Musette’s recent post about Creed’s Aventus for Her pricked my ears when she mentioned apple and bergamot.
It won’t be too long here before we feel a bit of fall, and its focus on apples. In fact, in late September or October, we often look forward to a trip up to the mountains, visiting various apple barns along the way. Stewed, baked apples are a favorite dish of mine, and a good caramel apple never fails to hit the spot.
In fact, for a super-indulgent treat, I love Mrs. Prindables’ chocolate and caramel covered apples and often give them as gifts (they are a special favorite of my lovely mother-in-law). So yummy! And though they are huge, they do make sets of three smaller ones, so those are easier to cut up and deal with, and also to share.
But back to fragrance. One of my scent loves in the ‘80s was Folies Bergere, which was sultry and sexy, but freshened with an amazing note of tart green apple which I adored. Later on I tried one of DKNY’s Be Delicious apple-centric scents, which I liked fairly well. Others which have scratched my itch include L’Artisan’s Traversee du Bosphore and By Kilian’s Apple Brandy. And I think Roberto Cavalli’s Oro had a touch of the fruit in it as well. But haven’t sniffed much of anything apple as of late. So now I’m ripe (pardon the pun) for a new scent with apple in it.
I have not tried the Aventus for men, but certainly will while I’m in there sniffing the women’s very soon. Maybe I’ll find a new apple to love.
Are there other apple-containing scents out there that I need to try? What are your apple favorites?
The perfume I will always associate with apples, both in scent and marketing, is Joop! All About Eve.
Hermes Ambre Narguile smells like a delicous apple pie. It is just a bit too heavy to get any real wear here in San Diego, so I don’t have any. Lostmarch LannAel smells like apples and bread/cereal – it’s really fun.
I just saw – Clive Christian Noble VII fragrances: Cosmos Flower and Rock Rose – came out this August. It surprised me to read this, “The opening of the rum and mandarin is spiced with pink pepper and apple notes.” We have apples! The rest sounds good too. They had me at “rum” – to sniff and to drink. I think I was a Caribbean pirate in a previous life. 😉
Way to go, Maya! I haven’t had a chance to try these, but they do sound very interesting, esp. with the rum . Ahoy, matey, we’ll be needing to set sail for Neiman Marcus soon to try these. I generally like the CC scents, although they are way, way too spendy for me.
The only fragrance with apple that I remember trying is La Danza delle Libellule by Nobile 1942. I sampled it because Patchouli Nobile by the same house is a favorite of mine and I loved the name, Dance of the Dragonflies. It also has some great reviews. The apple opening is nice and though I really like some sweet perfumes, this one has a kind of sweetness that I don’t like at all. I will add that the person I gave my sample to loved it.
Ah, Maya, nice to see yet another La Danza rec! Sorry about the sweetness, but sometimes one type hits the spot and another kind can end up being off-putting, I think. But I’m definitely looking forward to trying it. Thanks!
Hermes Le Jardin series, Sur le Toit has apple notes. Also this one, Jo Malone Peony and Blush Suede has a big apple note in it.
Hi, Ricky. Nodding my head to the Hermes, but need to go dig up my sample of that Jo Malone. I remember that I liked it but now I need to sniff it again with “apple” on the brain, ha!
How about Marc Jacobs’s Apple Splash! ? According to Fragrantica: ” Its composition is described as a fruity-floral, energetic and aromatic. It includes notes of apple zest, lemon and grapefruit combined with rosemary, jasmine, magnolia, coriander and cardamom. Perfumer of this edition is Yann Vasnier of Givaudan. “
Hey, darling! Yes — my poor feeble brain was casting about trying to think of one other apple scent and this was it! Too bad those splashes were limited editions though.
Mark Buxton Sleeping with Ghosts has a note which I think smells like apple but the notes say quince. Vanilla added. I like it a lot.
Mmmm, Jackie, quince and vanilla sound very intriguing. And I love the name, too.
Imaginary Authors Yesterday Haze is mainly fig but it also has, according to copy, “orchard dust” which is an apple overtone that smells perfect this time of year. Fall is also when I like Traversee du Bosphore.
Hi, dear! Great to know that you’re a Traversee fan, too. I’m not a huge fan of fig, but that “orchard dust” might be just the thing to sway me over.
Hermes Jardin Sur Le Toit has lots of apple and pear with a citrus open and green florals.
Yes, I’d forgotten about that one — it does give me an apple feel. Thanks!
Botrytis!!
Connie, I remember trying this a while back but don’t recall apple, so will go dig up my sample now to revisit.
Hey Ann,
I’ve never thought about apple in fragrance. It seems the fruits I crave are citrus, peach, berries/cherries and pineapple, sometimes even a bit of pear.
You have stimulated the thought though and now I’d like to go looking. Thanks.
Portia xx
Howdy, dear! I never would have been intrigued by apple had it not been for that Folies Bergere back in the ’70s/’80s. And it seems ever since, I’ve been seeking out apple-ish scents to try and get that same lovely hit of it or at least a similar vibe.
Oh, and Apple Brandy really was gorgeous the one time I tried it. I thought at first it was too sweet, but it just got nicer and nicer.
So glad you liked the Apple Brandy, Laurels! And you’ve intrigued me with the Ted Lapidus; I like the idea of scents that are subtle enough that you could possibly slide them into the office. Although I have to be VERY careful: One morning I used a particularly scentful shower gel (would never dare wear actual perfume or body lotion) and one of my suite mates raised her eyebrows and sniffed very suspiciously. 🙂
Oro does have apple, or at least a lovely suggestion of apple. Ted Lapidus Silk Way opens with a lot of apple, before a drydown of quiet incense. It reads a bit like shampoo to my nose, but my nose is a bit odd. (I never seem to find the apple in Traversée du Bosphore, for instance.) You can’t beat the price of Silk Way, anyway, and I think it might work in a perfume-phobic office–you could claim the earlier bit IS shampoo, and the incense is quite subtle,
The two Tena mentions sound great — I’ll have to try them! I can’t really think of apple in perfume as a dominant fruit note, though SL’s Bois et Fruits has a stewed fruit scent that suggests apple, among other fall fruits. Lollia’s fragrance “In Love” features apple blossom, but that’s not the same thing you’re talking about — that’s more spring than fall.
I agree, Heidi. Must try those two from Tena, and am thinking the Lollia would be more springlike. Still worth a sniff now though — you never know!
I haven’t tried it yet, but SSS Equestrian is on my list to hunt down this fall. I second the recommendation for the original La Danza delle Libellule
Yay — another vote for the La Danza! And I must sample the SSS. Haven’t tried anything from that line in awhile.
I just tried Armani’s Acqua di Gioia Jasmine Edition, and it has a green apple note, esp in the top notes. More green apple than jasmine, I think, actually.
Good to know, Maggiecat! This isn’t something I would easily have come across in my travels so now I’ll be on the lookout, as I do love me a bit of jasmine, too.
Your timing is amazing. I was craving an autumn apple and just ate a perfect golden delicious.
Whenever I see a Be Delicious tester bottle I have to pick it up and sniff, sometimes I spritz some on. At first I was put off by the apple shaped bottles and all those flankers, but the Be Delicious family has a certain charm I can’t seem to shake off.
And a bit of a laugh, Demeter has a Golden Delicious scent among several others with apple notes.
Amen, Tifanie! I rolled my eyes a wee bit at first, but after a few sniffs, I do agree there’s something very pleasing there. Need to go look up the Demeter now.
You NEED Transition, the newbie from Sarah Horowitz….all fall notes plus the apple 🙂
Howdy, Linda! I have really enjoyed several others from her line, so on the list this one goes. Thanks!
I really liked Costamar Tabacca, but that had more tobacco than Apple.
Come to think of it, I’m having a hard time thinking of a perfume that smells primarily of Apple.
Hi! There don’t seem to be that many of them out there, although there do seem to be some with an apple note.
Patricia Namm’s BRANDY.
Apples and autumn.
Sarah, have not heard of that one, but it definitely sounds sniff-worthy. Thanks!
La Danza delle Libellule by Nobile 1942 is bloody amazing. Apple and vanilla dance and a ribbon of cinnamon runs through it. Avoid the “Exceptionele” version – it is flat.
CBIHP has a Gathering Apples which smells just like freshly pressed apple cider. Not too sweet.
Thanks, Tena! Someone on a post a while back mentioned that they really liked the La Danza, so I must give it a go. And the CBIHP sounds great, too.