What I Smelled Like In June
a fragrance journal
Inspired by Christina Loff of The Dry Down Diaries, I started keeping track of my daily fragrance wears to get an idea of things I am reaching for often, keep track of my thoughts, and be a bit smarter about what bottles I end up buying and keeping in my collection long term.
I always consider any collection to be a ‘living thing’ in a way, as they are often ever-changing due to evolution in taste and depth of experience. Fragrances are no different! A big portion of my collection has changed in the past few years with frequent decluttering to pay for things that better suit me now.
A fragrance-related administrative change I made this month was to shift completely to using Parfumo to log my collection and engage with reviews, etc. Fragrantica has been problematic (to put it lightly) for some time, and basenotes is a little too sleepy and annoying to navigate (for my taste). Parfumo is not perfect, but it seems to be the best option at the moment. You can check out my profile and follow me here. I will copy in reviews I’ve written for specific fragrances here and there below. Still working on importing my ‘to sample’ list, but it’s going to take a while!
Summary
June usually marks the beginning of the ‘hot’ season here in Texas that tends to extend through much of October, so my picks have shifted to full-fledged summer wears now. As someone not traditionally a fan of ‘freshies,’ aquatics, heavy citrus, florals, and fruity fragrances, the warm seasons have always been a bit of a struggle for me. However, I’ve spent quite a bit of time in the past year trying to expand my nose in this direction and have managed to make some good progress!
More than 1/3 of my wears in June were florals, with 3 of my top 5 most worn falling into this category. My ratio of wearing my FBs vs trying new things is right where I want it (2:1), so I was happy to see that. A few of the samples I wore this month I either purchased bottles of or intend to soon! I also decluttered 4 bottles in June, recycling back into new things that fit my evolved tastes.
June 1: Clue - Warm Bulb + Pineward - White Fir (sample + FB):
The sudden warmth made me long for the winter again, inspiring a thought of maybe combining warm bulb and white fir to give the impression of old school incandescent string lights on a christmas tree. This somewhat worked, but I feel like this would be better suited for a nostalgic room spray or something. It has made me wonder what else could layer with warm bulb, however. Warm bulb + some sort of ‘cake like’ gourmand could be very easy bake oven…
June 2: Divine - L’homme Sage (FB):
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!
June 3: Serge Lutens - Dans le bleu qui pétille (FB):
Copied from my Parfumo review: This is in the same conceptual neighborhood as Zoologist's Squid (aquatic incense), but while that is the inky deep sea depths, giant enigmatic sea creatures, and thalassophobia, this is a sexy sea nymph daughter of Poseidon attending your seance at the tide pools, incense burning, and water glistening under the moonlight.
June 4: Rogue Perfumery - Champs Lunaires (FB):
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.
June 5: Arte Profumi - Samharam (Sample):
On my to buy list. 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.
June 6: Inverso Profumi - Ladri di Fichi (FB):
My personal favorite fig fragrance. Copied from my Parfumo review: Imagine a time lapse fixated on a fig tree, first green with new spring growth, then to unripe fruit, and then to a masked man plucking a ripened fig from the tree, juice dripping down his chin as he sneaks a bite. Or later, young lovers both gorging on fresh, ripe figs, laying in the grass, and kissing in the humid warmth hidden by the tree's branches. Ladri di Fichi (or 'fig thieves') begins as an almost bitter 'chlorophyllic' stemmy green unripe fig that 'ripens' upon exposure to skin and throughout the drydown in a nearly magical transformation. A fig fragrance for those who enjoy the fig fruit versus only the leaves.
June 7: FZOTIC - Deixis (FB):
For anyone unfamiliar with the ‘lore’ around Deixis, this fragrance was created in a time of reflection and mourning by the perfumer, Bruno Fazzolari, during the end of life period for his father. The focus on one of perfumery’s most important ingredients — labdanum — in his take on the classic amber accord often used in ritual and religion mirrors the meditative and ritualistic process of diving into a passion for comfort. This is a fairly sweet amber, and while it is labdanum forward, frankinsence and styrax are quite prominent as well. Sandalwood is another nice addition here and is detectable, especially after extended dry down. It’s quite beautiful and not too dense, though it is a bit too sweet to wear during the hot Texas summers so I’m looking forward to spending a lot of time with this one in the cooler months. While the direct drop release was limited to just 100 bottles and 50 travel sizes, samples are available as part of the custom set or moonlight set. Given this, I do believe Deixis will likely see a standard release as part of the core collection in time, especially with the discontinuation of Feu Secret.
June 8: Xinu - Copala (Sample):
An ode to Copal resin, this creation from perfumer Rodrigo Flores-Roux opens with a blast of resins (what I am assuming is ‘copal’), before mesquite wood, a bit of pink pepper, and a small dose of vanilla emerge in the dry down. A beautiful take on this uncommonly used note! (As an aside, copal is derived from the Nahuatl ‘copalli’ which means incense, so saying ‘copal incense’ is like saying ‘chai tea’). I very much enjoy sampling scents that utilize culturally important notes outside of typical western perfumery. Another that immediately comes to mind in recent conversation is Phoenix Flame, which utilizes sumac.
June 9: Lula Curioca - Claridad en Silencio (Sample):
On my to buy list. I may have already ordered a bottle. Possibly maybe. 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.
June 10: Oriza L. Legrand - Relique d’Amour (FB):
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.
June 11: Serge Lutens - Tubereuse Criminelle (FB):
An oddball masterpiece. Depending on your point of reference, this can be a odd, cold, and spicy tuberose or it could be grandma’s purse stuffed with wint-o-green Lifesavers. It’s a little bit odd, but a lotta bit wonderful. While currently unavailable as the grattaciel bottle collection is being discontinued, I can only hope that it makes its return in a standard bottle or bell jar in the near future. I would be shame if the end of this 27 year old fragrance went out with such a whimper.
June 12: 10 Corso Como - 10 Corso Como (Sample):
This was a weird love for me. Normally, I do not like much rose, geranium, or oud, so all of these combined into one fragrance seemed like a recipe for disaster. However, this reads a lot more ‘musky sandalwood’ forward to me. Like an old wooden drawer full of dried rose petals. The rose is very pared back and beautifully blended making for a pretty unique presentation. This one sits very close to skin almost immediately, but does last for quite some time. I ended up buying a bottle at a very good price (~$80) simply because I have nothing like it at all and it’s the first of this scent profile I’ve deeply enjoyed.
June 13: D:SOL MMXVI - Tesoro (FB):
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.
June 14: Rogue Perfumery - Champs Lunaires (FB): 2nd Wear
June 15: Marlou - Heliodose (Sample):
A intoxicating, heady, dense, indolic Tiare fragrance. One of my favorites from this fascinating house and on my to buy list. 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.
June 16: Inverso Profumi - Ladri di Fichi (FB): 2nd Wear
June 17: Astier de Villette - Ambre Liquide (Sample):
A fascinating amber from the famed perfumer Dominique Ropion, based on a formula from the year 1348! Quite unlike most ‘ambers’ being made today, this one leans borderline medicinal and aromatic. The prominent styrax along with the cistus absolute and rose add a very interesting dimension to the typical myrrh and olibanum combination here. At moments it can even come off a bit spicy — brief whiffs of cinnamon dance in and out of frame here. On my to buy list!
June 18: Atelier Materi - Narcisse Taiji (FB):
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).
June 19: 10 Corso Como - 10 Corso Como (Bottle): Purchased the bottle; 2nd Wear.
June 20: Pigmentarium - Murmur (Sample):
I really wanted to like this and the notes seemed to imply that I might, but this ultimately ended up going way too powdery on my skin. Ended up as a scrubber for me!
June 21: Atelier Materi - Narcisse Taiji (FB): 2nd Wear
June 22: Carta Perfumery - Moena 12 | 69 (Sample):
While this little indie house only has two fragrances, they are quite lovely! Moena is made with distilled moena alcanfor oil sustainably sourced from Peru, along with notes of tea, moss, tobacco, and woods. It reminds me of a used but mostly dried out tea bag on a piece of fragrant wood. Very concentrated perfume oil that sits quite close to skin. Unfortunately for me, this did not last longer than an hour on me before being undetectable, which is a shame for how nice it is! I will revisit this some more in the future since it may perform better during cooler seasons, possibly. I also sampled Immortelle 43 | 17, which I ended up buying a bottle of (more on that later). One note: the samples come in — dare I say — the nicest presentation for samples that I’ve experienced to date.
June 23: Astier de Villette - Mantes La Jolie (FB):
Copied from my Parfumo review: With one of my favorite fragrance openings of all time, Mantes-la-Jolie begins with a viscerally photo-real crushed mint and basil, as if smelling your hands after trimming your herb garden. The dry down progresses to a nice fig within a half-hour or so, supported in the base by a light cedar. An aromatic fresh masterpiece that as of right now is one of my absolute favorites for warm weather.
June 24: Inverso Profumi - Ladri di Fichi (FB): 3rd Wear
June 25: Carta Perfumery - Immortelle 43 | 17 (FB):
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, I purchased a full bottle. 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!
June 26: D:SOL MMXVI - Tesoro (FB): 2nd Wear
June 27: Rogue Perfumery - Champs Lunaires (FB): 3rd Wear
June 28: Iconofly - Personne (Travel):
In retrospect, I wish I would have bought the full bottle, but I have a rule against buying FB blind (usually). Copied from my Parfumo review: A burst of fresh herbs and greenery laid on a bed of oats and grains in a wood bowl. Blended so well it is difficult to pull apart individual notes; the mealy, oat base clipping the wings of what could possibly be an abrasive, soaring, bitter aromatic that flies a bit too close to the sun. The result is a grounded blend that has wonderful herbal complexity but with a certain softness and mealy depth. The chartreuse of fragrance, in both color and concept, both liquids worthy of top-shelf status.
June 29: Cocoapink - Climbing Star Jasmine (Sample):
I have been searching for a photo-real recreation of climbing star jasmine for some time. This one came recommended to me so I ordered a sample. Due to demand, the current wait time with this brand is 3 weeks or so, so it took quite some time to get in (which is fine!). It’s fairly close, but feels like if someone isolated the flower in a zero humidity lab, if that makes sense. Part of what makes these flowers so intoxicating is how they interact with humidity in the hot, humid southern summers. This iteration comes off slightly cold, which is where it misses the mark for me. That being said, I am after something VERY specific. If I divorce this from the specific scent memory I have and approach it as its own thing, it’s really quite nice. The bottles are very affordable, so who knows how I will feel with some additional wears. I’m waiting for the next humid and scorching hot day to give it a real stress test, since maybe what is missing is *real* humidity.
June 30: Pigmentarium - Erotikon (Sample):
I admit, I fell victim to the hype around this house and ordered a discovery set. Unfortunately, it seems the general DNA with many of the things from this house just do not mesh well with me. Erotikon is probably my ‘favorite’ from the line, leaning into the sort of anti-gourmand category (a la ummagumma/corpse revivier). The patchouli/chocolate accord tends to lean a bit funky at times to some, but works pretty nicely here — almost reading a bit boozy. I do not think I would buy this since it does get cloying to me after a couple hours, but if I were to have to recommend a somewhat masculine-leaning gourmand, this would be on my short list.
If you made it this far, I’m curious: what were some of your favorite fragrances in June? What are you excited to try?
What a coincidence, I’ve been spending time contemplating what I could layer with Warm Bulb! I’ve been playing around with layering soft leathers and “ink” fragrances like: Marginalia (CLST Perfumes), Ink (Akro), Fielders Leather (Blocki Perfume Co.), Le Messager (Courreges).
Appreciate the breakdown. Looks like you have a great collection!