The dog days of summer! Seattle should reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit tomorrow! I plan on wearing perfume as I work in the garden to keep things alive (my water bill$ make friends shriek and look at me in disbelief). During this week of scorching temperatures, I decided to wear two new “garden” fragrances, one based on citrus, the other on silphium (a mystery plant).
Let’s start with citrus, “Italian” citrus. DS & Durga Italian Citrus presents a citrus-lover’s dream list of notes…
Tauer Perfumes has done citrus fragrances before, most notably with Orange Star (2010) and Cologne du Maghreb (2011). Based on the name, I thought the newest, L’Eau, might be the first Tauer riff on a citrus classic cologne for hot summer days, but no, that’s not what it is. It is about citrus — it was reportedly “inspired by a lemontree in bloom on Andy Tauer’s veranda in crisp Zurich morning air”, and the notes follow suit: bergamot, lemon, orange, lemon blossom, iris flowers, musk, ambergris, timber and sandalwood. And L’Eau does start with a nice sparkle of lemonade, and it does start bright and cheerful.
But L’Eau has more heft than you’d expect from a classic cologne, and the “classic” citrus sparkle / juiciness is short-lived, as L’Eau moves quickly into something more modern and diffuse…
We all have our own preferred “comfort scents,” and they can be just as individual as any of our other perfume preferences. Vanilla and other gourmands might be popular in this particular category, but I’m sure there are those of you who also reach for vetiver or violets or what-have-you when the going gets rough. I’ve been noticing for the past year or two that when I’m dealing with bad news, or a headache or bad cold, or just the end of a long day, I end up looking through my stash for samples of natural perfumes.
Velvet & Sweet Pea is one line that never fails to soothe my spirit with its scents (not to mention its colorful Victorian-style imagery, including lots of cats!). I’m a longtime fan of Black Cat, and recently I’ve tried two newer perfume oils called Rose Encens and Eze that have eased me through moments of stress…
I recently had the chance to experience the new Gallivant fragrance line, and after admiring its packaging and display (city maps! 30 ml bottles! tiny paper airplanes instead of blotters!), I had to decide which of the four fragrances to try on my skin. Where to “gallivant” first? I chose the two cities that have personal meaning for me: London (which I’ve visited twice) and Brooklyn (where I work).
London was developed by perfumer Karine Chevallier and its notes include cucumber, violet leaves, rose, orris root, leather, sandalwood, patchouli and cedar. The Gallivant website outlines it in a sequence of sensory imagery: “East end boys and west end girls. Second-hand leather jackets. . . .Roses from Columbia Road. Georgian architecture. A hint of dustiness. An earthy lush wetness you can almost taste.”
Well, I’d have to try London just for that Pet Shop Boys reference, if for nothing else…
Atelier Cologne fragrances are stacking up. In 2016, they released 10 perfumes, and as of this writing, I count 32 fragrances for sale on their website (that’s 32 fragrances released in under SEVEN years). Diptyque has been around almost 60 years and has about the same number of fragrances (not counting discontinuations) as Atelier Cologne. Frédéric Malle (10 years older than Atelier Cologne) has not broken the 30 mark (it sells 26 fragrances). But what a difference! Diptyque and Frédéric Malle sell some sensational, memorable perfumes. Atelier Cologne? Not really.
As the years have gone by, Atelier Cologne has developed a recognizable style: the perfume equivalent of the Lacoste polo shirt…