seasonal scents: 39 posts

Mark Twain once said that “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” He should have visited New York this summer! I have been wearing my fall jackets in the middle of July and packing an extra sweater just in case, along with an umbrella and a trench coat. As much as I would like to complain, I have to admit that I enjoy cold summers because they allow me to fully appreciate the delicate scents that fill the air. The green foliage that tends to dull and faded by this time is instead bright and crisp. The wild roses are still covered with raspberry scented petals. The strawberries are still delicious and sweet. I have also enjoyed darker, richer perfumes that ordinarily would have been too overwhelming in the summer heat. Yet, this summer the voluptuous roses of Guerlain Nahema are as appropriate as scintillating Hermes Eau de Pamplemousse Rose. All in all, every cloud has a silver lining. Please see my list below for the favorite fragrances that made this summer enchanting.

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It is an exciting spring for me for many different reasons! This morning I learned that my article Scent of Cities: Kiev has been recognized with a FiFi award for Editorial Excellence. It was a very personal article for me—I wrote it thinking about my childhood city, and as I prepare to return to Ukraine next week after 4 years of absence, this recognition holds a special significance for me. I also want to congratulate all perfume bloggers, because the Editorial Excellence in Blog category is an important gesture of appreciation on the part of The Fragrance Foundation for our work. It is wonderful to be a part of such a diverse and interesting group.

As I consider the season and the scents that make the spring of 2009 special, a few favorites stand out immediately. My list below (in alphabetical order) reflects my preferences this spring.

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Autumn, automne, خريفي, 秋, осень… By any name this season retains for me its associations with the languid decay, with the bittersweet end of beauty, with the melancholy. I was born in the fall, and that is why perhaps the autumn and its scents appeal to me. The dampness of fallen leaves, the rooty fragrance of wet earth, the incense of distant bonfires… Let the scents below serve as a journey into the autumn with me.

Amouage is a fascinating fragrance house given its history steeped in the rich perfume traditions of Oman, the site of the ancient Frankincense Road. Created as a means to preserve the country’s perfume-making traditions, Amouage offers a range which allows a glimpse both into the splendors of grand French perfumery as well as the smouldering beauty of the Eastern scents. If Amouage Gold and Jubilation 25 for Women fit well into the former category, Homage occupies the latter. I love the traditional combination of rose, oud, sandalwood and frankincense with the modern clarity and sparkle. An introspective and serene scent.

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Every year I wait for the summer impatiently, even if I know that once the mercury levels start rising, I shall be miserable and cranky. Yet, the idea of a summer escape, of azure waves, of golden sand sticking to the skin, of ripe peaches, of jasmine scented nights is too irresistible, too seductive. My summer of 2008 is none of these things (save for jasmine and peaches.) It is filled with work projects, and whatever escape I manage lies in books and perfume. A spray of something orange blossom scented, and I am transported to Riviera. A hint of dark woods and cardamom, and I am having a cup of coffee someplace in the Omani oasis. The perfumes below are just that—tickets for my escapist fantasies.

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Two quotes capture the essence of spring particularly well for me.

“Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower” Albert Camus

“It’s spring fever…. You don’t quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!” Mark Twain

Never do I feel so uplifted or so delighted by the smallest things—seeing a soot blackened tree branch near my office suddenly burst into bloom, finding the first buds on my jasmine plant and smelling the most wonderful of scents–that of wet earth and fresh grass. The sensation is not dissimilar to that of being in love. Of course, every change makes for new olfactory explorations for me. The following list (in alphabetical order) captures my current, 2008 if you will, mood. If you are interested in my more general reflections on the springtime scents, I would suggest Fragrances of Spring and Perfumes to Usher in Spring.

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