Mark Twain once said that the coldest winter he ever spent was a summer in San Francisco, and right now, I know exactly what he was talking about. We’ve had cold foggy weather that has me seeking comfort in a warm woolly coat and my favorite refuge: the perfume counters. As usual, there were plenty of new offerings, but I found two fragrances inspired by great icons of the fashion world that banished the chill from my extremities and put the spring—or rather summer—right back in my step.
Estée Lauder Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia
Photo courtesy of Estée Lauder
Released in 2007, Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia was brought to market by Estée Lauder’s granddaughter and head of global advertising, Aerin Lauder. Lauder often speaks glowingly of her grandmother, and in Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia, she has done Estée proud.
Listed notes are neroli, lilac, rosewood, tuberose, gardenia, orange flower, jasmine, white lily, carnation, and vanilla bourbon. Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia opens with a burst of tart neroli that soon blends into a smooth, creamy blend of glorious white flowers. The other notes take a back seat to the tuberose and gardenia, although you do get hints of the vanilla throughout. I love tuberose fragrances, both the loud and the ladylike, and Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia falls into the latter category. The fragrance is rich and discreet—the sort of fragrance that prompts handsome men to lean in closer.
Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia comes in two forms, an Eau de Parfum and a Parfum. Thanks to a generous sales associate at Neiman Marcus, I have been sampling the Eau de Parfum. It is simply glorious, but at $300 per bottle, I am going to have to content myself with the samples (or throw myself at the mercy of more sales associates!).
The bottle is heavy and rectangular, with a beaten gold cap on the Eau de Parfum. The cap on the Parfum, inspired by a brooch, is embedded with semi-precious stones and is very 1960s chic. The Parfum also comes in a solid perfume and powder.
Eau de Parfum and body lotion $75–120, available at Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.
