*The Dogdays* are here- no denying it.

I’ve never been a summer girl; I was */born hot/*, alas-

Thusly putting me at a distinct disadvantage , as the lion’s share of my
neighbors eagerly await the coming summer swelter with great delight.

Now, if I lived a Caribbean life, or the much more sensible rhythm of
those in warmer climes-

 

 

 

The lingering glass of pastis at noon, the leisurely siesta, the gentle
early evening ambling along ancient Roman paths near Avignon…

 

*Cool, green, herbal : *My pick is *_Ava Luxe Absinthe_.*

* *

Notes : Wormwood, Angelica, Mint, Star Anise, Melissa, Coriander,
Licorice, Incense Hyssop, Lemon, Lime.

Neither cloying nor particularly sweet, this Green Fairy is fresh and
fair ; she calms the heat-frayed nerves and soothes the overheated soul.

 

 

 

An exquisitely pastoral nymph, she is fit for frolicking in the haystack
or the workplace, and she won’t break the bank or offend your neighbor.

All the while, you will feel annointed, a happy inhabitant of Arcadia 😉

 

*Voluptuous All-Out Floral : _Amaranthine_ by Bertrand Duchaufour, for
Penhaligon’s of London*

* *

Notes
Head: green tea, white freesia, banana tree leaf, coriander seed oil,
cardamom absolute.

Heart : rose, carnation, clove oil, orange blossom, ylang ylang oil,
Egyptian jasmine absolute.

Base : musk, vanilla, sandalwood, condensed milk, tonka bean absolute.

I /know/.

 

 

[Yes, the litany of ingredients seems daunting and perhaps unnecessarily
lengthy.]

A polarizing, love-or-hate scent, but…we are smitten with one another.

This larger-than-life , spicy, indolic beauty canoodles obligingly,
serenading me sweetly in dulcet tones.

 

You certainly don’t hear /me/ complaining.

It blooms in the heat, as many florals do; but the drydown is whisper-
soft .

I NEVER tire of it.

 

*Chic in any Climate : _Chanel 31 Rue Cambon _[ Jacques Polge]*

* *

Notes : [per Bois de Jasmin]

Bergamot, black pepper, patchouli, cistus labdanum, iris.

This ephemeral beauty is Polge’s renowned oakmoss-less chypre-

Elegant, dry, effortlessly soignée.

If you apply enough of it- and mist it over your clothing, too-

 

You will be rewarded with a tantalizingly lively companion that has
plenty of personality and garners appreciative commentary.

Finesse in a flacon, even when the mercury soars.

You *can *control your climate.

31 Rue Cambon lends credence to the myth that one merely ‘glows’-

We /never /sweat.

 –  Ida Meister, Senior Editor