5 Clean Smelling Perfumes

Smelling clean can be revitalising. Here are five wearable scents that will keep you smelling pure as the driven snow all day long. 

1. Jo Malone - Iris & White Musk 

This perfume sample has been lurking unloved in my cupboard for quite some time. Yesterday evening I retried it, and initially it smelt a bit masculine. But then I got into bed and thought, 'Wow these sheets smell so fresh and lovely'. Of course it wasn't the sheets, it was this gorgeous and clean smelling fragrance.

2. Chloe - Love

There is a current trend in perfumes for fruitiness. Love is very fruity and creates a day-long just-out-of-the-shower aura. Wear this and you'll smell scrubbed clean. And it's incredibly long-lasting. 

3. Narciso Rodriguez - For Her

About a year ago a friend recommended this to me. She said that smelling For Her is like smelling clean laundered sheets. That had me intrigued. And For Her does smell daisy fresh. But you only need a tiny smidge as it's relatively strong.

4. Dior - Escale a Portofino

If you like smelling lemon fresh, then Escale a Portofino is a classically mild eau de cologne with a citrus edge. And if you need more proof of its whiter than white credentials, then here's little Miss Perfume Life holding the Escale a Portofino that I bought last year.

5. Miller Harris - Citron Citron
Citron Citron is also inspired by the lemon fruit, but is rich and creamy. It reminds me of lemon curd as all the harshness has been taken away and blended with something much richer and smoother. Citron Citron is also available in a hand wash, but the perfume itself is delightful. 


I'd love to know what perfumes make you smell clean and scrubbed.

Five Unmissable Perfume Boutiques in London

1. Avery

Avery is the latest addition to London perfume boutiques. It's pretty central and stocks some high-end niche perfumes that you'll struggle to find many other places.

The Avery window display is currently full of Carthusia perfumes. 

2. Les Senteurs

Based on Elizabeth Street in Belgravia, Les Senteurs stocks Byredo and Parfumerie Generale amongst others.

It was closed when I stopped by yesterday. I was pining after one tantalising whiff of the Serge Lutens or Frederic Malle that I can see so neatly lined up.

3. Diptyque
Diptyque has some cute little London stores. This one is on Brook Street, currently promoting their great-sounding 'chilly vanilla' Eau Duelle:

Or you could venture to the far end of Marylebone High Street for a teeny tiny Diptyque store.

4. Penhaligon's

Penhaligon's stores never lack atmosphere. This oldy-worldy Penhaligon's emporium is also on Brook street in the West End.

5. Annick Goutal

Finally, one of my absolute favourites: Annick Goutal on Bruton Street. This photo was taken earlier this year, and, happily feature my current favourite AG scent - Ninfeo Mio.

Happy shopping.

Melvita Lavande Sauvage and Cologne

The French range, Melvita, is due to open a boutique in London later in the year. Melvita is an organic French skincare and fragrance line that shuns the bad stuff.

From Melvita's fragrances, the Cologne is a classic, traditional cologne of the 4711 variety. For a fresh, fairly neutral, slightly citrus smell, this is gorgeous.

For something more masculine Lavande Sauvage is an authentic lavender fragrance.

It's reassuring to know that you can still buy classic fragrances without some of the nasties that are in more mainstream products.

My Awesome Foursome - Latest Photo

Mr Perfume Life keeps taking my camera to work with him, so no photos of perfume right now. Instead a gratuitous photo of my children that I took last week.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Lip Protectant Stick

A friend of mine always has gorgeous looking lips. Her secret is Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Lip Protectant Stick. I've just bought one for myself in Blush. I'm really happy with it, particularly as I usually find lipstick really difficult to shop for.

This is how it looks on. It's a sheer lip tint. It's rich and creamy and feels like a balm. And, most importantly it has a lovely smell.

It's available in other colours, Blush is probably the most transparent of the range.

New Perfume Launches for September and October 2010

Jean Paul Gaultier Classique EDT Collectors Edition

...the famous bust designed by Jean Paul Gaultier is removing her corset to don a metallic veil. In an ultra-suggestive transparency effect, shimmering reflections fade little by little, playing on light more sensually than ever...

The JPG collectors edition will be available from 1st October at £66 for 100ml.

La Prairie Life Threads Gems - Ruby, Sapphire & Emerald

... each of these exquisitely conceived scents is a complex bouquet of sensual stimuli that evoke a passionate response.
SAPPHIRE - a floral woody amber... the essence of romance
RUBY - a floral oriental... the essence of passion
EMERALD - a floral oriental... the essence of enchantment

The Prairie Life Threads Gems will be available from 4th October at £72 for 50ml.

L’Extrait Classique X Limited Edition

... bright top notes tinged with citrus, mandarin oranges and bergamot. After love at first sight, the passion is revealed delicately, though a bouquet of orange blossoms and their virginal softness, and troubling peony. The sensual pleasures appear on a sexy bed of vanilla and powdery iris...

X Limited Edition will be available in Harrods from the 4th October 2010. It costs £52 for 20ml.

Etro Via Verri Limited Edition EDP

The femininity of the rose is trailed by the warm opulence of jasmine. Amber and musk bring warmth, with the lively freshness of bergamot and floral notes of precious iris. Then the sharp spicy notes of white pepper and cardamom create more woody and oriental accords.

Etro Via Verri LE will be at Selfridges from 4th October and nationwide from 18th October. The price is £89 for 100ml.

Issey Miyake L’Eau d’Issey Noir Absolu

... a feminine and enveloping fragrance. It opens with a floral accord of lotus and osmanthus which becomes more intense with a middle note of lily and jasmine, to finally blend with long lasting wood and warm, sensual amber.

L'Eau d'Issey Noir Absolu is available nationwide from October at £59 for 50ml.

Serge Lutens Cuir Mauresque Limited Edition EDP

This opulent fragrance start with the animalistic sensation of leather mixed with cinnamon and flowers. The woody note of cedar and aloe wood adds strength to the fragrance and creates the backbone of the scent, the lingering base is full of oriental Amber and Musk.

 Cuir Mauresque is available exclusively from Liberty from 4th October, nationwide from
18th October at £76 for 50ml.

Blessings by Belinda Brown

Belinda Brown has just released Blessings, a new fragrance created by Roja Dove:

Belinda’s love of exotic scents came from her mother’s pot of Stella Pomade, a body cream fragranced with heady Jasmine and Vanilla. These beautiful memories embedded on her psyche and have grown into a passion for fragrance.

Blessings includes top notes of Bergamot, Lemon, Mandarin. The heart notes are Jasmine de Grasse and Rose De Mai. And the base notes are Cedar, Sandalwood, Tonka and Vanilla.

Belinda Brown Blessings

Blessings is available exclusively at Roja Dove's Haute Parfumerie in Harrods. The price is £675 for 100ml of Parfum.

Love by Chloe

In Luca Turin's book, Perfumes, the A-Z Guide he describes women who wore Estee Lauder's 1995 perfume Pleasures: 

They just wanted to smell clean, and not just transiently but all day, broadcasting the spotlessness of their intentions.

For a 2010 version of smelling truly clean and 'spotless', then Love would be a great choice. 

Love also follows a recent trend for 'fruity' perfumes. Fruity was the word that my daughter used to describe Love, and it's absolutely right. If you like perfumes like Clarins Eau des Jardins or Giorgio Armani's Acqua Di Gioia, then Love is queuing up for you to try it.

Jane Packer Fragrances

A set of Jane Packer samples arrived recently for me to try. There are five different perfumes:

Iris, Jasmine and Sandalwood

Green Orchid, Vetiver and Lemon Grass

Red roses, Black Violet and Cyclamen

Fig, Sandalwood and Amber

Gardenia, Cedarwood and Patchouli

According to the press release:

Jane Packer believes that just as we would buy a new outfit or adorn ourselves with a precious accessory, we choose a special fragrance to complete our wardrobe. She also believes that women want their fragrance to reflect their personality.

Jane Packer had dreamed of creating her own fragrance for a long time and as a child, being fascinated by flowers, she would try and produce her own fragrances from the petals collected from her garden. Similarly Jane Packer has spent many hours finding the right blends for all of the five fragrances in her new Fragrance Collection, from the initial inception, to the ultimate fruition, Jane Packer has been instrumental in its development every step of the way.

The Jane Packer fragrance collection will be available at her flagship store on New Cavendish Street from 1st October 2010.

Intimately Beckham - The Commercial

Intimately Yours: The commercial for the new Victoria and David Beckham fragrance. This is what Barbara Ellen had to say about it in yesterday's Observer:

The Beckhams are together in a lift. As the doors close, they indulge in "Je t'aime"-style snogging, as we all do in lifts. (It's the law!) Finally, the doors open and they leave, him smirking and wiping his mouth. Has he quickly scoffed a pastie?

 Couldn't have put it better myself. 

Roja Dove's Diaghilev - Quick Review

When I heard Roja Dove giving a guided tour of Harrod's Perfume Diaries, I'm fairly sure that he was wearing his recent Diaghilev fragrance.

Chypre fragrances have that sexy, almost sweaty edge, that can be very sensual. But you've got to be in the right frame of mind. Diaghilev isn't one to wear with your power suit at work, or even on a first date. This is one to be worn in an alpine lodge after a day's skiing, whilst sitting around the open fire sipping whisky on the rocks.

British Vogue October 2010 - Perfume Ads

Keira Knightley, as the face of Coco Mademoiselle, makes a regular appearance in the front pages of Vogue. This month's issue is no exception.

Gucci's latest perfume launch is Guilty. Evan Rachel Wood is nothing if not sexy.

The new Calvin Klein perfume, Beauty, is being fronted by the actress Diane Kruger. A scent for the 'older lady' perhaps?

Black Orchid seems an appropriate fragrance for the Autumn Winter season. It's dark and sultry. Anna Maria Jagodzinska is the model for this campaign and is completely captivating. 

Van Cleef & Arpels have a bottle-inspired one page advert for their newest perfume, Oriens.

There has been a lot of comment about the Marc Jacobs ad for Bang. The perfume bottle covering his groin is kind of unsubtle though.

For me Viktor & Rolf's ad for Flowerbomb misses being either cutesy or sexy. But, not being 14 years old, I guess I'm not in their target demographic. 

And there's a two page spread about Harrods Perfume Diaries. 

Miss Dior Cherie is all about whimsy. Cutesy pink and purple colour scheme, stylish oversized bottle, French inspired beret and bike. It's the Miss Dior Cherie formula with Maryna Linchuk in the starring role, and I'm guessing it's working.

The Perfume Diaries at Harrods

Like many people, I find the prospect of a room of exhibits with notes and written explanations a tad on the dry side. However, I was lucky enough to be part of a group given a guided tour of the The Perfume Diaries by Roja Dove. Roja is one of those intriguing people that you can't help but be fascinated by. His enthusiasm for the exhibition was infectious. As well as a huge amount of history, Roja added a healthy dollop of anecdote, hearsay and, let's be honest, gossip to a painstakingly well researched exhibition.

 
The exhibition tells the tale of perfume, focusing initially on 1800 to 1900 and then decade by decade up to the modern day. I can't even begin to recount the detailed level of information. But if you're interested in perfume, the perfume industry, and perfume packaging, then The Perfume Diaries is not to be missed.

Harrods' exhibition The Perfume Diaries runs until 2nd October.

Roja Dove Comments on IFRA Prohibited Ingredients

Roja Dove talks about fragrance regulations and limitations on the Radio 4 programme You and Yours. 

Fast forward to about 27 minutes into the show to hear Roja Dove and Linda Pilkington, amongst others, discussing the impact of the International Fragrance Association regulations.