Luxury fragrances that smell like summer

Zarkoperfume Molecule C-19 The Beach and Hermès Un Jardin à Cythère reviews in my review of Luxury fragrances that smell like summer.

I’ve already covered some summery budget fragrances. Those are a bit more brash, and also a bit more suntan lotion-like and thus, more of a mood. They punch you in the face with their summery-ness. The following two, though, are different. They tell of summer in a different way.

Also, a quick note: I don’t own full-sizes of both scents for different reasons I’ll tell you in the review.

Zarkoperfume Molecule C-19 The Beach

100ml are 114€

On a warm summer day when all things were perfect, enjoying the never-ending beaches in Hornbaek from my childhood memories.
The sweet notes from people applying the coconut oils to their bodies filled my senses blending perfectly with the hot sun, sea breeze, and human skin.
Those were the days of a young mind smelling the very soul of life.

TOP NOTES / MID NOTES: Coconut molecules.
BASE NOTES: White Woods Accord – Sweet Musk Accords – Vanilla

Zarkoperfume

Molecule?

Zarkoperfume flirts with the perfumery concept of molecules a lot. That concept was popularized by Geza Schön’s Molecule 1, in which he uses only one aroma chemical, Iso E Super, dissolved in alcohol. There’s always, in marketing materials, a big spiel made out of that and how that one molecule combined with the wearer’s skin chemistry makes a unique scent. First, skin chemistry isn’t really a thing, and second, how exactly is that different to other fragrances made out of various aroma chemicals? So, whatever. What makes Zarkoperfumes interesting to me is that they from time to time eschew traditional scent pyramids, meaning the scent doesn’t undergo the traditional progression through the pyramid of notes (also somewhat artificially imposed on fragrances, but the way we talk about them).

How does it smell?

You get what it says on the box: coconut, and a somewhat musky sandalwood base that’s so in right now. Honestly, even Zarkoperfumes themselves use it in Purple Molecule, and yes, I do like it. You’ll like it too if you like that soft, creamy, blonde wood accord that veers into a skinscent, the epitome of cozy.

It starts with a boozy coconut that’s not sweet, and therefore drags it away from the suntan lotion accord. It’s also not a fresh coconut. To my nose, it’s very unisex, and also a scent for all seasons, because it’s far away from that sunscreen or solar accord.

It get a bit sweeter when that vanilla-musk-wood accord comes in, but manages to still be very unique.

It has a very good longevity, while projection is close to the wearer.

I like it a lot, and just haven’t bought it because it’s only available in a huge 100ml bottle. Honestly, I’d finish that in the afterlife, presumably. Please make smaller bottles, Zarkoperfume, because I’d snatch this up in a 30ml bottle immediately.

Hermès Un Jardin à Cythère Eau de Toilette

100ml are 133€

CREATION
Created by Hermès’ perfumer Christine Nagel, Un Jardin à Cythère eau de toilette is a surprising garden that is neither green nor floral, but… blond. It is the expression of an olfactory quest through Greece that leads to Kythira, a picturesque island that has inspired many artists.
OLFACTORY NOTES
A citrus and woody fragrance, Un Jardin a Cythere eau de toilette combines enveloping notes of grasses with the strength of olive wood and the tenderness of fresh pistachio.

Hermès

The Jardins and Cythère

THE PARFUMS-JARDINS COLLECTION
The Parfums-Jardins collection brings together the soul of a place, the perfumer’s inspiration and the annual theme selected by Hermès. An aromatic journey for every moment, satisfying every desire for freshness, reverie or escape.

Hermès

I’ve recently written about the Jardins in general and Hermès Un Jardin en Méditerranée in particular, so have a look if you need a primer. Since then, I’ve realized that I love Nil, and would also love to own it, but then, Nil is a summer scent, while Cythère – isn’t. (Also, I’m trying not to go all Pokemon on fragrances.)

Cythère’s description is ‘blond’, which is weird, until you’ve smelled it and have a generic picture of Greek islands in mind (here’s Kythira). And so, Cythère evokes for me: the yellow grass on parched earth, olive wood, olive oil, the shells of pistachios, the wind coming from the sea and a glaring sun that bleaches everything of its colour.

How does it smell?

Oh, that opening citrus accord! Wonderful. Madarin oranges, bitter oranges, even kumquats.

Then it develops into a sweet pistachio pastry: lactonic and almond-leaning, with a citrus glaze. That’s the stage I want to bathe in it and wear the scent like a blanket. But even then I have to burrow my nose into my skin. I so want this to be bigger, MORE, but, as I said: its nearly bleached out to a uniform see-through cotton when I want a velvet or brocade.

After that it’s the smell off hay in the wind, with underlying bitter notes of olive wood or sea salt. (If you’re ever interested in a hay scent, look at L’Eau d’Hiver.)

Why I haven’t bought it (yet)

I always wanted to love Le Labo’s The Matcha. I mean I DO love it, but it gives me relentless headaches, and projects to the high heavens. Cythère, for me, is a very scaled down version of The Matcha. It’s so scaled down, in fact, that it becomes that diaphanous veil of scent.

Hermès is always scaled down (at least the Jardins), but Cythère takes the cake. Its projection is minimal, as is its longevity. I like the scent, but I’d love to smell more of it! And while I’m prepared to spray a Skinscent like Bronze Goddess with abandon, it comes with the accompanying and matching price tag. Hermès being Hermès, doesn’t. And that’s the reason I haven’t splurged for a bottle yet. I simply can’t make up my mind if it’s worth it.

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