Spring fragrance: Thanks for the greenness Guerlain, Bottega Veneta

By Deborah Fulsang

Close your eyes and think of spring: A soft warm breeze wafts our way, all fresh and green, herbaceous and earthy.

If one wishes to bring the daydream to life, check out the latest olfactory offerings from Guerlain and Bottega Veneta.

My first spritz of Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Limon Verde transports me: I’m sitting on a terrace in the sun sipping the first of the season’s gin-and-tonics. Then I read the brand paperwork: “Savour a Caïpirinha under the lemon trees along the Amazon River.”
We’re on the same page.

Lemon and orange on top with a heart of Caïpirinha and a tropical green accord, and then a sultry base of tonka bean: delicious and crisp, elegant and thoroughly satisfying.

If you want a second spring cocktail—and Lord knows, we usually do!—take a whiff of Bottega Veneta Aromatique cologne. It evokes that same breeze but one that is warmer, perhaps originating in the south, in the Mediterranean. Imagine walking through a June garden—or rather burying your face in a lush bouquet of softly scented flowers and herbs that’s just been plucked from it. There’s the same happy essence of citrus as in the Guerlain spritz but this one boasts more spice and warmth.

Refined, slightly masculine, almost edible–that is if your edible translates to dining on a fresh homemade-pasta-with-pesto lunch in the Tuscan sun.

Bring it on, we say. We’re so ready for spring and these two stellar spritzes make us truly happy!

Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Limon Verde EDT, $67 (75 ml), www.guerlain.com

Bottega Veneta Essence Aromatique EDC, $100 (50 ml), at Holt Renfrew