Demeter Fragrance Library’s Destination Collection was created to evoke that melange of the sense of place and scent. Scent is the most primitive of human senses and its raison d’etre has always been to teach us about our environment. Each place on the planet has its own scent, from its unique terroir. Fragrance can bring you back to a beloved location or let you dream about a new one. I was happy to be hosted to experience it!
The collection’s colognes have a unique, vintage map label. Imagine them on a vintage shaving stand or dressing table! If you seek the other formats, they come in Demeter’s traditional modern block labeling.
This would be a meaningful gift during the holidays!
Morocco was inspired by the genius behind Demeter’s first trip to a spice shop in the Marrakesh Medina. I have not been to Morocco, but I have been to generations-old spice shops in Akko and Nazareth, Israel. This feels like a good time of year to remember that! You go to these places and if there’s a place to sit, it’s on an old barrel. I remember that the coffee and spice shop in Nazareth seemed to like that I dressed modestly and wrapped a big scarf around my head . . . the owner brought me some freshly made dark coffee with cardamon ground into it.
In the Morocco fragrance, I experienced notes of sweet spice and a hint of fir tree. It has a medium to rich body, but it’s not overpowering or cloying. Another Middle Eastern fragrance memory was in a traditional hammam in the basement of former Ottoman era palace that’s now the Efendi Hotel in Akko. It was a dimly, candlelit spa and this fragrance reminded me of that. It’s unisex and sexy.
Ireland is a more masculine fragrance, good for daytime. I experienced fresh grass, greenery, marine notes and some sweet floral. I remembered similar type of scents in the relatively nearby Faroe Islands, rocking in a vintage wooden boat on the North Sea. They describe it as “(W)arm, soft and green and watery, clean and fresh. Think of an unspoiled meadow with a river running through it.”
I have never been to New Zealand, but I know some wonderful people who are from there, who I met in Fiji! They’re elegant, enjoying sophisticated adventures and the good life. This scent impressed me as sporty masculine with marine notes, moss, a little lemon peel and a little natural rubber. Demeter’s imagination was especially stoked in creating this fragrance: “To celebrate New Zealand, we created a fresh green outdoor fragrance that blends notes of plant leaves, barks, grass, snow, ocean, river and stone. It is a unique combination of the flora of the lowland rain forests of southwestern New Zealand, the rich, loamy soil that develops under the canopy of the rain forest, and the pure, unspoiled rainwater that makes the lush and varied vegetation possible. New Zealand is a fragrance as arresting and as unique as the New Zealand rain forest itself.”
Thailand is an exotic, yet accessible fragrance. I deem it completely appealing to all genders. I experienced notes of incense, smoke, soap, exotic flowers and a little salt. It makes me want to visit there so badly! This is what they say about it: “The spices and flavors of the open-air markets in Thailand, managed in a subtle and eminently wearable manner. Think of a warm, gentle, spiced breeze.”
Great Barrier Reef really puts you in a certain mood, frame of mind, a certain season. I experienced notes of menthol and marine, fresh surf and sand, with sweet white florals cutting any bracing aspect. It’s refreshing, good for all genders in the daytime. It’s the perfect fragrance for hot weather and crisp linen clothes.
If you’re American, you know that it’s quite difficult to get to Cuba, just 90 miles from the coast of Florida. I’ve seen video, tasted their food, heard their music and accents from emigres. I passed it on a very odd cruise I received as a gift from grateful legal clients many years ago. To escape the weirdness, I spent a lot of time on deck, even at night, staring at the forbidden territory. I had no idea how big it is! Cuba’s shoreline went on and on and on. I hid out on the deck looking at Cuba for so long, I got a sunburn that took years to go away completely! The fragrance is delicious and unisex. I experienced notes of brown sugar, blond tobacco, a tiny bit of spice. It highlights — much like salted caramel — salt notes of your skin.
Luxe & Down-Home Cuisine/Culture/Travel/Style 