It’s that time of year again: it’s summer and time for summer vibes. Even if the weather here on the Baltic Sea doesn’t exactly feel like midsummer with 12 degrees and rain, it’s already July and we’ll certainly be basking in the sun again soon. At the latest during your summer vacation, which some of you are bound to have just around the corner if you haven’t already traveled. We’re heading for Sweden in three weeks’ time and, to be honest, I’d be delighted if the weather showed its sunny side by then.
But today it’s not about our vacation plans and the weather outside, which takes some getting used to, but about my top 5 summer fragrances for 2024, for which we have of course also prepared the matching Summer Vibes sample set for you. Perfect for anyone looking for a selection of summery creations for their vacation, because the samples are of course so handy in size that they can be taken anywhere. But our sample set is also ideal for anyone else who simply likes to sniff sunny, cheerful fragrances that immediately put a smile on their face.
Bigarade Concentrée – Frédéric Malle
The fragrance company Frédéric Malle – Editions de Parfums attracted attention a few weeks ago because its founder left the brand at the end of June and is now devoting himself to new fragrant tasks. The label has inspired us with many a great, I would almost say grandiose fragrance, created in collaboration with the most famous and renowned perfumers. One of them is also part of my top 5 summer fragrances under the title Summer Vibes, namely Bigarade Concentrée.
Launched in 2002 and created by master perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena, Bigarade Concentrée is a timeless, minimalist and wonderfully summery classic with ingredients such as bitter orange, rose, coriander, grass and cedarwood. I introduced you to the eau de toilette in April 2018 (read about it here) and was already blown away back then. 😊
And so Bigarade Concentrée begins with refreshingly tart citrus notes, interspersed with a subtle bitterness and delicate mandarin nuances. Bigarade Concentrée is characterized by clear Hesperides peel accents. Light rose notes, very transparent, very mild, join in and soothe the bitter orange concentrate. Coriander and grass provide green notes in the background, fresh and bright, which beautifully underline the hesperide notes. Cedarwood provides an ultra-bright and very dry woodiness that accentuates the finish of the still citrusy fragrance.
Jean-Claude Ellena remains true to his motto “less is more”. Bigarade Concentrée is exactly what you would expect: a very refreshing and tart Hesperide fragrance, both classic and modern, very transparent and yet present, of luminous clarity and harmony. Bigarade Concentrée captivates with beautiful and authentic citrus fruit notes, without artificial hints or shrill outbursts. This bitter orange concentrate is the ideal companion on hot summer days and is also absolutely suitable for the office and everyday use. If you love a fresh breeze on your skin, you should definitely try Bigarade Concentrée
Acqua di Positano – Eau d’Italie
Just two weeks ago, my second summer favorite was a guest here in the Duft-Tagebuch, namely Acqua di Positano by Eau d’Italie. You can read my contribution here. The anniversary fragrance celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Eau d’Italie brand is not only a tribute to the family-owned hotel Le Sirenuse, but also a reminiscence of the beautiful and picturesque Amalfi Coast, where the fragrance house and the 5-star accommodation are located. The ingredients lemon, petitgrain, fleur de sel (sea salt), orange blossom, hedione and driftwood create a fragrance that in my eyes is elegant and light, luxurious and minimalist, modern and timeless at the same time. A creation that combines the Italian dolce vita with the olfactory lightness of being and therefore definitely belongs in this top 5 list of the most beautiful summer fragrances.
Acqua di Positano is like a light breeze blowing over a lemon grove on the Amalfi Coast – after all, this is where the selected Amalfi lemons come from – in the opening. Bright, lucid and wonderfully airy, characterized by a tart, fresh and greenish-fruity hesperidic tartness and accompanied by a subtle maritime saltiness, the eau de parfum from Eau d’Italie makes the impressive and picturesque backdrop of Positano appear before my inner eye.
I can almost hear the gentle waves of the azure blue sea. Quietly and calmly, they meet steep rocks and fine sand. Hedion underlines this association with its delicate floral and molecular nuances reminiscent of aquatic magnolias, accompanied by creamy, fruity orange blossom. These in turn provide a more intense Mediterranean feeling, for lovely vacation vibes, bringing this creation full circle. The driftwood brings dry, woody accents to the base and rounds off the composition beautifully.
Oyédo – Diptyque
The Oyédo eau de toilette from cult label Diptyque promises summery Asian flair. This fragrance is not new either, but was launched in 2000. However, the almost quarter of a century on the olfactory hump is not noticeable in the creation. Modern, minimalist and beautifully refreshing, Oyédo pays homage to Japan’s capital Tokyo, which was still called Edo several centuries ago. Then as now, citrus fruits are particularly popular in Japan, such as the now well-known yuzu. Oyédo combines the ingredients lime, mandarin, lemon, thyme and woods to create a fragrance that is reminiscent of a “lemon plantation on the Pacific coast”.
Airy, light and wonderfully citrusy, Oyédo is more Mediterranean than Asian in my eyes, but this is probably only due to its more direct connection to the Mediterranean region than to East Asian climes. A colorful basket of citrus fruits provides a tart, sour and lucid freshness in the opening, which also contains sweet, powdery facets. Soon, greenish-aromatic nuances join in, from which I cannot sniff out the thyme per se, but which I would spontaneously assign to it. Bright, radiant woods underline the composition and round it off in a very airy and transparent way.
A fresh, invigorating and light mix of the finest citrus fruits, greenish herbal notes and a light woody finish that is incredibly modern, timeless and summery. This creation perfectly reflects Asian minimalism, which I particularly like for the warm season. A fine, elegant and energetic citrus fragrance that provides an olfactory kick of freshness on hot days.
Peau de Pêche – Keiko Mecheri
The brand Keiko Mecheri, which is now available again at Aus Liebe zum Duft, is not only experiencing a revival here, it has also been given a place in this top 5 list of my most beautiful summer fragrances of 2024, which you can also buy as a sample set under the title Summer Vibes. Peau de Pêche is a homage to the peach and its velvety skin and thus enters a completely different fragrance realm than the creations presented so far in this article. The ingredients peach, iris, sandalwood and crystal musk already reveal the direction in which this eau de parfum is heading: warm, velvety, powdery.
Delicate, fruity and with a wonderful, crystalline peach powderiness right from the start, Peau de Pêche is an airy and seductively creamy fragrance that is very soft, almost caressing. The eau de parfum is sunny and carefree, summery and skunky, girlish and grown-up at the same time. Like a stroll through a garden of blossoming peach trees with a gentle breeze blowing through, the creation lets the senses wander, dreamy, even a little romantic and yet always radiant and bright.
I have smelled several peach fragrances recently – and loved every single one – but Keiko Mecheri has managed to give this theme its very own and really great characteristics. The creation dates back to 2003, but is so innovative and modern that it could have been created in 2024. If you love peaches and their fragrance, if you prefer velvety, fruity and creamy, light compositions and are looking for a relaxed, casual and carefree eau de parfum for the warmer months of the year, Peau de Pêche is definitely the right choice. 🍑
Act 1 – Pantomime
Unfortunately, the Pantomime brand has not yet made it into the Duft-Tagebuch, but Act 1, a creation by the label led by Creative Director Jeroen Oude Sogtoen and perfumer Fredrik Dalman, is represented here. Pantomime has dedicated itself entirely to molecular compositions and Act 1 is a blend of ambrette seeds and ambergris. The brand describes the eau de parfum as a “power powder musk”, a fragrance reminiscent of rumpled sheets, intimacy and lust, passion and love.
Act 1 is transparent and light, with the scent of ripe figs in the air, soon accompanied by a molecular fluffiness that is very clean and minimalist. Despite its lightness, the eau de parfum has a strong presence, with skintight and fresh notes that make the association with bed sheets, skin and comfort very tangible. The fig nuances of the opening slowly fade into the background, giving way to a molecular white musk fragrance that has good persistence. Bright, radiant and creamy-powdery, the creation lingers for some time before gradually fading away.
Act 1 is the clean man among my top 5 summer fragrances 2024, a clean, skinnier and greenish fig-influenced molecular musk that is summery, fresh and minimalist. perfect for those who love the principle of “less is more” but don’t want to give up a good presence and durability. Unisex and wearable for any occasion. 🤍
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