OK, so we’re into a week of August and even though it hasn’t been an extremely bad summer here, I’m feeling a bit bored with all my favorite hot weather scents. I got a craving for something a little bigger, a little more buxom, and packing a bit more punch than the citrus coolers I’m usually wearing — in fact, I was in a rare mood for me: Go big or go home.
And after poking through a huge sample stash, I settled on Estee Lauder’s Tuberose Gardenia. Just perfect — not a knock-you-dead fragrance but no shrinking violet either. Now I wouldn’t wear this beauty in close quarters or around scent-sensitive folks, but for a hot August night of spacious, al fresco dining, it was darned near perfect.
In Patty’s “gardenia roundup” on the Posse from a few years back, she calls it “the best of the middle of the road ‘pretty’ gardenia perfumes. This makes a better grab at the gardenia, and it stays sunny and bright, but never gets too sweet, and it has a nice lushness that fits better with a gardenia perfume, even though this really is more a tuberose perfume for me than a gardenia.”
And that, folks, just about says it all. I enjoyed its big-boned floralcy now for two nights and didn’t get tired of it. Wearing it makes me thankful that Estee Lauder is so good about maintaining its stable of scents, and not discontinuing them left and right, as other lines often do. You can visit most any EL counter and get a sniff of old favorites and newer launches. Now granted, some of them may have been somewhat reformulated, but you’ve gotta give EL points for at least hanging in there with them.
So what about you? What do you wear for a hot August night of “go big or go home”?
Christopher Street from Charenton Macerations is my evening scent this summer. Fresh, dry and herbal and it gets many compliments.
Auphorie Mayura this summer; huge gorgeous jasmine! Highly recommended.
Miel de Bois! Love, love, love it in the heat and humidityl
EL’s Tuberose Gardenia! I haven’t worn that in a while! I remember enjoying it, though. [Goes to dig for my sample vial] My go-big-or-go-home summer scents are Carnal Flower or Papillon’s Salome. BOOM.
Usually my limit is a few dabs, but this morning I oopsied and over-applied l’air du desert marocain. It’s beautiful in the warm air.
Probably MFK Ciel de Gum, which Is jasmine-y enough for summer but strong enough to satisfy those non-citrus cravings. Or O J Woman, which is always great!
I have taken to wearing Feminite du Bois and some Memoir for women. Theorema is also really good if you want a step up from the lighter perfumes but don’t want the heavy hitters.
Our summer has been rain-soaked, and all that water has me heading for the deep greens. I recently discovered the beauty of Ormonde Woman. Yesterday I wore Jacomo Silences. And today I’m enjoying Gucci No. 3 parfum. All of them fit the introverted space I’m feeling right now. I guess rain makes me feel like curling up with a good book, so these scents fit that mood. 🙂
you know you are singin’ mah SONG, bay-bee! I wear the SOCKS off heavy hitters like Tribute Attar and Carnal Flower – and I. Don’t. Care. Of course, I’m also al fresco – or by myself – because I put a squickton of it on. Actually, I only wear a squickton IF I’m alone – CF can take out a terrace!
xoxo
Gucci Rush is perfect for sweaty sultry nights. And I appreciate your comments about Estee Lauder’s perfumes, I feel the same way.
Last summer I really enjoyed Absolute Pour le Soir. In the cool weather it was all skank but in the summer it was full on honey and delicious. I also enjoy Sonoma Scent Studio Winter Woods in the summer…oddly the heat makes it very vanilla on my skin and less of the emphasis on the smoky notes.
Guerlain L’Heure Bleue. The hotter the weather the more floral and anise I get. Another favourite in the heat is Tom Ford Shanghai Lily – such a lush realistic lily.
Arquiste Flor y Canto. I love it. Also Arquiste Ella. Delightful. Yes, I do love the Arquiste line of fragrances. And Hiram Green Voyage. It surprisingly blooms beautifully in the heat.
Mugler Alien! *cackles maniacally in a nuclear jasmine haze*
Seriously, though, on one of those sultry summer nights, Alien is quite the pleasure. (Applied with a toothpick, of course.)
Frederic Malle Carnal Flower!
If I’m going big with a floral in the sweltering heat, I dive right in to Tuberose Criminelle.
MDCI Nuit Andalouse is my favourite big summer floral.
I don’t have a suggestion but the gardenia EL sounds like something I would like to look into. Thanks!
I like EL’s Beautiful Love for summer nights.
I’m wearing vintage Giorgio for men.
Wow! that one seems to be popping up everywhere and is enjoying a comeback. I had a bottle in the late 80s. Good stuff!