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| Did anyone mention football? |
If watching men kicking a round object across a field isn’t your idea of a good time, you’re probably going to struggle to stay sane for the next few weeks. Or maybe you could use the World Cup’s Brazilian setting as inspiration to delve into a scent category that’s often maligned by online scentusiasts: tropical perfumes. I suspect many of us would love to present all fruity patchoulis with a red card and consign them to a hell of eternal penalty shoot-outs, but it’s worth remembering that ‘sea, sun and sand’ scents don’t have to be mindless. Below, you’ll find a winning formation of 11 fragrances which could, in one way or another, fall into the ‘tropical’ category. The list is by no means exhaustive, but hopefully it’ll give you something to ponder as you celebrate half-time with another pineapple stick. Enjoy!
Guerlain Homme (Guerlain) by Thierry Wasser
Shake up some cool mint with sharp rum and you get this nocturnal, easy-going Mojito composition. Stick to the edp; it’s much richer than the edt.
Eau Tropicale (Sisley)
Notes of passion fruit, frangipani and hibiscus form a garland that plaits itself into the musky scent of hair and a scalp fresh from slumber.
Coccobello (James Heeley) by James Heeley
Sun-tan lotion, palm leaves and a spray of sea salt: Coccobello offers just about everything you need for a tropical getaway, except for the paperbacks and the lilos.
Calyx (Clinique) by Sophia Grojsman
This ultra-clean fusion of papaya, guava, grapefruit, mango and peach upon a massive base of musk may seem like a cliche now, but it was innovative when it first appeared and it still towers over its copycats.
Batucada (L’Artisan Parfumeur) by Karine Vinchon & Elizabeth Maier
A Caipirinha in a perfume bottle, Batucada blasts out lime and marine notes, before inviting everyone to do the limbo dance.
Un Jardin Sur Le Nil (Hermès) by Jean-Claude Ellena
Perhaps this is too understated a fragrance to qualify for this list, but its well-documented, quiet green mango note is ideal for those who’d like to experience the tropics without having to indulge in Hawaii shirts.
Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune (Guerlain) by Jean-Paul Guerlain
Arguably the best grapefruit fragrance ever made, Pamplelune remains as potent a sun-trap as when it first squeezed its juices onto a grateful public in 1999.
Fils De Dieu (Etat Libre D’Orange) by Ralf Schwieger
With tongue firmly in cheek, Schwieger uses coconut, steamed rice, lime, ginger and coriander to prove that not all gourmands have to be dessert-based. A savoury feast of a perfume, if ever there was one.
Bombay Bling! (Neela Vermeire Creations) by Bertrand Duchaufour
Mangoes, berries and lychees fizz with multi-coloured exuberance in this delightful portrait of 21st century Mumbai. Watch out for the rickshaws!
Eau Moheli (Diptyque) by Olivier Pescheux
A rare example of an ylang-ylang soliflore, Eau Moheli supports its main ingredient with pepper and heavy woods to create a pretty convincing mirage of a palm-covered paradise.
Manoumalia (Les Nez) by Sandrine Videault
Widely considered to be one of the finest tropical creations of all time, the late Videault’s Manoumalia presents Polynesian flora as a swooning, intoxicating tapestry of scent.
Over to you: what are some of your favourite tropical perfumes… and, dare I ask, will you be watching the World Cup?
Persolaise
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I'm not a sports watcher, but I love tropical perfumes! (I also like fruitchoulis and Chardonnay … sue me.) Bronze Goddess and Beyond Love are usually in my rotation in the summer; Datura Noir is great for this purpose too, though I'm all out.
Funny story about Cocobello: I was digging my sample until I realized it smells exactly like Bath & Body Works Coconut Lime Verbena (a well-done scent they apparently discontinued…I guess fans can get their fix at a price, now).
Elisa… is enjoying Chardonnay a litigious offence??
I haven't tried the Verbena scent you mention, but I admit I'm curious now.
And no… I won't be watching the World Cup either 🙂
I love half of the perfumes you listed, which means I must try the other half… Guerlain Homme sounds very nice. I do love a mojito in summer.
Yin, Guerlain Homme isn't tropical in an over-the-top way, but it is worth trying.
I will be reaching for Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca for my mojito fix this summer. Love it 😀
Anon, yes, I see what you mean. The mint is certainly very strong in Herba Fresca. It's one of my favourite Guerlains 🙂