Lists: 150 posts

Tonight, the moon rises full and radiant, the harvest moon of the Mid-Autumn Festival. In many places across Asia, families gather to share tea and mooncakes, to light lanterns, to pause. I’ve always loved this idea: the celebration of something as mysterious and serene as the moon.

When I read my childhood journals from Ukraine, I find many references to it—the crescent moon I saw on Christmas Eve, the full moon glowing above a blooming cherry garden at dusk. The moon made me look up, take a breath, and let beauty flood in. It still does.

When I lived and traveled in Asia, the Mid-Autumn moon became a kind of companion. I remember sitting on a balcony in Singapore with a cup of green tea, the city humming below, the sky pale gold. One marvelous autumn in Tokyo, I experienced the scent of osmanthus mixing with the soft moonlight. And tonight, from my home in Brussels, the moon will rise again, the same moon, the same quiet invitation to look and remember.

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20 Must Try Osmanthus Perfumes (Ukranian)

I love osmanthus so much that I planted two shrubs in pots and placed them in front of my apartment building, hoping their honeyed scent might brighten the autumn days for anyone passing by. Someone else must have loved them too, because one morning I discovered that one of the plants had been stolen. I carried the remaining shrub up to my balcony, where it now perfumes only my private space. The pleasure is no less intense—each evening when I step outside, the air is saturated with the fragrance of apricot, honey, and soft leather.

Known in Chinese as 桂花 (guìhuā) and in Japanese as 金木犀 (kinmokusei), osmanthus is native to China and has long been cherished for its intoxicating aroma. Its scent is a paradox: honeyed and luminous, yet with a leathery undertone that lends it mystery and depth. In perfumery, osmanthus is one of the most captivating raw materials, versatile enough to form the backbone of a composition or to lend a delicate accent of fruit and warmth.

“Twenty perfumes you must smell” is, of course, a debatable list. I’m sure others would select different favorites. What follows is simply my own choice: fragrances that, in my view, reveal osmanthus in all of its guises, from floral to fruity, radiant to shadowed. Not all of these perfumes use natural osmanthus absolute—an extraordinarily costly material—but the best blends capture its character through accords of ionones, damascones, theaspirane, and lactones, recreating the apricot-violet-leather bouquet of this prized blossom.

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Нішеві парфуми для осені (українська версія)

As summer fades and September approaches, my perfume shelf tilts toward warmth, depth, and resonance. Autumn is the season when I crave perfumes with substance—scents that wrap like a shawl or glow like candlelight. It’s also the perfect time to discover something new, so I selected a variety of niche fragrances. Some perfumes mentioned are best-sellers in their category, others are less well-known outside the scent lover circle. They sit comfortably alongside classics and even layer well with them.

Ambers & Resins

Amber is a shape-shifter. It can glow like sunlight caught in silk, or it can brood like incense in a shadowed chapel. For autumn, I always think first of Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan, the quintessential amber. Its bold resinous profile set the modern standard, and it remains the point of reference when speaking about ambers. Around it, these newer ambers offer fresh interpretations:

Parfumerie Générale L’Ombre Fauve: the sensuality of warm fur and smoke, created out of incense, spices and patchouli.

Meo Fusciuni L’Oblio: a perfume that reads like a poem, ambered iris tinged with melancholy.

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Oud Satin Mood: a cashmere wrap of violet petals and amber, with just enough oud to make it dramatic.

What is amber in perfumery? Learn here.

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This spring, I’m drawn to perfumes that feel like sunlight on skin, crushed petals underfoot, and the air just after rain. Whether you’re looking for a small indulgence or a new signature, here’s a bouquet of fragrances across different budgets—each one capturing a facet of spring’s beauty.

Budget-Friendly Beauties (Under $50 / €45)

Zara Waterlily Tea Dress (Zara Emotions)
Sheer chiffon in pistachio green. Neroli and bergamot give it sparkle, while waterlily floats just out of reach. It promises afternoon tea but wears more like morning dew. Still, it’s pretty and uplifting while it lasts.
Price: ~€30 for 100ml

Yves Rocher Green Tea
Crisp as a pressed shirt and twice as clean. Citrus and tea leaves open with a brisk snap, then glide into sheer musk and water-light florals. No bitterness, no fuss—just the scent of being freshly rinsed. Minimalism in a bottle and that’s exactly what I crave sometimes.
Price: ~€19,99 for 100ml

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Цієї весни мене тягне до парфумів, що пахнуть сонячним світлом на шкірі, розчавленими пелюстками під ногами та повітрям одразу після дощу. Якщо ви шукаєте невелику розкіш чи новий підписний аромат, ось букет весняних парфумів на будь-який бюджет — кожен із них передає окрему грань весняної краси.

Zara Waterlily Tea Dress (Zara Emotions)
Шифон у фісташково-зеленому кольорі. Неролі й бергамот іскряться у вступі, тоді як водяна лілія ледь вловима, немов примара. Обіцяє післяобідній чай, а звучить як ранкова роса. Красива й піднесена — поки триває.
Ціна: ~€30 за 100 мл

Yves Rocher Thé Vert (Зелений чай)
Свіжий, як щойно випрасувана сорочка, і вдвічі чистіший. Цитрус і чайні листки звучать дзвінко, а потім розчиняються в прозорому мускусі й легких квітах. Жодної гіркоти, жодного ускладнення — лише аромат свіжості. Мінімалізм у флаконі, саме те, чого іноді так хочеться.
Ціна: ~€19,99 за 100 мл

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