Destination Fragrances Part III: THE URBAN ESCAPE

By Ashley Kowalewski

So the beach isn’t your thing. You’re not interested in the smell of sunscreen or the sand that just seems to get everywhere. You don’t need peace and quiet or the calming effect of the rolling waves—you want the bright lights, cultural fix and assorted aromas of a bustling city. That will help you deal with this last leg of winter.

From the wonderful chaos of New York to the hustle of Shanghai, there’s most definitely a scent escape for you that’s almost as good as getting on the jet and actually going there.

SHANGHAI
At the epicentre of invention and innovation is Shanghai. Guerlain Voyages Olfactifs No.5 Shanghai (the fifth in its “A City, A Fragrance series) explores this vivacious city via a resonant floral and woody fragrance, plush with notes of almond, sandalwood, cedar, patchouli, vetiver, mimosa, iris, ylang ylang, orange blossom and jasmine. EDT, $220 (100 ml),  www.guerlain.com

THE CITY OF LIGHT
Paris is notorious for so many things: the bread, the wine, the cheese, the fashion, the perfume. Yves Saint Laurent created Paris as a way to capture the elegance of the city in perfume form via a feminine formula of powdery rose, iris and violet; sandalwood, vetiver, vanilla. EDT, $90 (75 ml), www.yslbeautyus.com

KYOTO
The release of The Body Shop’s Scents of the World Collection coincides perfectly with Japan’s notorious sakura-blossoming season, which happens between January and March across Japan. Japanese Cherry Blossom bottles the light floral scent of this annual flowering festival with notes of Fuji apple and Chinese magnolia, and is undoubtedly the whiff you would get as you stroll the streets of Kyoto. $25 (50 ml), www.thebodyshop.ca

THE BIG APPLE
Bond No.9 Manhattan strives to distil the excitement of the city into a scent. Flower notes with bergamot, coriander, nutmeg and saffron make up the top notes; gingerbread, cashmere wood, star jasmine and musky genet and cistus flowers make up the middle; and red plum, honey, agarwood, oriental musk, sandalwood and suede close the fragrance off for an rich and diverse medley that’s as eclectic as the city itself. EDP, $218 (50 ml), www.bondno9.com