Parfums Dusita Pelagos - I Sniff Before I Sleep

This summer, I won’t be going to the beach and will miss out on days filled with soft sandy shores, sun-warmed skin, and the crisp sea breeze. To fill that void, I’ve started turning to fragrances that remind me of those bright, carefree days. I enjoy glowing yellow florals, sweet orange blossoms, fleshy fruits, sparkling green chypres, refreshing aromatics, and zingy or sultry spices.

These scents bring back fond times and keep the spirit of summer alive wherever I am. Some of my best memories include reading books under a beach umbrella, sipping cold peach tea, eating fresh apricots, and walking by the sea enveloped by the smell of salt, seashells, and suntan lotion.

Parfums Dusita Pelagos (meaning “sea” in Greek) came into my life at the end of spring, and it couldn’t have been more perfect to transport me to the beach, at least in spirit.

Pissara Umavijani, owner and perfumer of Parfums Dusita, created the fragrance as a tribute to her memories of the Aegean Sea and a symbol of life’s infinite possibilities.

I tend to gravitate toward fragrances that suggest the mood and setting of a beach more than typically marine ones, and Pelagos nicely matches a seaside’s surroundings.

An earthy blend of orris and woods with hints of salt and thyme, Pelagos specifically reminds me of the terrestrial, mineral, and aromatic smells of a seaside shore. I imagine crushed rocks and tiny shells under the feet, fragments of wooden rafts, and barnacles dried on ship hulls. Lingering in the air is the scent of the sand and Mediterranean herbs scorched by the sun, mingling with the salt-saturated wind.

The opening stars citruses and salty notes that fuse with orris butter, which comes through as smooth and silvery as shark skin. I love orris’ multifaceted character and this sea interpretation is both pleasing and unusual.

A dear friend who smelled Pelagos on me thought she could detect a citrusy rose with salty nuances, but I can’t discern any rose or other floral notes. The root-rich, salty, herb-infused orris is at the forefront throughout the scent evolution and fuses into a dark, dry, woody base where sandalwood predominates.

Pelagos will be loved by those who are looking for a unique summer scent that lasts and projects.

Parfums Dusita’s fragrances are accompanied by the poems composed by Montri Umavijani, Pissara’s late father. Poetry is indeed at the center of the brand’s concept, elevating the mind and the senses to bring joy in one’s life.