After a cool summer September arrived warm and very pleasant. And to make it even better I spent the last week of it in Hawaii.
I was so looking forward to that vacation that soon after I booked our flight and rented a house I started playing that choosing game in my mind: what perfume should I take with me? I ended up taking with me 12 (twelve) perfumes. And even though some of them were samples I didn’t take any unknown perfumes just for testing: all of them were to wear.
Black Vetyver Café by Jo Malone I chose as our shared travel perfume for this trip. Partially it was because I suddenly got tired of the scent that we used on many previous trips (Voyage d’Hermes) but mostly because after reading about it being discontinued I wanted to figure out if I should buy a bottle of it before it completely disappears. I do not love it but I like it enough not to let go just yet.
My travel companions from the previous Hawaii vacation – Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess, Ormonde Jayne Tiare and Frangipani had joined me again. So after recently relegated Voyage d’Hermes these three are the best-traveled perfumes in my collection. I still enjoyed Bronze Goddess whereas my reaction to Frangipani and Tiare switched places: I enjoyed the former very much and was surprised that the latter felt somehow off.
Other perfumes that kept me company on that humid tropical island were: L’Artisan Parfumeur Traversee du Bosphore, Byredo Pulp (I need to get a decant of this one), Yosh Ginger Ciao (Birgit, thank you for the idea), Jo Malone English Pear & Freesia, Neela Vermeire Creations Bombay Bling!, By Kilian Forbidden Games, Atelier Cologne Orange Sanguine and M.Micallef Royal Vintage. The last two were for my vSO but the others nine were all for me. Good thing about hot humid weather and swimming was that I could easily wear 3-4 perfumes in one day.
All the perfumes I brought were just perfect for the vacation though, completely unexpectedly, Bombay Bling! wasn’t a fan of that climate: it would disappear from my skin within an hour after the application. It has never happened before in cooler Californian weather. It made me curious how it would behave in, let’s say, Bombay. Any upcoming trips? Anybody?
Since my vacation was filled with fruits – both in perfumes and in my diet, I got curious which fruits my readers like the most. Here’re the results:
Nineteen (19) people answered my questions naming seventeen (17) of their favorite fruits to eat (13) and to smell (8) in a perfume form. I decided to be strict and if more than one fruit was mentioned I took just the first answer.
Mango was an absolute favorite with eleven (11) votes (six (6) for eating it and five (5) for smelling). Black currant took the second place with five (5) votes and fig got four (4) votes but both were named only as perfume notes. Mangosteen, peach and cherry got two (2) votes each (one in each category). And raspberry got two (2) votes but both in food designation. All other fruits – durian, loquat, olallieberries, papaya, mandarin, grapefruit, banana, pomeo, plum and grapes – were mentioned just once.
Even though I had so many perfumes with me after I came back I kept thinking: “I wish I thought of taking <…> as well” about different perfumes. If you were to recommend one more perfume for me to take on a tropical vacation which one would it be?
Images: my own
Undina's Looking Glass 
Great statistics Undina!
I can’t believe so many people love eating and smelling mango! I wouldn’t expect this particular fruit to be the definite winner.
I jump in “yaay” for the fact you took Bombay Bling and Orange Sanguine with you.
Looks like I was the only one who likes grapefruits in perfumes :P
I think I would suggest you Eau d’Italie Acqua Decima or Atelier Cologne Vetiver Fatal for another tropical trip.
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I do not mind grapefruit in perfumes (and love eating them) but they definitely aren’t my most favorite fruits. As to mango, when you get to try a really good mango, you’ll understand :)
I need to give Vetiver Fatal another try: I don’t remember how it smells.
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Maybe you’re right. I tried mango twice in my life but I didn’t like it a lot
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Love the graphic of an oversized mango and the way you have arranged your perfume travel collection in and around all those weird fruit! I’m not surprised mango was so popular as both food and a perfume note. Am surprised that Bombay Bling was a bit lacklustre in the heat.
As regards an extra perfume, Penhaligon’s Juniper Sling is wonderfully cooling, or you might try Ume or Lea by Saffron James – available somewhere in Hawaii I believe! Then there is Kai, which I haven’t tried in forever, that might hit the spot.
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Yes, I was also surprised with BB. Maybe it’s just me?
Saffron James was one of the few brands I came across in one of the small boutiques while on Kauai but it didn’t go beyond sniffing bottles since they had no paper strips and I wasn’t about toput an unknownperfume on skin.
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I like mango but it doesn’t like me. If I peel and cut one up the juices give me a rash on my hands and it makes my lips itch. It’s somehow related to poison ivy so I try to avoid it. :(
For a tropical trip I’d break out the big white florals. I love how they bloom in the heat. Also, I recently tried Heeley Sel Marin which is a beachy scent that might work too.
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Oh my Poodle! You too with the mango allergy and the exact same reaction as me! I’m ok eating the preserved/candied type or once it is already mixed in with other other stuff (mango salsa as I somehow think the tomatoes, onions and vinegar cooks it like ceviche).
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Is mango the only fruit that causes you an allergic reaction or are there any others?
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Mango is the only fruit I am allergic to, thank goodness; a cousin is allergic to most citrus unless cooked, the poor thing. As to vegetables, I get the itchy lips reaction from eggplant. Shrimp – I could never peel raw shrimp as I get a rash but fully cooked shrimp in food is OK, in moderation. I also have to limit chocolate intake but I think I had built up tolerance to it over the years!
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Keep carefully practicing with chocolate :)
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I’m really sorry about your allergy. But at least you can take mango in perfumes,right?
I want to try Sel Marin, I read good things about it. And I regret a little about not taking Carnal Flower with me: I’m curious if it would have behaved better in that climate.
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Undina, I experimented with Carnal Flower in the hot, humid, heat wave in New York City and it bloomed rather nicely, as did Chanel Boid des Iles (EDT)!
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So, Forbidden Games work for you?
I felt in love with In the City of Sin..
J.
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City of Sin is my favorite out of the first three but Ihad a feeling that Forbidden Games would work better there. Had I taken less perfumes total I would have brought all three to the paradise ;)
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What a fantastic graphic. Loved it.
Really enjoyed reading the list of perfumes you took along with you. I’d recommend Jo Loves A Shot of Thai Lime over Mango. Especially as Bombay Bling! was oddly fleeting in the heat.
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Thank you, Tara!
Unfortunately, Jo Loves many things but doesn’t like the U.S. market ;) But when I get a chance I will definitely try all of them.
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Dearest U
As you know I always love it when statistics time comes round again and especially when we get such a fabulously technicolor graph to go with!
What I don;t love is when I miss our on questionnaires and the like, so sorry for not having responded.
I share some of Lucas’ curiosity as to the result… so many mango-fiends. I’m also a little surprised that the citruses didn’t score better… perhaps people consider them a class apart.
With fig though I can find no fault… beautiful in bouche and on peau.
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
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Thank you, dear TPD ;)
I’m not surprised by the lack of citruses in the perfume notesline-up: they are too ubiquitous and, when prominent, lean masculine – whereas most of the respondents were women.
Figs are great (she said picking up the last half with goat chese from the plate)
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Dearest U
Yes, I suppose citrus can be seen as ‘masculine’ but then I think as much of Cristalle, or old Diorella and of the better Aquas Allegoria Pamplelune, Mandarin Basilic and of the ever present orange in so much by Hermes.
Ah yes, goats cheese…figs… gastronomic paradise.
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
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Nice work, Undina, as always. I wonder whether people don’t consider citrus to be fruit? Maybe citrus in perfume is a separate category? Clearly, citrus is dominant if we were to plot the occurrence of the notes in perfumes, rather than people’s preferences. Orange, grapefruit, lemon, even lime is found in quite a few perfumes. Or perhaps people were not thinking about colognes, where citrus is quite prevalent.
I read somewhere that bergamot is in 33% of all perfumes. Of course, no one eats bergamot, and it has an aroma usually associated with Earl Grey tea.
That’s an idea: you could add “fruit in tea” to your survey, for yet another dimension! Blackcurrant would continue to make a strong showing, and maybe lemon would get a boost from its use as a flavoring condiment. ;-)
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In the beginning, when I was doing more stats on perfumes I tested or wore, I had to exclude bergamot from calculating different notes occurences just for that reason – it was in most perfumes.
Keep in mind that people were answering the question about their favorite fruit in perfumes, not which fruit they think is the most popular in perfumes.
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Hi Undina,
I wore Bombay Bling in New Delhi and Rajasthan during their summer last holiday. it was great and lasted as usual for me but Ubar was wonderful in the heat and Tubereuse Diabolique by Ava Luxe was incredible. You should take them next time.
Portia
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Ubar was great during my bikram yoga sessions (hot – check! humid – check!) so you’re right, it should be good on a tropical vacation as well. But for some reason I think of it as of a winter scent.
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Haha- People do love mangoes! After coming to the U.S I’ve really started enjoying peaches- the white peaches, the doughnut peaches are especially yummy. But I didn’t want to name too many fruits in my answer..;-)
Funny about Bombay Bling. And I’m going to be going to Bombay in Dec, though it is probably not going to be that warm then (atleast that’s the hope) :)
As for tropical perfumes, since you hate tuberose I won’t recommend my two faves but will recommend Champaca edt instead (if you like it, that is).
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I like many fruits (in food) but it would have been much harder to chart if people had given mltiple answers.
I should have tried tuberose in tropics! Champaca from what company?
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yep- of course!
CdG champaca
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Perhaps I would have added L’Eau a la Folie by Patricia Nicolai to the fruity mix. Though it doesn’t last long under the best of circumstances, and I’m not sure what the heat and humidity of Hawaii would do to it!
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Thank you for the recommendation, Farouche.
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Undina, I enjoyed your statistics and enjoyed further learning what perfumes you took with you to Hawaii. When I think of Ginger Ciao, I think of it being the perfect tropical perfume, but as you said to recommend another one to you, I’d say Montale Intense Tiare … so very pretty and not intense at all, even for a Montale! :)
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Recently I became very interested in Montale’s perfumes so I’ll remember the name for when I get a chance. Thank you.
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I vote for Bois de Paradis or Songes
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I planned to take Bois de Paradis sample with me and forgot! But I wore it the next day after coming back. It’s very nice.
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Love the stats, Undina. If I had to pick just one other… Guerlain Eau de Fleurs de Cedrat – sophisticated lemon..it doesn’t last long but just re-apply!
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Thank you, hajusuuri.
I haven’t even heard that name… Guerlain makes too many perfumes! :)
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Great graphic! I can’t believe I was the only person to mention bananas, though. Y’all are missing out. :)
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:) I’ll make a banana split tomorrow in your name.
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It would be Manoumalia.
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Before today I haven’t heard the name or the brand. Thank you :)
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Well the interesting thing about this one is that when you go to the islands and buy Tiare massage oil it goes off when you return home due to the change of climate. Manoumalia stabilized this tropical scent which you can read more about here for an instant tropical holiday. Thank you for sharing yours. I love armchair traveling with no perfume packing choices to make.
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I know the poll is over but I would have said Orange Sanguine as it is so versatile and great in warm weather…your month of Roses and my choosing to stick to one fragrance per week got me thinking that in March I might try one fragrance per month (but I will still allow myself to sample if I want….just make sure I am spraying myself with the same fragrance each day before I leave the house)…the one fragrance I think would be Orange Sanguine (if I choose to challenge myself in this way)…..
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Wait, wait… I wasn’t asking for one perfume to take on my trip. I was asking for one more, in addition to those twelve I already had (and Orange Sanguine was one of them as is) :)
If you decide to go on with your experiment, I would recommend you taking notes about how you feel about that perfume every day. 2-3 phrases – but without looking at the previous day’s comments. It might be interesting to look at it in the end of the month :) I don’t know what is the whether where you live, but unless it gets really warm there in March, maybe you’d better wait for April (it’s also one day shorter ;) )
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That’s a great idea about taking notes! I think I will also wait to see how the weather is as April might be a better month. I will let you know if I decide to challenge myself in this way.
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