I never really notice how much the days shorten each year until I watch a sunset, which is rare considering I’ve been living in urban Sydney (those ‘Look up’ billboards feel a lot more pertinent here than in Brisbane where I used to live).
After recently moving to Sydney’s suburbs, where buildings are shorter, the pace is slower, and I have something of a view from my apartment, I’ve found myself noticing the changing sky.
Autumn is coming, but let’s keep the summer going with some bright and uplifting fragrances. Here are some I’ve been wearing a lot of these past few months.
Bohemian Lime – Goldfield & Banks
Maybe I’m biased because Goldfield & Banks is native to my home country, but Bohemian Lime is genuinely my favourite summer fragrance. It’s all about finger limes, which are native to Australia and have a bizarre and bitter flavour which works really well as a perfume. Other than that it’s pretty minimalistic, which is perfect for hot weather.
Eau de Narcisse Bleu – Hermès
Simple, elegant, and unisex floral.
Terre d’Hermès
I probably don’t need to say anything about this fragrance. It’s a modern classic, and way better than its competitors.
Gentle Fluidity Silver – Maison Francis Kurkdjian
I love the juniper berry note in this fragrance, and how it’s refreshing but not citrusy in any way.
Since my summer fragrance wardrobe is admittedly a little minimalistic, here are some others I’ve been enjoying but don’t own.
Philosykos – Diptyque
Figs and fig leaves. I love figs, and the smell of this, but it’s a bit much for me when I’m smelling it all day. Philosykos is a welcome stranger in the world of summer fragrances since it completely ignored citruses and opts for something altogether different. I’m not sure which concentration I’d recommend, but it’s better to try them yourself and see what smells best on your skin.
Pomelo – Jo Loves
Pungent, sweet, realistic, and long-lasting citrus. It isn’t as good as Bohemian Lime, but it’s more feminine.
French Lover – Frederic Malle
This is a summery green vetiver fragrance. If you don’t know what ‘green’ means in the context of perfume, I recommend you try this one. There’s a much louder green perfume by Frederic Malle, but even I find it a bit over the top. It’s called Synthetic Jungle.
Fils de Dieu du riz et des agrumes (“Fils de Dieu”) – Etat Libre d’Orange
The opening of this fragrance will surprise you with its hyper-realistic scent of exactly what the title suggests – rice and citrus (“Son of the God of Rice and Citrus”). The base notes of this are a little disappointing, but the opening is phenomenal.
Green Irish Tweed – Creed
About as suave as it gets. This is a hunk of a man in a very expensive but uncomplicated suit.
Chanel No 19
This is light and green, abstract and amazing. If the eau de toilette and eau de parfum are too strong for you, Chanel No 19 Poudre is lovely as well.