A fragrant journey

Fragrances from left to right: Marinis by Santa Eulalia, Solaris by Agonist Parfums, Bitter End, Aqua del Garda
Fragrances from left to right: Marinis by Santa Eulalia, Solaris by Agonist Parfums, Bitter End, Acqua del Garda. Photo: ©Andreas Achmann

A scent can bring back memories, create an atmosphere or carry you to a faraway land with its exotic notes. Now that it is travel season, IRMA has selected her favourite fragrances to dream yourself away. So no matter where you will spend your summer holiday, here are the scents that will bring you to different, often faraway places.

Santa Eulalia – Marinis
Santa Eulalia is a Barcelona-based fashion house founded in 1843. Their fragrance collection is  a celebration of the Mediterranean, of this vibrant city by the sea. My favourite scent is calming Marinis, which is like a holiday in a bottle: soft breezes from beaches glimpsed through cedar forests, the seaside air crisp with hints of citrus and mint.

Bitter End
A perfume inspired by a barren, isolated place and using cut foliage and bracken is highly unusual, but this one is absolutely mesmerizing. The harsh beauty of Ireland’s west, with its storm-swept Atlantic coast, has inspired Bitter End by Roads. It is a wild, fresh, somewhat sharp scent that smells of grass, wet bracken, oak moss, olive and wild thyme. Close your eyes and smell it: It’s the emerald isle in a bottle.

Acqua del Garda
This is one of four perfumes that embody Lake Garda in northern Italy. A fragrant mixture of grape seeds and spices, bergamot and orange flowers with an exotic touch of patchouli and soft hints of cedar wood and amber – Acqua del Garda is a scent that reflects the abundant nature and the unique charm of Lake Garda. I can smell a land of plenty, of vineyards, olive trees and citrus fruits.

Agonist Parfums – Solaris
The vibrant light of the midnight sun that is typical of summers in the north, when the sun never sets, has inspired this perfume that is both fresh and warm. Solaris pairs a classic base note of patchouli and amber with a touch of pink grapefruit. It is as magical as those never-ending sunsets that last even after midnight.