Posse! It’s that strange time of year, where I need a fleece hoodie in the morning and am in a tank top at noon. It’s also that weird growing time where I’ve got both a pumpkin AND a watermelon sitting on my counter. It’s also the time (at least for here) for the last of the stone fruits to show up and show OUT! My darling Posse: I give you… The Apricot! This is when I lose my mind over the fruit, in salad (included the phenomenal chicken salad that I stole (the recipe) from Cyd’s Market, in cheese, in jam.
And in perfume. You all know of my undying love for Uncle Serge’s gorgeous Daim Blonde (and Tom is right – a little goes a VERY long way)… but I didn’t know if I’d ever smelled (or wore) any other apricot-forward perfumes. A bit of noodling around on Fragrantica and Surrender to Chance (and Floyd Bless those perfume psychopaths – that database is phenomenal!!!) revealed only one (other than Daim Blonde) : Phlur Apricot Privee’ which I should’ve bought a bottle of but somehow never got around to doing so. Those are the only two that I could remember! So I got busy on both sites and took a look at what’s out there – there’s lots of perfumes with an apricot note therein…somewhere…but what I am looking for are perfumes that really celebrate the smell of the fruit itself. So far, I’ve found a couple that sound interesting.
- Haus of Gloi Apricot and Fig. Surrender to Chance has a review of it that has me drooling, with the apricot remaining front and center, though surrounded by sugared fig. What really got me, though, is the last sentence. ” this is like an Asian candy where you can really taste the fruit flavor in it but there’s a bit of citric acid in there so the intensity of it feels a bit artificial even if the actual flavor isn’t. 4 stars.” Most of you know how much I love the artificiality of perfume – I want perfume to smell like perfume, not persackly like a flower or a fruit, etc. If I want to smell exactly like an apricot I’ll rub some on my wrist, straight off the fruit. So this? This sounds right up my alley.
- Gin Flower by Solstice Scents. This one is an outlier because the apricot is in the middle (along with pear) – but I’m intrigued because Angela St John does exquisite work and the idea of apricot working alongside all those fizzy top notes (elderflower, juniper berries, etc) … well, we’ll see (fingers crossed). Then again, I never thought lemon and dark chocolate would be a phenomenal paring until someone sent me a chocolate bar… swooooon!
- Shiro Apricot and Pear simply because… Apricot and Pear. I’ve never sampled a Shiro perfume so I have no idea what it’ll be like. But the emphasis is on fruity-floral and… well, unless that’s done deftly … well, again… we’ll see…
- Amouage… Elsewhere? (formerly ‘Sindbad’. uh. how is that better?). Huh. How did I miss this one? From the Brand: Opening with a radiant blend of Honey, Apricot, Mango, Cardamom, Ginger and Tangerine, the fragrance evokes a luminous warmth. Sign. Me. UP!
Do any of you have any other suggestions? I’d love to hear them. I’m in the mood to try pretty much anything that’s Apricot-forward. Except… maybe not apricot and fish? (now watch: there’ll be some insane apricot fish perfume that I will try… and fall madly in love with!!)
Wait … WHERE did my comment go?!?! Lord, the apricot trees here … they are EVERYWHERE, ripening at different speeds. You could eat apricots for much of the summer. Of course the irony is I don’t care for them one bit (peaches are another matter.) I can’t think of a single apricot fragrance but that Amouage sounds fantastic!
A few years ago I bought a scent by Good Chemistry called Apricot Bloom. It was a simple blend of Apricot, neroli, and amber. Kind of similar to those Demeter scents — cheap and not a lot of orojection or longevity. While it lasted it was pretty.
To be compared to a Demeter scent (especially the ones developed by CB) is actually high praise in my book! I’mo go look for this one!
Back in the day there was an apricot shower gel that I adored….particulary in the fall. I can’t remember the name of the company – they used to be in all the malls (memory obviously fading). Not sure it would be available any longer.
Those mall shower gels! Some of them were AMAZING!
Ah, apricot. Stone fruit is done here. Last visit to the greengrocer I actually discussed this with the owner (at least I think she’s one of the owners). It was a great season.
I am very curious about the Amouage. I’ve not yet met a perfume by the brand that sings on me but that notes combo … well, here’s hopin’
Ok, in perfume. Uncle Serge Rose de Nuit. It makes the rose even more boudoir. Rose, beeswax, musk, apricot, sandalwood, amber and jasmine.
I don’t remember Uncle Serge’s RdN! but now I’ve gotta try it! MOAR boudoir? Ho, yus!
I forgot that Rose de Nuit has apricot! RdN is one of my perfume loves! Oh, I had forgotten about Deep Steep. I get it on Amazon. I have their body wash in Lilac Blossom and love it. They also have body lotions and creams which I plan on trying. There a few scents of theirs that I want to try next – Fig Apricot and Vanilla Coconut.
HA! Apricot and salt would be pretty amazing Musette, fish? Not so much.
Portia xx
Heh! What do you think of the chances of there being some weird-but-wonderful apricot/fish perfume? It could happen!
Do you remember Liz Zorn did a SOIVOHLE perfume called Harbinger? That was sweet fruit and under the boardwalk, fishy seaweed on me.
Now that sounds interesting!
Omg!!! I would’ve LOVED to smell that one on you… just because!
Amouage Sunshine and the new versoon of Dior J’adore
Huh! I love the new version of J’adore! Maybe that’s why!
I’ve got a whole lotta nothin here. I don’t even really get “apricot” in DB (although after reading this I’ll likely get nothing else). I always thought it was the essence if the pit. “Apricot Kernel” they call it. I love love love eating apricots. Even dried ones, which are pretty much candy bars with some fiber.
I agree on eating apricots and dried ones are wonderful!!
they were my gateway into dried fruits, Maya! If you don’t count raisins and prunes (which I don’t)
LOL agree again!
Re DB: you won’t, not persackly. Because Uncle Serge did it right – it’s very deftly woven into the composition. But now you will smell it and won’t be able to unsmell it. But that’s okay because it’s gorgeously done.
And yes – dried apricots (dried fruit in general, imo) is candy with some fiber!
And I put it on today after my AM shower. I had to shuttle between the offices (new role as bookeeper) today in this heat and I SMELLED GOURGEOUS!
I can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with because I got nuttin’. I don’t know of any apricot perfumes and a quick look around didn’t come up with much. I would love to know of some. I love peach in perfume too but cannot find much. The peach note is one the reasons I love Guerlain Mitsouko so much!
I forgot to add that Daim Blonde is first on the list for my next sample order. 🙂
Eager to hear what you think of it. I was..confused..by it at first, then it plunged its little claws into my soul…
Mitsouko’s peach is the Gold Standard, imo. Peach is a toughie because, imo, they smell gorgeous…but not ‘of much’ (if that makes sense). Guerlain did something extraordinary with it!
I love Mitsy Sue and it’s my “Don’t Fu#% With Me Fellas” scent. Which is odd because peach is so not a favorite of mine. I was scarred by too many mall hand creams. (Remember the mall kiosks with the people who would practically handcuff you until you tried a hand lotion? Remember retail?)