Even when there’s still a chill in the air, it’s never too early to start spritzing on a new scent for spring. From indie brands to major fashion houses, these are the best new fragrances for spring 2018.
The world waited for two and a half years for the fashion darlings to introduce their first fragrance, and it was worth the wait. Capturing the dreamlike nature of the American southwest state of mind, the airy, soft scent has two accords at its center: orris accord and white cactus flower. The bottle is meant to capture the curves and edges of the Arizona landscape.
It’s easy to see why this elegant eau was inspired by nomads. The mood of romantic wanderlust is expressed through the floral chypre that mixes the sweetness of freedom with the undeniable strength of a traveler, with notes of Mirabelle plum, freesia and oakmoss.
The striking emerald, heart-shaped faceted flacon was designed by Thierry Mugler himself. Inspired by animal nature, tiger liana—a plant used in Chinese medicine—is at the heart of the oriental floral, with rhubarb leaves, orange blossom absolute, bourbon vanilla pod and wolfwood rounding out the wild, feline scent.
Delving into the iconic Hermessence Collection is no small feat, so in-house Hermés perfumer Christine Nagel waited two years to do so. The result is a new line of three fragrances and two oils, and it’s the French house’s first foray into the latter. Nagel looked to the desert and an oriental dream as her muses, with notes of musk, myrrh, agar wood and cedar. Each has an air of rich mystery, and Cedre Sambac dazzles with cedar and jasmine.
Covered in three-dimensional sculpted white flowers, the bottle is just as beautiful as the sweet floral scent inside. Oscar de la Renta was known for his love of his gardens and floral designs, which is the inspiration behind the blend of sparkling pear, green leaves, muguet blooms, orange flower, tuberose, sandalwood and white orris.
Imagine the scent of your favorite leather piece—think a worn baseball glove or vintage purse—and mix it with warm florals and you’ll have this unisex perfume oil. The rich smell of the skin is juxtaposed with top notes of lotus flower, clove, and pepper, with middle notes of muguet, green violet, iris wood, and orchid, and a base of sandalwood, cedarwood, cashmere musk, amber, and incense.
Close your eyes, take a whiff, and pretend you’re basking in the sun in a garden in southern Italy. The delightful bottle—housing the floriental gourmand of frangipani blossom, coconut essence, mandarin, neroli, magnolia, vanilla absolute, sandalwood and almond milk accord to evoke the traditional sweets of Sicily—nearly has the same effect.
Urban explorers are the muse behind this men’s scent, which captures adrenaline-filled adventures with Himalayan whorlflower, gaic wood and black tea.
Miu Miu has always been about breaking rules, so of course the freshest take on their signature scent is no different. The dainty floral musk is peppered with lily of the valley and cassis buds.
Into the woods you go with Bois, a unisex—you guessed it—woodsy blend from indie favorite Commodity. The main trio of bois de cedar, Australian sandalwood and pink pepper transmit a silky strength.
Historic perfume house Krigler pulls another classic from their vault for a limited edition relaunch. Originally created by Albert Krigler in 1920, the unisex, citrus fragrance was commissioned by Italian playwright and libbretist Mr. Adami, who wanted one of his favorite vacation spots—Bordighera in Italy—captured in a bottle, and it spotlights the resort town’s lemon trees.
Purple is the perfect hue for this bottle. Like the color, the scent is warm, royal and a little bit spicy. Tocca’s first woody floral fragrance spotlights wild iris, sweet violet leaf, blackcurrant and patchouli for a plush, bold blend.
A panther is known for its animal instinct, and it was that feline nature that in-house Cartier perfumer Mathilde Laurent channeled into this sweet, feminine floral chypre that centers on the gardenia. Of course the jewelry house would pay special attention to the faceted glass bottle, which is sculpted into the head of a panther, their symbol.
When one thinks of flowers blooming in the spring, New York City isn’t exactly the first place that comes to mind. But that’s the idea behind Spring Fling: the blossoming florals in New York City’s green spaces, including the High Line, Central Park, Washington Square and Bryant Park, with lily of the valley, passionflower, honeysuckle, jasmine, freesia, amber and musk. And just like the city itself, the blooming fuchsia silk flower on the bottle is an attention grabber.
To celebrate their 50th anniversary, Diptyque introduces a new exploration of patchouli. Looking back to the 1960s, the era was synonymous with the strong scent, and this echoes the ideas of nature and spirituality. This is a modern take, with violet leaf and clary sage, made with three patchouli extracts from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.
Nautical notes are a must for the warmer months, and this cologne inspired by the strong waves and deep waters of the ocean fits the bill. Plus, the bottle practically calls for a sailboat. Notes of bergamot, spicy cardamom, juniper, rosemary, water lily, freesia, moss, geranium and orris give off yacht vibes.
Unexpected combinations make up the unisex, artisanal Clean Reserve Avant Garden Collection. For Hemp & Ginger, the unusual blend of sustainable notes of cardamom, sichuan pepper and elemi create a sweet and spicy eau that’s incredibly unique and intoxicating.
Think sexy springtime in a bottle, with the original peony scent melded with an English garden in bloom, taken up a spicy notch with black pepper, cedar, patchouli, and ambergris. The woody floral has top notes of mandarin, freesia, and lotus flower, with a heart of geranium and peony. Stella McCartney is known for her devotion to sustainability, so the amber note comes courtesy of an eco-friendly substitute for ambergris.
The essence of a wood-aging American distillery is captured in this solid cologne, which is ideal for on-the-go. The top note of bourbon is blended with red cedar and smoky vanilla.
