I don't get a ton of reader email, but most of what I do get goes along the lines of "I like (fill in blank) and (fill in blank), can you recommend a few perfumes I might like..."

I always answer, but I'm not sure recommending perfumes is a particular skill of mine, so today we're going to try out a new semi-regular feature: I'm going to post some information about Tracey, my latest correspondent, and I'm asking everyone to please chime in with some recommendations. Plus, this gives me an excuse to post a picture of the newish R2D2 mailbox from the United States Postal Service, which I have been hunting for but have not yet seen in person*.

Here is what we know about Tracey:

She is a professional with a post-graduate degree in business.

She is in her late 40s.

She describes herself as a "hip suburbanite" and "fashion-forward" but not a "slave to fashion".

She works part-time and doesn't dress up as much as she used to.

And her fragrance preferences:

She likes lighter, cleaner scents, not too heavy, not too musky.

She does not like heavy florals, and especially dislikes rose. She does like lime and verbena, almond, and spicy nutmeg.

Perfumes she has liked in the past include Oscar de la Renta (the first perfume she ever owned), Heavenly by Victoria's Secret, Donna Karan Cashmere Mist, Flower by Kenzo, Perfect Veil by Sarah Horowitz, Guerlain Insolence. But at the moment, she does not adore any of these, and she is looking for a perfume to adore.

She'd like to have something a little unusual, or at least not widely worn.

So, what say you? Do bear in mind that Tracey is not looking to become a perfumista, she just wants to find a nice perfume.

My recommendations:

L'Artisan L'Ete en Douce ~ a clean, light, summery floral. It does have some rose, and lots of musk, but it's so clean (it isn't skanky musk) that I still think it will fit the bill. Tracey could get a sample directly from artisanparfumeur.us, and while she was at it, she could also try a few of their other lighter, cleaner scents. Maybe Jatamansi? Perhaps even La Chasse aux Papillons, although that might be more of a stretch.

Carthusia Mediterraneo ~ going for the "lime and verbena" angle, this is one of my all-time favorite summer citrus scents. Not long lasting, but everyone needs a nice summer citrus, right? Samples can be found at aedes or beautyhabit. Another, easier-to-find option would be Hermès Jardin Sur Le Nil, which is carried at Neiman Marcus, and if Tracey makes it to Neiman Marcus, she might also try a quick sniff of Prada Infusion d'Iris, Acqua di Parma Iris Nobile (in the Eau de Toilette, not the Eau de Parfum) and Jo Malone Lotus Blossom & Water Lily.

On the spicy but still clean front, I had more trouble. I thought perhaps Bvlgari Omnia or Nanadebary Classic Pink, but I'm hoping you guys will chime in.

* Image of R2D2 mailbox via Zeetz Jones at Flickr, some rights reserved.