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

Monyette Paris

The Hot Pack sample set I bought last week from Luckyscent had many interesting goodies, including  Monyette Paris, a fragrance that was just reviewed by the Beauty Addict . It's always interesting to compare a product review to my own experience, especially when it comes to fragrance. Body chemistry, taste and even memories are what makes our impression of a perfume; And it varies a great deal from person to person.

Upon opening the vial and taking the first whiff I was strongly reminded of my mom's eternal Chloe (my mother and her one-fragrance devotion are worthy of a separate entry). It was the heady gardenia and maybe some other white flowers, but the scent took a turn towards sweetness and incense, so I didn't mind so much.

I'm not used to using a perfume oil, especially in a vial (but that's just the sample. The real thing comes as a roll on, so there won't be cleavage drippage). It took Monyette Paris a few minutes to set until I could get the feel of it.

All I can say that it was lovely. There's depth, warmth and a sense of fun. I'm a vanilla girl, so whatever is in the base works very well. It's sweet but not foody and unlike many other tropical perfumes, it's free of fruit.
I loved it. My husband also approved even though he didn't find Monyette Paris very sexy. He thought it was cute and summery.  It's a winner, and I'm going to buy the entire range- including body wash and lotion. I'll pass on the candle, though. You can't really have burning things in a house that's run by eight cats.

Monyette Paris can also be purchased from BeautyHabit.