Dries Van Noten Camomille Satin, Jordan Samuel Cortile Dolce & Bienaime Fleurs d’Ete ~ fragrance reviews :: Now Smell This
I was doing some errands in midtown Manhattan on a recent weekday, and I decided to step into Saks Fifth Avenue to cool off for a few minutes and smell a few perfumes. Once I arrived on the beauty floor, however, I realized that there aren’t too many things there to tempt me. One exception is the Dries Van Noten counter. This brand is still hard to find in brick-and-mortar stores, and although I’m a fan of its refillable lipsticks and several fragrances (with Raving Rose and Rosa Carnivora leading the way), I still haven’t tried the full line-up. Plus, what if I somehow have some extra cash and want to buy the travel trio set someday? I need to know which three I’d pick.
So I sidled up to the counter and requested a spray of Camomille Satin (shown just below), mostly just because the bottle is gorgeous, with an upper half of ombré peach glass and a gold-patterned base. Camomille Satin is an “enveloping evocation of savoir-faire” (whatever that means) developed by perfumers Julien Rasquinet and Paul Guerlain, with a note list of chamomile, petitgrain, lavender, orange flower, rose, vanilla, musk and galbanum. Its introduction intrigued me, because its mix of chamomile and lavender, with a drop of bitter honey, was more astringently herbal (and all-gender) than I’d anticipated, almost a throwback to a classic fougère motif. Unfortunately, the rest of Camomille Satin didn’t quite live up to its promise of day-to-night sophistication. The rest of its development, on my skin, was a creamy vanilla bean scent, light and smooth but not particularly complex.
In any case, I started thinking about summertime gourmands, since it’s currently hot in my part of the world and sometimes I want to wear a sweet-ish perfume that isn’t too heavy. As if right on cue, a sample vial of Jordan Samuel Cortile Dolce (not shown) arrived in the mail. I’m already familiar with Jordan Samuel skincare because C. O. Bigelow carries it, but this is the brand’s first foray into fragrance. Cortile Dolce is a “love letter to Sicily,” developed by perfumer Luca Maffei. Its composition includes notes of lime for “a spritz overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea” and “the salty tang of ocean breezes,” jasmine for the island’s “lush, floral garden courtyards,” cedar for “the white sands and seaside cliffs of Mondello,” sweet notes for a local specialty of “almond granita and brioche buns,” and amber for “sunset glowing over dramatic cliffs.”
I’ve never been to Sicily and I don’t have any travel plans for this summer, but this fragrance is a quick getaway in a bottle. It starts off with a realistic lime top note, bright and tangy. Cedar intertwines with the lime and other citrus elements, making Cortile Dolce feel simultaneously sparkling and warm. The jasmine note is subtle and the gourmand aspect is also quieter than I expected, just enough of a spun-sugar note for a counterpoint to the tart citrus. Altogether, Cortile Dolce evokes a lime-garnished cocktail (and just one almond cookie) in a courtyard that’s comfortably sunlit but also shaded by vines in the corners. Conversation unfolds easily, and a salty breeze reminds you that the sea is not far away. This fragrance is cheerful and comforting, and sheer enough for warm weather. Bonus, it reminds me of a discontinued favorite from the early 200os: La Perla Eclix, a long-gone darling of the early fragrance chat-boards. Serendipity!
Lastly, here’s a fragrance I encountered last year at Fortnum and Mason, one of London’s great department stores: Fleurs d’Été from Bienaimé (top image), the last thing I smelled on the last day of a sniff-filled trip. I didn’t buy it, and I was haunted by it later until I was able to order a sample online. I’ve read about the original Bienaimé, founded in 1935 by perfumer Robert Bienaimé, but I didn’t realize the brand had been revived. It’s now under the creative direction of Cécilia Mergui, who worked with perfumers Marie Schnirer and Patrice Revillard to reintroduce Bienaimé with a quartet of fragrances named for classic Bienaimé creations.
I don’t think Fleurs d’Été or any of its scent-siblings are necessarily faithful to their namesakes, but I’ve enjoyed trying all of them, and I do admire their Art Deco-inspired packaging. Fleurs d’Été is described as “an armful of flowers that captures every ray of sunlight and brightens the day.” Its composition does feature a few florals: the note list includes bergamot, orange, lilac, ylang ylang, jasmine, white chocolate, heliotrope, almond, vanilla, sandalwood, benzoin and musk. However, I’d categorize it firmly as a “fleurmand,” with its white florals, particularly the ylang ylang, meeting the almond and white cocoa in a big creamy-musky swirl of sweetness. It’s not really a scent that says “summer” to me, either, despite its name. All the same, it’s buoyant and gentle enough to skim along the skin without turning to0 cloying on warm days. (I also like Bienaimé’s Jours Heureux, a puff of heliotrope and violet that reminds me of Teint de Neige, and Vermeil, a rooty, rice-powdery iris scent.)
All in all, I feel like I’ll be working these light-hearted, sugar-tinged scents into my summer rotation. How about you? Do you have any favorite warm-weather gourmands?
Dries Van Noten Camomille Satin is available as 100 ml Eau de Parfum ($330). Jordan Samuel Cortile Dolce is available as 50 ml Eau de Parfum ($130) at C. O. Bigelow and the Jordan Samuel Skin site. Bienaimé Fleurs d’Été is available as 75 ml Eau de Parfum ($220) at Smallflower and Gardenheir, as well as the Bienaimé website if you live within its shipping region.