Orange Blossoms Bloom On Warm Skin

The orange blossom is one of my favourite little white perfumed flowers. Orange blossom is the fragrant distillation of fresh bitter-orange flower. These oranges are too sour to eat, but it is that bitterness that makes this the most aromatic of the orange varieties. The leaves become petitgrain oil, and the delicate white flowers become neroli and orange blossom absolute. It plays very well with many other perfume notes, staying pretty, feminine and delicate when paired with other floral notes, especially white flowers. It can also be sensuous and rich when paired up with woodsy or resinous notes, and perfectly unisex. And, of course, it enhances citrus notes beautifully. There is a lovely soapy aspect to orange blossom scents, which of course, I adore. I have a L'Artisan Parfumeur candle in Oranger en Fleurs and it is heavenly, filling the room with a heady fragrant orange blossom haze.

So- you like orange blossom, but how to wear it as a perfume? Should you choose a soliflore, a scent that features orange blossom all on its own? Or perhaps a lovely mix? Here are some of my favourite orange blossom perfumes, from cheap and cheerful to decadent and rich.

Yves Rocher Pur Desire de Fleur d'Oranger: Don't be fooled by the amazingly reasonable price of this one. It is like delicate little blossoms floating in a cool stream. It never overwhelms, and smells like clean warm skin. It is almost always on sale for half of the reasonable price as well. Get it, you won't regret it.

Jo Malone Orange Blossom Cologne: This is the loveliest, simplest pure orange blossom, uncomplicated by any other notes. It is refreshing, clear, and almost watery. Also,  probably one the best summer perfumes out there. Her scented body products in the Orange Blossom line are divine, and the Jo Malone Orange Blossom Candle is one of my all time faves.

L'Artisan Parfumeur La Chasse aux Papillons: This is my personal favourite orange blossom scent. Light as air, as the name implies, the orange blossom is lifted up by the most delicate jasmine and tuberose, with a little lime blossom to tone down the sweetness. It is sheer, feminine and soft, if not a little fleeting. I often am most in love with the fleeting scents. They are always the most delicate and I would rather reapply then with I could wash something off. To me, La Chasse aux Papillons smells like a sunny summer day under a tree of orange blossoms. Beautiful.

Diptyque L'Eau de Neroli: A lovely shared orange blossom with notes of neroli and bergamot. The bergamot, while still citrus, has a tart and gently spicy aspect which keeps L'Eau de Neroli from veering off into too floral a perfume. Which would make it delicious on a man. Not perfumed, just clean and fresh, and making you want to lean in a little closer to that warm skin, perfect for someone who does not want a strong scent. Cool and green on the top, there is a lovely slightly woodsy dry down. 

Serge Lutens Fleurs d'Oranger: Ok, now we are getting serious about orange blossom. Lutens perfumes have a cachet and intensity like no other perfumes on the planet. This is not a polite orange blossom, and frankly is a bit much for me, but I can appreciate it's artful beauty. Loads of jasmine and dirty tuberose amp the orange blossom up to impossibly sexy and, yes, even dirty levels. For the confident perfume wearer, and I'd also say for those with the type of skin that eats up a light airy perfume. Orange blossom can be fleeting on some skin types & if that's you, try this. Also available in the US here.

Tom Ford Neroli Portofino Collection: This is the luxe top of line orange blossom of the gods perfume, if that is what you are looking for. Tom Ford is a perfectionist and his gorgeous perfumes reflect this. Neroli Portofino is a simple scent, but it is lovely, elegant and perfect, if a simple orange blossom scent is what you want. It is cooling and fresh, and would be perfect on a hot summer day. It's sort of like orange blossom essence in an icy cool waterfall. Yes, that's it.

I know I've missed some, but I had to stop somewhere! Tell me what your favourite orange blossom scents are? Is it perfume? Is it a lotion, or other body product, maybe even a soap? 

I Love Layering- Even In The Summer

my kind of layers....yum

I am a bit maverick-y when it comes to perfume. I know- shocking, right? I love masterfully composed exclusive perfumes like Acqua di Parma Profumo and sweet, charming gems from the drugstore like Lady Stetson. Another thing I like to do is layer my perfumes. Some might find this sacrilege but I find some of the most delicious scents have come out of my layering experiments. It is often accidental. I will put on a perfume, then a few hours later reapply as I'm leaving, forgetting which perfume I originally applied. Most of the times, it's a happy accident. 

My scent mood rarely changes dramatically during the day, so instinctively I seem to choose scents that luckily work together. This is another reason I tend to favour simple scents. They are easier to layer! Its not always easy in this age of "a million perfumes that all smell like the same mix of a million synthetic ingredients" but it's easier than you'd think. It's not a new concept to perfume- Jo Malone actually offers layering menus on their website with suggestions of perfumes that work well together.

My layering trick is pretty simple. I try to start with a soft skin scent to work with as a "base note". Soft musks, ambers, and woodsy notes well as base notes. Creamy sweet gourmande perfumes also work well as a base. Scents that melt into the skin and make you have to lean in close to smell are the ones that make good base scents.

Then its time to look for a top note. Yes, I know perfumes are made into 3 notes- top, middle/heart and base, but I find it best to keep things simple when doing this yourself. Top and Base are really the only things you need. As far as light and airy, I tend to favour floral and green notes for the top note, as they compliment a richer base note. The base note is calmed and softened by the airy top, and the top is grounded and enhanced by the richness of the base notes.

Annick Goutal Songes, Musc Bleu, AK Musk, Sisley Eau de Campagne, Sexy Angelic, Etro Heliotrope

Some of my favourite base suggestions:

Egyptian Musk Oil: I love Abdul Kareem and Auric Blends musk oils. They have a clean woodsy note that work as the perfect base for almost any perfume. 

Il Profvmo Musc Bleu: This is the lightest cleanest musk, adds a fresh scrubbed note to any perfume.

Honore Des Pres Sexy Angelic: the soft and sweet notes hug the skin and smell amazing when topped with florals. It adds a yummy aspect to clean scents.

Etro Heliotrope: The powdery sweet floral notes in this soften any scent.

Annick Goutal Songes: This sultry and dark tropical floral adds a sensual sweetness to any perfume.

Sisley Eau de Campagne: This shimmering green shower of a perfume adds a spring shower meets green field of grass note and lightens any scent.

YSL Y, Creed  Virgin Island Water, AG La Violette, L'Artisan La Chasse aux Papillons, Floris, Guerlain

These work wonderfully when worn as top notes:

Floris Night Scented Jasmine: simple sweet and floral, this one is just gorgeous with a musk base. It becomes positively dangerous when layered with Annick Goutal Songes.

L'Artisan La Chasse Aux Papillons: Another simple summery floral, I love this one with Sexy Angelic as a base for evening.

Annick Goutal La Violette: This simple sweet violet sings like a spring day when worn with Eau de Campagne.

Then some that just work as a top or a base:

YSL "Y": This soapy green floral chypre is so beautifully composed it pretty much works with anything. I love it with a musk. It is basically like being in a shower all day. I have blown my own mind by wearing this one with Chanel Bois des Iles. WOW. This one is still available for a song online. Get it if you don't have it. 

Guerlain Un Air de Samsara: This is basically sandalwood and jasmine with a little mint tea. I use tiny amounts with any floral and adore it.

Creed Virgin Island Water: Layer this with anything that you want to smell beachy and summery.

So, there are basically no rules for this kind of stuff. As I type this I am already thinking of others....Kiehl's Musk, SMN Gardenia, Keiko Mecheri Jasmine.....I say just experiment, play, and see what works! Often if you think it will work, it does. Our nose knows....

Describing L'Artisan Parfumeur La Chasse aux Papillons Perfume is like Chasing Butterflies

One of my most favourite gentle floral perfumes for warmer days is L'Artisan Parfumeur La Chasse aux Papillons (Chasing Butterflies). It was launched in 1999, and is to me, a perfect representation of the perfume house of L'Artisan Parfumeur. Sheer, delicate and elegant, La Chasse is a summer day in a garden of tuberose, orange blossom, jasmine and lime blossom. It's tuberose for those who find Fracas just  Too Much and who find Jo Malone Orange Blossom just Too Little. The floral notes are beautifully balanced and never ever ever offend. It is delicate and gauzy, just like a butterfly, and if I close my eyes and sniff, I am in a garden on a hot sunny day. Maybe I love La Chasse because it reminds me of my most favourite kind of weather in the whole world? I swear I can even see blue skies when I wear it. There is the tiniest hint of soap in the dry down but nowhere near the soapy levels in, say, Prada Infusion Fleur d'Oranger, which I love, but in a OMG Soap! kind of way. There is no weird musk dry down and when La Chasse goes away it gently flutters away making you wish it would hang around a little longer. That is the one complaint most have with this perfume- that it is too fleeting. I don't have a problem with that, as I simply apply more. I'd rather miss a perfume than wish I could get. It. Off. Now.

It is one of L'Artisan's best sellers, and when I wear it I see why. I want to cover myself in it. I like that it simply smells pretty. It doesn't try to impress with weird trendy notes (oud- I am looking at you) or blow away the competition with killer sillage that fills the room. It just makes you smell pretty. When I wear this, I always get asked what perfume am I wearing. But, only by people who get close enough to smell it.  Which is the way it should be, in my opinion. I know it is unpopular in most perfume circles but honestly. If we all wore monster perfumes we would all be competing for air space and no one could enjoy anything. Don't wear perfume like yours is the only one that matters. Even strong perfumes can be judiciously applied. Share the air. Please.

This is a scent I'd love in my hair. Oscar Blandi has a jasmine shampoo but it is nowhere as pretty as La Chasse. For some reason the thought of a sitting in a butterfly garden, with a breeze blowing through my hair, wafting gentle, transparent and "sparkling" flower notes around me is just so romantic... I would like to go to there please. So today I will spritz some La Chasse aux Papillons, and walk in the sunshine. I am feeling pretty blessed these days.