Jo’s Scent Notes: Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Summer Vibes

Should you judge a book by its cover? Well, kinda. (Publishers work long and hard to ensure book covers speak to the potential reader.)

But should you ever buy perfume just because you love the packaging? Depends. In the case of this limited edition Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Summer Vibes duo, I might be tempted to do just that. These D&G designs – showcased on this summer’s edition – have always delighted me. I’ve long lusted after a Dolce & Gabbana x Smeg fridge. It’s never going to happen, so as a consolation prize, every Christmas, as my present to myself, I splash out on a D&G panettone (yes, they’re an actual thing), packaged in a tin emblazoned with one of the duo’s splashy Italian ceramic-inspired artworks.

I certainly know perfume ‘collectors’ who buy bottles for their beauty, meanwhile, rather than the juice inside. And I’m honestly not surprised; some flacons (to use the fancy French word) are absolute works of art. It all depends whether you want to wear your perfumes, or enjoy them as dressing table adornments. I like to do both, while always observing the rules of storing and looking after fragrance: keep it out of direct sunlight (perfumes, like our skin, don’t react well to UV exposure), and away from heat sources.

Ideally, you’d also keep a perfume in its box, to maintain optimum quality – but you needn’t abide by that rule with these two, I reckon: being opaque, the bottle itself will go a long way to protecting the liquid.

But here’s the bottom line. You shouldn’t just buy these for looks alone – because the scents inside are simply summer-perfect, too.

Every year, D&G bring out a new twist on the existing Light Blue fragrances, which many beauty editors and perfume writers I know share my enthusiasm for. This version, as with the original, was created by genius perfumer and all-round excellent chap Olivier Cresp – but we might call him ‘Olivier Crisp’, on the strength of this creation: it’s airy, fresh and yes, really rather crisp, settling down on skin to something reminiscent of just-washed linen, drying in the sun. Sherbet lemons give way to that airy outdoorsiness, with almost herbal notes, before softening to a come-closer muskiness on the skin.

Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Summer Vibes Pour Homme isn’t something I’d ever get my amour to wear, alas – if it ain’t patchouli, he ain’t interested – but it’s something I’d absolutely love to smell on a stranger on the Tube. Lemons, again, in keeping with the ‘Amalfi vibe’ of this line-up, a little bit green – there’s a sprig or two of rosemary in there – again, with a very definite outdoor feel that slowly segues into a cedar-y, hint-of-pencil-sharpenings woodiness. A classic ‘man’ smell, but really molto sophisticated – and I’d expect nothing less from Alberto Morillas, the leading perfumer behind this creation.

Just add sunshine. (And maybe a beach book, judged equally by its cover.)

Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Summer Vibes for Women/£74 for 50ml – buy here

Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Summer Vibes for Women/£72 for 75ml – buy here