Parfums Monsillage- Dupont Circle

Dupont Circle, the Washington DC landmark, is a somewhat unlikely name for a perfume that comes from Montreal, Canada. But Dupont Circle by perfumer Isabelle Michaud of Parfums Monsilage is meant to evoke not our capital but a certain feeling of youth and elation she remembers from her days as a young intern in the city.

Dupont Circle is, indeed, youthful. Not in a juvenile way, though. While the perfume opens up with a somewhat nose hair singing citrus, it develops into a delightful sweet and exuberant rose. It's a modern, somewhat fruity and non-powdery rose, that smells streamlined and almost minimalistic, yet of high quality. Dupont Circle, like the other Monsillage perfumes I've tried, gives that tailored air of a really good perfume without trying too hard to through baroque notes at your nose.

I love the drydown. It's woody, it's smooth and it lasts all day long with just a little ambery sweetness. Dupont circle makes a great warm weather perfume with its cheerful good nature, but I'm finding that it's just as satisfying for fall, as its richness folds slower. It's like wearing a beautiful scarf in light colors to enliven a more somber outfit.

Notes: citrus, rose, cedar, patchouli, oakmoss

Dupont Circle by Monsillage Perfumes ($95 CAN, 1.7 oz EDT) is available from monsillage.com.

Photo: Summer evening in Dupont Circle by Wayne Higgs, 1966