Summer has always been synonymous with heat, so there is nothing unexpected about temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius from June until late August, at least in Southern Europe. But what we have experienced in recent years, this constant hovering at nearly 40 degrees, even in parts of the world not accustomed to such temperatures, feels wrong.
It seems like every year is the warmest ever, setting a new depressing record. Europe, according to meteorologist, is experiencing more severe temperature increases than the rest of the world, and all I can say is that, as someone living in Southern Europe, it is clearly noticeable. Only a lunatic would say at this stage that climate change is not real or that it is not adversely affecting our planet. What to do about it is a discussion for another forum but we are left to deal with how to cope with months of extreme heat.
I appreciate that discussing perfume seems bit pointless given what is at stake but focusing on small things is, at times, the only way to feel better. One option in such heat would be to forgo perfume altogether, as many scents can feel cloying. But to be honest, if you start sweating right after having had your shower, a little help from something that cuts through this feeling of having a constant coat of sweat helps.
So popular wisdom would recommend opting for a citrus cologne. And there is never anything wrong with that but I find bitterness is the better antidote to a muggy day. And although cologne are astringent due to the various citrus fruits they contain, they are not always very bitter. To be more precise, bitter is an adjective linked to taste rather than smell, making it generally unsuitable as a descriptor from an olfactive point of view. It is more of a “smell by thought association”. You eat or drink something bitter, remember its smell and associate it with the taste of bitterness..
So what are the most common bitter tastes/smells?
Some citrus fruits, like grapefruit especially, and some plants and trees are naturally bitter. Quinine for instance, an alkaloid derived from the bark of the cinchona tree and mostly used as an antimalaria drug, is very bitter, though you may be more familiar with it from soft drinks like Tonic Water and Italian Chinotto.
Some vegetables, such as artichokes and kale, as well as most other cruciferous greens, are bitter, as are herbs frequently used in “digestive” alcoholic drinks (that are called “bitters” (amari) in Italian, such as Amaro Montenegro, Fernet Branca, Cynar, etc). Staying in the drinks department, coffee, as well as green tea, are bitter, before you add sugar and/or milk..
So we are used to bitter tastes. They cleanse the palate, help digestion and I believe are the best defence to ward off the feeling of sticky heat that clings to one like a second skin in summer.“Gourmand” scents (so sweet dessert-like smelling perfumes) may still be all the rage but the tide might just be turning on that front. In a recent article in the “Zoe Report” by Megan McIntyre entitled “When it comes to perfume, it is ok to be bitter”, master perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin mentions: “The enthusiasm for bitter scents can be explained by the fact that they offer a new form of addiction, a real alternative to gourmand, sweet fragrances,” he says. “Bitter notes add a sophisticated, unique touch to compositions. It’s this elegant, original touch that appeals to consumers who want to assert their personality.”
From the perspective of someone who loathes sickly sweet perfumes, I find that encouraging. So there you go, here are my suggestions for the best bitter scents taken from a variety of olfactive families. But any scent in these categories has the potential for being refreshing, so enjoy exploring alternatives and please report back..
- Citrus scent:
Naturally bitter and astringent there are many great citrus cologne you could turn to combat heat. I’m not going to go through an extensive list of all the colognes that could be refreshing, as most of them are, although grapefruit deserves a special mention, as it is particularly well suited to cut through mugginess because of its uniquely bitter, nearly sulfuric, character. In terms of grapefruit scents, there is no contest: Guerlain’s Pamplelune reigns supreme. As a valid alternative, Pomelo Paradis from Atelier Cologne is lovely, although I am not entirely sure what is going on with the Atelier Cologne brand since it has been purchased by L’Oreal a few years ago.
- Bitter Herbs:
Bitter herbs, such as dandelion, gentian root, wormwood or chamomile, all of whom often grow wild, are generally used for medicinal purposes and have this natural bitter therapeutic scent that helps cut through the feeling of stickiness and humidity.
Eau de Gentiane Blanche by Hermes is a very refined bitter scent, tempered by a cloud of musks and a plush iris, if you want a very sophisticated take on a bitter cologne.
Mal-Aimé by Parfum d’Empire, created by Marc Antoine Corticchiato is an ode to bitter greenness. Built around the Inula plant (a sort of nettle) from his native Corsica, it shares some aspects with galbanum, a more recognizable scent to most people (think Chanel N. 19), Intensely green, earthy, smoky almost (vetiver?) resting on a bed of musks (it is, after all, a 21st century creation), it is definitely one of the greenest scents I know, and one that does not kowtow to market trends by rounding off any bitter green edges with sweet or fruity notes.
- Green Tea :
All teas have a bitter, tannic aspect, but green tea is especially bitter. Bulgari Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert is the original scent in that category. An oldie but a goodie. I remember discovering it for the first time in a chic hotel in Switzerland in the early 2000s: I was smitten. Smelling it now, its structure is quite simple relying on lots of hedione, bergamot, ionones and musks, so not a bitter bomb, but it has the slight ghost like memory of the bitterness of green tea, or at least Earl Grey, that is ideal in the heat. So an easy option for those wanting to add some easy, transparent, (slight) bitterness to their day. There is of course a whole line of Bulgari teas (white, back etc..), so explore and find the one you like most.
Others have followed suit, from the mass market Elizabeth Arden’s Green Tea line to the Japanese original take on tea with Roasted Green Tea from J-Scent via the more commercial Jo Malone’s Earl Grey and Cucumber (i.e. similar to the Bulgari with a side dish of aquatic notes).
To recap, if you want something uncomplicated and refreshing, tea fragrances are a good option that manage to provide some bitterness without rocking the boat.
- Metallic Floral
So florals can be very cloying in summer, especially fruity florals, “florientals” and heady white florals. One way around this is to choose a bitter, slightly metallic floral composition. I find geranium rather than rose notes particularly well-suited to this genre, such as the wonderful Rose et Cuir by EdPFM (my summer scent this year) or the beautiful Eau de Protection by Etat Libre d‘Orange. Alternatively, if rose/geranium is not your jam, a narcissus-based perfume, a rather rare occurrence really, will also tend towards the bitter, such as the Eau de Narcisse Bleu by Hemes or the beautiful Eau de Rochas by Rochas, a cologne that incorporates masterfully the narcissus character to the classic cologne structure (really one of my favourites in summer).
- Resinous incense
Finally, incense perfumes. So incense, and myrrh in particular, has a naturally bitter facet and when used to create a cold incense composition (with, for instance, some pink pepper, elemi, citruses and blond woods) it can be very refreshing. The word myrrh itself derives from an Arabic word meaning bitter and is therfore sometimes called bitter myrrh.
In the hands of a skillful perfumer, cooling myrrh and frankincense perfumes can provide the feeling of entering a Medieval Monastery, full of moss-covered stones, murmuring fountains, melted wax candles, wooden pews and silence.
Some of my favourites include: Cardinal by Heeley, Avignon by Comme des Garçons and Reliques d’Amour by Oriza L. Legrand. Different scents that all evoke a spiritual retreat and an escape from the hustle and bustle of the world.
Waiting for the temperature to drop, I hope these ideas will help you pick your next refreshing scent!
