Men's and Women's Fragrance Launches for Spring

Someone smells good. I was able to enjoy several fragrance launches in the last month to coincide with fashion week events. Tommy Bahama unveiled both a men's and women's Island Life fragrance at an intimate event that took us out of the winter and gave us the beach.

They had a paddle boarding simulator for us snow-bound fans to practice surfboard skills. A sand castle artist created fanciful structures to perch the fragrances on top of. Guests sipped orchid topped fruity rum drinks. Fellow writers & my Aussie peep Brian all agreed that the Tommy Bahama Island Life for Him cologne was our favorite of the two. It had a clean, light, spicy scent. The bottle had a rattan design to emulate a posh beach villa. The women's fragrance had more of a fruity, floral scent. I loved the hammered gold topper and ridged glass bottle that looked like shutters on a beach house.

 A very different aesthetic was presented by Issey Miyake City Blossom. This was a launch that collaborated with Parisian street artist Mademoiselle Maurice.  The artist created intricate origami installations at the boutiques in each of their launch cities to show man-made flowers blooming in all the urban centers. Quite a trip away from the tropical oasis of the scents above.

My L'eau d'Issey perfume was the fragrance of my 1990's. I enjoyed testing out their update which had a similar spire shaped bottle to the 90's original. It had notes of the former, but with a bit more edge with cedar and pink peppercorn, freesia and magnolia.

So much of a scent's identity lies within the lifestyle you aspire to. One brand exuded a relaxed paradise away from the urban hustle. The other brand celebrated the art and culture that flourishes in it. Whatever path in life you choose to lead, there is a men's or women's fragrance to let you immerse yourself in it.