LUXE TREND 38
CLOSE TO THE SKIN - LATE SUMMER SCENTS
One of my favorite memories of summer along the Mediterranean is laying at a secluded beach after a day of swimming under the hot sun. The smell of sea salt mixed with hot sand, and possibly a hint of last night’s fragrance that still lingers despite hours of dancing, seemed baked into skin that’s been touched by the sun. As summer fades, it is the gentle heat I often miss the most. Heat helps fragrances expose their base notes faster, making it easier to get to the ‘heart’ of the composition.
Often infused with spicy notes, like ginger root, scents that feel warm to the touch stay close to the skin and maintain a level of touchable intensity. Three scents, all created by women perfumers, are perfect for prolonging the impression of late summer intimacy and comfort.
Tom Ford — Mandarino di Amalfi introduced in 2015, blends tangerine with basil creating a modern Mediterranean fragrance that transcends all other citrus-inspired fragrances. Created by Calice Becker, who co-created J’Adore with François Demachy, this is not a traditional flanker to Tom Ford’s other fragrance on the Amalfi series. Tangerine as a citrus note can become sweet and often cloying rather quickly. The introduction of basil and spearmint help ground the fruit notes in solid earth while, at the same time, amplify the impression of a summer that is everlasting.
Hermès — Twilly is the second perfume outing by perfumer Christine Nagel. Twilly is an attempt to lure young fans into the luxury universe of the brand. For Twilly, ginger plays with citrus and tuberose notes and refreshes the florals with a bright, spicy opening. Ginger also turns up the heat so that the sandalwood can support the sweet tuberose notes, improving the edginess of the inspiration.
Twilly is vaguely inspired by ‘70s perfumes, maybe with a hint of Cacharel Anais Anais or Cabochard. Despite any assumed references, this is a surprising entry of Hermès into this category, as its packaging also cleverly introduces the Twilly Hermès scarf through its reusable colorful silk ribbons. Still, it is hard to see how they will manage to make fragrance desirable to a generation that is losing its connection to the category.
Perfumer H — Ink, created by Lyn Harris, and only available at the brand’s store in London, is the fragrance equivalent of Indian Summer. The spice note here is black pepper; Turkish rose and vetiver round out the composition. Ink is decidedly more woody than the previous two fragrances. The initial impression is similar to smelling a fresh bottle of black ink, and while the opening imitates its darkness rather brilliantly, the core is elegant, intelligent and refined. This is the perfect transitional scent for early fall when memories of the languid pace of summer are replaced by the necessities of our frantic modern life.