A Scent Of Place
Luxury fragrances- the more distinctive and bolder the better- are an indulgence I can't resist. Some people get excited about opening a bottle of wine or a box holding jewelry, but a gorgeous perfume is what thrills me most.
Besides making me smell fantastic- or at least I hope- perfume is one of the ways I evoke travel without actually going on a trip. So many are inspired by destinations all over the world, and their creators source their ingredients from the very places they bring to mind.
Notes of citrus, for example, take me to the Amalfi Coast, where I honeymooned, while oud puts me right in the heart of the Middle East. Jasmine transports me back to India, my home where I was born and lived for the early part of my childhood, lavender conjures up memories of my trips to Provence, rose and orange blossom have me in Morocco where they proliferate, and well, you get the idea.
There are thousands- literally- of perfumes out there, but I'm personally loving the ones I've highlighted below. They're what I like to call 'a scent of place.'
Ambra from Santa Maria Novella.
Santa Maria Novella
Founded in Florence over 800 years ago, Santa Maria Novella is a gorgeous apothecary brand I've loved for years. Their fragrances use botanicals and plants from the Medici gardens and Tuscan countryside and blend them with top quality and often rare ingredients from around the world.
Quercia from Santa Maria Novella.
I would wear any of the scents, but lately I've been rotating between Ambra, Incenso, Tabacco Toscano, and Quercia. According to a spokesperson for the company, Ambra combines citrus fruits from the Medici gardens with amber oriental notes from the Far East, and Incenso mixes spicy and resin notes that conjure incense, like those found in historic Italian houses of worship or places much farther East. Tabacco Toscano features bergamot and bold Tuscan tobacco leaves while Quercia is a nod to the 500-year-old oak tree growing on the grounds of the Medici Villa di Castello.
Memo Paris Odéon
Memo Paris' new Odeon.
As I've written about before, every fragrance in Memo Paris' collection is inspired by a destination, and Odéon is no different. This stunner is a love letter to the namesake neighborhood in Paris, home to creatives, academics, and the literary set. Originally launched in 2020 as a Paris exclusive, it will be available worldwide this year. Odéon makes an impact that's for sure and features premium rose, Tonka bean, and sandalwood. Other hits in the line include Tiger's Nest, laden with incense, and Madurai, which brings me home to India.
Krigler Villa Bordighera 20
Krigler's Villa Bordighera 20
Krigler's reintroduced Villa Bordighera sings of spring with its citrus notes dancing with florals and hints of wood. The story goes that the Italian playwright Giuseppe Adami commissioned Albert Krigler to create this fragrance in 1920, who designed it to evoke the scenic Italian Riviera resort town of Bordighera. Known for his impeccable blending, he composed it with lemons from the city itself, along with Sicilian bergamot, Moroccan rose absolute, and other Mediterranean-inspired ingredients.
Penhaligon's Cairo
Cairo by Penhaligon's
An ode to the Egyptian city, this decadent scent from the prestigious British fragrance house Penhaligon's is captivating and somewhat mysterious. Meant for all genders, it combines Damascena rose and saffron with notes of labdanum, cypriol, sandalwood, and cedarwood. The result is a little sweet, a little spicy, and definitely unmissable. Like a bold piece of jewelry, it makes a statement every time you put it on.
Armani Prive Bleu Turquoise and Pivoine Suzhou
Armani Prive's Pivoine Suzhou
Armani Prive's customer favorite Pivoine Suzhou is an olfactory journey to China's Suzhou gardens. It's fresh and vibrant, and with its peony notes, green mandarin essence, and alluring musk base, it evokes happy spring and summer days. I feel alive when I wear it.
Then there's Armani Prive's Bleu Turquoise, which transports to my birthplace of India. Giorgio Armani celebrates the country with a seductive scent crafted with ylang ylang, vanilla, and fleur de sel. Rest assured, this will grab you, and everyone around you will notice it, too.
Armani Prive's Bleu Turquoise.
Aerin Mediterranean Rose De Grasse
AERIN Beauty's Rose de Grasse
Aerin Lauder's Rose de Grasse celebrates summer in a light and floral scent. It's made with three different roses, including Rose Centifolia, picked by hand in Grasse, France. This is a fresh fragrance that's not overpowering yet definitely makes an impact.
Marly Valaya Exclusif
Like a little black dress, Valaya Exclusif is always in style. Wear it in the summer, winter, or any time of year. The gorgeous blend includes white flowers, almonds, sandalwood, and orange blossoms.
Parfums de Marly's Valaya Exclusif.
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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Last-minute Labor Day escapes: 10 destinations you might not have considered
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USA Today
4 days ago
- USA Today
Step aboard the cruise ship where food is the main attraction
Platters of prosciutto sat next to dishes of marinated olives and peppers, across from handmade pastas. At the Caprese bar, I could pick from numerous options of mozzarella, from fior di latte and burrata, to be mixed with tomatoes, like heirloom and cherry. The entire room smelled of garlic and freshly baked bread as fellow passengers found their seats. This Italian market wasn't in the streets of Rome or a Tuscan restaurant – this was aboard Oceania Cruises' latest ship, Oceania Allura. With the ingredients sourced from the day's port of Ravenna, the market is another example of the small-ship luxury cruise line's destination-focused travel experiences. I was on the ship's maiden voyage in mid-July, departing from Trieste, Italy, to Athens, Greece, with stops in Croatia's Rijeka and Dubrovnik, Montenegro, and Ravenna, Italy. 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Yahoo
01-08-2025
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More American couples are turning to Italy's ‘dolce vita' in a quest for memorable weddings
James Atkinson and Samantha Fortino toured a Tuscan vineyard and learned to make pasta and a Bolognese sauce alongside their family and friends in Florence. Atkinson discovered a penchant for chianti, while Fortino fell for Italy's hugo spritz — a cocktail that posed no risk of staining her wedding dress on July 24. Italy has hosted a number of star-studded weddings in the past decade, most recently Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez 's extravaganza in Venice. Away from the spotlight, tens of thousands of ordinary Americans have set their sights on the country for their special day in recent years. 'Weddings in America can be a little too grand and a little bit too big and it ends up not really being about the couple,' said Fortino, 28, a neonatal nurse from Skaneateles, New York. 'We both just really wanted something intimate and meaningful.' Over 15,000 foreign couples wed in Italy last year, up 64% from 2019, the year before the pandemic, according to market research from the Center of Tourist Studies of Florence. Growth was led by US couples, who account for almost one-third of that total. Italy was the top international destination for American couples after Mexico, according to Maryland-based wedding planning website The Knot. For many Americans, Italy embodies the simple, beautiful romance of a bygone era. Weather is balmy and its varied landscapes, from the sea to the mountains, stunning. The food is familiar and crowd-pleasing. But perhaps the biggest driver of the recent uptick is ample opportunity for a range of outings, which together with the wedding event are alluring for those on a quest for unique, memorable moments — part of a consumer trend termed 'the experience economy.' 'In the United States, everything is just more expensive for one night and we wanted to make an experience, so we did two nights here,' said Atkinson, 31, who owns a concrete company. 'It just seemed like way more worth it to us to do that and make a trip out of it with our family, our loved ones.' 'Nobody cancels' One guest who had never visited Italy was ecstatic about the invite, and took advantage to tack on side trips, first to Venice and then with the wedding crew to Cinque Terre. Another, Gary Prochna, nearly didn't attend because of work piling up at his paving company. He eventually came around and was floored by the venue — a 15th-century villa with a sweeping view over Florence and its famous Duomo. 'I got married in the United States and our venue was very nice. I thought — until this moment — we had the best wedding,' said Prochna, 68, adding that he now hopes his daughters will get hitched abroad. Marcy Blum, a prominent luxury event planner based in Manhattan, said almost 90% of the weddings she plans are in Italy. 'The reason Italy is so popular is because that's where your guests want to go,' she said. 'You send an invitation that you're getting married in Capri or Positano and everybody comes. Everybody. They want to come. Nobody cancels.' Jack Ezon, CEO of Embark Beyond, a luxury travel and destination event service also based in Manhattan, said 60% of his company's events were outside the US before the pandemic. Today it's almost 90%, nearly all split evenly between Italy and France. The threat of tariffs under President Donald Trump has given destination weddings a boost. Ezon has moved six events from the US to Europe this year, because people were afraid tariffs on alcohol would cause their bar bill to explode. Cost comparison The shift to destinations has benefited planners with networks across Italy and local vendors. According to Wedding Italy, the husband-and-wife team who put on the Atkinson wedding, American clients spend three times as much as Italians, due to more elaborate wedding decor and other events in their multi-day lineup. Average spend on hometown weddings in the US was $32,000 last year, according to The Knot. By comparison, foreigners' weddings in Italy cost an average $70,600 and typically have dozens fewer guests, the Center of Tourist Studies of Florence's data showed. In the garden where the Atkinsons held their service, cypress trees swayed in the wind as the bride emerged from the chapel, beaming in her lace mermaid-silhouette gown. She walked down the aisle as speakers played the theme song to Star Wars. It was her sneaky trick to make the groom cry, and it worked like a charm. Before the exchange of rings, before the lovebirds threw their arms around one another, their officiant said: 'Traditionally I would ask: Is there any reason why this couple shouldn't be married? But for goodness' sake – we all flew to Italy and can't get our points back! So instead I'll ask: Who here approves of this union?' Cheers all around. Solve the daily Crossword
