La Piscine

Chlorine on sun-warmed skin is pure bliss for some, and a reason to immediately take a shower for others. MIGUEL MATOS La Piscine does not beautify this scent: the pool, wet grass, sunscreen, and towel are depicted almost photographically.

Aldehydes, aquatic notes, and chlorine open the extrait cold, bright, and shamelessly realistic. There's no blue sea escapism; one can feel the chemical cleanliness of a public pool and water drying on a warm body.

Tuberose, coconut, and jasmine then evoke flowers and sunscreen. Violet leaf maintains a greener edge, while geosmin introduces the petrichor of watered grass by the pool.

Miguel Matos finds inspiration in François Ozon's film "Swimming Pool" and his own teenage summers. He wasn't a happy teenager, but he remembers the days spent with friends at the pool as the scent of happiness and first sensuality.

Marine notes, cashmeran, moss, costus, and ambroxan later create a soft, moist-animalic base. Chlorine remains recognizable, but it clings to the towel, skin, and earth instead of floating on its own.

La Piscine is not "perfumey" beautiful, and that's precisely the point. It's chlorine on sun-drenched skin, tuberose in sunscreen, and the geosmin of a wet lawn — a summer you'll either adore or barely tolerate.