For perfume professional Walter Johnsen, VP of Product Growth at InterParfums, the South of France (particularly Grasse, the historic coronary heart of recent perfumery) is inseparable from the artwork of high quality perfume, and particularly appropriate for summer season.
“South of France fragrances are fragrances designed to capture the essence of the French Riviera,” he says. “Generally, the scents can be described as a composition of ingredients designed to capture the freshness of the Mediterranean Sea, combined with the mix of the blooming flowers and herbs specific to the region.”
In Johnsen’s opinion, a “South of France” scent ought to “encapsulate elements of the salty sea air blowing off the Mediterranean mixed with fresh cut citrus fruits or a blend of blooming flowers like the creamy jasmine blossom or neroli flower, the cherished Rose Centifolia, maybe a dash of Valesole Lavender or rosemary that grows in abundance” within the area.
“These combinations are a perfumer’s way of creating a scent reminiscent of the glorious sunny days that can only be found in this magical olfactive center of the world, and, of course, elements of the beautiful blue of the Mediterranean Sea.”
South of France Scents to Strive
1 / 6
A Johnsen-recommended favourite, this luminous white floral perfume is timeless, elegant and effortlessly female—similar to its muse.
2 / 6
Enjoyable reality: Oribe’s much-celebrated signature scent for its hair-care line was created by one of many oldest French perfume homes, lending it the timeless sophistication of a real fragrance. Infused with sun-kissed notes of Calabrian bergamot, delicate white butterfly jasmine and heat sandalwood, Côte d’Azur completely captures the radiant glamour and sultry attract of the legendary Mediterranean shoreline.
3 / 6
Brilliant, grounded and effortlessly contemporary, Veronique Gabai’s Eau d’Azur is a radiant tribute to the sun-drenched shores of the French Riviera. Crafted by perfumer Pierre Negrin, this unisex scent captures the crisp magnificence of a traditional cologne, elevated by the richness and depth of a contemporary parfum.
4 / 6
Scentbird—the main subscription service for perfume discovery—is launching an unique, limited-edition Scentbird x I Know What You Did Final Summer season Set impressed by the much-awaited movie. The invention set, accessible now (whereas provides final), options 5 story-driven scents that symbolize key moments within the movie, together with French Riviera by Mancera, a shiny, marine-infused scent that evokes the sun-drenched attraction of the Mediterranean coast.
5 / 6
Evoking the sun-drenched magnificence of the French Riviera, this invigorating perfume opens with crisp bursts of mint and birch. It gracefully unfolds into the fragile serenity of violet leaves, earlier than settling right into a heat, enduring embrace of cinnamon, vanilla, cedar and incense—capturing the easy attract of limitless summer season days.
6 / 6
This vibrant love letter to the well-known Hôtel du Cap Eden-Roc captures the true spirit of the legendary spot that embodies the luxurious and sun-drenched ambiance of the South of France cherished by Christian Dior. The perfume unfolds like a fragile watercolor in three luminous hues—blue, echoing the crisp freshness of the ocean; yellow, evoking a sunlit bouquet in full bloom; and inexperienced, impressed by the fragrant pine timber that grace the cape. Collectively, they weave a harmonious olfactory tapestry of sea salt, white flowers and pine, conjuring the timeless magnificence of the extraordinary retreat.
