SCENT TRIP
Sticking around over summer? Let the latest perfumes provide an olfactory escape
Fragrances that take you places
The abundance of white florals, sparkling fruit or luscious gourmand notes among recent releases may seem similar but it’s in the nuances where real hits or misses are made. Right now the common denominator in perfume is a buoyant mood, but varying elements can provide a vastly different end product.
Rather than isolating specific notes and matching them to their geographic origin, (putting places in bottles) here we’re guided by the overall feeling each bottle evokes.
From full-blown vacation vibes to the cosmopolitan spark of inner-city nightlife, indulge your wanderlust with these new scents.
TAKE ME TO: SAN FRANCISCO
Estée Lauder Beautiful Belle 50ml EDP, $179
The Estée classic Beautiful, first released in 1985, has been given a 2018 update. Presented as the perfect bridal scent, it is definitely a romantic mix. However, the breezy and bright gardenia and tuberose composition reminds us more of spirited elopement than any stuffy traditional ceremony. In location terms, think Northern California’s laid-back coastal lifestyle with just enough city elegance (read warm, musky dry-down) to be worn year round.
TAKE ME TO: NEW YORK
Miu Miu Fleur D’Argent 50ml EDP, $167
Wait you say, Miu Miu is an Italian brand? Well, this tuberose-heady, sensual scent was apparently inspired by a stylish jacket draped over a shimmering dress, (and you thought travel was a far-reaching concept for a perfume) and the combination communicates a glamorous night out in NYC – perhaps the Met Gala?
TAKE ME TO: SEVILLE
Dior Joy by Dior 50ml EDP, $195 Dior’s first fragrance in 20 years is a sprightly one, a happy explosion of citrus and sun that reminds us of wandering between blooming flowers and laden orange groves in the courtyards and streets of this Spanish city. Of course, it wouldn’t be a scent from a house of couture without other influences – creamy sandalwood and soft musk – elegantly woven in.
TAKE ME TO: VANCOUVER
Calvin Klein Women 50ml EDP, $109 The first scent with designer Raf Simons at the creative helm, Women, much like its inspiration, is a blend of elements, complex and cool, but not niche enough to be intimidating. The cedar, citrus and eucalyptus mix is kind of like our favourite Canadian city – fresh and invigorating with a creative heart.
TAKE ME TO: ITALY
Acqua Di Parma Chinotto di Liguria 150ml EDT, $213 If you’ve ever eaten and drunk your way through coastal Italy, this might provide the most strikingly nostalgic olfactory escape. The latest addition to Acqua Di Parma’s Blu Mediterrano collection is inspired by Chinotto, the sparkling bitter-orange beverage unique to the area, balanced with slightly sweeter elements for a refreshing, aromatic update.
TAKE ME TO LONDON
Chopard Happy Felicia Roses 40ml EDP, $99
Like the best bits of a trip to the UK when the weather is accommodating. A feminine, feel-good fragrance akin to wandering through a rambling summer garden full of roses, bees, climbers and thorny, ripe berries.
TAKE ME TO: PARIS
Givenchy L’Interdit 50ml EDP, $163 Sixty years after Hubert de Givenchy created the original for Audrey Hepburn, the French fashion house is revisiting L’Interdit (French for ‘forbidden’) with a bold new blend. Like a very, very late night cocktail in a dark and impossibly exclusive club in the 6th arrondissement, the predictability of white flowers is turned on its head with a sexy base of vetiver and patchouli.
TAKE ME TO: LAS VEGAS
Jean Paul Gaultier Scandal by Night 50ml EDP, $169 A vision of excess – this more intense, delicious and decadent version of the original Scandal, has been inspired by nightlife where the party never stops. Gourmand honey notes are dense and sweet with additional woody elements. A little goes a long way.
TAKE ME TO : SAO PAULO Jimmy Choo
Fever 60ml EDP, $125 Slip on your dancing shoes – vertiginous heels, naturally – and let this vibrant floral gourmand transport you to the shimmy and shake of Sao Paulo nightlife. Spicy and seductive it offers uncompromising elements of black plum, lychee, orchid, vanilla, tonka bean and resin.