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Elle
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Elle
From Banana To Coconut, Three Trending Tropical Perfumes That Are Perfect For A Heatwave
You'd be forgiven for assuming that August signals the beginning of the end of summer. Chances are, your TikTok feed is already becoming inundated with #BackToSchool content and Gilmore Girls edits, while supermarket shelves are starting to get sprinkled with a sugary dose of pumpkin-spice paraphernalia. In reality, though, we're still very much in summer's sticky, sweltering grasp - if the current heatwave didn't give it away. So, now is as good a time as ever to inject your perfume wardrobe with a refreshing and uplifting spritz of the summer's trending scents - one thing's for sure, a singular sniff of one of these fragrances will be enough to transport you from the sweaty, sauna-like setting of the London Underground to distant tropical climes. Three scent categories are dominating the summer-fragrance landscape as of late, and all of them are (surprisingly, perhaps) gourmand in nature. While gourmands are typically pigeonholed into the autumn/winter perfume category (think creamy caramels and spicy cinnamons), three foodie fragrances are proving to be this summer's staples - banana (yes, you read that right), coconut and orange. Tynan Sinks of the Smell Ya Later podcast explains why these fragrances work so well in the heat. 'Scents with notes like banana, coconut and orange are all ideal for hot weather because they're juicy, refreshing and delightful,' he says. 'They scratch the itch of longing to be sipping a tropical drink on an island surrounded by bright-blue waters, even if you're stuck in the middle of a sweltering city or an office building with the AC blasting. They're transportive.' According to Sinks, all three scents have one thing in common: they elude straightforward categorisation. 'They cover the bases of being fruity, fresh and even gourmand, often without committing to one convention. They're hard not to love.' First up, we have what is, arguably, summer's most divisive perfume trend. PerfumeTok has been (banana) split down the middle when it comes to this unconventional scent category, with some fragrance aficionados recommending their favourite banana-infused perfumes, and others defiantly steering clear altogether. It's easy to see why some may be quick to dismiss banana perfumes - most of us don't want to smell like a syrupy, cloying banoffee pie, especially not in sweltering heat. But, when it's artfully incorporated into an elevated and complex fragrance profile, it can be a masterstroke. 'Banana in fragrance can run the gamut of super artificial,' explains Sinks. However, a perfume such as Kayali's Maui in a Bottle encapsulates the creaminess and sweetness of banana, without veering into sickly territory. 'It really shows you the power of a masterfully blended scent,' he says. 'This is an extremely elevated banana that's creamy, hypnotic and irresistible.' Basically, it's as moreish as an ice-cream sundae on a hot day. One banana scent that has TikTok in a chokehold right now is South Korean brand Borntostandout's Nanatopia - a grown-up and sophisticated banana-bread-esque fragrance that blends nutmeg and tonka bean with banana to create an indulgent ode to the humble fruit. The newly released Hakuna Matata from 27 87 is an ambrosia-like concoction that marries banana with honey; there is a sprinkle of uplifting floral lightness, thanks to notes of bergamot, orange blossom and jasmine. It's no wonder that everyone is going bananas over this one. Can any scent capture the essence of summer quite like coconut? We think not. The distinctively sweet, nutty and creamy smell evokes hazy, sun-dappled images of lapping waves on white-sand beaches - it can lean nostalgic, reminding you of your favourite sunscreen from childhood summer holidays, or fruity, like a pina colada in perfume form. Coconut perfumes are dominating this summer season. Posts landing under the 'coconut perfumes' search on TikTok are approaching the 15 million mark, with countless users sharing their recommendations. A failsafe, fan-favourite option has to be Maison Margiela's Beach Walk - launched in 2012, this milky coconut scent is grounded by its base notes of musk and cedar. It's incredibly fresh and light, and it exudes pure summer-holiday vibes. Another more recent release that we're going nuts over is Sol de Janeiro's Rio Radiance Mist, a laid-back solar fragrance infused with notes of ylang ylang and warm sand. Creamy coconut melds with light and fruity mango, rendering it a mouth-wateringly refreshing option. The spray format also makes it a more light and wearable option for warmer days. Whether you want to smell as delectably sweet as freshly squeezed orange juice, or like a sophisticated, bitter-leaning Aperol Spritz, you're in luck – this summer, orange perfumes are all the rage. If you're after a more literal interpretation, look no further than NEST New York's Seville Orange Perfume. As its name suggests, this scent contains the essence of oranges painstakingly harvested and hand-picked by farmers in Seville. Thirst-quenching mandarin takes centre stage in this perfume, married with baobab oil to bolster its lasting power on your skin – perfect for hot weather. Sable Yong of the Smell Ya Later podcast prefers a tarter, less obvious take on an orange fragrance – her standout pick is Prada's Infusion de Rhubarbe. 'It's neon pink and electric upon first spray and dries down to a lovely musky sparkling citrus,' she explains. 'The wear is really playful and sophisticated – like a chunky beaded necklace worn with an evening gown.' ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE.
New York Times
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Why Banana Is Summer's Freshest Fragrance
Sophisticated Banana Scents Banana typically brings to mind the cloying scent of certain sunscreens or sugary taffy, but now a group of brands are offering more elevated takes on the fruit. The Barcelona-based perfume maker 27 87, which specializes in unconventional fragrances, recently launched its newest scent, Hakuna Matata, which pairs green banana peel and ripe banana with jasmine, orange blossom and a hint of honey. 'We typically connect to the very fruity part of the banana scent,' says Romy Kowalewski, the brand's creative director and founder. 'It actually has another very sophisticated aspect — creamy with a subtle white floral note — that I wanted to highlight.' The Korean fragrance company Borntostandout takes a different approach to banana with its Nanatopia bottle, which leans into the richness of the fruit by evoking fresh-from-the-oven, caramelized banana bread with notes of rum, cinnamon and tonka bean. For those looking to add the scent to their shower routine, the New York-based skin care brand Soft Services' exfoliating Green Banana Buffing Bar has a freshness reminiscent of the fruit in its leafy, unripe form. And for added visual intrigue, consider the Bananas Candle from Wary Meyers, hand-poured in Cumberland, Maine, and complete with a blue-and-yellow graphic label — a cheeky nod to Chiquita bananas. A Stylish Guesthouse on the Shores of Lake Michigan In 2010, after working as a visual director for Barneys Chicago, Ariane Prewitt opened her own shop, AP, which became two shops that sit side by side in Lakeside, Mich. One focuses on fashion and offers handicraft-focused lines such as Nanna Pause and Dušan, while the other — set in a 19th-century house with gingerbread trim — is more a gallery for art objects and home goods. Lakeside is one of the idyllic towns scattered along the southeastern shore of Lake Michigan. Prewitt's customers come from all over, and they'll sometimes ask to stay in the apartment tucked behind the gallery. That's reserved for employees or designers passing through for trunk shows, but now, with the opening of Shamrock House — a 1930s-era clapboard cottage close to the store and even closer to the water — Prewitt has a real rental to recommend. She first noticed the cottage while scootering to work in 2020, and renovating it became a pandemic project for her and her husband, the artist and musician Archer Prewitt. The couple raised the ceilings, added skylights and decorated with an emphasis, says Ariane, on 'small luxuries,' including an unlacquered brass deVol faucet in the kitchen, hand-drawn Lake August floral wallpaper in one of the two bedrooms and a curvilinear wood sculpture by Rick Yoshimoto in the living room. The same held true for the property's outdoor space, where guests will find a cedar-clad hot tub and a boxy picnic table. They'll also want to venture farther out: to the gas station turned wine bar Out There, to the antiques shops Alchemy and Trilogy, to Granor Farm and Farmette for fresh produce and to Cherry Beach for a swim in the oceanesque lake. From $395 a night, Paul Thek's Sketches and Paintings, on View in London The Brooklyn-born artist Paul Thek gained recognition in New York's 1960s art scene with his disturbingly realistic wax sculptures of raw meat housed in plexiglass cases and ephemeral installations of newspapers, candles, flowers and eggs that explored themes of mortality and spirituality. He was 54 when he died, in 1988, of complications related to AIDS. This month, a new show of Thek's paintings, including works on paper and a previously unseen notebook of sketches and writings, opens at Thomas Dane Gallery in London, co-curated by the artist and lecturer Kenny Schachter and the fashion designer Jonathan Anderson, who recently displayed Thek's sculptures in his spring 2025 men's wear runway show for Loewe. This is the first British exhibition dedicated to Thek's painting practice, and it showcases a quieter, more delicate side of the artist. His landscape paintings of Mediterranean coastlines and New York cityscapes, rendered in watercolor, acrylic and ink, are more dreamlike and meditative than his sculptures, offering an intimate glimpse of his visual universe. For Schacter, the paintings and works on paper encapsulate Thek's artistic philosophy: 'It was a never-ending, incomplete process.' 'Paul Thek: Seized by Joy. Paintings 1965-1988' is on view from May 29 through Aug. 2, A Texas Painter's Perfume That's Intended to Conjure 'Cowboy Sensuality' The Texas-born artist RF Alvarez began his career as a painter when his husband's job returned him to his home state. Now based in Austin, he depicts his queer inner circle with intimate paintings of parties, couples and solitary moments, at times blending or contrasting with the state's landscape. Lately, he's also been channeling those themes of what he calls 'Texas heritage and carnal memory' through his first fragrance, called Carrasco. Named after his grandfather's favorite horse (Alvarez descends from a long line of cattle ranchers), the scent was created in collaboration with the Austin-based perfumer which engineered its smoky, animalic notes — among them Texas cedar, oak moss, birch tar and Tonkin musk — to evoke both his grandfather's truck and the sweaty clubs that the artist frequents. Encased in an earthy vessel created by the ceramist Peter Sheldon, a longtime friend of Alvarez's, Carrasco is limited to 100 bottles. The first half of these have already sold, with a second batch of 25 available now and a final drop coming in August. This marks Alvarez's second expansion beyond the canvas, after a line of ceramics he and Sheldon created in 2022. He says world building is central to his practice: 'I like the idea of developing a narrative of a Texas cultural landscape that's innately queer, sexy and trying to reconcile a past heritage and its future.' $250, available at A Hotel in Taos, N.M., With Adobe Walls and a 100-Year-Old Willow In the 1970s, the architect Michael Reynolds began building what he called Earthships — homes whose walls were made of beer cans, bottles and other waste — in Taos, N.M. This summer brings another sort of recycled lodging to northern New Mexico's high desert. Hotel Willa was a derelict 1960s motor lodge on the fringes of Taos's historic district. Now it's a 50-room boutique hotel whose restaurant and art gallery are overseen by deep-rooted locals. Maintaining a connection to the community is part of the ethos for the California-based hotel group Casetta; it's also a wise approach in a small town with a countercultural bent. The chef Johnny Ortiz-Concha, who grew up in the nearby Taos Pueblo, and the artist Maida Branch are helming the restaurant Juliette, named for Ortiz-Concha's mother. The menu will feature foraged herbs, coal-roasted vegetables and sodas dosed with medicinal plants, served on dishware by the Taos potter Logan Wannamaker. When gut renovating the property, Casetta kept the thick adobe walls, original wood beams (known as vigas) and a hundred-year-old willow tree. They added a sauna and cold plunge, rounded interior corners that are a signature of the local architectural vernacular and a 2,000-square-foot art gallery. The Paseo Project, a community arts nonprofit, manages it; the inaugural exhibition will showcase area artists and artisans, including some who contributed to Hotel Willa's construction. From about $250 a night, A New Beauty Brand Focused on After-Sun Skin Care The sunscreen market has seen a wave of innovation in recent years — less so the after-sun category, long the purview of bright green aloe vera gel. Zure Solaris, a new skin-care range by the British creative director Samuel Cheney and the Irish photographer Aaron Hurley, aims to redefine that ritual, with equal focus on cellular renewal and cinematic mood. 'It's that time of day when you come back to your hotel suite and blast the air-conditioning and have that first shower,' says Cheney, setting the scene for the brand's initial lineup: four formulas featuring its Solar Repair Complex, designed to inhibit hyperpigmentation, stimulate regeneration and calm inflammation. The line's Shower Rinse begins the reset, sloughing off the day's buildup while conditioning the skin. The Body Treatment, a lightweight moisturizer, is all about replenishment, with barrier-strengthening amino acids and tremella mushroom to boost collagen production. For the face, there's the Cooling Infusion, a quenching essence best straight from the fridge, and the Essential Serum, a multitasking formula designed to brighten and firm the skin. The founders appreciate the universality of golden hour, as reflected in the body products' transportive fragrance, which channels city rooftops and cliffside beaches with notes of spicy ginger, night-blooming flora and suede. From $58,
