My Summer/Spring 2015 Fragrance Line-Up

It's time to pluck out the stuff I think I'm gonna wear over and over again as the weather warms up! Obviously, my whole collection is fair game year-round. But when we hit spring, I find myself lusting after soft, feminine flowers (April showers bring May flowers and what-not). And of course, the summer heat makes a lot of my beloved oud and vanilla fragrances feel smothering, so I switch to brighter, sweeter, fruitier stuff.

Dolce & Gabbana Eau de Toilette -- D&G's EDT is one of the most wearable and unisex fragrances in my collection. It's weird: I'd never label this an all-time favorite, since it smells rather soapy and clean (not something I usually go for) and isn't stunningly unique. But as you can probably tell, I use it a lot. It's just such an inoffensive dumb reach for business casual situations. There's a burst of bright, tart citrus at the start that quickly fades in to the shower-ready smell of lavender and musk. It's one of those scents that people like, but don't remember...so it won't impress, but it also won't offend. Fair note: this is an older formulation, and I hear the newer version isn't quite as powerful or pleasant.

PK Perfumes Gold Leather -- I raved about this scent in my Paul Kiler review, and I eventually caved and bought this purse-size vial. Now I'm preparing myself to pay the incredibly high cost for an even bigger bottle (it's Kiler's most expensive perfume yet), because this is probably my favorite daytime leather. Gold Leather is definitely a leather scent, but there's nothing heavy about it. It is sunshine in a bottle--I spray this and my entire day brightens up. The honeysuckle and citrus notes blend beautifully with the leather to create something that is wearable all year round, but is particularly attractive for warm weather formal occasions.

Andy Tauer PHI Une Rose de Kandahar -- While I initially devoted my attention to Tauer's infamous L'Air du Desert Marocain, I slowly but surely began to favor this unique beauty. This is the scent that opened my eyes (er, my nose?) to what a great rose fragrance can be. It's a sweet, spicy, sultry rose scent, with a strong kick of cinnamon and a lot of vanilla and sandalwood in the background. It's a great compliment-getter, too, and people always say they've never smelt anything quite like it. Unfortunately, there's a rare rose oil used in this fragrance, which means it's only available at certain times of the year, and you won't be able to buy a full bottle of this beauty until September 2015.

Haus of Gloi Moon Dog -- This affordable guy has been in my collection for years, and it still epitomizes summer to me! Moon Dog is dominated by coconut and sandalwood, a combination that sounds gross on paper, but works in person. It's a fresh coconut smell that doesn't even begin to tip in to that icky sunscreen territory. Sweet, light, and never cloying, this is one of the most wearable scents HoG produces.

Thierry Mugler Womanity and Alien -- Like many fragrance fans, my first foray in to the Mugler line was Angel. While I still enjoy that scent from time to time, these days I find it a bit too heavy and sweet for regular wear. I'm much more attached to Womanity, a scent with an incredibly simple note list and an oceanic feel to it. I wear this, and I feel like I've just stepped out of the ocean on a hot summer day. Alien is more suited to temperate spring days: the warm jasmine reminds me of the India portion of Phipps Conservatory. I may one day buy a full bottle of Womanity, but I'm still a bit torn on Alien, seeing as one spray goes a stupidly long way.

Lady Gaga Fame -- Produced by Haus Laboratories, this is a fragrance that wants to be edgy, but never really reaches that lofty goal. On my skin, it's a straight-up fruity floral (primarily a blend of honey, apricot, and nowhere-near-as-heady-as-Alien jasmine), with nothing particularly unique or startling popping out. It's also very light: 2-3 sprays lasts about 5 or 6 hours with moderate to soft sillage on my skin. That being said, this is another fragrance that people tend to enjoy, but not gush over. Add in the very floral and whispery nature of this scent, and you have another dumb reach for warm weather--this one at a better price point, and in a more traditionally feminine vein, than the D&G.