I always remember the way my best friend smelled of candy. She was always eating candy and I just loved being next to her because she had this gorgeous smell.
— Perfumer Lyn Harris on her earliest scent memory. Read more in Sense check: Lyn Harris at The Week.
I’ve had trouble deciding what to wear lately, in these weeks when the weather around New York City keeps tilting between blustery and balmy, soggy and sunny — what clothing to wear, that is. I’ve had an easier time choosing fragrances that suit this season-shift. Some of them are old favorites, like Frédéric Malle L’Eau D’Hiver (the classic “eau chaude” scent). Others are perfumes that I’ve only encountered over the past year or even the past few months. Here are five of the latter.
Travel is always a good reason to buy a new perfume, and my recent trip to London included a visit to Liberty, just in time for the launch of their new LBTY fragrance collection. Each scent is inspired by, and packaged in, a textile design from Liberty’s archives…
A few weeks ago, Robin posted a link to a Cosmopolitan article titled “I’m Sorry, But the #PerfumeTok influencers Are All Wrong.” Naturally, I couldn’t resist clicking. I agree with the author’s statement that “individual preferences and emotional ties,” rather than an effort to create an easily defined, neatly packaged “vibe,” should shape our individual perfume choices. And even if you have a favorite fragrance genre, you should feel free to play and experiment. Surprise yourself!
As you may already know if you’re a regular here, I basically major in old-fashioned florals (heavy on the rose, iris and violet) and minor in seashore-inspired scents. The first sub-genre fits my overall “aesthetic” (as #PerfumeTok would say) of clothing, reading and décor, I suppose; the second one doesn’t, but I still gravitate towards new salt-and-sand releases without fail. I’m nothing if not consistent. However, I recently realized that I’d been regularly wearing three scents that would be classified as “clean” rather than retro-floral or beach-y. How did that happen, I wondered? Basically, I came across these three perfumes under atypical circumstances, when my guard was down.
First example: one hot-and-humid Saturday during the never-ending summer of 2023, I was visiting the never-shady neighborhood of Williamsburg, Brooklyn and noticing how many fragrance boutiques have popped up there lately. I went into a Diptyque shop, mostly just to escape the sun, and ended up purchasing Diptyque L’Eau Papier…
It’s full-on summer in my part of the world, and this Friday’s community project is “wear something beachy, or anything you think of as ‘a vacation in a bottle,'” so here I am with two reviews of fragrances that fit this description. As I noted around this time last year, I’m not much of a summer person, but I’m very fond of the sub-genre of beachy perfumes. Here are two I’ve been enjoying in recent weeks.
I bought a bottle of Sunspel Sea Moss at the legendary Liberty department store in London back in March, because I hadn’t been there in twenty years and the exchange rate was very much in my favor and I learned that Lyn Harris (formerly of Miller Harris, currently of Perfumer H) had created this fragrance. The fact that I’d never heard of Sunspel, an upscale British sportswear brand, didn’t really enter into the decision…
Lyn Harris of Perfumer H creates a trio of scented candles for three still life paintings due to be auctioned tonight at Sotheby's. You can read more about the project here; and you can buy the candles at the Perfumer H store in London.