I live in a part of California that does not see much summer until September and October. Even so, my particular neighborhood doesn’t see much summer at all, being trapped between hills and the sea for optimum fog retention. I wear my fall and winter fragrances year-round, pretty much, although I sometimes pretend that summer is here and will throw on something bright and fresh that nearly fails to make itself known on my goosefleshed skin.

Lake Como Summer Day by Jerry Fresia

A few months ago, I was sent samples of skin care products and a perfume by Maggie Mahboubian of Lalun Naturals/Parfums Lalun. I tend to have a lot of samples at any given time, and unfortunately, some get put on the back burner. Since then, I have gotten to know Maggie a bit, smelled some of her other offerings, and played with her skin care products. I unearthed the sample she had sent me and decided to give it a try. I am glad I waited, because it is the perfect scent for right now, when I have a few coveted warm days ahead.

Mimosa by Donald Sultan

Acqua di Callitris is a sunny, beautiful scent that seems nearly unattainable in a natural fragrance.  Callitris is a cypress, which is used in the base of the perfume, and you would think that would put the perfume in a more wintery category.  Instead, the light resinous notes are blended with a selection of citruses and flowers to create a scent that is reminiscent of a garden where the evergreens along the edges give off their scent in the heat of day. The top notes are uplifting, like a cool drink of lavender lemonade that you bring out to that pretty garden with you.  I would have thought there was some honey here, but it is the natural mimosa and linden aromas in the heart that are creating that illusion. Either that, or my fictional garden fantasies have convinced me that the beehive is not too far away. The piney drydown has a slightly salty quality, like the way my skin can smell after a day outside. My skin never smells this pretty on its own, and this perfume could well be a staple in my summer perfume rotation.

Maggie and Parfums Lalun will be participating in the LA Artisan Fragrance Salon on September 23rd, along with a fantastic roster of West Coast perfumers. As further incentive to check it out, your ticket also gets you into the Artisan Chocolate Salon. What could be better than a day of perfume and chocolate?

Notes per Parfums Lalun :

Top:  

Grapefruit, Rosemary, Lavender, Silver Fir Needle, Citral nat., Limettol nat., Petitgrain sur fleurs neroli 

Heart:  

Linden, Mimosa, Methyl Anthrinilate nat., Jasmine grandiflorum Enfleurage (from garden)

Base:  

Australian Blue Cypress, Vetiver, Labdanum

 

Maggie has offered a 15 ml bottle of Acqua di Callitris to one lucky reader. Please let us know what your last gasp of summer fragrance is. We will draw one winner on September 21, 2012

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

–Tama Blough, Senior Editor