May 18, 2017

How To Pick The Perfect Summer Scent

L'Esperessence April Aromatics, Guerlain, Heeley Parfums, Laboratorio Olfattivo, Nicolaï, Parfums, Summer Fragrances Beach, Bergamot, Coconut, Lemon, Neroli, Salt, Summer, Sun Tan, Tiare, Tuberose, Ylang ylang 6 Comments

With summer in its way other fragrances might be more appropriate than the ones you having been wearing during wintertime. It can be a good moment to start wearing other more suited summer fragrances like tropical florals, refreshing citrus or beach fragrances.

Try exotic flowers

Try fragrances with exotic flowers like ylang ylang, tiare, tuberose or fragrances with milky coconut undertones. The combination of tuberose and coconut can be found in Killian Beyond Love. Another more creamy tuberose is the budget friendly but discontinued Madonna Truth or Dare. The recently released Dusita Le Douceur de Siam is a beautiful tropical creamy rose ylang ylang fragrance and very well suited for summer. Tiare and coconut can be found in the recently discontinued but still available Guerlain Terracotta Le Parfum, Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess and Nicolai Createur Juste Un Reve.

Freshen up with citrus

Another good choice is to freshen up on hotter days with fragrances which contain lemon, neroli or bergamot. Heeley Oranges and Lemons Say The Bells of St. Clements, the natural and organic April Aromatics Ray of Light or the longer lasting Le Galion Whip are excellent choices if you like lemon in a fragrance. The refreshing Annick Goutal Neroli Cologne or Yves Rocher Secrets d’Essences Neroli are good choices when you are looking for a neroli scent. The zesty green Martin Marghiela Untitled L’Eau is my personal favorite for those very hot days with notes of lemon, mint and mandarin.

Go to the beach

Salty fragrances like Laboratorio Olfattivo Salina give the impression of being at the seaside which can be very suited on those warmer days. If you like the scent of sun lotion you can choose Nicolai Createur Musc Monoi which was inspired by the scent of Ambre Solaire sunscreen lotion.

Do you have favorite summer fragrances? Which one is your favorite?

Further reading: read my reviews of Laboratorio Olfattivo Salina, Madonna Truth or Dare.

Disclaimer: all fragrances mentioned in this article were my own acquisition, all photographs made by Esperessence

Do you have favorite summer fragrances? Which one is your favorite?

April 3, 2017

Mood Scent 4 Blogging Project: Rainy Day Fragrances

L'Esperessence Annick Goutal, Hermes, Keiko Mecheri, Maison Mona di Orio, Miller Harris, MoodScent4 Project Bitter orange, Citrus, Comforting, Energizing, Mona di Orio, Neroli, Oriental, Petit Grain Lemon, Petit Grain Orange, Rum, Sandalwood, Uplifting, Vanilla, Vetiver, Yann Vasnier 9 Comments

Welcome to the first joint blogging project by MoodScent4!

We are four perfume bloggers based in France, Holland, England and Wales who will be posting on a different joint subject every couple of months. Each time we will individually pick a selection of five or so fragrances to fit a particular mood or occasion. You will find links to the other blogs at the end of the post.

We hope you have fun reading our different choices and adding your own in the comments.

The first joined theme we picked are rainy day fragrances. As I live in Amsterdam, I experience quite some days of rain. On those days I like to wear fragrances contrary to the grey weather to add some sunshine and light to my day. These are generally energizing or uplifting citrus (with for example notes of bitter orange tree leaves or lemon) or cologne style fragrances like Hermes Eau d’orange verte, Annick Goutal Neroli Cologne. On other rainy days I choose more comforting oriental fragrances like Keiko Mecher Vetiver Velours, Guerlain Shalimar, Miller Harris Fleur Oriental or Mona di Orio Vanille.

One of my favorite scents to add sunshine and light to a day is the Eau de Cologne Hermes Eau d’orange verte. Eau D’orange verte is an extraordinary uplifting scent. True to its original name, Hermes Eau de Cologne smells very much like a cologne focussing on freshly squeezed bitter orange tree leaves. The Eau d’orange verte shower gel smells just like the Hermes Eau D’orange verte Eau de Cologne and is well worth a try for an energizing shower on a rainy morning.

Another very suitable fragrance for a rainy day is Annick Goutal Neroli Cologne. Neroli Cologne smells very much like a blossoming bitter orange tree filling the air with its magnificant scent, adding a feeling of a sunny spring morning near the Mediterranean coast.

A more comforting scent would also be a good choice for a rainy day to bring the feeling of being wrapped up in soft blanket, hanging on your couch reading a book with a cup of tea or Netflixing. Keiko Mecheri Vetiver Velours from the Les Merveilles Collection (previously The Bespoke Collection) is very suited for a grey rainy day. It is an elegant and sofisticated dry oriental woody fragrance leaving a soft powdery veil on one’s skin. Vetiver is very well blended into the whole fragrance by perfumer Yann Vasnier by not making it a dominant note.

One could also choose for the classic oriental Guerlain Shalimar or one of its modern (and one of my favorite) siblings Miller Harris Fleur Oriental. Fleur Oriental has amazing longevity and leaves a warm balsamic powdery scent. The soothing Mona di Orio Les Nombres d’Or Vanille would be an excellent choice as well. Vanilla is known for its comforting and uplifting properties. Mona di Orio Vanille is a more woody oriental fragrance. The perfumer Mona di Orio was inspired by an oriental romantic fantasy of an old ship travelling to Madagascar for vanilla pods, rum barrels, precious spices and sandalwood.

Have a look at the scented suggestions of Tara from A Bottled Rose, Megan from Megan in Sainte Maxime and Sam from I Scent You A Day for fragrances on a rainy day. I am curious what they have chosen, aren’t you?

What fragrance do you use on rainy days? A comforting one or do you choose an energizing scent? Let us know your choices!

The other blog posts on rainy days fragrances can be found here: A Bottled Rose, I Scent You A Day and Megan in Sainte Maxime.

Disclaimer: all perfumes mentioned in this article were bought by me.

February 5, 2016

Which fragrances help to relax and unwind?

L'Esperessence Relaxing fragrances Almond, Atelier Cologne, Carner, Chloe, Heliotrope, Hermes, Lavender, Neroli, Penhaligon's, Soothing, Unwind, Yves Rocher 9 Comments

A dear friend of my mine is dealing with stress issues in her life. One way or another many of us do, these days. This got me to think about fragrances which can help to relax and unwind. Fragrances which help me personally are A Lab on Fire What We Do In Paris Is Secret and Carner Tardes. I find Tardes to be especially relaxing. Both fragrances have an almondy gourmand scent (probably due to the heliotrope in both fragrances) which I love. I do not find them too sweet but have read some do.

While doing research on the internet and in aromatherapy books I found lavender (true lavender) to work soothing and comforting and clear the head (this will not come as a surprise) and neroli to help with anxiety and stress related conditions. A lavender fragrance which is easily available online is Caron Pour Un Homme and one more exclusively Chanel Jersey.

Some of my favorite neroli fragrances are Atelier Cologne Neroli, Penhaligon’s Castile, Roja Dove Neroli and Chloe Eau de Fleurs Neroli. I used to spray Chloe Eau de Fleurs Neroli before going to bed. Hermes will introduce Eau de Néroli Doré in its cologne collection this month. This is a release I really look forward to. Yves Rocher has a neroli fragrance in its Secrets d’Essences line with matching body products which one could use before going to bed.

Relaxing fragrances

All these fragrances could help you to unwind and relax, but this is always personal. So it is worth to try different fragrances and experience what works for you.

Which fragrances are relaxing for you and do you use to unwind?

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