The Scents of Summer - Beauty Addict

Friday, May 16, 2008

The Scents of Summer

Writing that review of the Michael Kors Island Capri line a while back really got me thinking about my favorite summer scents. Not necessarily the "beachy" ones (see this post for a listing of my faves in that category), but the ones that really evoke summer, or the ones that just seem to smell better on sun-warmed skin.

Here are a few of my all-time favorites; there are plenty more, but I tried to pare it down to my top 5. What are your favorite warm weather scents, and what makes them say "summer" to you? Post them in the comments!

Creed Virgin Island Water. The high society version of "Put-the-lime-in-the-coconut." Aquatic, tropical and creamy all at once...and light enough to douse yourself with even in the hottest weather. Notes: coconut, lime, bergamot, mandarin orange, hibiscus, ginger, ylang-ylang, jasmine, sugar cane, white rum, musk.

Monyette Paris. Gardenia with creamy vanilla, yum. I've written about this so many times and never get tired of talking about it - nor wearing it. Notes: Tahitian gardenia, French muguet du bois, hints of island vanilla orchid.

Kai. Clean, lush and fresh - and very, very gardenia - Kai is in the same family as Monyette Paris but without the nag champa and vanilla bits. Notes: Gardenia and white exotic florals.

Summer by Kenzo. One of the quieter scents in the Kenzo line, this one has always been my favorite. In fact, it was the first fragrance I ever wrote about on Beauty Addict! The combination of almond, mimosa and musk reminds me of the sun on warm skin...simple but gorgeous. Notes: Bergamot, Citron, Mimosa, Violet, Almond Milk, Musk, Cedar, Styrax.

Estee Lauder Pure White Linen. The tagline for women who wear this should be, "ladies don't sweat, they perspire." Somehow this scent manages to keep its cool even under the hottest conditions. Bright and crisp! Notes: grapefruit, mandarin, iced rose tea, raspberry, pear, granny smith apple, dewy greens, lilies, white freesia, white ginger, cardamom, red tulips, rose absolute, wild honeysuckle, gardenia, tuberose, iris, osmanthus, white cedarwood, patchouli, and heliotrope.

Marc Jacobs Cucumber. Light, fresh and green, everyone from to your man to your mother to the police will love it. So refreshing on a hot day! Cucumber is disappearing quickly, but can still be found at FragranceNet, and I spotted a huge batch at the Neiman outlet in Elizabeth, NJ. Notes: watery cucumber accord, lotus leaf, cactus flower, linden blossom, blue tiger lilies, Dutch freesia, frosted musk and blonde woods.


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