Top 10 Summer Perfumes and a Prize Draw

"A something in a summer’s noon —A depth — an Azure — a perfume —Transcending ecstasy..." To celebrate the season, everybody at PST named one perfume they've been enjoying the most lately; below, is our collective Top 10 of Summer; please share with us your favorites! Alyssa Paestum Rose by Eau d’Italie. After several weeks of ninety-percent humidity and temps above 100 degrees, my summer struggle is less about what perfume to wear than how to stay awake. Lately, I’m reaching past the usual suspects to Paestum Rose. This resinous, dark-hearted beauty is one of my favorite fall scents, but right now the pepper braces me up and the sweet myrrh, dark rose, and dry woods make me feel like I’m walking in the cool of a pine forest under an occasional magical shower of velvet red petals. Somebody send me a full bottle, please. Beth Soir de Lune by Sisley. Is it the honey or the jasmine or the chili pepper that makes it so compelling? Perhaps a little bit of moon magic? Who knows, but I cannot hug anyone that I meet without them burying their face in my neck and sighing over “that amazing fragrance....God what is that?” Definitely a desired effect...absolute bombshell in a bottle and I adore it! Donna L'Air du Desert Marocain by Andy Tauer- the more I wear this the more I love it; it's good in any sort of weather but it really comes into its own in the intense heat of summer. The combination of incense, spices, cedar, jasmine, vanilla, patchouli and vetiver conspires to create pure magic on the skin, evoking fantasies of faraway places and dreams of desert passion. Kelley L'Eau de l'Artisan by L'Artisan Parfumeur. According to the website, L'Eau de L'Artisan adds to the traditional notes of citruses, herbs and tree moss a fresh twist of marine accord and hay. On me, this starts out as the most wonderful, sunny, lemon verbena. After a short while, it morphs into a delicious violet leaf that reminds me of my great grandmother (not a bad thing). This is a very light and fresh scent that is perfect for the heat. Linda Champagne de Bois by Sonoma Scent Studio. I find its dry aldehydic sparkle both comforting and refreshing. To my nose, it perfectly represents the scent of orange peels, both green and dried, without a trace of the sweetness that would come from a twist of ripe orange. Supported by soft whispers of clove and sandalwood, and even softer hints of labdanum and vetiver, this works for me for every summertime activity: a sunrise walk on the beach, a hike in the hills, a late-evening dinner party, or a midnight movie. Marian Amra by Agarscents Bazaar. Amra's herbaceous note of basil, combined with fresh grapefruit, dry orris, white musk as gentle as a summer breeze and the saline scent of ambergris make it a refreshingly cool "Arabian oil" to offset the suffocating humidity of Manhattan summers. Marina L'Eau de L'Hermine by Lostmarc'h became my unexpected summer favorite. The gently candied blend of lavender and citrus, at once fresh and sweet, strangely comforting in its soft, child-like cleanness is all I want to wear these days. It goes so well with the sun, the sand, the ocean...the carefree joy, and the I-will-think-about-it-when-Autumn-comes mood of summer. Marla Saks Boca Raton by Bond No. 9 was a thoughtful gift from my family, and I believe it was limited to a few hundred bottles, all sold at Saks Fifth Avenue in Boca Raton, Florida. The notes are lily of the valley, blackcurrant, gardenia, freesia, amber, cedar, cardamom, and musk. This is a light, sweet, floral gourmand, with a daintily spicy drydown, and it's been truly perfect for hot summer days in Florida. If anyone influential from Bond No. 9 is reading this, please put this charming perfume in your regular lineup! Paul Yatagan by Caron is the perfect summer fragrance because I go away from it for a while and then return; like it were seasonal and the scent wears well in the heat of the day and the heat of the night. Tom Une Rose Chyprée by Andy Tauer: velvety roses and geranium lifted by spice and citrus. A souffle of edible flowers that has that rich Tauerade drydown but is perfect for a summer day. If you would like to participate in a prize draw for a 1.7oz bottle of L'Eau de L'Artisan, say so in your comment. The winner will be announced when we return from our vacation. Enjoy your summer, everybody! And don't forget to check out other Top 10s of Summer at: Bois de Jasmin, Grain de Musc, Now Smell This and Perfume Posse.