It’s this time of year when lindens smells so intensely that I only need to open a window, and my whole room becomes filled with their honeyed scent. As the blossoms wither, they begin to smell indolic and dark, reminding me of nag champa incense and Indian temples.
Please jot down any scent observations in this thread. What perfume are you wearing today? Do you have a linden fragrance that you enjoy? Would you like one? You can write about your favorite perfumes or interesting scents you’ve encountered.
You can also use the Scent Diary to sharpen your sense of smell. As I wrote in How to Improve Your Sense of Smell, the best way to do so is to smell and to pay attention to what you’re smelling. It doesn’t matter what you smell. The most important thing is to notice scents around you. It’s even better if you write it down. Feel free to ask any questions here too.
Photography by Bois de Jasmin
42 Comments
Cornelia: I love linden smell.
Victoria, would you recomend me a parfume that smells like linden? July 9, 2021 at 8:08am
Victoria: The closest I know is L’Artisan La Chasse aux Papillons. There is also No. 10 Linde Berlin by Frau Tonis, but I haven’t tried it. July 9, 2021 at 9:12am
Cornelia: Thank you. July 9, 2021 at 9:20am
Iuliana: Hello both, what about Andy Tauer’s Zeta? It might be just me, but that’s my “go to” linden perfume :-). July 9, 2021 at 9:32am
John: You have to try Le Galion’s Tilleul.
you will be blown away. my favorite scent release this year. July 9, 2021 at 5:26pm
Mariann: Ooh thats sounds intriguing! I love Zeta but it’s discontinued and Grand Chalet de Aster de Vilette or how its called is a bit outside my reach. La Chasse aux Papillons not very linden like on me. The lindens this year are incredible, so glad they didn’t bloom earlier! July 10, 2021 at 10:07am
John: Read Perfume Posse’s review. it’s not just the blossoms, or the idea of linden, it’s the whole tree!!!!
I bought blind, can’t stop wearing it. absolutely GORGE!!!
Quentin Bisch did this masterpiece. July 10, 2021 at 10:12am
Kitty: Where can I find this? July 10, 2021 at 5:24pm
John: legalionparfums.com
I don’t think they have doors in US.
I love this company, there are a few more scents I want. but I love freaky florals like Fleur de Cassie by FM, however, Tilleul is really well balanced with tomato leaf like green notes.
It took about 10 days to get here, beautiful packaging, book and samples included. with shipping came to about 200.00 for 100mls. July 11, 2021 at 6:45am
Kitty: Thanks! July 11, 2021 at 7:02am
john: My pleasure July 11, 2021 at 7:04am
Silvermoon: Hello Cornelia, I have Linde Berlin (Frau Tonis). It is a really pleasant, delicate and fresh floral, very much like linden blossoms. I especially enjoyed wearing it for a walk along the famous street Unter den Linden. So would recommend it (the shop in Berlin is lovely to visit, but they also ship as far as I remember). July 9, 2021 at 5:14pm
Marsi: Yes, I wear this one, too. Takes me right back to the fun experience I had shopping at Frau Tonis a few years ago — while the lindens were indeed in bloom. July 10, 2021 at 12:10pm
Inma: Hi,
These days wearing Lovely by SJP. It’s so hot here in Seville that I try to keep away from the sun. Then my body sort of keeps the same temperature than Lovely leaves on my skin with its very nice smell. I guess that is why I want to wear it.
In a few minutes I’ll be having a solo coffee with ice. I usually think of the people of this blog when I have it. Such a character softened by the fresh water.
I hope you have a beautiful weekend, July 9, 2021 at 9:04am
Victoria: That sounds wonderful. I think I will have a cup of iced matcha. July 9, 2021 at 9:13am
carole: April Aromatics Linden scent, Unter den Linden, could be a good choice. Also look for the Savon de Marseilles soap, which is a perfect linden. I had a gorgeous, huge linden tree, and the bees loved it. It came down during a hurricane and left me devistated. July 9, 2021 at 9:41am
Filomena: Unter den Linden is a good choice. I had it once and within a year it turned, so I never purchased it again. July 9, 2021 at 10:04am
Hilde: Hi Victoria,
Recently I have bought Dyptique Ombre dans l’Eau eau de parfum. What a marvelous fragrance.
In my package, I received a free 10 ml of Do Son. When I read your review of Do Son, you mentioned that it is a delicate tuberose.
I must admit that until recently, I didn’t know this flower and neither its particular smell.
Now, about one year ago I had already bought Roger & Gallet Tubereuse Hedonie and Zara Emotions Tubereuse Noir, but I hadn’t tried them profoundly untill this week, to compare them with Do Son.
Today I have put on a perfume that I haven’t worn in a long time: Annick Goutal Un Matin d’Orage (edt): just a suitable perfume for those moisty and warm days, I thought.
And do you know what I recognized in the dry down: tuberose.
From now on, my nose will be trained to recognize the tuberose in any perfume, I guess.
Best regards. Hilde July 9, 2021 at 9:50am
Debby: I love the scent of linden, but my goodness is it hay fever triggering! Also flowering near me is wild honeysuckle and meadow sweet, it is a beautifully fragranced time of year. Though the privets are soon to bloom and I cannot stand their smell!
Can anyone recommend a good honeysuckle perfume? I recently got Commodity Nectar but find it a bit too woody for my taste.
I’m currently wearing Gucci Memoire d’une Odeur which is wonderful in the recent humidity, and I recently acquired Shalimar Eau de Cologne which is a very summer friendly iteration. July 9, 2021 at 9:53am
Maya: Hi Debbi, I am a big fan of honeysuckle. The scent of its blossoms has a place of honor in my personal olfactory pantheon. My first honeysuckle recommendation is Frederic Malle’s Lys Mediterranean – to my nose an almost exact replica of the old honeysuckle in my grandmother’s garden. My second recommendation is Annick Goutal’s Le Chevrefeuille-more of an impression than a literal interpretation. July 9, 2021 at 1:58pm
Debby: Thank you, Maya, the Malle has been on my test list for ages because of a mission to smell as many lily perfumes as possible, didn’t realise it smelt of honeysuckle! The Goutal sounds very pretty indeed. July 9, 2021 at 2:12pm
Karina: I second Chevrefeuille as a recommendation. One of my favourite spring scents that lifts my mood with it sunny disposition.
More honeysuckle to my nose than Lys July 11, 2021 at 7:46am
deborah: What beautiful serendipity! In the last 2.5 weeks I’ve swooned in the enveloping scent of lindens. I didn’t know where this heavenly fragrance was coming from, and then to my surprise, I discovered blooming lindens in my yard! They have faded, so I’ll look for the darker scent, I hadn’t noticed it. Recently I acquired Lancome’s LaVie eat belle L’eclat. The top notes of orange blossoms prompted me to wear today, and its both fresh and warm. I love the journey of training my nose to indulge in everyday scents, as well as perfumes. Thank you for this post, Victoria! July 9, 2021 at 10:09am
deborah: I love being adventurous with new fragrances, and stepping beyond the mass market homogeneity of scents. For the fun of it – and because I love oud and trying new fragrances – I bought Amber Oud concentrated perfume by Rasai. I expected a bold presence, but didn’t detect that on me.
I have Elie Saab La Perfume which I bought in Dubai – that has an incense-like body wrap on me, which I enjoy.
are you familiar with these? Do they conjure an Indian temple for you?
Thanks again! July 9, 2021 at 10:20am
cookie queen: NAJA by Vero Kern. My linden. July 9, 2021 at 10:45am
Tanja Deurloo: I can recommend as fragrances with linden blossom:
* Baruti – Onder de Linde
* Clemency – Humiecki & Graef.
In Baruti’s Onder de Linde it is quite profound, in Clemency it is more hidden under its sandalwood and milky notes! July 9, 2021 at 11:17am
Damiana: I love the evocative scent of linden. Two linden blossom fragrances I love recommend are DSH French Linden Blossom and Astier de Villatte Grand Chalet. My fragrance of the day is Parfums de Nicolaï Neroli Intense. July 9, 2021 at 11:38am
Aurora: Like you I stopped to smell the linden trees in my neighbourhood, the scent also reminds me of Central Park. I’m wearing TF Noir Extrême, sweet but beautifully kept in check by gentle spices. July 9, 2021 at 12:38pm
John: Tilleul by Le Galion
The Best. July 9, 2021 at 5:23pm
OperaFan: It’s been so hot and humid lately I’ve resorted to wearing mostly cool green scents, like Guerlain Vetiver, Sisley Eau de Campagne, and AG Ninfeo Mio… This morning’s fragrance was AG Eau de Camille, then I saw your post and thought of Eau du Ciel, which is my linden fragrance of choice. My bottle is down to the last quarter so I use it sparingly. Grateful for all the ideas in the comments. I should try the DSH. Unter den Linden is beautiful but doesn’t last on me, so I never purchased. July 10, 2021 at 12:00am
Ewan: The smell of Linden here is switched on and off by the intermittent rains; pollen, bright yellow, edging the puddles.
Not an opportunity for iced matcha but instead spring darjeeling left to steep in cold water overnight. Liza Hill, Balasun or Singbulli, sipped, drunk or gulped down unter den Linden. July 10, 2021 at 2:23am
Kangourette: I love linden smell very much, so does my husband. The best linden fragrance I ever smelled is “Lindenblüte” by the traditional german brand Harry Lehmann. They are situated in Berlin. Their homepage is a bit old style but their service is very reliable and the prices are very resonable. “Lindenblüte” is very authentic, like a romantic walk at the famous berlinese street “Unter den Linden, adorable! July 10, 2021 at 3:08am
Silvermoon: Hello Kangourette,
Yes, the Harry Lehmann shop in Berlin is a really quirky and lovely place. Rather old fashioned (in a charming way), with a range of perfumes to buy by “weight” (actually by millilitres – 30, 50 or 100 MLs) at very reasonable prices. Lindenblüte is the same as Linde Berlin. Apparently, as I understand it, Lehmann supplies many of the Frau Tonis perfumes. Sometimes under the same name, other times not. It’s a bit of a puzzling situation, but certainly both shops and ranges are lovely (even if very different in style). July 10, 2021 at 8:34am
Karina: The Nr of the order forms of Harry Lehman are the same as the Nr in the name from Frau Tonis. So you get the same thing without the marketing or the packaging. July 11, 2021 at 7:48am
Silvermoon: PS Harry Lehmann’s other famous perfume is Veilchen (#37), which is rather lovely and smells like Parma violet (the sweet). Frau Tonis also sells it. It is believed that the perfume was worn by Marlene Dietrich. July 10, 2021 at 8:43am
Pike: I have never tried linden perfume but I know the scent well. I used to pick and dry linden with my mother when I was a kid. Then I would drink linden tea in autumn and winter as a remedy for sore throat. Nowadays I buy linden tea (Turkish grocers stock it!) just for that nostalgic smell. July 10, 2021 at 8:55am
Mj: Today I’m wearing Drop d’yssey . It smells like lilacs, the whole plant:blooms, leaves and twigs…
Close to my apartment in Barcelona is Gaudí Avenue, a semi pedestrian street that joins Sagrada Familia church with Saint Paul’s hospital, two of the best known and loved Modernist buildings in Barcelona. Linden trees line the street and having a drink under them at night is a little joy. July 10, 2021 at 10:41am
Tami: L’Occitane used to have a beautiful Linden soap in their Bonne Mere range. I loved that range as all the soaps were very gentle and left a slight, sweet perfume on the skin. It looks like that has been discontinued, but at the moment they offer a linden and orange… I’d love to try that.
This summer I’ve been quite taken by herbs and hedges. At my work, there are rosemary bushes and if you brush against them, you get that lovely trace of rosemary on yourself. Here in California, our star jasmine is blooming… it’s not a true jasmine, but it’s beguiling in its own way, and an ever-present element of summer outdoors. And of course, my lavender is going absolutely crazy right now. A beautiful sight and sensory experience. July 10, 2021 at 2:12pm
Karina: I adore linden and have been smelling it about lately. It really is enveloping. My favourite straight Linden is Tilia Cordata. July 11, 2021 at 11:03am
Cheryl: Pretty Machine by Kerosene is very much a Lindon Blossom. July 18, 2021 at 7:24pm
Victoria: I will have to try it. July 20, 2021 at 4:38am
Kathy: I also love linden’s scent, better known as basswood in the Midwestern USA. I have also been enjoying a native US plant called Joe Pye Weed. In our town, many people are planting native prairie plants including Joe Pye, and it is tall, sweet-smelling, and a strong attracter of bees and butterflies. I have noticed that if I take my walk early, it is very sweet and honied, and if later as the day warms up, more musky and vegetal! I am thinking about any perfume I know that is like Joe Pye, but don’t know of one so far. August 6, 2021 at 6:17pm