CLEAN Rain Eau de Parfum Showers Your Skin With Fragrant Kisses
It’s been over 20 years since aquatic fragrances first made a splash —pun intended — in the realm of perfumery, with such gems being released in this category as Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue, Davidoff Cool Water, L’Eau d’Issey, and Michael Kors Island. Still, there are many ways to interpret an aquatic or oceanic scent, with some brands trying to capture a beachy aroma, others attempting to replicate the naturally watery quality of lotus blossoms, some tapping into the salty quality of sea spray, and others incorporating fruity notes that add a mouth-watering feel. Only a few brands, then, have really focused on capturing the smell of rain — or, to be more specific, on the scent of a garden moments after the precipitation has come to an end, when the blades of grass are covered with water and plump raindrops teeter atop flower petals. Among these scents, you’ll find Kiehl’s Forest Rain, which relied on a lily of the valley heart and complemented it with juicy citrus top notes and musk and vetiver notes to add a woody quality, rendering the fragrance more androgynous in its quality; and the Marc Jacobs Rain Splash released in Summer 2009, which features top notes of wild strawberry, clementine zest and dewy cypress alongside middle notes comprised of a tropical rain accord, passion flower, sunshine flower and white orchid, completed by a dry down of beech amber, tree moss, musk and teakwood. And this season, we can add another fragrance to this list: the CLEAN Rain Eau de Parfum ($69 for 2.4 fl. oz. at Sephora.com).
Known for capturing clean, crisp, minimalist scents — their perfume offerings include Warm Cotton, Fresh Laundry, Skin, Cotton T-Shirt, and Shower Fresh — CLEAN has remained loyal to its “the beauty is in the small things” ethos with the composition of its new Rain EDP. Fresh and calming, the CLEAN Rain fragrance was inspired by the moments after a light rainfall, those minutes when a hush seems to set in, when the air smells so pure and every breath seems that much more enjoyable as it fills your lungs, when the oils released by plants and flowers nearby interact with moisture particles and release gases that our noses register as lush scents. To accomplish this feat, the fragrance opens with a succulent dewy melon note, blended with crisp and invigorating watermint and daffodil, leading to a heart comprised of spring daisy, water lily, and violet leaf notes, all of which feel feminine while being incredibly understated due to their dewy quality. Base notes of musk and sleek woods work to give the perfume longevity and to infuse a sensuality and a carnality to the aromatic composition.
Unlike Kiehl’s Forest Rain, which can feel a bit tempestuous and dark, the CLEAN Rain EDP feels light and alluring. You might associate rainy days with gray, cloudy skies and somber moods, but CLEAN Rain doesn’t conjure up any such feelings — instead, it will transport you to a meadow-like location, to a country farm, a rainforest, or even an island garden, to a warm climate when a sunny day can be temporarily interrupted by a quick rain shower that comes and goes like a tropical breeze. Perhaps because of its floral notes, CLEAN Rain EDP feels like the type of scent that would be released for either Spring or Summer, when talk of April showers leading to May flowers is aplenty, but there’s something delightful about being able to take the optimism and the sense of promise we associate with spring and apply it to the fall season merely through the usage of scent. And, when you think of the scent in this manner, you’re all the more likely to appreciate using it in the fall and winter seasons.
