What I Smelled Like in July
Monthly wear recap...
July was a bit of a crazy month, but now that I’ve cleared the other side, it’s time to do a monthly fragrance roundup! This month was a little bit skewed since I was traveling for a week for a wedding (see my earlier posts re: Seattle), so I wore a decent amount of travel sprays.
Florals still ruled the month with more than 1/3 of my wears for the month falling into this category. Moving into August, I do see this continuing through this month before we move into Autumn here. When I first made the graphic above, my upcoming to-buys were mostly things that were at the top of my mind, but thinking more deeply about this, it may be time to shift into more fall/winter things on my list to pick up at this point.
I did pick up a few things in July bottle-wise (mostly because I had a very fruitful month selling off some declutters on Mercari). These included Samharam from Arte Profumi, Claridad en Silencio from Lula Curioca, Heliodose from Marlou, Ambre Liquide from Astier de Villatte, and Olympic Amber and Woodcut from Olympic Orchids. I was also gifted two travel sizes from Inverso Profumi — Incantesimo and Cimmerian. This sounds like a lot (because it is) but with these I basically broke even from what I sold.
I’m currently pulling a couple more things out to possibly declutter, including a nearly full bottle of Terroni and 2/3 full bottle of Amouage Jubilation XXV, but we’ll see.
Since many of these are repeats from last month, I will copy over descriptions from my previous post where applicable with any additional notes I might want to add. Wears beyond the first won’t be annotated (except for one exception).
July 1: Jasmin Antique - Rogue Perfumery (Sample):
Of course being a fan of Rogue, I had to give Mr. Cross’ jasmine fragrance a try. I very much enjoy this, and the inclusion of a bit of spiciness gives this a bit of an edge that Jaz (below) does not have. However, in this iteration I do miss the intensity of the jasmine notes in Jaz. I wish I could transfer a bit of this spiciness to Jaz (I tried layering and it did not really work). This probably is not a full bottle buy simply because I own Jaz, but if Jaz is too intense for you (or too expensive), this is a wonderful alternative at a fantastic price point.
July 2: Delfino - Pineward (Bottle):
This is probably my favorite ‘summer’ release from Pineward (which is about to be discontinued until next year, so buy if you are interested!). From my Parfumo review: You are sitting outside your cabin in the woods and just ate a fresh clementine, a light fresh burst of citrus still on your fingers. You stand up to pluck a few tomatoes from the small container garden that have ripened, (to use with dinner), but stop mid-way through to see if the rustling in the pine trees was a deer or just the wind.
July 3: Woodcut - Olympic Orchids (Sample):
Resinous sawdust — sap sweet and warm in the air from the friction of cutting. This is very clearly ‘hitting the brief’ but the bit of caramel sweetness really keeps this from getting too dry and workshoppy and instead takes it in a bit more wearable direction. This may be my favorite from the house, but there are a few top contenders! Dr. Covey has a really interesting olfactory POV. Definitely sample the house if you are able!
July 4: Jaz - Jazmin Sarai (Bottle):
A super concentrated and reference-grade jasmine fragrance. Where it lacks in complexity it makes up for it in power and clarity. It’s sticky and in hot, humid weather, it can create a huge, intoxicating scent bubble. The jasmine leans slightly more to the freshly bloomed, greener side of jasmine and lacks a bit of the spicier riper late-bloom hints that I love, but I’ve found that to be difficult to replicate perfectly. Currently, my reference jasmine fragrance. Expensive, but a little goes a LONG way.
July 5: Relique d'Amour - Oriza L. Legrand (Bottle):
Lily forward incense that is intensely ‘cold.’ Spraying this feels like air conditioning in the intense heat of the summer. I adore this despite needing to reply every 2-3 hours or so. If you enjoy the incense category (or florals, honestly), I really recommend giving this a sniff.
July 6: Invasion Barbare - Parfums MDCI (Sample):
A contemporary twist on the fougere profile by perfumer Stéphanie Bakouche that leans a bit spicier. While a bit on the lighter side and quite expensive, this really is a wonderful take on a classic masculine barbershop profile. Right now, I am struggling between this one or Bespoke from Nose of Gatsby!
July 7: Claridad en silencio - Lula Curioca (Bottle):
This captures the scent of fresh, green, humid dew like nothing else I’ve tried. Copied from my Parfumo review: Robin calls wake you just before dawn, the bedroom window left ajar overnight. Sheer curtains dance in the lightly humid morning breeze, the faint scent of the garden lingering in suspension. You pull yourself out of bed to watch the sunrise, barely making it to the window before a golden sliver emerges above the horizon. The morning light transforms your garden into a sparkling dew-jeweled wonderland. Even the robins pause for a moment, as if in awe of the beauty of a new day.
July 8: Contre Pouvoir - Brecourt (Bottle):
Spicy, licorice and cardamom forward fragrance that feels a bit old school in a way. The drydown is a pretty strong vetiver with some leather/woody notes. The scent profile, to me, smells much older than a 2011 release. This makes me think of an older gentleman, well put together, maybe going to the opera. It’s buttoned up but in an almost austere way to me, versus something more opulent and celebratory like an Amouage offering or something. Apparently Anne Clark (St. Vincent) wore this at some point, though having difficulty verifying.
July 9: Baraonda - Nasomatto (Bottle):
I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Baraonda. Opening with a blast of whiskey, this quickly dries down on me to a boozy base under a fairly strong and beautiful rose. It’s a boozy night in a quiet cocktail lounge with a lady friend. HOWEVER, this is quite loud and it lasts for. ever. FOREVER. It takes multiple washings to get it out of any clothes it gets on. This is the same difficulty I have with Terroni (by the same perfumer). They smell lovely but way overstay their welcome. 6-8 hours is about my limit where I want a rest or to change directions and Nasomatto/Orto Parisi laugh in the face of that paltry limit and raise you 24++ hours. Maybe some time ago I would have loved smelling strongly all day long with just 2 sprays, but those days have gone.
July 10: Trimerous - Jorum Studio (Sample):
Iris and Orris are notes that I don’t really typically enjoy much, however Trimerous challenges this general ‘rule’ by offering a spicy orris-focused fragrance that captures the ‘essense of root’ just enough to snap this natural note into focus. This feels like pulling an orris root out of dry soil — spicy but visceral. My biggest complaint is that this is mostly gone off my skin in 2 hours or so.
July 11: Immortelle 43 | 17 - Carta (Bottle):
A spicy, herbal, warm immortelle that opens with a slightly bitter orange peel and spices. Orris and ambergris are here, supporting the radiant immortelle. As it dries down even further, some sweetness from the honey emerges but never to a cloying degree. To me, this smells like the color yellow — fitting given both immortelle flowers and the fragrance oil are both yellow as well. Enthralled with this. While only 15ml and fairly expensive for that little bit of liquid, this extrait comes in a glass splash style bottle with globe glass stopper for application. Very small amounts applied to pulse points are enough to last 6-8 hours on skin, so the 15ml bottle will likely last a very long time!
July 12: Faunus - LaCurie (Bottle):
From my Parfumo review: Stepping into an old cedar barn, well-worn and dry to the point of falling apart. There's still old dried hay laying around, showing signs of housing animals - maybe horses - at some point in the past, yet sunlight and a light breeze blow through the openings in the walls. The light touch of oud with the cedar makes this woody accord come off very dry and aromatic, and the hay and bergamot help breathe a little air around these heavier wood notes. Airy, austere, and bone dry. Lovely!
July 13: Claridad en silencio - Lula Curioca (Bottle): 2nd wear
July 14: Narcisse Taiji - Atelier Materi (Bottle):
This was one of the first floral fragrances I added to my collection a while back and still remains one of my favorites. This spicy floral opens with a blast of pear accord with a smidge of tuberose, drying down to a gorgeous narcissus with ginger, hay, bran and musk. There are notes of patchouli and leather here, but I don’t really get much of them at all, personally. This is one of the most unisex florals I’ve ever come across and smells good on pretty much everyone. Can be found from discounters occasionally for ~40% off retail, which is a great value for 100ml. This also lasts all day on me (8-10 hours).
July 15: Relique d'Amour - Oriza L. Legrand (Bottle): 2nd wear
July 16: Tesoro - DSOL MMXVI (Bottle):
A wonderful creamy citrus/suede. Copied from my Parfumo review: Attending a late-spring evening outdoor party overlooking the Mediterranean on the island of Mallorca (which inspired this and other fragrances from this house), there's a faint scent of oranges riding the breeze from the Sóller valley. You spot a good friend across the way and approach. Leaning in for a long embrace, you're met with the smell of creamy suede -- their jacket from one of the nearby leather-workers in Inca.
July 17: Incantesimo - Inverso Profumi (Travel):
An incredibly well-blended, balanced, and smooth lavender fragrance. I normally find lavender a bit too overpowering in fragrances to wear unless it is a very minor blended ingredient and tend to prefer it for things like fabric sprays and such, but this really impressed me. After the aromatic opening, it dries down into a beautiful warm amber/vanilla/tonka base. Quite special and one of my favorites from the brand.
July 18: Champs Lunaires - Rogue Perfumery (Bottle):
Rogue has quickly become a recent favorite house, with perfumer Manuel Cross exploring ‘traditional’ formulas with his own creative spin. While I enjoy quite a few from the house (Jasmin Antique, Bon Monsieur, Bonded, Flos Mortis, etc), Champs Lunaires has emerged as a favorite. It’s a soft tuberose, accented by creamy sandalwood and the slightest dose of coconut milk (it’s hardly there, but is detectable, and enhances the tuberose nicely). It has great longevity for me as well. A steal at $85/30ml.
July 19: Samharam - Arte Profumi (Bottle):
Almost painfully simple, but executed so nicely. Copied from my Parfumo review: Straddling the line between incense and amber, this time-traveling triumph revisits the Wise Men’s gifts of frankincense, myrrh, and the (liquid) gold of benzoin, seemingly unlocking genetic memories of ancient trade ports, spice routes, and worship through the ages. This is no soaring, contemporary take on ‘churchy’ incense, but a raw, resinous reversion back to basics; a universal common ancestor of modern incense and ambers. Divine, in more than one sense of the word.
July 20: Encens Suave Extrait - Matiere Premiere (Bottle):
Years ago (2019), I tried the EDP Encens Suave when it was released. At the time, I enjoyed it but it lacked a certain bit of extra dimension that would make it stand out amongst a crowd of 'churchy incense-like' fragrances in the category. So, when I noticed the release of the new extrait edition, I wasn't anticipating it to be much different. As a long-time collector of both incense and amber fragrances, there are very few that give me pause on first sniff. The extrait edition is one of them. Instead of the airy nature of the EDP, the extrait is deep, rich, dense, and powerful. If the EDP is incense burning in an empty church, the extrait is a full house -- the warmth of bodies and humidity of breath filling the space, suspending the incense into a dense cloud in the room, a light sweetness from sweat in the air. There is a degree of sexiness to the extrait that just isn't present in the EDP at all. It's Andrew Scott in Fleabag when he leans in close, clothes smelling of incense and the coffee he brewed earlier in the morning.
Travel Week - Seattle
July 21: Cimmerian - Inverso Profumi (Travel):
The blast of cedar, rum, plum, and spices in the opening of this one is delicious! While the base is full of fairly heavier notes (vanilla, amber, oud, leather), other notes like violet, patchouli, and vetiver help to cut through these traditionally dense notes leaving a warm scent that never gets stuffy.
July 22: Narcisse Taiji - Atelier Materi (Travel): 2nd wear
July 23: Aura - Nose of Gatsby (Travel):
Can read more about Gatsby and what I picked up in my Seattle recap. This one hooked me immedaitely. It’s a soft woody scent with a focus on Guaiacwood. In the opening, there are definitely similarities with Gaiac 10 from Le Labo, but Aura ends up considerably more complex and with much better performance overall. Fans of soft, musky, woody scents will love this. Winner of the Best Woody fragrance in 2024 at the Golden Pineapple awards.
July 24: Incantesimo - Inverso Profumi (Travel): 2nd wear
July 25: Narcisse Taiji - Atelier Materi (Travel): 3rd wear. This was the scent I picked to wear to the wedding after MUCH debate. Originally, I planned on wearing Zoologist Squid as the wedding was on a boat, but it felt a bit intense for a mid-summer outdoor wedding.
July 26: Aura - Nose of Gatsby (Travel): 2nd wear
July 27: Heliodose - Marlou (Bottle):
A intoxicating, heady, dense, indolic Tiare fragrance. One of my favorites from this fascinating house. Copied from my Parfumo review: Robin, drawn into Poison Ivy’s lair — humid, dewy, musky, and green — quickly reaches the inner sanctum, where her flower-throne bursts open with the intoxicating scent of rich, indolic tiare flowers. Seduced, Robin finds himself tricked into a poison kiss...With a scent like this, I’d have likely met the same fate.
July 28: L'homme Sage - Divine (Bottle):
Made in part by perfumer Yann Vasnier (the nose behind things like Mortel/Mortel Noir, Incarnate, The Architects Club, Plum Japonais, etc.), L’homme sage is a beautifully understated chypre that hides a ton of complexity in a creamy-smooth package. Normally, saffron is a turn-off and dealbreaker note for me, but it’s blended so well here. An underrated sleeper!
July 29: Bespoke - Nose of Gatsby (Sample):
This may be my all-around winner from the house outside of Aura as it is incredible versatile. This is Gatsby’s twist on the fougere style, with bergamot and lavender being front and center with a nice sandalwood in the base. Inspired by bespoke tailor shops, steamed and pressed clothes, and clean linens. If all of my clothing and bedding smelled of this, I would be overjoyed. One of the best lavender fragrances I’ve smelled as I often find they lean a little too soapy. This is just gorgeous and any time I have worn the sample I’ve had a hard time not smelling myself. It’s on my to-buy list for a full bottle at some point, which will likely be sooner rather than later given the sample is already almost gone.
July 30: Martyr - Profundum (Sample):
The first release from Polish fragrance house Profundum, Martyr captures a pine wood fire in such a unique, mystical way. There is a bit of a metallic/blood tinge that is possibly patchouli that makes me think of someone cutting their finger with a ritual knife and dripping blood into the fire. There’s a bit of leather in there as well, but the sappy piney smoke is delightful. Really crazy bottle as well. I will admit, I fell in love with this rather quickly and ended up buying a bottle. I see this being a winter grab.
July 31: Tobacco Toscano - Santa Maria Novella (Sample):
I’ve gone through a few samples of this and every time I wear it I wonder why I haven’t yet bought a full bottle. To me, it’s main strength may also be the reason I haven’t: it’s an easy, thoughtless reach when I don’t feel like making a decision. It works for all times of year, is cozy, not too loud, works in any setting, and is overally usually pretty universally enjoyed. The problem for me comes with the fact that this can end up leaning a bit too generic for me to justify buying. For someone with only a handful of fragrancess, this is a perfect everyday option. I still may end up picking up a bottle — maybe a used partial — as I don’t have any tobacco fragrances (not usually a note I go for). Time will tell!
That’s a wrap for July! Quite the list, though not drastically different from last month. Writing this up, I did wonder if this would be better to do quarterly (or seasonally) as a three-month summary vs monthly, with more generalized highlights. I think I will have to see how much redundancy pops up from month to month.
As a side note, I was revisiting my bottle of Helmut Lang’s Cuiron the other day and lamenting the fact that this suede masterpiece has been discontinued again for some time. To me, this fragrance is a casualty of poor timing, just missing the current explosion in the fragrance sector. I’m pretty convinced that re-released today and marketed well, this would do quite well. With 50ml bottles of the original regularly sell for $900-1500/bottle, I am cherishing the last few ml in this bottle for as long as I possibly can.
What was your favorite fragrance(s) you wore in July? Do you own any discontinued fragrances that you wish would return?