I love the wildness of early spring. It’s rainy and cold one minute, warm and sunny the next, with great gusts of wind appearing out of nowhere to wrap around your ankles—a reminder that winter is still lurking in the doorways.
Often during this time of year, I like to wear something a little different from what I usually choose. My hands always stray to fruity, juicy fragrances with just a hint of underlying spice. I know, I’m talking about the much maligned fruity florals that I usually avoid, but done well, they brighten up the gloomiest day and encourage you to haul out the wellies, brave the weather, and go in search of daffodils making their first appearance of the year.
Incanto Bloom, by Salvatore Ferragamo
Incanto Bloom is the latest in the Incanto series, which Ferragamo started in 2003. Listed notes are grapefruit flowers, freesia, tea roses, champaca, musk, and cashmere wood.
Incanto Bloom opens with a nice tangy grapefruit that quickly moves into delicate floral notes, with the musk and wood notes making their appearance shortly thereafter. Within twenty minutes, you will have the scent that will stay with you, and it’s a very nice one. The florals and musk mix together nicely, and Incanto Bloom retains a bit of a citrus edge throughout the day. My objection to fruity florals (and I’m not alone in this!) has always been that they’re too sweet, too floral, and too teenage. Incanto Bloom avoids this and presents a light but sophisticated fragrance that will take you from work to a night out without any problems. I got lots of positive comments whenever I wore it, too, which doesn’t always happen with the fruity florals!
The bottle is absolutely charming; the pictures do not do it justice. It’s the usual Incanto oval-shaped bottle, lightly frosted, with delicate black and pink dandelions. The effect is almost Japanese, and somehow manages to work with the bow top, too.
Body products and eau de toilette in 50- and 100-milliliter bottles, $32–$82. Available at Bloomingdale’s.
Méloé, by Téo Cabanel
Téo Cabanel, the niche house originally established in Algiers that became the duchess of Windsor’s favorite perfumer, released Méloé in 2008. Méloé is an eau légère (lighter than an eau de toilette) and can be worn easily by either sex. Listed notes are Calabrian bergamot, Sicilian mandarin and lemon, lavender, basil, Tunisian neroli, orange blossom, jasmine, nutmeg, crystal moss, musk, and amber. The list of notes conjures up a vision of a Mediterranean summer garden, and every time I wear Méloé I imagine myself wandering among the glossy green leaves of a lemon grove bordered by herb gardens, which is just what Méloé smells like. It’s sharp and citrusy to start, then dries down to a wonderful floral with hints of earth and spice. Méloé is airy and light without being boring, and the perfect scent to wear on a blazing-hot day.
Méloé is beautifully made and effortlessly stylish—not surprising from the perfumer who created one of my all-time favorite perfumes, Alahine. The bottle is Téo Cabanel’s crystal column, with flowers incised on the side, and is as elegant and understated as the perfume.
Available in 50- and 100-milliliter bottles, $80 and $120, at The Posh Peasant
Parting Note: Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush. ―Doug Larson, 1924 Olympic gold medalist
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