For your next spritz, try these fresh, heady, synthetic-free scents
Words by CAROLINE CAGNEY
Summer is very much here, and while you can’t spend as much time outdoors as you’d like, you can bring the outdoors to you. Here, we round up the latest clean fragrances to hit California, including a couple we stock at our very own concept store, Studio C. Whether you prefer a cocoon of woods and florals, or a vibrant citrus spritz, these scents will transport you to somewhere far away.
CULTUS ARTEM Vetiveria, $245/8.5 ml. PERFUMERA CURANDERA Cielo, $270/15 ml.
Vetiveria by Cultus Artem
The most elegant rendition of vetiver you will ever come across is from Cultus Artem, one of the newest transparent brands in the clean beauty industry. While concocting the scent, San Antonio-based founder Holly Tupper was influenced by her memories of living in Indonesia, “driving through the villages at dusk, the smells of life intertwined through cooking fires and the burning leaves to ward off mosquitos.” Housed in the most suitable vessel for this tribute to the tenacious bunchgrass, this decadent explosion features coconut pulp to soften the smokiness of Haitian vetiver, cedar wood, lentisque and sandalwood, along with a warm, rich dose of (are you ready?) 35-million-year-old fossilized Himalayan amber. No doubt a timeless classic.
Cielo by Perfumera Curandera
When Topanga Canyon resident Leanne Hirsh developed her fragrance line Perfumera Curandera (which means “woman who heals with fragrant plants” in Spanish), she was inspired by her travels to the Amazon rainforest and Andes mountains where she began collecting rare botanicals and natural remedies while studying their benefits with shamanic keepers. Here, a bouquet of heady florals like jasmine, neroli and orange flower roll into a creamy tobacco and woodsy finish that re-creates the smell of a lush, sun-warmed garden just after the rain.
STRANGE INVISIBLE PERFUMES Shadows in the Garden, $385/50 ml.
Shadows in the Garden by Strange Invisible Perfumes
The latest creation from Venice fragrance house Strange Invisible Perfumes is the ultimate choice for a summer date night — though it will garner compliments all year long. Wild basil, Tahitian vanilla and blue lotus are woven together with peppery iris root, vetiver and black copal in the most impeccable fashion. The result is mysterious, subtle and undeniably sexy. Don’t delay, it’s a limited batch.
HERETIC Dirty Grapefruit, $165/50 ml.
Dirty Grapefruit by Heretic
L.A.-based perfumer (and Goop collaborator) Douglas Little has gained a fervent following for elevating a single note with a modern twist. His latest launch at Heretic is no different: This citrus dream bursts open with bitter pink grapefruit peel and lemon flesh with a sultry undertone of damask rose anchored by cedar, black tea and vetiver for an androgynous appeal. The result is a perfume that smells like the essence of summer vacation in the Italian countryside.
MADE BY YOKE Venice, $83/50 ml. KAHINA GIVING BEAUTY Essaouira, $78/15 ml.
Venice by Made by Yoke
Eliciting the splendor of dusk in L.A.’s favorite beach town, a lightly intoxicating blend of amber and lotus flower bathe in a base of coconut and safflower oils for a musky, white floral scent that smells clean, beachy and sexy all at once. The aroma from Made By Yoke is made using traditional Ayurveda techniques and is said to be an aphrodisiac.
Essaouira by Kahina Giving Beauty
A crisp mixture of geranium and lavender spiked with accords of sandalwood, rose and herbaceous petitgrain, this light oil blend will transport you to the whitewashed Moroccan seaside town for which the scent is named. What’s more, the travel-sized roll-on bottle from Kahina Giving Beauty is made of recyclable glass to block out damaging UV rays and preserve the natural ingredients inside, and is small enough to fit inside your beach bag.
SIGIL Solutio, $120/30 ml.
Solutio by Sigil
More verdant and earthy than floral, Solutio is a sparkling synthesis of zesty lime, cypriol and nerolina rounded by ambrette seed and rosewood leaf. It’s the perfect choice for those who don’t gravitate towards saccharine compositions. Worth noting is that Sigil’s L.A.-based founder Patrick Kelly cooked up the formula for long staying power.
July 14, 2020
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