Chapter 9: Summer Scents

Nine juicy, but not boring, summer perfumes. Plus, the sample sales I can't wait for.

What is a summer scent? Anything and everything, to me. Here’s nine I have on repeat, plus the sample sales I can’t stop thinking about.

Miu Miu Fleur De Lait Eau De Parfum

The perfect milky sweet scent, inspired by Mango Pomelo Sago dessert. I’m a big fan of all the Miu Miu perfumes, but this might just be my ultimate favorite. It smells like juicy mango condensed milk. It’s new, and rotating in and out of stock on the Miu Miu website (check daily if you really want it), but you can find samples on Etsy too.

Comme des Garcons Rouge Eau de Parfum

Of all the Comme perfumes, this is one of my personal favorites for its complexity. Bright, bloody Beetroot with spicy Pink Peppercorn and Ginger. The nose behind this scent is also one of my favorites—Christian Astuguevieille, also a furniture designer, artist, and among other things, one of the most elusive minds in beauty. “The concept was born from a search for an incense, and the idea was to look for an incense that would be very beautiful,” he told me of the scent. “The idea with the beetroot, which is basically a root vegetable, [and therefore] linked to the earth, was to mix these root elements with the idea of incense, which is linked to religious, magical elements.”

Ormaie Papier Carbone Eau de Parfum

I often avoid woody scents, but this has wormed its way into my heart because it doesn’t really smell like a traditional wood fragrance. To me, it smells like old paper, licorice, sharpened pencils and the corner of an ancient library. Dark Academia distilled. The bottle is equally stunning, with a wooden abstract art topper. Spicy Star Anise and warming Cardamom come together with middle notes of Clary Sage, Nutmeg and Coriander.

Etat Libre d'Orange The Ghost In The Shell Eau De Parfum

Etat Libre d'Orange is one of those beauty brands that is shockingly so ahead of its time, yet so niche. The Ghost In The Shell smells like a sensual android humanoid. It’s as if AI created a scent for its perfectly imperfect lover. This is one of the most surprising and complex scents bottled, and I love it for summer. A mix of liquid-scented synthetic notes meet with Yuzu, as juicy Pear and Peach burst through after the dry-down. Bonus points for the beautiful pink frosted glass bottle and excellent lasting power. This is art.