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Gabriella
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Hello perfumed peeps!
We’ve had quite sultry weather in Melbourne lately with temperatures over 30C for days straight. The heat has caught everyone by surprise, including me, as it usually doesn’t get this hot until January or February. The change was sudden too: one day I was in jumpers and coats and luxuriating in my dark rose and woody scents and the next day I’m sweltering in a sundress and wondering what perfume to wear. So, today I want to share my:
Top Five Hot Weather Fragrances
Amyris Femme by Francis Kurkdjian for Maison Francis Kurkdjian 2012
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lemon leaf, orange leaf
Heart: Amyris, iris
Base: Vetiver, agarwood (oud)
The Parisian chic choice. Amyris Femme dazzles from the opening with bright and juicy lemon blossom coupled with soft iris and delicately spiced woods. It’s a joyous scent that is still incredibly elegant and poised.
Further reading: The Candy Perfume Boy
Mecca Cosmetica has 70ml/$228
Carnal Flower by Dominique Ropion for Frederic Malle 2005
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, melon, eucalyptus
Heart: Ylang-ylang, jasmine, tuberose, salicylates
Base: Tuberose absolute, orange blossom absolute, coconut, musk
The sexy diva. Carnal Flower is the perfume equivalent of diving head first into a huge florist’s fridge brimming with creamy tuberose flowers. Lush tuberose is front and centre, but the eucalyptus provides a lovely green quality to the fleshy white blooms laced with a touch of coconut.
Further reading: Bois de Jasmin
Mecca Cosmetica starts at 10ml/$84
Lily by Florence Idier for Comme des Garcons: Olfactory Library 2000 (reissued 2017)
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Lily of the valley, freesia, syringa, dog rose buds
The lovely green one. I’ve struggled to find a good lily of the valley scent since the original Christian Dior Diorissimo was reformulated beyond recognition, but this may just be it. Here, the lily of the valley is very stemmy and verdant but devastatingly pretty.
Mecca Cosmetica has 50ml/$130
Original Vetiver by Olivier Creed and Erwin Creed for Creed 2004
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Ginger, mandarin, bergamot
Heart: Vetiver from Haiti, Mysore sandalwood, Florentine Iris
Base: Musk, ambergris
The “It’s too hot for perfume” choice. Many vetivers tend to be on the heavier side but this is the soft caress of a feather on skin. Mandarin and bergamot keeps things bright and fresh with a touch of gentle iris and salty ambergris.
Further reading: Katie Puckrik Smells
Libertine Parfumerie has $339/75ml
Rosa Greta by Fabrice Pellegrin for Eau d’Italie 2017
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Litchi, white tea
Heart: Rose bud, Damascus rose infusion
Base: Cedarwood, ambrox
The summer office scent. Made to commemorate Greta Garbo’s disappearance from the paparazzi in the Amalfi Coast in 1938, Rosa Greta is joyful but still very elegant. Lychee and a gorgeous tea note lend a vibrancy to soft rose.
Mecca Cosmetica starts at 100ml/$204
So what are your favourite perfumes for when the mercury starts to rise?
With much love until next time!
G x
Sel Marin is great. Also Fleurs de sel…wait a minute, some theme here? 🙂
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Hey DW,
Definitely a theme! Sel Marin is lovely!
Gabriella
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Hey Gab,
I have never smelled Creed Vetiver, thanks. I am going to search it out.
Portia xx
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Hey Miss P,
Please report back when you do!
Gab x
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I like citrus for those steamy New York Augusts. Number one is a year-round fave, AG Eau du Sud. A couple of years ago, I was delighted to score a bottle of vintage Ô de Lancôme, which I’d loved in my twenties.
Two light-floral preferred choices when the humidity nears 100 percent: the cheapie-but-goodie Molyneux Quartz, and Balenciaga Paris.
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Hi Francesca,
Eau du Sud and O de Lancome are both gorgeous choices!
Gabriella
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Wearing Carnal Flower today. It’s also a great perfume to brighten a cold and dreary day.
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Hi Kandice,
Totally agree. Definitely in the top five of all year round fragrances for me.
Gabriella
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Hi Gabriella! I struggle with summer scents. I don’t like a lot of them. But I do love Dragonboat by Teone, and I reached out for Guerlain’s Cologne du 68 and Goldfield and Banks’ Pacific Rock Moss during that hot spell. Very strange weather indeed! K xx
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Hi Kate,
I need to spend some more time with Goldfield and Banks and now also going to check out Teone.
Gabriella
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Hi Gabriella, Loved reading your summer faves. I think Amyris is perfect on a hot day – can be dressed up or down. Carnal Flower is an elegant go to summer scent. Will try your other suggestions next summer.
Sandra xo
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Hi Sandra!
Many thanks! Please report back when you do.
Gabriella
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I don’t know any of these fragrances but will sniff them out on my next shopping trip. Can’t have enough hot weather frags in Queensland.
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Hi Ingrid,
Totally agree. I’m heading to the Gold Coast for Christmas and the humidity makes the heat so different to the Melbourne heat. Good luck with the sampling and please report back once you have tried.
Gabriella
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HI Gabriella, i really struggle in the summer as i like my woody, spicy scents. However, my summer choices are Ralph & Ralph Lauren Blue. Simple fruity smells. All About Eve is another favourite which is sadly discontinued but the green apple scent is lovely. I like the sound of the Creed and Rosa Greta – will add these to the decant wish list. cheers!
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Hi Melanie,
Glad I have helped with the summer to-try list!
Gabriella
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DKNY apple green bottle is very nice for summer. Surprisingly rose oud by TF last summer a sample found it good too! Neroli Portofino always a sample never a full bottle.
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Hi Anna Maria,
Those are lovely choices!
Gabriella
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Interesting choice Gabriella. I’ve always wanted to try Rosa Greta but somehow seem to forget about it. Now it goes straight to my sampling list.
My summer favourites include fresh fig scents like Diptyque Phylosikos and I like citrusy body sprays – Lancome’s Aromatonic or Rituals Orange Body Mist.
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