To leave a lasting impression in the fragrance space, it helps to be innovative, groundbreaking, and sometimes deviant. Cult brands in the scent world are revered by a loyal niche following precisely because they dare to venture into realms where our olfactory senses had never been. I remember being completely floored by Swedish-born fragrance brand, 19-69, after sampling provocative scents like Female Christ and Kasbah. Every scent created by the founder, Johan Bergelin and his team asserted itself as a tribute and honesty commentary on counterculture.
19-69's Capri and Villa Nellcôte are fragrances that one will immediately associate with summer. The unexpected contrasts of refreshing notes anchored on rich base accords like patchouli, amber and moss inspires us think of scents are seasonless. Like that transitional garments that remain in rotation long after summer, there are a handful of scents that are simply too beautiful to park on the shelf just because the season is over. I love layering these scents with spicy notes during the cooler months of the year.
The newly launched Bond Number One distills Manhattan's artistic spirit in a striking bright purple bottle. The team explains that, the inspiration draws from the Blick Art Supply Shop, The Robbins and Appleton Building on #1 Bond Street. They write: "Designed by architect Stephen Decatur Hatch, the ornate cast iron façade is a striking example of Second Empire style and emblematic of the creative architectural variety that embodies both the historic and futuristic on Bond Street. Number One is an olfactory expression of "abstract expressionism," a exploration of the classic white musk through a modern lens. The grounding scent is blended with Italian Bergamot, Ylang-Ylang, Bulgarian Rose, Jasmine, Brazilian Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Cashmere Wood and Indonesian Patchouli to bring senses a sensorial experience that equal parts sensual, dreamy, and elegant.
As a clean and sustainable beauty brand from Greece, KORRES is widely known for using ingredients that are ethically sourced from farms and communities around the Hellenic island. The brand is more popularly known for exceptional skincare products like the Greek Yogurt Foaming Cleanser and the Santorini Grape Velvet Skin Drink. The brand's range of seed-to-scent products was a pleasant revelation over the summer. Inspired by life in the Mediterranean, summer EDT's from KORRES include: Kyma, Avgoustos, Lefko, to name a few. Crafted to capture moments from the quintessential Greek summer, these subtle scents envelope the senses in beautiful island memories. This Fall, layer these EDTs with gourmet notes of vanilla, wood, leather or spice.
Kyma ("wave" in Greek) opens with citrusy top notes of lime, mandarin and orange. Its heart recalls the feeling of salt water kissing one's face. Base notes of cedar, vetiver and nutmeg linger at the base.
Avgoustos ("August" in Greek) is inspired by first harvest of figs in August. It is blended with top notes of mandarin, lavender, bergamot, lemon tree leaves, and orange blossom. The light and fruity fragrance rests on base notes of ambergris, musk, and cedarwood.
Lefko ("White" in Greek) reminds one of fresh linens on a crisp summer day. Lily of the Valley dance with heart notes of rose, peony. At the base, essences of musk, powder and sandalwood.
This year, the biggest launch from Maison Francis Kurkdijan comes in bottle of APOM. Short for A Part Of Me, the first iterations of the fragrance was introduced in 2009 as two separate olfactory experiences: APOM pour femme and APOM pour homme. The revered perfumer explains, "APOM pour femme and APOM pour homme are two perfumes emanating from a single olfactory matrix that combines lavender and orange blossom over a sweet amber base. For the new APOM, I took the best of both; the feminine version's sunny sensuality and the masculine version's elegant addictiveness. Is this fragrance for men? No. For women? No. A genderless fragrance then? A fragrance for men or women. That is not the point. I am inspired by the story." APOM today is a luminous and sensual eau de parfum that explores the alchemy between sweet floral notes at the heart, neroli, lavender, orange blossom, vanilla, and musk.
L'eau de Parfum is the debut fragrance created by world-renowned entertainment brand, Cirque du Soleil in collaboration with perfumer Alex Grugeon. Like the group's roster of virtuoso artists and performers, everything about L'ea de Parfum is a sensorial spectacle. The bottle is a visual statement in the boudoir with its azure glass topped by a revolving golden sun. A gourmet-inspired blend of bergamot, cotton candy, iris petals, buttery popcorn accord, freesia, vanilla bean, caramelized amber and sandalwood, lend that sense of magic and wonder to the fragrance wardrobe this fall.
Trudon's expertise in creating some of the most opulent home fragrances and scented bougies dates as far back as 1643. It was only in 2017 when the heritage maison launched its very own eaux de parfums line, which they simply called, Trudon. The permanent collection of the haute perfumerie consists 8 of unique fragrances that are showcase artisanal savoir-faire and promote creative freedom. Mortel Noir is a unisex, limited edition parfum that surrounds senses in intense, spicy and mystical essences of Madagascar black pepper, incense, myrrh, and benzoin. The Trudon team adds, "Mortel Noir has the mystical presence of an artist evolving between light and darkness. It suggests skins heating up against another." The matte black bottle of Mortel Noir has been taking up a place of pride on my perfume shelf. It is a choice fragrance for special occasions, regardless of whether it's summer or fall.