I detest the heat, but I love the scents of summer, from the warm, almost suffocating smell of the sun parched asphalt to the vivid green aroma of fresh tomatoes. The heat amplifies everything in the air, extending and twisting the facets of scents that are unobtrusive and subtle at other times. Below is my list of ten fragrances (in no particular order) that would make any summer day even better. Or any other day, for that matter…

1. Christian Dior Miss Dior

I find that many chypre fragrances embody the concept of jolie-laide (pretty-ugly), a beauty that it is oddly off key and yet incredibly striking. Wearing Miss Dior this summer, I am moved not only by its elegant form, but also by many of its twists—from the green sharpness of galbanum in the top notes to the animalic richness of the base. Its mossy, leathery drydown is addictive. These days, I find myself craving it more and more frequently.

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Robert Piguet’s already striking fragrance line–what can be more sensual than Fracas, more elegant than Baghari and more take-no-prisoners than Bandit–is about to see two more reissues from the archives, Visa and Cravache. Visa was created in 1947. The reissue includes notes of white vineyard peach, pear, violet leaves, Italian bergamot, yellow mandarin essences, ylang ylang absolute, rose, immortelle, orange flower absolutes. Indonesian Patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver, moss, vanilla beans, benzoin and a gourmand leathery accord form the drydown. The original was a rich chypre-oriental, with a quite striking leather note.

Another re-issue is of Cravache, a citrusy-woody blend originating in 1963. The new formula includes the notes of mandarin, lemon, petit grain, clary sage, lavender, nutmeg, patchouli and vetiver. Given the excellent results with the reissues of other Robert Piguet classics, I expect that both Visa and Cravache live up to my expectations.

Image: Design by Robert Piguet, 1937

Guerlain lovers will have a chance to glimpse further into the archives of this venerable house by experiencing the reissue of Candide Effluve (True Redolence), a fragrance originally created by Jacques Guerlain in 1922. It was intended to connote the touch and presence of a young woman. Presented in the vintage smoked glass Baccarat flacon, the production of which dates from the 1933, Candide Effluve will be released as a limited edition of 97 pieces. 75ml extrait will be priced at 2000 euros/2860 USD. The fragrance is a classical Guerlain, floral-oriental with a lush spicy touch.

Now, I only hope that Guerlain will delight us next with Bouquet de Faunes, a truly magnificent fragrance. It is the sensation of darkness turned into the scent.

I already visited the Paul Poiret exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum twice. It made quite an impression on me, especially since I have had a chance to smell a number of Paul Poiret’s fragrances such as Nuit de Chine and Le Fruit Défendu. Moreover, I recently found out that there is a book on Poiret fragrances published by Christie Mayer Lefkowith, an art historian and a mastermind behind some of the most renowned perfume bottle auctions which are held annually in Geneva. Her “The Art of Perfume” and “Masterpieces of the Perfume Industry” books are the information rich sources that have long been praised by perfume lovers and particularly bottle collectors. Therefore, I was anticipating having another perfume book to read.

I browsed “Paul Poiret and his Rosine Perfumes” during a recent visit to the museum and bought it on the spot. It is packed not only with the fantastic photographs of Poiret, his fashions and fragrance bottles, but also very interesting and illuminating information about the creator himself and his philosophy. Ms. Mayer Lefkowith also loaned 40 Rosine items from her personal collection, which must be incredible! Mayer Lefkowith’s website provides a glimpse inside the book.

The Fragrance Foundation has honored the winners at the 35th Annual FiFi Awards & Celebration event yesterday. Here is my report to you from in the Winter Garden at The World Financial Center in New York City. The winners have been selected out of the top five finalists.  Please note that niche in the context of FiFi means that the fragrance is carried in less than 250 retail and speciality stores.

P. Diddy Sean Combs, Paula Abdul, Daisy Fuentes, Zac Posen and Jane Seymour were among the presenters for the event, of which P. Diddy (as one might expect) was the most entertaining. Moreover, the Hall of Fame Award went to Donna Karan this year. She gave a rather touching speech, in which she credited her late husband Stephen Weiss as her inspiration for starting the fragrance line in the first place.

Fragrance Hall of Fame
• Thierry Mugler Angel – Clarins Group

Fragrance of the Year – Women’s Nouveau Niche
• Kenzo Amour – Kenzo Parfums

Fragrance of the Year – Men’s Nouveau Niche
•Viktor & Rolf Antidote – L’Oréal USA

Fragrance of the Year – Women’s Luxe
•Juicy Couture – Liz Claiborne Cosmetics

Fragrance of the Year – Men’s Luxe (tie)
•Terre d’Hermès – Hermès
•Unforgivable by Sean John – Sean John Fragrances/Estée Lauder

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