One of the (few) downsides about having a large perfume collection is that I never know what fragrance I want to wear. This is especially true in the summer months, when San Francisco weather is what locals refer to euphemistically as “temperate.” I veer between light and airy and spicy and sophisticated, sometimes all in one day, much like the weather in my adopted hometown. I’ve been wearing both of these fragrances this month, and they have suited my moods perfectly.
L’air du Désert Marocain, by Tauer Perfumes
Every once in awhile I come across a fragrance that absolutely entrances me and makes me dizzy with longing. L’air du Desert Marocain is one of these rare and wonderful finds.
Tauer Perfumes was founded by Andy Tauer in 2005 and he released L’air du Désert Marocain that year. Listed notes are coriander, petitgrain (bitter orange), lemon, bergamot, jasmine, cistus (a Moroccan rockrose), bourbon, geranium, cedarwood, vetiver, vanilla, patchouli, and ambergris.
The first spray of L’air du Désert Marocain is a wonderful dry-spiced wood smoke smell that reminds me of an old incense permeated church I visited near Santa Fe, New Mexico. It’s a scent that’s timeless and sensuous, and the more you smell it, the closer you want to edge toward it and unravel its mysteries. The floral notes don’t make much of an appearance here, just tempering the smokiness as Désert heads into the drydown, but the dry spiciness stays with the fragrance throughout, gradually revealing the rich vanilla and amber base.
I could rave forever about Désert, but I think this is the sort of scent you have to discover for yourself. It’s listed as a unisex fragrance, although some men might not love the vanilla on themselves. That will not, however, prevent them from getting super close to you to check it out. L’air du Désert Marocain is a guaranteed man magnet: I’ve seen it in action. The lasting power is excellent, so beware the temptation to overspray, no matter how much you feel like it.
The bottle is the usual Tauer square crystal with a desert graphic on the front. I like the simplicity of the art juxtaposed against the richness of the fragrance, and the bottle comes packaged in a box with the same graphic.
Eau de Toilette Intense. $100 for 50 milliliters. Available at Luckyscent, where you can also purchase a sample for $3.
L’été en Douce by L’Artisan Parfumeur
I came across L’été en Douce during fragrance day at Barneys. It was warm and windy outside and it seemed like the perfect day to wear this scent, which is as charming as its name. L’été en Douce was released in 2005 under the name Extrait de Songe, and renamed in 2006 following a trademark disagreement with Annick Goutal.
Listed notes are mint leaves, rose, orange flower water, hay, woods, and white musk.
L’été en Douce opens with a sweet floral drift of rose and orange blossom, with the mint providing a bit of bite to offset the floral. The scent quickly dries down to a lovely light blend of linden, hay, and musk. I love hay notes in a fragrance, and I was delighted when the hay remained so prominent throughout. The musk mingles with the hay to provide a touch of powdery warmth to the scent, but it is essentially a light and airy summer breeze of a fragrance. The lasting power is good and I had traces of the fragrance on my skin at the end of the day. Overall, I think it’s a great choice for a hot and humid summer day.
The bottle is L’Artisan’s signature multi-sided crystal column, with a gold cap and a pretty light-blue label. Eau de toilette, $135 for 10 milliliters. Available exclusively at Barneys.
