Today we're helping Julie, who wants to find a new summer fragrance. She lives in inland Southern California, and they do get some strong summer heat. Her perfect scent will make her feel light and energetic, but will also have a little complexity. Her price limit is $100, but she's happy to buy decants, and she'd prefer niche suggestions since she's already tried much of what is available at Macys, Nordstrom and Sephora. Here is what we know about Julie:
She's in her late 20s. She says when people first meet her, they might think she's "just" cute because of her delicate build, vintage-inspired clothes, and curly auburn hair, but they quickly find that she's a deep thinker with a rich imagination, strong emotions both happy and sad, and a direct way of speaking.
Julie loves books and the stage as well as things that engage the senses — colorful clothing and design, gardening, cooking, and of course perfume.
Julie likes notes of salt, honeysuckle, lime/citrus, bergamot, warm woods, boozy vanilla and skin musk. Her fall/winter favorites are Parfumerie Generale Bois Blond, Demeter Fresh Hay and Anthropologie Cape of Good Hope.
Julie doesn't like wet vegetative or aquatic notes, coconut or carnation. She also doesn't care for over-blended light florals such as Gucci Flora or Chanel Chance.
Here are some of the fragrances Julie has tried or worn in the pat:
Dior Escale a Portofino: Her best find so far, but it has froot loop overtones.
Annick Goutal Chevrefeuille: Her 2nd best find, but she'd like something that develops a bit more, and she doesn't really want a soliflore.
Narciso Rodriguez For Her Eau de Toilette: she loves the armful of roses and peaches, but it's too big and full for hot days.
Burberry Brit: She used to wear it before she became interested in perfume, and she still likes it but wants something less ubiquitous.
Hermès Elixir des Merveilles: She liked many things about but it wasn't quite right, perhaps it is too dense? She also tried the Eau Claire and Eau de Merveilles.
Hermès Concentre d'Orange Vert: Nice but too strong; she plans to try the original version.
By Kilian Straight to Heaven: To Julie it smells like the crusty white sap on the Torrey Pines by the ocean — pungent, piney and salt-filmed. But it's too expensive to be her summer go-to.
Parfums d'Empire Osmanthus Interdite: She feels she should love it with the fresh yet jammy florals but somehow it doesn't do much for her.
Parfums de Rosine Un Zest de Rose: Lovely, zingy and feminine but she wants a little sweetness and to her this is absolutely fresh unsweetened tea, roses, and lemons.
Chanel’s department store line: She wants to like them, but pretty much hates everything except Cristalle Eau Verte.
Lancôme Ô and Ô d’Orangerie, Hermés Jardin series and Guerlain Acqua Allegoria series: she did not find any of them compelling.
Jo Malone: She tried French Lime Blossom (great for 5 min and then sharply soapy), Orange Blossom (scrubber), and Mandarin Basil Lime (scrubber), and decided the line does not work for her.
Divine L'Infant: Starts with a good broken-leaves scent but fades quickly into drugstore lotion smell.
Parfums 06130 Yuzu Rouge & Hermès Pamplemousse Rouge: She found both flat and sweaty and is not sure she can wear grapefruit.
L'Artisan Thé Pour Un Été: She'd prefer black tea to green, and this was too tailored anyway.
Parfums de Nicolaïi Eau d’Été: Stale lemony dishwater.
Annick Goutal Eau d'Hadrien: Overly fresh lemon then froot loops.
Calypso Chevrefeuille: Simply horrible, the cheapest of bathroom deodorizing sprays.
Prada Infusion d’Iris: She likes the top notes and finds it intriguing, but it's too austere for her personality.
What say you?
Note: image is Buzon-de-correos [cropped, doubled] by alicedice at flickr; some rights reserved.
Perhaps Sel de Vetiver, The Different Company (there’s a grapefruit note listed, but I don’t remember it being prominent).
I thought of this one, too. It’s a great salty vetiver.
Salt? Sel Marin from Heeley. It’s not aquatic, definitely more salty than marine. And has musk and woods and vetiver to ground it. Perfect for hot summers.
Lime – I find that Frangipani from Ormonde Jayne has the best lime opening, it’s so green and fresh and creamy and floral. Really lovely for summertime, and spring for that matter.
I seem to recall Sel Marin being based on the smell of salt marshes, and I’m wondering if that includes a rotting-seaweed smell – can anyone confirm or deny this? Marshes can be pretty stinky and I’ve been hesitant to try it for that reason!
Sel Marin is anything but “stincky”. I find the cedar note very prominent and it’s a unisex fragrance.
This sounds like something I must try!
I think Sel Marin and Sel de Vetiver are both worth trying.
I really like Diptyque Oyedo for lime/citrus. There’s something in it that actually feels cool on the skin so it’s great for super-hot days. You might also try L’Ombre dans L’Eau and Philosykos while you’re in that section.
Also, the Atelier Cologne line might be your thing: Orange Sanguine, Vanille Insensee, Bois Blond, Trefle Pur, Grand Neroli …
Have you tried Diorella? It starts of fruity but quickly dries down to a savoury/citrus-y/woody chypre which works well in most weathers and has plenty of complexity.
My own summer go to favourite is Goutal Mandragore Pourpre. Since I’m not usually into plain citrus scents, I find that the herbs (mint, anise) add interest to the composition and keep it from being dull. Subtle but interesting.
On the pricier side Hermes Osmanthe Yunnan is a wonderful milky, floral tea (no smoke there).
How funny! We posted at the same time and both suggested Diorella!
Also, 2nd the AG Mandragore Pourpre! Fantastic scent!
Another 2nd on the Osmanthe Yunnan.
I think we are scent twins!
~Dawn
Hi Julie,
Dior Diorella EDT – has accentuated luminous lemon from Sicily and combines its freshness with sweet and floral honeysuckle in a heart and vetiver in a base.
I describe it as bohemian chic. You can sample it at Saks, if you have one nearby. I was able to sample it and buy a bottle on the spot at the Saks in South Coast Plaza. Are you near there?
Elizabeth W Sweet Tea – Gracious, spirited, elegant. An enticing marriage of oriental black teas, juicy fresh Amalfi lemons, and the sweetness of almond honey. ( I used to wear this a lot. Perfect for those hot SoCal days )
~D
I’m in Santee, so I’ll trek out to Fashion Valley for a test. I’m intimidated by the SA’s in Saks and NM because I always feel that even my best clothes are shabby in there and that they can see straight into my small bank account! When I was testing Jo Malones, I’d dash in, make a beeline for the one counter I had as a goal, spray, and escape.
Julie,
I hear ya.
However, look at it this way…. it’s just an act. If you think about it, they are not making very much money working retail. They just act like they do. I walk in wearing my jeans and a t-shirt complete with a pair of Birkenstock sandals and frizzy wavy hair and my designer purse from TJ Maxx. I only go to the cosmetics / fragrance dept. and the SA’s have been nice. They’re just under a ton pressure from their management to sell, sell, sell. It’s a high pressure job. I think they also look at people who walk in as to whether or not they will spend money – kind of like a sixth sense. If they get the feeling you are not going to drop lots of money, they will ignore you. But hey, I am all right that because they leave me alone until I ask for help.
~D
Julie, how do you feel about fig? Annick Goutal Ninfeo Mio immediately came to mind for you, for some reason — I’ve been wearing it on the few warmer days we’ve had up in Northern California, and I imagine I’ll reach for it a lot this summer. It opens with green fig leaves and citrus, and becomes woodier and a bit creamy (the fig flesh, I guess) as it dries down. I know some other people on here are familiar with it, too.
If you’re okay with a bit of patchouli, you also might like Eau de Rochas — terrific citrus cologne with a woody-patchouli drydown. I would shower in it if I lived in a super-hot climate. It also has a bit of a mineral aspect (as Angela noted in her excellent review on this site).
I’m also going to throw out L’Artisan Dzongkha just ’cause — it’s deep yet light, seems to appeal to contemplative perfumistas, and its evocation of cool stones might be just the thing on a hot day.
I somewhat enjoy fig. I’ve just re-ordered a 2.5mL decant of Philosykos as it is nice when I’m outside and it’s over 90. My notes for Ninfeo Mio say that I like its sillage a lot but that it has the wet herbal AG thing going on when I put my nose to my wrist. I may need to re-try it on a nice hot day, since it seems I did like it more than most AG’s.
As a few people mentioned on this weekend’s open thread, sometimes the right kind of day makes all the difference. Good luck and happy sniffing!
I am glad to see the fig question because, despite no mention of it, I was going to recommend my SOTD – Sonoma Scent Studio’s Fig Tree. It’s the fruit, leaves and tree. It’s very well done and like all SSS scents, it is affordable. Good luck!
Oh, and as for patchouli, I am perplexed as to why, but I’v not yet been able to single this note out! I have never been offended by frags known to have lots of it, for what it’s worth. The mineral aspect sounds intriguing. Cool shaded rock on a hot day is bliss.
That’s so funny about patch. It’s getting harder to find new releases where it hasn’t been toned waaaaay down, which might be part of the problem — though it sounds like you’ve explored pretty widely.
Give L’Artisan’s Voleur de Roses a try – lots of patch and plum. There is also supposed to be rose, but I don’t really get any. Great on a hot day!
Oh yes, second Voleur de Roses!
Oops – I was going to recommend PdN’s L’eau d’Ete and then saw towards the bottom of the list that it smelt like stale lemony dishwater to you! Do you think that it might have been a turned bottle? I really love its limeyness, underscored by faint florals, and for something that seems a bit like an eau de cologne, it has great lasting power and revives me in the heat.
If you like PG, have you tried Ilang Ivohibe, which I think has a lime tang to it, along with tiare and vanilla, with a woody undertone.
Second Abyss’s suggestion of Diorella.
What about
Make that fourthing Diorella – my post overlapped with everyone else’s!
Clearly I have to try Diorella
For salty sea air, what about Antonia’s Flowers Sogni Del Mare? I don’t see it listed as a note, but I definitely have a vibe of ocean-filled days when I wear it.
Some suggestions :)! :
– “Spider Lily” by India Hicks for Crabtree & Evelyn
– “L ‘Antimatiere” by LesNez
– “Pure Vanilla” by DKNY
– “Eau de Cartier” by Cartier
– “Sawdust” by Demeter
– “Lann Ael” by Lost March
– “Womanity” by Thierry Mugler (I know you don’t care for aquatic scents, but this one is a bit unusual and is quite salty)
– “Violette” by Theme (“Melodie” for Theme) Fragrance
– “Frolic” by Theme Fragrance
– “Bloome” by Theme Fragrance
Good Luck!
Woooh, I have not heard of almost ANY of these! I believe you are about to dramatically expand my horizons.
Seconding Eau de Cartier. I love that one for summer!
Ormonde Jayne Frangipani is the first that came to my mind. It’s a creamy floral with a surprisingly persistent lime note. It’s a little above your price range but decants are readily available.
Based on your likes/dislikes, I wonder if you might like Speziali Fiorentini Olive & Sunflower… this is one you are likelier to encounter in an upscale mom-and-pop drugstore than a department store, and it might be hard to get a sample, but it’s cheap ($38 on Amazon) and your mention of Demeter Fresh Hay made me think it might be just the thing.
Have you tried PG Yuzu Ab Irato? I also second Heeley Sel Marin.
Seconding Yuzu
Okay Julie, I remembered one more that has a salty aspect to it. I bought this one in Las Vegas a couple of years ago.
i Profumi di Firenze Brezza di Mare – $99.00 – 50 ml.
Description:
This dazzling fragrance uncannily captures the salty airy freshness of a pristine sea breeze. The blend was inspired by i Profumi di Firenze master perfumer Alessandro Morsiani’s love for the sea. He spent a year meticulously crafting just the right blend that would conjure the serene magnificence of the Mediterranean morning air. The scent opens with top notes of Sea Salt and Bergamot from the Calabrian coast. Freshly picked lemons and limes from the seaside cliffs of Sicily are touched with a whisper of watermelon to create this elegantly minimal fragrance that is perfect all year round.
Great suggestion! I love Brezza di Mare. The watermelon note is positively mouthwatering.
I am loving the diversity of salty frags you are recommending – thank you all. Is there anything with a prominent honeysuckle note that I haven’t tried? I’ve just recieved a sample of Eau de Camille and am waiting for a warm day to try it. I hope there are more things with that note out there.
Julie – I hesitated to mention this before as it has been (foolishly/tragically) discontinued, but I adore L’Artisan Parfumeur’s La Haie Fleurie. To me it always smells like stepping out into my garden when the honeysuckle is blooming along with the jasmine. It is also has quite a sillage and lingers a good while. I hope that you would be able to track it down still, as it has only recently been culled. To my nose it is an even more true honeysuckle than the AG, and is certainly more complicated.
Seconding La Haie Fleurie for a lovely honeysuckle-prominent scent (I’m shocked to learn that one has been discontinued!) and adding Diptique’s Olene, which also has a pronounced honeysuckle note.
La Haie Fleurie, really complex, but a tiny bit melancholic. I love it though
Hello Julie! You might try Narciso Rodriguez Musc for Her Intense (don’t you just *love* the confusing names of this otherwise very nice line?) Don’t be misled by the “intense” – it’s a soft white floral with a skin musk drydown. I love it and find it multi-seasonal (even here in Texas where summer temps regularly soar over 100!)
Hi Julie! I love many of the notes you’ve listed–though I also love a lot for the perfumes you dissed up there, so we’ll see about my recs :-).
Seconding: Different Company, Sel de Vetiver and Mandragore though they are definitely not sweet. Also, Osmanthe Yunnan, though betting it will be too ephemeral for you. Try Different Company Osmanthus instead, maybe. A citrusy take on the flower.
For a sweeter version of the Rosine you named, try Rose d’Ete, a sunny, sweeter, yellow rose. Also love, love, love the salty rose of Rosine’s Ecume de Rose.
Another salty rose, but richer and more tender, with pleny of iris, is Antonia’s Flowers Tiemp Passate.
For black tea: Parfumerie Generale’s L’Eau Rare Matale. It opens with a smoky blast, but hang on, it becomes more of a floral black tea with a slice of citrus afterwards.
That’s “Tiempe” of course.
The Rosines, thanks for reminding me. I’ve only tried the Zeste d’un Rose from that line and was very pleasantly surprised. I’m not a fan of rose when it’s the old-fashioned grandma version of the note, but I will take a recommendation for anything specifically NOT that. I feel fairly safe with the Rosine line – I would bet they avoid grandma rose.
Antonia’s Flowers Timepe Passate sounds intriguing!
seconding the ecume de rosine and tiempe passate…been through two bottles of it
Two that I’d recommend:
Fleur de Sel from Miller Harris and Jardin de Kerylos from Parfumerie Generale. The latter is probably more expensive than you’re looking for and also doesn’t fit in with the other choices. But I thought it’s worth mentioning because it’s beautiful and slightly salty and different, and because another PG perfume is one of your favorites.
Second on the Womanity, and small travel bottles are quite affordable.
I would also recommend Ineke’s Balmy Sunday, or Chemical Bonding.
I would also recommend (again, the travel sizes are quite affordable), Atalier Cologne’s line. If you like lime and vanilla,Vanille Insense has both, and they have their own Bois Blond, which starts off rather cederish and fades to an orange blossom.
hot weather fragrances: acqua di Parma’s line Blu mediterraneo has some nice fresh scents, comparable in spirit to the Dior “escales” but with a mediterranean touch. I have Mirto di Panarea, longevity isn’t great, but you can either respray or have a second scent the same day…
Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Beach Roses is a salty, refreshing rose scent that’s great for the summer. It’s not aquatic at all to my nose.
I have another DSH oil that is perfect for summer, very citrusy-limey with salty water, but I’d have to look up the name when I get home… I fear it’s been discontinued. I’d poke around on DSH’s website and see what else she has that might be applicable, i’ve had an excellent track record with her stuff.
For black tea + citrus, how about Dior Escale di Pondichery? It doesn’t seem to have many fans, but I adore it. Does have a big dose of jasmine in there too.
Andy Tauer Zeta is a gorgeous light floral that doesn’t have that horrid department store generic floral note. For another linden, lso I personally love Parfums d’Orsay Tilleul, although I know some don’t enjoy the watermelon note in that one. I feel like a lot of linden perfumes could potentially work if you like linden. I think Aftelier has a linden too (I haven’t tried it)?
Even a basic cologne like 4711 is nice. I adore 4711 and Eau Sauvage as my go-to summer coiognes along with the Escale de Pondichery. A lot of the Atelier Colognes are nice too.
I see a few recs for the Atelier line, and it’s one I haven’t tried at all, so there’s much to look forward to there.
Escale a Pondichery was something I got as a sample when I bought my FB of Portofino, and it went flat and old and sad almost instantly on me. I remember being aghast at how opposite my experience of it was from Portofino. (I tossed the sample when I got home as I was young and inexperienced in the ways of perfume.)
Linden is lime blossom, yes? I really did like the first five minutes of JM French Lime Blossom and sometimes use my samples to scent my bedsheets as the first five minutes lasts for a full day on them. I’ll keep an eye out for that note, thanks!
Putting my vote in for Womanity as well as AG Mandragore. Have you tried Jacomo 08? It’s got a tea note and I find it rather fresh and summery.
Would you consider a little known and criminally underrated masculine? Davidoff Zino, with it’s zesty lavender and bergamot opening and beautiful rosy, patchouli, woody dry down might just do it. I had a customer chase me down at work the other day, to ask me what I was wearing! I also like the salty, woody, incense notes of Lolita Lempicka’s Fleur de Corail for summer.
Absolutely. I have no qualms about “crossing the aisle”, and have been surprised at how many of the scents I like are listed on Luckyscent or Basenotes as unisex. Some of the masculines I’ve tried eventually shout “I am a manly man!” but certainly not all of them!
Anick Goutal Mandragore? It is light enough for the hotest weather but a little more complex, too. Definitley citrus but I don’t get any cleaning products or fruit cereal from it.
Mandragore is one of the many AG’s that have a squishy vegetative undercurrent that I find unpleasant. Same with Nuits d’Hadrien and Ninfeo Mio.
You have lots of great suggestions here. For an everyday inexpensive fragrance, I’m wondering if you’ve tried Pacifica’s Malibu Lemon Blossom? I love it in the body butter! Here’s the perfumer’s description: “This fresh scent captures the free spirit of the Pacific Ocean with Lemon Blossom, Litsea Cubeba, flowering Angel’s Trumpet, fresh herbs and salty sea breezes.”
My Sephoras don’t have that one! I wish they did. There are a couple Pacificas I went to try and none of them were in the store, so I sniffed what was there and tried French Lilac and thought it very well done for the price, though not me. It was also one of the few things I’ve worn that my husband noticed appreciatively. He seems to like things that are either ultra sweet and feminine (sugar and vanilla) or tobacco-y (which I like muuuuch better).
Oh! Just thought of another line. I see that you like Bois Blond (it’s one of my faves, too!). If you can find Santa Maria Novella fragrances, their Ginestra (Broom) and Fieno (Hay) fragrances might be ones you’d enjoy for summer.
Another thought – for salty, ocean breeze without the typical suntan tropical feel, check out Mr. Hulot’s Holiday by CB I Hate Perfume.
I do not know the scent, but gosh how I loved that movie : )))))
Sorry for so many posts, but I just thought of two more niche options you might want to look up. Stephanie de Saint-Aignan’s Li Altarelli, which was inspired by the smells of Corsica, is a wonderful lemon-herb blend. And Lostmarch Ael-Mat is an herbal/floral/marine blend that reminds me of some of our California coastal smells.
Hi. I’m late to the party. Have you tried the Atelier Cologne line? My favorite is Grand Neroli but I own decants of several others. They’re great for summer. For colognes they are long lasting. The small bottles are about $55, so you could buy two of them!
I too am joining the party late, but my first thought was also Atelier Cologne. My favorite is Bois Blonds, followed by Grand Neroli. I wore Bois Blonds almost everyday last summer and enjoyed it immensely. I would also recommend ordering a sample of CREED Original Cologne. It has notes of lemon, bergamot and grapefruit. To my nose it smells similar to Bois Blonds, however a FB is ridiculously priced. But do order a sample, see if you like it, if so then it may be worth a decant.
Happy Scenting!
I haven’t tried anything by Atelier and am glad to hear they are so well priced in addition to well recommended.
Salt, skin musk, honeysuckle, bergamot, warm woods, boozy vanilla….sister, get thee to a Dior counter and try Dune. It evokes the beach without any aquatic accords; it’s sweet but also slightly hay-like and scratchy; the drydown is soft, woody and slightly mossy at the same time; it’s sweet but with a spicy, almost arid quality. It may be a tad heavy for summer heat, but opinions differ on this, so you never know.
No gasping please…for cheap thrills, how about Bath & Body Works Wild Honeysuckle? That said, I just got my Ormonde Jayne Discovery Set and must try Frangipani posthaste!
I used to keep this in my desk drawer at work! When I went to get some more this spring, my B&BW didn’t have that line at all, but I just looked on their website and it is still listed. Must… investigate…
ToykoMilk’s Maine Sel is an interesting salt/mineral/seaside scent and at $28/bottle well below your price limit.
Dear Julie,
how about Acqua di Parma Colonia? The original is not as sharp as Escale a Portofino, and it’s got a lovely floral middle development. Plus, it’s just the perfect fit for vintage clothing
You strike me as a eau de cologne type of person: give a try to Villoresi Colonia (which is a bit on the masculine side…), Kurkdjian Cologne pour le Matin, Dyptique L’Eau de Neroli, I’m sure you’ll find something you might like there!
I appreciate she took the time to list ALL the things she has tried and does not like….
But it is a bit of a long winded list for me…
With so many “likes”, “dislikes” and “Ifs” I would say the only thing that could work here is layering.
Try spraying Sel de Vetiver (that many other people recommended above) and then finishing with just one or two light spritzes of a powerhouse frag in the base of your neck.. like Donna Karan’s Chaos.
And I am sorry but you cannot have your cake and eat it too..If you want salty, vanilly, not a soliflore, not ubiquitous and that develops over time.. well I hate to break it to you but you will have to shell out some bucks…
sorry to be a realist.
Well, you know, one tries more things and discovers a WARDROBE of fragrances among which to choose, depending on the mood. I don’t really expect to find one thing that fits everything, I just haven’t been satisfied with the selection I currently have for summer.
Well you are in luck as from these forum you’ll find recommendations that will blow your mind!
Have you tried Serge Lutens L’Eau? It has a zingy freshness of citrus but is also complex. It lasts long too.
I am so glad to read that you like PG’s Bois Blond!!!!it is the fragrance I came home with after a perfume profiling at the perfume lounge in Amsterdam.
My suggestion would be Pioggia Salata van il Profumo
Ecume de Rosine and Tiempe Passate…
Terre DHermes for that salty mineral dry rock under the tree feel.
Virgin island Water by Creed for lime and vanilla..just realized it also has coconut but its very delicious!
Moschino Glamour..a happy fruity floral with a prominent salty note. My DH loves salty more than anything and he never fails to comment favorably on this fragrance. I love it too. It can easily be found online.
Concentree bigarade by Frederic Malle, although higher than your price point, maybe a decant of this lemony, herbal, savory scent can be yours! A shout out to Lys Mediteranee and En Passant, also from FM, fresh breezy salty florals, delicate yet complex enough to last and keep you interested all day.
Good Luck!
I second (third? fourth?) Ormonde Jayne Frangipani. Fredrick Malle Un Lys is also a lovely scent, and Un Mediterranae. One of them is “salty”, I cannot recall which. Perfect for summer! A decant would make it affordable. Best perfume wishes!
Oops! I meant Lutens Un Lys and Frederic Malle’s Lys Mediterrannae… That is what I get for being in a hurry!:-)
I’m going to make a recommendation that exceeds her price point, but think has the potential to be a HG. Antonia’s Flowers Tiempe Passat, beautiful salty warm skin scent designed by Bernard Chant, (I think his style suits her personality).
My second rec would be Miller Harris Fig Amere, beauty salty ambery (not too heavy though) with slight fig note, more in her price range.
second Terre d’Hermes for mineral notes.
summery and vanillic: Caron Pour un Homme and Un Petit de Rien by Miller Harris
Wow, so many suggestions on here! I can identify with alot of Julie’s preferred scents, so I’ll throw one more out there.
Harmatan Noir by Parfumerie Generale is a beautiful black tea scent with a hint of mint, salt, and some dried herbs and flowers. It’s quite reasonably priced too; I’m pretty sure I’ll cave in the next few months and purchase the smaller bottle for the summer!