Linden and Linen
L'Été en Douce (meaning Soft Summer, formerly known as Extrait de Songes - or the Essence of Dreams) is as light as a cloud and as fleeting as the aroma of linden blossoms which wafts through the streets in midsummer.
Reminiscent of fragrant twigs and freshly soaped skin, l'Été en Douce is light and ethereal and I find it wears better on fabric than on my skin. On fabric it unfolds with the subtle honey nuances of linden and orange blossom with hints of petitgrain; where as on skin, the clean "white musks" and synthetic "white woods" notes are taking over. And there is also an underlining bitterness, reminiscent of almonds but not quite - the mark of coumarin (hay is listed among the notes, but there is non of its delicious sweetness, so I think it's just coumarin - adorable all the same, but just a little flatter).
I'd enjoy it more if it was real summer here, and would wear it in the halo-method, when you spray it in the room and walk into its mist. Preferably while wearing white linen attire or gauzy white cotton shirt. But I'm enjoying just as much after accidentally spilling half of my sample all over my denim dress pants and silk blouse...
Olivia Giacobetti is the nose here, and like most of her creations - she used a very light hand, which makes for an easily wearable (and over-spilled) summer scent, a little abstract and obscure, but very true to its name.