spring perfume: 18 posts

Patricia talks of spring and early summer and regales us with poetry and fragrance.

April

Spring always sneaks in with an edge, as noted by T. S. Eliot in The Waste Land, “April is the cruelest month.” April promises, then takes away, tantalizing us with a hint of green shoots pushing through the hard earth and following up with a snowstorm. I always crave green fragrances during early spring and none more so than the late, lamented Gucci Envy, created in 1997 by Maurice Roucel. Notes of hyacinth, lily-of-the-valley, rose, and jasmine are surrounded by a strong green presence that has always said spring to me.

I still have half a bottle of Envy from my original purchase, but in the search for an alternative that is currently produced, came upon Début by Parfums DelRae. Debut, created by Michel Roudnitska, starts out with a sharper green than Envy, but then goes more floral in the dry down with notes of ylang-ylang, linden, and cyclamen. Although I prefer Envy, Debut has a permanent place in my collection as a well-crafted floral green fragrance.

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Creative director of Editions de Parfums, Frédéric Malle offers some tips for selecting the perfect spring scent in the recent leaflet sent out by the house.

• Fragrances are like clothes: some are warmer than others. It is uncomfortable to wear a heavy dose of warm oriental on a hot day, but a hint might work
• Consider changing your perfume every season if you are wearing a very fresh or heavy Chypre fragrance
• You should always try a new fragrance before purchasing. The top notes function for about 15 minutes, then leave way to the heart of the perfume, which is it’s real personality

Out of his collection, Malle recommends floral fragrances like Carnal Flower, En Passant and Lys Mediterranée to evoke the sunshine. For my perfect spring etude, I select L’Eau d’Hiver, which despite its wintery name, smells of early spring with its melted snow, violets peaking under the wet soil and sweetness of first buds. But if I want the Mediterranean sunshine, I will turn to Le Parfum de Thérèse, which smells of ripe Cavaillon melons and jasmine.

Painting: Spring in Italy, Isaac Levitan, 1890. Via wiki-paintings, some rights reserved.

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

It’s cold, rainy and gloomy. What do you wear to brighten up your mood? Since January transitioned into April without much difference in weather, this question has been on my mind a lot. I have a whole arsenal of mood lifters, and perfume is one of my favorite ways to dream. In my article for ELLE, titled Perfume for a Rainy Day, I explore fragrances that bring a ray of sunshine. I also describe why you don’t need a separate seasonal wardrobe and how you can experience your fragrances in new ways at different times of the year.

“The calendar and the blossoming cherry tree near my apartment building suggest that spring is here, but the lingering presence of winter is still noticeable in the biting wind and dark clouds. As I wake up to yet another cold, foggy morning, all I want to do is huddle under the blankets until summer. Hibernation, unfortunately, is not an option for me, so when the incessant rain feels especially oppressive, I instinctively reach for perfumes that warm me up.” Please read the rest at ELLE.com.

What perfumes perk you up instantly?

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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