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Wow, did I tumble into a lucky conversation in the comments section on this post or what? I’d asked Magpies to share their favorite parts of winter and several chorused that they look forward to wearing a seasonal scent, which led to a rousing conversation on perfumes that has cross-stitched its way through several posts and comment threads over the past few weeks. I wanted to pluck out a few star, and repeated, recommendations from the enthusiastic cognoscenti (pun intended) among us:
From Sara: “My winter favorites (well this week, anyway!) are: Guerlain Mitsouko, Le Labo The Noir 29, Serge Lutens Chergui, L’Wren Scott’s eponymous fragrance she did for Barney’s awhile back [ed. note: no longer available], Ormonde Jayne’s Woman. I have always thought of fragrance as seasonal; heavier clothes and drier air work better with heavier fragrances. I go much lighter in warmer weather as humid air and lighter clothing seem to call for lighter fragrances.”
From Kelly: “I collect perfumes too, I’d love to join your little society.
This week: Replica Maison Margiela Coffee Break, Tom Ford Oud Wood, Hermes Jardin Sur Le Nil, Jacadi’s baby perfume to layer (a gift from a french friend intended for my newborn)
Winter in general: Replica Maison Margiela By the Fireplace, any of the Alkemia perfume oils with incense in them.”
From Aoife: “Year-round: Diptyque Geranium Odorata, Le Labo Thé Matcha 26, Le Labo Bergamote 22, Le Labo Baie 19 (the juniper, cade, and green petrichor notes are incomparable), Nuxe Body Oil (classic), Jo Loves Fig body lotion (ongoing layering fragrance), Skybottle Muhwagua body lotion (more fig because I just love it so, so, so much), my own body oil blend of vetiver, geranium, rose and frankincense (to evoke the Diptyque Kyoto ltd ed. EDT (that I stupidly never bought, ugh!).”
Aoife used to work for Le Labo and provided a detailed and stirring description of their celebrated scents in the comments here, but I want to pluck out this suggestion in particular, because I’m going to Le Labo store to smell it based on her recommendation:
“My final wild card is my personal favourite — Baie 19 — an exaltant green masterpiece. This fragrance is entirely poetic as it’s inspired by petrichor and the feeling when the drought breaks. Some say it’s like walking through the rainforest floor, driving through a long, wooded road when it’s cool and foggy, or walking across steaming tar at the beach after a rainstorm. The mix of green oils (the plants actually release these when it finally rains [!!]), two forms of juniper (leaves and berries along with cade tar), and leafy patchouli make this creation simply sublime in the most transcendent sense of the word.”
And finally, from me: I have been wearing Byredo’s Mojave Ghost nearly every day for over a year now (maybe longer?) and am obsessed with it. It always makes me feel lifted, more pulled-together, more elegant? The site describes it as: “a woody composition inspired by the soulful beauty of the Mojave Desert. In this xeric wilderness, rare are the plants that dare to blossom. With a light and graceful character top notes of musky Ambrette combine with fresh Jamaican Nesberry. Powdery Violet then unfurls to reveal Sandalwood.”
I also really love Byredo’s clean Blanche scent (“Blanche explores the scent of texture and skin; bodies beneath fresh sheets; laundry baskets; a punch of detergent”), and understand many women layer this beneath other scents. Finally, I have been wearing Jo Malone’s English Pear and Freesia — it’s a bit more dressed-up and powerful than Byredo.
The perfume brand Who Is Elijah sent me a few scents to test recently. The Nomad scent was a bit too strong for my liking (it reminded me of Houbigant’s Quelque Fleurs, which my grandmother wore — a strong floral scent that follows you everywhere; very elegant but very powerful), but I’m making my way through their testers to see if any other jump out at me.
I shared most of the recommended scents in one “shelf” here for quick reference.
Your turn: what are your favorite scents?
P.S. Time is a thief.
P.P.S. When was the first time you experienced rejection?
P.P.P.S. Twilight on the Potomac.