Patty and March of Peppermint Patty's Perfume Posse were the evil geniuses who came up with the idea to make a list of perfumes that were either genius or evil genius. This notion means different things to different people. For me, a perfume genius must be fantastic, beautiful and wearable. Sometimes it's ingenious and innovative, but sometimes it's just so damn good it's genius whether or not it provokes intellectual beard stroking. This weekend, I sense the breath of mayflower trees in bloom and blue skies abound. Summer is finally here in the subarctic and my notion of genius reflects the season with its chiffon weight florals and scents of green bowers. I am in too good a mood today to reflect on evil genius, so I'll stick to gushing for now, with my Summer Genius List.SUMMER GENIUS
Sous le Vent by Guerlain - This Guerlain has got to be one of the more compelling perfumes I've smelled in recent history. It's a green shapeshifter, but on me the spiciness of the carnation has a cinnamon feel with a sandy warm skin undertone. It's so much more, though. I am awaiting my full bottle from le 68 with bated breath.
Le Parfum de Therese for Frederic Malle Editions de Parfums - I have rarely met a more interesting perfume. This one breaks my heart with its sublime jasmine, peppery wind, and tart plum.
Carnal Flower for Frederic Malle Editions de Parfums- I have never smelled a perfume that so brilliantly captures the chill of the tuberose in its green sheath. If I missed California or Mexico, after smelling Carnal Flower I am now weeping tears of nostalgia and putting my house on the market. Oh! To move back to the streets of San Francisco, where one day a year the Hawaii Tourist Officials pass out free tuberose leis in the financial district. I always take more than one. Or to spend more time in Mexico where these beauties grow like weeds. For now, I'll nurse my sample of Carnal Flower.
Azuree by Tom Ford for Estee Lauder, The Body Oil Spray - Just released, Tom Ford reinterpreted an Estee Lauder scent from 1969 in a body oil that is pure sunshine, the "brown smell" of Nabokov's Lolita - tiare, Tahitian gardenia, orange blossom, coconut, sandalwood, myrrh, and vetiver. One smell of the body oil sold me on this one. I have heard great things about the original scent and it is winging its way to me by urgent overnight mail.
Joy by Jean Patou - I have such admiration for Joy's embarrassment of mai roses and jasmin de grasse. It is perfect golden music. It does not need to pull any tricks to be eternally beautiful.
L'Homme de Coeur for Divine - This delicious un-perfume by the young genius Yann Vasnier always smells fantastic. It can be worn by a man or a woman or possibly even a wild boar and it will still smell great.
While you're here, don't hesitate to share your ideas of perfumes that constitute Summer Genius.
The image of a blue sky with clouds is from this site.
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21 comments:
Wow, what a great list!!! I am in full agreement on Sous le Vent (it just ROCKED my world, what a surprise for me! review manana) and Carnal Flower. Based on your rave I am now very much looking forward to Azuree. I figgered it was going to be a yawner, and you have me all excited now.
Great list! I agree with them, except I have never smelled the Divine one or the Therese- obviously my education has been neglected.
I wonder why they are bringing Azuree back - it is one of the better EL perfumes, but they have so many new ones now. I will have to stop by my local store and see if they have it on display yet. Now, if only Pavilion would reappear...
Want Sous le Vent! Want Azuree! Adore Le Parfum de Therese with all my heart! What a wonderful list. Can't wait for the evil one now :-)
Lurve you list - even though I never smelled Azuree, Carnal flower, l'Homme de Coeur, OR Sous le Vent!
Joy is beautiful in parfum, and I must add it to my budoir one day soon. It wouldn't be on my summer list though - more of a spring perfume, though the pure parfum does not need to be restricted to any season...
Le Parfum de Therese would be my first choice of a summer gennius. Marching right behind it - with much pride and affection from me - are Philosykos and Fleur de Shanghai. I WISH it was summery here enough to wear them. It's been cloudy, rainy and at the most - muggy - in the past week. Very grey, for sure... July is coming soon though, and that is when summer really arrives in Vancouver ;)
Dear March,
I realize I strayed from the concept of Genius, Evil Genius with this list basically of summer favorites, but then I thought it was kind of funny and almost wanted to call it Genius Legere. Heheh.
Dear Flora,
I am a newcomer to EL fragrances. It may be because my mother never wore them. She preferred Chanel and Patou and I followed her taste regime.
I would like to try this Pavillion you mention. What was it like?
The EL frags are very inexpensive compared to our usual niche or even most dept store designer scents.
Dear Marina,
Yes, good scents for a good mood! I'm not yet scrunchy enough for Evil Genius, but as soon as I go back to trial I should be able to muster the feeling.
Dear Ayala,
I need enough Joy Parfum to wear all year round. Here, it's been unbelievably hot for AK, but I am glad they predict rain for my work week when I'll be stuck inside. Fleur de Shanghai - I would be interested in your description of that one.
Oh, you lemming monger! Now I must try the Azuree. I had been avoiding my local Estee SA's calls the last few weeks, but now I'll have to go crawling down there begging to wet my beak. Criminy.
Love the rest of your list!I've been indulging in the SlV for days now, it's just not what I expected, just so much better.
Fleur de Shanghai is just the way Opium ought to be in my opinion. I will have to write a review of it one day, which will pretty much say just how much I love it and not a lot more...
I got to get some Joy parfum, but there seem to be so many other olfactory matters that are more pressing, which pushed Joy from being purchased by me yet...
Dear Ayala,
I await your review of Fleur de Shanghai with excitement. What are you wanting most of all these days, more than Joy?
Dear Patty,
Let's try this: I'll be the lemming monger and you be the perfume pusher. Azuree is worth a try.
I knew Sous le Vent would be great. I'm a sucker for the chypre.
Well, it's not so much that there anything right now that I want more than Joy parfum - it's just that I just got quite a few perfumes and I would like to enjoy them for a while before getting deep into new olfactory love affairs... my most recent aqcuisitions were Le Parfum de Therese, Agent Provocateur, Narciso Rodriguez EDT, Ofresia, and Cuir de Russie & Gardenia in pure parfum (the last two I haven't even got around to wear very much at all...), and Narcisse Noir in pure parfum (which I haven't even opened!). Besides Joy I need to get more Shalimar in pure parfum (run out!), and want to get some Nuit de Noel, which I love in pure parfum. I also want to get some Yohji in parfum, and asome Aqaba at certain point. But these can all wait for a while as these are not perfume that I would wear very often anyways... What's your wishlist like these days?
I'm afraid to smell Carnal Flower! I spend way too much time fantasizing about the tropics anyway; I think this one might just put me over the edge (not to mention on a plane!).
Dear Ayala,
My wishlist is ever-growing. At the moment, I want a huge bottle of Le Parfum de Therese and Carnal Flower(in fact I want the complete Editions de Parfums), Divine L'Ame Soeur, AG Jasmin, Le Labo Jasmin 17, Asfour for Colette, Iris Taizo, Guerlain Nahema parfum, Boucheron Legere, Osmanthe Yunnan, Guerlain Vega, and who knows what else. I am insatiable.
Dear Preya,
It would be nice if a few of us could share Carnal Flower, though that might be impossible as it is delectable and I'd steal it all for myself.
Dear Cait, I split my time between being happy with the collection I have and terribly needing to buy too many perfumes. I am sure my satisfied stage of the moment will not last forever. In the DCIM it's referred to as by-polar collector's disorder. There are still plenty of perfumes I haven't tried which I will not be surprised to be lemming as soon as I get a real sniff at them (once a sample crosses my nasal paths). For isntance - Carnal Flower and all the Different Company scents, and many of the Editions de Parfums which I haven't smelled yet.
Sorry, I meant DSM but I am terribly sleepy now before 7am in the morning... Cheers!
Dear Ayala,
For me it's a case of conspicuous consumption. I deny all notions that I might be eligible for DSM diagnoses! Have a good morning.
I'm way, way behind, I mean regarding my contribution to genius perfumes listing.
Like you, I am unable to conjure up any evil genius scent, unlike you I doubt that being in a bad mood will activate my neurones in that direction of thought - I'm completely blanking.
Dear SS,
I can think of Evil Genius scents, but I just have enough stress in my life right now so I think I will leave it at Genius Legere for now.
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