I wouldn’t have guessed how much I like a certain sector of new perfume brands. Over the last couple of years there has been a few people with varying experience in the perfume business releasing their firsts. The great majority of these fall under the “clean” buzzword of the moment. It is mostly meaningless. What it has translated to in fragrance are simple styles done transparently. That’s the part I didn’t expect to like. What has worked to the advantage of this is the simplicity and the lightness mostly attenuates some of the common mistakes I usually encounter in young brands. Lake & Skye Cote du Paradis is the latest to find me pleasantly surprised.
Lake & Skye made its debut last year. Courtney Somer wanted to translate some of her aromatherapy ideals into the fragrances. This can result in a muddled diffuse mess. What has been refreshingly different about Ms. Somer’s approach is her perfumes draw distinct lines creating for crisply designed ideas.
Courtney Somer
Cote du Paradis is the fourth release. I am very fond of woody perfumes for the summer. It is one of the places where the current trend and I co-exist happily. This is an ideal light woody perfume for the upcoming warmer days.
It centers on a creamy sandalwood. This is an especially sweet version of it. By keeping it opaque it doesn’t cross into cloying. An interesting accord of almond and heliotrope interacts in the early going. The flower has an almond piece of its scent profile which is amplified by the presence of the real thing. It adds a gourmand fresh floral layer over the sandalwood. The base is tonka bean picking up on the cream-filled center of the sandalwood. It helps define the keynote by not letting it fade away. Cedar gives a clean woody contrast over the final stages.
Cote du Paradis has 8-10 hour longevity and moderate sillage.
All the Lake & Skye releases to date are great for the summer months. They are light without being boring. If you’re seeking a paradise coast to spend time at this summer this should be in your beach bag.
Disclosure: This review is based on a sample provided by Nordstrom.
–Mark Behnke
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