We Love Summer Fragrances by Elena©
It’s June of 2020 and the summer solstice draws near (June 20, 2020). It might be the most memorable summer of our lifetime. Much of the year so far has been spent in isolation, and you can feel the world’s frustration, and anger—personally and politically. The team of ÇaFleureBon are a diverse group—our editors live all over the world from California to Croatia (which at the time of this writing just experienced yet another earthquake). So, we take solace in scent … we travel to places we yearn to visit, count the days until we can hug the people we love and have not seen in many months and of course through all of the many emotions we experience, our favorite summer perfumes bring us joy.
Photo of dana aka a_nose_knows
Chantecaille Vetyver (Pierre Negrin) came my way uncalled for, but in perfect timing. Clean, calm, crisp, and cooling*, it managed to shake the stale worries of late and prime my soul in a way other scents don’t; its earthiness is unassuming, therefore cozy; its spiciness is light, so not intrusive; its greenness present, so reliable. I didn’t know I needed so much emotional freshening, but now that I switched to summery comfort smells (rather than experimental, conceptual, abstract, etc.), their positive elegance and quiet sophistication is most reassuring in these fretted times–and CV is right up there to lift, soothe, and renew my spirit. Main notes: bergamot, vetiver, sandalwood, musk, nutmeg, pepper. *No, the alliteration was not intentional… but I’m seriously CCCcccconsidering—instead of “the 4Cs of a diamond”—to start speaking of The 4 Cs of Vetiver. Stay tuned. –dana sandu, Editor
Ambra, Ambra Calabria, I wanna reach out and grab ya! Yes! I want to reach out and grab it. Nishane Ambra Calabria is the kind of fragrance you just want to grab it and spray it on. It’s right in the middle of warm and cool, so you have the coolness of a bright summer freshie plus all the warmth of those ambers you might wear in the coolness of summer evenings. Warm and gooey comes to mind, but also crisp and cool. Crazy! Calabrian Bergamot kick starts the green freshness, with bitter green resinous galbanum, plus more green leafy notes. A flawless segue from the heart, with spicy, herbaceous coriander complimenting the top notes perfectly, to wonderfully settle to the eponymous Amber and Vanilla. This wonderful offering from the house of Nishane has become one of my most worn fragrances from this house, especially during the summer. It’s absolutely amazing! –Sebastian Jara, Editor
Photo by Elena Etruscan Coast
Salado Carner Barcelona -When in need of freshness that steps away from the classic scheme of things relying fully on blasts of citruses, clean musks or ozonic-aquatic vibes, enter Salado. It’s crisp-green but soothing, and with a touch of a salty-mineral ocean breeze that’s carrying fine mist all the way from white-foamed crests of deep-blue waves below the bow of a sailboat cruising alongside the shores of Mediterranean Sea. Thin, almost transparent slices of cucumbers in a freshly prepared salad, crystallized salt on your sun-tanned skin, and the irresistible ease of unpretentious freshness: summer can begin! Notes: pink peppercorn, Paraguayan petitgrain, Italian bergamot, Moroccan orange blossom, cucumber, salty accord, musk.- Elena Cvjetkovic, Editor
Frequent Flyer by Thierry Van Biesen©
Neela Vermeire Creations Ashoka (Bertrand Duchaufour) Constructed so as to reflect the eponymous Indian Emperor’s transformation – from ferocious warrior to piece-seeking Buddhist – through its own aromatic evolution, Neela Vermeire Creations Ashoka showcases the meditative beauty of sandalwood, surrounding it by a superbly blended bouquet of exquisite flowers, rustic twigs and fig leaves, as well as leather, resin and incense accents. What makes me crave for this Art and Olfaction Award-Winning fragrance especially in the summer is the stunning interplay between its distinctive aqueous aura (lotus flowers and hyacinths floating in crystal-clear waters) and the lactonic goodness of fig milk: their olfactory synergy transports my mind to breezy days spent on an idyllic beach, sipping juice from a freshly opened coconut. A creation of shining thoughtfulness and soothing finesse, Neela Vermeire Creations Ashoka is altogether contemplative and optimistic, and ever so delightful. Notes: Lotus, Rose, Water Hyacinth, Fig Leaf, Parsley Leaf; Osmanthus, Cassie, Iris, Incense, Jasmine Sambac, Fig Milk, Geranium, Ylang-Ylang; Fir Balsam, Myrrh, Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Vanilla Accord, Ambergris, Birch, Vetiver, Leather, Styrax, Heliotrope. – Despina Veneti, Senior Editor
Photo by Nicoleta
Created in 1992 by Jean Claude Delville, Kenzo Parfum D’Été is the olfactive equivalent of the sensation you have in summer when, after a long ascent, you stop near a mountain river and suddenly sink your feet in the water. The water is so cold that you forget to breathe for a few seconds and feel all the coolness, slowly infusing, like an intravenous drip of cool shade, into your soul. A photographic green filter is placed over the lens, so we “focus” in the frame on a bouquet of flowers (lily of the valley, hyacinth and rose) and a bowl of fruits that are all drained of all their warmth. What we pick up on our olfactive spectrum is depicted in shades of cool, all clear, sublimated, realistic and organic. I can’t imagine hot weather without Parfum D’Été coming to the rescue, and we’re just entering our twentieth summer together. –Nicoleta Tomsa, Senior Contributor
Vintage Riviera photo via Tumblr
Atelier Des Ors Pomelo Riviera by Marie Salamagne, 2019: When you can’t get to the Riviera, let it come to you with this sensationally uplifting summer fragrance. Bursting juicily with tart grapefruit, white flower petals soon join in with their fragrant confetti. A tang of sea salt takes you to Antibes in a blink and a heartbeat. The bottle itself shakes up like a snow globe, glittering with gold leaf, painting a sunset on the sparkling Mediterranean. Notes: grapefruit ,jasmine, sea salt, orange blossom, roses, cedar, bergamot– -Samantha Scriven, Sr. Contributor
Dior Eau Fraȋche + Lucky Décolleté in a Christian Dior dress by Walde Huth (Paris, 1955)
I long awaited summer 2020 since I got my hands on a perfectly preserved vintage Christian Dior Eau Fraȋche by Edmond Roudnitska. This cologne opening with sparkling lemon and tangerine is so deeply rooted in the collective heritage as a part of many perfumes from the past it can’t be just labeled as old school. It’s familiar as much as the typical smell of suntan lotions. What’s left after the initial burst of impeccable citrus, is as ephemeral as a childhood summer memory. That jasmine tenderness shaded by a chypre ghost and a dash of vanilla reminds me when I used to visit my grandma in the countryside. I used to slip into her bedroom, the coolest room and jump face down on her double bed to catch a glimpse of the fresh clean white linens. Cool moist air, shade and all that candor in the summer heat, that’s Christian Dior Eau Fraȋche. Notes: lemon, mandarin, jasmine, rosewood, oakmoss, vanilla.–Ermano Picco, Editor
Photo Donna Stevens
Prosody London Neroli Nuance: Summer florals do not have to mean airy or tropical to glow, rather than overwhelm, in the heat. Organic, all-natural brand Prosody London, one of my favourite discoveries Pitti Fragranze 2019, has just the ticket for those bored with generic jasmines and fruity floral perfume cocktails. Neroli Nuance is an elegant, woodsy-flowery creation that blends soapy, fluffy neroli with a basket of tangy citruses and some acerbic green notes for balance, then lays the lot on a bed of creamy sandalwood and resins. Soothing but substantive, and beautifully structured, Neroli Nuance will last into the evening hours without ever feeling heavy or dense. Notes: Neroli, rosemary, green mandarin, blood orange, jasmine sambac, sandalwood, orange blossom, labdanum, benzoin. —Lauryn Beer, Senior Editor
Collage by Gail Gross @ Sarah Horowitz Parfums Life’s a Beach Bottle with Sand and Sea Oats by Gail Gross
Let’s face it – life can be a bitch as well as a beach – and right now the former designation definitely applies! A crowded sunny strand is not an option for me this summer. So Instead of basking and frolicking in sand and surf, I am calming and refocusing my mind and spirit via the solace of my favorite beach-y, sunny, summer fragrance. Sarah Horowitz Parfums Life’s a Beach (Sarah Horowitz Parfums 2019 Summer Banq de Parfum) feels like a soothing, protective suntan lotion for the soul, transporting me to peaceful, happy times in my life, to carefree summers by the seashore and the long-ago laughter of friends and siblings. Beginning with the cool aqua of bergamot and mint, Sarah Horowitz Parfums Life’s a Beach opens like a dawn breeze off the sea, scenting the juicy sweetness of fresh cut pineapple with salt, citrus and mint. As the sun rises, Life’s a Beach warms to a heart of golden, honeyed orange blossoms and sea salt. Hints of coconut oil and suggestions suntan lotion play off Sarah Horowitz Thran’s “Summer Skin” accord, creating the perfect impression of radiant, sun kissed skin. Sarah Horowitz Parfums Life’s a Beach has me basking on an olfactory beach blanket for several hours before the warmth of the summer afternoon gives way to a sweet, dusky sensuality, an evening scented with the perfumer’s signature Pacific and African Musks. Notes: Bergamot-mint, pineapple, salt, coconut, orange blossom, Summer Skin, Pacific Musk and African Musk– Gail Gross – Senior Editor
Winefolly.com
Chatillon Lux Weinstrasse: Is it possible to be reinvigorated, scintillating, soignée on the most scorching days of the year? As the sweat drips off you torrentially? Indeed it is, if you choose (ever so wisely) to bathe yourself in artisan perfumer Shawn Maher’s Wunderbar Weinstrasse (N.B. – our Senior Editor Lauryn Beer reviewed it brilliantly; we are in hearty agreement). There’s an excellent reason why it’s a 2020 finalist for the Art and Olfaction Awards: Weinstrasse is liquid genius, completely original and a joy to wear. You’ll need to imbibe a good Spätlese Riesling – not too sweet – to appreciate their kinship. One whiff and I am back traipsing solo through the route de vin d’Alsace in 1972, attempting to retrace the steps of my father’s people. My amygdala does not lie: the flowery notes, citrus and peach tones of late harvest varietal grapes warble in the palate. Sunwarmed, haylike helichrysum, the modest touch of lavender and cassis sweetened with honeysuckle simply make your mouth water. Weinstrasse is sparkling water on the parched skin as venerable Riesling is to a burgeoning thirst. It’s an affordable summer pleasure. Notes: white grape, honeysuckle, iris, blackcurrant bud, lavender, helichrysum, sandalwood, coumarin, oak moss, musk. –Ida Meister, Sr Editor and Natural Perfume Editor
Digital Gardenia by Nicoleta©
INeKE Hothouse Flower: Ineke Ruhland is one of our most talented artisans, classically trained and each time I wear any of her fragrances I discover new facets that tell a new story on my skin. The star of Hothouse Flower is gardenia, the diva (and divo) of the fragrance world, nudging aside her sister and brother florals (there’s a reason why Billie Holliday, Joan Crawford, Oscar Wilde and Dorothy Lamour are associated with the flower). Hothouse Flower has become my summer go-to -fragrance. I have always dreamed of going to a tropical island for a vacation and Hothouse Flower takes me there. The initial wet velvet leaf ‘welcome to sunny Tahiti’ introduces the the waxy emerald green leaves that exude musk and intertwine with impossibly white, scandalously provocative petals. The surprise is the fig note along with incense, transforming what might have been a simple soliflore into something much more complex; as wearable on a man as it is on a woman. Notes: Earl Grey Tea, Green Foliage, Cypress, , Gardenia, Galbanum, Fig, Frankincense, : Guaiacwood, Musk, Corn Silk-Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief
Photo of Summer Social Distancing 2020 by Michelyn
For our Summer 2020 fragrance draw:
Thanks to Nishane Istanbul we have 50 ml Nishane Ambra Calabria for a registered reader in the USA, EU, or UK
Thanks to Colin and Krystal at Krystalfragrance.com we have a 50 ml bottler of Salado Carner Barcelona for one USA registered reader
From our beloved Neela Vermeire we have 60 ml of Ashoka in the USA, EU, UK for a registered reader
Atelier Des Ors Pomelo Riviera photo by Samantha Scriven
Merci Atelier des Ors for one beautiful 100ml bottle of Pomelos Riviera for a registered reader in the EU, UK, USA or Canada. (available at Luckyscent.com and Indigo Perfumery)
In conjunction with our CaFleureBon Summer Favorites 2020 post, Sarah Horowitz-Thran has been so kind as to offer a bottle draw for a registered US reader and to once again make Life’s a Beach available from her Banq de Parfum. Please see the Sarah Horowitz Parfums website for details.
Thanks to Prosody London we have two ten ml for a registered reader EU, USA, UK, Canada
Shawn Maher of Chatillon Lux is ever giving and there’s a 2 oz bottle of Weinstrasse in the USA for a registered reader.
Thanks to Ineke Perfume we have two draw prizes for two readers. One is a full bottle of Hothouse Flower https://www.ineke.com/shop-perfumes/hothouse-flower-eau-de-parfum and the other is a deluxe sampler of all eight of the Alphabet Series fragrances for a registered reader in the USA or Canada. Note with every bottle you buy you receive a free hand sanitizer.
To be eligible for our Best Summer 2020 fragrance draw, please leave a comment with what your favorites of our choices were, where you live and as many as you would like to win. Draw closes June 21, 2020. YOU MUST BE REGISTERED TO BE ELIGIBLE, click here
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