Dearest and most delightful Olfactoria’s Travelers,
Portia with you today from Australian Perfume Junkies and Perfume Posse.
I wanted to show you a perfect summer fragrance this week because you all are coming to the end of summer up north and I think I’ve found a super easy wear, well priced frag that could be a summer signature scent that will happily take you from lazy Sunday brunch to chi chi drinks with the boss and clients, from the footy to the ball. A no worries spritz both refreshing and pretty…
Giulietta was created by Ellen Molner and James Bell for Tocca in 2009.
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Ylang ylang, green apple, pink tulip
Heart: Bulgarian rose, lily of the valley, palida iris, vanilla orchid, lilac
Base: Heliotrope, cedar, musk, amber, sandalwood
Everyone talks about the green apple opening in Giulietta, it’s not photo realistic but it is crisp and refreshing and I can definitely see why it’s such a winner for so many people. I had never associated tulips with fragrance, but there is a green sappy wetness surrounding the apple that could well be tulip turned up 1000 times from nature, maybe. I also get frosty morning, metallic hint of snow or ice. This is a sweet, as in ‘she’s a sweet girl”, uncluttered, fresh fragrance that is shy and retiring. A cool breeze on a warm day. That first sip of slightly flavoured sparkling mineral water when you really need some liquid refreshment.
As the opening is overtaken by the bouquet in the heart I am completely at a loss to pick individual notes, though I think I can smell iris or heliotrope in their most powdery forms and something quite delightfully soapy; there is a lovely fresh green-ness that stops Giulietta turning into a soapy/powdery mess and keeps us firmly in fragrance land. I’m not sure if it’s me or if the fragrance then skews a little lived in, after the flowers do their thing and the whole scent heads towards dry down I am enjoying a healthy, clean but not recently bathed, human fleshy fragrance underpinning everything and making it interesting. It doesn’t stay in this mode for long though, the generic soft powdery vanilla woods and laundry musk style blows in and Giulietta takes a fairly predictable fade to gone, predictable but nice. Sadly my skin never gave me the sorbet moment in dry down that Jessica got at NST.
So wearability? Absolute and utter wearability from jeans to gowns, t-shirt to dinner suit. I think Giulietta would smell even better on a guy than a girl just for the fun of it. Date night, work, the opera or party night out, if you are a one frag person this is probably the kind of thing that you will spritz and wear to the bottom of the bottle, which BTW is really lovely, heavy and feels a good deal more expensive than Giulietta sells for.
Further reading: Now Smell This and Convenient Beauty
Beauty Habit have $68/50ml
Surrender To Chance have $13/4.5ml manufacturers samples
What is your summer spritz for 2014?
Portia xx
Olfactoria's Travels 
Hey Portia,
Thanks for thinking of us guys up north!
I see the Tocca line around but don’t know the frags at all. Thanks for the introdudtion. This sounds very easy to like and easy to wear. A good price is also perfect for a summer fling.
I’m still enjoying Hermes Eau de Mandarine Ambree.
I bet you smell TO DIE FOR in the Hermes Tara. Do the men run down the street after you with flowers?
Portia xx
Ha ha. If only, Portia. If only 🙂
I think I’ve smelled this. I’ve smelled most of the line and they are all relatively nice. It’s always nice to have an easy to wear summer scent. I haven’t had a fling this summer. I’ve been wearing a little of everything and not really feeling the love for anything in particular.
Hi there Poodle,
They are well priced safe frags, probably a bit simple for the hard core among us but sometimes you just want to smell pretty and fresh. Perfect spritz & go stuff.
We all go through periods of fragrant ennui every now and again, just ride it out. You’ll be back like crazy in Autumn.
Portia xx
I think the Tocca line is very much under the radar – I have liked several I have tried and promptly forgot about them again, which is more to do with the lack of profile than their inherent merit. I am drawn to anything with ylang-ylang for starters, and the tulip intrigues me too, having enjoyed Byredo’s take on the note. My summer scent? Well, let’s just say I have been in Parfum Sacre for the past two days – it’s chucking it down here!
HA HA HA! That is the most potent Summer Scent ever. sorry to hear we are sharing crappy wet weather Vanessa. It has been super wet here but the top temps of the day stay around 16-18C so no hardship at all, just wet. It can hardly be called a winter really.
MMMM Parfum Sacre could be my SOTD tomorrow in your humour, if I can find it in the current house painting mess.
Portia xx
Hi Poodle, I’ve never seen any of the Tocca line locally, but I’ll keep an eye open for it. One thing that I love in the summer is Eau de Patou. There is only a small amount left in the bottle and I’ve heard that it is hard to find, so I’ll be needing something new for summer. Eau de Merveilles is another choice, but I tend to wear that all year long..
Hey AnitaThePianist,
Eau de Merveilles is lovely. I have never smelt Eau de Patou but I love some others of the Patou line, maybe I will search some out..
Portia xx
Hello Portia,
I am loving Acqua Classica Borsari Parma this summer. This one is very light, crisp, herbal, citrus and old fashioned. The 500 ml bottle that I bought for a song in early summer is being used up faster than I could ever have imagined, perhaps because both the longevity and sillage are minimal. That’s OK. I like a summer fragrance that doesn’t cling too long or project too far.
Azar xx
Hi azar,
If you use up almost all of the Acqua Classica Borsari Parma this summer, and don’t buy a new one, then the snatches you allow yourself to sniff or wear will always take you back to Summer 2014. That would be cool.
Portia xx
Hi Portia – 36 degrees here, so even though I have a lot of samples to try, I’m mostly reaching for AC Cedrat Enivrant – I do love the citrusy coolness.
WHOA! 36C is HOT! I hope it’s a dry heat for you.
Portia xx
The beginnings of the desert outside of Los Angeles – usually very dry in summer. I am looking forward to long sleeves again someday though …
xo
MM Dry heat is nicer than wet. Still freaking hot but bearable. When it’s wet heat I want to take my skin off to cool it.
Portia xx
Hi Portia! I have always heard nice things about Tocca but have never tried them. Tulips you say? Now that is something I would like to try. Xoxo
Hey Sandra,
I fear compared to your collection of lovelies that the Tocca may be a little simple, but I have been wrong before. Everyone needs something totally easy wear.
Portia xx
Tocca is really underrated, but I love some of their stuff! This one for example! With the green apple surrounded by florals, it is just scrumptious. Especially over here in LA, with the dreadful heat. This is definitely a day wear for me, as I like something a little more daring when I go out 🙂
Hey there MyPerfumeSamples,
Are you the online shop? If so I love you guys. I get loads of my mainstream samples from you and now you have started getting some niche.
Thanks for dropping by.
Portia xx
Sure are! Always dropping in and reading your reviews. You have a lovely way of describing fragrances. Catch you around, I’m sure!
XXX
I thought I wouldn’t have a fling this summer, but then I fell for Jour d’Hermes, and found a tester cheap. It arrived last week, and everything else I’ve worn since has been wrong. (My first Hermes, by the way.) xxx
LaurelS,
You have blown your Hermes cherry sky high. Excellent. Jour gets eaten by my body in milliseconds but smells delicious on Jin for hours. Great summer choice.
Portia xx