Summer fragrance doesn’t have to mean hot, coconutty, suncream smells, or sweet, tropical florals. A vegetal scent – think pulpy tomatoes, soft herbs, sharp citrus and damp lawns – tends to be much more refreshing in heat and humidity, while simultaneously feeling less incongruous when British summertime is a damp squib.
I tried Parfum d’Empire’s Corsica Furiosa (€100 excluding tax) for the first time this summer in France, and became instantly addicted. This is wet wood, tomato plants and the intense, compressed greenness of a Flymo grass box, leavened by delicate mint and sun-scorched hay bale. It’s how I imagine an idyllic, rustic childhood might smell. The Jovoy website ships globally (prices are in euros) but if you’re ever in central London (or Paris, for that matter), I can’t recommend enough a visit to the Jovoy boutique, who very sensibly will decant any of their 2,000+ fragrances from some of the world’s best – and most creative – houses into a tiny vial, allowing you to try properly before you buy. The staff are hugely knowledgable and kind.
Corsica Furiosa owes something to Sisley’s verdant masterpiece Eau de Campagne (£90 for 50ml). created by perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena, who rarely puts a foot wrong). This is not for everyone, but is most certainly for me. Think nettles crushed between fingertips, fresh tarragon, tomatoes ripening in a hot greenhouse, earthy moss and bitter lemon. It smells like a very expensive holiday in Provence, is great on any gender and with any outfit. It is French summer chic, bottled, and its musky base keeps things more sexy than salad.