Scent is never inert: “Perfume is always in dialogue with not only the skin but the air,” Régime des Fleurs founder and artistic director Alia Raza says, noting that temperature, humidity, and altitude always chime in to veer the conversation to a new, site-specific direction. “Humidity gives fragrance more of an aura, letting lush and heavy notes bloom and linger. High altitude strips the air, making a fragrance feel more sheer and ephemeral.” When we asked four top fragrance critics to share the best scents for two very different climates, it was no surprise that, unprompted, two of Raza’s creations made the list. Below, find their recommendations—exclusively curated for CULTURED—for fragrances that shine in some of the States’ most sought-after destinations.
Scents of Place: Hamptons
These luminous, high-impact scents sparkle during long nights Out East.
Steven Gavrielatos, fragrance expert and creative director
Parfums de Luxe Illúsio ($175) by perfumer Daniel René
“With its photorealistic orange blossom, serene jasmine, and sparkling pear notes, [it’s] the perfect fragrance to wear on a long night in the Hamptons.”
SHOP FROM: Valencia Perfumes
Steven Gontarski, artist, musician, and storyteller
Régime des Fleurs Jade Vines ($275) by perfumer Alia Raza
“[This] presents a tuberose and gardenia blend with snappy green stalks. The humid air preserves the scent emanating from gardens, as the sun retreats and the day comes to an end.”
SHOP FROM: Assembly New York, Ministry of Scent, Moda Operandi
Paula Gröger, founder, Revive World
Diptyque Eau Capitale ($255) by perfumer Olivier Pescheux
“A modern rose chypre with bergamot, pink pepper, and patchouli, [it] brings a sparkling, vibrant elegance that perfectly mirrors the energy of a Hamptons night. You can’t go wrong with this one.”
SHOP FROM: Bluemercury, FWRD, Bloomingdale’s
Roja Parfums Manhattan ($403.39) by perfumer Roja Dove
“It’s a sophisticated amber with warm spices, soft woods, and subtle sweetness that not only holds its own in humidity but also transitions effortlessly from a [busy] day into a late evening out.”
SHOP FROM: Bergdorf Goodman, Scent Split, Fan Di Perfume
Vilhelm Parfumerie Chimilka ($350) by perfumer Jérôme Epinette
“White peach, cardamom, osmanthus, and leather: confusing combo, maybe, but the result is a beautifully juicy yet laconic scent that’s sophisticated and very unserious! A bit of a chameleon—it’s juicy and fruity, milky and comforting, and also earthy and dark. But it always smells exciting and energizing to me. It has that kind of energy to it that precedes a night out, like anything could happen.”
SHOP FROM: Saks Fifth Avenue, Twisted Lily, Smallflower
Sable Yong, host of Smell Ya Later; author of Die Hot with A Vengeance
Mancera Instant Crush ($200) by perfumer Pierre Montale
“One of those elusively addictive scents that you can’t quite put your finger on what you’re smelling, but it’s transparently addictive. I call that the saffron effect, as saffron is one of my favorite perfume notes for its chameleon-like quality to add glassy roundness and ozonic sweetness to a scent. I can otherwise broadly categorize it as a musky, ambery floral—it has a delicate floral aura around a warm, creamy center. Is it gourmand? Is it a floral? Is it a spice? Sure, all three! But the balance is so sheer and veiled that it wears lightly despite being a complex profile.”
SHOP FROM: Bloomingdale’s, Twisted Lily, Saks Fifth Avenue
Matière Première French Flower ($320) by perfumer Aurélien Guichard
“My favorite tuberose perfume for giving you exactly what you expect in the most deluxe and decadent scent profile. French tuberose is the sweetest and most nectary kind (so I’ve been told), it has a dessert-like quality that makes me think of macarons or a light crème fraiche if it were made with tuberose. But there is also ginger, green pear, and tea leaf to give it a crisp and vegetal edge, so it’s not just a sweet blob. Honestly, there is so much romantic tension in this perfume!”
SHOP FROM: Liberty US, Fragrancenet, Jomashop
Courrèges La Fille de l’Air ($175.49) by perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin
“This is an airy neroli that reads very fresh in a ’90s way, to me. It’s sweet and slightly tart, like a nectar, with some sort of soft and musky pepper balancing it out, just for texture. It feels very preppy-hot-girl to me.”
SHOP FROM: Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, efragrance
Scents of Place: Aspen
Late nights, low humidity, high elevation: these fragrances are built for an array of extremes.
Paula Gröger, founder, Revive World
Chanel Les Exclusifs de Chanel Sycomore by perfumer Jacques Polge
“One of the most elegant and understatedly classy perfumes out there. Its cool, dry vetiver and soft smoky cedar evoke the crisp air and natural refinement of alpine landscapes. In high altitudes where scents evaporate quickly, Sycamore’s woodiness lingers just enough without overpowering.”
SHOP FROM: Modesens, Harrods, Editorialist
Steven Gavrielatos, fragrance expert & creative director
Valentino Private Talk ($340) by perfumer Nicholas Bonneville
“A sophisticated blend of coffee, tuberose, cedar wood, and sandalwood, [it] is long lasting enough to endure the high-altitude temperatures of Aspen, but it also conveys the earthy atmosphere to align with outdoor adventures.”
SHOP FROM: Sephora, Neiman Marcus, Modesens
Steven Gontarski, artist, musician, and storyteller
Tenebrae 26 by L’Artisan Parfumeur ($314) by perfumer Daphné Bugey
“It smells like the shadow of pine trees in cold air stretched across damp earth. The air is thin and carries a subtle sweetness.”
SHOP FROM: Smallflower, Liberty US, 24S
Sable Yong, host of Smell Ya Later; author of Die Hot with A Vengeance
Arquiste A Grove By The Sea ($205) by perfumer Rodrigo Flores-Roux
“Salt, mineral, rosemary, and wet stones. It smells like you’re getting closer to the ocean while taking a slight detour off the cobblestone path around a Mediterranean forest.”
SHOP FROM: Derm Store, Scentbird, Smallflower
Elorea Hanok ($131.75) by perfumer Linda Song
“This smells like a hinoki wood cabin in a pine forest, maybe like Twilight if it was re-filmed in a South Korean forest.”
SHOP FROM: Elorea
Hawthorne Green Cypress ($60) by perfumer Rodrigo Flores-Roux
“Very green, very crisp, and with a resinous sweetness that veers the whole thing slightly ‘sport scent,’ but with a really lovely musky dry-down that declaws any associations with toxic masculinity colognes of the aughts.”
SHOP FROM: Hawthorne
Régimes Des Fleurs Falling Trees ($275) by perfumer Alia Raza
“This is a soft, sweet wood scent—I imagine it like how all the carved cedar furniture smells in a luxury wellness retreat.”
SHOP FROM: Smallflower, Ministry of Scent, Moda Operandi
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