If you’re fairly new FragTown, you might not know that seasonal fragrances are of relatively recent vintage. I began collecting fragrances in the early 80s, and there was no such thing as a summer or winter fragrance. We wore the same fragrances year-round. I wore the masterpiece pine-heavy Polo (now Polo “green”) in the heavy heat and humidity of northern Ohio summers, just as I did Aramis and Kouros. Everybody else in the fragrance game did also. There were no blues, “freshies,” or gourmands. I’m very happy with the multiplicity fragrances today – let me correct that: I’m very happy with the multiplicity of good fragrances today and abhor the multiplicity of bad fragrances today. I can assure you that not just numerically but proportionately there are many more bad fragrances today than there were in the 80s. The idea that some fragrances work better in different weather and climates and seasons is (mostly) a constructed category. It is true that, say, amber-heavy fragrances might radiate off your skin better in cold weather, but this doesn’t mean they should be limited to the winter. Nor does it mean that if you love Bleu De Chanel EDT or Tom Ford’s Neroli Portofino, you should not wear either when it’s below zero. Fragrances are seasonally inappropriate only when we have bought stock in the constructed reality of seasonal fragrances. Sometimes we hear that winter fragrances worn in the summer are “cloying.” But that, too, is a constructed category. It is cloying only to people who think it is cloying. And if people around you think it is cloying, remember they may dislike your fragrances for a number of reasons, not merely because they are not “seasonally appropriate.” Of course, fragrance houses benefit from fragrance seasonality. After all, they can then make fragrances for unique seasons, and, therefore, make more fragrances, and, therefore, sell more fragrances. In fact, this logic ranks right up there with their endless flankerdom. Bottom line: if you’d love Dior Homme Intense (or Creed Oud Zarian), wear it on the hottest summer days. If you love Acqua Di Gio EDT (or Roja Oceania), wear it on snowy days.

Yves Saint Laurent is one of the better designer fragrance houses because, for the most part, they understand what people actually want to wear. They make fragrances that are attractive, versatile, modern, and easy to reach for without smelling cheap or poorly put together. YSL is not always the most original house, especially with some of its newer releases, but originality is not the only thing that matters. A fragrance still has to smell good, wear well, and serve a purpose in a collection. YSL usually does that better than a lot of designer houses. The Y line is probably the easiest example. Y Eau de Parfum is not some groundbreaking artistic fragrance, but it is a very effective modern blue scent. It is fresh, sweet, aromatic, youthful, and strong enough to get noticed. It works casually, at work, on a date, or going out at night. It is one of those fragrances that covers a lot of situations without requiring much thought. The different Y flankers also give people options. Some are fresher, some are darker, and some are smoother or more mature. There can be some redundancy within the line, but they are not all exactly the same fragrance in different bottles. Someone who really enjoys the Y DNA can find enough differences to justify owning more than one, although most people probably do not need the entire line. La Nuit de L’Homme is still one of the most important fragrances YSL has made. The cardamom opening is immediately recognizable, and the overall scent is smooth, warm, spicy, and seductive without becoming overly sweet or heavy. It became a standard for date-night fragrances, and a lot of releases that came after it were clearly trying to capture the same feeling. The biggest complaint with La Nuit de L’Homme is performance. It smells great, but depending on the version, it can sit closer to the skin and fade faster than people expect. That does not make it a bad fragrance, but it does make the retail price harder to justify. A fragrance can smell excellent and still deserve criticism if the performance does not match the cost.