April always seems like a messenger month to me. It brings showers, the taxman, and promises of spring in the air. This April has brought me all sorts of thoughts about the power of fragrance in our lives. In addition to research indicating that perfume can make you appear younger to men, another recent study indicated that wearing a spicy, floral perfume can make a women appear twelve pounds thinner. To top it off, a recent episode of the TV show Eleventh Hour (starring the scrumptious Rufus Sewell) featured a perfume that incited murderous rages! While I hope that last bit remains purely fictional, I do think that putting on a favorite perfume can elevate your mood and put a spring in your step, and sometimes that’s all we really need to look and feel our best.
Notes Fraîches, by Kristen Michèle
Kristen Michèle is a Los Angeles-based niche perfume house with a line of three lovely, very distinct perfumes. Kristen also provides a bespoke perfume service for anyone longing for her very own unique fragrance.
My favorite of the three, although it was a hard choice, is Notes Fraîches. Listed top notes are marine and citrus, with heart notes of honeysuckle, water lily, and gardenia. Base notes are light musk and white tea.
Notes Fraîches opens with a bright, effervescent citrus tempered by the cool marine notes. The honeysuckle makes its presence known quickly, as does the gardenia, but both are expressed in a light, sheer way rather than being overly sweet or floral. One of the things I like most is the musk and white tea base. It provides a hint of warmth and sophistication that lasts throughout the day, and makes Notes Fraîches an excellent choice for day or evening wear. The lasting power is excellent and the fragrance stays close to your body rather than having a big sillage, which is a plus for those of us who wear perfume to the office.
The bottle is an elegant square, with a gold cap. There is a convenient 5.5 milliliter purse spray and a 30 milliliter bottle, $30–$70, plus a generous sample trio is available for $10. Available at Kristen Michèle, and at southern California retailers.
Editor’s note: Read more about Kristen Michèle and how she got her start as a perfumer here.
Stella Eau de Parfum, by Stella McCartney
Every once in a while I get a yen for a rose perfume and it’s usually Stella I reach for. A lot of rose fragrances are a bit much for me; they’re too soapy or remind me of scented hand lotion. Released in 2003, Stella’s not like that at all. With notes of rose, peony, mandarin, rose absolute, and amber, it’s a rather muted, modern take on one of England’s favorite scents.
The opening of Stella is all sharp citrus tang, but this quickly transforms into a quiet, sleek floral with a slight woody-musky undertone. The overall effect is elegant and understated; it’s a perfume that sticks close to your body and tempts the passerby to edge just a little closer. One of my colleagues wears Stella almost every day, and whenever I pass her, I remember how pretty Stella smells; I never get tired of it.
The bottle is a glass column with a shaded purple middle and a hexagonal cap. Stella is widely available, including at Bloomingdales and Sephora, which has a large selection, including a small purse size roll-on that I love. Eau de Parfum, $17–89.
Parting Note:
“I sing of brooks, of blossoms, birds, and bowers
Of April, May, of June, and July-flowers
I sing of maypoles, hock-carts, wassails, wakes
Of bridegrooms, brides, and of their bridal cakes.”
Robert Herrick, English Cavalier poet.
Read the previous Scents and Scentsibilities column.
Follow Violet on Twitter at twitter.com/VioletScent.
Never miss a Scents and Scentsibilities column again. Just click on the author’s name at the top of the story, then select “Be notified when writer publishes” at the top of the page. We’ll send you an email as soon as a new column is published.
