What fragrance are you wearing today? What does your hometown smell like in the spring, and is there a perfume that captures this scent?
After a long stretch of unseasonably cold months, the temperatures suddenly climbed high enough for all of the blooms to open up at once. The scent is even stronger in the morning, when the air is fresh and clean. As I walk down the street, I’m intoxicated by the scents of magnolia (lemon zest and melted vanilla ice cream) and hyacinths (earth caked roses and cloves). The scent is strong enough that I don’t even need to wear perfume; the fragrance in the air is enough to make me feel butterflies in my stomach for no reason.
If I were to pick a commercial fragrance that captures the scent of Brussels these days, it would be Annick Goutal Grand Amour. With its lush but airy bouquet of rose and hyacinth, it has a vibrant, bold character. The fresh green melody of Parfums de Nicolaï Le Temps d’une Fête is another perfume I will reach for to remind myself of these spring days.
Luckily for all of us, there is no bottled essence of the Brussels subway (I doubt that musty and acrid odors are in much demand).
Photography by Bois de Jasmin
120 Comments
Renee: Hello,
My hometown also smells like hyacinths,daffodils and lilac.There are a lot of magnolias on my street,but I am unable to feel their smell.Grand Amour is,indeed,perfect for this time of the year and I also like very much Fidji.I have it both in EDT and in EDP concentracion and I cannot decide which I like best,even if it doesn’t smell like it used to.
I am waiting for that time of the year when the air will be full of the linden flowers scent and when my neighborhood will be invaded by the beautiful aroma of the chevrefeuille(I’m sorry,I don’t know the english word )
I wish you a beautiful,sunny and fragrant 🙂 spring! April 18, 2013 at 7:43am
Victoria: You mean honeysuckle (chevrefeuille)! I haven’t seen much of it here in Belgium, but then again, I haven’t spent the spring here yet. It’s such a beautiful scent. The closest commercial take is Annick Goutal’s Le Chevrefeuille. April 18, 2013 at 10:01am
solanace: I planted a honeysuckle in my yard, but now, after the summer rains, the grass is so high that I can’t see how it’s doing. April 18, 2013 at 10:54am
Victoria: Speaking of gardens, I just noticed that the flower box my landlord left on the balcony has sprouted some weeds and chives. 🙂 April 19, 2013 at 5:27am
solanace: It’s so useful to have a few chives planted! April 20, 2013 at 5:23am
Cornelia Blimber: The wind is very strong in Amsterdam these days, it blows away the perfumes of flowers. I see many daffodils and tulips. In my neighborhood there are magnolia’s, in tune with L’Instant de Guerlain and Wanted, Helena Rubinstein. In our Zoo, Artis, there are shrubs with yellow flowers, smelling almost exactly like Champs Elysées.
Today I wear Caleche: stormy but also gay and fresh, like our weather here in Amsterdam. April 18, 2013 at 7:48am
Victoria: In narrow streets around my apartment building where several large magnolia trees bloomed at once, it’s very strong. I realized that I haven’t experienced such a full, rich magnolia perfume before.
Caleche is a beauty. Enjoy it! April 18, 2013 at 10:03am
The Blue Squid: In springtime, which is always warm here, jasmine and mock orange come out in bloom, and the smell is strong and pleasant all around where I live, mixed in with the odd chemical puff of car exhaust pipe, or similar. I like Jasmin et Cigarette best at this time. But I wore some Cuir Ottoman today ‘cos it is autumn. April 18, 2013 at 7:56am
Victoria: What you’ve described made me think of Jasmin et Cigarette right away! It sounds fantastic. April 18, 2013 at 10:04am
Ari: Baltimore smells like sweet tea when the magnolias are first blooming, but smells significantly less pleasant as the petals begin to rot on the ground! I’m constantly slipping on them on the way to class.
I’m testing Gorilla Perfumes Voice of Reason today- it is perfectly nice, but not as deep as I was hoping for. April 18, 2013 at 8:44am
Victoria: I guess if our magnolias bloomed at once, they will start wilting at the same time and it won’t be nice. But it’s great for now.
I haven’t tried Voice of Reason yet, but the description didn’t tempt me. I know that I should just try it, but with so many perfumes and so little time, my sample has been neglected. April 18, 2013 at 10:06am
Marie: I’m testing Cuir Ottoman today, not liking it much. Wish I’d worn something else. Can anyone recommend a good leather fragrance that’s not too smoky? April 18, 2013 at 9:03am
Ari: Marie, thank you for the recommendation- I love smoky leathers! 😀 Cuir de Lancome is the least smoky leather in my own collection, and the original Bottega Veneta is very plush and not remotely smoky. April 18, 2013 at 9:11am
Victoria: If anyone wants a very smoky leather, I’ve just discovered the ultimate–handsoap scented with birch tar from a Russian store. It’s called Degtiarnoe Mylo and is sold at most Russian stores and grocery shops. In Cyrillic, it would be Дегтярное Мыло.
Sonoma Scents Studio Fireside and Fireside Intense are also great. April 18, 2013 at 10:11am
Marie: Bottega Veneta sounds nice! April 18, 2013 at 1:59pm
Victoria: Do you find Cuir Ottoman too smoky? In that case, you might like to try something soft like Hermes Kelly Caleche or Bottega Veneta (try its Eau Legere version too). April 18, 2013 at 10:08am
Carolina: Cuir de Nacre is lovely; the leather in it is very soft. April 18, 2013 at 10:57am
Marie: Thank you! I’ll try these. I want to find a leather perfume that works for me. April 18, 2013 at 1:56pm
Jennifer: MPG Cuir Fetiche might be a good non-smoky leather for you to try. April 18, 2013 at 2:40pm
Cornelia Blimber: Gomma (Etro) is leather, but not sharp. or Daim Blond (Lutens), very soft leather. April 18, 2013 at 4:01pm
rosarita: Some hyacinths and jonquils are blooming here but the trees are bare and there’s not much scent, mainly just the smell of fresh, wet earth, which is nice. Today I’m wearing Imaginary Authors Memoirs of a Trespasser which is new to me and I’m kind of obsessed with. It smells of a pleasantly smoky campfire and golden brown vanilla – very addictive. April 18, 2013 at 9:10am
Victoria: Your description of smoky campfire and vanilla surely made me curious, even though I’m more in the floral mood these days. 🙂 April 18, 2013 at 10:09am
rosarita: Ah, I know, florals are just the thing and I’ve been stepping out of my comfort zone with some beautiful ones (SSS Jour Ensoleillé) but it’s pouring rain today and a cold front is coming in, so smoldering campfire is perfect 🙂 April 18, 2013 at 11:40am
Mary: Today in Assolo van Cale Fragranze d’autore, last week I layered essentric Molecule 01 with a spritz of Paris (YSL) wich was delicious… April 18, 2013 at 9:13am
Victoria: This layering combination sounds fantastic–roses and woods. April 18, 2013 at 10:11am
Mary: which perfume would come close? A woody rose scent… suprise me…. April 18, 2013 at 11:49am
Victoria: Maybe Rose Anonyme which Suzanna reviewed on Monday? Or even the flanker to Paris, Parisienne. I love how it blends rose, violet and woods with crisp, fruity notes. April 18, 2013 at 3:52pm
Nicola: Ha – I totally get your comment about the smell of the (Brussels) underground but it reminded me of a comment my 7 year old nephew made the other day when we were on the (London) underground. He said he liked the smell of it! I was surprised for a second then thought about what he might mean and asked if he meant the smell of the metal of the trains and rails (he loves trains) and he said yes. I also wonder if it’s because when he goes on the underground he is en route to something fun and therefore he has associations which I certainly don’t! April 18, 2013 at 9:26am
Victoria: I don’t mind the metallic part so much, but the musty is not pleasant. But oh well, most subways don’t smell of roses (although the subway in Paris smells like lily of the valley time to time). April 18, 2013 at 10:12am
solanace: The lily of the valley is great, but I’d bet Chatelet is the stinkiest place on Earth! April 18, 2013 at 10:59am
Victoria: It’s the most chaotic for sure, especially during a rush hour. I once was squeezed so hard on the train that a chocolate box inside by purse got dented! April 18, 2013 at 11:00am
solanace: There are so many rats in there, I actually had fun watching them! April 18, 2013 at 5:02pm
Victoria: Just like in the NYC subway, where the rat watching is what you do to kill time while waiting for the train. 🙂 April 19, 2013 at 5:24am
solanace: Exactly, spotting rats as big as cats is a great way to kill time, specially since the RER does not come very quickly!They are sort of cute, it’s a shame they smell so bad! April 20, 2013 at 5:28am
Daisy: I’ve done that 🙂 After seeing Ratatouille in the theater, I was on the subway platform cooing at rats. People moved away from me! April 21, 2013 at 11:47pm
Leah: How fun! I am wearing Knize 10 today, mostly because I woke up craving it. Seasons in my hometown consist of hot and very hot, and I am very fortunate to have lots of night-blooming jasmine in my neighborhood. Basically, I live inside a bottle of Serge Lutens A La Nuit – heaven! Enjoy the warmth! April 18, 2013 at 9:29am
Victoria: I’m envious! Can’t think of a better scented environment. 🙂 April 18, 2013 at 10:13am
Lauren: Wisteria! It reminds me of so many places I have loved: my childhood home, Fuji City in Japan (where they, interestingly, call wisteria ‘fuji’), my riverside home in Cranford, NJ, and now Charlotte. I roll my car windows down on my morning commute to smell it blooming as I drive through South Carolina backroads. Wisteria makes me feel happy and comforted. April 18, 2013 at 9:58am
Victoria: Do you find that wisteria smells similar to black locust trees? I remember lots of those in NC, and the scent would make me so happy. April 18, 2013 at 10:14am
Lauren: I don’t know about the locust trees! Good question. April 18, 2013 at 2:54pm
Victoria: I’ve always wanted someone to do the headspace of black locust blossoms. They smell like orange flowers and coconut milk, and the perfume is really heady. April 18, 2013 at 3:05pm
Martha: Where I live there are flowering locust – a delightful scent! April 18, 2013 at 10:10pm
Victoria: And the flowers are edible. I’ve eaten them fried tempura style with a dusting of powdered sugar. I also used them to flavor sugar, and it works really well. April 19, 2013 at 5:26am
Elizabeth: Apple blossoms! We had an apple tree in our garden when I was little, and I looked forward to the blossoms every year. They had a lovely, delicate scent. I can’t imagine a perfume that would capture them. April 18, 2013 at 10:18am
Victoria: Sophia Grojsman was inspired by the apple blossoms when she created Eternity for Calvin Klein, which at first I didn’t recognize as such. Like you, I love the scent of apple trees in bloom. For my husband, it’s the scent of his childhood, since they lived surrounded by apple groves. April 18, 2013 at 10:57am
Figuier: When I was little, living ‘on the Continent’, apple blossom was one of my favourite spring smells – it had a gorgeous, rich, yet slightly effervescent scent. April 18, 2013 at 2:33pm
Beth: I’m so jealous of all of you. We still haven’t had Spring show up in my neck of the woods. It’s even forecasting to snow a bit this weekend again. But when it does, especially in my yard, I get the heady smell of the lilac bushes I planted when I first moved in. I love them so much! Then the peonies start up, and they’re so lush and beautiful. But for now, the trees are barely budding.
I’m wearing MFK Cologne por le Soir today. Wow, I really love this one. April 18, 2013 at 10:24am
Victoria: Our spring took forever to come. Even as early as two weeks ago we had snow! April 18, 2013 at 2:32pm
Jillie: The weather here in the UK is so changeable – we’ve just had a huge thunderstorm with hail, and the daffodils are now flattened! Not much else is blooming yet, and all I can smell is damp earth and some general green. This makes me yearn for L’Artisan’s Jacinthe, which I seem to remember smelt like spring. I don’t think I would like to smell my hometown at the moment, as it would probably be full of exhaust fumes and burgers frying! April 18, 2013 at 10:27am
Victoria: Oh, no! I hope that it warms up over the weekend.
You’ve reminded me how much I used to love Jacinthe des Bois! It was a hyacinth perfection. April 18, 2013 at 2:38pm
yomi: Hello Victoria . Nice to know you are settling in quite nicely. Ibadan where I stay in southern Nigeria smells now of moist earth and heady narcotic white flowers at least around where I live.
I plant jasmine around the house – sambac and in full bloom with heavy tropical rains and pride of barbados blooms on the wet ground the air is beautifully perfumed especially in the mornings!
Do have a lovely day! April 18, 2013 at 10:44am
Victoria: I can just imagine this earthy jasmine scent in a perfume, Yomi! April 18, 2013 at 2:39pm
yomi: I have thought of capturing the scent of my garden in a perfume in times past – your article has re-inspired me. My house number is 7 so it might just be called Parfums Lambo no 7! April 18, 2013 at 10:59am
Victoria: I answered before I saw your second comment. Yes, that sounds like a great idea, and I hope that you can do it. April 18, 2013 at 2:40pm
solanace: My home smells of sambac jasmine and lemon trees. Year round, since the plants don’t care much about seasons here in the tropic. But my best recollection is from the Brazilian cherry (pitanga) blossoms. They only release their smell very early in the morning, but it’s so lovely and complex, heady yet tart and a bit spicy. I have a plant here, but it takes a few years to grow… April 18, 2013 at 11:07am
Victoria: I know that many fragrance & flavor companies do the scent treks to different parts of the world to discover interesting, unusual aromas. I can just imagine pitanga being among them. Wonder if it’s been “trekked” already. April 18, 2013 at 2:41pm
solanace: Ithas been trekking already. Brazilian giant Natura has a pitanga line (probably sold in their flagship store in Paris 6ème), but I don’t think it makes justice to the actual flower (or even to the fruit, which is absolutely delicious and makes a great sorbet by the way). Wish Goutal or Patricia de Nicolai would make a cologne based on it! April 18, 2013 at 5:08pm
solanace: It has been trakked, sorry. April 18, 2013 at 5:08pm
Cacomixtle: Here in southern New Mexico, Spring arrives with the rich resinous scent of Cottonwood as the leaf buds open, the spiced lilac of Redroot flowers (Ceanothus), and the butterscotch and vanilla of Ponderosa Pine resin warming in the sun. I could just lay on the forest floor and breathe it in all day. April 18, 2013 at 11:13am
Victoria: It’s such a pleasure to read all of these comments, because whatever scents you’re describing, I can just imagine them all. It’s like arm-chair traveling and being led by the nose. 🙂 April 18, 2013 at 2:42pm
iodine: I’m quite disappointed with Spring in Milan- it came all of a sudden and immediately veered towards foggy and humid… No blue skies, only a shrouded sun raging through the mist, flowers already tired. So sad. The alley just in front of my school smells intensely of honey, anyway, thanks to cherry trees. I haven’t caught wisteria or lilac or magnolias, yet.
I’m wearing Perle de Mousse today, dreaming of another spring! April 18, 2013 at 11:22am
Victoria: At least, with Perle de Mousse you can conjure up a perfect spring. It’s the ultimate spring-like perfume for me. April 18, 2013 at 2:46pm
Heather: I grew up in southern Louisiana, where from February onward the air was full of some lovely scent, starting with sweet olive (osmanthus) in late winter and progressing through, plant by plant, to the heavy rich magnolia blossoms in summer. In arid New Mexico, I don’t miss the steambath-level humidity, but do miss the flowers. April 18, 2013 at 11:35am
Victoria: Having spent some time in the South, I know exactly what you mean about the steambath-level humidity! I loved the mild winters, but the summers were awful for me. On the other hand, the scent of osmanthus was my favorite recollection from those days. April 18, 2013 at 2:48pm
Lila: We’ve had a late spring this year in my hometown of Greenville, SC. It’s usually in full bloom by now but today it’s only wisteria (which doesn’t look like it had a restful winters nap), tulips and hyacinths and of course the ubiquitous pansies! I love them b/c they keep my spirits up all winter long! Bradford Pear trees are just starting to bloom but those can be disconcerting b/c some places use a fertilizer on them that smells like fish! Mostly I smell moist, warm earth, fresh pine or bark mulch and an occasional whiff of said flowers. The scent I chose today is Un Lys. It’s perfect on a rainy, spring day. A La Nuit is what I would wear on a sunny, spring day! 🙂 April 18, 2013 at 11:41am
Victoria: I believe that the fishy scent is the natural odor of blooming Bradfort pears. There was a big grove of them near my old house, and neighbors often complained about them. Strangely enough, I’ve learned to tune out the scent. The blossoms are lovely though. April 18, 2013 at 2:50pm
Andrea: I am from El Salvador, my town always smells like coffee and peru balsam. The coffee flowers will soon be coming out and the fields will be filled with this inebriating aroma. A lot of tuberose in the gardens and in the flower shops, thankfully this is a smell that we can find year round. Carnal flower very often comes to mind. April 18, 2013 at 11:48am
Lila: Coffee and balsam? That sounds like a fantastic combo. What do coffee flowers smell like? April 18, 2013 at 1:06pm
Victoria: Sounds perfect for a perfume, doesn’t it! April 18, 2013 at 2:51pm
Victoria: Andrea, I also would love to know what coffee flowers smell like! April 18, 2013 at 2:51pm
Andrea: Hello Victoria; It is definitely easy to classify it within the white flower family. While it has nuances reminiscent of jasmine, you can also find in it some deeper amber and balsamic notes. I can find in it some honey and chocolate traces with a slight mandarin touch. April 19, 2013 at 5:04pm
nikki: We are having a wonderful spring in Southern Arizona: Mesquite, Palo Verde, Texan Acacia and Creosotes are blooming in sunshine yellow blossoms~ everything is either green or bright yellow here right now~`
I use Bulgari’s Eau du The Vert and the extreme mostly as the spray is so convenient and really gives a lot of perfume in one spray (so important, a good spray!), for evening I wear Une Fleur de Cassie. April 18, 2013 at 12:14pm
Victoria: Arizona is so beautiful at this time of year.
Une Fleur de Cassie is one of my favorites for the warm days and cool evenings, because it makes this transition effortlessly. April 18, 2013 at 2:53pm
@19coco76: Midnight Poison by Dior,as the oriental Persian kind of rose and wood smells are everyones favorit here,exept me,but Midnight Poison is kind of exeption for me,it just put a spell on me.My version of Poison is Parfam.I may wear it tonight. April 18, 2013 at 12:18pm
Victoria: It’s so plush and velvety. The name and the color of the bottle match the fragrance so well for me. April 18, 2013 at 2:53pm
Dionne: Sigh. This is the time of year when being part of an international perfume community has a downside: it’s not spring here yet. The downside of living near the Canadian Rockies means I’ve got a couple more weeks to wait before anything turns green or blooms. It’s a good thing I have a lot of warm, snuggly, comforting fragrances. April 18, 2013 at 12:35pm
Victoria: Dionne, when we will be complaining of sweltering heat, you will be enjoying nice balmy days. 🙂
What warm and comforting perfumes are your choices these days? April 18, 2013 at 2:54pm
Dionne: Good point about the fabulous summers here: warm and sunny but never muggy, and the nights are always cool because of our elevation. I’ll try not to rub it in when everyone else is melting. 😉
Lately I’ve been reaching for Coromandel, Like This, Ambre Fétiche, Chambre Noir, Jacomo #08 and L’Eau d’Hiver. April 18, 2013 at 4:02pm
Victoria: We will be asking you for some cool northern breeze then. 🙂
Apart from Jacomo #08, which I haven’t tried, the rest sound so comforting. Like This is especially cuddly on a cold day, when all you want is another warm layer and a mug of hot tea. April 18, 2013 at 4:08pm
Figuier: The same mad spring-rush into bloom is happening here. Bright vetivers would match the smell of new grass and wet earth, and Mito or L’Heure Vertueuse would mimic the wonderful scent of budding box hedge. And inspired by the hyacinths on our front lawn I brought home a bunch of cut hyacinths from the shops, which have taken about 5 minutes to scent the whole room with their sappy verdancy, and are a perfect partner for the Cristalle ext layered with Parfum de Therese I put on this morning. April 18, 2013 at 1:03pm
Figuier: Sorry, that’s Cristalle edt, before anyone starts getting excited about an extrait version! April 18, 2013 at 2:35pm
Victoria: Gosh, wouldn’t that be a dream! 🙂 April 18, 2013 at 2:55pm
Natalia: In Moscow, it’s still a bit early for anything to bloom. It’ll start in a couple of weeks. But the weather is perfect now, today it’s +20 with a pleasant breeze. In these conditions, any perfume would be perfect, too. So my choice for today was L’Eau d’Hiver. Speaking of Ellena’s creations, I think this one is my favorite. This perfume is like a chameleon, rich and creamy in the winter, cool and tender in the spring. April 18, 2013 at 1:23pm
Victoria: My grandmother in Ukraine also mentioned that it’s been too cold for anything to bloom yet. We, on the other hand, have some mutant cherry tree that has been blooming for the past two months! It even got covered with snow, and it still kept on blooming. April 18, 2013 at 2:56pm
Carry: In rural Ireland it’s still smelling of rain, damp earth and uprooted woods after the storm (a bit like Calvin Klein’s underestimated Truth).
While walking my reluctant dog in this miserable weather I sprayed on Fracas (so much for too glamourous…) just to get a whiff of things to come and to cheer me up. Fracas in Irish rain is absolutely uplifting.
But comes May the country is smelling of sweet hawthorne, freshly cut grass and the wonderful coconut scent of furze.
Now, while writing this and Fracas disappeared a bit, I put on Lush Furze, a wonderful imagination of windswept woods, bitter herbs and sweet coconutty furze – mixes well with fading Fracas, btw.
Originally I’m from Berlin (une fille de Berlin, so to speak – unfortunately I didn’t get my hands on Lutens’ eponymous creation yet) and I miss the scent of the linden-blossoms: sitting in the garden of my favourite Portuguese restaurant beside my old apartment with the strong weet smell of the linden around, mixed with the smoky scent of grilled food, and cigarettes and booze, and a waft of a quirky mixture of perfumes and after-shaves of other guests.
Would be a modern take on Une Fille de Berlin… April 18, 2013 at 2:06pm
Victoria: Carry, what a beautiful description! I now want a perfume that smells of linden blossoms, tobacco and rum. Not sure how it might play out, but the idea intrigues me. 🙂 April 18, 2013 at 2:58pm
Carry: Victoria, linden, tobacco and rum – you really managed to put my Berlin memories into a perfume 🙂
Throw in a hint of lily of the valley, like the old country women used to sell it on the farmer markets in the Turkish quarter of Berlin –
– tart lemon, tart as we Berlin women used to be in the face of challenges
– a tiny bit of shiny though velvety black leather and some salty sweat, because we love the quirky, the gays and the ambiguous sex beneath the cosmopolitan though seemingly bourgeois veneer, like in the times when David Bowie boogied in the same Club as I did.
– a whiff of lilac, like in my ventures to the Berlin surrounds, where they grew in abundance; but forget the rose, it’s not Berlin at all, unless you manage to evoke thorns – or some other way of prickly.
If you, or whoever, would create a perfume like that, I’ll remortgage my house…. 😉
well, not quite….
But could I have a whiff first? April 18, 2013 at 5:13pm
Anka: What a wonderful description, Carry!
These spring it is very popular to smoke the hookah (shisha) in Berlin. Walking on the banks of the Spree in the late afternoon yesterday I therefore smelled a blend of warm, sweet and fruity-citric notes. Farmacia’s Aromadite came to my mind with its citric spicy-aromatic but still cozy (vanilla) notes. April 19, 2013 at 4:26am
Victoria: I agree with Anka. What a gorgeous, inspiring description!
The bunches of lily of the valley sold by the women in the market is what I remember as well from my childhood. April 19, 2013 at 5:12am
Farouche: Voluspa Linden Blond Tabac? Guess that it doesn’t have the rum, though I like it very much. April 18, 2013 at 6:20pm
cassieflower: Hi Carry, a wave from a fellow rural Ireland dweller:-) Nothing much to smell here yet, given that the wind seems to have burned off all but the hardiest of grasses. Even my daffodils have been flattened. But yesterday I noticed that my lily bulbs are starting to sprout, so something will smell lovely in the coming months. Holefully my honeysuckle will also bloom this year. Like you, I am getting my hit of scent from some white florals, isn’t Fracas just a fabulous dame? April 20, 2013 at 7:23pm
Jennifer: Star jasmine is starting to bloom here (Houston). In a neighborhood I used to live in, it seemed like everyone had it growing on their fence so I loved walking down the street and smelling it. I’ve also been smelling gardenias around because the grocery stores I go to have gardenia bushes for sale out front. And my apartment balcony smells like the pink jasmine I have in a hanging basket on the rail. April 18, 2013 at 2:55pm
Victoria: How wonderful! Pink jasmine is another quintessentially southern scent to me. It’s another one of my favorites. April 18, 2013 at 3:03pm
Lauren: I smelled coffee flowers on the plants in Costa Rica! They are surprisingly delicate, light and sweet – like a cross between light jasmine and honeysuckle! (No animalic notes really)…
And osmanthus, yes! My mom has a sweet olive vine on a trellis outside her bedroom, scenting a little secret garden. It’s a type of osmanthus and she always said it’s what heaven must smell like…so osmanthus always reminds me of home and my mother. April 18, 2013 at 2:56pm
Lauren: I missed Heather’s comments earlier…my parents are from Louisiana and maybe that’s why she planted sweet olive in our yard! 🙂 April 18, 2013 at 3:04pm
Victoria: I don’t know when I might get next to a blooming coffee bush, but I’m adding it to my dream list. 🙂 April 18, 2013 at 3:06pm
gine in blue: From Paris, daffodils at my windows, new leaves on the plane trees, and… Quelques Fleurs of Houbigant on my neck and wrists. Gorgeous flowery perfume : springtimeis on my skin ! April 18, 2013 at 3:10pm
Victoria: Such a nice image, Gine! April 19, 2013 at 5:12am
Alityke: Nothing is blooming in northern England yet. The daffy and narsicci which were open have been destroyed by today’s gale force winds, torrential rain and thunderstorms. So the smell here is metallic, drenched clay soil, wet concrete & slates. The apple blossom buds have been knocked off the trees. I’ll have no apple crop again this year.
Today I have opened my treasured vintage Femme Parfum de Toilette, such a beauty with its plum, peach and chypre finish April 18, 2013 at 3:22pm
Victoria: Vintage Femme is one of those fragrances that keep getting better and better as you revisit them.
But I’m sorry to hear about your apple trees. The weather this spring has been awful. April 19, 2013 at 5:15am
behemot: All seasonal flowers are in bloom here, at the Pacific Nortwest. There are tulip and narcissus fields where I live. Definitely, the spring has arrived.
I am wearing L’Artisan Seville d’Aube today. (Finally purchased a FB yesterday 🙂 April 18, 2013 at 4:08pm
Victoria: Enjoy it! Seville is an ideal fragrance for these days. Makes me want to visit Seville at long last. April 19, 2013 at 5:15am
Austenfan: After some lovely and very welcome rain, it is dry and windy again, although not cold. I loved the rainy days because I could finally smell that lovely wet earth and leaves smell that to me is forever linked with spring.
Wearing Fils de Dieu, which to me does not remind me of any season in particular. It just smells gorgeous! April 18, 2013 at 5:31pm
Austenfan: I clearly need to get some sleep; that last sentence was a little “off” grammatically! April 18, 2013 at 6:17pm
Victoria: Goodness, don’t worry about it! I myself feel exhausted for some reason this week, and I attribute it to the weather.
I agree with you that Fils de Dieu is perfect anytime. It’s one of the few new launches that will have a permanent place in my wardrobe. April 19, 2013 at 5:17am
Andy: Everything has started to come into bloom in a nice succession here. The hyacinths and daffodils are in full swing, with violets and tulips to come, followed by lilacs and peonies in May. In anticipation of the violets, I’ve been wearing Grey Flannel quite a lot. Common as it is, I don’t think it gets nearly enough praise. Its crisp violet leaf notes, woven into the floral heart and accented by moss, blend in perfectly with the sorts of smells that have been trailing through the air recently. I think it is a nice fragrance today, but I bet it was just wonderful pre-reformulation. April 18, 2013 at 8:06pm
Victoria: Grey Flannel certainly needs more champions, Andy! 🙂 April 19, 2013 at 5:18am
Chelsey: Today I am wearing A la Nuit by SL and I am loving it (it’s a recent acquisition). It is really putting me in the Spring floral mood. I live in Seattle and as we all know, it rains a lot here. Springtime is very wet, but as the temperature rises, there is a lovely, wet-earthy yumminess to the scent of the air that is not present during winter rain. I cannot think of a perfume adequate enough to describe this scent. I have not smelled one like this yet. Earthy, green, and rainy, with a touch of something floral that I cannot place. April 18, 2013 at 8:12pm
Victoria: The after the rain scent is one of the most evocative. Whenever I ask friends what scent they would most want to bottle, it always turns out to be this one. April 19, 2013 at 5:19am
Martha: At this moment, the temperatures are too cool for the spring flowers to exude their fragrance, or at least it’s too cold for me to smell them. I am looking forward to when the lilacs and viburnum bloom. Oh my word! It is heaven on earth when those two shrubs are in blossom. April 18, 2013 at 10:14pm
Victoria: So true! The scent of lilacs, with its green almonds and earthy roses, is so heady and lush. It’s my favorite part of northern springs. April 19, 2013 at 5:20am
maja: Everything is either yellow or green in Sardinia, too. Late mimosas, broom trees blossoming, almost phosphorescent grass, with whiffs od jasmin and bitter orange blossom in my garden. You could call it a fragrant explosion of spring. Was wearing Cristalle edp yesterday.:) April 19, 2013 at 3:44am
Victoria: I love how you put–a fragrant explosion of spring! I’ve never been to Sardinia, but it’s definitely on the list of places I want to visit. When do you think is the best time to come? April 19, 2013 at 5:22am
maja: It depends on what you are looking for. If you enjoy the sea and swimming then July and September are perfect. (August is too crowded) If you are looking for scented, primitive and amazing nature in all its glory it’s April – early May. Later everything gets burnt by high temperatures. I would suggest less explored southern beaches. Baia Chia, Tuerredda, try googling images so you can see how wonderful these places are. There are low-cost flights from Bruxelles to Cagliari. Even couple of days would be enough to forget about the gloomy belgian skies 🙂 April 19, 2013 at 7:11am
Victoria: Thank you very much, Maja! I’m definitely after scented, primitive and amazing nature in all its glory. 🙂 April 21, 2013 at 12:36pm
Bee: …been wearing le temps d’une fête too in the last days! Today it’s 31 r. Cambon, I need its empowering quality at work! April 19, 2013 at 4:48am
Victoria: Hope that it works as such, Bee! Chanel No 19 and 31 Rue Cambon are my own “add some steel to my spine” fragrances. April 19, 2013 at 5:22am
Rowanhill: The European Bird Cherry is pure spring happiness for me. It always marked the end of school at the end of May. In Brussels, I love the lilacs at Parc Royal. Have to wait for those still but the big old chestnut trees lining a street next to my house have already leaves and white buds for the flowers. Early on Wednesday morning there was an amazing fragrance in the air: night rain, fresh new leaves in the trees and a whiff of croissants and coffee from Pain Quotidien. I stopped and just inhaled for a while. As for perfumes, En Passant, Bottega Veneta, SL Daim Blond and SL Un Lys are in now in heavy rotation. I will need to reacquinte with my Grand Amour bottle and see how we get along after the winter. April 19, 2013 at 7:26am
Victoria: I’ve noticed buds on the chestnut tree at Parc Cinquantenaire the other day, and I can’t wait for them to bloom. Thank you for mentioning the lilacs at Parc Royal. I didn’t know about them. April 19, 2013 at 3:57pm
Daisy: It’s been so long since I have spent a spring with my parents in the midwest so I don’t actually recall what it smells like.
But in New York, maybe near the end of the spring when the weather takes a turn for the hotter, all the linden trees go bonkers and the whole city smells like honeysuckle. April 21, 2013 at 11:49pm