Welcome to the first edition of Mood Scent 4. I’ll be teaming up with three fantastic bloggers (A Bottled Rose, I Scent You A Day and L’Esperessence) and scenting moods and occasions for you every two months. First up we’re focusing on Rainy Day Perfumes. As it’s Monday the song Rainy Days and Mondays immediately sprung to mind and I couldn’t resist this Carpenters bowl cut image. (Sorry).

It’s raining right now funnily enough and it doesn’t get my down, in fact the sound of raindrops hitting the windows as long as it’s not for days on end is often rather soothing. Rain is welcome in this neck of the woods as everything gets so dry and the backyard resembles a desert. So without further ado let’s get onto the perfumes for rainy days.

Five Rainy Day Perfumes (and one extra!)

Tropical Rain / Here Comes The Rain Again

Still Life In Rio : Olfactive Studio : Perfumer – Dora Bagriche : 2016 : Notes : Yuzu, ginger, lemon, mint, mandarin, pepper, coconut milk, rum, copaiba balm, leather 

Olfactive Studio is  brand that I’ve come to admire. What I once thought was a slightly gimmicky approach I now absolutely adore for its clarity and simplicity of message. If you had half a minute to do the elevator pitch, this is one of the few perfume brands that would nail it.  The perfumes are contemporary, on trend and most importantly smell good. Still Life In Rio is the perfume I would like to wear in tropical rainfall. The heat warms the rain as it hits the pavement and this beautiful cocktail of a perfume is the perfect accompaniment, offering fruity, boozy escapism with a twist. It’s light but has a zingy quality fusing spices, woods and boozy rum notes. There is a distinct lactonic feel here too with the coconut, so if you’re not a fan of the note I would avoid but luckily I can take this in high quantities so no problemo.

Pouring Rain / Fire and Rain

M : Puredistance : Perfumer – Roja Dove : 2010 : Notes : Bergamot, lemon, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, patchouli, mosses, cistus, vetiver, vanilla, leather and musk  

This perfume is heavy, rich and intoxicating and one of my favourite leather renditions. Plus it lasts for a considerable amount of time. This is the fragrance to wear when it’s pouring, you’re trapped inside and the need to get cosy is high on one’s priority list. A fire is roaring and like the perfume is a little smoky but glorious with it. This is not a light suede styled leather but a weighty perfume, expertly blended with a masculine leaning it must be said but that doesn’t stop me from wearing it and nor should it stop you. M is rich, full bodied and has a spiciness that I enjoy and also a hint of vanilla. M is also suavely elegant with a beautiful smoothness that really hits the spot. It’s one of those perfumes that will make you not give a toss about what’s going on outside.

Spring Rain / The Rain (Supa Fly)

Kashnoir : Laboratorio Olfattivo : Perfumer – Cécile Zarokian : 2013 : Notes : Bergamot, lavender, coriander, rose, orange blossom absolute, patchouli, benzoin, heliotrope, vanilla

I was thinking of a perfume that matched the spring rain we’re currently experiencing in this French seaside town. For a rainy day like today, I look outside and see the orange tree that is starting to bud and wish I could smell the scent but it’s not yet blooming with that incredible, intoxicating aroma.  Kashnoir hits the spot in this regard. It’s from a line and a perfumer that I’m incredibly fond of. The Italian brand is directed by Robert Drago and has a number of scents that I enjoy but this is one of my favourites.  Perfumer Cécile Zarokian makes fragrances in a sensual style that typically work well for me. Kashnoir has a robust mix of heady orange blossom and patchouli with a coriander twist. This could make it sound like it’s a heavy perfume but it’s balanced by a lasered lightness from the heliotrope and vanilla that freshens things up.

Forest Rain / Walking In The Rain 

Rainmaker : Envoyage Perfumes : Perfumer – Shelley Waddington : 2016 : Notes : Top : Rose Leaf, Silver Pine Tips, Wild Citrus : Middle : Incense, Patchouli, Iris, Rhododendron : Base : Mossy Rain Forest Notes of Cedar, Fir, Redwood Needles, Petrichor, Oakmoss and Amber

The earthy, mulchy appeal of rain hitting the earth is a scent that I’m sure most of us are familiar with. The name for this odour is petrichor and the word derives from the Greek petra (stone) and ichor (the fluid in the veins of the gods). One perfume that contains this aroma is Rainmaker. A full review is already available here but I couldn’t find another perfume in my arsenal that better dialled up the feel of rain in a forest than this. Shelley Waddington from En Voyage crafts beautiful perfumes and as an aside I’ve recently smelt Civet that she created with Zoologist perfumes and it’s absolutely incredible – a must try. Rainmaker is a potent fragrance with lashings of patchouli and woods with a sumptuous layer of what feels like a mossy forest. Perfect for a walk in the wet woods.

Rainy Day Cup of Tea / A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall 

Duel : Annick Goutal : Perfumer – Isabelle Doyen and Camille Goutal : 2003 : Notes : Holly, petitgrain, orris root, artemisia, guaiac wood, mate leaves (leather), musk

I’m not a huge fan of tea perfumes (particularly the green versions), but a cup of tea is perfect for a rainy day. Duel has that lightness and freshness from the neroli wrapped in a light musk sheen that is reminiscent of these types of scents. It also has a darker, hazy undercurrent due to the presence of maté leaves that have a leathery scent.  This contrast sets it apart from other tea styled perfumes that on my skin tend to feel insipid and transparent. Duel is not at all sweet and would also be lovely in the summer to splash in liberal quantities, cologne style.

Summer Rain / Purple Rain

L’Ombre Dans L’Eau : Diptyque : Perfumer – Serge Kalouguine : 1983 : Notes : Rose, cassis, blackcurrant, bergamot,  mandarin orange, ambergris, musk, blackcurrant leaf 

This is a classic Diptyque scent with a wetness that fits with summer rain for me. It took some time to appreciate this perfume as it didn’t work at all in winter and seemed overly sweet and a little brash (for Diptyque at least). However I reached for it last summer to give it another go. We are talking rather warm temperatures in the south of France and suddenly sprayed in the heat, this perfume took on an altogether different character. It smelt good, the sweetness had died right down and now this rosy blackcurrant scent with a weird tomato leaf green twist seemed addictive in the heat, while my spray was emptying very quickly. It has a definite rainy day appeal and even has water in the title.

I hope you enjoyed the first Mood Scent 4 and please discover further fragrant suggestions on A Bottled Rose, I Scent You A Day and L’Esperessence for Rainy Days.

Let me know what you think of these choices and your picks for Rainy Day Perfumes.

Notes : Images : The Carpenters : eil.com : Romy Schneider : zimmerman-heitman : Tim Walker : pinterest