The past weekend was absolutely miserable in New York. The rain didn't let up for more than 5 minutes, and it was cold in that damp, piercing way that chills you to the bone.

I stayed in, and searched for a way to escape. Maybe something that would trick my brain into believing that it was really a hot summer night, and that I was sitting in a wicker chair on a patio somewhere tropical and lush, surrounded by palm fronds, sipping a glass of excellent wine. Oh, and with a flower in my hair. And a tan. Yep.

Tall order, no?

But I knew I had something that would not fail me, and that something was Monyette Paris.

This is the fragrance you wear on occasions as described above, and the one you wear when you just want to feel like you're there. Its creamy mix of Tahitian gardenia, muguet and island vanilla orchid is beachy and gorgeous and authentic - it was inspired by its creator's travels in the South Pacific and Polynesia. Since it's an oil, it melts into your skin and stays there - the lasting power is incredible. By the end of the day you're left with this warm, sweet drydown of nag champa incense (which, if you have not smelled it before, is nothing like "church" incense...it's more of an earthy vanilla).

I am telling you, this stuff is like serotonin in a bottle - and a cute bottle at that; a tiny one with a little blue bird on it, in pink and green stripe packaging that looks like a cabana.

There's also a luxurious lotion and an incredibly creamy body wash, so you can begin your day with a scent that will make you forget you have to go to work, and then at night, make you feel like you were never there.

And now there's even a Monyette candle, so you can turn your entire home into an oasis of tropical calm, even when the weather outside is, literally, frightful. It sat next to me all weekend as I attempted to wish away the rain via fragrance. 65 and sunny today...I think it worked!

Monyette Paris is available at Henri Bendel and Fred Segal, and online at luckyscent and beautyhabit, among a few others.