Tea Fragrances for Spring | Illustration by The Perfume Magpie
February had come and gone with mountain piles of work and paperworks. What happened? A month had just disappeared into thin air. I guess now I need to relax and have some tea.
When the weather gets warmer, I ritually dig out fragrances with tea note. I realised it a few years ago that the tea fragrances somehow go well together with the heat and the outdoor environments. Since spring has finally arrived here in the eastern part of Spain, I’ve emerged out of my nest, started venturing around the countryside and made a start with my herb garden. When you are covered in dust and God-knows-what, heavy or sweet perfumes are huge no-nos but for a perfume addict like me, go without any fragrance is just unthinkable.
Magpie’s Atelier Cologne Collection | Photo by The Perfume Magpie
One of my favourites for outdoors at the moment is Oolang Infini by Atelier Cologne. It is refreshing, not overpowering, and decidedly blend well in the dusty settings. In fact, in my humble opinion, most of the Atelier Cologne line are your perfect al fresco companions. They are almost like couture fragrances for me; specially designed to withstand the Spanish scorching climate. Around Christmas 2014, I was the blessed winner of the Atelier Cologne Ecrin Absolute giveaway hosted by The Sounds of Scent. I chose Oolang Infini and Sous le toit de Paris as my prize and I can tell you that I’m getting the best out of them along with Grand Néroli I own. I will be wearing a lot of theirs this coming season and I’m pretty sure that my Atelier Cologne collection will increase over time.
Another tea fragrance I adore and love to wear in spring/summer seasons is Osmanthe Yunnan by Hermès. It is smokier and juicier than Oolang Infini and it makes me think of the spring haze over the blooming fruit orchards. I’m not too keen on the fruity fragrances but the fruits in Osmanthe Yunnan are very subtle and add to its vibrancy. All the notes are very well balanced; it is juicy, soft, gentle, and kind of ethereal. In a few days time , the campo around the village will be filled with bright pink peach blossoms, then apricot and plum blossoms. I can’t wait to wear Osmanthe Yunnan and have leisurely walks among the falling petals.
Flowery Tea | Image borrowed from Mighty Leaf
Here’s another addition to my warm & sunny fragrances; Infusion de Tubéreuse by Prada. Is it just me? It’s not a tea fragrance but I keep smelling something like tea in this one. I blind bought a bottle just because I liked the look of it (yes, shallow of me) and due to my love for its big sister, Infusion d’Iris. When I sprayed it on me for the first time, my reaction was “Meh”. It wasn’t interesting enough and lacked gravitas. It was hardly a tuberose fragrance; I couldn’t smell it at all. To be honest, it was one of the most disappointing fragrances I’ve ever bought. Then, on one hot spring afternoon, I put it on and went out for a wild asparagus picking. What an ideal outdoor fragrance it turned out to be! It didn’t lose its freshness in the dust and sweat (sorry for the image) and it stayed airy and transparent all the way through. Actually, when it got mixed with the smell of dried grass in the field, Infusion de Tubéreuse smelled very much like pleasant Chinese fragrant tea. Who knew?
Do you like tea note in fragrances? Do you have any tea fragrance you would recommend?
Oolang Infini by Atelier Cologne – 100 ml €105.00
Osmanthe Yunnan by Hermès – EDT 100ml £167.00
Infusion de Tubereuse by Prada – EDP 100ml £55.70
Read what others are saying about them.
Oolang Infini:
Bois de Jasmin, Olfactoria’s Travels, Bonkers about Perfume
Osmanthe Yunnan:
Perfume Smellin’ Things, Olfactoria’s Travels, Perfume Posse
Infusion de Tubereuse:
Perfume Shrine, The Non-Blonde
Disclosure: The reviews are based on the bottles I own.
The Perfume Magpie 
I must try Osmanthe Yunnan. No excuse. Easy access but I keep forgetting. Same with the Oolang Infini. Just written it down. I will do as soon as possible. I have a good feeling about them. Especially the Hermès. Mouth watering reviews! Hugs.
Yes CQ, it’s Hermès. 🙂 I’ve just noticed as I’m typing this, I don’t know if it’s because of my lovely flowering hyacinth or the weather, I’ve been wearing 24 Faubourg for 3 consecutive days. How unusual.
Great post I’m glad you mentioned Infusion de Tubereuse. Being a tuberose fiend, I too was disappointed on the first sniff but like you say, it has a gorgeous tea-like vibe. I love the fact that smells like white petals and fresh green stems. Such an underrated scent.
Hello Thomas, it’s very nice to see you here. I’m also a tuberose fiend and that’s why I was so underwhelmed by IdT. I wan’t expecting Carnal Flower or Fracas but it was just so “thin”… I understand why it didn’t receive much attention but it’s kind of growing on me. You are so right, it does smell like petals and fresh stems, so clean and spring like. 🙂
I love tea, and I love it in fragrances. Can you believe one of my favourites is Still by Jennifer Lopez? It smells just like Earl Grey tea!
Well, that is a surprise! I must admit that I’ve never tried Still. It’s totally because of my presumption towards Celeb fragrances but I’ll give a try next time when I’m in a perfume shop. Like Earl Grey?Sounds good!
I know! I have a few celeb frags that I love and could never part with, and this is one of them. Sure, the complexity and quality might not be quite up to scratch, but I love the smell of Still, so much like Earl Grey (bergamot).
I like Oolang Infini and have a small bottle of it. I agree that it’s a good warm/hot weather perfume. I tried Osmanthe Yunnan only once and had mixed feelings: I didn’t like the opening, then it got more pleasant – and disappeared before I could make up my mind. I still have the sample and will revisit it soon. As to Infusion de Tubereuse, I had a small bottle but gave it away because whatever tuberose was in it was enough for me not to like it – even though I’m still in love with its “big sister” 🙂
P.S. Love the illustration.
Thanks Undina! I’m totally in love with its “big sister” and that was the biggest reason I wasn’t sure about IdT in the first place. When I was thinking about getting rid of the bottle, I found a perfect environment and situation for it. It got me thinking to revisit some of the fragrances I tossed aside.
Lovley post. I have a full bottle of Osmathe Yunnan and I adore it. I really like the Atelier too.
For autumn/winter I enjoy Tea for Two by L’Artisan.
Love my tea 🙂
We should have a tea party. 🙂 Somehow, I have’t tried many of L’Artisan Parfumeur fragrances, only a handful. I’ve tried Tea for Two long long time ago but I can’t recall what it was like. It has been on my try list but It always has been one of those “yeah, next time” stuff. I really should try this one again.
What a lovely and poetic illustration and I love the photo of your bottles too (only a little envious 😉 ) As the weather is changing I need to re-visit the fresher Atelier Colognes that I didn’t spend too much time on in winter, Oolang Infini among them. Not sure about tea notes as such, I don’t think I encountered one yet that I had to have, perhaps a climate thing, the season for ‘sweat and dust’ isn’t very long here.
I LOVE my Atelier bottles. Thanks to you!! I’ve just re-tried Rose Anonyme and Blanche Immortelle a few days ago. They smelled quite different and were even more enjoyable this time. I do believe that some fragrances are weather and climate dependent. I found that a lot of fragrances in the Oriental Vanilla category just doesn’t work in the summer heat and humidity. 🙂
They ARE gorgeous. The small engraved ones, so stylish ❤
Tea unfortunately is not in the cards for me when it comes to fragrance… but you make all of these sound so incredible. And your artwork as usual is beyond wonderful!
Thank you Mr. Hound! I’m normally a floral girl but I’m also drawn to the comfort of tea note. On the other hand, one note I keep avoiding is coffee… I love drinking it and I love the smell as well but it just isn’t my cup of tea as a fragrance. 😉
I loved the illustration too – you and Asali are so talented on that front! Thanks for the link to my Oolang Infini post, which I had all but forgotten about. I seem to recall having huge problems spelling Oolang then, as I am doing now. Too many ‘o’s! Anyway, I also like Osmanthe Yunnan, though it isn’t the great love it once was – something about the peachy aspect. I remember enjoying the Prada but can’t bring to mind the tea note, so am curious to revisit it in the light of your post. I think Bvlgari Black has a tea note, which is a quirky fave of mine.
Thank you Vanessa! Every time when I type “Oolang”, my computer try to change it to “Goolagong” or “Olangal”… They are even more obscure to me. I actually happen to like Bvlgari Black as well; I like to wear it in the colder seasons. My friends said it smelled sexy but it sends me into meditative state. 😀
Haha, that is too funny! I have Yvonne Goolagong’s autograph, would you believe – hers and Virginia Wade, bagged during a tennis tournament near Liverpool in 1971. Proud of that I am! Glad you enjoy Black as well, that’s lower case Black as opposed to Puredistance BLACK, hehe. Took me a while to get into it, as I recall.
I love your illustration, too – and those soft and floaty cherry trees you put in the background is an exquisite touch.
The smell of black tea is one of my favorite smells, yet the only tea perfume I own is Tea for Two, which I suspect might be too heavy for you (especially while gardening in the dust and heat). As Tara says, it’s more of a winter fragrance. I also love (but don’t own) Xerjoff Mamluk, which is an osmanthus perfume that smells like a rich dessert tea, quite honeyed and husky. The tea fragrances you mention sound quite delicate compared to these, so they are probably perfect for what you’re doing now. Out of curiosity, what kinds of herbs are you growing?
Awww, thank you Suzanne. 🙂 Tea for Two is definitely on my must try list, now both you and Tara mentioned it. Mamluk sounds mouthwatering… I’m pretty keen on osmanthus so I have a very good feeling about this one. Something for autumn and winter. 😉
So far, I have mint, rosemary, coriander, 2 kinds of basil, 2 kinds of parsley, rocket, chamomile, thyme, chive, spring onion, sage, oregano. I’m visiting a garden center tomorrow (my day off!!) so I suspect that the choices will increase. 😉
I’ll throw in another vote for Tea for Two. It’s heavier on the smoke than some other tea scents although the re-release of it might not be as smokey. I haven’t smelled the latest version yet. I love a good tea note. I also love a good cup of tea and have way too much in the cupboard.
Me too, Poodle. I have too much and too many kinds. There’s a great tea shop in the nearby town and almost every time when I go there I try something different. I can’t resist… Another vote for Tea for Two. I didn’t even knowthere were old and new versions!!
Must try Osmanthe Yunnan again. I used to layer it with Vetiver Tonka and loved it but not on iTS own. But who knows, I Will try it again. Must be quite a contrast to wear tea fragrance in Eastern Spain. I love Grand Neroli, wish I came in liters in THE supermarket like Nenuco in Spain. Loved Reading your review !
Thank you. 🙂 Layering with Vetiver Tonka sounds good! I must try that combination. And , yeah, Nenuco! I like that citrusy clean scent. Very often I smell it on babies in summer. By the way, I used to use Nenuco Chamomille shampoo. 😀