A few years ago I wrote about comfort scents, smells that you go crave when the goings get tough. This is not what we're talking about here. Or at least, not quite. It's the middle of winter and staying in bed has never felt better: pulling the comforter up to your nose while planting your feet firmly under a cat. I've looked for perfumes that give me this feeling, and are also good for long nights under the covers. They have to feel cozy, yet not overwhelm with foody/sweet notes, spice, or too much of just about anything. In no particular order, here are my white sheets and soft comforter perfumes:
- Etat Libre d'Orange- Fils de Dieu, du Riz et des Agrumes. It's that steamed rice note. Yes, I know I just said "no food", but Fils de Dieu is not quite a gourmand perfume. It's soft and white, easy to wear and not distracting.
- Serge Lutens- Clair de Musc. One of the sleeper perfumes in the line is delicate, clean, and moves between creamy and powdery.
- Ted Lapidus- Silk Way. An oriental musk-wood-incense that wears like a gauzy light blanket.
- Ramon Monegal- Cuirelle. This might be pushing the boundaries a little with its sensual honeyed leather/incense. I guess that's how skin smells after staying in bed all day with books and cats.
- Annick Goutal- Ninfeo Mio. This one is actually for summer. Imagine a cool white canopied bed in a room open to a Mediterranean garden. You feel the breeze and pull the crisp sheet over your shoulders. Bliss.
- Le Labo: Vanille 44 and Labdanum 18. Two cozy cashmere-like perfumes, not very sweet or too heavy.
- Atelier Cologne- Vanille Insensee. A relative of the Le Labo exclusive, not foody and quite grown up. Like having a cup of Earl Grey tea in bed.
- Frederic Mall- Dans tes Bras. Powdery and a little weird, feels like finding an old beloved blanket that has been stored in a wooden box with violet-scented sachets.
- Hermes- Hiris. Another combination of coolness and warmth, a crisp white scent that I adore all year round. It's calming, relaxing, and oddly fitting when the snow keeps falling.
I've been wearing Hiris a lot this winter, with the same reasoning. In the spring, I like it paired with a crisp white shirt, so I guess this time of year it works with the crisp, white, ground!
ReplyDeleteSome of mine would be:
ReplyDeleteHermès Hiris
Annick Goutal Heure Exquise (EdP)
L'Artisan Parfumeur Bois Farine and Jour de Fête
Ormonde Jayne Champaca
Etat Libre d'Orange La Fin du Monde
Helmut Lang (both EdP and EdC)
Loved this blog, so perfect for now. Also, thanks to you, I rediscovered Silk Way by Ted Lapidus, tucked in the back of my closet!
ReplyDeleteA steamed rice note?? Intrigued...
ReplyDeleteWhat a great undermentioned category and love the scents you included in it! Some that also come to mind for me are Barbara Bui, Lancome Cuir, Molyneux Le Numero Cinq and Guerlain Cuir Beluga and Bois d'Armenie. I used to also love CB's Boiled Rice accord either on its own or layered with compatible scents. I'm almost out and was wondering just the other day if he even carries it any more. Will have to call and check - seems like it might be out of sync with his new image.
ReplyDeleteAnna
Guerlain Cruel Gardenia is one for me..... puts me to sleep.
ReplyDeleteI cannot smell any strong Gardenia in the perfume..... but its a soft , fluffy powdery scent that is just gentle and great for sleeping in.
Once again I am floored by your descriptions! My olfactory system must not be very highly developed - I know when I like a scent and when it smells good on me and when it doesn't, but I would never go where you do when describing fragrances - and I don't know how you do it! I am impressed and at the same time totally confused!
ReplyDelete10 Corso Como is the one for me. Even if my brain is doing migraine-y things to my body, this is the only one that doesn't make me nauseous.
ReplyDeleteI think my most comforting scent really is the mix of my various perfumes and candles that lingers in my bedroom. I come home to a warm, cozy mix that leans towards sandalwood, maybe a little gourmand, just enough to soothe the stress of the day.
ReplyDelete