Your host today is Odonata9. She'd like to know what perfumes you wear year-round, regardless of the weather? Or do you not consider the weather in your perfume choices anyway?
If you've never met Odonata9, please let me introduce you:
Note: top image is Blazed by Nicholas_T at flickr; some rights reserved.
I wear Back to Black year round. Also SL Daim Blond (one of my all time favs). I also wear Sage Machado Topaz, except on the very hottest days. I prefer oriental ambery scents and those are in heavy rotation except on the hottest days, but the 3 above I wear even when it’s sweltering.
I just sampled Back to Black recently and I can see that would be good year round. Also have a sample of Daim Blond – very smooth and lightly fruity so that would be good anytime of year as well.
I bought Daim Blond and TDC Osmanthus last July and they always say “summer” to me.
I like Back to Black but it doesn’t seem to work for me in the hot summer of The South. The tobacco note intensifies and I end up smelling like a smokey bar…albeit a honey-sweet smokey bar. This works much better in the winter for me.
Just sampled Back to Black…must have it! I am not sure I do follow the laws of seasonal perfumes, but I am using its fall/winter distinction as an excuse to hold off on spending money I don’t have right now.
Or. . .you could use it as an excuse to grow your collection! Just saying. . .(as my favorite enablers say. . .)
LALALALALA I can’t hear you!!!!! :p
It must be back to black testing week, I just tested this for 2 days this week and loved it! I had to apply more on day 2 as I had been quite conservative on the first day and I realised I loved the smell so much!
Not sure about all year round fragrances – still new to the game and to increasing my collection, but prior to the testing game, I have used SJP Covet, although now I have tested others, I don’t think this would be a summer scent for me. I am keen smell some of the special summer editions of fragrances mentioned here this week, like the gaultier.
This is so funny! I wore Back to Black yesterday for the first time in several months.
KR, I really enjoy Back to Black and recently settled on Daim Blond as my first SL FB. Also think BK Rose Oud and Pure Oud are subtle enough for a range of seasons – Calice Becker has a light touch and wonderful sense of balance with dramatic ingredients.
Hello everyone! Looking forward to seeing everyone’s responses. I predict a lot of incenses, iris and aldehydes will get mentioned. Even though I live in San Diego, we do have seasons, contrary to popular belief! But there are just 2 of them, so my perfumes tend to be segregated into winter and summer ones. The weather here can be very problematic as it tends to be cooler in the mornings and evenings and warms up during the day, so what I put on in the morning doesn’t seem so appropriate by lunchtime. Not today though – it is rainy and chilly, so I’ll get to use my winter perfumes for a few more days!
The only perfumes I can think of that I can wear any time of year are 2 cheap thrills – Ed Hardy Love & Luck which is fruity and fun, and LaVanila Vanilla Grapefruit, which while I don’t think it is very grapefruit-y, there is something vaguely citrus-y about it that lightens the vanilla. Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Hi odonata9,
Welcome!
I definitely consider the weather when selecting a perfume for the day. If it’s cold I might select something warm and fuzzy to keep the chill out or I might just enhance the cold with something austere and icy. I think it is a combination of weather and mood for me.
So, is there a perfume I wear year-round? I don’t think so, but I have recently been finding that Shalimar Ode a La Vanille seems right for just about any occasion, however I wonder if I will feel this way in the heat of the summer.
Still haven’t tried that Ode – wish I had gotten in on one of the splits of that now. I love vanillas, but still haven’t “gotten” Shalimar, so it sounds like it might be a good intro at least.
try chance and coco mademoiselle by chanel or miracle by lancome…
you’d like kenzo amour as well..
easy to find, easy to wear and young
I’m pretty conscious of the weather with my fragrance choices, especially our hot NY summers. But I’m finding Atelier’s Orange Sanguine a year round fragrance. It’s an obvious spring/summer scent, but I find sometimes in winter it’s a wonderfully fresh and invigorating fragrance. Any of my fig fragrances are also year round choices for the same reason – they’re often light and fresh enough for summer but that heavy figgy scent still works well in winter.
You are right about figs – I can see myself wearing Philosykos in just about any weather. And I need to try the Ateliers! I just found out our local Neimans carries them, so I need to get over there. Maybe tomorrow!
Hi Deepo,
which fig fragrances do you mean? ever tried l’artisan parfumeurs figuier extreme? I bought a bottle and unfortunately dropped it after a week: because of the haevy stopper nothing left but glass and superb smelling box, (grrrrr) but bought it again. Last week I received a sample of Diptiques philosokos. also very nice. So I am curious about more figs.
My year-round, go-to scents generally fall into two categories: those with a deep green base, and those with a distinctly fresh, marine/citrus base. I also lean toward sweet, girly scents, but often find them cloying as the humidity rises in the Hudson Valley summer months.
My current year-round favorites: an old, old friend is Royall Lyme, a scent I discovered on my first trip to Bermuda, where it’s freshness and unisexiness made it the perfect accompaniment to a walk on those pink sands. But it has a touch of vanilla somewhere inside, and that gives it enough warmth and complexity to splash on in cold weather as well. I have also been wearing the wonderful l’eau de l’Hermine by Lostmarch. This is definitely a fresh scent with a touch of green at the heart, and a bit of a soft marine note that makes it perfect for year-round wear. (It’s a little like a more modern and playful take on the classic 4711, for those of you who recall that scent.)
Last but not least, I often fall back on Cedrat by Azzaro, which is marketed as a “masculine”, yet works beautifully for women as well. It is light yet lingering, full of wonderful citrus tones, and dries down to a lovely blend of lemony green notes. It never gets “stale”, and always lifts my spirits regardless of the season.
But really, I’m one who will wear many scents in the course of a year, a month, a week, or even a single day! I love to keep ALL my favorites in the rotation, and I love layering one scent with another to come up with something unique and personal. My advice would be to experiment endlessly and to enjoy as many fragrances as possible, no matter what the season, and no matter what the reason!
My late grandfather always wore Royall Lyme. It’s lovely.
I have a sample of that Lostmarch L’Hermine. Sounds like one I will like!
good question, not that many – I enjoy having seasonal favorites! So, I’d say for me: Amaranthine, some tuberoses (e.g. beyond love), by night white (profumi del forte) maybe a new entry (folie de rose) and of course on a rainy summer day everything goes
Sure, I consider the weather when picking a fragrance and some are reserved for summer heat, while others I can only wear in the depth of the winter (e.g. OJ Tolu).
However, if I think of my absolute HG favourites, then most of them work more or less in any season (freak temperature extremes aside) – Cuir De Russie, Bois de Violette, Sycomore, Diorella, 31 Rue Cambon, Amouage Jubilation, Dia and Lyric, Bandit all get worn year round. And that’s not an exhaustive list by any means. It probably helps that the seasons are relatively mild in UK so it’s easier to make the majority of scents work regardless of the time of the year.
Sadly, I have only tried 1 or 2 of these. I must find somewhere to try the Exclusifs! I’ve only tried Coromandel, which I have a small decant of. So cozy!
I like Coromandel a lot and that one is a definite winter-time warmer for me.
I have more of these than I ever thought I would and I’m happy to send samples or decants. I’m julia941 at yahoo dot com and also on MUA. I LOVE Coromandel.
Sycomore — and several other vetivers — is definitely perfect year-round, I think. Great choice.
I agree, Joe.
Vetiver Tonka is another year-round vetiver favourite. It’s funny because the early Hermesences were meant to evoke the feel of different fabrics (I guess they abandoned that concept now) and VT was meant to correspond with wool. I think that it totally has that slightly scratchy feel of wool and yet it works just as well in the summer.
Sycomore is awesome!
Just to tag on to the Sycomore and Coromandel train… JUST got into these two last week, finally found myself some Chanel.. I know I know. Thanks to a lovely friend on MAU. Have been able to at least wear them in this unusually *very* cold LA winter week, thankfully. Am currently hunting down a split or decant…. hint hint. As far as the weather goes though, I may be able to wear those two and others in the heat out here but I certainly don’t enjoy it. I love most to smell the fragrance of a few hours past on my scarf, which obviously from April on, i cant wear or risk looking like I’m on drugs. Its the same problem with clothes, I just don’t believe in Summer Fashion.
Vetivers are great year-round, although I do have my “summer” vetivers (Vetiver pour Elle & Vetiverru) and my “winter” one (Coeur de Vetiver Sacre). Any of them can be worn whenever, really.
Just got a sample of Coeur de Vetiver Sacre – I like it a lot!
My current enthusiasm for perfume only started this winter, so I am by no means experienced enough to have an educated opinion about this. However, as my father often paraphrased Groucho Marx (I think!), never let an absense of information prevent you from a strong opinion!
In any case, my FB collection is still under 10 in number, but I suspect I will continue to wear Guerlain Vetiver as the weather warms. I LOVE tea scents, so I hope I will still feel comfortable wearing L’Artisan Tea for Two (although Jacomo #8, which I don’t yet own, is calling my name as a lighter alternative. . .), and after the suggestions last week, I bought a bottle of Bvlgari Omnia and that seems like a less complex, but still nice tea scent for year round, too. And finally, my new beloved, SL Gris Clare I hope to wear all year as well. Lavender, after all, is a summer flower!
It all makes me smile, gotta say! 🙂
Love that quote! Think I will start using that myself. Vetivers and teas would be good ones for year-round wear.
HI Marjorie!
It seems we are at a similar place in our collection; I too only have 10 bottles (and half are gifts that aren’t spot on and probably won’t stay into a long term collection). I’m continually in awe of the perfumistas on here citing their 30, 50, and 100+ collections (and going green w envy)! I think when you have so few bottle you have to disregard the so-called appropriate season of a perfume in order to avoid going crazy from boredom.
Hiya, Meg!
One of my solutions to reduce boredom (although it sort of cracks me up to admit that 10 bottles doesn’t seem like too many! Only amongst perfumistas!) has been to order samples every few weeks. I’ve also bought several minis without sniffing, figuring that for about $10 I can get a good long sample, or if I don’t like it, I at least have a cute glass collectible!
But, on topic (sorry, I know I have a tendency to be verbose!), I mostly must expect to disregard seasonality to use what I have. On the other hand, it DOES give me a focus as I explore more samples!
Yes, I agree! I am just starting to avidly sample and you’re right, I do it with a sort of seasonal “theme.” But, as I just sampled a bunch of so-called ‘summer scents’ (see below), the only one I adored was the random odd-man out, btb!
I like Bvulgari Omnia (the original in the amber bottle) and it is a nice, year round scent. My husband rarely comments on my perfumes anymore and is thoroughly tired of me thrusting my wrist under his nose and ordering him to sniff. His standard response is that he can’t tell them apart anymore. Anyway, the first time I wore this he noticed and complimented me on it and my perfume hating boss also had a positive reaction to it. I find it comforting, a little sexy, and work appropriate.
Hi there, Odonata! 😀
I like Dzongkha in any weather, which is why I cannot wait to get myself a new bottle. I’m thinking of bribing myself with perfume for a good semester and I’ve been needing some Dzongkha for awhile.
Also, Shalimar parfum is great no matter what the season. I picked some up at an antique store on Wednesday, actually, for much less than I’d pay at a department store–and it’s from 1982!
Great score! And I still haven’t tried Dzonghka. Our Neimans no longer carries L’Artisans, so there are many of them I haven’t tried.
Yes, I second Dzongkha…the incense comes out in heavy winter application. It’s perfectly rooty and fresh dirt-y for spring. With light application in the summer, the lychee and tea can be mega-refreshing. And in the fall, a good douse can remind you of leaves.
Also, and this may be rather “normal” of me, but No. 5 Eau Premiere is good at all times. Light enough for summer, but substantial and cozy with a nice soft sweater (it has always reminded me, in texture, of cashmere anyway).
hi Becca B, just bought my first No. 5 Eau Premiere this week-end finding out after a couple of testings it seems to be the perfect to go scent any time of the year
I started this ‘perfumista’ craze late last spring and most of the fragrances I purchased last year were selected during the hot Texas summer.
Thankfully, a few of my summer picks seem to work year round: Chanel No. 5, Infusion de Iris, Bois de Violette, Lolita Lempicka, L’eau Ambree (prada), Traversee du Bosphore, Dzing!, and Heliotrope Blanc (lt piver).
I have other favs that would work in winter (POTL, Escentric 01, Heeley’s Iris du Nuit) but have absoltely no desire to wear them with a chill in the air.
I agree about many of your choices, especially L’eau Ambree. IT’s hard to think of an occasion or weather condition that it wouldn’t adjust itself accordingly too.
Agreed on the No 5. That is my basic all year round scent too, tho it helps that I have all the concentrations to I have plenty of choice within that one fragrance.
Dzing! is such a great example of a scent that is interesting and versatile.
I wear Dzing! a lot as a layering scent. It’s great with light florals like mimosa por moi, the powdery heliotrope scents, and the Philosophy Grace scents.
I never thought of that but it sounds great, CM!
My year round fragrances are:
( I am sure I am forgetting some)
Divine par Divine
Songes, Goutal
Heure Exquise, Goutal
Bois d’Iris TDC
Aromatics Elixir, Clinique and my favourite of all:
Paris, YSL.
Heure Exquise and Songes are just both perfect.ly beautiful I actually wore Songes the other day to help chase the winter blahs away.
They are lovely aren’t they. I can never make up my mind which of the two I like better.
Songes is wonderfully gorgeous in summer and very comforting in winter.
Mmmm, I wish I could get away with Aromatics Elixir more often. It’s just so strong that I feel bad wearing it out.
Well in Holland ( where I live) there are no rules regarding fragrance in the workplace. Also I use just one spray at the base of my neck, so I can smell it well but it won’t project too far. I find it a very relaxing fragrance for some reason. But loads of people seem to dislike it.
Hello Austenfan<
I also live in Holland but I work in a hospital and for my collegues Aromatics Elixir is too much. You either love or hate it I think. I once bought a body cream and I loved it but not for every day. Today I am exploring everything of the Sigilli line and so far Hesperia is my favourite. In the winter I love Byredo's Chembur or Musc by Mona do Orio. But Orange Star, Rose Chypree and l'air du desert by Andy Tauer are also very special.
Living on the Gulf Coast where the summers are brutally hot and humid, I simply cannot wear anything too heavy and dense in the summer. Even if I am expecting to be inside in the air conditioning, I have to consider the possibility that I may have to be outside for a few minutes (to walk across a large parking lot, for example), which can make the heavier scents bloom to much and smother me. My year-round scents tend to be those that I can wear in the heat, and that I love too much to restrict to only part of the year. Ormonde Woman is not exactly “light”, but to me it smells like a forest in the summer, so it seems summer-appropriate. I also like floral aldehydes such as no. 5 and Arpege for year-round. I find the aldehydes make them bright enough for summer, but they are substantial enough to work in chilly weather as well. Also, anything that combines warm notes with more spring-like or summery notes, such as Bois de Violette seems to transcend seasons. Finally, I find that notes such as incense and vetiver are good year-round if they not too sweet or dense. I have worn Avignon when it was in the 90’s and when it was in the 30’s, and have found it to work either way, as it is a dry, transparent feeling incense rather than a thick, heavy one.
I really need to order that OJ Discovery Set! And the CDG Incenses – I’ve only tried a few incenses, but I can see how they would work in all weather.
This discovery set is a must–the packaging is terrific, the 2 ml spray vials give you enough to evaluate the scent thoroughly, and the customer service is wonderful. I had my set within a week, which is faster than for many domestic orders. When the set arrived, unfortunately, two of the vials were broken (which I blame on the postal service, not on OJ). I sent OJ an email describing what had happened, and they sent replacement vials immediately. I have since bought OJ Woman for myself and OJ Man for my husband, and the service has been consistently terrific.
I need to get this – where did you find it? I just ordered samples from TPC of OJ Woman and Frangipani and am in love love love. In fact, today’s SOTD is OJ Woman! I need to find out where to buy FB because I can easily see me wearing this verrry frequently. Does it wear well in the hot TX summers?
As far as I know, the only place to get a FB of one of the Ormonde Jayne scents in the US is from the OJ website www dot ormondejayne dot com. I know some people are a little nervous about placing international orders online, but I have bought from them three times and have never had any trouble. The price for the discovery set is 44 pounds, or about $70. That includes shipping, and you get twelve 2 ml vials, so it is really not a bad deal
I think when you live somewhere with very serious humidity it is hard to wear anything but the ilghtest and most refreshing fragrances. Even a basic floral can be suffocating in too much humidity!
That’s a good point: it’s hard to find scents that have enough backbone for AC and also seem right for hot, humid weather. Very challenging for the perfumista! Making a note to try your recs next summer.
I haven’t had it through the summer yet but I am thinking L’Artisan Traversee de Bosphore will be perfect year round. I also like Kenzo Amour and YSL Cinema too. Just ordered a sample of Dzing! and hope that I love it, I think it sounds perfect for year round wear too.
Cinema is a really nice fragrance – I need to wear it more often! It is very friendly and pretty.
Diptyque L’Eau works year round for me!
Hello Odonata9, nice to meet you! I have seen you post before but love the opportunity to say hi.
Weather, clothes and mood definitely are key to my fragrant choices for any particular morning, afternoon or evening.
Ones I wear regardless of weather are:
Lancome Magie Noire
Chanel No. 5 Eau Premiere
Chanel Les Exclusifs Beige, 28 La Pausa & 31 Rue Cambon
Prada Infusion d’Iris
Bvlgari Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert
Hermès Vanille Galante
FM’s En Passant, L ‘Eau’d Hiver, Le Parfum de Therese and even the heavy hitters, Carnal Flower & Iris Poudre (both just stunningly beautiful)
I suddenly realize that FM is my favorite line so far…
and my new fave of the moment – Parfums DelRae Mythique!
I’m right there with you on No 5 EP and Magie Noir! I also like Parfum de Therese – it reminds me of a dressed up Cristalle.
Hi there! Those are all great choices – I knew there would be lots of Chanels mentioned. Eau D’Hiver is a good one – I have a sample and wish I had more as it’s so sheer. But the FM’s are pricey! I do have a decant of En Passant and it is truly lovely – best lilac I’ve smelled.
Right with you… need to add L’Eau d Hiver to my year round list…as soon as i get an FMFB 🙂
Interesting that so many FMs are seasonless – I’d say that’s pretty much true of Geranium pour Monsieur, Vetiver Extraordinaire and possibly others.
Second that GPM, am dying for some for Spring. Gerenium for Missy over here…
Fuddy Duddy, we are kind of scent twins : )
Hi Odonata!
I should say this is a hard question because I live on the coast of Southern/Central California, and our high temps all year hover around 65°-75° (with some exceptions outside that range of course). I spend a few weeks a year in the Northeast at times when it’s freezing or hot and humid, and I think it can be difficult for one scent to span those extremes. I think sometimes all-weather scents are a matter of application: half a spritz vs. four to five sprays.
All that said, I think Le Labo Fleurs d’Oranger is good anytime, as are Kenzo Flower and flankers Winter Flowers and Flower Essentielle. Also DelRae Coup de Foudre & Mythique. I’ll go out on a limb and recommend Le Labo Iris 39; I think it could be way too much in the heat, but again, just a dab or two would work, and I love it so much I’d wear it year-round.
Which brings up the final point: I’ve found it worth it to try unlikely scents during heat waves (as long as I’m in casual clothes and can control my environment or scrub if necessary!). For example, I’d normally think Amouage Ubar would be too much in heat, but it bloomed gloriously in 90° weather; same would be true for heavy florals like DelRae Amoureuse or FM Carnal Flower.
However, I still doubt that in temperatures over 80° I’d pull out SL Miel de Bois, but who knows!
(note to Robin: that image selection is amazing!)
Ubar in a heat wave? I’m guessing that was a very light application? I love Ubar, but even in chilly weather, I find that two drops is plenty, and they are small drops at that (I have a mini bottle of it, which is a “splash” bottle, not a spray). I’m actually glad I only got a mini, not a 50 or 100 ml FB, as I think that 7.5 ml will last a good long time. I’m keeping an eye out for minis of Gold, Dia, and Jub 25. I love them all, but those Amouages are powerful stuff!
I LOVE that about Amouages! BTW, Why, or why, did no one warn me about checking prices BEFORE I sniff! I think I want at least 4 of them, and that would be my perfume budget for a very long time!
On a related note, has anyone ordered the 6 pc women’s set directly from Amouage? They don’t mention which scents that are included, which makes me wonder if it varies?
Sympathy! I never should have even let myself sample By Kilian.
Which is your favourite by kilian just out of interet? I have 8 different samples and have tried back to black and liaisons dangerous so far, really love them and looking forward to trying the others. Just not sure I can justify the price!!
Hi Jen- I have actually only tried back to black. Trying to figure out how to afford some now!
Haha! Exactly! The bottles themselves are beautiful! You should have seen me when I picked up the samples from Harvey nichols – I was over the moon!
Fortunately those BK 5-ml sample/travel vials often show up on ebay. 🙂
Which set do you mean? I have seen a sampler set of small (2 ml maybe?) vials, and then there is a “travel set” of 7.5 ml mini bottles (that are the same design as the large bottles) for $280. The women’s travel set is Gold, Dia, Reflection, Jubilation 25, Ubar, and Lyric. If the four you want are among those six, it might be worth it to get the set. It is about the same price as one regular FB. I got my mini of Ubar from eBay. No doubt someone bought one of the sets and either broke it up and sold the bottles individually, or sold the bottles he/she didn’t like.
Roses, (maybe this reply is too late? but if not, thanks!)
I did mean the set of 6 mL bottles. I saw the minis, but my faves are not on that list. If I could pick, I’d get Memoir (at least woman, but the men’s was nice, too), Reflection (both), and Epic. Mind you, I wouldn’t say no to samples of Jubilation 25 and Ubar, but at first sniff, they didn’t speak to me as strongly.
Sorry, that should read 6 2mL bottles. 🙂
ohh I always thank God I did not like any of the Amouages too much. I was pondering about Dia for about a year, then I realized I did not want it that much so I did not buy.
ami, I fear I am totally doomed! Lucky you to escape!
Yeah – any of the Amouage would require just a dab in the heat of summer, which reminds me that Gold for men is just super all year round too.
Ann: We may have had this conversation last summer, but a drop or two of Tauer Le Maroc pour Elle in hot weather is sort of hypnotic as well.
I am not Ann, but I so agree. It’s also my favourite Tauer so far.
I think you are right – I wear MPE all year round too. It’s nice to put on a bit more in winter. It’s my fav Tauer as well.
Kenzo’s are perfect all year round, though I do like them best in the spring and summer. I wore a lot of the Kenzo Flower La Cologne last year and just loved it.
Hi Joe – a fellow SoCal resident! I know a lot of people do like to pull out the big white florals in hot weather, but I am generally not a fan of those in any weather! Good point about just applying lighter – I was thinking recently to get rid of some of my heavier scents because they never get any wear so that is a way around that!.
I can only handle the big florals in heat if I know I’m not going to be doing much except lying about in a t-shirt or tank and shorts and pretending I’m on some kind of tropical holiday — no exertion except lifting the glass of tea or cocktail to my lips. In that case, the floral really enhances the mood.
And I’ll admit I took a healthy squirt of Ubar and it was heaven … but my 5ml decant will last me awhile.
I’m an SoCal gal myself, and am one of the above you referenced as finding the the big whites really bloom in the heat. In cool weather, they just seem a bit flat. One of my favs is Amouruese, but it does nothing for me below 70f. The only exception so far is LOV and in particular Tauer’s Carillon pour Ange, which somehow I really like in cooler weather…
I think I agree on CpuA – I first tried it last fall, and although lily of the valley says spring to me, the CpuA was really lovely in chilly weather. I really like the base, it’s so earthy.
I know I must be breaking every perfumista law there is, but I wear whatever I want whenever I want to wear it. There are only a very few exceptions to that rule. I won’t wear my Shalimar on a very hot summer day, for instance. I prefer spicy, oriental scents to light florals, so that’s the main reason why I don’t switch up in the spring/summer.
Wear what you like! And I am not aware of any perfumista rules, so I don’t worry about that!
Ditto. My scentiments exactly.
Nope, no so-called rules…
I do like to change my scents for the seasons, but that’s a preference, not a rule! 🙂
I wear Shalimar to the beach. But not when I swim–that’d be a waste.
I’m right there with you. I live in S. TX and if I limited things by season, well, I wouldn’t be able to wear at least 3/4 of my collection. But, there are some days when dousing myself with Imperiale is the only thing I can manage. BTW, I read that it was formulated for Empress Eugenie to help with migraines and I’ve found that spraying it on a damp cloth to put across my forehead in a darkened room really does help.
Hi, everyone!
Where I live, there are four very distinct seasons (altho winter lasts the longest) so weather plays a big part in my daily perfume selection. The ones I wear year round include some classic Chanels: #19, #5, 31 Rue & Coco; also musks: Clair de Musc, Kiehl’s, Wild Musk; and lighter takes on my favorite woody scents: Wild Woods, Omnia. Also love Bulgari White Tea, CdG 2 & Kyoto. I recently acquired Prada l’Eau Ambree and can see it being perfect year round, as well. I’m sure there are others but this list will do for now. 🙂
Those all sound like great choices. I’ve been thinking about getting Bulgari Green or White Tea – they are very nice.
I am only just discovering that I am very drawn to deeper scents with a more fall/winter distinction; ambers, orientals, with maybe leathers soon to follow? I think the weather influences my scent choice, but only in the way that your mood influences your scent choice, as in: cloudy-sulky/contemplative, stormy-excited/charged, sunny-easygoing, etc. I definitely do not feel restricted by my scents’ distinction as “fall/winter” to only wear them in that season, I wear them almost all-year.
That said, I have been scouting out something light for the hottest days of midsummer (where I live it is extremely hot and dry throughout the summer), but of everything I recently sampled in the category nothing really ‘grabbed me’: l’eau serge, l’eau l’artisan, pour un ete ‘lartisan, de bach, aqua universalis, AG’s Un MAtin d’orage, Ninfeo mio, Laila, Yuzu ab irato (this was probably the most interesting to me), and The Unicorn Smell. Boo!!
You may like some of the Guerlain Aqua Allegorias – I love Mandarine Basilic and Herba Fresca on hot days!
You and I are probably scent sisters as I also prefer “heavy” scents. I don’t dislike citrus, it just has no staying power on me. I am finding, though, that it is not so much the notes that matter as it is the texture. Some perfumes feel dense or thick to me while others feel more airy and transparent. Although florals are often thought of as “light”, I find many of them quite thick. I liken it to a white wool sweater–light in color but thick in texture. You certainly wouldn’t wear such a sweater on a 90 degree day. Others, such as some incenses and some woody scents, seem like a black linen shirt–dark in color, but light and airy in texture, and perfectly fine for the hot weather. If you haven’t yet, you might try the CdG Incense series, I find that they have that airy, not-too-dense texture. If you want to spend more money, Bois d’Encens has much the same feel. You might also try Bois de Violette. The violets say spring/summer, but the cedar in the base gives it some character. Anything with incense or wood and not too much sweet stuff piled on top would likely work.
I very much like your textile analogy, 50 Roses – that really explains it!
Hot and dry? Aliage is my standby for temps over 100F.
I enjoyed reading the comments, especially hearing about others who are just starting to really enjoy perfumes. It’s true, most people would think ten bottles is too many, but not so at all when there’s such variety and beauty to be had. I wear Pleasures all year but really only as a kind of “morning cologne” on the weekends while I make banana pancakes. Lately, in the snowy weather, I’ve been wearing Angel and enjoying it. I thought I’d never wear Angel again at one point. My Angel is very old and has kind of “turned”. The juice is now yellow-green. And it’s a bit mellower, I think. But I really could not wear it in hot weather. If I want something gourmand-y then, it must be sheer, like 100% Love. But anyway, I have few scents I wear year-round. In my mind, there are warm and there are cool weather scents, but there are also some florals I like only in winter or in spring; some scents I like only in extreme weather – summer or winter (Loulou, Ambre Sultan), etc. Sometimes I get out a paper and categorize all my perfumes by season or occasion. It’s my little escape. Then I crumple up the paper, toss it away and forget about my categories.
I “lol’d” at your perfume list-making! It is strange (crazy?!) how soothing I find researching and reading about perfumes.
Ten bottles is only the beginning! It is funny how desperate I am to expand my collection, and then to read about well collected perfumistas trying to pare down their collection to that number.
I am finding that as the collection grows, the bottles get emptied slower and slower since you have many more choices. So now I am just buying decants for the time being.
Meg! I feel like we’re singing the same song today! Researching, categorizing, analyzing, exploring, and ultimately, picking out the true gems out of the rough has been such a joy for me! I find that this new obsession suits my desire for novelty and exploration (cheaper and easier to fit into my schedule than travel), my need for beauty without justification, and the comfort of analysis and categorization (I’m a scientist by education!). So, in short, *I* don’t think you’re nuts! (Of course we must ask, does a crazy person recognize when someone else is crazy?) 🙂
hey Ceelouise, I’m so glad to find someone else on NST how also likes Angel, I too love sweet/ gourmand. I’ve been testing it quite a lot because I want a bottle but now can’t smell it properly so I’ll have to wait ’til my nose forgets it.
I want to try Angel on a hot summers day just to see (smell) what it’s like, will probably suffocate me but oh well. I would definitely recommend NOT getting the summer versions of Angel though, they are too sweet for even me! would probably knock you out.
Hi Odonata! Normally weather does inform my fragrance choices very much, but there are a few that I do wear year round. No 5 parfum (vintage) and No 5 Eau Premier are total year rounders. I also strangely enough like to wear Lancome Magie Noir as much in summer (very light application) and Caron Parfum Sacre (ditto on application) as in winter. I find that the heat of summer brings out different characteristics of these two, or they are good for cold rainy summer days. Other choices for year round, RL Safari, SSS Rose Musc, Guerlain Chamade and Vol de Nuit, and Annick Goutal Ce Soir ou Jamais edp, oh, and Fifi Chachnil which is gorgeous all the time. I’m sure there are others I’m missing. So many perfumes, so much memory loss!
Hi there! I haven’t tried many of your choices, but you have reminded me that I have a large sample of Safari from a swap and I haven’t worn it yet. Must remedy that!
Mmmmm….Fifi. I like it year round, too. It reminds me of a lighter version of Back to Black and the bottle is simple to die for.
I’ve not got the bottle, but a large decant instead. It is permanently installed on my must buy list as soon as I drain the decant. It is just so gorgeous! It makes me think of a more zesty Shalimar – a boudoir scent with a big smile.
I do think you should where what you want when you want it. I tend to prefer orientals, incenses and woods so wear them all the time! Favourites are Chaos, Shalimar (except in crazy humidity), Avignon ( warm and cozy in winter but cool like the interior of a stone church in summer) Emeraude and Nu. Equally I needed something sunnier the last few days so have been wearing Calyx and Diptyque Eau de Neroli in the gloomy cold drizzle! But as my sampling grows I am finding more fragrances that are more ‘seasonally appropriate’ … Whatever that means!
hey Odonata,
I kind of season my perfume, but not strictly.
I have a signature scent, Viktor & Rolf flowerbomb so I wear that all the time.
I tend to go with things like Alien and D&G the one in colder weather because they are quite warm. then again Alien feels rebelious in summer so I sometimes put Alien on in hot weather just to mix things up 😉
and for summer this year I want Estee Lauder bronze goddess and Alien summer edition.
I’m still deciding whether or not to buy Angel, but I’d wear that all year round, maybe not in super hot weather as it might knock me out but any other time is ok. I want Vivienne Westwood Naughty Alice aswell and I think would do well all year round, particularly in spring and not so great in winter.
I’ve smelled the Michael Kors Hollywood which I think should be a summer perfume but obv followers will wear it whatever. and the new Jimmy Choo smells like a fruity cocktail so should be worn in summer I think. yes I’m mainstream.
Hi Owen! Bronze Goddess is wonderful in the summer or whenever you want that kind of beachy feeling! Haven’t tried the Alien summer version – sounds interesting.
I haven’t tried bronze goddess but I’ve heard all over that it’s good
and they bring out different summer editions every year. I liked the Alien one with the bright orange bottle, I just smelled this year’s today and it’s quite nice. just imagine regular alien just quieter with a bit more added sun and sweetness. the bottle is fantastic too.
I like Alien in the summer.
Thanks for hosting, Odonata!
Like a few others have said, I pretty much wear what I feel like even if it’s not “weather appropriate” (I can think of a few very hot days, though, where I practically smothered myself in something heavy, but that was still kind of fun. 🙂 )
Year-round favorites for me are: Vetiver Tonka, L’Eau d’Hiver, Kelly Caleche, Yves Rocher Rose Absolue, Annick Goutal Quel Amour! and Mandragore, and, over the past year, YSL Parisienne. The original Lolita Lempicka and Fleur de Corail seem to get a lot of play no matter what the weather too.
Hi Jill! Vetiver Tonka is nice anytime of year and L’eau D’hiver as well.
Paestum Rose
Kelly Caleche
Un Jardin Apres La Mousson (mostly summer though)
Nuit de Tubereuse
Bvlgari Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert (mostly summer though)
Bvlgari Petits et Mamans
Eau Duelle
L’Artisan Traversee du Bosphore
I’ve only sampled a few times, but I really like Nuit de Tubereuse so far – and I don’t normally like tuberose. There is a spiciness that keeps it from getting too heady and would work anytime.
I live in Columbus, Ohio and was just thinking earlier today–we live through a 100 degree temperature variation throughout the year. Geesh. So I am very weather-oriented with my perfume and it helps me get through the winter knowing I have my heavier “winter” frags to wear every one of these cold dark days! So I actually recently made a list of seasons / frags….and I do have a category I called “year-round”! Although this is just a guess, as I haven’t owned some of these in 4 complete seasons yet….but I am thinking: Creed Sublime Vanille, Le Labo Vanille 44, Guerlain Bois d’Armenie, La Perla Eclix, FM Musc Ravageur ?(not sure on this one for summer), Diptyque Eau Duelle(but would not reach for much in winter) Le Labo Labdanum, L’Art Prem Fig Ext, L’Art Jour de Fete(probably too soft/light for winter), Lea, Ava Luxe Angel Face and Pearl Musk, and perhaps Mazzolari Lei (need to experiment with this one) I will say that Chergui is really nice in heat and humidity…..so I may try a few more of my winter choices this summer.
Interesting about the Chergui. I just bought mine a couple of months ago and didn’t think it would work in the heat. Now I’m looking forward to giving it a try later in the year (hope I have some left, I’m really working through my bottle kinda fast…)
Chergui is one of my favourite warm weather scents – it is named after a hot desert wind after all. The first time I wore it was to an outdoor event in late Spring (which is hot down here). I kept catching whiffs of it on the breeze and it was just lovely.
Don’t know if anything can be ideal at the extremes here – ranging from under 20 to over 100 heat and humidity – but I do wear TDC Osmanthus or AG Vetiver just about any time. I always spray Osmanthus on fabric to make it last longer.
I’ve been reexamining seasonality after being surprised by some of the scents I enjoyed this winter, e.g., LesNez Manoumalia (a tropical floral) and Jean Patou Chaldee (originally for suntan oil). Both are heavy enough to survive the dryness of central heating and ideal for winter denial syndrome. Haven’t tried them in the summer or spring yet, so I’m not yet sure whether they are year-round or not.
Thanks for hosting, Odonata!
Hi there! I’ve been meaning to try that Osmanthus – sounds like I would love it. Vetivers are also great any time of year.
That Osmanthus is really nice, and definitely bridges seasons.
Hi Odonata9, great question.
I definitely say wear what you want, when you want, but personally I love to divide my frags into seasons because I just get a kick out of it! I’m probably one of those sad people that gets a thrill from categorizing but I do love the change of seaons and enjoy changing my scents around accordingly.
It’s nice to think I will see Diorella again come the Summer and appreciate her afresh. Then I can look forward to hanging out with Mitsouko in the Autumn etc.
Thanks for hosting and I’m looking forward to reading everyone’s comments.
I’m an categorizer myself – all my perfumes are in a spreadsheet by house, separate page for samples and wishlist, with notes on what I think of them. Both my parents were librarians (catalogers), so I think it must be in my genes!
Me too! God bless Microsoft Excel. 🙂
Oh how funny!
I wonder if people would believe us if we told them it can be fun 🙂
So I’m guessing I’m not the only one who used to organize and re-organize my books and cassette tapes when I was a kid? There’s something relaxing about categorizing! You feel like you’re accomplishing something, but it’s purely for your own enjoyment, know what I mean?
I did the same thing with my books. I even put labels on the shelves.
It feels like it’s as much for my sanity as it is for my enjoyment… but I only take the spreadsheeting so far… 😉
But Joe, don’t you get that satisfying “I know where everything is, and it’s just how I like it” feeling? Yes, it makes me feel more in control (ie. more sane), but I also feel really, I guess the best word is “content.” Comforted? 🙂
Hello Odonata9,
after buying a sample box of Ineke, three “Tauers” and lots of Sigilli I was also thinking of categorizing everything. But were to start? Ingredients?Noses?
I won a perfume profiling last year (in Amsterdam) and it was amazing. I went home with Bois Blond by PG. everytime I open the bottle it reminds me of that profiling day and how interesting that was.
My faves are woody’s, orientals, chypres.
Mine is by houses, but you can add columns for anything – season, nose, notes, and sort that way too. Excel is the best!
I agree on the concept of looking forward to using certain scents in certain seasons – there’s an element of anticipation to it that I enjoy very much!
I find myself reaching for Sacrebleu by Patricia de Nicolai whatever the weather. It possesses different aspects — from spring flowers to fizzy aldehydes to warm ambers — that seem to resonate well with every season. 🙂
Sacrebleu is very comforting at all times. Though I do tend to wear it more in colder weather.
I don’t think I’ve tried that one. I really haven’t explored the PdN line other than a sample or 2 and need to get on that since I hear such good things about her.
I recently visited her tiny, tiny store in South Kensington and it was a treat! All of her fragrances are exquisitely crafted and achingly subtle. My favourites were the masculines, typical! Especially Vetyver. Her line is well worth exploring.
I wish I lived near a PdN shop. Thought it’s probably better for my wallet that I don’t. I like both the feminines and the masculines in her line up. My favourites are: New York and Sacrebleu.
Lately, there’s been a theme on the blog sites about wearing cheerful spring scents to lift your mood in the cold winter months. I’ve never cottoned to this idea, but just the other day, I gave OJ’s Champaca and Tiare a try to see if they would “hit the spot.” They did not. Even though I live in Los Angeles and our idea of cold is very different than the rest of America, I like to wear winter scents exclusively from Oct through March. Maybe it’s because we have so much heat here and I just can’t wear these scents for most of the year. What’s that song? “For everything there is a season”? That’s how I feel about scents.
I’m the same way. I know I will have many months for the lighter scents, so I tend not to use them in the winter. I guess I really don’t need a mood lifter in winter, anyway, as winter really does not get me down in the first place. I enjoy chilly weather–wearing sweaters, cooking stews and soups and gumbos, snuggling up in bed with warm blankets and flannel pajamas. I don’t get to do it for very long. OK, everyone in the north may hate me for mentioning this, but yesterday it was 80 degrees here, and I discovered that the AC wasn’t working—and it’s only February…
I grew up in the mountains of the South, and I never, ever got tired of winter; love everything about it…..the snow, the serenity, the nesting, the chance to slow down and turn inward for awhile…..
Just two weeks ago we ended two weeks of 75-80 degree weather. I really resented putting on sunscreen in January! I did test some summer scents during that spell though 🙂
I’m kind of bitter about the fact that we’ve been running the a/c for the last couple of weeks. I got a couple of beautiful cashmere sweaters over the holidays and I expected to be able to wear them more than a couple of times. I’ve only put a coat on once this season. Nevertheless, I’m sticking with my cold weather favourites for a while.
I’m with you on that – no need to be lifted out of our winter blues, since the winter here is not bad enough to give us the blues. And yes, I have a lot of gourmands and heavier scents that I fear I will never use up since there are so few days that are cold enough for them. Although it’s a chilly one today for sure!
KRL – I agree completely. I’m in northern Calif, so my winter is a bit cooler than yours on average, but still love every chance I get to wear winter perfume (and a coat). That said, the exceptionally cold recent weather has been confusing: feels cold, looks as brilliant as summer, so the “real winter” ambery stuff seem wrong. Iris Poudre seems to work on such days, but I still want more opportunities for Bois de Paradis! Rainy winter and spring days are well provided for, of course, with Plus que Jamais, Chanel no5, no19, Bas de Soie, IP again. . .
My favorites, no matter the weather are Guerlain’s Jicky, Sisley’s Nuit De Lune, Prada Prada Iris, Chanel ‘sCoco, Guerlain’s Mitsouko, , Oud (in many forms), Bond’s HighLine, Bond’s Chelsea Flowers, Kiehl’s Musk, L’Artisan’s Timbuktu.
I haven’t tried Jicky – I don’t care for most of the older Guerlains (blasphemous, I know!) but civet + lavender does sound interesting. Those are 2 Bonds I would like to try – the High Line bottle is gorgeous. Unfortunately, the Saks here closed a year or 2 ago, so I haven’t been able to sample most of them.
LOVE Chelsea Flowers! Have you tried the candle?
Like others have said, I tend to like really rich, heavy Orientals, and wear them regardless of the weather, admittedly with a lighter hand during the warmer weather.
I also like rose and violet soliflores, and probably do tend to wear them slightly more in the summer.
When it gets ungodly hot, I tend to go with scented dusting powder as opposed to perfume. That may just be a Southern thing, though; I don’t know anyone here (SoCal) who ever wears powder. I love it, and have quite a selection.
O/T…I’ve been playing with my sample of Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille, and I think I’m in love.
I love bath powders, and they’re so hard to find! On a hot summer day there’s no better refresher than a quick dusting of powder on the “shiny spots”. (I spent a couple summers in the Central Valley some years ago, and that’s when the reason for powder made itself clear to me).
The only ones that I’ve ‘attempted’ to wear both in summer and winter with success are Dior Homme and Tom Ford Grey Vetiver. But a few others spring to mind, il Profumo G11, Cafe Vert, CdG edp and narciso rodriguez would do the trick as well, but I have yet to try them all year round.
I never consider weather at all.. i wear what i feel like appeals to me that day… scents i wear all year round… AngelMen, Jo Malone Dark Amber And Ginger Lily, Jo Malone Wild Fig And Cassis, Chanel Pour Monsiuer, Antidote, Fahrenheit, and Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male… those are like my go to fragrances when i just don’t know what to wear, anytime of the year!
Those are 2 Jo Malones I haven’t tried and they sound very nice!
(Hi, J! Nice to see you hosting!)
It’s interesting to read all the comments and see the different points of view. I’m one of those people who live in a four-season area, and I’m glad I do.
I also get a lot of joy out of changing my scents with the season. Most of my fragrances are kept in a bedside cabinet, with the current-season ones in a hatbox on my dresser. (I just put away my heavier things: Tabac Aurea, Parfum Sacre, Alahine, etc. Pulled out the Chamade, Silences, and Crown Bouquet; the No. 19 and Le Temps d’une Fete were still in the hatbox from last fall.)
There are a few fragrances I own that don’t seem associated with any particular season or weather, and it’s nice to have those:
No. 5 and Eau Premiere
Mariella Burani
Iris Poudre
Mary Greenwell Plum
I noted earlier that you said iris, aldehydes and incense might be the all-weather choices, and mine are definitely aldehydic! The Plum, not so much, but the others, definitely. I love it that those particular ones always seem “right,” no matter the temperature and humidity.
Hi Mals! What, no Emeraude ; ) And you have reminded me that I have a sample of Eau Premiere that I need to try – I don’t really care for No. 5, but it might work for me. And I just found a sample of Le Temps d’une Fete when I was looking for a sample yesterday – must try it out!
Mais, when I was pondering which scents would be good year- round, Eau Premiere and Iris Poudre both sprang to mind. I can imagine Pum would be good too (haven’t tried Mariella Burani).
Sorry, Mals not Mais!
Some summer favorites just don’t seem substantial enough for winter, and by the same token, wearing a smoky, spicy winter scent in a heat wave would feel just as icky to me as donning a wool turtleneck. The scents I reach for year-round tend to defy categorization — OJ Woman, Bandit (weirdly refreshing in summer stickiness), Philosykos, CdG 2 Woman… I haven’t had the guts to try L’Air du Desert Marocain in the heat, although I’ve heard people swear it’s fantastic that way.
Those two would be first on my ‘All Round’ list too!! Bandit and OJ Woman are two of my all time faves.
I would then add:
PdN’s Vetyver
Patchouli 27 (leathery, but the burnt styrax eludes to hot, sandy desert!)
Ta’if and Tubereuse Criminelle (for the evenings! One is torrid and spicy, the other cool and devastating)
Dzongkha (I agree with everyone’s comments on incense being summer-wearable. I might even crack out my sample of La Myrrhe and see how it fayres……..)
Great poll, thanks! Definitely got me thinking about the summer months ahead……
Chanel no 5, Child perfume and Nars Monoi Body Glow II, Tresor.
I have two year-round fragrances:
1) Lady Stetson
2) Nenuco Baby Cologne
Generally agree with the fig and Iris votes out there, particularly Philosykos, which I imagine will be awesome in the heat, and Iris Poudre just to clean up. But my definitely ALL weather not just, ‘tolerable in the heat’ is Maison Martin Margiela Untitled. Also perhaps Nuit De Tuberose, which I might add shares a very noticeable (to me) note with MMM Untitled, anyone know what it is? Its very distinct, IMO. They are weird androgynous brother and sister those two.
Finally got around to trying Nuit de Tubereuse. I like it a lot – not too heavy so could work anytime.
I live in the South too, where we have four distinct seasons. I wear citrus/tea scents all year to the gym, but I think I’d find sweet tobacco scents suffocating in our humid summers. If I still lived in Southern California, I’d wear the orientals and ambers all year! There is one old favorite of mine that I wear regardless of season, though — vintage Bal a Versailles.
Definitely Eau Premiere. It’s crazy how just plain good and versatile that on is, isn’t it? I could do Kelly Caleche year round, but I choose not to because my summer wardrobe is so much smaller than my winter one. The only other one I truly wear year round is Tabac Blond, though it’s a little too quiet in sub-freezing temps, as I have just learned. 😉 Good thing those don’t happen too much around these parts!
The fragrances I wear all year round are:
Chanel No. 5 in all forms
Hermes Hiris and Kelly Caleche
Chanel Bois des Isles and 31 Rue Cambon
L’Artisan Nuit de Tubereuse and Traversee duBosphore
Tauer’s Un Rose Chypre and Orange Star
Prada Infusion D’ Iris and L’eau Ambree
Malle Carnal Flower and Dans Tes Bras
Amouage Lyric Woman
Juliet Has a Gun Citizen Queen
Serge Lutens Un Lys, Feminite du Bois, Bas de Soir, Bois de Violette
TDC Jasmin de Nuit
Balenciaga Paris
EL Tuberose and Gardenia
Great choices – all very versatile. I just put Citizen Queen on my to sample list. Hadn’t heard of that TDC – sounds very nice. I just sampled De Bachmakov and Sublime Balkiss – very interesting house. I will have to try more – wish there was somewhere around here that had them in store.
I like roses and light leathers (Cuir de Lancome, Bulgari Black) all year round. I think DK Gold works all year too because the lily is fresh and the amber is warm.
Though I wear heavier scents in the winter and lighter scents in the summer if I’m planning to going out into the actual weather, I just wear whatever I feel like when I’m home in a temp-controlled environment. Lately I’ve been craving florals. Sick of winter!
I’m someone who to a large degree ignores climate when it comes to selecting SOTD. There have so far been about 3 occasions on which this has been a definite mistake. 1) wearing christalle eau de verte in winter – horrible, sour and thin! (in summer its re-invigorating) 2) Kyoto in summer. This particular incense just seemed too warm somehow. 3) Bronze Goddess in very hot humid weather – suffocatingly sweet.
To my surprise Coco works well on me all year round. Warm, resinous and spicy in winter and somehow cuts through the heat and makes me more focused in summer. L’heure Blue also works well for me in any weather…
Interesting topic, odonata9! I have a good handful of favorites that I’d choose for year-round wear. Let’s see: TDC Bergamote, Bois d’Iris, and Osmanthus, YSL Y and Nu, Etro Shaal Nur, Neil Morris Hologram, L’Artisan Poivre Piquant, CdG Stephen Jones, Miller Harris Fleurs de Sel, Hermes Vanille Galante, and Yves Rocher Voile d’Ambre.
Hi there! I really need to explore TDC some more – the Osmanthus sounds very nice. And that YR is a nice light amber.
I thought my favorite orientals would be too heavy in hot weather, but I tried them out last summer and found they blossomed beautifully (and not overwhelmingly!). So they will be my 4-season fragrances.
As winter dies down I realize I haven’t worn some of my winter scents often enough and I think some samples are buried and haven’t been touched at all. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not asking for more winter! But maybe my collection is getting a little too large (HA! Like that’s possible).
Because of the crazy fluctuating temperature and humidity in my part of the world, my year-round standbys have so far been limited to Lyric Woman and Odin’s Century 03.
I have a number of samples that people have mentioned that I will be keeping within reach to try out during the spring and summer.