In Your Opinion: 314 posts

Last summer I arrived in Brussels with a severely limited perfume collection. You know how sometimes perfume lovers ask themselves what five fragrances they would take to a desert island and then agonize over their choice? Well, that was me at this time last year. In the end, I packed Chanel No 19, Annick Goutal Néroli, decants of Serge Lutens Bois de Violette, Iris Silver Mist, Frédéric Malle L’Eau d’Hiver, and Carnal Flower. I had a small bag of samples I needed for work and reviewing, but I mostly kept myself happy with my little collection.

Wearing an edited set fragrances last summer was enjoyable. For one thing, good fragrances are beyond seasons, and it’s fun to play with seasonal associations. Don a crisp citrus cologne on a cold January morning or turn up the heat with spicy orientals on a languid summer evening. Many fragrances have specific connotations for me–oranges and cinnamon make me think of winter holidays, but there is nothing to stop me from creating my own Christmas in July.

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This week is devoted to our “Recommend Me a Perfume” (with a contest this time).  We will be back with our regular posts on Monday, May 13th. My internet access is intermittent at best this week, but I will join in to give my suggestions when I can.

How does it work:

1. Please post your requests or questions as comments here. You can also use this space to ask any fragrance related questions. To receive recommendations that are better tailored to your tastes, you can include details on what you like and don’t like, your signature perfumes, and your budget.

2. Then please check the thread to see if there are other requests you can answer. Your responses are really valuable for navigating the big and sometimes confusing world of perfume, so let’s help each other!

Contest: Those who respond to the recommendations will be entered into a contest for 3 samples of their choice (via Luckyscent). I will randomly select two winners.

To make this thread easier to read, when you reply to someone, please click on the blue “reply” link under their comment.

Photography by Bois de Jasmin, lily of the valley

What fragrance are you wearing today? What does your hometown smell like in the spring, and is there a perfume that captures this scent?

After a long stretch of unseasonably cold months, the temperatures suddenly climbed high enough for all of the blooms to open up at once. The scent is even stronger in the morning, when the air is fresh and clean. As I walk down the street, I’m intoxicated by the scents of magnolia (lemon zest and melted vanilla ice cream) and hyacinths (earth caked roses and cloves). The scent is strong enough that I don’t even need to wear perfume; the fragrance in the air is enough to make me feel butterflies in my stomach for no reason.

If I were to pick a commercial fragrance that captures the scent of Brussels these days, it would be Annick Goutal Grand Amour. With its lush but airy bouquet of rose and hyacinth, it has a vibrant, bold character. The fresh green melody of Parfums de Nicolaï Le Temps d’une Fête is another perfume I will reach for to remind myself of these spring days.

Luckily for all of us, there is no bottled essence of the Brussels subway (I doubt that musty and acrid odors are in much demand).

Photography by Bois de Jasmin

What fragrances, if any, feel so glamorous to you that you feel like you have to dress up for them?

At one point I would approach venerable classics–Chanel No 5, Christian Dior Miss Dior, or Guerlain Mitsouko–with some trepidation. I often felt that their legendary status and impressive history necessitated at least some lipstick on my part. I saved my Mitsouko for special occasions. The only problem was that the glamorous occasions were–and still are–few and far between, and my Mitsouko languished, ignored and unworn. That’s why I decided that I will wear all of my grand parfums whenever the mood strikes. These days I even don Mitsouko or Amouage Gold to clean my apartment, and they make this unexciting task seem more interesting.

On many days, the most glamorous part about me is my perfume, and as much as I respect them, I have a more relaxed attitude to classics. But there are some perfumes that feel too glamorous and imposing. Jean Patou 1000 is one example. It’s a gorgeous, lush composition that would be perfect to wear to a ball at the Winter Palace, but I don’t enjoy its grand and elaborate character. Or perhaps, I need to wait till I get that Winter Palace invitation.

Photography by Bois de Jasmin

Is there any fragrance that says spring more than Diorissimo? That lovely study of lily of the valley is the essence of a new season.  But what of the chilly iris, the damp green of nascent shoots, the contagious zest of orange? All of these fragrances evoke spring-like freshness and rejuvenation for me. My favorite fragrances for this time of year draw me away from the incense and cedar and smoke of winter. There is nothing wrong with wearing these perfumes all year round, of course, but these days I crave scents that bring me outdoors to the enormous cartoon-like blooms of fantasy Florida.

To some degree, many of my spring favorites have a sense of playfulness or fun, and several contain fruit. Let’s say that the perfect Diorissimo is my model of a classic spring scent, and here are ten more picks to enjoy:

Atelier Cologne Rose Anonyme:  Stunning combination of oud and rose, with notes of incense and ginger. The darkness of the notes is presented as nearly ethereal, with lots of movement and light within.  The oud shows up early and is a game-changer for the rose, which melds into the oud as if part of the wood.

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