photo by Michelyn with digital editing by Nicoleta©

The summer of 2021 was one to remember…or maybe forget. The world experienced the wrath of the weather gods, with torrential rains, hurricanes, hail, wildfires, tornadoes, flooding, wicked winds. record breaking heatwaves, extreme variances in temperatures. All this was compounded by Covid Delta variant, political unrest and too many late night zoom meetings. Now that  Autumn is here, we breathe a collective sigh of relief. The first of our two-part series Best Fall Fragrances 2021, (part 2 is September 22, 2020 the Autumn Equinox) when the days grow shorter and the hot breath of summer is finally gone.

Arcimboldo, Giuseppe Autumn, 1573

Ole from Ramon Mongal is a euphoric fruity experience that perfectly matches autumn’s exuberant explosion of colors. Sweet Majhūl dates, round-cuts of sunny pineapple floating in nectared juice, and wild red raspberries flow from a purple cornucopia, in delicious and mouthwatering waves. The heart of the fragrance is deep and woody, with a crown of dark orchids woven around the restrained aristocratic sensuality of jasmine. In the dry down, we are greeted by the dense and dark green needles of fir balsam, in juxtaposition to an unexpected fresh and airy layer, a combo that creates a woody, strong, and piercing energy that provides the counterbalancing yang to the fruity sweetness yin, and makes the fragrance completely, thoroughly, and joyfully unisex.

Top notes: Date, pineapple, raspberry; middle notes: Jasmine , orchid, cedarwood; base notes: fir balsam, musk, vanilla

–Nicoleta Tomsa, Senior Editor and Digital Editor

Ivan Fedorovich Choultse

“The sun sets,

relentlessly red –

yet Autumn is in the wind “-Haiku, Matsuo Bashō, (loose translation by Michael R. Burch)

The mornings are fresh again with a slight chill in the air, and the late afternoon rays from the slanted sun carry a distinctive golden hue, and a longing – for what? The summer that was?  The winter that is yet to be?   Autumn is here!  Hermetica Redmoon is a sleek, modern fragrance with a warm, sultry presence that is perfect for this time of year – it shines with a bronzed garnet glow off the skin like the late September sun, effortlessly alluring and chic.  This perfume is a short set of notes – a trio of vetiver, pink pepper, and leather – but much like the seemingly austere Haiku, reveals a complex cascade of emotions, depth and intensity. Hermetica Redmoon is one of my favorite Autumn fragrances.

Complementary notes: saffron molecule, bergamot essence, mandarin essence, mate absolute, violet leaf, jasmine absolute, cedarwood essence, lily of the valley, myrrh essence, musk molecule

– Cynthia Hunter, Contributor

olfactory peregrination by Cristian

‘TERRAM’, or as D:SOL founder Dennis Werner so aptly describes it, “the silent path” is the fragrant welcoming of a dual sunset: the one at the end of the day, and the “sunset” that heralds the end of summer. It is the most melancholic of the current three offerings from D:SOL, and I find it to also be the most evocative. Resoundingly cinematic and nostalgic in a mythological way. Perfumer Marie Urban Le Febvre brings together notes such as Galbanum, Pink Pepper, magnolia, benzoin, Patchouli, Vetiver, Musk, Cedar among others, to create a fragrance that is dark and nostalgic. ‘Terram’ is an ode to a sun-kissed epilogues and a sweet welcome to autumn

–Cristian Marianciuc, Sr. Contributor

photo by Michelyn

Like a cinnamon-spiced cider enjoyed on an autumn evening, certain aromas are innately tied to the changing of the seasons. Whether the occasion is pumpkin picking at Donaldson Farms in Hackettstown, NJ or simply raking leaves in the backyard, warm feelings towards the autumn season can emerge in an instant.  Once emerged, there are several fragrances that provide the perfect olfactory soundtrack to accompany the poignant sensation. One such fragrance is  Parfums de Marly Ojaan by Perfumer Shyamala Maisondieu, and this perfume is an appropriate pick for autumn with its resplendent tones of cinnamon, honey, and vanilla. The prolonged sweetness is possible due to sweet resins like labdanum and benzoin, which also enamor us with their balsamic warmth. Patchouli and musk in the dry down of the perfume secure the long-lastingness of the fragrance to create longevity that surpasses the amber-hued sunsets of fall.  Oajan is a blanket of warmth and comfort when the temperature starts to drop.  Notes: Honey, Cinnamon, Osmanthus  Amber, Labdanum, Benzoin, Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Patchouli, Davana

–Steven Gavrielatos, Video Contributing Editor

 

Book Garden, Gina Litherland, oil on wood, 2000

Autumn in New England is so glorious that folk travel from all over to luxuriate in its splendor. ‘Leaf peepers’ who dwell in more temperate climes miss the diversity of our dramatically changing seasons, and nature pilgrimages are prevalent during this particular season. It’s my favorite, admittedly – the bracing winds, poignant embrace of Indian summer, with its warm days and cooler nights. I relish nothing better than to scuffle along and pounce upon crackly piles of multi-colored leaves. Oh, the soft sweaters and scarves! The luxury of a lit fireplace, hearty soups and breads, stews and cassoulets of every sort, mulled wines and cider! Dipping temperatures fill me with the desire for particularly opulent perfumes to accompany fall’s mercurial light and endless burnished hues as they mirror rich earth pigments. One such fragrance for Fall 2021is by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz of DSH Perfumes, created in 2017. It felt bespoke at once, as if Dawn had read my mind… FOXY was inspired by Roald Dahl’s charming story about that cunning fellow, The Fantastic Mr. Fox. Dawn has captured Farmer Bean’s apple whiskey and his wife’s “famous apple ginger snap’; each of the boozy accords are playful and elegant. She pulls out all the stops when it comes to animalics: costus, castoreum, cumin, ambergris, French beeswax and her own sable fur accord. Indolic jasmines, carnation and heady orange blossom flesh out the heart, which is speckled with spice and white thyme. FOXY is further grounded in amber, labdanum, leather, mitti and oak – but a mere listing of notes cannot properly convey the mischievous sumptuosity of this naughty swaddling perfume. Notes: African stone tincture, apple whiskey, ginger snap accord, peach skin accord, white cognac, ambergris, brown oakmoss, castoreum, costus, cumin, fossilized amber resin, French beeswax, labdanum, leather, mitti, sable fur accord, benzoin, white oak, carnation, grandiflorum jasmine, Juhi jasmine absolute, liatrix, Spanish orange flower absolute, orris, spice notes, white thyme

–Ida Meister, Deputy Editor

Autumn in Central Park, NYC by Hernando©

For me, Autumn resembles the composition of a fragrance. The top note is the evanescent heat of September transitioning with the sun setting earlier in the sky and shadows growing longer on the ground. This initiates a sense of comfort, warmth, and reflection. The middle note presents the ardent turn that October delivers. The richness of leaves changing colors, cooling temperatures, and darkening nights turning us inward, both mentally and physically. The base note leads into November’s falling leaves, grey skies, and brisk air you can see exhaling. My fragrant transition from Summer to Fall is Coromandel Eau de Parfum by Chanel. It’s both earthy and elegant, sexy yet sophisticated, sensual but cozy. And, I adore its deep rich patchouli note. A masterpiece by Jacques Polge. Notes: Bitter Orange, Citruses, Neroli, Patchouli, Orris, Rose, Jasmine, Amber, Benzoin, Musk, Incense – Hernando Courtright, Senior Contributor and Brand Ambassador

photo by Michelyn©

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 dolor. 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. –Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief

NOTES: Atlas cedarwood, ylang-ylang from Comores, benzoin, tolu, vanilla absolute from Madagascar.

Disclaimers, the Best Fall Fragrances 2021 were from our own collection; our opinions are own

For our Favorite Fall Fragrances 201 Draw

With love from Parfums Mona di Orio 75 ml of Les Nombres d’Or Ambre for a registered reader in the USA, EU, UK

photo by Nicoleta©

 Gracias to Ramon Monegal for 50 ml of Ole for a registered reader in the USA, EU, UK

photo by Cristian©

Thanks to the generosity of D:SOL MMXVI, we have a bottle of D:SOL TERRAM for one registered reader in the EU, UK  ONLY

Thanks to  Parfums de Marly we have a draw for a 125 ml bottle of OAJAN registered CafleureBon USA reader and A Redolessence Subscriber in the USA only

photo by Cynthia©

Thanks to Europerfumes we have a 100 ml bottle of RedMoon for a registered CafleureBon USA reader ONLY  available at Beverly Hills Perfumery

Thanks to DSH Perfumes we have a 5 ml extrait of Foxy for a registered reader in the  CON USA, ONLY

To be eligible for our Best Fall Fragrances 2021 draw you must be a registered reader. Remember to click here or your comment won’t count. Tell us what you thought of part one of Best Fall Fragrances 2021, which you would like to win, (country restrictions) and where you live. You can list as many of the six as you would like. Draw closes 9/25/2020

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