I love summer. The balmy heat, the salty salinity of the air, and the ocean stretching into nothingness... All the blues, the greens, and finally the blistering red you see, closing your eyes against the sun, arms outstretched on a sun lounger. Bliss. It's something I miss with fierce abandon, living in cloudy London. But some things take me back, no matter the weather—warm wine, drunk under a cloudless sky, ripe heritage tomatoes, and most of all, certain fragrances.
Gin perfumes have been on my radar for quite some time, thanks to this effect. With notes evocative of tonic's mildly bitter quinine, foresty juniper, citrusy lemon peel, and peppery spices, these boozy scents are excellent at evoking the very peak of summer. In fact, I love wearing the following seven perfumes even when it's not hot, or when I've got an especially strong case of wanderlust...
1. Eauso Vert DOS MIL AÑOS
I spritzed this in the office, and not one, not two, but three of my colleagues immediately asked what it was. Eauso Vert's brilliant DOS MIL AÑOS is a truly moreish scent, which just continues to unfold and gain depth as it wears on the skin. Inspired by a sacred cypress tree, El Árbol del Tule, in Oaxaca, it opens with bright grapefruit and cardamom, which evokes the morning mist of the valley, before warming with notes of nutmeg, clove bud, roasted hazelnut, and eucalyptus, to represent the connection between the earth and the sky. It's a clear-headed scent that makes me feel like I'm near the sea, even though I'm likely miles away in the city.
2. Diptyque Olene
Described as an ode to spring, Diptyque's Olene to me is more redolent of getting ready for dinner after a day spent luxuriating in sea and sand. It's a distinctly feminine floral and opens with an effulgent bouquet, which first champions wisteria, and then becomes honeyed with the addition of narcissus and jasmine. Gently cloying and ever so sweet, settle into a long evening of wining and dining to your heart's content.
3. Pigmentarium Paradiso
Formulated to summon holidays on the Côte d'Azur, this fragrance conjures up ice clinking in cold glasses, the shade of the trees, and pools dappled by sunlight. Heady top notes of grapefruit and mandarin envelop the senses, and zing with pops of pepper and rhubarb. It matures with green smoky vetiver, patchouli and ambra on the close. It's skin-like and cool, and clean fragrance lovers will appreciate that it's a vegan and non-toxic formulation.
4. Penhaligon's Juniper Sling
Penhaligon's Juniper Sling does exactly what it says on the bottle—it's juicy, it's fresh, and it conjures the startle of jumping into the sea. Expect crisp juniper berries, invigorating black pepper and grounding vetiver. Wear this if you want to jolt yourself awake and straight into the day—and if you can, pair it with a stiff gin and tonic, or two.
5. Byredo Gypsy Water
Even if you haven't smelt it, you've likely heard of Byredo's Gypsy Water. This cult scent was released in 2008 and remains a bestseller to this day. I love wearing it on very hot days when I can luxuriate in the cooling freshness of its notes, which include juniper, bergamot, pepper and lemon. It then doubles down in the heart, with pine needles, incense, orris root, and finally vanilla, sandalwood and amber. It's always a fixture in my checked luggage, and likely will be for years to come.
6. Liberty LBTY. Fragrance Tudor
I have been vocal about how much I adore Liberty's EDP range, and one of their newer releases, Tudor, has only cemented that. While perfumer Pierre Negrin classifies this as a woody scent, I was more fascinated with its oriental accords. It's immediately zingy on the palate, but rounded out nicely thanks to the aforementioned woodiness. You get the hallmarks of a gin perfume at the top, thanks to a burst of grated ginger, nutmeg, and, of course, juniper berries, which are crushed here. It's intensely fresh, but in a decidedly grown-up manner.
7. Ormonde Jayne, Vetiveria
Ormonde Jayne's perfumes are some of the most prized in my collection, and the brand's new release, Vetiveria, is now high on my spritz list as soon as the sun comes out. It's a great unisex perfume, and like the other gin perfumes in this list, it opens with the slightly bitter note of juniper berries. This sour accord is brought out by the addition of lime, sage, and timur pepper. Then, it becomes a little more sultry, thanks to notes of moss rockrose, tonka and vetiver.
8. Perfumer H Rain Wood
This is one evocative scent. Inspired by perfumer, Lyn Harris', childhood memories of the vast, verdant Scottish Highlands, Rain Wood aims to ground the wearer solely through scent. To me, this smells like crisp, wet earth and the great outdoors, thanks to clean top notes of galbanum, elemi, pepper, myrhh, and woody juniper, cedar wood and patchouli leaves. It's a moment of calm, amidst the chaos of life.
9. Le Monde Gourmand Crème de Violette
Perhaps the most overtly "gin" like fragrance on this list, Le Monde Gourmand's Crème de Violette conjures up sipping gin and tonics in the sea breeze, and is a woody, floral musk that is a sure-fire crowd pleaser. While it begins with the bitter note of gin, this is immediately balanced by the addition of lavender, which later mingles with hinoki wood, freesia and white musk. As always, Le Monde Gourmand is a favourite of mine for bringing sophisticated, elevated perfumes to the masses, and at a purse-friendly price point. What's not to love?
