As summer draws to a close, choose an uplifting scent – it will revive the heavenly, long outdoor evenings during those early autumnal days when everything’s a little crisp but you don’t quite feel ready to wrap yourself in a big, cashmere blanket of cinnamon, neroli or patchouli (all permissible during the summer, of course – I just equate them with winter – scent: very personal). Also, August is muggy and the oppressiveness of weather makes me feel a little harassed at all times – citrus is particularly adept at slicing through the heat, rendering me a touch less irritable. Good thing all round. Here are my faves:
DIPTYQUE EAU PLURIELLE / Sparkling enough to make me feel as if I’ve just emerged from the shower on holiday somewhere on the coast of Italy and am slipping into a linen dress, and yet grounded with rose and musk so it dies down to a sexy, earthy, woody floral. Doesn’t last for very long and doesn’t need to in my opinion – respritzing every few hours gives me a zingy pick-me-up on hot days. N.B. Diptyque say you can spray this on your clothes or use to fragrance your wash – I would NEVER waste it on the latter, but horses for courses; it would make for a very decadent laundry cycle.
JO LOVES POMELO / Need an uplifting kick that won’t just disappear like a sugar high? This is the one – the tart pomelo is blended with aromatic clove so it will stick around for a while. When I catch a whiff of this it instantly recalls summer holidays in France as a child. I can see myself in the early evening playing with freshly-watered grass underfoot while fingers of weakening sunshine seep through the trees. Mum’s got something warm bubbling on the hob and on the horizon the leaves of vineyards glitter under the dying sun. Apologies – I lost myself in that reverie. How evocative scent is. Onto the next one…
HERMES LE JARDIN DE MONSIEUR LI / Another take on citrus here: jasmine and mint make this affair more exotic, with a powdery edge – it’s the smell of retreating into the hushed, marble reception of a hotel from the blistering sun. It’s refined, it’s a little oriental, it belongs on a woman wearing a DVF dress. I like the idea of being her – she never has split ends or snagged nails. Her existence, it is rarified.