#31 Fragrance - Spring / Summer 2023
Citruses - no they are not all the same!
Fragrances I am wearing this spring / summer – wouldn’t be a surprise on how much I love a citrus scent. I supposed my taste for citrus had grown from Jo Malone’s classic Lime, Basil and Mandarin zesty, zingy, cologne-y scent (still a classic and will be my forever favourite) to something more complex, dirty (compliment) and complicated. I didn’t bring any fragrance at all (surprise surprise) when I moved to the UK, partly due to luggage space constraint, but I know me – I am not at best with self-restriction after a few sniff over the counter.
So, I went a little sniffing adventure every time I hit the town. You will find that 3 out of 4 of my top choices this spring and summer are affordable fragrances from the high street and 2 of them are from Marks and Spencer (M&S). M&S has really went to town with their fragrances and though I admit that most of them are too linear for my liking, there are some great fragrances in the line-up.
Do note that these are not dupes. Though affordable, most of them, certainly not my choices listed here, are not rip-off of famous fragrances. They are not copy-cat fragrances that I absolutely loathe on creativity theft.
I made a point to just buy the small sizes, knowing I’ll have no loyalty when it comes to fragrances and sometimes I find myself disliking a fragrance after some time. The smaller sizes I meant refer to a smaller retail size, like a 30ml or 50ml. I am not referring to 2 or 10 ml which are absolutely useless. No one can test and wear a fragrance properly with only 2 spritz.
M&S Discover - Warm Neroli
This is by far the best (to my nose) in the entire Discover collection. The Discover collection, as the name brilliantly suggest, help one navigate and discover through a scent profile. In this case it is ‘Neroli’, while most of them are very linear and stay true to the ingredient / scent profile written on the tin, Warm Neroli is far more complex and sexy.
Brand says: Citrusy notes of neroli and bergamot meet an earthy drydown of musk, creating an elegant scent. Bergamot and sweet citrus notes are balanced with warm orange blossom and a touch of sweet mint. Woody patchouli, striking amber and vanilla notes compound these scents beautifully.
There is so maturity to the Warm Neroli than say a plain neroli, I wouldn’t see myself liking this fragrance when I am in my 20s. The inclusion of the musk is subtle at the first whiff, but the sexiness of the dry down makes the fragrance suitable for an evening wear. I can easily touch up with a spritz at late afternoon and go from office to party. The staying power is quite well considering the offered price!
M&S Provence – Under the Palm Trees
The Provence range is my favourite range so far – the blood orange and British seaweed body scrubs are immaculate! This is a range that reminds you on holiday.
Brand says: Spritz this evocative eau de parfum and be transported to exotic, far-flung beaches. Top notes of citrus and sweet neroli give way to fresh coconut and sea salt, with a rich base of vanilla, almond milk and musk.
Fragrance: Top notes - neroli, mandarin, orange
Middle notes - coconut, sea salt, ylang ylang, plumeria
Base notes - vanilla, almond milk, musk
Under the Palm Trees is my favourite among all! It has the citrus that I fancy, but the creaminess of coconut and vanilla is simply delicious. I don’t like warm fragrances generally because I find them to be too coiling at times. Each spritz is a cheerful citrus with the depth of vanilla and almond that takes me to a beach with a pina colada by side.
The staying power is unfortunately not brilliant, but given its price, I would just spritz liberally every few hours.
& Other stories Arabesque Wood
Firstly – the packaging is terrible. The design of the bottle is old fashioned and the cap doesn’t close tight. That said, Arabesque Wood brought a brand new perspective to Citruses.
Brand says: Delicately scented with notes of deep earthy oud with a twist of citrus
Top notes: Lemon, Ginger, Watery Accord
Heart notes: Petitgrain, Tangerine
Base notes: Amber, Moss, Agarwood
I would never expect oud to be associated with citrus – and I don’t smell the oud in this fragrance. This is a very cosy fragrance. Cosy in the sense that it has a cheerful citrus top note of lemon and ginger but dries down to a comfortable blend of petitgrain, tangerine and moss. The dry down of this fragrance is exactly what I will wear as a posh sleeping fragrance.
Miller Harris Lost in the City
Done with the high-street gems, this is a designer fragrance and is one that I unexpectedly venture into!
Brand says: Nature exploding through cracks of cement and brickwork, re-wilded rhubarb and the scent of green ferns. In LOST, this intense verdancy is contrasted with the sharp pink snap of wild rhubarb and rose, making the senses fizz and sparkle.
Unlike the other 3 citrus fragrances, this is a floral (rose absolute) with a hint of gourmand (rhubarb), which seems like an absolute nightmare of coiling-pudding-sweetness. This is the exact contrary, the inclusion of earl grey cuts through the sweetness making it more complex and cheerful. This fragrance has the longest staying power among the 4.
I have Warm Neroli. I'm very impressed with the price. But my favourite is Beneath the Orange Groves which is my love of the moment. I love citrus fragrances and I've just added Zara Neroli to my collection.