This summer Angelenos are soaking up the scents of the season. From essences of sweet fruit to hints of blooming floral, our California shelves are lined with carved glass bottles for any west coast preference.

Two of our favorites are L’Artisan Parfumeur and Jo Malone – both offering everything a girl could want, from fruit to floral.

For those wanting to be one with the trees, L’Artisan Parfumeur brings us Ananas de Fizz – a light fruity cocktail scent of bitter orange, grapefruit and Victoria pineapple, with a perfect hint of rum to take the edge off.

More summer fruit comes to us in the form of Jo Malone’s Nectarine Blossom & Honey. Inspired by the flavor of peach sorbet, this scent blends plum, black current and peach nectars with rich ribbons of honey.

When needing to feel earthy California floral, spritz on L’Artisan Parfumeur’s Verte Violette. A blend of delicate violet leaves, iris, rose and cedar, this scent evokes a clean floral without being too sweet or heavy.

Another floral essence that provides that summer aroma is Jo Malone’s Lotus Blossom & Water Lily from the Kohdo Wood Collection. A blend of mandarin, lotus blossom, bamboo and aloeswood, this scent is said to encourage energy and confidence throughout the day.

L’Artisan is sold at Fred Segal Santa Monica; Jo Malone is available at Neiman Marcus, Beverly Hills.

Unavoidable movie reference aside, Tocca is a fragrance company that fuses old-world style and scent with modern day wearability. The collection boasts alluring fragrances for body and bedside alike. Candles, parfums, body polishes, creams and delicate fabric washes create a complete collection of scents exotic enough to lessen the blow of not taking that European vacation this summer.

The perfumers at Tocca have combined scents reminiscent of destinations around the globe to bring consumers a lavish line of fine fragrances. The parfums, a gift in themselves, are lovely in rounded glass vintage-esque bottles, packaged in ivory and gold boxes.

A hands down favorite of the BNLA camp is Stella – a flirty blend of blood orange, white freesia, wild diamond orchids and sandalwood. “Impetuous and moody as a rebellious young Italian beauty,” as described by Tocca, the recipe graces all of their formulations.

Another fancied fragrance was Cleopatra – an eau de parfum inspired by the Mediterranean seductress herself. A light grapefruit and lush greens blend into white jasmine and tuberose, leaving a rich dry warm patchouli, golden amber and rich vanilla musk.

Lastly, Tocca’s signature scent called Touch is a fruity-floral with notes of gardenia, pomegranate and Egyptian balsam. We liked it best in the candle formula. Claiming a 60-hour burn time, all Tocca candles come beautifully boxed in signature blue and white packaging.

For those who take the time to treat their delicates like their labels suggest, Tocca’s Laundry Delicate provides a gentle wash for fine fabrics. Ideal for lingerie, vintage linens and silks, it’s easy for hand-washables or delicate-cycle machine washes. Light and luxurious, it leaves your duds delicately scented in the sweet Tocca scent of your choosing… And for those who take the time to hand wash anything, we know you deserve it.

Find it at Kitson or www.sephora.com

FACT: The National Retail Federation says that “gift cards and cash are going to remain the most popular gifts for graduates this June”.

FACT: Graduates aren’t just from colleges and high schools. According to a NPD, a marketing research group, “65% of girls between the ages of 10-13 (middle and junior high girls) wear fragrance”.

Beauty News has put together the ultimate ‘it’ list of fragrances for grads of various ages. They may need the cash. But why not add a little dash?

TWEENS: Most teen girls love anything sweet, girly and a ‘cool’ bottle helps. Tweens can be brand conscious, and are environmentally conscious as well. Our top picks:

Ralph Lauren Ralph Rocks – This fruity floral really ‘rocks’.
LAVANILA Vanilla Grapefruit - Effervescent and 100% natural ingredients; doesn’t smell like a cookie.

HIGH SCHOOL GRADS:
For the Girls, less sweet and more flowers; they might appreciate higher end brand names as well:

TOMMY GIRL By TOMMY HILFIGER - Created by Calice Becker, one of the best noses in the industry, this is one of the best fragrances for any age. An effervescent floral she’ll never tire of.

Emilio Pucci ‘Vivara’ Eau de Parfum - The retro-pattern bottle contains a sparkling green floral fragrance.

For the guys: Keep it light and only one or two squirts, please.

CLEAN Men - Smells like you just showered. That’s a good thing!
Issey Miyake L’Eau d’Issey Summer Pour Homme – Refreshing and light, with a hint of spice.

Perhaps no other flower used in perfumery has been so maligned. Violets? Probably your first thought is of a ‘shrinking violet’; someone who ducks for cover, tongue twisted and shy. Violet flowers are often hidden between their leaves, but no one is quite certain when this phrase became part of our vernacular. According to most contemporary meanings of flowers, violets are symbols of modesty and chastity.

Let’s take a look at some facts about this enigmatic blossom whose natural essence is so difficult to distill that it is often substituted or reinforced with synthetics.
• Violets are actually robust survivors
• Violets are the aristocrats of plants.
• The Ancient Greeks considered the Violet a symbol of fertility and love, and was used in love potions…nothing innocent there

• Shrinking Violet, (the comic book character from DC Comics) holds her own with the big boys battling nasty villains.

Fresh: Verte Violette by L’Artisan Parfumeur

Moist and fresh green accords paired with delicately sweet violet, is the perfect violet for the springtime bride. There’s cool freshness unlike any violet scent we tested and it has wonderful sillage. Only available in L’Artisan Parfumeur stand alone shops or online at www.lartisanparfumeur.com. For the groom, we like Gucci Fragrance Pour Homme II Eau de Toilette with notes violet leaves and black tea.

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Romano Ricci is one of niche fragrances’ most attractive new faces. He is the owner of Juliette Has a Gun, a brand that sounds more like the name of an alternative rock band than a perfume company. Romano is a RICCI; the grandson of perfumer Robert Ricci, and the great grandson of the fashion icon Madame Nina Ricci. Before founding his new company (which launched at Henri Bendel in 2007), Romano Ricci was a racecar driver, had a bad boy reputation as a playboy and someone who was always ready to party. Yet, he studied fragrance for over five years at an obscure company who did not recognize his last name. Now Romano is developing a master plan for his new wave brand.

Of course we all want to know why he named his company after a gun toting woman, but I suspect she is the modern day incarnation of Shakespeare’s Juliet, who would shoot any Montague that came between her and her man.

BN: Congratulations on the success of your two fragrances Lady Vengeance and Miss Charming. Is there any significance that your two inaugural scents are rose based?
RR: I am a lover of symbols, like my Juliette, rose is a flower you have to handle with care… or it can hurt a little…Olfcatively, it was also a flower which I thought had a good potential for expressing what I wanted to say with my fragrances.