PERFECT 10

Earth Angels

These 11 fragrances highlight the ground at our feet.


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Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott, styled by Alex White; W magazine March 2011.
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DS and Durga Hylnds Bitter Rose, Broken Spear $180, dsanddurga.com

DS and Durga Hylnds Bitter Rose, Broken Spear $180 dsanddurga.com There is a slight fiery quality to this one, thanks for smelted iron and a note simply called “embers.” But fresh notes of nutmeg, clover and wild mountain thyme basically set you in a field on a foggy afternoon.

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Parfums Quartana Wolfsbane $185, six-scents.com The freshest patchouli ever wrapped in cedar, sandalwood and vetiver give this its outdoor earthiness.

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Philippe Starck Peau d’Ailleurs $150, neimanmarcus.com Amber, musk and woods are included in the description, but, as mentioned above, all I smell is “backyard.”

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Imaginary Authors Cape Heartache $95, imaginaryauthors.com Pine resin, Douglas fir, a drop of strawberry and a note called “Mountain Fog” impart that hike-in-the-woods feeling.

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Demeter Dirt $20, demeterfragrance.com The original. ‘Nuf said.

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Aftelier Cepes and Tuberose $180, aftelier.com Creator Mandy Aftel lyrically describes this mix as being based on the conjugal connection between dirty tuberose and wild foraged mushrooms. Dirty, indeed.

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Apoteker Tepe After the Flood $110, apotekertepe.com The notes of soil, water and “the delicate stirrings of undergrowth in Spring” really does capture this blend. But don’t wait until next March to try it.

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Amouage Bracken $265, amouage.com Nutmeg and clove dominate this “wet earth” scent that’s made for men, but it dries down to a spicy topsoil base.

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CB I Hate Perfumes On a Clear Day You Can See Forever $190, cbihateperfume.com Fresh blooming flowers hyacinth, narcissus and jonquil are tempered with the wet earthiness of soil that anchors them.

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Comme des Garcons BlackPepper $131, Dover Street Market Cedarwood, patchouli and agarwood give this spicy Madagascan pepper scent a wet woodsy element.

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Altaia Ombu $210, [beautyhabit.com](beautyhabit.com] This blend of sage, cedarwood and grassy notes makes it the lightest of the bunch, but you can definitely smell the earthy richness at its base.