I am a summer person. My favorite thing about spring is that it's almost summer, and my favorite thing about fall is that sometimes, the summer days linger on longer than expected. I have nothing good at all to say about winter. But we take turns writing the seasonal Top 10 posts for Now Smell This, and somehow it has worked out that I've only done the summer list twice, in 2005 and 2007. Either one of those lists1 would take me happily through a summer even now, all these years later, and truth be told, summer is when I wear the least perfume anyway.2 Many days, a light layer of scented lotion is enough fragrance for me, and there are many more days when (horrors!) I wear no fragrance at all.
For this year's list, I've avoided repeats by emphasizing post-2007 fragrances. Most, but not all, of my choices are unisex, and I've included niche and mainstream and indie, cheap and not so cheap.
Annick Goutal Ninféo Mio: Ninféo Mio covers all the right summer bases – citrus, plenty of green, touches of hay and fig. It's refreshing without being too artificially clean (no dryer sheet here). It smells like summer to me; I wear it in summer because it fits, and I wear it the rest of the year to remind me of summer. I wear it more than I thought I would when I bought it — we all know it doesn't always work out that way — and I would say the same of Annick Goutal's Mandragore, which is another great summer option.
Bath & Body Works Coconut Lime Verbena: I don't know if they still make this in an Eau de Toilette, but it doesn't matter because the scented lotion is all I use anyway. Like Bronze Goddess (see below), it's the perfect fragrance for the sort of outdoorsy summer vacation where you don't want to wear "real" perfume anyway. (And a side bonus: you can use the shampoo to do your hand wash in a hotel bathroom, and just the lightest little bit of fragrance will linger on your clothing).
Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess: This one is sort of a cheat because the earlier version of this fragrance, Azuree Soleil, is already included on my list from 2007. Still, there have been numerous summer vacations where Bronze Goddess is the only fragrance I've worn, so I hate to leave it out. It smells like vacation, wears perfectly in the heat, and never overwhelms.
Hermès Eau Claire des Merveilles: The original Eau des Merveilles is a pre-2007 scent, so I didn't need to dither over which to include here, but I do wear both of them quite a bit in the summer. Of all the recent cosmetic powder fragrances, Eau Claire is my favorite for hot weather wear, and I have so many hot weather favorites from Hermes that I could easily do a top 10 of summer from just that one brand.3
L’Artisan Parfumeur Séville à l’Aube: I hope to review this later in the month, along with a massive disclaimer since I do know Denyse, the Grain de Musc blogger who designed it. If you're a perfumista, you probably already know all about it, if not, I'll just say it's one of my favorite orange blossom scents ever.
Parfum d’Empire Azemour Les Orangers: A wonderful juicy (orange!) fresh chypre in the classic mode (in other words, with a dry mossy base). It was my favorite niche fragrance of 2011, and while it isn't dirt cheap, the price is reasonable for a niche fragrance. I'm still living on samples but will almost certainly buy it before the year is out.
Parfums de Nicolaï L’Eau à la Folie: A perfect summer fruity floral with plenty of citrus, crisp rather than sugared. This is what I'll buy when I use up my Parfums de Nicolaï Eau Exotique (see the 2007 list below).
Prada Infusion d'Iris: This is another fragrance that smells bright and summery to me, but that I wear all year round. It's one of those fragrances I reach for when I don't want to think about what fragrance I ought to wear, and its quiet elegance works in nearly any setting. The new Absolue is even more gorgeous, but isn't quite so summery.
Soivohle’ Jasmine Summer: I need at least one straight-up floral for the summer, preferably one that's simple, light, and not too indolic. Jasmine Summer fits the bill perfectly. It isn't cheap (indie rarely is) but it isn't outrageous either, and it can be had in the small 12 ml size for less than $30. Bingo.
The Different Company De Bachmakov: De Bachmakov is bright and zingy and cold, and the perfect refresher on a hot summer day when your spirits are wearing thin. Of all the fragrances on my “to buy” list that I haven't yet purchased, this is the one I think about the most. It's also the most expensive thing on today's list, which is why I haven't bought it yet.
For more Top 10 lists, see Bois de Jasmin and Grain de Musc.
1. Here are my older top 10 of summer lists:
2005: Annick Goutal Eau du Sud, Carthusia Mediterraneo, Chanel Cristalle Eau de Toilette, Christian Dior Eau Sauvage, Guerlain Eau de Guerlain, Guerlain Vetiver, Hermès Un Jardin Sur Le Nil, L’Artisan Thé Pour Un Été, Ormonde Jayne Isfahan and The Different Company Divine Bergamote.
2007: Parfums de Nicolaï Eau Exotique, Hermès Un Jardin Sur Le Nil Perfumed Body Lotion, CB I Hate Perfume Memory of Kindness, Etro Shaal Nur, Estee Lauder Azuree Soleil Eau Fraiche Skinscent, Le Labo Bergamote 22, Thierry Mugler Cologne, Annick Goutal Le Chèvrefeuille and Parfums Delrae Debut.
2. Although it's also when I do the most testing, since there's just more bare skin to go around. It's easy enough in the summer to test 10 or 12 fragrances at the same time.
3. Eau des Merveilles, Eau Claire des Merveilles, Eau d’Orange Verte, Terre d’Hermès, Voyage d’Hermès, Osmanthe Yunnan, Eau de Pamplemousse Rose, Calèche Eau Délicate, Vanille Galante, Kelly Calèche.
Note: top image is FREE Refreshing Orange Slice Creative Commons [cropped] by Pink Sherbet Photography at flickr; some rights reserved.
Another note: I'm still on vacation, and have very limited wifi access right now. I might not be able to respond to comments until tomorrow.
I feel like summer scents are a real weakness to my perfume wardrobe at this point. I definitely would enjoy more options that don’t feel too heavy or formal. I reach for L’eau d’Hiver or Bronze Goddess if I want to spray with abandon and know I won’t be leaving fainting bodies in my wake. Otherwise, I go for my big scents and spray more lightly. (Although I admit, I really enjoy using Shalimar in the heat–I feel so sassy!)
Oh, agree on Shalimar in the heat though! I don’t really do a big rotation in my fragrance wardrobe either.
Ditto on the Shalimar. My husband actually noticed I hadn’t worn it in while (bottle used up) and asked, “why aren’t you wearing that skanky vanilla stuff anymore?”
I promptly went over my perfume budget for the quarter and picked up the special “Charms” edition from Sophia’s Beauty.
Great choices, I find my Infusion d’Homme also very summer-friendly. Speaking of Ninfeo Mio – I don’t know that one, but have just prepared a list of samples to order next week and I think I’ll add it to AG Duel, Amuage Interlude and PdE Azemour Les Orangers (what a coincidence that I put it on my list as you listed it here)
I really like AG Duel. I have small sprayers of Duel and Hadrien at my desk at work b/c I have no A/C and they are so refreshing. The other day I dosed on some Duel and was so impressed (again!) with how awesome it smells. I could even smell it just a tiny bit the next morning on my wrists. Definitely a great one.
Lovely! Now I want to try it even more.
Summer? What summer? So far we’ve had the wettest June on record, some parts of the country are expecting a month’s worth of rain to fall in day today and “no sign of warm dry weather for a month” according to the BBC. I’m in No 22 today.
Also, I have far fewer summer favourites than I do cold-weather ones. I find it much trickier to find scents that are light yet still interesting.
Mandragore Pourpre has been a staple for the last few summers. I also like Philosykos (or any fig, really, so would include Fico di Amalfi and Ninfeo Mio, too), Osmanthe Yunnan, OJ Frangipani (when it behaves).
Institut Très Bien’s Cologne a la Russe is the closest thing to a cologne that I like.
I find By Kilian Prelude To Love to be surprisingly enjoyable even though there’s nothing wildly original about it at all. I’d happily own a bottle if it didn’t cost a bomb.
Very late to the party, but I finally tried OJ Tiare recently and was rather taken with it. It’s a very strong contender for a perfect summer floral for me.
Yes, fig is good in the summer, isn’t it? I think I might need to explore fig scents more. Maybe that will be my excuse–to find a perfect summer fig? The only one I’ve tried is SSS Fig Tree, which I like very much, but somehow doesn’t quite push me over the edge to buying it.
Exploring figs sounds like a fun project and there are quite a few out there. I like them for a fruity fix that doesn’t smell like something made for the tween market.
Saw that Kiehls has something new called Aromatic Blends (?), the Fig Leaf and Sage seemed like an easy fig on first impression (didn’t do a “full” test).
That should read “easy fig SCENT TO WEAR.” Comment box ate my text!
I really like Ninfeo Mio, but my fav summer fig to use with abandon is the Pacifica Mediterranean Fig. I can use the soap, the lotion, the fragrance…. and not break the bank. My husband really likes it too. I’ll use the soap and then the Ninfeo Mio, but I find the body products don’t play nice with it.
LOVE Mediterranean Fig. I’ve gone through half a bottle over the last 3 months. (I’m a fan of Ninfeo Mio, too, but agree that the Pacifica is much better for spritzing with abandon!)
We don’t get Pacifica in UK but I recently noticed that The Body Shop have a fig body wash. I should really check it out as it sounds quite nice for summer.
Mediterranean Fig love seconded (or thirded ,as the case may be). It’s definitely my favorite of the Pacifica line. It’s always nice to find something good that isn’t too expensive and that you can pick up at Whole Foods.
What does OJ Frangipani do when it’s not behaving? I wear this one a lot!
On good days it’s more floral with a gorgeous, realistic fresh linden note. On bad days I get too much citrus and hardly any linden. I’d buy a bottle in a heartbeat if it only were more reliable.
Thanks for reminding me about Jasmine Summer! I really want to try that.
Re: Coconut Lime Verbena, Bath and Body Works has completely discontinued that scent and replaced it with something called “Coconut Lime Breeze,” which is similar, but sweeter and has less of the grassy/green verbena notes. Of course, that completely ruins the scent for me. You should be able to find Coconut Lime Verbena on discount in many stores, in outlets, on their website, etc – I reckon it’ll take them a long time to completely get rid of stock, and they may keep it available online anyway – they carry many of their discontinued scents on a semi-permanent basis on the web.
Oh, did not know, thanks! I did just get some more samples in a Holiday Inn bathroom, so will treasure them.
I just bought a FB of Azemour, so thats my newest summerscent! Guerlain Vetivier is another favorite, and something by JCE for Hermes is always a good bet, like Voyage d’Hermes or Rose Ikebana.
Congrats on the Azemour, Eva. It’s on my FB list. So far it works for me in the winter and the summer!
I haven’t even gotten around to sampling this yet, but I know I will love it. Pd’E is one of my favorite houses and this one sounds so good. Enjoy your fb!
I am far too civilized to be a summer person. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Just like this lady! http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2005/oct/30/features.magazine7
This is hilarious. I am not a summer person myself though I do enjoy the long days. My favourite season is spring, with autumn a close second.
I can relate to that. Give me autumn any day.
I am a fall person too!
And I am deeply annoyed at summer, but don’t hate it because of:
1. the long days
2. It’s the only time of year when I can go on holiday..yay!
Anyway, I’m eagerly waiting for fall and my fall perfumes: Mitsouko, Attrape-coeur and the Party in Manhattan (my summer faves are not particularly “summery” and get used all year long! That’s also a kind of summer denial I suppose…)
Priceless! Thanks for sharing. I’ve bookmarked it to save.
I love this! Fall is by far my favorite season. I’m a large women, and dressing in summer can be a nightmare. It’s so extremely hot where I am this year that I admit, I’ve given up. No makeup or blowdryer, I’m just trying to survive. Even perfume is kind of falling by the wayside; it seems as if everything I put on just gets sucked up by the heat and disappears. The white flag is up, come on, September!
I am a fall, winter, and spring person too! Summer is something to be endured, what with the heat, humidity, and mosquitoes. Besides, it is prime hurricane season, always a concern on the coast. I always breathe a sigh of relief when October comes around, and our risk of getting a storm plummets. Most of my “summer” perfumes are not strictly summer scents. They are just those perfumes from my collection that are not too suffocating to wear in the heat.
This is hilarious, Elizabeth! To be honest, I like having more light, but it’s not kind to me. I swelter in heavy sunscreen and hats, embarrassed that all the callow summer people are staring at me with my parasol. (Robin, I know YOU wouldn’t stare!)
I so love parasols. I wish I had one. I’m surprised they haven’t started to become fashionable again with all the warnings about sunburns and stuff. I would never laugh at your parasol.
I’m not a summer person either, though I might be if I lived somewhere with more tolerable summers (I live in Texas, where there are really only about two seasons: Hell and Not-Summer).
I suppose my scent selections have been slightly like something resembling summery of late, though. I’ve been wearing Jo Malone 154, and Niki de Saint Phalle is a big favorite of mine, which is kind of summerish, I guess.. at least spring.
I got a new one on clearance at Anthropologie the other day, 1856 Darjeeling by Adriana Medina. I really like the top and heart, but I’m kind of disappointed with the drydown. It starts out like a cup of Earl Grey tea, which is joined by some jasmine and a bit of rose (there’s cardamom and mint in the top too, but they really seem to underscore the tea feel rather than stand out as distinctive notes), but then it just goes all dryer sheet. The box promised cedar, amber and musk in the base, but I don’t smell the cedar or amber at all. I may have to experiment with layering this one. At least I only paid $15 for it and not the full $48.
Of course, as soon as I bitch about the summers here, we go and have a good week. It’s been pretty nice. It’s rained pretty much every day this week, and it’s only been in the 80s, which is unusually cool for July. And the rain is definitely a welcome reversal from the droughts of the last couple of summers.
Inoui and White Shoulders are my current summer faves with Central Park West for my days off (big sillage and tenacious). Am also considering getting another green scent–Chanel 19, Ma Griffe, or Ivoire have so far caught my attention….Did I mention how much I love Inoui? 😉
I only have a teeny decant of Inoui, but it is really gorgeous.
This summer my favs are Chanel Cristalle edp (and I “converted” one of the ladies who works for me to it. She kept saying how nice it smells. Yeah – so I gave her a decant!); Annick Goutal Heure Exquise edt; AG Le Chevrefeuille; and the Diptyque Eau Duelle. Yes, it does indeed smell like a gin and tonic, and I only wish that part lasted longer.
I made a super discovery the other day in a very unexpected shop in Scranton. It’s called Da Ma Mere by Shelley Kyle. It is just soo beautiful – one of those cool linden & acacia fragrances. It is a real surprise. It’s even lovlier than MAC Naked Honey – more green and fresh.
Interesting – there seems to be a website, and it’s very reasonable!
Yes – very reasonable. It really was a surprise find. I tested two other ones that were OK, but not FBW to me. But I do love those linden fragrances – and this ones lasts on the skin for a number of hours and the drydown is good too. It is really well done. We need to get her some attention!
I love linden blossoms!
I haven’t found my linden blossom perfume yet, so I’ll check this one out!
Thanks for the tip! 🙂
This is my third summer as a perfumista. All three years the most worn perfumes list has looked like this:
Nuit de Tubereuse–4or 5 days a week.
Grand Neroli
Cruel Gardenia
Philosykos
Silences
Azemour les Orangers!–new to the list this summer
I am a recent convert to Silences. It seems to instantly lower the ambient temperature by 10 degrees.
Silences is a summer staple for me, too. It does feel like portable air conditioning.
Clearly I need to try this since I don’t have airconditioning at home
Emily and Mals: so true!!
Silences gets a lot of love. I think I’m going to have to get some one of these days.
I loved reading through your list, though the only contact point is Ninfeo Mio, a perfume I really like. To me it is the epitome of spring, though! 😉
Summer to me means Fracas, mostly Fracas.. And the cooling tubereuse criminelle, or the burning-cold encens flamboyant. I also enjoy beyond love and the classics: n.5, Bois des iles and Shalimar.
Recent likes have been randomly picked Lutens samples from my stash…those I didn’t care for a couple of years ago smell so appealing now, in the heat!
I should disclose that once I go on vacation, I don’t wear much fragrance…but until I work in the city, I fracas!
P.s. I’d love to try Seville à l’aube, can’t wait to hear your take on it!
Sometimes when it is sooo hot, and one of those cool showers is necessary, I take what I call a “No 5 Shower”. I’ll use the soap and then afterward put on some No 5 or the Eau Premier. It makes me feel all together and is wonderful especially before bed.
Your no 5 shower sounds great, I’ll certainly try it (I’ve never stumbled upon the soap, must search)!!
You know, I particularly love wearing n.5 (or Bois des iles) right after a shower, before going to bed. They are my favorite night scents!
They make me feel clean AND comforted!
I think it might be Chanel’s golden ratio between the clean aldehydes and the lush flowers (n.5) or plush woods (BDI)…
Fracas is great in any weather 🙂
In summer I enjoy both the light, green and citrus fragrances and the really “dense” fragrances.
Favourites in the first category include: Eau du Sud, Calyx, Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert, Cristalle (EDT), Eau d’Eté, Eau Mixte, Le Chèvrefeuille and others!
In the second category I find myself wearing: HdP 1740, Ambre Sultan, Ambre Fétiche, Chergui, Songes (edp), AG Passion, Vamp à New York, MPG Tubéreuse, Cococabana and others. I would wear both Fracas and Carnal Flower but haven’t got a full bottle of either of them.
On my recent visit to Paris I had the opportunity to smell Azemour. It is gorgeous. I need to order a sample to test it at my leisure.
Enjoy your holiday!
That’s the way I am, too. On the one hand, there are my fresh-and-crisp summer scents like Eau de Rochas, Silences, Cristalle EDT, No. 19 EDT, and Ninfeo Mio — and on the other hand, there’s Fracas and my newest love, Manoumalia.
I only have a sample of Manoumalia, but I agree: It blooms in the heat.
I wore Carnal Flower just the other day and it really stood up to the heat! My hubbie even likes it. I’ve been wearing Songes too this summer. Apparently he has a thing for rich white flowers and skanky jasmine. Yeah!
Summer is my least favorite season. Bleah.
I’m sure it’s not a coincidence that my summer scent wardrobe is skimpier than all my other seasonal ones (I do live in a place with distinct seasons; our temps range from upper 90s F and humid in the summer to below 0 and blustery in the winter). In summer, though, I wear fruity florals like Petite Cherie, Hanae Mori Haute Couture, and the first Ines de la Fressange, green scents like Silences and Fleur de Matin, and my favorite summery/trashy tuberose, Vamp a NY.
I wish I could give you my winter and you could give me your summer.
Ninfeo Mio and Bronze Goddess would be at or near the top of my summer-scent list, too. An under-the-radar (and, of course, discontinued) favorite that kind of reminds me of Bronze Goddess is Guerlain’s Terracotta Voile d’Eté. It’s a lightly spicy carnation-vanilla that ends up near the warm-sand-and-skin territory of BG. I wore it a lot last summer, and it’s a nice change of pace from my usual summer citruses, greens, and white florals.
I feel like I must be the only perfumista who didn’t love Azemour — I got little to no juicy orange or moss, just a bunch of soap. I’m not terribly familiar with the idea of a fresh chypre, so maybe I didn’t know what to expect?
I didn’t get the part of Azemour either.
There is not enough (oak)moss!
I wonder how Micheal Edwards classifies the scent – I’ve seen it pegged as a chypre only on the web…I found it very straightforward, to say the least! :p
I meant the *chypre* part…
I wonder if you guys are anosmic to the stuff they’re using in the base? The top note is not “juicy” to me–it is more of a very green orange, elegant rather than fruity–but I get tons of oakmoss.
Alas, Ninfeo Mio doesn’t work at all for me – smells like dirt and old mulch on my skin. However, I’ve become quite fond of Nuit Etoilee as a summer scent. On me, it smells less of pine and more of mint and citrus, which is quite nice on a hot day (like today!)
I can’t wait to test this one – I think, sadly, it will be a while before it crosses my path. But I always look forward to another chance to fall in love with a Goutal. Mint and citrus sound lovely to me!
Ha, but I like the smell of dirt & old mulch 😉
I love Ninfeo Mio, need to get it out since it is as much Summer as Summer will be in our quarters 🙂
As a budding jasmine lover, I am thoroughly intrigued with Soivohle’ Jasmine Summer, but it looks like it is not available on the Soivohle’ site any more… am I wrong? I hope to be wrong!
Oh dear, I’m so sorry — I should have checked first. I don’t see it there now either.
Hermes is a great house for summer perfumes. I need to try Eau Claire des Merveilles.
They really are. Of course, I like them anyway, in any season 🙂
Some of my very favorites are listed. I sprang for a FB of the Azemour and have been wearing it very regularly. Bronze Goddess makes regular appearances too, and De Bachmakov is at the very top of my “buy” list.
But, here’s the weirdest thing… I tried Mary Greenwell’s Plum a while ago and it was close to a scrubber, but inspired by Alyssa’s sense of experimentation detailed in her book (which I cannot put down and have been sneak-reading at work the past two days), I gave it another shot today, in the heat, and am loving it. Of course, I’m also addicted to Memoir Woman, so maybe that helps?
Azemour is showing up a lot here! (And for good reason.)
I didn’t love Plum either. Maybe I should give it another shot.
Robin, I could fully subscribe to more than half your list — the only reason I didn’t include Eau Claire des Merveilles in mine is that God knows where that tiny sample disappeared. Azemour has already made it into previous lists of mine and I could bite myself for omitting the new Parfum de Nicolaï (again, a matter of a wee sample rolling out of view). PdN excels at elegant fruity notes.
And I am so sorry I have not looked at your list yet…have had a wonderful vacation, but we are traveling through the last non-wified corners of the world.
Right now, there is a horrible heat wave. Geranium Pour Monsieur with its blast of cool mint is a great respite.
We’re very hot here too. I haven’t worn perfume the last few days.
Very interesting list, Robin.
Like others have commented here, summer is not my favorite season (relentless, triple digit heat that turns the sky milky white? – UGH!) and therefore, summer perfumes aren’t my faves either.
But with that said, I gravitate toward jasmine in the heat – Samsara and Mahora, as well as Champagne de Bois, Nahema (blooms beautifully in the heat), Vol de Nuit extrait (another gorgeous bloomer), and Cuir de Russie edt (as opposed to the extrait in cool weather). Lighter choices include Jicky, Terracotta Voile d’Ete, Fig Tree and I Love Les Carrottes.
Recent favorite – the new SSS Forest Walk.
My favorite summer “heavies” are Lancome’s Magie Noir and AT Maroc Pour Elle. Applied with a light hand…..
Until right this minute when I read your comment, I had totally forgotten that I have a decant of La Maroc! Is that a sign that I have too much perfume??? 😉
Forest Walk is great. Have to test it again…not sure it works in heat or not (?)
It is the dead of winter where I live so your list is making me long for summer. Reading it, I have been pondering if we prefer our summer scents to be a bit cheaper than winter ones? Because we like to spritz with abandon? Or because for many of us summer is a light-hearted time of year and we want our perfumes less guilt burdened?
The local newspaper here wanted to do a story about how cold it has been here overnight this week, but instead of just doing a boring weather story, they sent a journalist and a photographer to the zoo, and did a story on how the animals cope in the cold. There was a great photo of a giraffe and her misty breath, and one of a monkey rubbing his hands to keep them warm. Brilliant! Cheered me up.
Bring on spring! Im counting the weeks!
Adorable! Somewhere I have a Washington Post photo from a couple of years ago of a lion at the zoo looking up curiously at the falling snowflakes.
I love most of your choices and the ones I don’t love are ones I haven’t tried yet. Consider them on my Must Sniff list.
The interesting thing that I’ve found is that the ‘right’ summer perfumes are very much dependent on the climate. I started out really getting involved in the perfume world when I lived in Switzerland, where the climate is pretty much perfect. It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter and in-between in-between. This gave plenty of scope to wear perfumes in all kinds of temperatures at relatively low humidity. In this summertime environment, (temperatures between 30-40C) intensely fresh and green perfumes were especially good and I used Eaux de Cologne a lot for refreshment.
However, I have now moved home to Wales, damp, delightful Wales with a temperate maritime climate that rarely reaches 30C and this summer in particular has been very very damp. (Arks have been mentioned by several people, and not entirely in jest.) And I Noticed last summer that the dry, greeeeeeen, fresh fresh fresh fragrances I had previously turned to so reliably were no longer so good. I was confused and saddened to be parted from my figs and my vetivers, my citruses and my Eaux de Cologne. I still wear them on hot dry days, but not so often now.
Strangely, the ones that still work, even in the damp, to create a feel of summer for me are the ‘beachy’ ones. Bronze Goddess and my expensive version of B&BW Coconut & Lime – Creed’s Virgin Island Water. Oh and yes, L’Eau d’Hiver always does it, any time of year, as does Caldey Island Lavender. On which topic, I think it may be time for me to start exploring the indigenous perfumers for ideas – Miller Harris’ Fleurs de Sel and some of those lovely things from Lostm’arch…
How interesting. I do find that humidity makes a huge difference…some perfumes seem to “bloom” better in heat & humidity. But haven’t ever lived anywhere damp.
My fave summer scents right now are Dahlia Noir EDT(lemon and peach) and Chanel Beige(honey).
I am a Fall person in all the ways I possibly could be, food, fashion, scent, weather, etc. But I do love these choices and completely agree that one could make a full summer list from Hermes. Goutal, too.
Also–totally cracking up that you don’t have a FB of Azemour yet when your review convinced me to spring for one unsniffed. I pay attention when you do one of your rare raves, R. But then, I don’t have an FB of de Bachmakov yet and I recommend it right and left.
Isn’t that silly? I’ve turned into much more of a perfume cheapskate the last few years, I think mostly because so many of my bottles have turned, and so many of them are getting no wear. But I will buy Azemour, and if I ever come across a split of the travel sized Bachmakov, I’ll get that too.
An oh–thanks so much for the Soihvole rec–will see her and her ‘fumes at the frag salon here in SF on Sunday and will definitely give it a sniff. Maybe I’ll find Denyse’s orange blossom in the shops here, too! Been so busy I sort of forgot I was going to get to smell a bunch of great perfume on this trip. 🙂
Will you be doing a write-up for NST Alyssa? I hope so! I wish I could be there. Have a wonderful time.
I hope she has it…someone above points out that it’s no longer on her website.
I was so, so lucky to get a sample of Seville a l’Aube last spring and am waiting impatiently for the chance to acquire a FB and spray myself into ecstacy!
In the meantime, inspired by The Perfume Lover, I’ve been wearing Habanita, which turns out to be perfect for summer. Also, recently and unexpectedly, SL Iris Silver Mist.
By the way, in my quest to match each fragrance with its perfect season (usually a chance discovery), I’ve found that Eau du Sud is perfect for August/September – the end of summer when everything is dry, days are not so long and its herbal Provence herbal is perfect.
Envy your SALA sample!
I trust your nose Noz: could you tell me if it reminds you of Nuit de tubereuse?
You remind me that I must give my habanita sample a try in the heat. I bear no prejudice against big orientals in summer!
I fell in love with Shalimar one excessively hot august day, when I tested it at lunch time out of boredom, and it’s balsamic base developed in a truly magical and powerful way…
The same thing happened to me a few years ago with Nahema. I was so excited when my sample arrived that I splashed it on (extrait too!). Too late I realized that it was a sweltering mid-July day and it would probably suffocate me! Thankfully, I was wrong. Nahema bloomed into the most beautiful rose and peach scent ever. It’s a very different scent in cooler weather.
The only comparison to me is that both Sal’A and NdT are innovative takes on the featured flower. Of course, it’s an orange blossom scent, and initially I was also struck by the beeswax note. Sometimes the cologne effect comes to the fore, and there’s an underlying dryness from the incense. It’s more wearable than some of Duchaufour’s weird scents (which I also love), and more interesting than some of the wearable ones – a great balance of art and function!
Great list, Robin! Totally agree about Ninfeo Mio (and Mandragore). And I’ll have to try de Bachmakov again now that it’s so hot (I mean, *really* hot!) out. I sampled it in winter and it was just too chilly for me!
I just tried Heeley’s Oranges & Lemons Say the Bells of St. Clement’s — it’s a nice one for a hot day. In the super-hot weather, I often go to Demeter’s Gin & Tonic. It’s really refreshing.
I will never manage to try all the good Demeters! G&T sounds perfect, and didn’t even remember they made one.
Count me in with the Fall, Winter (without the snow), Spring lovers. I really cannot stand the summer heat.
I am soooo unwrapping my 100mLs of Hermès Eau Claire des Merveilles, bought last year and have not yet used!
Oh, do unwrap it!
i find myself loving the way buttery tuberose scents smell in summer. they really do blossom in the heat. fracas and l’artisan tubereuse are extra languid and hypnotic when it’s hot out. of my favorites, my lightest fragrance is probably creed tubereuse indiana, and it works all year like the heavier tuberoses. all summer i’m praying for fall anyway, because my skin doesn’t like the sun and i’m always the person who gets all the bug bites! (i wonder if some perfumes would work as insect repellents!)
Ha…CB I Hate Perfume makes a great bug spray if you love the smell of cedar & lavender & patch. If you don’t, it will make you crazy.
i’ll try it! has to be better than off! which makes me sick :/
I do love Ninfeo Mio. We’re in the middle of winter in this part of the world but I’m llooking forward to wearing that all next summer and this winter I got hermes Un Jardin Sur Le Toit, so i’m ready for some heat! I also love Roger and Gallet Jean Marie Farina cologne and will wear that a lot
I do sometimes like to mist on Ninfeo Mio around Xmas time. All that green goes well with pines and holly.
I used Sur Le Toit yesterday. Its green notes are so good! JCE even using apple is able to do a nice work. It has the best sillage and lasting power between the Jardin Series to me.
Great Summer go to for me …. Bobbi Brown Beach truly is a must have….Hot and humid is where I live and being a perfumista is always a challenge. Love, Tous fragrances , Cartier Voile d basir is great too…( spelling off this morning)
I have a few summer scents like Cristalle, Bronze Goddess, and some others but I honestly wear just about anything because if it’s that hot out, I’m probably going to be inside. It always feels like winter in my office because the a/c is so cold. I had a heater on under my desk the other day. I don’t keep the house that cold though because I’m always chilly. So unless I’m really going to be out there stuck in the heat I just wear whatever I’m in the mood for. Today is supposed to be in the 90’s. I may be wearing Off today though because I was thinking of doing some yard work before it gets that hot.
At Robin and Kevin’s suggestion, I tried L’eau a la Folie. Lovely scent, beautiful drydown, but disappeared too rapidly on my skin. Love Bronze Goddess too, but it also had little lasting power. When I am feeling in a green mood, I use Herbe d’Ete by Calypso St Barth. Get lots of compliments when out and about wearing it. What does everyone think of Untitled by Maison Martin Margiela? Personally, I cannot wait for summer to end so I can go back to wearing my tuberose, gardenia, and jasmine scents and make it from the front door to my car without being harrassed by obnoxious, bloated bees!
Oh Elizabeth! I have bookmarked that article to save. I am a mole. Give me darkness and air conditioning or I am a pale-faced sweaty mess! 101 degrees, 110 heat index here yesterday.
I just want to stay inside and wear my usual perfumes, as I am so not a citrus person!
Hermès Voyage and John Varvatos Artisan are my favourite citruses. I also find Guerlain Homme refreshing when the temperature goes up.
And I also belong to that small minority enjoying Eau de Shalimar with it’s (to me) lovely lemon meringue crumble feeling.
I recently bought a bottle of Gianfranco Ferré on Ebay, mistaking it for Ferré by Ferré but found it be a very wearable white floral, even in summertime (white florals are generally not very wearable on me, unless it’s Fracas ofc ;)).
Finally I get my beach vibe from Clarins Eau Ensoleillante.
Annick Goutal’s Nuit Etoilée the new creation is also amazing, Cedrat, Orange, Mint with woodies notes evokes an enchanted forest a summer evening. Il love it!