Perfume For Spring: My Current Top 10

Things that will not be mentioned here:  Diorissimo or the fact that spring still feels an awful lot like winter.

Instead of whining, we can talk about perfumes that transition well from cold weather to the new season. Also, about some new perfumes that are a breath of fresh air on the scene. And I'll start with an amber, one that proves that there's still something interesting to be done with this note. Like infusing it with lavender and sage giving it a green floral touch as well as a spicy herbalness, which is exactly what happens in Ambre Nomade by Élisire, a new brand that thankfully only offers five perfumes (for now). Ambre Nomade is my favorite of them, but there's also a zesty green one, Eau Papaguena, if that's what one desires on a sunny day. They're arriving at Osswald NYC as we speak.

More green stuff: Montreal-based Parfums Monsillage has launched a new fragrance, Eau de Céleri. The name is definitely eyebrow-raising, but the perfume itself is a green lover's dream, chock-full of galbanum, cut grass and a slightly burnt vetiver that had the Husband smiling from ear to ear. I'll post a full review soon, but what you need to know is that all six Monsillage perfumes are now available at Twisted Lily and are worth sampling.

The bitter green of a marigold note has always been a spring pleasure, even though the flower itself is more of a summer thing. The original formulations of Lauren and Halston, as well as Niki de Saint Phalle were perfect examples, but this post is a non-kvetching zone, so instead of going vintage I'll mention Tagete by Profumum Roma, which is a modern and sweeter interpretation, but I like it a lot, probably thanks to the tuberose and vetiver combo that holds it together.

April showers result in a rain-soaked asphalt on the streets of New York City. The gray concrete of the urban jungle (literally, in this case) is decorated with flowers, mainly rose, in Asphalt Rainbow by Christopher Street. It's lighter than most summer roses, and quite unique in the way it combines city pungency with the prettiest of flowers.

A complete opposite is Misia, the newest Les Exclusif de Chanel, a perfume that returns Chanel to the elegance and restraint that are at the core of the house's aesthetics. An iris and violet that smell as French as it gets.

Walking the line between classic and modern is the floral chypre Au Dela by San Francisco artist and perfumer Bruno Fazzolari. Green, mossy, almost animalic but not quite, this is a true gem.

Camellia from Aroma M is another gorgeous floral that surprises by its unmistakable connection to classic perfumes of yore. When I first smelled it last year my immediate reaction was that this is what an expensive French perfume should be like, but this beauty actually comes from Brooklyn. I think I prefer the eau de parfum version over the oil, but both but both spell spring.

Still in the category of natural blooms and leaves, Aftelier's Secret Garden and Moss Gown by Providence Perfume Company have become perennial favorites for me. Their promise of bright sunny days, lush greenery and a garden in full bloom sustains me on the dreary days and comes in handy when spring is really and truly here to stay.

For more spring perfumes please visit my friends at Bois de Jasmin, Grain de Musc, Now Smell This, and Perfume Posse.

Image: Spring Rain by Erte.