L'Artisan Parfumeur - Ananas Fizz

Welcoming the Heat


It's summertime in Toronto and that means humidity. Some days it's like walking through warm, wet wool. The funny thing is, I really don't mind; I love it hot. We have 8 months of winter here so I appreciate every moment of the summer.

Hot weather does, however, affect my choice of perfumes. On a sticky day in the city, I want to wear something sheer and refreshing. Ananas Fizz fits the bill. It's a cheerful, fruity floral that avoids cloying sugary-sweetness.

Ananas Fizz does start fizzy! The opening is a mixture of grapefruit peel and pineapple. It seems green to me, like the pineapple is still green, not yet syrupy and ripe. It's also much drier than you'd think it would be, an almost acidic edge and the fizz of soda. Later, it becomes softer with creamy floral notes. It dries to a sheer woody veil with hints of pineapple. Unfortunately it only lasts about 3 hours on my skin, but I would happily re-spray this on all day long.

Created in 2004 by Anne Flipo as a limited edition summer scent, it was added to the regular collection the next year. Flipo created another perfume for l'Artisan that I love as well: Fleur de Narcisse as well as the very pretty La Chasse aux Papillons and Verte Violette. I like her work; it feels minimalist and transparent and as if all her notes shine through with their own light.

And here comes the pain, because Ananas Fizz seems to have been discontinued. I DMed L'Artisan for confirmation but haven't heard back. Isn't that just my luck? Why do we always fall for the ones that play hard to get? I only received my sample in a swap recently but I think I'm in love. So Ananas Fizz has been added to my growing "I wish I could find..." list.

Have a bottle of Ananas Fizz to trade? Let me know below.

House: L'Artisan Parfumeur
Nose: Anne Flipo
Notes: grapefruit, bitter orange, bergamot, pineapple, coconut milk, cedar, vetiver, woody notes

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Update - July 25, 2011
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L'Artisan Parfumeur did get back to me, but unfortunately they confirmed that Ananas Fizz is not on their "programme." They suggested I try their Invitation Créole candles, that the scent is similar. If I find some to sniff I'll let you know.

I did however, manage to find a great deal on eBay for a bunch of Ananas Fizz samples. When they arrive, I'll be decanting them all into one bottle. So I'm set.

Estée Lauder - Bronze Goddess

The first day of summer

Estée Lauder's Bronze Goddess is being billed as a limited release for 2011 but it has a longer history. It was first released as a body oil under the name Azure Soleil in 2006, as part of the Tom Ford for Estée Lauder collection and re-released as a perfume in 2007 called Azure Soleil Eau Fresh. By 2008, Tom Ford had created his own perfume line and Estee Lauder changed the name of Azure Soleil to Bronze Goddess but kept the formula nearly the same.

If you would like to feel and smell like you've been to the beach, but don't have time to get away, Bronze Goddess is the perfume for you. It starts with a summery squeeze of citrus but becomes a creamy, coconutty floral with a warm salty edge.

To me it smells just like expensive french sunblock - I have a tube of 50+ Vichy at home and it has the same "creamy rich flowers and coconut" smell. Underneath, salty amber base notes mimic the smell of warm skin just out of the ocean being dried on a white sand beach.

It's gorgeous, but I admit that after wearing it a few hours, I sometimes feel the need to go shower and clean up before dinner, the way I would do on holiday at a beach resort.  But keep this one around for the cold days of winter, and it will make you feel the sand between your toes again.

A new flanker, Bronze Goddess Soleil, was released this summer. It's very different from the original. Bronze Goddess Soleil starts with a stronger citrus notes - I smelled grapefruit. As it warms up, it becomes a fresh greenish floral that's predominantly lily and jasmine to my nose. It dries down to a light musky and wood base. The only thing that ties the two perfumes together in my mind is that Bronze Goddess Soleil seems to retain a little of that warm skin character underneath its florals, the way that Bronze Goddess does.

While I liked Bronze Goddess Soleil at first, I got a little bored with it after a while. I still prefer the original for it's unique and almost perfect simulacrum of beachiness.

For other great beach perfumes, try Parfumerie Generale Bois Naufragé or Creed Virgin Island Water, both big favourites of mine.

House: Estée Lauder
Nose: ?

Bronze Goddess Notes: coconut milk, sandalwood, vanilla, vetiver, myrrh, amber, mandarin, bergamot, lemon, orange, tiare flower, jasmine, magnolia, orange blossom and lavender.

Bronze Goddess Soleil Notes: citron, bergamot, tangerine, lavender, petitgrain, pittosporum, neroli, orange blossom, jasmine sambac, grapefruit tree blossom, pink lily, blonde woods, iris, ambrette seed and crystalline musks.

Montale - Intense Tiaré

Monoi and suntan lotion

Montale is a niche Perfume line founded by Pierre Montale in 2003. It's mission is to create high quality, unisex fragrances from natural materials. Fragrantica lists 69 fragrances created by Pierre Montale, from 2008 to 2010. That's one busy nose.

Montale perfumes are generally focused on scents from the "Orient and Arabia" with ingredients like oud and frankincense. Intense Tiaré, however, is a perfume from the other side of the world, the Pacific Islands.

When I stayed in Bora Bora, I discovered the local Tahitian monoi oil, an infusion made from soaking tiaré flowers in coconut oil. I used it as a moisturizer, perfume and bath oil. Intense Tiaré reminds me of that time - it smells like monoi and suntan lotion. There's a creamy sweetness, probably from the vanilla and coconut milk, and a soapiness that may be from the rose.

After many hours the only thing left on my skin is a touch of sweet vanilla. Just like in Bora Bora, where they would bring to you cold towels, scented with local vanilla extract, as you lay sun-bathing around the pool.

Intense Tiaré has fair sillage. Stuck inside on a rainy afternoon in Northern Ontario, my companions say I smell like a tropical vacation. That's not a bad way to smell.

House: Montale
Nose: Pierre Montale
Notes: Tiaré. vanilla absolute, jasmine powder, coconut milk, ylang-ylang roses.

Photo: jsmoral

Creed - Virgin Island Water

Perfume: Virgin Island Water
House: Creed
Nose: Olivier Creed and Erwin Creed
Notes: white bergamot, Jamaican lime, Sicilian mandarin, coconut, Indian jasmine, hibiscus, ylang-ylang, ginger, musk and white rum

Put the lime in the coconut, and call me in the moooooorning

It's the summer solstice and I'm in the mood for a pick-me up summer scent. Virgin Island Water is my beach vacation in a bottle. VIW was created by Oliver and Erwin Creed, 6th and 7th generations respectively of the luxury perfume house Creed. Creed was founded in 1760 by James Henry Creed and has many famous clients. Creed's perfumes aren't cheap, but they are constructed with high quality ingredients.

Like many of my favourites, VIW is green in my mind but this time it's a neon green of lime and fresh coconut husks. The first blast of this scent has strong citrus and coconut notes, both of which I love. But make sure those around you love it too - VIW is a sillage monster for the first couple of hours, so spray carefully.

After the first few minutes, the creamy tropical florals, jasmine and ylang ylang, creep in, like a lei draped around your neck. Underneath everything is the sharp boozy scent of white rum. VIW is a unisex fregrance, and smells absolutely delicious on a man as well.

VIW isn't shy, as I mentioned it's actually a little loud at first, but it's so darn cheerful I don't mind. VIW is a friendly tanned hunk in a Hawaiian shirt bringing me a tall fruity rum drink with an umbrella while I lounge near the brilliant white sand and blue water of my dream beach.


Photo by Celine Nadeau