Grass is such a simple plant and yet it is everywhere. In the 1990s, GAP came out with a perfume called Grass and it was an instant hit. People went nuts for that fresh green, slightly aquatic scent, a huge departure from the heavy spiced florals of the 80s. Minimalism was trendy in 1994 and GAP Grass was the perfect minimalist scent. GAP Grass is now discontinued and extremely hard to find. Not to worry, I have a roundup here of some perfect "summertime on the lawn" fragrances for you to try right away.
Hermes Un Jardin Sur le Toit
This might be my favorite "freshly mowed lawn" scent. It starts off sweet from the pear and apple notes and then quickly becomes a dewy morning grass, intensely green and summery. The nose behind this is Jean-Claude Ellena, one of my favorite perfumers. (When you get as into perfumes as I am, you start to see the noses like rock stars and you await their next release with great anticipation) I really don't pick up distinct florals here, they're just seamlessly blended in to round out the grass notes and prevent any sharpness. Jean-Claude Ellena was inspired by the rooftop garden of the Hermes building, a private tranquil oasis above the busy streets of Paris. I've seen photos of this rooftop garden and it definitely looks like a place where I could easily lose an entire day to reveries. This is actually better than GAP Grass because it's realistic but also smells expensive, higher quality with a French chic that GAP could never have achieved. Makes me excited to picnic with friends this summer, sipping riesling and nibbling on sliced fruit. Un Jardin Sur le Toit is not a head turner, but it is fresh, youthful and bubbly.
Crabtree & Evelyn Summer Hill
This really smells just like the grassy hill at my grandmother's house. Many afternoons as a child were spent rolling down this grassy hill. The scent of wildflowers was thick in the air... black eyed Susans, mullein, Indian paintbrushes, clover, daisies and the thick bed of dried pine needles in the nearby woods. This isn't something that's my personal taste for a perfume, as the florals are very "dry" (unsweet, like green plant stems and sun warmed earth)... but oh my if this isn't the perfect snapshot of a hot afternoon in the countryside.
Lauren by Ralph Lauren
There is something about Lauren when I first spray it that makes me think MINTY. I actually see the color mint green in my mind's eye. (Same thing happens with Anais Anais so perhaps it is the carnation note?) When that dies down a bit I smell CLOVER, a huge field of it. That smell you get from the open windows as your car twists and turns along country roads, past farms and forests. I was too young to know Lauren in its heyday but apparently it was a hit with young ladies in the early 80s. I have a coworker who must have scent memories of Lauren because whenever I wear this one to work (maybe every four months or so) she remarks "Which one is that? Oh it is so familiar to me!!" Every time. I laugh and tell her she must have deep memories with Lauren but doesn't even realize it. Like many perfumes of the 80s, it is potent so you only need one or two sprays for the entire day. Side note, the bottle is very pleasing to me with it's garnet colored glass cube and brass door handle top. You would never guess by looking at that dark opulent bottle that such a fresh floral lives within.
L'Artisan L'Ete en Douce
One sample of this had me adding it to my wish list. More than a smell, it was an entire emotional experience for me. It's from L'Artisan, a house I already love and have sampled extensively. The nose behind this is Olivia Giacobetti, the talent behind my beloved Dzing! as well (See December 2014 post 'A Little Too Personal') Notes of linden blossom and orange blossom mingle gorgeously with a very realistic sweet hay accord. This lasts for half the day and then fades off into a smooth skin musk that makes me wish I had someone to hold me close and smell me. This is the sweet air that breezes through a hot summer day, refreshing and somehow nostalgic. The magic of summer days that go on forever.
Andrea Maack Coven
Saving this for last because it's not exactly a grass scent but it still fits into the style of this post. The grass notes are there, for sure, but it's more of a wet, freshly overturned soil accord. That fragrance of walking into the underbrush following a hard rainstorm and everything is muddy. A very cool feeling perfume but with something alive underneath it all. A snake or a frog in the grass perhaps. If you've ever been digging in the garden for hours and actually enjoyed the mixture of dirt and leaves on your hands, this is the fragrance for you.
Covet...SJP????
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