One of the most picturesque pockets of the French Riviera revels in an alternative golden glow at this time of year. The pastel-hued villas clinging to the hillside of Menton, on the French-Italian border, provide the most idyllic backdrop as the town transforms into a radiant sea of yellow for the annual "Fête du Citron" or Festival of Lemons - held here since 1934.
Hundreds of thousands gather to admire the parade of enormous floats adorned with brightly coloured citrus fruits - in homage to the town's famed variety of lemon.
Spectacular, fantastical installations crafted from around 140 tonnes of fresh oranges and lemons are scattered around the town and framed perfectly by Menton's sun-washed yellow architecture.
Photo: © Ville de Menton
"Which brings me, naturally, to the delicious zesty scents carried on the light, warm breeze of the earliest days of Spring."
Photo: © Ville de Menton
Citrus scents have long held a justifiably important place in the world of perfumery. Their brightness and complexity is both refreshing and intoxicating, shining brightly in the spotlight or complimenting a myriad of natural fragrant ingredients.
I draw much of my inspiration from Nature and the beautiful raw ingredients in all Bella Bellissima fine fragrances are carefully selected, by hand, before delicate extraction due to their fragililty.
The incredible sights and smells of La Fête Du Citron may well influence creations to come!
A step across the border into Italy and we are back to the land which inspired me to create our Riviera Lime Eau de Parfum...a labour of love as lime is a notoriously tricky note to capture and it's sillage can be even more fleeting.
In my Riviera Lime, however, you will discover a bold, intense scent celebrating lime and citrus notes in all their glory - a complex, incredibly long-lasting impression.
Unreservedly bold and bursting with Italian citrus. The intense freshness of lime, Tarocco grown in the shadow of Mount Etna, Sorrento lemon and Calabrian bergamot are interlaced with dark agarwood oil and Aquila saffron. Dry woods and resinous amber add power to the unique character.
OLFACTORY NOTES
STYLE: Fresh Citrus Woody
TOP: Bergamot, Sorrento Lemon, Tangerine, Grapefruit
HEART: Lime, Aquila Saffron, Tarocco oil, Oud, Lavandin, May Chang Mountain Pepper
BASE: Amber, Cedar, Papyrus, Dry Woods
Thank you for joining me on my fragrant travels, Bella xx