Top Ten Scents of Summer
1.) Alan Cumming - Cumming
Sometimes I fear like I’m banging the drum for this fragrance as annoyingly as a Gunter Grass character. But I’m merely banging away for the fragrance version of a pleasurably rotten rainy day, which I hope is much less pedantic and insane. It’s muddy, it’s wet, it’s wonderful.
2.) Novaya Zarya - Barber of Siberia No. 3
This fragrance is an ode to a Russian film of the same name. It smells very much of a gin and tonic with lime, and though one can find similarly inspired gin and tonic fragrances, thus far this is the best one I’ve found. I think I even smell the quinine, though I’ll admit the possibility that this note may be imaginative conjuring.
3.) Czech & Speake - Dark Rose
Spiced rose on ice. ‘Nuff said.
4.) Hermes - Eau de Mervielles
I don’t regularly go for orangey fragrances, but I cannot fathom how anyone couldn’t submit to the beauty of Eau de Mervielles. It’s peppered wood heart belies its erstwhile sweetness in summer, lending it a more tawny beach-strewn driftwood feel.
5.) Versace - The Dreamer
The Dreamer should be regarded as a mess of a fragrance - and what a glorious mess it is. The tangled web of sweet shop and forest it spreads across the skin is all wrong in the best possible way. The Dreamer adopts a soapy tone in the high heat of the season, giving one a sanitary impression of what the candy cottage in the woods might look like to Hansel and Gretel if the old witch that lives there was a committed vegetarian.
6.) Penhaligon - English Fern
Listen, I’m not saying this is the most complex thing ever, but when the temperature hits triple digits Fahrenheit, the simple fougere just clicks with me.
7.) Carven - Ma Griffe
Vintage bottles of Ma Griffe can still be picked up for reasonable prices, thankfully enough. If you crave perfume complexity no matter what the weather, the spiced galbanum of Ma Griffe will satisfy without laying on the air like a wet wool blanket.
8.) Frank LA - Frank LA No. 1
Frank LA (now Frank LA No. 1, with the newish additions to the line) is another greeny fragrance, which entices me to the point of addiction. It’s got herbal salad tones that include the chopped green pepper of galbanum, it’s got incense, it’s got a smidge of nutmeg. Sound too heavy? Somehow it manages to slice a clear swath through the thick humidity and sleepy heat of even the hottest day. Rather than feeling oppressive, it invigorates, and wipes the smile that descending sweat melted off back onto your face.
9.) Guerlain - Sous Le Vent
For what seemed like ages, I had the worst time figuring out what I thought of Sous le Vent. Mostly because during the cooler weather the appearance of a note I sadly can only describe as asparagus pee-like popped up on my skin. But now with the rising mercury, that troublesome asparagus pee is no more! I’m left with a refreshing rush of green florals and herbs that overlap like waves greedily consuming one another on the incoming tide. It does play out as more animalic in summer than during winter, however, this is simply not a deal breaker for me. I find its indolic animal on sweaty summer human possesses the same negating effect as fighting fire with fire.
10.) Cote Bastide - Peche de Vigne
The peach orchards of Goldendale, Washington are not legendary, but they should be. During the peaches’ peak ripeness, they taste of honeyed blossoms as much as they do of fleshy fruit. Peche de Vigne grabs me with the same gravitational force as the wafting aroma from pallets loaded with Goldendale peaches.
To read some other great compilations of summer fragrance choices, please click on any or all of the links below:
Thanks to Marina for the graphic used at top!
July 20th, 2007 at 4:56 pm
Spiced rose on ice, you say? Hmm, maybe it is time to re-try this one. Great list!
July 20th, 2007 at 5:10 pm
Yeah, there’s a real chilliness to Dark Rose, I feel, that defies just reading the notes on paper. Thanks again M, for the great graphic choices :)
July 20th, 2007 at 10:03 pm
Peche de Vigne? Where have I BEEN!?!?! That sounds just luscious, I must seek out! Your list is really a departure, and I think it’s the only summer list so far that does NOT have Carnal Flower on it. Not that I do not adore that one (I do, more than I can say), but your others are really interesting. Thanks for mentioning Ma Griffe - I was just thinking about and how I would love to have the vintage version back for the summer. I just love that juice!
July 21st, 2007 at 5:29 am
Glad you mentioned Barber of Siberia, the film. I didn’t know there was a perfume to its name.
I agree that Sous le Vent and Ma griffe are eminent choices for the heat of summer. For some reason cool chypres with herbal/earthy elements are very suited to summer.
July 21st, 2007 at 6:07 am
What great choices, K — and so glad someone is banging the drum for Cumming (an odd phrase, LOL!) — it really is a great scent. Hope it is selling, it deserves to. And love Peche de Vigne & Merveilles, and will have to see about that Barber of Siberia, it sounds perfect.
July 21st, 2007 at 8:34 am
Katie, your list is the most “think outside the box”! :) Love Sous Le Vent in the summer.
July 21st, 2007 at 10:06 am
Y’know, I am yet to try Cumming…
And your list has me inspired to explore new things.
July 22nd, 2007 at 4:21 am
Hi Katie,
I like your list, which is well thought-out and reflects your personality well. I was wondering about the Novaya Zarya scent you mention because, as you may remember I reviewed it, but the no 1 does not smell at all like what you describe. Is this another one? The one I reviewed is called Siberian Barber no 1, not Barber of Siberia no 1. Do you mean the red or the green bottle (no 3)? Love The Dreamer, Ma Griffe and want to try Pêche de Vigne as I’ve precisely been hankering for a juicy peach:) I saw it’s at Beauty Habit and see it is called a Floral Water.
July 22nd, 2007 at 5:16 am
Flora - Peche de Vigne wears as softly creamy, which I rather like. Not like, you know, actual dairy cream, but it has that feel. Ma Griffe is one of those great frags that should be even more well loved than it is, isn’t it?
Helg - Yup, wish I could find track down the film to watch here in the states! Really have to love those hebally beauties during the summer, and it makes it hard to pick some over others to a certain extent.
Robin - I do hope Cumming winds up being a fragrance that lasts a while, and isn’t just turned over to the trash heap of pop culture fads. That would just break my heart.
Ina - I’m not so sure about that! Especially looking at your list with such rich frags that I suspect would usually make a lot of folks’ “winter” top tens :)
Leopoldo - ACH! You must track down a tester of Cumming. Even if you don’t like it, it will definitely be interesting.
Scented Salamander - You know, you’re right! I’m looking now, and I didn’t even realize I had transposed the numbers!! Yikes. (Will edit to make that right in a sec!) The title “Siberian Barber” or “Barber of Siberia” seem to be both right - looks like it depends on who’s translating for how the words are parsed out. The No. 1 was fun, too, really strawberry-laden on me, like, to the point where it smelled as much like strawberries dipped in white chocolate as it did of Angelic patchouli. But, there’s no way that one works for me for summer, alas.
July 22nd, 2007 at 9:46 am
Thanks for the clarification - you’re absolutely right, it depends on how the translation is done, but I was puzzled and wondered if you had come across a different edition with a different label etc.
I only sniffed no 3 on a so-called “sample” they sent me, but it seemed more like what you describe it to be.
July 22nd, 2007 at 3:22 pm
Yeah, I run into the same problems with moving from Spanish to English, too! No different editions, at all, I’m just mathematically scatterbrained and apparently can’t tell my 1s from my 3s, heh! I take it you’ve seen the movie? I don’t suppose you know if it’s been subtitled anywhere into English, do you? Not that I can even find it here at all in the first place, but I’d love to have some hope that I might dig it up at Netflix or one of the quirky independent video stores, sigh.
July 23rd, 2007 at 4:59 am
I’m just thrilled with your list.
Period.
It must be my perverse nature, but my nose is very happy with these.
I’m also mad for Afteliers in the heat- Cepes and Tango in particular- but I don’t hear any echoes.
Vot can I say ?
Bona fide weirdo.org here.
July 23rd, 2007 at 11:56 am
Hi Katie, what an original list, it was such fun to read. All of ours are so different, even with overlaps, it makes me want to scream Vive la difference! I just did a weird one of my own last night and had a blast! Have a great summer!
July 23rd, 2007 at 3:21 pm
I’ve seen the movie a while ago, on French TV I think. It’s not on Netflix. I would hope that if it is for sale on Amazon (out of stock), then that it is probably subtitled.
July 24th, 2007 at 1:12 pm
More to add to the list of stuff to try. I am particularly intrigued by Alan Cumming’s scent and Sous Le Vent (despite the asparagus-pee like note!).
July 24th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
I hate to admit it, but I have never tried “Cumming”. I really should..
July 25th, 2007 at 11:23 am
Chaya - Ah, no worries, if you’re mad for those in the summer, I’m betting it’s because you’re mad for them period. Which isn’t so weird at all. In comparison, there seems to usually be an undue emphasis in the glossy media for tame, boring perfumes during the warm months: now THAT is weird!
Qwendy - Oh, you’ve written up a very substansive list. I’ll respond over at your place :)
SS - Thanks, that gives me hope, I’ll just have to dig around a little deeper it looks like! Stupid Netflix - lately I’ve been insanely dependent on them having all manner of films that aren’t major studio blockbusters (mostly documentaries, but they do a good job of stocking the lesser known fiction films, too.)
greeneyes - I think you’d find Cumming very quirky, but you should try the Sous le Vent for sure. I’m 99% sure you’d find it a very intellectually satisfying scent.
Tom - AHHH! Please try it. It’s so fun, and even if you don’t like it, I bet you’d get a kick out of it. It’s definitely off the beaten path for a celeb fragrance.
July 26th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
Hi, hope summer is treating you well.
I have a question. When did “Joy” by Patou become part of P & G Prestige Frangrances? I ordered a bottle and when it came there where certain subtle changes. Then I look on the back of the bottle and it says “Made in U.K. P & G Prestige Fragrances”. What am I missing? CHecked P & G site, it is part of their reportoire.
Also, Alfred Sung’s “Paradise” seems to have no odor on me. This also happened with “Pure Turquoise”.
I am really sad about this.
August 6th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
Yes - summer is lovely here.
The copyright to the Patou house and its frags were swallowed up by Proctor and Gamble in 2001…
Not sure about what’s going on with your experiences with Paradise and Pure Turquoise. How frustrating that must be. Perhaps they simply are very short-lived on you? Or else you may be ansomic to some common element they share? Is there no scent at all, or is it something that is so faint as to be nearly (but not entirely) non-existant over time?
August 10th, 2007 at 2:47 pm
Thanks for clarifying the Joy situation. I’ll buy it in the dish liquid section now, ha, ha.
Can you recommend either a deep rose or pure gardenia scent? You are just a marvelous source of information.
I also tried Parfum1 as per your recommend and was happily satified. Scentiments has gotten less than they used to be. Ah well.
There is no scent at all on Pure Turquoise, and just a faint trace with the Paradise. And the funny thing about this is my father who smoked unfortunately had a nose that just wouldn’t quit on scent. He’s the reason I’m a perfume nut.
August 14th, 2007 at 5:27 pm
Heh. One deep rose I’d suggest Andy Tauer’s Le Maroc pour elle, perhaps? As far as gardenia, you might try Kai, for it’s simple but efficient green character, or maybe hunt down Isabey’s Gardenia for something creamy and a little tropical. That’s so weird about the PT and Paradise - dang. Sorry ’bout that!
August 15th, 2007 at 6:04 pm
“Cumming” smells like men’s semen. Sorry but it does. Alan would know.
August 16th, 2007 at 11:59 am
David - Cumming smells so much of muddy dirty peat to me, that I’m afraid I can’t quite say it’s a semen aroma. But who doesn’t like dirty boys? So while I can’t quite characterize it in the same way you smell it, I like that your take on it still fits as “dirty,” heh.