In a normal year, thoughts of getting away from the cold on a beach somewhere is where the mind wanders. Of course this is not a normal year and I suspect very few reading this will end up on a beach. Which is why we must let our sense of smell transport us to a beach in our mind. The beachy style of perfume has always been a stalwart part of fragrance. Atelier Cologne Lemon Island is the latest to add itself to those ranks.
For all the history Atelier Cologne has I believe this is the first time they have made this type of cologne absolue. Founder and creative director Sylvie Ganter-Cervasel and her husband Christophe Cervasel have certainly covered most of the bases in their eleven years as a brand. It is one of the strengths that it is so versatile. Which is what makes it surprising that it took them until release forty-four to find themselves on the beach.
Sylvie and Christophe Cervasel
What makes a successful beach scent? First it has to evoke the beach in a few different ways. It can capture the crash of the waves and the salty air. It can also work on finding a piece of the beach scene to emulate. This is the path Lemon Island takes. It wants to smell like that great suntan lotion.
To do that they use a very sunny lemon. The press materials say it is from an Indian Ocean island called Rodrique. i can’t say I notice a difference. What I smell is a slightly green lemon with brightness and tartness in equal measure. If there is some terroir to this citrus it isn’t obvious. Next comes a lovely jasmine given some of that sea air to provide an expansiveness. This is that floral at the core of so many suntanning products. It then moves to light vanilla also given a hint of saltiness.
Lemon Island has 10-12 hour longevity and average sillage.
In this wintertime of 2021 I’m not going to make it to my favorite island. My best bet is to book a ticket to Lemon Island as my beach of choice this year.
Disclosure: this review is based on a sample provided by Sephora.
–Mark Behnke
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