Spring Essentials: Citrus, Green Notes and Flowers
The warmer days are returning, and perhaps you fancy a change of fragrance? In spring, one can opt for lighter, more sparkling notes, attuning oneself to nature as it awakens.
You may be faithful to your signature fragrance all year round, but what if spring offered the chance to take a pause, only to appreciate it even more afterwards? You could seize the season to adopt, for a few months, your “parenthesis perfume”.
Here are my olfactory favourites from both mainstream perfumery and more confidential houses, also known as “niche perfumes”. All of my recommendations are fragrances I find joyful and effortlessly wearable.
- Citrus notes (or hesperidic notes): These are the ones that spring to mind immediately. They are indeed the freshest notes on the perfumer’s organ. They are the very essence of eaux de Cologne, refreshing and invigorating.
- Green notes: Spring means sap, crushed leaves, dew on freshly cut grass. The translation of these impressions in perfumery is the green facet.
- Spring flowers: These are chiefly expressed through orange blossom and neroli, though other flowers such as jasmine or gardenia can, through the perfumer’s talent, be orchestrated in a light, airy fashion, evoking the sensation of caressing petals.
Light-Hearted Gourmandise: Vanilla and Almond
But for those who would rather not stray too far from their winter olfactory register, why not vanilla? Or other gourmand notes such as almond or cherry…
Vanilla
Vanilla continues to seduce and captivate. It ranks among the most sought-after and beloved notes, particularly in France. The explanation may lie in our earliest sensory experiences: from birth, we are seemingly programmed to love it, linked to mother’s milk.
It is associated with gentleness and a sense of security. Yes, vanilla can be worn in spring, provided it is orchestrated in a light and subtle manner, elevated by fresh and joyful facets.
- Shalimar (1925) by Guerlain: The benchmark of gourmand fragrances. I love to smell it on my friends, but personally I could not wear it as it is too powerful and too leathery.
- Shalimar l’Essence by Guerlain: The new version, re-orchestrated in a softer, muskier and more tender way by Delphine Jelk. It is a beautifully crafted work; the DNA of the fragrance is respected, yet it is far easier to wear than the original.
- Valkyrie by Delacourte Paris: In the same spirit as Shalimar, without actually resembling it.
- Vahina by Delacourte Paris: A more fruity vanilla.
Both of these Delacourte Paris fragrances are built around a genuine, unsweetened Madagascar vanilla. They have presence and sillage, yet remain supple, joyful, airy and delicate.
Almond
The almond note (derived from apricot kernels) evokes patisserie and the sweetness of childhood, a veritable “madeleine de Proust in a bottle”. It is a comforting, gourmand, yet unsweetened note.
- Infusion d’Amande by Prada
- Amande by L’Occitane: At a very affordable price.
Iris and Cherry: Powdery and Fruity Elegance
Almond is often paired with iris, one of the most expensive notes in perfumery.
- Florentina by Delacourte Paris: A superb almond and iris accord.
- Iris by Prada: In a register perhaps more iris-forward and less almond-like, a fragrance of absolute class, a truly unique signature.
Let us remain in the realm of almond and iris to discuss cherry, which results from the combination of almond and raspberry (the natural cherry note does not exist on the perfumer’s organ).
- La Petite Robe Noire by Guerlain: Which I co-created with Delphine Jelk, one of the first fragrances to have championed this note.
- Lost Cherry and Electric Cherry by Tom Ford: An entirely successful collection built around this theme.
The Radiance of Orange Blossom
The orange blossom theme is truly evocative of spring.
- Neroli Portofino by Tom Ford: An orange blossom worked with brilliance.
- L’Eau des Sens by Diptyque: A beautifully rendered orange blossom that heralds spring.
- The debut Glossier fragrance: A floral orange blossom and musk composition with a sublime sillage.
- Fleur d’Oranger by Fragonard: A fragrance I admire greatly, at a more than affordable price.
- Bronze Goddess by Estee Lauder: Richer, more solar, a foretaste of summer.
- Histoire d’Orangers by L’Artisan Parfumeur
- Dovana by Delacourte Paris: A tender creation between musk and orange blossom.
Hidden Gems from Exclusive Collections
Among the exclusive lines of major houses (at a higher price point) lie true treasures for the season.
From Dior
- Dioramour: A moving scent between a delicate jasmine and a refined iris.
- Jasmin des Anges: A jasmine tempered by musks.
- Escale a Portofino: A beautifully fresh and springlike fragrance, effortless to wear.
- Bois d’Argent: Which I still love, although it has become somewhat over-worn.
From Hermes
- Un Jardin en Mediterranee, Un Jardin sur le Nil, Le Jardin de Monsieur Li: All magnificently orchestrated. I look forward to discovering the new Jardin sous la mer, due for release soon!
From Guerlain (L’Art & La Matiere Collection)
- Musc Outreblanc: A lovely musk, at once discreet and present, effortlessly wearable in spring.
- Herbes Troublantes: Wonderfully fresh and springlike, blending green notes, orange blossom and musk.
- Cruel Gardenia and Angelique Noire: A musk gardenia and a fresh green vanilla fragrance that I developed during my time as Creative Director.
From Chanel
- 1957: A highly accomplished musk.
- Misia and Comete: Two magnificent powdery fragrances that never overwhelm.
- Paris Riviera: My favourite among the fresh compositions (the entire collection is, in fact, exceptionally well executed).
- Cristalle and N°19: From the classic range, fresh and green perfumes that are wonderfully evocative of spring and of which I never tire.
From Celine and Other Niche Houses
- Parade by Celine: Between neroli, citrus, musk and oakmoss.
- La Cologne Indelebile by Frederic Malle: An eau de Cologne with exceptional longevity.
- Aqua Universalis by Maison Francis Kurkdjian
Striking Freshness and Accessible Green Notes
Let us return to more accessible price points with creations perfectly suited to the season.
- Light Blue by Dolce & Gabbana: A wonderfully fruity freshness with impressive longevity (I always enjoy smelling it worn by women or by men).
- Bas de Soie by Serge Lutens: A refined fragrance centred on iris.
- Eau Parfumee au The Vert by Bvlgari
- Lazurio by Diptyque: Their new perfume, an exercise in fresh green notes and rhubarb. A genuine success.
- L’Ombre dans l’Eau by Diptyque: Launched in 1983, evocative of spring with its instantly recognisable blackcurrant note.
A Final Word: Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria
When one thinks of spring at Guerlain, one thinks of great freshness, and my mind turns immediately to the Aqua Allegoria range from the classic collection (my favourite house, having served as Creative Director there for some twenty years).
I would recommend many of them, notably the latest surprising pairing of rose and cucumber: Rosa Verde. But also Florabloom (a light tuberose with white flowers and a magnificent sillage), and Nerolia Vetiver (a highly accomplished blend of orange blossom and vetiver root), created by Delphine Jelk.
Finally, I shall mention Rosa Rossa and Mandarine Basilic, though for these last two I risk being accused of bias, given that I developed them myself!
See you soon for the summer fragrance selection!
