tea fragrances: 11 posts

Andy dreams of finding a fragrance that smells of jasmine tea.  

In concept, L’Artisan Parfumeur’s Thé pour un Été sounds like the perfect perfume for a tea lover like myself. Created in 1995 by Olivia Giacobetti, Thé pour un Été is meant to evoke the experience of sipping an icy glass of jasmine tea on a hot day. Unfortunately, my experience of repeatedly trying this perfume has felt more like sweating it out in the sun, still waiting for that glass of iced tea to come my way.

Soon after applying Thé pour un Été though, I am quickly reminded of its more interesting older cousin, Bulgari’s Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert. Where Thé Vert seems fresh and original, I don’t find nearly as much creativity in Thé pour un Été, which embellishes a familiar green tea accord with citrus, gauzy jasmine, and crisp herbs.

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I have a new article in the Financial Times Magazine’s fragrance column, The inspirational aromas of tea ­– in a bottle. This time, it is all about tea. While Andy has been tempting  us with his tea descriptions, I explored the tea notes in perfumes. I hope that you will enjoy my selection of tea scents.

Warm jasmine petals, green twigs, cedarwood shavings… I close my eyes and inhale again. The top notes are crisp and bright, reminiscent of fresh leaves, but underneath I notice a musky sweetness. This complex scent is so heady and rich that I imagine it in a perfume bottle, but instead it blossoms in my cup of jasmine pearls tea. Please read the rest by clicking here.

Do you have favorite tea fragrances or perfumes with tea notes?

Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Despite having been around for almost 20 years and having served as an inspiration for numerous tea fragrances, Bulgari Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert has lost none of its appeal. Its misty tea accord wrapped into a layer of citrus and violet toned woods still seems exciting and original. While its name promises a familiar scent, Thé Vert delivers a novel experience. For me, it does not so much evoke the aroma of green tea, as it conveys the freshness of morning air, the bitterness of fresh leaves, the sweetness of nightblooming jasmine dissipating as the sun comes up…

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

To smell alluring one would never expect to don the scent of rubber and smoke. Yet, Bvlgari Black with its smoke and resin accords that oscillate between dark roasted lapsang souchong tea and rubber is one of the most sensual fragrances I have tried. Its sensuality is not the skintight silk dress seduction of Robert Piguet Fracas or the strawberries and champagne charm of Yves Saint Laurent Yvresse. Black is Marlene Dietrich in the 1930’s film “The Blue Angel.” It is thrilling, smoldering and daring. Nothing about it is conventionally beautiful. The best way to describe it is arresting. …

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

The newest addition to the Bvlgari tea party, Eau Parfumée au Thé Rouge (2005), renders the cup of tea in a wispy, haiku manner much like its earlier predecessors Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert and Eau Parfumée au Thé Blanc. However, while the former is a citrus and the latter is a soft floral, Thé Rouge offers a twist on the woody oriental theme. It is a vision of a cup of dark tea; however, where a sip of the dark ambery liquid would reveal the full depth and richness of the beverage, Thé Rouge remains a suggestion of steam rising in delicate swirls above the rim. …

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