Summer Favorites

bins filled with citrus, vanilla beans, and twigs, generated by Adobe Firefly AI

I'm one of those people who has one fragrance wardrobe for warm weather and a completely different one for cold. After all, I wouldn't wear shorts and flip flops in the winter or a coat in the summer. When temperatures hit the mid-60s, suddenly cozy vanilla and amber perfumes can feel stifling; when it's super hot, they make me gag. It's not that I don't like them anymore, it's just that they feel very wrong. I have a similar reaction with light citrusy scents in the winter, though rather than making me physically ill, I merely feel naked. 

I own over 200 different scents, which I store in sealed bins in a dark, climate-controlled, room. When the seasons change, I pull out 30 or so to wear in the coming months. With so many frags to choose from, those 30 can change from year to year, meaning I might not wear some of my perfumes at all some years. Others, however, are favorites that I can't live without, so they always find their way into my seasonal selection. 

Armani Prive Orangerie Venise

Bitter Orange, Citruses, Bergamot, Neroli, Agathosma, Ambroxan, Cedar, Moss

This was one of those rare love-at-first-sniff must-buy-now occasions for me. I was about to leave the Beauty Floor at Bergdorf's and spotted a display of this scent by the up escalator. I will smell anything with the word "orange" in the name, so I gave myself a spritz and left the building. I couldn't stop sniffing myself the rest of the day, so I went back and bought a bottle. It wasn't cheap, but I knew I wasn't likely to find this at a perfume discounter anytime soon. I'd say this is a modern chypre fragrance, with a lot of moss to compensate for the ton of citrus. It's gorgeous on me, and perfect for hot weather.

Carthusia Mediterraneo 

Lemon, Bergamot, Mint, Eucalyptus, Red Thyme, Litsea Cubeba, Sicilian Mandarin, Wildflowers, Jasmine, Cardamom, White Musk

Lemon and mint are a pretty perfect summertime beat-the-heat combo. They work as flavors and as aromas. While Mediterraneo has lots of other ingredients, it's really all about the lemon and mint. It's fairly long lasting on my skin, too, which I think is probably thanks to the white musk drydown. Summer in a bottle. 

Caudalie The des Vignes

Tea, African Orange Flower, Jasmine, Grapes, Neroli, Ginger, Musk, Woodsy Notes, Honey

This was a blind buy. I didn't think I could go wrong with this one, though the honey note might have turned out to be too strong. The des Vignes is somewhat in the same school of thought as D&G Light Blue and Moschino I Love Love, a fresh and sparkly citrus/fruit/transparent woods thing, but with orange flower instead of citrus. It's light, pretty, and uplifting.

Chanel Cristalle Eau Verte

Amalfi Lemon, Bergamot, Neroli, Magnolia, Jasmine, Iris, Musk

Cristalle Eau Verte is my all-time favorite summer scent. I can wear it every day without getting tired of it. The opening is so joyful and bright, citrussy but also green. I can't pick out the specific floral notes, but they give the fragrance some staying power, and the musk makes the whole thing summertime sexy. It's fabulous. 

D.S. & Durga Lady Greystock

Violet, Orris, Amber

This Anthropologie collab is one of those scents that was so good at first spritz, I spent the rest of the evening sniffing my arm. Despite violet being listed as a note, it's nowhere to be found in this dry and woody scent that must also have patchouli in it. Perfect for most seasons, I love it most in the summer when it really helps cut the heat. They discontinued the frag soon after I bought my first bottle, so I contacted D.S. & Durga to see if there were any bottles hanging around the warehouse. There were, so I bought three. I just started my third bottle and have one full one left. Lucky me. 

Estee Lauder Azuree Soleil Eau Fraiche Skinscent

Mandarin Orange, Sicilian Bergamot, Gardenia, Magnolia, Myrrh, Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Coconut, Caramel, Sandalwood, Amber, Vetiver

The precursor to EL's Bronze Goddess, Azuree Soleil smells like sweet summers of my youth. Read more about it on this post.

Guerlain La Cologne du Parfumeur

African Orange Flower, Amalfi Lemon, Citruses, Rosemary, Lavender, Mint, White Musk

Another love-at-first-sniff...clearly there's a theme with my summer faves! I met this one at a Sniffapalooza breakfast event at Bergdorf's in 2010 where it was introduced to a small group of fragrance fanatics. As soon as the event was over, I hightailed it to the Guerlain counter and handed over my credit card. While Cologne du Parfumeur does have the usual cologne citrus thing going on, it also has a lovely herbal twist without being overtly herby, and the bonus of a white musk drydown. I just love this one.

Hermes Eau des Merveilles

Orange, Elemi, Lemon, Amber, Pepper, Pink Pepper, Violet, Fir, Cedar, Madagascar Vetiver, Oakmoss, Benzoin

I was on a trip to NY with my Dad when I met this one. I can't remember what shop we visited, but there was a Hermes counter and we did some sampling. He smelled of some nightmarish cumin monster the rest of the day, while I wafted this dry and salty ambergris scent. Unlike others mentioned here, I waited a while before making a purchase. This is so good on those ferociously hot days in July and August.

Hermes Hiris

Iris, Coriander, Carnation, Amber, Iris, Neroli, Rose, Cedar, Almond Tree, Honey, Vanilla

I sniffed this one at Bergdorf's and bought it on the spot. (Maybe it's the magic of Bergdorf's that compels me to buy so many things immediately?) It's hard to believe that there are so many notes in this fragrance, because all I get is cold, nearly metallic, iris, with the barest cold cream thing going on with it. 

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Cologne Pour le Matin

Bergamot, Lavender, Thyme, Amalfi Lemon, African Orange Flower

For whatever reason, this beaut smells like purple Jujubes to me. The little semi-gummy/semi-hard candy pellets, not the fruit. Purple is violet, not lavender, flavored, so I have to think that it's the combination of lavender/thyme/citrus that causes that effect. I'm so glad I bought the big bottle, as this fragrance has been discontinued. 

Ode Verde

Cut Grass, Herbaceous Basil, Green Olive, Tomato Leaf

Olive oil purveyors McEvoy Ranch have a beauty line that once upon a time included perfume.  It's fantastically green and herbaceous, and while it does smell of  basil and tomato leaf, I think it really smells like parsley. I misplaced my bottle for a while, but am happy to say I found it again and have been wearing it during the recent hot spell we've been having.

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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks
Note: this post is my opinion. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned in this post or any other companies.