DedCool Milk Layering + Enhancer Eau de Parfum, $90
Little wonder this whisper of a scent reminds us of pulling on a cotton long sleeve that still holds a trace of amber and light musk from a previous wear: Milk is meant to be layered with other scents to tweak their profiles. While it does act to mellow some of our more bold perfumes, we enjoy the fragrance plenty on its own; the warming, yet airy and vast scent somehow captures that time of day when the summer sun breaks and starts to mingle with cooler air.
Maison Margiela is known for naming its fragrances after the experience it evokes and this latest scent is no exception. Indeed, Springtime in a Park smells as if we hung some sort of left turn out of quarantine and into a blooming botanical garden lush with lily of the valley and dotted with pear trees. But it's not all about the blooms: Thanks to a clean, air-like quality of white musk, the scent matures into something subtle, but fresh.
We can't count the number of times we've wished for a skin care product to be cloned as a fragrance. It's something that rarely happens — and when it does, often it's not quite the replica we're looking for. Sol de Janiero is the exception: With its first fragrance, the brand has managed to turn out a scent that recalls warm coconut, salted caramel and a touch of sun tan oil. It smells exactly like the addictive Bum Bum Cream we've worn for years and is everything we need to be transported to a heat-soaked Brazilian beach party.
Think of this as Flowerbomb made for the glassy-skin era. The latest scent in the wildly popular franchise opens with a shot of fresh pear, bergamot and about-to-burst white flower blossoms that cede to a more complex bouquet advanced by a hint of rose. It's sheer and fresh without turning candy sweet — and goes a long way to show that less is more.
Choosing between levity and weight, yin and yang, or even queens and monsters has long felt like a fool's errand: don't we encompass all of the above? The latest scent from clean fragrance line Henry Rose doesn't make us pick just one. Right out of the gate, we're hit with a heady mixture of jasmine and sandalwood, then patchouli tempered with florals, like neroli. It's not feminine. It's not masculine. Instead, the balanced blend provides the sensorial comfort of cashmere throws, vanilla chai lattes, cedar closets and men's cologne. In other words, it feels like home.
