The summer heat is taking its sweet time arriving this year. Daytime temperatures have been in the upper 70s or low 80s, and the air is much drier than usual, making for lovely breezy days with bright blue skies. Funny thing is, I'm itching for the heat to arrive so I can seriously test drive some perfume. I suppose I should cool my heels. When the heat and humidity hit, they'll probably hit full force, and my enthusiasm will wither right along with the rest of me.One thing I know for sure, I plan to face summer armed with a bottle of Le Chevrefeuille. This lovely has notes of honeysuckle blossom, honeysuckle vine, narcissus, jasmine, and lemon tree petit grain. I must admit, it wasn't anything like I expected. As a honeysuckle fragrance, I expected a softer, sweeter treatment of these delicate white and yellow blossoms, a scent akin to the taste of the nectar of these flowers. I found it much brighter and herbaceous, lemony at the top, with the sweet floral underneath appearing only as the scent softened over time on my skin. Truly, to my nose Le Chevrefeuille has the appeal of a floral tea with a refreshing squeeze of lemon. In a strange way it reminds me a bit of Ormonde Jayne's Champaca, another scent I love, although they have nothing in common. I could see transitioning from the cozy sunniness of that scent, which has the depth to anchor it through rainy and sometimes cool March and April, into the sharper herbal quality of Le Chevrefeuille in May and June.
What's also wonderful about Le Chevrefeuille is the fact that it's almost impossible to over-apply! I tend to err on the side of great caution when I apply a perfume, especially for the first time, and with this one I kept going back for more, but more never seemed to be too much. I think that's a quality that cannot be underestimated in a perfume for summer, as a little spray of scent can be just the thing to take the edge off the heat. It has medium lasting power, so if you want to spray yourself every four hours or so, no problem.
For those of you out there looking for a sweeter, muskier treatment of honeysuckle, I would suggest trying Calypso's Chevrefeuille. Or try them both! Life is too short to limit oneself, or one's perfume samples...
*photo from Annick Goutal
