Summer 25 imagines long midsummer sunsets, painted with sparkling pink grapefruit, golden turmeric, blood orange and white peach water - and for the first time, herbaceous marigold, the sunset-coloured flower. Summer 25 is composed of 18 natural ingredients blended with white peach water. It features top notes of blood orange rind, white grapefruit rind, olibanum and pink grapefruit rind; middle notes of marigold, red champaca flower, cardamom seed, nutmeg, neroli, turmeric leaf and bergamot rind; and base notes of hay, davana, brown-eyed rock rose (cistus), red cedar, jasmine grandiflorum, Siam benzoin and vetiver root. Summer 25 is an eau de parfum, edp.
From their website: The setting sun leaves a blush on the sky’s cheek. Potter’s pink, vermilion, hues of ochre and magenta - and the promise of a golden day tomorrow. As the rhyme goes, Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight… For Summer 25, we wondered if we could recreate such a sunset. Something peach-coloured, spiced and fruity, shading to a lustrous depth and warmth. We began with the fuchsia sun, burning towards the horizon. For this we turned to the perfect orb of a blood orange, ripe with nectar sweetness. Radiating out from the sun are creamier tones, where pinks and oranges meet the blue-white of the sky. So of course, we thought of peach. Our nose Elodie experimented with a white peach water, never before used in perfumery. Mouthwatering and velvety as only peach can be, the enriched water harmonised with red champaca - a cousin of the magnolia flower, with golden tones of honey and champagne. For the pale, shimmering watercolours that wash across the sky, we looked to the cold-pressed rind of a new pink grapefruit we found in Mexico. A distinctive addition to our citrus library, with a wonderfully clear, sparkling facet. Turning to the stronger hues, close to the horizon, we lit upon turmeric, sourced especially for Summer 25. Its light yellow oil has a truly unique scent profile - peppery heat matched with a green and aromatic freshness. We’d been floating, up in the sky, but we realised we were missing the scents of the landscape. Leaning back and looking up, drying fronds of meadow grass framing the sunset. For this we turned to spices and resins for their dry heat, like baked earth. Cardamom, hay and brown-eyed rock rose - and for the first time fruity, herbaceous marigold, that sunset-coloured flower. The land turning gold, before the warm summer night.
Summer 25 is an eau de parfum, edp.
FFERN SUMMER 25 REVIEWS
Fragrantica: "It truly is amazing how well Ffern can capture a season in scent. For Summer 25 the sun is setting but the heat has not dropped. In a field, dry and lush, the flowers, grasses, and earth hold heat from the day yet. You pluck a grapefruit, or perhaps a peach from a nearby tree and rip into the skin. All is right in the world. Summer is where Ffern truly shines."
Fragrantica: "Initial impression : This is beautiful! It's fresh & slightly tart on opening. I can sense the citrus notes clearly. Grapefruit being the most prominent to my nose, followed by the bergamot. It has a sherbet like note which I absolutely love - it floats around gently. After about 30 mins, I can really smell the jasmine - it gives it a lovely warm, sultry, balmy skin quality. The dry down is gorgeous - warm, soft woody, spicy notes. The vetiver keeps it grounded. I'm starting to see a bit of a signature base in these perfumes and I really, really like that. Absolutely does smell like the end of a hot summers day, the sun setting, lying on sun baked, slightly crunchy grass with a really tasty, zingy sorbet. It's soul food for the senses! Lasts around 6hrs but I'm happy to top up more often than that to get those fab opening notes all over again! I really love this one."
Fragrantica: "Like all Ffern EDPs, it opens citrussy and green and then settles into warm spice. On my skin, it behaves very differently depending on the climate: I first wore it in gentle Scandinavian summer, and the initial grapefruit and orange quickly gave way to the spicy cardamom and turmeric. Then I wore it in the Mediterranean on a hot day, and the scent was just pure citrus for half an hour, and then disappeared. On a cooler day in the Mediterranean, it lasts long enough for marigold and white peach to come through - but never long enough for the spice. It is a nice summer perfume, but on a hot day it has less longevity than an eau de toilette - about 30 min for me. That said, I still love it. Synthetic perfumes of any kind can give me a strong headache, so the poor longevity of natural perfume is a trade-off I'm willing to make. I'll keep it for cooler weather."
Fragrantica: "Came for the perfumery, stayed for the marketing. I do love how unique this scent is. I appreciate that it doesn’t just smell like it’s FOR summer but that it smells LIKE summer. It’s warm (marigold) and fresh (grapefruit) at the same time. A very sunny perfume."
Fragrantica: "If you loved Clinique's Blue Sky Neroli like I did, you'll love this scent, it's quite similar. They both share citrus, rose, cardamom, vetiver/vetiver root, and neroli notes. I think this one is a bit warmer and earthier whereas BSN is more fresh/soapy, but I think if you liked one you'll like the other - which is great for me, because I LOVED BSN and was so sad when it was discontinued. Of course, this is a seasonal bottle, but I'll have to pick up a second one somehow. Personally, I really love this sent - one whiff of the sample and it was an instant hit for me. I'm a huge fan of neroli, jasmine, and vetiver, so I think this one was easy for me. It's a lovely warm scent for the season; they did a good job at capturing that feeling of a pretty, peachy sunset in a grassy field in the summer. That said, the lasting power isn't great. I sprayed on my sample at 3 pm and by 9 pm it wasn't noticeable at all. In the notes that come with the perfume I read that the founder says he likes to keep a bottle of fragrance and re-apply multiple times. Knowing that, I suppose it seems reasonable that Ffern would make scents that aren't super strong and with the idea that eventually you can re-apply and not have it be too overpowering. I think I don't necessarily mind that, because as much as I love perfume, certain ones trigger migraines, particularly strong ones that don't die down. If you prefer longevity though, you might not be as satisfied."
Fragrantica: "My first venture into Ffern! It’s a hit for me, personally. I love how aromatic and citrusy and fruity this is! I love that there’s a certain soapy aspect to it as well but in a most wonderful way. The pink grapefruit note is magical and that peachy note is there as well. I love it!"
Fragrantica: "An oaken table is littered with spices, roots, and flowers. Homemade tea is mixed by the sink. Neroli and citrus, carried on the wind, come through an open window. The simmering sun sets peacefully. This is surprisingly spicy for a summer fragrance. The expected citruses are present, but they are comparatively subtle. Turmeric, nutmeg, and cardamom are far more pronounced than the fresh notes usually associated with summer fragrances. The marigold and neroli are the most prominent floral notes, and in combination with the spices, Summer 25 almost smells like a classic oriental. It is, of course, patently modern; Ffern is evidently characterized by environmentally conscious, New Age, forward-thinking optimism. There is plenty of shared DNA with the other Ffern I have smelled, but I don’t hold this against any of the fragrances. Any consistency in a brands scents emerges as their holistic philosophy. It should be observed and analyzed. I see a penchant for open air, freedom in nature, a romantic realism in the outdoors."
Reddit: "Currently testing Summer 25 on my skin. The opening was beautiful citrus that faded into the heart dry down faster than any top notes I've ever smelled before. Incredibly brief but delicious. I sprayed the sample three times thus far and on my skin the top notes are definitely a "you blink and you missed it" affair. The mid notes are very sweet, floral, and herbal. It's very warm and very spicy, nearly too warm for my summer scent preferences. It almost feels more autumnal, minus the fast fleeting fresh citrus opening. I feel like I vaguely get a sense of peach somewhere... Though I suspect that's more psychological in this case due to Ffern's description and marketing, because my nose is actively searching for it. I would certainly say this season is very very distinct from both W25 and Sp25. If it wasn't for the strong spices and warmth I'd say it's sweeter than Sp25, but on my skin I think that Sp25 is still sweeter, they're really close on sweetness level though. This is the most "mainstream perfume" like fragrance I've experienced from Ffern so far. It really feels like a more "mature" fragrance. I hesitate to use the phrase "grandma perfume" as I think that brings the wrong connotations, but this one has a very grown-up feel, not as fresh and bright and youthful as W25 and Sp 25. Again I hesitate to use the term "youthful" as I don't believe perfumes have gender or age, it just depends on what you like on you and how things play out on your skin. The quintessential "Ffern dry down" is still there, but this one has a much much heavier and sweeter dose of jasmine."