August 2013: In the Summer Garden

Is there any month that inspires such mixed emotions as August? According to the calendar, it's summer —the glorious peak of summer. But according to the rhythms of life, the march toward autumn and stillness has already begun. People are scrambling to get in one more weekend trip. Children are stocking up on pencils and notebooks. In clothing stores, the swimming suits have been pushed to the sale rack by corduroy and sleeves and jackets. The days are becoming imperceptibly shorter, and the color temperature of the light from the sun is getting cooler.

That's why, in this last full month of summer, we treasure everything that is in bloom and in full ripeness —and that feeling is the inspiration for the August Olfactif collection, "In the Summer Garden." It is a nod to summer's bounty,  to vegetable and flower and fruit, and to being present in the moment that is here now.

Branch & Vine by Providence Perfume Co. New release! This 100% natural eau de cologne and brand-new release from perfumer Charna Ethier is an olfactory snapshot of nature’s most verdant summer scene cooled in a late afternoon shade. Branch & Vine opens with a mix of intensely green notes, including a refreshing tomato leaf, before the floral heart blossoms. In time, the greenery fades, the flowers linger, and the grassy, woodsy base completes a composition that unfolds like the winding down of summer’s last days. Notes include sunflower, green orange, mimosa, muguet leaf accord, neroli, jasmine sambac, vetiver, fir, and violet leaf. 

Gigi by Jardins dÉcrivains. Named for the title character of the 1944 novella from French writer Colette, Gigi is homage to the character’s beauty, mischievousness, audacity, and radiance. Perfumer Anaïs Biguine channeled all of these qualities and translated them to olfactory form, capturing the essence of Gigi with a white bouquet of heady, bubbling sweetness that transforms over time into warm, soft refinement. Biguine's creation is a stroll through the Paris of 1900 in the Belle Époque, with the mischievous, playful Gigi as your guide. (For a fascinating and in-depth look at Colette as an olfactory author, see here.) Notes include freshly cut grass, orange blossom, neroli, tuberose, jasmine, blackcurrant, sandalwood, and white musk. 

Eau Sans Pareil by Penhaligon's.  The opening zings with a sparkling mélange of delicate fruits, and moments later the heart explodes into a bouquet of rose, white flowers, and spice. Eau Sans Pareil is a vibrant, shimmering chypre that deftly features unusual notes such as liquorice and pineapple —a sophisticated composition that isn't afraid to have some light-hearted fun. Don't let the pink ribbon fool you; this multifaceted scent was originally made with men in mind and is now worn by both sexes equally. Notes include aldehydes, neroli, mandarin, bergamot, kumquat, raspberry, pineapple, cypress, pink pepper, tagetes, jasmine, Damascus rose, muguet, orris, ylang, orange blossom, liquorice, clove, patchouli, vetiver, cedarwood, oakmoss, musk, vanilla, cistus labdanum, benzoin, amber crystals.

We hope these three perfumes delight you as much as they delight us.