Top Ten Summer Perfumes

Can there be a list of summer perfume recommendation without boring myself silly and/or mentioning Eau d'Hadrien? I'm going to try. Some of these are new(ish), others are perennial favorites. In no particular order:

1. Reverie au Jardin- Tauer
Midsummer afternoon dream. Will transport you to a magical alpine garden.

2. Amethyst- Olivier Durbano
Slightly sweetened pencil shavings, clean incense and a touch of vanilla. Surprisingly refreshing in the heat.

3. Un Matin d'Orage- Annick Goutal
Green gardenias drenched in rain without an ounce of sweetness until the musky drydown.

4. Monyette Paris *
The other side of gardenia. Tropical, sweet with a touch of nag champa incense. Put a flower in your hair and go dancing on the beach.
*I think it's the first fragrance review I've written here. It's magnificently bad, but kind of nostalgic in a campy way.

5. Nuit de Cellophane- Serge Lutens
Osmanthus flowers with a hint of apricot. Like drinking iced peach tea on a beautiful Cape May porch.

6. Italian Cypress- Tom Ford
Is it an homage to Eau d'Hadrien (so I lied. It had to be mentioned)? Maybe. But the cypress is a darker green and the feeling is more pulled together.

7. Encre Noire- Lalique
Or any other vetiver, really. I've chosen this one because it's a bit softer while still dry and grassy.

8. (Vintage) Vivara-Pucci
I'm talking about the original 60s formula. A salty chypre that belongs with the jet set in San Tropez. White pants, a Pucci scarf and oversized sunglasses are essential.

9. Bois Blond- Parfumerie Generale
A roll in dry hay on a lazy Sunday afternoon. You can smell the earth and trees baking in the sun.

10. Figuier- Heeley
Like lying in the shade of a huge, old fig tree next to a running stream.

What are your summer favorites this year?

art: Embarkation by Dan Dahlke

Chypre On The Beach- Pucci Vivara (1965)

Beach fragrances are not what they used to be. The idea today is of something light with notes of Coppertone, Hawaiian Tropic and a side of coconut. But once upon a time, you could have put on a summer fragrance that had the power to transform you into a jet-setter on her way to the Italian Riviera.

Case in point, the original Vivara by Emilio Pucci (the new version is a harmless but forgettable juice in a gorgeous bottle, and has very little in common with the 1965 scent, commissioned by the Marchese himself). This is another lost perfume, discontinued ages ago, but can still be found here and there, mostly on eBay. I managed to find a department store-sealed package of the parfum.

The first thing that hits you on your head is the vintagey aldehydic remains of the top notes, and this little kick to the nose that announces the presence of a chypre. It smells dated and decidedly un-beachy, but not bad, especially if you have a thing for vintage scents. Still, it took me a while (and several tries) to learn to find the green notes and enjoy them.

Once the aldehydes go away, things get interesting. The development is all over the place. There are flowers, especially a peppery rose, in this classical heart of jasmine, ylang, rose, carnation and lily of the valley. Still, there's a touch of bushy, dusty Mediterranean greens that doesn't completely go away and keeps it from turning into a naughtier (vintage) Caleche. What I like best here is that Vivara never goes the soapy way. The drydown is much sweeter than I'd expected: while the oakmoss is there and tinged with patchouli, what I get in spades is benzoin, which makes it slightly addictive and more easily wearable, and perhaps a touch of dry, salty leather, that tames the sweetness and keeps it interesting.

I'm not sure if it's the bottle's age or the parfum concentration, but the sillage is very minimal. If you apply enough (read: practically marinate in it), you'll get hours of wear and will be able to enjoy every part of the development.. This is a lovely scent for serious chypre lovers. I'm happy to have it in my collection and wear it occasionally, but not sure I'd feel as compelled to own it had it been readily available and not a Pucci.

Still, it's more than just a perfume for a bikini. I think a pair of white jeans, a Pucci halter top and aviator shades would go nicely with the concept.

Images: perfume ads from Okadi, photo of Viareggio, one of my favorite places in the world, from Villa Rosa.

Catch-Up

Many thanks for the anniversary wishes. We had a great time playing in the city, had some excellent food (Café Boulud offers several vegetarian options), visited CB I Hate Perfume and added a few items to the ever-growing bottle collection. Now it's catch-up time. I'm still behind on email and beauty-related reading, but I'm getting there.

Speaking of email, here are a few of the highlights from my inbox. There are many offers, sales and events going on now that summer is officially over. Some more worthy than others:

• The Neiman Marcus Beauty Event: Any beauty or fragrance purchase over $100 would award you with a metallic tote and seven generous size samples. There are a couple of skin care items (from Orlane and ReVive. I wish the latter was not the eye cream but their amazing C serum, which is worth its weight in gold and costs as much), a sample of Infusion d'Iris, the new Prada perfume (not exactly the way to my heart, but what can you do?), a Molton Brown shampoo (you can't go wrong with that, but I wish it was a shower gel) and three makeup items (Laura Mercier and Clinique lip color, Estee Lauder mascara). I've seen better offers in the past, but this isn't a bad haul and can sweeten the deal if you're already in the market for a Serge Lutens fragrance.
  
  What's even better are the specific brand offers you'll find there, which will give you an additional GWP. There are several worthy deals in the list, especially if you're already planning on doing some damage. The best offer must be the one from Dior: If you spend your $100 on their products, you'll get a five shadow palette (that one alone is worth the hassle and the money), a mini lipstick and a mini brush set. The Emilio Pucci offer is worth mentioning not so much for the fragrance and body cream samples as much as for the adorable cosmetics case. Like every Pucci print, this is a collectible item. I've sniffed the new fragrance, Vivara, and quite liked it. I have yet to actually test it, though.
  The most ridiculous offer comes from YSL Beauty: You need to spend $200 in order to get a tiny eye cream sample and a mini mascara. I'd skip that one.



• This picture was part from a Sephora Beauty Insider newsletter. It must be the ugliest manicure I've seen since Fergie's bumblebee nails. I almost didn't notice the lashes. Does it make you want to buy anything from her?