the release date of Glorie on Basenotes today and thought: “Oh, 2003. No wonder everybody’s forgotten it. That’s a century ago.” It’s ridiculous.
Ack, “Gloire”. I did it twice, too, sorry!
You know, I still get some blacktop from the current Fahrenheit – not wet, perhaps, but sun-baked, with heat waves rising up from it. I find it works brilliantly with an urban summer, but I wear it in spring plenty, too.
Spring is all about green, for me, so my faves for the season are all rather clorophylled. Mugler Cologne for the humid days, Le Labo Vetiver 46 for the slightly chillier ones (the smoke and wood keep me warm amidst the moss and vetiver), and Eau Sauvage for whatever’s in between (I know ES is all about citrus, but I stick around for the damp green stuff beneath the shrieking lemon).
Laughing at your term “clorophylled” and the shrieking lemon. Have you tried that Fahrenheit Absolue? I need to get to that one – it’s supposed to have even more blacktop, not wet, but almost burning. All the ads evoke magma and volcanos and I’ve keep hearing it’s pretty good – Octavian at 1000 Fragrances really liked it, I think.
I don’t have a top 10, how about a top 7?
EL PC (original)
EL PC JWM
FM En Passant
FM Eau d’ Hiver
Bulgari’s Pour Femme
Prada’s IdP
Chanel’s Beige
Not sure if anyone else would consider Beige a spring scent but
I’ve been wearing Chanel’s Beige to the office for almost 2 weeks now. I find it to be a lovely warm scent making me think of a walk through a tropical garden paradise. I think it was made for a spring day with that little hint of a chill still in the air because of its sillage. I think it would overhwhelm me in the summer. I am really surprised by a lot of the reviews for Beige calling it “cold”. On me it’s very warm and lush, just not what I would call “sexy”. It’s just more daytime than evening wear imo.
Prada IdP was meant to write Infusion d’ Iris. And I would have added FM’s Carnal Flower but I wear that all year round, a LOT!
Well, Beige has hawthorn, which I always think of as a spring-y note, perhaps because it always shows up in mimosa/heliotrope scents like Apres L’Ondee and Farnesiana. Good call on the Bulgari, also. I wore that one a bit last summer and it’s lovely when it’s warm. Carnal Flower is so juicy and fresh for a tuberose scent, I can see how it would work as well.
Fuddy Duddy I love Beige for spring and also Bel Respiro
Considered Bel Respiro for the list, I have a large decant and it’s lovely.
Wish it would warm up enough for BR… also Profumum’s Victrix. I do love greens! Still need to try the Calamus mentioned above, too.
That’s about the third time I’ve had a recommendation for Victrix – isn’t it a fave of Joe’s?
I love FM En Passant for spring as well as FM Lys Mediterranee. I haven’t tried L’eau D’ Hiver yet.
Funny that a fragrance called L’Eau d’Hiver should be so appropriate for spring, eh?
Ack, should have read more closely – you haven’t tried it. It’s got a very pale, vaguely watery mimosa feel and imagine it would be great for spring.
It sounds lovely. I can’t wait to try it.
I envy you those vintage samples. I’ve been holding myself back from that particular rabbit hole, afraid of breaking my heart. Today in Chicago it actually feels like spring for real, and I’m wearing Fleur de Sel, which seems perfect. For some reason, it doesn’t work for me in the summer, but I wear it a lot in spring and, oddly enough, winter. Other favorite spring scents for me are Mandragore, Miller & Bertaux’ Green, green, green & green, and, of course, Chamade. Chamade for me is the smell of Easter.
I used to get irritated and nervous when people talked about vintage scents. I’m always skeptical when people talk about “the good ol’ days” in any context. But then I tried a few vintage classics and fell right down the hole. In some ways, its made me more grumpy and jaded about the perfume industry, but some of those scents have given me great, soaring moments of appreciation and joy, so I’m ultimately grateful for my broken heart.
I think Fleur de Sel was Lyn Harris’ tribute to the salt marches of Batz-sur-Mer in Brittany, which can be a windy, wild, only moderately warm place, so it makes sense that you might not want to wear it in high, urban summer.
Agree that Fleurs de Sel is best in cooler weather. Just love that one!
It’s been an odd spring here in South West Scotland so far. Six weeks ago we had snow and minus 4C. The last two weeks – hovering constantly around 18C. Spring must have lasted all of three days!
My Apres L’Ondee is sitting on my perfume shelf looking at me all forlorn, waiting for the rain to come (it’s been too warm and dry for the poor thing.)
I’ve been sampling some LOTV scents lately, and can’t understand how I’ve managed to let Diorissimo pass me by, its gorgeous.
Erin, do give the MDCI Un Coeur en Mai a try, it’s very pretty but elegant too.
We had snow and hail last week, I’m sad to say. Spring can be short and/or bi-polar here, too, so I’m expecting that it’ll be 18 C any minute now.
And I’m glad you talked me into trying that MDCI, like RusticDove convinced me on the ElizabethW Magnolia. Twist my rubber arm! Any takers for Wild Pansy or La Tulipe?
You know, La Tulipe reminds me of nothing so much as Ivory shampoo. Which isn’t to say I don’t like it… I do like that smell!… but it’s definitely of the clean/simple variety. Wild Pansy I haven’t smelled in awhile, but my notes lead me to believe I liked it quite a bit… crisp, grassy and casual can’t be bad, right?
I haven’t tried La Tuilpe or Wild Pansy yet, but now I’m lemming like crazy!
Well, now I’ve contributed to somebody lemming something I haven’t even tried yet, so my work here is done
I’ve always loved spring, everything is in bloom, the sun is warm, but the air is cool and I’m a happy camper until the heat comes. In Southern California, the self-seeded Jupiter’s Beard is blooming all through the canyon accompanied by sages, anise, false lilac and yellow flowers that look like eurlyops are all a twitter. My roses are bursting and heavy with blooms. I guess I should count myself lucky. I’ve been craving lilacs and today busted out Carillon pour Ange. But I know I must make an effort to savor all this loveliness since it will be as hot as Hades soon enough and for many months to come! I’ll consider it my duty to seek and wear scents that work during this time of year before they have to be tucked safely away until next March.
Gosh, what a lovely paragraph. I ought to cheer up, move to Southern California and bust out my Birkenstocks in March!
And Carillon pour Ange is gorgeous. It seemed a bit “hot house” for the weather we’re having in my neck of the woods, though, so I’m saving it for summer.
You know, I find Carillon pour Ange to work well in cool weather as well as warm – maybe even better, because there’s nothing light, translucent or sheer about it. In the heat, it can be quite a “statement.” There’s a weight and character to this that works in the cool air. Give it a try, it might surprise you
I find that the earthy base keeps it from being too simple and floral, as well.
Exactly! And it lasts and lasts. I sprayed once on both hands and once on my chest around 7:30 AM and it was still there at 11:00 PM. This is my favorite Tauer (although I’m dying for a bottle of Chypre Rose).
It is certainly strong and long-lasting, as are all the Tauers. I was thinking of it for a dramatic summer night perfume, along the lines of OJ Ta’if, but will try it in the cooler weather, too, now.
Similarly situtated in northern Calif. Some years, I really have to scramble to wear spring-like perfumes – temperatures can jump from winter to summer in one week. This year at least offered the right opportunities to wear Chanel no19 and Bas de Soie, but this week I’ve already had to move to Chanel no 22, which has a warm-weather, late-spring-into-early-summer vibe for me (the one week of summer before I’m sick of heat and longing for fall).
But ask me about summer scents! By necessity I have several and always ready to try more.
Hey, what about summer scents?!
Actually, I think summer is the only season I haven’t done a post on before, so fire away with the suggestions, truly.
Will do, but please note that my suggestions have all been worn and loved only in DRY heat. Southerners will need to tip us to what works in humid hot weather.
My top reliables, in order of suitability for warm to blazingly hot weather: Chanel no22 (pleasantly warm days), Guy Laroche Fidji (good all-arounder), Parfums DelRae Eau Illuminee (especially nice in mountain meadows or woods), and Estee Lauder Aliage – pretty much my only choice when air temperature exceeds body temperature. Also, any cologne-type fragrance is good for hot weather, just a matter of whether one likes a particular cologne.
I’ve been sniffing my way through a sample set of Rosine scents, so there may be a summer-suitable discovery there.
Let’s revisit the topic when the rest of the northern hemisphere is enjoying (or suffering) summer!
Great list, Jessica. I can’t agree more with the almost sad beauty of Apres L’Ondee or the cold in a bottle that’s De Bachmakov. A really pretty rose I just discovered is Kimono Rose, which I might not have picked up on my own but got a sample in a swap and it’s gorgeous and simple. Some of my top faves for spring so far this year…
Liz Zorn Daybreak Violin
Caron Violette Precieuse vintage (I so lucked out!)
Annick Goutal Des Lys
Ormonde Jayne Tiare
Liz Zorn Lilacs & Heliotrope
L’Artisan Dzongkha
Hermes Eau de Merveilles
Liz Zorn Nightjar Absolute
Ormonde Jayne Frangipani (nursing and loving my decant)
Gres Cabaret
And on nights when I can still pull it off due to the chill, I’m in love with Kingdom by Alexander McQueen.
Kimono Rose sounds very nice – clementine! Jasmine! I quite like a few of those Thymes scents. OJ Tiare is beautiful; like Guerlain, Ormonde Jayne has a lot of gorgeous florals. (Sampaquita would work for spring, too, with its LoTV.) And Angela will be happy to see Des Lys mentioned…
Daybreak Violin is beautiful!
My taste in perfume runs to the heavier scents, so I don’t have many traditionally Spring fragrances, but I do love Verte Violette, Iris Poudre, the Paris Spring flankers, and Chelsea Flowers, and of course I am rose soliflore ho, so I have plenty of those, with AG Rose Absolue getting a lot of wear this time of year.
My, I’m not very familiar with any of those. I think this is the second mention of Rose Absolue today, so I’ll have to track down a sample of that one. So many of the Goutals are nice for spring: I like Folavril, Camille, Eau de Ciel and Chevrefeuille for right now, too.
I recently tried Iris Poudre and fell in LOVE! I’m saving my tiny sample for fall though.
I should mention that where I live it’s already too warm to be considered Spring.
I love Iris Poudre, but discovered in March that it feels more suited to late fall and winter for me. Maybe it’s my Mediterranean climate that makes the difference; winter here (especially when rainy) may seem more like spring to those from more severe climates.
I’m so glad you mentioned Iris 39! I wore it just yesterday. The iris-ginger is a good match for that mossy patchouli, and it’s all a good match for a cold spring.
It’s thanks to you it got mentioned! Eventually I used up the decant you kindly gave me and bought a big one when they were on sale at The Perfumed Court. Glad I have it this month…
Always a pleasure to read you, Erin! So glad to see Rose Ikebana and De Bachmakov getting some love here. I am seriously smitten with my DB sample and dying for a decant so I can spray it properly. Did you spring for a bottle?
And have to say, one of my favorite things about this post is the way you managed to mention every single one of the perfumes you said you weren’t going to talk about.
Love RI and dB as well… my little decant won’t last long. I’m in MN, where we also have had a very chilly, damp “spring”. It’s been difficult, ‘fume-wise, because I’m so very tired of the cold weather scents, but the spring ones just don’t work yet. I guess it’s just as well, since I haven’t had a chance to rotate my collection yet.
It really is disappointing when you put on something spring-ish and it just doesn’t have enough body to battle the cold. I occasionally try my colognes at this time of year, looking for a little sunshine, and mostly end up feeling colder than before I spritzed.
Psst, Boo–looking for a decant of the De Bachmakov. You wouldn’t happen to know any enablers would you?
Oh! I darted off for the evening. I got in on a split myself, but I might know someone who knows a guy who knows a… well, I might be able to help. I’ll get back to you! As it was a blind split for me, I only took 5 ml, and I sent some to a friend, so it’s rapidly vanishing.
Check your inbox over at MUA.
A, I also noticed I managed that!
I guess I felt like I was going to break out in hives if I didn’t mention Diorissimo or Je Reviens, but felt I didn’t want to bore or sadden people by listing them.
I don’t have a bottle of De Bachmakov. It’s on my list, but I’m afraid it’s a rather long list. In truth, I may get around to both Carottes and Dune first. At least the TDC is pretty concentrated and lasts well, so a decant goes a long way.
Would y’all mind sharing where you got your decants? My usual source, PC, seems to only have a spendy “parfum” version–my edp sample is from Luckyscent.
Sorry, A – got a sample from TPC and then got in on split for the decant. Maybe Boo can help?
Ah. No worries. So you have the parfum? Because now I’m wondering how they differ. No doubt I will find out eventually. Usually I’m very patient about waiting for things to come my way. I think it’s the impending Texas heat that has me grasping for that icy cool…
Say, A – I think “le Parfum” is just part of the name. I haven’t seen that there are 2 concentrations out there, and the bottle for “le Parfum” on the TDC website looks like the regular bottle. I still might have a source for you, but I think it’s just the one concentration at this point.
Boo, you and the sweet perfume speakeasy underworld totally rock.
Today I am wearing one of my favorite spring scents – Vettiveru by CdG. That and Vetiver Pour Elle are my spring/summer vetivers. Here in SF we never really swelter, so spring scents work much of the spring and summer, which goes into October. I do look forward to pulling them out, though – yesterday I finally wore Byredo La Tulipe again. A new fave is Smell Bent Mots Verts, a brightly tangy rhubarb with hyacinth, carnation, and a creamy vanilla/musk base. It’s also time to pull out Amaranthine again, and SMN Iris.
Ah, there’s the La Tulipe! Tell me I need to try it! And I’m intrigued by the Smell Bent, too, as I always am by anything with rhubarb.
You need to try both! The rhubarb in Mots Verts is very tangy – I sued to eat it raw when I was a kid and it reminds me of that. I think La Tulipe also has rhubarb. It’s a hard one to describe and you have to apply heavily, but I love it.
Thanks!
I love lists! It’s fun to see what everyone is wearing. I’ve got a lot more perfume than I had last spring, thanks to decants. In rotation this spring are these new favorites:
Cruel Gardenia
Neroli 36
Chamade
Add to them the old favorites:
Calandre
Eau Premiere (3-season favorite)
Cristalle edp
I agree – really fun. Interesting to see Cristalle EdP on your list instead of the No. 19 that has been mentioned lots already. It’s been a while since I tried the EdP of Cristalle (own the very grassy EdT), but I think it has a relatively prominent lily-of-the-valley note?
Erin, you’re right that the edt is grassy but the edp doesn’t have LOV. It’s a little more floral than the edt. I like No. 19 for summer.
Well, both Chanel promotional material and reviews on blogs (like Robin’s here) and forums like Basenotes list LoTV in the EdP, but these things vary notoriously, and it all should’t matter to you personally if you can’t smell LoTV in there yourself. I haven’t smelled the EdP in long time, but I do remember it seeming more floral to me, too. No. 19 is lovely.
Oh, Calandre! What a beauty!
Greetings from South Texas! It has been spring here since Feb (and we do have a lovely spring)- but, alas it already just about full-on summer (temps into the 90’s)- we are still clinging to the word “spring” b/c it will be in the 100’s so soon- and there are a few days that it has only reached the upper 80’s
Nice list! I really want to try that Carottes- and I agree that Iris39 needs more love (I am fond of it in the fall!) I am very envious of your new OJ Frangipani (on my short list of “want want want this” This spring I have worn lots of: JM Assam and grapefruit, En Passant, Heeley Oranges and Lemons, Cepes and tuberose…
I love the opening of Iris 39! I would love a perfume that smelled like that for a few hours. Unfortunately I don’t like the spiciness that comes later.
Alyssa was just saying today over at PST that tourists to Texas always get lured into checking real estate listings in the lovely spring, before the long, deadly heat begins. My parents used to live in a resort town where visitors would spontaneously buy property in the summer and I’d think – just wait for the winter!!
Just got some Aftelier samples. Cepes & Tuberose is very interesting, and I thought about putting Honey Blossom on this list.
Hi Erin – Fear not, the weekend weather looks much better in our neck of the woods. And the 14 day forecast looks like we might at least get some average temperatures for a change
My current favs include: Hermes Hiris, Bois d’Iris (both of them), OJ Champaca, Donna Karan Gold, AG Eau de Sud (thinking maybe I can will the warmer weather) and Delrae Mythique.
This post has given me a whole new list to try – De Bachmakov has me intriuged. Le Labo Iris 39 too.
Thanks!
Thanks for the forecast update, so great to have fellow Torontonians around! It’s funny: I’m a huge Hot Docs festival supporter and my shows start tomorrow. Every year, just as it gets nice outside, I’m in the theatres watching documentaries in the dark in Yorkville for ten days…
Ah, Donna Karan Gold EdP, how I love thee!
If you want to try the Le Labo, they have them at 6 By Gee Beauty, in Rosedale, just north of the subway station.
So many fab spring scents to pull out or seek samples of – so few real spring days! Thanks for the ideas and reminders before it’s too late!
So true – and of all seasons…
Well where can you find those perfumes? I have NEVER heard of them and my normal spots are Macy’s or Sephora, and I get the feeling that they aren’t found there lol.
Newtothis, thank you. It’s good to have someone remind me to include more scents with wider availability. Some Sephora stores and most Dior counters carry Dune. You might be able to track down Calyx, too: Macy’s and Nordstrom are among the official distributors in the US (if that’s where you are).
Newtothis,
Since I am out in the middle of nowhere, I can only give you some online shopping guidance. If you are in or near a city, do tell – someone will know where to steer you in your area.
BeautyHabit.com carries Parfums de Nicolai and Honore des Pres.
LuckyScent.com carries Parfums de Nicolai, The Different Company and Le Labo.
The Hermessences can be found on Hermes’ own Web site.
Ormonde Jayne fragrances are available on their own site.
I believe all of these sites except Hermes have samples for sale. Even then, you can buy samples of the Hermessences and almost any other fragrance at ThePerfumedCourt.com.
Thanks, L! Newtothis, it’s true that many of us who comment here do a lot of our scent shopping online and buy or swap samples through decanting sites, perfume forums or online split groups. I’m not affiliated with any of the sites mentioned above, but have had positive experiences with all of the retail ones, particularly Luckyscent, Ormonde Jayne (they have a great sample set for purchase) and First-in-Fragrance (in Germany.)
WOW Thanks you all…..Erin: I have no idea who most of these fragrance makers are and some of the titles are hard to pronounce, I don’t know if I could even ask for it! lol. Thanks, though, I will check this out because I am looking to expand my collection from cele. fragrances and mainstream “everyone wears it” collage. I would like to become as established as the perfumistas are here, omg I just don’t know where to start. I just know what I don’t like. I do try:). L: Thanks. I do stay in the states, Atlanta, Ga. There is a Nordstroms, Sephora, Perfumania, Macy’s, and plenty of perfume stands in the malls here and that’s all I know of. I will try some of those sites, but my budget is tight and I don’t want to buy so many that I don’t want to where because I am looking for a signature scent!
New, Robin has a great post with links for newbies: https://nstperfume.com/2008/11/14/new-to-perfume-and-want-to-learn-more/. And feel free to ask any questions you have, as people in the perfume community are usually very friendly and enabling!
Erin, what a thoughtful list — you often make me think of scents in a whole new way, and okay it really IS spring down here by now, but I feel your pain — April in Santa Fe used to be just awful, and I was used to what it’s like here.
Your Starbucks drink experience is EXACTLY what Dune is like! You made me laugh.
Thanks for your lovely compliment and please accept mine in return: I always turn to your reviews for a unique and thoughtful perspective. (Still thinking of your Jeux de Peau review…) Glad somebody got a chuckle out of that Starbucks comparison – I was thinking you might all think I was bonkers.
The only 2 perfumes that I use for this wet, rainy spring is Frapin 1270 and Bvlgari pour femme. But sometimes I throw in Havanna Vanille when I am sick and tired of the other 2.
Interesting 3! I tend to think of Bulgari PF as a warm weather fragrance, maybe because of the jasmine, but it is rather heavy for high summer, so maybe May is the ideal time…
Happy Almost-Birthday, Erin! For spring, I love violets, narcissus, lilacs and roses, but this year I’m rather fixated on orange blossom. I’m particularly enjoying Penhaligon’s Orange Blossom, Lorenzo Villoresi Dilmun, and Mona di Orio Jabu.
Hey, Dilmun! That’s one I don’t hear about much anymore. I’m not a big orange blossom fan, usually, but that one is very, very nice and definitely my favorite Lorenzo Villoresi that I’ve tried. Thanks for reminding me, I think I’ll go dig up my sample.
Just back in town – Happy Birthday (soon)!!!!
This is a great list, comprised of so many of my faves. Calyx…swooooon. My bottle has gone slightly ‘off’ so it’s bringing up my lunch a little bit – but it makes a great room spray (and it smells GREAT on a Rottweiler – the oil in their hair melds nicely with that ‘off’ guava note)….but I digress….
…this is a very compassionate list! A nice nod of respect to the fabulous oldies but a firm foot in the present. Gorgeous, attainable lemmings!. I keep forgetting to try de Bachmakov (I’ll have to see if it’s at the Chicago Barn’s )
xoxoxoA
Guava and Rottweiler! It sounds like a wonderful combination – you should sell the idea to Etat Libre d’Orange.
You know, I always feel better if I get a mix of classics and new stuff, and especially niche and mainstream scents, into a list. With my sampling mania and interest in certain discernable notes, it would be easy for me to stick to niche, but whenever I smell something like Calyx, Dune, or, say, Gucci Rush, I am reminded that popular department store fare can be both beautiful and weird, too.
I have to say, there is nothing, absolutely nothing more beautiful than Bond no.9s Park Avenue in spring. This is the most subtle, gorgeous, angelic floral I’ve ever smelled. It smells expensive, not because of some ultra-niche ingredients – the notes are actually very simple, it’s its simplicity that smells so high-end. Even though I was lucky enough to smell some of the vintage perfumes, some I liked a lot – its thanks to Park Avenue I truly understand what a classic stands for. The less is more in such a beautiful way!!
I’ve been buying Bond no.9 perfume since 2004 – the year I found Park Avenue and fell in love with niche because of it. I will never forget, a few years ago I bought myself a few of purse spray bon-bons. One of the was Central Park. I bought some of the unsniffed hehe. When I smelled Central Park I thought it is a bit too musculine for my taste. I’ve worn musculine scents before with passion (Givenchy Pi) but still thought Central Park was a bit too harsh with the green note, kind of like Hermes Orange Verte was too. In the end my dad ended up stealing that purse spray from me. Well, I’m still cracking up because my dad is such a musculine man LOL, and he stole his daughter’s purse spray? LOL
So then he requested I buy him a full bottle of Central Park, and then the years went by and both me and my dad got some more of the other Bond no.9 perfumes.
Recently my dad had asked me if I could order him another purse spray (for his work-case LOL) and a full bottle of Central Park again. I did so – and I actually opened the purse spray before handing it to him and loved it. Its amazing how taste can change in a few years! It is nowhere as harsh as Orange Verte by Hermes, it is such a smooth green it’s amazing!! The lime blossom, the verbena, the green grass go on my skin as smooth as almonds do in some of my favorite gourmands. Except for the greenery there must be some kind of a rose heart, that makes it go on my skin so smooth. I love it, especially now in May!! I ended up giving the full bottle to my dad but this time I stole the purse spray of Central Park from him and kept it for myself!!