Used with permission from ArtistJohn Randall York: Keats Ode To Autumn
The summer of 2012 was one to remember…or maybe forget. The United States experienced the wrath of the weather gods, with torrential rains, hail, wildfires, tornadoes, flooding, wicked winds. record breaking heatwaves, extreme variances in temperatures, hurricanes and drought (even todayin Los Angeles, California the temperature soared over 125 degrees and the wildfires in Washington are devastating). Which left the question what to waft? Now that Fall is officially here, we breathe a collective sigh of relief and offer our "Ode to Autumn" with the ten Fall fragrances that we have already begun to spritz with abandon.
The scent of the woods and dry earth, the smells of hay and ripe fruit still lingering in the air, the crunch of leaves underfoot while a cool and crisp breeze swirls around you-these are the reasons that Fall is second only to Spring for me. The days grow shorter but are still warm and the nights are cool. There is nothing like walking in the forest and looking at the work of Mother Nature’s hand as she has taken various shades of green and painted them vermillion, gold and burnt orange.- John Reasinger, Editor
CARON L’Anarchiste opens fresh, but dry, this saunters into a stunning heart that reminds me of ripe apples laying on the ground in dry grass with hints of sweet spices and old wood. Its musky finish is simple, yet intriguing. An evening stroll through an orchard or field and into the forest is something everyone should do, at least once, this season.
Kim Spadaro Luxury Fragrances Noche del Fuego was something that took me totally by surprise this year, and will NOT let me go! An utterly earthy and darkly sexy perfume, this features sweetness and spices with a twist of citrus along with dry flowers and hints of gourmand notes and it may have already passed CHANEL’s “Coromandel” to enter my top three patchouli fragrances ever. This emits a superb glow that takes the chill off these cooler evenings.
Etat Libre d’Orange Rien is my most adored fragrance from this House, and perfect for the upcoming season. It punches you squarely in the stomach with a smoky leather only to breathe new life into you with aldehydes. It dispenses with the foreplay and gets right to the good stuff. Awash in cumin combined with musty styrax and an enticing blend of smoky incense, dirty oily roses and an opium-like accord, it comes on strong then softens to become something shadowy and mysterious. Remember that old dilapidated house all the other kids said was haunted? Rien is that…and I was always the kid who wanted to see what was really in there.
Painting: Eyvind Earle High Country Valley
The seasonal changes in the Northern California coastline mean a potential for rain and a temperature fluctuation of about 30 degrees.Instead of crisp air and changing leaves, we get the longer afternoon shadows that let us know that the sun is beginning to set too soon. As I begin to mourn the loss of the long days, I reach for scents to lift and comfort me. –Tama Blough, Senior Editor
A few days ago I wore a scent from A Wing and a Prayer that was so new it didn’t have its final name yet. I went for a walk on a cool, foggy day, and deemed it the perfect companion scent for fall. Luminous citruses that would ordinarily grace a summer scent are made cozy with lilac, sandalwood, and heliotrope, with the added deliciousness of peach and raspberry. The perfumer, Jane Cate, ultimately named it Autumn Breeze, and it fits. It is light and breezy, but brings with it the air and slight melancholy of fall.
Bond No. 9 Manhattan is a new fragrance that comes in a bottle perfect for autumn: the color of twilight, with glimmers of golden-red. The rich, spicy scent with a hint of peach is perfect for a fall evening, curled on the sofa with a book and the cat, or having dessert and wine with a few friends. The fragrance is gourmand through and through, without being syrupy or reeking of caramel corn. Just enough spice, just enough fruit, just enough wood: just right.
We just moved about a year ago and it is only over the time since that I was able to unpack all of my perfume. While doing that I was reacquainted with some old friends and so I’ve been really looking forward to the first crisp Autumn day to wear a couple of my older Fall Favorites.- Mark Behnke, Managing Editor
One of them is Jo Malone Dark Amber & Ginger Lily this was the first time Jo Malone showed it could go dark as this spice, incense, sandalwood and lily configuration is so much more ‘noir’ than most of the new fragrances I’ve tried this year with that in their name. If you have never tried this do yourself a favor and give it a try I think it will change the way you think about Jo Malone.
I think I crave spice in the Fall and another one which fulfills that craving for me is Ormonde Jayne Man. From the first moment I tried this it was one of my favorite fragrances to wear under a windbreaker while picking apples or sitting by the fire. A spicy opening of cardamom, pink pepper, juniper, and coriander deepen into a woody wonderland of sandalwood, oud, and cedar. This is still one of the best Ormonde Jayne fragrances period
As I post, the leaves are already beginning to change color. During much of the summer it was so hot, humid and rainy that I thought sunny days and sweater weather would never arrive. There were days when even the thought of even the most finespun cashmere made me sweat. With the cooling temperature I can now wear my favorite fall fragrances that were pushed aside.–Michelyn Camen, Editor-in Chief
Xerjoff’s Lira Casamorati 1888 is a fall coat of many colors. Each note dances a solo performance, like a separate leaf swirling in the air before settling to the earth. Akin to an autumn day, Lira begins bright and clear with notes of bergamot, lavender and red orange. The last blooms of summer –jasmine and rose give way to deeper hues of cinnamon and licorice. Creamy caramel and vanilla comfort me before calling it a night when Lira wraps me in its skin musk embrace. that lingers until dawn.
Mona di Orio was able to take familiar notes in perfumery and color out of the olfactive lines. With Mona di Orio Les Nombres di Orio Ambre she does just that…but with a delicate hand. It's at once demure and strident, vintage and modern, powdery and smoky, familiar yet foreign. Ambre hasn't gotten the love of many of her other perfumes, which makes me dig in my heels and love it even more. I love it for its wearability, its creamy heart of ylang-ylang tinged with a dusting of dolour. I love Ambre because it transports me to the woods of the Forêt de Fontainebleau as the sky begins to darken and the air is filled with a strange resinous scent reminiscent of honey. Bathed in benzoin and enveloped in Madagascar vanilla, I open my eyes and return home .
For our draw thanks to the fall fragrance fairies we are offering six scents as our ode to autumn:
With love from Kim Spadaro of Kim Spadaro Luxury Fragrances 100 ml Noche del Fuego
Courtesy of EuroscentsUSA 50 ml of Rien by Etat Libre D'Orange created by perfumer Antoine Lie
Our Friends from Ormonde Jayne London Perfumery 4 x10ml travel set of Ormande Man
From Natural perfumer Jane Cate of a Wing and a Prayer the soon to be released 15 ml of Autumn Breeze
Thanks to Xerjoff USA and Xerjoff 75ml of Casomaratti 1888 Lira
With love from Parfums Mona di Orio 100ml of Les Nombres d'Or Ambre
To be eligible please leave a comment about what you most love about Autumn and include the fragrance (of the six offered you hope to win) and why you chose it. Draw closes September 26, 2012
