Down To Earth: Get Grounded With Summer’s Earthy Scents

Summer’s scents come straight from the soil …

At this time of year most of us reach for sun-warmed floral and fruit bouquets – perfumes of pink blossoms, ripe cherries and peaches – or else beachy blends of coconut, caramel and vanilla. Remember last year’s Raspberry Ripple, a paean to gelato that delivered a nostalgic sugar hit? This year, we’re digging deeper, seeking more earthly pleasures. As we look to steady ourselves in rocky times, there’s a focus on grounding scents that bring us down to earth. Just as skincare is concentrating on naturally beautiful ingredients – and even manicures are now about a fuss-free, plain and healthy finish – so perfumers are capturing the great outdoors. Plain, minimalist bottles reflect a new clarity.

Dandelion eau de parfum, PERFUMER H, €165.

For a breath of fresh air, in terms of approach as well as smell, independent brand Perfumer H by Lyn Harris distils things down to their essentials, with a cool simplicity. Harris’ earth and air approach feels both modern and nostalgic, with atmospheric bestsellers such as Rain, Rhubarb, Moss and Dandelion.

Metal Lavender eau de parfum, MATIERE PREMIERE, €170.

We have a soft spot for Matiere Premiere (“raw material”), and perfumer Aurélien Guichard’s new Metal Lavender puts a modern twist on lavender, the most traditional of plants. Tom Ford’s Lavender Extreme did a take back in 2019, going big on resin and woods. Though we tend to associate lavender with sleep sprays and bath oil, Metal Lavender is far from sleepy. It has a distinctive signature (I instantly recognised Guichard’s Vanilla Powder in a crowd last week, a measure of how striking it is). What makes Metal Lavender stand out is the contrast: there’s an exclusive lavandin oil grown in Guichard’s own fields (he describes it as vibrant and metallic), together with a softer, more floral organic maillette lavender absolute, sourced in Haute-Provence. Both of these are enveloped by musks and cashmeran, resulting in an earthy and luminous perfume.

Patchouli Mania eau de parfum, ESSENTIAL PARFUMS, €94.

Patchouli is arguably one of the “earthiest” ingredients, lending a musky groundedness to more flighty, radiant top notes. For something long-lasting and luxurious, Ormonde Jayne’s Patchouli d’Atlas (from €90) is a smooth beauty. Try also Essential Parfums’ Patchouli Mania (€98). Carmen by Cire Trudon is a luxurious take on oak wood, leather, patchouli and moss.

Carmen eau de parfum, TRUDON, €241.50.

Carmen by Cire Trudon is a luxurious take on oak wood, leather, patchouli and moss.

Eucalyptus 20, LE LABO, €209.

I also keep returning to Le Labo’s Eucalyptus for its green, earthy aromatics, Chanel Les Exclusif Sycomore, exquisitely woody and smoky with cypress, and Frederic Malle’s transportive Contre-Jour, which captures the unique sun-warmed, dusty, slightly spicy smell of the Mediterranean Immortelle plant.

Veggies collection colognes, JO MALONE LONDON, €68 each.

Jo Malone London has headed to the allotment with the limited-edition Veggies collection. It’s a typically fun and eye-catching concept. Of course these don’t really smell of carrots, pumpkin and beetroot – they’re very gentle and breezy – but if they remind you to eat your five a day, it’s all good. With all these to tempt us, we’re going to ground …