Perfume for the Occasion: Beachy Scents

Ah, summer..! The occasion for this month’s PFTO is versatile and malleable: a summery state of mind. Whether you’ll be making your escape to an exotic local, a cosmopolitan resort, a blindingly white Mediterranean isle set against the endless blue, a relaxed camping where you’ll be spending your days at the beach bar and your nights drinking frozen beer around a campfire on the sand or right here in the city, escaping every evening and weekend to the roof-garden of a hotel to sip cocktails by the poolside with your friends, forgetting every little worry, you’ll need the perfect perfume to enhance the experience, the perfect fragrance to complete the marvelous sensory pleasure-bomb that is summer.

When looking for a fragrance to accompany your picture-perfect summer memories, the best idea is to look for something that makes you feel sensuous and ethereal at the same time. Perfumes that achieve this effect are a perfect match for the looks we all associate with summer: bright colors, light, natural fibers, revealing cuts, billowing fabrics, chunky, colorful jewelry, high wedges and sexy flat sandals. The most common note for summery scents is of course coconut, and it is indeed the note this month’s PFTO mostly focuses on. A lot of people would probably reference breezy, marine scents with obvious ozonic or watermelon notes for this occasion, but I think warm, sensual scents that manage to avoid being cloying or suffocating are better suited to the erotic, fun-loving mood of the summer holidays. Aside from coconut, look for notes of strawberry, vanilla, jasmine, orange blossom, tiare, gardenia and ylang-ylang. Before we take a look at my favorite picks for the occasion, a word of warning: If you are traveling somewhere where you are expecting really warm weather, and especially if you are going camping, make sure to decant a small quantity of your perfume into a purse spray atomizer and take this with you instead of your precious bottle. High temperature is perfume’s most vicious enemy – you don’t want to leave your bottle boiling in the heat!

· Beach by Bobby Brown : For those of you wanting to recreate the feeling of a retro beach, complete with colorful towels, wet bikinis, blinding, blissful sun and the sound of the rolling waves as the heat lulls you to sleep, this is definitely the ticket. Bobby Brown’s Beach is the most accurate rendition of Coppertone sunscreen, bottled as a scent. Memories in a bottle.

· Fire Island by Bond No. 9: Another very successful rendition of Coppertone sunscreen, Bond No.9’s Fire Island can easily be mistaken for Beach – they are almost twins. Fire Island is rather more citrusy up top, has a stronger sillage and a woodier base, but the effect is truly the same. Sand between your toes, beach ball games, laughter and sun. Smelling both Fire Island and Beach at the same time, I find it hard to decide which one I like better. Beach is more realistically close to its sun-block inspiration, but if I were hard-pressed to choose I’d probably go with Fire Island, whose sweeter approach has a more fun-loving appeal and a more interesting development than the more linear Beach.

· Ipanema by Satellite: From the absolutely stunning bottle complete with seashell decorations, to the saturated turquoise color of the juice, which matches the golden trimmings so perfectly to remind me of gorgeous summer outfits, all the way to the beautifully summery scent, I am utterly in love with Satellite’s Ipanema. I want this on my dresser, and frankly I am not sure I would be able to resist grabbing this one with me on my summer vacation. Forget decanting, I want the luxury of being able to hold this fabulous bottle in my hands every time I am ready to go out! It would put a spring in my step! A yummy, light coconut note, blended with white florals, which dries down to the warmth and sensuality of vanilla and woods. Visit Luckyscent to grab a bottle online, or visit Satellite’s own website to ogle the fabulous jewelry and find a stockist near you.

· Strawberry Perfume Oil by The Body Shop: Yes, yes, I know what you’re thinking... Strawberry? Body Shop? Really? But yes, really, this is so very summery, so very happy, I couldn’t help but include it. A juicy, strong smelling, girly fragrance which smells both fruity and warm. Perfect for a day of exploring the labyrinthine alleys of a sun-drenched Cycladian island or an evening beach party. If you’re a strawberry lover, give this a try. Much better than Miss Dior Cherie. Hah!

· Vanille Coco by Comptoir Sud Pacifique: This is one of my summer staples and an absolute favorite. It is the fragrance that comes closest to my beloved Hawaiian Tropic suntan oil it terms of scent, and believe me, I have searched for that addictive smell everywhere! This is the most delightful, warm and delicious vanilla-coconut combination I have encountered. For me, it is the smell of summer. Arm-gnawing worthy, edible perfection. My boyfriend hates it, but it makes me truly, absolutely happy. Sometimes a girl has to make some difficult choices.

· Hula Hula by DSH: This is one of the most summery fragrances the absolutely lovely Dawn Spencer Hurwitz has created! Hula Hula’s opening is a mad cornucopia of fruit and cream that fills the mind's eye with swirls of interchanging colors. After the initial explosion of fruit, this delightful fragrance settles down to a creamy, beautiful combination of yummy coconut, pineapple, light florals and mango. This is one of the most innovative summer scents I’ve ever tried, and truly worth its spot in my summer fragrance wardrobe.

· Bronze Goddess by Estee Lauder: When all is said and done, Bronze Goddess is Azurée Soleil’s twin sister, a clever move by Estee, seeing as Azurée Soleil became a bestseller. Unfortunately, when it comes to packaging, Azurée Soleil’s bottle was far more summery and attractive, but the juice remains as lovely. Bronze Goddess is truly this summer’s must-have fragrance; if you’re going to invest in only one beachy scent this year, let it be this one! As last year's review of Azurée Soleil indicated, this one has it all: tropical dreams, coconut flavor, ripe fruit, narcotic blossoms, sea-spray and sensual, mildly animalic hints that make this fragrance scream of midsummer eroticism.

· Sampaquita by Ormonde Jayne: An absolutely unisex fragrance in my opinion, Sampaquita smells like grassy sambac jasmine and water lilies, surrounded by a warm cloak of spicy black pepper. An all-day round scent in the rest of the year, Sampaquita becomes an essential evening addition to a summer wardrobe where it perfectly reminds one of the day’s heat accumulated on streets radiating into the air in the nighttime and lovingly mixing with the scents of night-blooming flowers, which hangs thickly in the air. Sampaquita is one of the three Ormonde Jayne scents that also comes in the lovely pots of gold, Parfum d’Or Naturel, a dazzling, alcohol free way to wear your fragrance, perfect for summer evenings.

Lastly, before I close this rather long post, I have to mention three fragrances I have not personally had the pleasure of sampling myself as of yet, but which I have heard are perfect for the summer. These are: Patricia de Nicolai’s Cococabana, Anna Sui’s Dolly Girl on the Beach and Ava Luxe’s Venus Sands, which you can sometimes find in her Etsy Shop. For true beachy scent devotees, these are worthy of investigation!

What do you think of Beachy scents? Do you think they are bottle worthy, or do you hesitate before making an investment in a bottle that doesn’t often see the light of day during the colder months? Do you have a favorite? Let me know!

Images: Flickr by Januszl, Flickr by PinkMoose, wikipedia.

Cocktail : 1 oz vintage, 1 oz modern, 2 oz new, splash of musings

After our healthy serving of ensalada mista a couple of weeks ago, it is now time for another round of perfumed tidbits and thoughts. It might be rather early in the day, but how about a little cocktail?

· Let’s start with some news first: Emerald Dream, Estee Lauder’s 2007 travel retail exclusive, is currently making its way to select beauty counters. Here in the Netherlands, Emerald Dream is being sold exclusively by Douglas boutiques. Is it worth looking for? Umm, no. Don’t make a mad dash for your nearest Douglas just yet: Emerald Dream’s opening is no different than the typical fruity-floral fare, smelling like a soup of notes carelessly thrown together, while the musky-woody base, while not altogether unpleasant, is rather mundane and easily associated with standard, cheap-smelling drugstore scents. The most interesting thing about it is the unusually bright vetiver base note, quite reminiscent of Body Shop’s Oceanus body mist. Forget the word exclusive and give this one a miss.

· Speaking of travel retail exclusives, one that I have been extremely curious about is Cyclades, by Lancome. I had not smelled Tropiques, and last year’s exclusive, Benghal, left me completely cold, but partly due to my Greek heritage and partly due to the fact that the notes sounded quite intriguing, I was really excited about Lancome’s 2008 travel retail exclusive. There are not many fragrances that feature oleander, and I thought it was not only clever, but also really accurate to include this note in Cyclades: oleander is readily found on every single greek island I’ve visited, and on much of the mainland as well. Its bittersweet, almost musky and not-quite-flowery fragrance is one I love, so I really had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, Cyclades turned out to be another disappointment: Not only is this uber-light fragrance bland and boring, not only does it have absolutely zero staying power, but also, it smells nothing like oleander at all. Pity.

· We perfume bloggers are often guilty of waxing lyrically about the beauty of long lost, discontinued or reformulated scents, lamenting their loss and invariably comparing them to the currently available fare, often finding it lacking. This is a highly frustrating practice, and oftentimes even more so for the readers, who long to smell these so poetically described scents but have no means to do so. It was this realization that drove me to start a practice of offering a sample of any hard-to-find fragrances reviewed here on Fragrance Bouquet whenever I am capable of doing so, but still, I am aware that even this does not eliminate the frustration and disappointment. What doesn’t often get mentioned is that older doesn’t necessarily mean better. Even though the loss of old favorites pains me greatly, and even though their memories linger in my mind like ghosts that often decide to stir trouble and longing so powerful it becomes almost illogical, there’s still so much to love that is available right here, right now. The last year has brought many new fragrant discoveries in my life – new perfumes that have become staples in fragrance wardrobe. But what’s even more surprising and worthy of note is that sometimes, a reformulation is not a bad thing. ...I can’t quite believe I am writing this, actually. But it is true. I’ve had a little revelation of sorts in the last couple of weeks: I bought a vintage bottle of Jicky edt from a collector in Belgium I visit when I am looking for old fragrances. The surprising result? I like the newer version better. The opening of both is lavender, with the vintage being purer, more natural-smelling and slightly camphoric, as you’d expect. It is somehow lighter, fresher and less cloying than the reformulated version. However, as time passes, vintage Jicky becomes powdery and soft, casual and unpretentious, remaining fresh and clean. The modern beast? It roars. Time only makes it deeper, darker. A strange sensuality unfolds, mind-bogglingly, out of the innocence of lavender. There is the most gorgeous balsamic sweetness there, that can’t be found in the vintage. There is the marvelous beauty of opoponax, tinged by leather. When I am lucky, civet comes out to play. It is sad when a fragrance we love changes. It’s heartache. But in this instance... I’m not complaining. I really love this sense of optimism this revelation has given me. Please do let me know if there are more scents that in your opinion are better now than they were before. It’s a hard task, but it is rewarding.

Images: Bottle of Estee Lauder's Emerald Dream, www.perfumesand.com
Oleander shrub, commons.wikimedia.org
Vintage bottle of Jicky, circa 1935 from www.ragoarts.com (Rago Arts and Auction Center). Sold in auction for 2268 $.

Ensalada Mista

I tried to be a trooper most of last week and managed to post on both Monday and Wednesday... As some of you perhaps read in the comment section I have been suffering from the flu, yet again. Friday morning I was taken to the doctor because I was suffering such pain that I thought the neighbors were bound to come knocking at my door to see what all the screaming was about. I seem to be getting better, but I am still super disappointed I had to cancel my birthday party. Yes, I just had my birthday! That was yesterday. Even though I can smell and wear perfume just fine, today I am posting a list of little thoughts and ideas, little loose ends that don’t fit anywhere else instead of a review. Now, sit back and enjoy today’s light, healthy and easily digestible entree: Ensalada Mista.

· I didn’t write anything about Commes des Garcon’s Luxe series the first time I sniffed them, but lately I had the chance to retest them. I was expecting Champaca to make me go weak at the knees since I had heard so many good things about it, but it actually left me rather underwhelmed. Unexpectedly, it was the Patchouli that really blew me away. I don’t know how they did it, but it is actually salty. It is one of the most savory scents I have ever experienced, and that says a lot since many of the perfumes that are actually touted as salty don’t really come across as such to me. Really innovative and unique, this has to be experienced at least once.

· Another one I was expecting more from was Gold 8.88, one of the newer CDG releases. Supposedly approximating the ‘imaginary smell of gold’, Gold 8.88 left me cold. I have not tested this one on skin yet, so I reserve the final verdict until then. The fact that the scent failed to inspire me to spray it on my skin (especially considering the fact it cannot be found around here), is however, rather telling.

· Yet another of CDG’s recent releases did manage to do the trick though: Monocle Hinoki might suffer from a rather whimsical if unattractive name, but the jus is utterly fabulous. There is a beautiful, earthy smell of pine that instantly reminded me of Jenavira’s comment on my review of Miyako. Indeed, I was also reminded of Miyako the instant I sniffed Monocle Hinoki. The smell does make one daydream of a Japanese landscape. Deep, woody and mossy at the same time, I suspect this is going to be well liked by lovers of woody scents. And it deserves to be: it is beautiful.

· Time for a little confession: I hate EL’s Tuberose Gardenia. Every time I come across it, I have a little sniff in a desperate effort to understand what all the raves are about. It is time to give up. This one’s certainly not for me.

· Have you smelled EL’s Bronze Goddess yet? Did you detect any difference between Bronze Goddess and Azuree Soleil? No? Neither did I. I guess we’ll see how I feel when I do an actual side-by-side comparison, but honestly, if there is a difference it is miniscule.

· Even though I enjoy flipping through glossies, I never buy any magazines except from Allure, which gives me way too much pleasure to forgo purchasing it. I reason that I can find the same things on the internet and the money that would have been spent on mags is better spent elsewhere. But as I already mentioned, I have been holed up in the house due to the flu lately, so kindly loved ones have decided to spoil me with care packets filled with biscuits and glossies. In this month’s Dutch Cosmo I was intrigued to find three different layering (!) combos! Admittedly, they sound pretty freaky, but nevertheless, I was stunned to find a perfume feature that was not just repeating a pr blurb. Cosmo suggests combining Trusardi Inside and First for a sensual result, Jil Sander’s Style Summer with Ange ou Demon if you’re going for a romantic effect and Lacoste’s Dream of Pink with Allure Sensuelle for an energetic cocktail. How is that going to turn out energetic is anyone’s guess... Still, I am curious. I am going to give it a try when I finally feel good enough to escape the confines of the house. Will you?

· I am planning to add a new feature to Fragrance Bouquet, called “Fragrance Bouquet Loves...”. The plan is to write posts about things I love, things that receive Fragrance Bouquet’s seal of approval, so to speak. These will range from shops I love to beauty products and the reason for writing up on them is mostly for me to have an outlet for my enthusiasm. I deliberated long and hard about this, but in the end I decided to go for it, cause I think it will be such fun. These posts are not going to be a regular feature, which means they will only crop up if there is something that has made me sufficiently enthusiastic. Additionally, they are not meant to take the place of the regular perfume posts, but are rather an addition, so there will be just as many posts on perfume as before per week. “Fragrance Bouquet Loves...” posts will only ever come as extra reading, not as a replacement to a scheduled perfume post.

· It’s not just me who’s celebrating a birthday: Fragrance Bouquet’s Birthday is coming up too! Tomorrow, Fragrance Bouquet will be one year old. So, tomorrow there will be the first “Fragrance Bouquet Loves...” feature to celebrate this new Bouquet year with a little giveaway of the product I am going to feature. Admittedly, it is not something ultra-special, but it is something I love and have bought with my own money for a random reader. :)

Do you have a mixed dish of your own to serve up? Any thumbs up or down for things you’ve happened upon lately? Any thoughts you’d like to share? I’d love to read them :)

Images: www.sxc.hu and www.fromnaturewithlove.com

Forget me Not: Private Collection by Estée Lauder

Private Collection was created in 1973 and was allegedly Estée Lauder’s signature fragrance, a scent that became synonymous with the image of good taste she projected throughout her life. The story goes that before this fragrance was made accessible to the general public, it was only available to three women: Lauder herself, Princess Grace of Monaco and Wallis, the Duchess of Windsor. Allegedly, Lauder gifted these remarkable women the exclusive privilege to this perfume because they loved it so much.

My personal love affair with this perfume started when, still very young, I smelled it on a friend of my mother’s, and experiencing complete and utter wonderment, I was left with no choice but to fall under its spell. I wish I could remember who the mystery woman was, but I cannot. Private Collection has completely eclipsed her presence, her features, her name. Only it remains, a bright beacon in the dark alleyways of long lost memories. I remember thinking that it was the most unique perfume I’d ever smelled – a perfume, but not a perfume, an extension of one’s personality, a stamp of character, something I could not quite touch. It smelled like nothing I’d ever smelled before. I feel a little shaken thinking how wildly unbelievable it is that I feel the same to this day. Private Collection stands alone, as inexplicably unique today as it was then. At 16, I finally felt adult enough to buy myself a bottle of what I then considered to be the most exquisite perfume ever made. It seemed inordinately expensive to my young self (well, in all honesty, it was inordinately expensive back then, if only by comparison) and I was only able to afford the tiny 30ml EdP. Both the price and the age I chose to buy it seem laughable in retrospect. While I hate to put age labels on any kind of perfume, Private Collection is one of the few exceptions. I don’t know what convinced me that I could pull it off at 16. This should not be worn by anyone that is not at the very least in their 20s! Even now, my mind screams that this last sentence should read “no one under 30” instead, but I guess I can’t help but wish to retain the right to wear it. Or at least fool myself that I can.

I could tell you that Private Collection opens with the most wonderful autumnal chrysanthemums, studded with sparkling raindrops of a passing storm. Earthy and ever so slightly sour, they are as real as the ones I used to shun in our garden as a child, in favor of more visually impressive blooms, and miss so much now. I could tell you of the most unbelievable rendition of hyacinths and narcissi, how they merge with blossoms white of orange and jasmine, so seductive, they almost feel narcotic. I’d write about how ingeniously the linden blossoms start us on the path of green, enhanced as we go, first by traces of grass and sap of leaves and vines and then soon by the evergreen needles and deep galbanum. And yet all this would still manage to say nothing about what Private Collection really is. It is the woman whose hair is always in place. She is not sexy, or necessarily beautiful. She has presence, both evident from her structure, which is neither delicate nor frail and from her unwavering gaze, which is always demanding the best of everyone. She is understated luxury, old money and sophistication. She’ll look good when she’s old. She is, more than anything else really, detached. Few women manage to close the distance between this powerful fragrance and themselves in order to truly make it theirs. I know I haven’t, and suspect I never will. But that’s the beauty of a fragrance wardrobe. Private Collection can be used as a tool, on days and occasions when it is needed to project a certain image, a certain facet of ourselves. It will be there when we need to protect ourselves under a shield or numb the pain. It will be there when we need to keep our distance and it will force us to stand tall when we need to impress. The rest of the time we’ll be giving in to our vices and passions.

Don’t forget to check Tamara’s entry!

Images: commons.wikimedia.com (Grace Kelly, Lauder with customer, Chrysanthemums)

A Coconut Lover’s Summer

I have been on a coconut bender for a while now. Even though I adore coconut, I never get the urge to actually smell of it during the colder months of the year. My love for it remains dormant all through winter, forgetting all about it. Come summertime though, my desire for its summery scent is instantly rekindled and I once again begin craving it, finding myself looking for the perfect coconut fragrance with which to scent my body with. I must admit, I have not found The One yet. Embarrassingly, my ideal coconut scent would smell like.... Hawaiian Tropic Dark Tanning Oil. There, I said it. I can’t help it; I have been lusting after its concentrated pungency for years! No, it would not be a refined smell, nor one I associate with elegance. But then again I simply cannot associate coconut with high perfumery anyway. To be frank, I am even loath to use the word ‘fragrance’ or ‘perfume’ in the same sentence as coconut. But there you have it: It is summertime again and as I am getting ready for my vacation in August, I am stocking up on all those favorite blends with which I can make myself smell coconut-fabulous once more. All to the chagrin of my boyfriend I might add, Coconut-Hater Extraordinaire. So far, I have settled on three very different renditions of this tropical seed to take with me on holiday, making my suitcase completely summer-ready.

Azurée Soleil by Estée Lauder: This is undoubtedly my favorite of the three suitcase essentials I am taking with me this summer. A true coconut-lover’s dream, Azurée Soleil is much more complex than any other coconut scent I have tried. It is, a tropical fantasy bottled. It starts out quite fruity, with what I perceive as ripe peach. The ripeness of fruit blends beautifully with heady white florals, but while the overall impression is sweet, it manages to abstain from being syrupy or overwhelming. Instead, once again despite the sweetness, one gets the sense of a salty breeze, carrying with it the aromas of a tropical coast. Needless to say, coconut is an ever-present, prominent figure in Azurée Soleil, but not one full of supercilious, impertinent conceit that would overshadow everything else with its presence. No, despite its strong character and the central position it has been awarded in this blend, it still gallantly allows the rest of the notes to shine and charm the wearer with their own distinctiveness. Perhaps most importantly for me, there is the merest hint of something slightly animalic hidden in the depths of this blend. It is this quality that truly seduces me. Lastly, before I get carried away with what I intended to be a tiny review, I have to say that I prefer the Body Oil Spray to the atomizer. I find that is has more tenacity as well as being more sensual.

Vanille Coco by Comtoir Sud Pacifique: Vanille Coco was an impulse buy, but not one I regret. I really surprised myself with this one I have to admit, because I usually have to smell something over and over again (if I have the luxury to of course) before I buy it. One sniff was enough though, to make me rush over to the register with a big smile on my face. I wanted it. I had to have it. Why? Because it is the closest thing I have ever smelled to that elusive Hawaiian Tropic smell. Vanille Coco positively screams “Sun, Sun, Sun!” and hot, island-air on the skin. It makes me feel like I am lying on a beach, completely covered in suntan oil. (which is a good thing, because I unfortunately no longer partake in the actual, extremely pleasurable activity of sun-tanning with oil or without...It is now SPF 50+ for me and always under a huge umbrella. Who wants wrinkles?) The intense suntan-oil scent lasts for hours, I am very happy to report. But even after some hours of wear, after what initially drew me to Vanille Coco fades, I am still a happy customer. What is left, is a foody, scrumptuous smell that makes me feel positively edible. Like Amour Cacao, I find the drydown of Vanille Coco to be very reminiscent of delicious baked goods. This time around it is a crunchy vanilla cookie with chewy, grated coconut. Or perhaps a yummy coconut macaroon. Mmmmm...

Coconut Dry Oil Mist by The Body Shop: Not truly a fragrance, Coconut Dry Oil Mist from The Body Shop is still an old favorite that I simply can’t leave out. The texture itself is wonderful: It glides on the skin with slippery silkiness and leaves it soft, moisturized and shining with a beautiful soft sheen to boot. The coconut scent is not as concentrated and strong as I would have liked it to be, but subtler and perhaps a little murky. It does lightly scent the whole body though and the staying power is great, unlike other body-mists that become imperceptible ten minutes after application. Also, the fact that it is subtle, allows me to wear it all over the body – something I could never do with Azurée Soleil which would be too strong for this purpose. To this extent, it covers the body with its soft coconut scented film and makes every inch of my skin appear polished and well groomed. I also love layering it with tiny sprays of other Body Shop scents. For this purpose I use the ones specifically created as a palette to mix and match together and use up to two, over the body oil. The ones I prefer are: Citrella, Aztique, Amorito, Minteva and Beleaf. Unfortunately, from those mentioned, only Aztique and Amorito are still in production. The other three have been discontinued.

Having expressed my love for coconut I also have to add that personally, I do not really view coconut scents as appropriate for city-wear. (with the possible exception of extremely casual occasions in hot weather, but even then, I excercise caution.) They are not the height of chic, no matter which way you look at it. They are on the other hand, perfectly suited to an island getaway. My own island-getaway? I finally managed to find tickets for the island I chose to visit this year just yesterday, after a long wait. Now I am counting the days till August, discreetly smelling of coconut already. While in the house, natch.

Images courtesy of: www.deliciousorganics.com, http://fashiontribes.typepad.com and http://ile-tropicale.com