I’m not one for super-girly perfumes (you’ll find zero jewel-embellished spritz-bottles on my vanity), and I often opt for fragrance-free skincare products when possible. Not that I don’t like a nice scent, but I find most popular options either cloyingly sweet, or overly complicated, a one-two punch of heavy, alien musks and florals.
Rather than overloading odor-receptors, Finn & Co.’s White Sand fragrance gently stirs pleasant memories, as with a natural aroma encounter—like catching a whiff of the fabric softener you use at home or the Chanel No. 5 your grandmother wore always, even just around the house. One hit transported me to blissful, carefree days spent in the sun, on the lively shores of New Jersey and Long Island: a bit sunscreen-like, but natural, as if mixed, too, with a handful of warm sand and salty air.
In fact, notes include jasmine, honeysuckle, mandarin, and, yes, a touch of salt. Creator Meg Spencer started blending her own childhood experiences on Nantucket and the rustic, rocky coast of Maine using organic oils like jojoba and apricot seed (oils react with each person’s skin for unique results) in her kitchen after finishing up at Manhattanville here in Purchase. “Sea roses moving in the breeze…the love of clean sheets on a hot night,” and the idea of pure American beauty inspired the “mood fragrance,” and its more sensual counterpart, Black Sand, she says.
In its perfectly portable, 10 ml package, the day/night scent is soothing but stimulating, a refreshingly light, clean cologne to keep in your tote, travel case, or at your desk. Plus, the roller-ball applicator makes it difficult to unintentionally douse yourself when you want just a dab.
$42 at KD Studio in Katonah
