Perfume Stars: Summer Favorites. Part 6

Perfume Stars: Part 6 is dedicated to favorite summer perfumes and ideal holiday destinations of the owners of and advisors from some of our favorite perfume stores. Aedes What are your favorite summer fragrances? “Miguel's favorite: Serge Lutens Gris Clair, layered with Piment Brulant by L'Artisan Karl's favorite: Serge Lutens Daim Blond and Montale Oud Cuir d'Arabie Robert's favorite: V.I.P.” What are the characteristics of your ideal summer scent? “For all of us it's a mood and feel good decision what to wear.” What is your favorite holiday destination? “Miguel: Paris Karl: Ibiza Robert: St.Tropez” BeautyHabit, Teresa Mitchell What are your favorite summer fragrances? “I could go on for days and days - as for me, fragrance is based on my mood and the environment - so favorites change week to week! I have limited myself to 6 summery scents that I simply can't imagine growing tired of EVER. I have not limited myself to only Beautyhabit ranges - these really are some of my personal favorites! Lisa Simon Monsoon Season Hermes Un Jardin du Nil The Different Company Divine Bergamote Cinq Mondes Eau Egyptianne In Fiore Bois d’Ete Parfum Solide Armani Prive Eau de Jade “ What are the characteristics of your ideal summer scent? “Fresh, clean and light. I also like a little spice or zest!” What is your favorite holiday destination? “Anywhere that I can relax with my husband and my 2 children is good - but I must say I am drawn to the seaside. I love beach vacations and a good book!” B-Glowing, Lisa James What are your favorite summer fragrances? What are the characteristics of your ideal summer scent? “Fresh, clean, crisp…..I prefer exotic white flowers, citrus (lemons and grapefruits) and white musks during the summer.” What is your favorite holiday destination? “Fiji!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I spent two weeks there some years ago and to date it has still been my favorite vacation. The people there are so joyful and relaxed. After about 3 days there you find yourself opening up and becoming like a local. It was a wonderful experience!!!” Les Senteurs, James Craven, Fragrance Advisor What are your favorite summer fragrances? What are the characteristics of your ideal summer scent? “I like something strongly floral or strongly oriental: I find citrus scents rather dull. So: Isabey's GARDENIA Dana's TABU Guerlain's JARDINS DE BAGATELLE Caron's N'AIMEZ QUE MOI Solange Azagury Partridge's STONED Annick Goutal's HEURE EXQUISE I prefer a scent that echoes the heat, that warms like the sun. What is your favorite holiday destination? “Hard Question!!!! a) Rural Suffolk b) The Sea - ANY sea! c) The Nile.” Luckyscent Franco Wright What are your favorite summer fragrances? What are the characteristics of your ideal summer scent? “Summer here in LA is hot, usually quite dry. I like to spend as much time at the beaches, particularly Malibu, so I can’t help but be influenced by salty ocean and sun tan lotion. That being said...coconut is always favorite of mine when it comes to fragrances on women during summer. However this season, I’ve been quite smitten with the latest release by L’Artisan: L’eau de Jatamansi. It’s fresh, crisp, light...transparent...but the surprise twist is the subtle, sexy incense drydown that isn’t overwhelming...and just seems to be the perfect compliment the grapefruit/citrus top notes. Last year, I’ll never forget working one particular Saturday...it was near 100 degrees and not one fragrance appealed to me at the time. We had just put the Escentric Molecules in the store, and I wasn’t sure what to make of it; at first my attention was focused on the bottle and design, but once I wore it...it was love at first spray. The clean sandalwood and brisk lime was so gratifying...ever since it has been my staple for warmer weather. I told Adam the following day: ”...try wearing the Escentric 01....” And he did...now it’s one of his faves as well.” What is your favorite holiday destination? “Holidays have been tricky for me....they are usually the busiest time of year for us at Luckyscent. 2005 was the first time I traveled during December, and my wife and I needed a quick getaway, so we went to Kauai. It was perfect...reminded us how fortunate we are to have a world-class island destination just 5 hours away.” Adam Eastwood What are your favorite summer fragrances? “Escentric 01 by Escentric Molecules is what I wear during the summer, which spans a liberal 5 to 6 months for me. I love the limey sandalwood and touch of pepper. The citrus blast is thoroughly rounded out by the woods which is just the right twist for my skin. Great for men and women, long lasting, a true gem. For women I love a nice clean musk for summer. I would recommend the Musc Bleu by Il Profumo or the Musk Musc Samarkand by Les Nereides. Musks soften and sweeten nicely tanned skin making it easy to nuzzle and generally breezy/sexy. All women have such unique scents of their own, it is nice when they simply spritz something musky to enhance that.” What are the characteristics of your ideal summer scent? “Clean, grassy, crisp, fresh and marine. Anything that evokes the time of the year when the air is warm and the trees slowly undulate under gentle summer breezes. L’Artisan Parfumeur Premier Figuier does just that. Originally developed to capture the sensation of sleeping under a fig tree on a summer afternoon, it smells as if someone has just cut several juicy branches and wafted them over your head while gently crushing the leaves.“ What is your favorite holiday destination? “Sailing in New York with my sister and brother in law. Once the train gets us out of Manhattan, the pace completely changes. The salty sea air mixed with the flavors of seaside taverns serving up seafood and locally brewed pints of beer. Crisp clean sea air mixed with a slightly herbaceous scent coming off the leafy shore trees drops my blood pressure immediately. Further stimulus comes when eating shellfish from a bucket while shirtless and smelling of waterproof Coppertone. Top it off with a bottle of ice chilled Heineken and I wont move until I absolutely I have to.” LuiLei, Amy Yang What are your favorite summer fragrances? What are the characteristics of your ideal summer scent? “I love the summers in New York. I adore how the city becomes less congested, especially during the weekends and I'm actually fond of our unique blend of humidity, heat and grime. And while I don't choose scents based on seasonality, there are some scents that embody the summer for me. Although Clarins discontinued Elysium, I still have a 1/4 of a bottle left. I always hesitate to use it but the fragrance brings to life strong memories of one particular lovely summer (over ten years ago). And because I adore amber, which can be heavy I often wear Ambre del Nepal by i Profumi di Firenze. It's beautiful amber, one that is not as weighty as other ambers - veil-like and soft, like summer cashmere. It's actually a fragrance that I tend to wear all year but it's my summer amber. And on this very hot day (almost 100) in New York I'm wearing Sel de Vetiver layered with Bergamote by The Different Company. I usually don't mix scents but once in a while I'll experiment to try to make something that I think of as my own. SDV reminds me of the way someone would smell like after returning from a walk from the ocean. I thought I'd tame the hearty grassy vetiver with the bergamot and it did. I adore the way it smells on my good husband. It is the fragrance that totally change my opinion about vetiver. In terms of what makes a summer scent ideal, I suppose it's figuring out if it's comfortable and making sure your summer PH doesn't clash alter the fragrance in a way that's unpleasant. And does it help you retain the memories you're trying to retain. It's a lot like wine pairing for me. I tend to think about time, place and manner and the people that are in my life at that moment. “ What is your favorite holiday destination? “My favorite holiday destination is the Yucatan in Mexico. I love how it smells, sounds and feel. I have a customer who told me Hesperide by Patyka reminds her of Mexico and that remark was such a gift to me. It's something I'll never forget. We haven't been there in two years but it's a place we've been to several times, and always in the summer (less expensive). Although people may think that Cancun and the Yucatan is too touristy, you can find lovely pockets where time travels a bit more slow. It's a gorgeous place if not just for the smells: tart bright limes, creamy coconuts, luscious mole, prickly chiles, green soapy cilantro and the salty sweet ocean . . .” The Perfume Shoppe, Nazrin What are your favorite summer fragrances? What are the characteristics of your ideal summer scent? “Here are some of my favorite summer scents: Fleurs d'oranger, A la Nuit and Un Lys - I love white florals in the summer because I find that it reminds me of my aunt's garden in Africa where she grew some of the most beautiful flowers that I have ever smelled in the world especially the night blooming jasmine and those roses. I used to walk 3 miles in the blazing sun just to go and smell these flowers. ( Absolutely crazy now that I think about it!). Summer is such a small window of warmth and sunshine specially on the west coast. L'eau de Circe, Brulure de Rose - those scents are also my favorite for the summer. They are a combination scents which represent fun and frolic to me (more so the L'eau de Circe). Brulure de Rose is this creamy scent infused with a gentle rose scent with vanilla that makes my heart rapturous! La Chasse aux Papilons is simply fun - put a smile on your face and lift it to soak the sun! Corps et Ames is also another favorite of mine! In the evenings I love Iris Taizo because here in British Columbia it cools down to make this scent sultry on your skin. Sometimes I feel a little daring and will wear Oud Rose Petals (cool evenings) So generally in the summer it is floral scents.” What is your favorite holiday destination? “I love Vancouver (my city) because you have the ocean, the mountains and magnificent parks (e.g. Stanley Park) where you can take a hamper and sit and eat and enjoy the sun and the mountains at the same time! It is considered to be one the best cities to visit in the world! Good food, good people and magnificent vistas! Cancun (Mexico) because it reminds me of Africa - the warmth, the ocean, the tropical fruits and lazy indolent days of doing nothing but sit, swim and relax! What person wouldn't want that? Seattle and San Francisco I just love because of wonderful shopping experiences, beautiful people. Love Paris too! Just to sit on the Champs Elysee and wait the people go by!” To be continued on Friday. Images courtesy of Aedes, BeautyHabit, B-glowing, Luckyscent, LuiLei, Les Senteurs, The Perfume Shoppe.