I recently wrote an article about what it was like to wear dirt-scented perfume for one week. (Spoiler alert: if you like the smell of spring, you’re going to love the smell of Dirt.) A few days after the post was published, I went out for a drink with a friend I hadn’t seen in a while. She told me that she’d read my review of Dirt and then said, “I wish I could find a perfume like that. I have no interest in smelling like a bunch of flowers or like vanilla or cake or whatever, so I don’t wear perfume at all.” Cue to my face looking like the shocked emoji because hello, floral and gourmand scents are just the tip of the iceberg in the perfume world.
I decided to write a round-up of my favorite green and woodsy scents as a sort of public service announcement because this is information the people have a right to know. If you’re rolling your eyes like, yeah, you’re preaching to the choir here, lady, then good! Let me know what you think of my favorite woodsy scents, and leave me a comment letting me know yours. And please, if you know of someone who is suffering from a severe case of fragrance cluelessness, consider sending them a link to this very special episode of Blufashion. There is help out there for everyone.
Maison Martin Margiela Untitled
Even though I’m such a big fan of Margiela’s fragrance line Replica (I own Beach Walk, and it’s one of my favorite scents of all time), I somehow managed to ignore the existence of the house’s first perfume, Untitled, until about a week ago. That was a big mistake because this scent is really lovely–it’s super green, woody, and cool. Untitled features notes of galbanum, bitter orange, incense, boxwood, jasmine, cedar, and musk.
Chanel Bois des Îles
This scent was created in 1926 by Ernest Beaux, one of the most celebrated Chanel perfumers of all time (he’s also the nose behind Chanel No. 5). Bois des Îles is said to have been Beaux’s favorite of all his fragrances. This scent is really unusual, but I mean that in the best way possible. It is both woody and spicy and features notes of bergamot, neroli, peach, jasmine, rose, lily of the valley, woody iris, ylang-ylang, vetiver, sandalwood, benzoin, and musk.
Commodity Moss and Rain
If you’re a fan of layering fragrances, then you really need to acquaint yourself with one of my new favorite perfume collections, Commodity. Commodity fragrances are intended to be layered with one another, allowing the wearer to concoct his or her own personal scent. If you want to smell like the great outdoors, may I suggest trying out Moss and Rain together? If you’re intrigued but not willing to splash out the cash it would take to own both full-sized bottles, you’ll be happy to know that all of Commodity’s fragrances are available in 0.33 oz bottles for $24 each.
Marc Jacobs Daisy
You didn’t think you were going to make it through a round-up of green, outdoorsy scents without seeing Daisy pop up, did you? I wore this scent for years until it became über popular, and I had to abandon it–I’m a total special snowflake–but it still holds a place in my heart. Daisy is perfect for the girl who wants something fresh but floral. It features notes of violet leaves, grapefruit, gardenia, violet petals, jasmine, musk, vanilla, and wood.
Serge Lutens Féminité du Bois
I’ve written before about how much I love Serge Lutens perfumes, and Féminité du Bois is no exception. As with any Serge Lutens scent I’ve sampled, the sillage is insane, which means the bottle will last you forever (and thank goodness, given the price). Féminité du Bois is a super woodsy scent featuring notes of cedar, musk, vanilla, rose, orange blossom, ylang-ylang, and one of my personal favorite fruity notes: peach.
Demeter Mountain Air
I could have chosen any number of different Demeter perfumes for inclusion on a list of outdoorsy scents, but I thought Mountain Air would fit the bill best. As with any Demeter fragrance, this perfume is a stunningly accurate representation of the experience it’s named for. Demeter’s CEO Mark Crames says that Mountain Air was his attempt to capture the scent of a trip to Alaska, and the fragrance invokes images of evergreen trees, clear lakes, and mountainous ranges.
Nest Verde
It was only very recently that I stumbled upon Nest perfumes in my friendly neighborhood Sephora, but I’m already wondering how I managed to go through life without them. There are six Nest perfumes currently available at Sephora, and they’re all showstoppers. My personal favorite is Paradise, but that’s because I’m a total freak for orange-heavy perfumes. If you’d rather smell like the great outdoors, then Verde is the scent for you. It’s one of the greenest perfumes I’ve ever sampled, and it features notes of wild fern, Himalayan cedar, verbena leaves, and vetiver.
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I’m Iskra Banović, editor of Blufashion and the voice behind its fashion, beauty, and lifestyle stories. Fashion, beauty, and lifestyle are my playground, but I’m just as likely to share the messy side of it all, like the time I tested a “must-have” skincare gadget and ended up with glitter stuck in my hair. I love turning trends and everyday finds into something useful (and fun) for real people.
