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Pumpkin spice season is practically upon us, but a string of sweltering summer days threatening to scorch past 100 degrees won’t let the autumn equinox rise without a fight. Portland’s historically late summers make it hard to know what outfit to put together for chilly mornings and broiling afternoons, and while fruits and florals have had their fun in the sun, it’s still too warm to switch to the stronger fall-winter woods and spices for daily wear.
Portland’s perfumers know our unusual weather patterns call for unusual scents to get us through the late summer–early fall cusp season. These perfumes and colognes don’t fit the profile of sweet or marine early summer scents, or the heavier resinous ones you’ll wear from Thanksgiving to Valentine’s Day. But for now, they help you bring out the best of both seasons.
Bronze by Delas Botanicals (Amber, orange, vanilla)
Bronze is a true summer queen. She’s ready for the sun and water, she’s wearing her most confident beach fit, she remembered to wear sunscreen and she’s having a blast. Delas Botanicals describes Bronze as “reminiscent of a dripping orange creamsicle on a warm summer evening.” Labor Day weekend has come and gone, but Bronze is still perfect for however remaining days above 70 degrees Portland is allowed this year. The flax seed and stalk suspended in Bronze rollerballs ($12–$26) makes it stand out on any counter. delasbotanicals.com
Portland Japanese Garden by Roman Ruby Botanicals (Lemongrass, green tea, water orchid)
Inspired by the namesake Portland Japanese Garden, Roman Ruby Botanicals’ jojoba oil rollerball ($22) is a refreshing green aquatic with a light citric pop. The unisex mix captures that week before the first leaves yellow on the branch, when you don’t quite realize autumn is about to fall. There’s a bright, crisp coolness, like diffused light breaking through clouds and canopy. Portland Japanese Garden is casual enough for daily wear at just about any function, but stately enough to stand out for a late summer wedding. romanruby.storenvy.com
Palo Santo by Olo Fragrance (Palo santo, siam wood, champa flower)
Palo Santo is both earthy and sweet. Olo Fragrance’s take on the holy wood used in several purification rituals is excellent for any final treks to Eastern Oregon before the weather turns, or any outdoorsy occasions, like late summer markets, birthday parties and weddings. Any school parents or college students starting off the new school year could do worse than to turn to a Palo Santo coconut oil rollerball ($6 per sample, $45 per 9 ml bottle) to help set fresh intentions. olofragrance.com
Vice by Julia Barbee Studios (Cocoa, coffee, tobacco, seductive spices)
Vice ($4 per sample, $50 per 1 fluid ounce spray bottle) is dirty and delicious. It smells like your sweater, coffee and rainy day bunkering that early fall enthusiasts of all genders crave before late August. Vice will keep that fantasy alive well into January, when folks would otherwise be over it and craving crocuses. Julie Barbee’s most popular art project uses a witch hazel oil base, a calming brew for sensitive skin that may come in handy if wearers are irritated by cinnamon used in Vice’s spice blend. But don’t let that risk deter you from experiencing this strange, addictive blend. etsy.com/shop/juliabarbeestudio
Freyja by Sweet Anthem (Blueberry, plum, fig, carnation, lily, amber, tobacco, tonka bean)
Freyja ($16 per 8 ml solid perfume stick, $22 per 10 ml spritzer, $68 per 50 ml spray bottle) is softer and cozier than the namesake Norse goddess of love and war’s fierce reputation suggests. But Sweet Anthem’s classically feminine spin on a tobacco and tonka bean base will get wearers ready for the first rains to chill down with regularity. Freyja is great for any day at Sauvie Island, whether you’re going to the nude beach for the last rays of summer, or to get an early fill on harvest season. sweetanthem.com
Fire Walk With Me by Black Rabbit Perfumery (Douglas fir, cedar, incense, pepper, agarwood)
Elljay Walker could have gone down an easier hot-and-spicy or coffee-and-cherry-pie route with Black Rabbit Perfumery’s ode to Twin Peaks, but the final result instead seems more like a shady hike near the Snoqualmie River without a hint of plastic wrap. Fire Walk With Me ($24 as part of a five-pack sampler, $42 per 30 ml bottle) features a lushness without typical aqua notes, but more like the natural greenery from a well-hydrated tree. Incense and pepper provide contrast to this strong grove of dark resins. Only a few sprays of Fire Walk With Me are needed, meaning this adorable bottle will be the perfect décor for any David Lynch fan for a long time—but who’s to say if you’ll see it again in 25 years. etsy.com/shop/blackrabbitperfumery
The Cobra & The Canary by Imaginary Authors (Lemon, orris, tobacco flowers, leather, hay fields, asphalt)
The Cobra & The Canary ($6 per sample, $42 per 14 ml Travel spritzer, $105 per 50 ml bottle) smells exactly like a late summer road by a dry grass field at high noon. It’s not a rush hour scent of smog and exhaust pipes, but like a breeze stirring up fresh hay against lingering oil on the blacktop. Josh Meyer had to have blended this one for rebellious bookworms without a cause. James Dean, most of Lana del Rey’s boy toys and most of the Fast & Furious family would probably smell like this unisex wonder. Like the polarizing Bull’s Blood and the recently discontinued Whispered Myths, there’s something repulsive yet undeniably attractive to The Cobra & The Canary. imaginaryauthors.com