Picture a twinkling-eyed baby with soft peaches and cream skin, cooing as mommy carefully wraps her bundle of joy in a silky blanket. The soothing scents of blooming lavender for naptime, ivory white powder easing little bottoms and warm milk easily relaxes nerves anytime of the day. It’s no wonder that even into adulthood, women still yearn to not only be pampered with gentle massages at their favorite spas, but desire to capture the sweet memories of childhood in a bottle. For decades, women in Latin America would sprinkle drops of Agustin Reyes’ Royal Violets before a night out, ensuring that their daytime troubles would instantly evaporate and be replaced with notes of dusty violets and bergamots. Shoppers today can still channel their inner child with grown up fragrances that smell like babies, but made for women. Check out our top three must-haves for reliving your youth.
Want to smell as clean as a “freshly powdered baby’s behind?” Now you can, without the fuss and unwanted mess of the real thing. Demeter fragrances, known for capturing the scents of everyday objects, ranging from the yummy (Mojitos) to the weird (Dirt), takes inspiration from Johnson & Johnson. The company’s famous Italian talc, originally used to calm irritation, became all the rage during the late 1800’s for its sweet, clean scent that all mothers desire for their little ones. Baby Powder by Demeter is just that, a cologne spray that smells exactly like the real deal. While it does start off sharp and overpowering for sensitive noses, it quickly fades, leaving you feeling out the shower clean. Even while sweating bullets at the gym, you can still catch sudden whiffs of this classic scent.
Available: Duane Reade and http://www.duanereade.com
Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
(From, “To Autumn,’ by John Keates)
By the third week of August, I’m touched with a melancholic wistfulness for what-just-was, and for what is fading away so quickly: Summer. I can no longer discount the dwindling light of day, nor the muted sweaters that have taken over the shop windows. Autumn is in the air and approaches swiftly, stealing away the warm, sensuous golden glow I’ve grown to know and love.
Luckily, I can still evoke this golden happiness even after the wide, open road of summer closes its lanes. That’s why I’ll continue to wear my favorite fragrance from the past season: Profumi Del Forte Versilia Aurum, well into the fall. Cheerful, fruity top notes of orange, strawberry, and plum will still give way to a warm, radiant bouquet (rose, jasmine, tuberose, lily of the valley, heliotrope, orchid), and finally, what emerges will be the faithful kiss of light vanilla, touched with tolu balsam and grey amber. Versilia Aurum will recall summer’s sweetest glow, long after bikinis are packed and toes are re-trapped.
Available: Avery Perfumes at Limelight Marketplace, 20th Street & 6th Ave, NYC http://www.avery.com
With the descent of the dog daze, the last thing I want is to be on the subway. The next-to-last thing I want, if forced to endure a subterranean commute, is to arrive at my destination smelling like, well, a dog. Since I’ll be in the city working like said canine this summer, I thought I’d bone up on my scentimental education.
Sublime, by Ajne, the organic perfume apothecary located in Carmel, California, is aptly named. I haven’t thought of myself as a soft, floral type since the rebellious age at which I rejected most things pink and girly. Apparently, my inner girly self slept like Snow White waiting to be awakened by this scent. It comes bottled in a pendant, has a top-note of lime citrus with a powdery heart of linden and a vanilla base. It’s intimate and seductive, perfect for protection on sweaty subways, warm, yet light and inviting for sultry, summer days—and hot, hot nights.
Availability: http://www.ajne.com
Roses Solid Perfume from Aftelier Perfumes is not the cloying floral your third grade teacher drowned herself in daily. The beautifully packaged scent is subtle, soft and smells of actual, fresh flower petals. As it melts onto your pulse points, you’ll find yourself transcending the stinky F train to meander in a dusky garden- is it Italian or Indian? Fir Solid Perfume, also in a base of organic beeswax and jojoba oil, is herbaceous, earthy, and savory likes olives in Barcelona. It’s delicious and would be more so when worn by an other of significance. The two scents mixed together will transport you to a shaded arbor in a rose garden at twilight and that’s what I call an alchemical get-away.
Availability: http://www.aftelier.com
New York City in the summer is hot, hot, hot! We’re on the subways next to strangers trying not to get too close. Around friends and co-workers, we pray that our deodorant doesn’t fail us, and we search for relief from the unforgiving sun and try to keep our cool.
Well, we can’t provide you with any self air conditioning tricks, but we can tell you how to start your day, and end it too, feeling as fresh and clean as a delicious juicy summer fruit.
Fragranced bath and shower gels give a spirited lift to our daily showers. Not only do they clean in the most pleasant way, but they’re good for the skin and they impart a hint of fragrance, some more than others. Some even give a lovely scent to the bathroom as well.
This summer brings us a huge bowl of juicy gels in many luscious flavors. I love Bath and Body Works Summer Vanillas, especially the Berry Vanilla and Apricot Vanilla. The Berry Vanilla smells simply like you’ve spent the entire day lolling about a berry patch, and it’s got that hit of vanilla at the end that’s sweet and makes you say mmmm…. Heavy on the berry and lighter on the vanilla keeps it feeling like summer. The Apricot Vanilla is a different experience. It’s very vanilla in the beginning, with the more delicate apricot running through it at the end. Both these yummy bath gels smell good enough to eat and are not overpowering in this heat.
Available: Bath and Bodyworks Stores and http://www.bathandbodyworks.com
When I think of tuberose, I expect my nose to be delighted by the sexy, heady, and heavy scent of well….tuberose. Piguet’s Fracas is always what comes to mind and by which I judge all others.
Infusion de Tuberose by Prada, a follow up to Infusion d’Iris and Infusion d’Orange, is a soft, watery scent that pales next to traditional strong tuberoses, but that’s not a bad thing. The perfumer Daniela Andrier, says she “uses the fresh green buds of tuberose rather than the very sweet lactonique mature petals. This ephemeral impression of tuberose also has notes of petitgrain bigarade (leaves from the blood orange tree), blood orange, and dynamone (amber-like aroma). The lovely design on the box comes from the Prada fabric archives and the cap of the bottle matches the pretty flower petals. It’s a soft summer scent for the warm days ahead.
Available: Bloomingdales and http://www.saks.com
As soon as I hear “vanilla” is in a scent, I conjure up cozy images of sweet darkness, a roaring fire, cashmere throw, hot tea. So when I first sniffed Vanithe from Nez a Nez, I immediately had an olfactory, “huh?” I love a surprise, and in this case, the vanilla is the last note, not the first, and after getting over the sniff shock, I realized I liked it. The opening notes of this perfume are verveine, rosemary and Earl Grey tea, with a heart of jasmine tea, cedar, and gaiac wood. Finally…that sweetness I’m wanting comes from absolute of vanilla, benzoin honey and tonka beans.
Available: Aedes de Venustas 9 Christopher St and the Avery at the Limelight Shops, or http://www.aedes.com