L’Air des Alpes Suisses – green and cool and Swiss

Swiss Alps near Grindelwald - Alpine Globeflower (Trollius). Image - Wikimedia Commons, by Gabrielle Merk, June 22, 2019

Oh, the Swiss Alps! Just typing these words conjures up images of skiers schussing down mountain pistes to the sound of gliding skis and crunching snow against a backdrop of conical pine trees, cutting through the cold, clear mountain air. Then, the apres-ski in cozy chalets, warmed by blazing fires heating a raclette cheese round.

But the Swiss Alps have another summer season too. Think Julie Andrews twirling around in the meadow from the iconic opening of the film ‘The Sound of Music,’ which tells the story of Maria, a novice nun hired as a governess for the von Trapp family. And, while that scene was filmed in the German Alps near the Austrian border, it reminds me of summer hiking in the Swiss Alps with my husband’s family - memories brought back to life with L’Air des Alpes Suisses, by Andy Tauer.

Andy Tauer has a talent for creating olfactive scenes. His Lonestar Memories is a desert island pick for me, and, speaking of deserts, his Le Maroc Pour Elle is, to me, incomparable. With L’Air des Alpes Suisses, Andy Tauer has created another stunner, this time inspired by his home country.

On his blog, he wrote:
‘Cheers from wonderful Switzerland in summer!  I enjoy it whenever I can and when I am up there in the Alps, I try to bring a bottle of L'air des Alpes Suisses with me for photos and fun.

This picture of today: I took it on the Diavolezza. I admit: I got up there with the telecabin. The view is breathtakingly beautiful and the air is clean and crisp.

The day before yesterday, I was hiking in the Alps again, but on 1500 meters over sea level and I realized again why I came up with L'air des Alpes Suisses. The air  up there smells amazing.’

The scent coming out of that bottle smells amazing, too, I can tell you.

L’Air des Alpes Suisses opens with the fresh, bracing smell of bitter alpine herbs and crisp, exhilarating glacier-cooled air. It’s scent from our hikes when herbs were crushed underfoot as we walked, their fragrance gently wafting to our noses. As it develops, it gets green - I smell dried needles from a fir forest - and spicy-warm. This is summer in the Alps, when the meadows are lush and grassy, and the Alpine flowers bloom. Here, Lily is joined by orchid to create a powdery, soft floral heart. The base is woody from larch and beech, which grows on valley floors, gently sweetened and warmed by amber. L’Air des Alpes Suisses is so evocative of the Swiss Alps; you can hear almost cowbells off in the distance.

The dry down is warm, airy, and beautiful. L’Air des Alpes Suisses is a masterpiece in fragrance from one of the most talented niche perfumers working today. It’s also a scented invitation from Andy Tauer to experience the natural beauty of the Swiss Alps with him. RSVP.

Check out L’Air des Alpes Suisses in our Shop.