Clouds of Lavender by Julian

 Fascent's Sel À Vie smells like arriving at a beach club just as the first round of drinks lands. Not the swim, not the waves. The drinks. Clean and sweet, and completely untroubled by the idea of getting its hair wet. I should say what the fantasy is, because I think we all share the same one. The salty, sweaty holiday fling with a gorgeous stranger. Lovely in theory. In practice, I want the afterglow. No damp towels, no sand in unfortunate places, no sunburn creeping in while I swear I applied enough SPF. In this version the stranger has already caught his flight and the memory is flattering. It's the brochure version of a holiday, and I mean that mostly as a compliment. White flowers first, powdery and soft, with a hit of sweet orange that's cheerful without being pushy. Crisp but not sharp. Sunny, but nowhere near full tropical. If you've spent any time with the current run of polished, feminine-leaning designer scents (YSL Libre, Mugler Alien Goddess) you'll r...