[Cherry blossom (sakura) trees in High Park, Toronto, Canada. I tried to include a cherry blossom scent, but apparently I don’t have any in my collection! Image: highparktoronto.com]
Living in Toronto, it never really feels like spring proper until around May. We actually had snow a couple of times last month!
But, it’s finally May and now we have some fine weather to look forward to. I have always been a fan of cooler weather: fall and spring are my favorite seasons.
I’ve made a list of five of my favorite scents to wear this season—they should all be readily available, if not in stores, then at online retailers.
Ava Luxe — Sunday Girl edp
Ava Luxe is an independent American perfumer who makes some utterly luscious scents. I haven’t ordered from her in several years (alas, high shipping costs to Canada), but some of her older scents remain amongst my favorites. Sunday Girl is unusually sweet for me, but I adore it. It’s a musky, fruity-floral heavy on pomegranate and rose. If I ever run out of this, I’ll have to repurchase immediately.
Burberry — Brit Rhythm for Women edt
I’ve mentioned this fragrance before, and I’ve just got to mention it a third time. Brit Rhythm is an especially British scent of lavender, pink pepper, and neroli with an icy bite. Perfect for crisp spring weather.
Hermès — Kelly Calèche edt
I have a bit of difficulty with leathers; many just feel too heavy for me. Kelly Calèche in the eau de toilette form is a light leather softened by lovely floral and citrus notes. It’s perfect for spring and fall! The bottle is quite gorgeous, as well, with a top that twists open rather than a removable cap.
Narciso Rodriguez — Narciso edp
I got this with my Shoppers Optimum Points last year! Gotta love that. It’s a smooth, creamy, woody floral with gardenia, vetiver, musk and cedar notes. Anything with a lot of vetiver feels like a cool-weather fragrance to me, but the floral (it has a touch of rose, too) and musky notes warm it up nicely.
Vivienne Westwood — Cheeky Alice edt
British designer Vivienne Westwood released her first Alice in Wonderland-inspired fragrance in 2010, Naughty Alice. I was sorely disappointed by it (too boring and sweet, hardly living up to its name!), but I did like the 2011 flanker, Cheeky Alice! It’s a light lily-of-the-valley scent with rose, musk, and wood notes, making it much less sweet and a little more sophisticated. (If you’re wondering, there are a couple more Alice flankers: 2013’s Flirty Alice and 2014’s Sunny Alice. I haven’t had the chance to smell either one.)
I’ve only heard of Ava Luxe from you! I feel like my perfume tastes are SO pedestrian compared to yours, lol! I feel that way about wine and cheese… I don’t really know much about the finer things in life, apparently. 😛
Now having looked through the Ava Luxe catalogue, would you say it’s similar to Jo Malone? (also their website is hideous! 90’s called, wants their website back!)
I tried the Narciso Narciso Rodriguez from a sample and didn’t care for it… a bit too musky for my liking.
Hmm currently I’ve been enjoying Guerlain Insolence Eau Glacee – its notes are violet, iris, and green apple. 🙂
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Hahaha, oh but I love cheese, too! I’m no cheese snob, though. I’ll take it ALL. Not too picky with wine, either. :p
The Ava Luxe website gives me mixed feelings. I dig the sort of vintage/crafty look it inspires, but my god, the navigation is awful! I haven’t smelled a ton of Jo Malone (it doesn’t really suit me, seems really fleeting) but the Ava Luxe stuff tends to be headier/richer IMO. I never have longevity issues with AL perfumes, and my dry skin is a major fragrance suck. With many perfumes it’s spritz 15 min later… nothin’
Narciso is indeed quite musky, though sometimes I think I might be anosmic to certain types of musk. I think I’ve smelled some musky perfumes and noted that I smelled very little at all! The Narciso Rodriguez in the black/pink bottle is way too musky for me, gives me a headache.
I never liked the original Insolence much, so I haven’t tried the flankers. Eau Glacee sounds crisp! I must give it a try 🙂 Thanks!
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Oh my Naughty Alice is one of my favourites, I find the notes in it so interesting – and funnily enough I didn’t like Cheeky Alice and that’s a nothing scent to me! Clearly a one way or the other scenario! I haven’t found Flirty Alice yet but I’ve smelled Sunny Alice and I didn’t like that one so you might haha!
Sunday Girl sounds great though love pomegranate!
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LOL I love how perfumes are so very subjective. I wish I liked Naughty Alice better – the name is superior 😀 I hope to find the other Alices for testing someday…
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When it comes to packaging, Hermes looks simply brilliant and I’m a great fan of Burberry fragrances and their beige checked scarves.
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I recently discovered Ava Luxe and really like what I have! Sadly the shipping costs to Europe are insane and she raised the prices last month. boo. But yeah, should I ever run out of Coffee Noir, I will order again.
Interesting that you say vetiver is a cool weather fragrance for you. I love reaching for vetiver in summer. 🙂
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