The usual: tell us anything you like — what perfume you’re wearing today, the fragrance you can’t wait to smell, the one you hope to never smell again, whatever. Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer.
I am still on vacation so may be slower than usual to answer comments.
Note: image is August fever by redtwolips at flickr; some rights reserved.
"Roberto Cavalli Envisions Jennifer Lopez Wearing His ‘Aggressive’ Scent" article at People http://t.co/PcfLZSCW Stella McCartney in conversation with Alexandra Shulman (video, talks about new scent L.I.L.Y) http://t.co/VAKYigvK "French parfumier Guerlain on trial over 'race slurs'" article at Telegraph http://t.co/lVDxoZMi Vote for NST's Mood Board on FB and win a Zoya Nail Polish collection! http://t.co/MXHMN7I3
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Where do people store their perfumes? I had been storing mine in a cabinet until the Portland weather hit the high 90s/100s, and then decided to move it to fridge for fear of everything going bad, but am not sure if I want to keep it there indefinitely (does the cold make the spritzing mechanism go all wonky, or is that just my imagination?).
I keep my a/c set pretty high so it’s the fridge for me too – in ziplock freezer bags. Love your screen name!
Isn’t the biggest enemy of perfume sunlight? I believe I read that somewhere. Keeping fragrances in their original box in a cabinet is supposed to be a good way to store them. I used to be so good and do that, but most of mine are exposed to the sunlight these days cause I love looking at ‘em. My [wonderful] SOTD is ThePour Un Ete and it’s a perfect day for it.
I keep most of mine in my bedroom because it’s the darkest and coolest room in the house. Nothing has seemed to go bad except my mini of Petite Cherie, but I hear it’s common for that one to go bad …
It may well be your imagination about it affecting the spray nozzle, but if so, I’m having the same delusions.
Also, I have to say that if the top of the bottle leaks at all when I use it, putting it back in the fridge has been a disaster. I had a bag of baby carrots that had a weird unidentifiable taste…until I identified it as a combination of Bond No. 9 Westside and Loulou. Bleh.
So I think I’m done with storing them in the fridge. (Oh, and did you say you’re in Portland? I just heard we’re having another stretch of 100 degree weather next week…)
FM-I typically store my scents in a cool dark place (away from sun and kittens!).
SOTD: Roger & Gallet’s Bouquet Imperiale. Present but low-sillage b/c I’m in meetings all day.
Today, I will try to score a sample of the new BLV II from Macy’s, will report back…..
Ha!Ha! Kittens are detrimental to beautiful perfume bottles. They seem to know which ones are most expensive.
Yes, particularly with your pony sized kittens!!! One good flop-down for a nap could take out the entire collection!
So true! I’ve given up having pretty tsotchkis on my counters….. for now.
The kitties don’t run through the house, they gallop! So my perfume is hidden, especially the hard to find (read: replace) ones…..
I store the perfumes that have a reputation for going off easily in the fridge. Remember the Osmothèque keeps theirs at 4•C. So all my Goutals, my Divines and Calyx are kept in the cold. The rest of my ever expanding collection is in their boxes, in another box, covered by blankets in a cupboard. A shame about all those beautiful bottles.
SOTD is Diorella (edt), plus some Azuree and Azuree Soleil on my left arm, and some Muguet (AG) on my right. For testing purposes. The combination is ” interesting” to say the least.
Hello Austenfan – How does the AG Muguet compare with Diorissimo? (see Miss Kitty’s post , below and replies)
I had a long trawl through all the posts before I found the Diorissimo post. I now have Diorissimo on the left arm, le Muguet on the right. \
My Diorissimo is a fairly new tester. For what it’s worth I think the Goutal is cleaner and greener. Also therefore a little lighter. It seems to stay closer to the skin and is a little less rich. I have never smelled vintage Diorissimo. I don’t even know if I want to now. It might ruin my enjoyment of my undoubtedly inferior contemporary edt. I can’t say yet that I prefer the Dior over the Goutal. At a guess I would say that the Goutal is closer to the scent of LOTV. But you’ll have to wait till next May before I can verify that. a friend of mine has them in abundance in her garden.
Hope this answers your question!
Hi Austenfan. sorry it’s taken me a couple of days to get back to you but thanks for scrolling all the way down in the thread and for your reply — it seems AG Muguet has been discontinued and none is available at the usual retail or online stores here (UK) but there is some for sale on Ebay — I’m very tempted!
At the moment, my stash lives in the hall closet in their original boxes, across from the thermostat. Our bedroom’s the worst-insulated room in the house, having two exterior walls. Come fall and winter, however, the perfumes move into the bedroom, because then it’s the coldest room in the house!
I keep mine in the basement with my wine… my two most valuable collections!!
Great idea, that makes total sense to me!
I have one of those massive square IKEA shelves with the pretty deep cubicles. I keep the full bottles on a tray in one of them, where they hardly get any direct light. We tend to keep the A/C on when it gets hot so I don’t worry too much about heat damage. If I’m going to be away for a long time (and can’t bring them) I bundle them all up in a box and put them in a cool, lightless closet.
Personally I’m not too interested in putting my perfumes away in more “serious” storage because part of the appeal for me is to see them all lined up, ready for me to use as part of my ~toilette~. But maybe when I start getting into stuff that’s $150+ or rare/discontinued I’ll change my mind!
are your Ikea cubes one of the varieties that you can purchase doors for? I was eyeballing a nice set that had that option….was thinking of putting a set here in my computer room, they’re sooooo versatile…but then the CEO got this “rolltop desk” idea (which I hate) so for now—nothing…..I can wait his goofy ideas out. Then I’ll get my cubes..
sorry got off the point….if you keep you house fairly climate controlled, if you installed some doors on those cubes your stash would be in the dark and you wouldn’t have to pack them up when you are away.
Yep, it’s a 4×4 Expedit bookshelf, in the dark color so it’s ~extra gloomy~ in there. I keep meaning to buy those doors (and drawers too) not to mention some lighting, but I’m too lazy to drive out to IKEA.
I have store them in a wine refregirator. It’s cold but not too cold, dark but I can turn on the light, and it’s cute!
LOVE this option! I personally think a regular refrigerator is too cold for storing perfumes. Optimal wine storage temp is 55-58 degrees, whereas optimal refrigerator temp is 35-38 degrees. I’ve stored perfumes in the fridge before, and I personally think it damages the fragrance! But that’s just personal opinion – not based on any facts!
I started out keeping my bottles in the fridge. There’s a couple of problems with that—first no one else was keen on taking out the fridge light bulbs, then there was the residual odors of perfume affecting things like butter, fresh veggies, etc. the next thing I noticed was humidity issues: as soon as you remove a bottle from the fridge it gathers condensation—which was ruining some of my labels. I also noticed that some fragrances when chilled will have some ingredients precipitate out…creating a sediment that could be affecting your spritz nozzles. Certain things needed to be removed and shaken then wait for 5 or 10minutes before being sprayed. Then comes issues of space—other party pooper family members were complaining about no room for FOOD. And you don’t want bottles to get pushed so far back that they risk freezing.
Eventually, I moved my collection (minus those touchy ones like Petit Cherie and Calyx) into a dark cabinet in this room (my computer room) this is the coolest room in the house being due north and only one exterior wall, usually with blinds closed…plus we very temp controlled here—the house is generally between 68 and 74 degrees. So no light particularly no SUNLIGHT (uv rays=bad)
I don’t think for most perfumes “cold” is really necessary. Good luck
Are there any Jakarta ~*perfumistas*~ here?
Where can CdG perfume be found?
My lj/twitter friend is dying to try 2 and the incense series and Odeur 53
ummm scent of the day: Zagorsk
You smell FANTASTIC! love Zagorsk.
Check out ebay for CdG 2 , not sure about odeur 53
I was telling my twitter friends to tell me what kind of scents/notes they like and I would find them a perfume, and my friend from Indonesia was confused so I recommended Odeur 53 as a joke, but she really liked the concept of it and the entire CdG line.
You can ask on Basenotes if no one answers, there’s a bunch of Indonesian perfumistas there.
Today it was chilly and drizzly when I woke up. I needed something a heavier than I’ve been wearing lately. I reached for Chinatown, since I can so rarely wear it during August.
It’s helping me feel a little less gray today.
I got a sample of Body Shop’s White Musc in a Shecky’s goodie bag last night. I wore it in middle school – I still like it but have since grown emotionally dependent on the much nicer Clair de Musc. Though I appreciated the flashback.
I’ve been tempted by the Clair de Musc, but feel like I need to do some comparison shopping before I buy. If it lasts longer and smells better than any of the $10 and under musks, I just might have to get some…
Try the Montale musk… I think it’s called White Musk?
I’m normally not crazy about white musk, or light musk, or anything else of the ilk. I think that’s why I was tempted by the CdM, because it’s a white musk I can get on board with. But I will try the Montale. I do so enjoy those bottles they come in. They almost seem like something you would take camping. Not that I camp. Because I don’t.
~tangent alert!~ About a month or so ago I went camping — like *camping* — with a few friends in a national park, and I was really excited because I finally wanted to test out all my “nature smell-o-vision” fragrances within the actual setting. (Example: how would the aforementioned Ormonde Woman fare in an *actual* forest??) ALAS no scents at all since it was in bear country and any extraneous smells were verboten. The barest spritz of anything would’ve apparently endangered our lives. Sigh, perfumista-in-the-wilderness plans foiled!
(PS: I do like Clair de Musc, but for the price… that’s a tough one. I remember White Musk being a bit similar — kind of sheer?– not musky as I normally think of “musky” but admittedly it was ages ago when I tried it.)
Today was one of those rare days where I just didn’t know what I was in the mood for and ended up choosing Bond No. 9 So New York. Poor choice for today, it is too hot for this scent, what was I thinking?! Now must wait for it to fade before spraying something more weather-friendly.
I hate it when that happens!
My summer scents, Eau d’Hadrien, Gendarme, Jo Malone’s Grapefruit – in the fridge. My heavier, cold weather scents like Egoiste, Philosykos, Guerlain’s Vetiver, etc: tucked away in a closet in their original boxes. My collection isn’t huge, so storage isn’t necessarily a problem.
Scent of the day: GFF’s Bergamotto Marino.
PS Heading to Paris for the frist time in nearly 5 years and while everyone else traveling with the group is looking forward to the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, I can’t wait to smell a few perfumes that aren’t readily available here in the States. Is that bad?
Of course not! You’re the only sane one in your group! LOL!
P. S. Have a GREAT trip!
I am so jealous..have a great trip…
I would be doing the same! No Eiffel Tower for me.
Have a great trip!
No that isn’t bad – it’s very, very good. What better way to experience the real Paris than through the scents and sounds of the city. Wish I was going. Would love to check out the new Divine boutique:
3, rue Scribe
75009 Paris
Tel: 01 40 06 03 14
Enjoy!
Thanks for the tip. I haven’t tried any of the Divine fragrances but I’ll make it a point to seek them out. I actually want to come back with at least one great scent, in a effort to always be reminded of the trip when I wear it. I was a fragrance newbie and I’d never heard of Annick Goutal until my first trip there back in ’98. Her tiny free-standing shops there are the stuff of a perfume lovers dream. Of course, I fell instantly in love with Eau d’Hadrien and I’ve kept at least one bottle of that on hand ever since.
You ought to check out the IUNX store on Rue Saint-Honoré near Place Vendôme in the Hotel Costes building. They opened up last year after being closed for several years and have resurrected several of their scents by Olivia Giacobetti. I believe it’s the only place that sells them at this point.
There’s also Serge Lutens’s store in the Palais Royal, but there’s a rumour that their “non-export” scents will be available through mail order to the US in a couple of weeks.
Oooh! I’m having a terrible day with a sinus headache (no SOTD for me) but that rumor has just cheered me up!
I also am heading to Paris and this visit will certainly be different from the ones in my pre-perfume days. Grain de Musc blog has good suggestions for a Paris Perfume visit. Since the best perfume boutiques are in the most beautiful or interesting areas, you’ll have a wonderful visit in the city of light! I too am so excited to try all the perfumes I’ve been dreaming about! (Needed to stop ordering samples on the Perfumed Court…)
Grain de Musc did a few posts on a perfume tour of Paris, with heaps of addresses and other useful info — definitely worth a peek. Have a great trip!
Eiffel Tower? a bunch of metal girders. The Louvre? a bunch of old stuff….now Perfume…something you can wear and appreciate, take home and improve your daily life? Now you’re talking!
ps….I wouldn’t turn down a trip to the Louvre though…after the perfume shopping is done….
Well the Louvre is in walking distance of the Serge Lutens Palais Royal boutique!
Love the name!
I’m with Daisy – unless you want to go to the top of the Eiffel tower to see the view, who cares? The Louvre – pfft… it will probably be full of pushy tourists who are in your way all of the time. Plus, you can see all that stuff online. Can you smell the non-export lines online? No, you cannot – therefore, that’s a better use of time, imho.
I’ve already told the CEO that I want to go to Paris and London for my 50th birthday trip in 8 years – he’s all onboard with it, but I haven’t told him that I plan to spend at least two days in each city at the perfume boutiques. Of course, he’s probably hoping that my perfumania will have died down by then. Even if it has to some extent, I’m guessing that I’ll still want to go smell some of the SL non-exports and check out the Roja Dove semi-bespokes.
Leave the CEO at home….we’ll all go with you instead and spend the entire trip moving en masse from one perfumerie to another!
Oh! Wouldn’t that be fun?! If I win the lottery, that’s what I’m doing, I’ll take you all on a perfume trip to Paris with me. (Because no one else would appreciate it.)
We’d have to make a good go of it….because I have the sneaking suspicion that after a week or so we’re gonna get kicked out of Europe and asked (not so politely) to not return.
Ooh .. that would be awesome! They have special tours for wineries, breweries, castles, art, etc. – someone should offer a “sniffing tour” of the great perfume boutiques and perfumeries.
Sign me up! I’ll start brushing up on my French now!
OMG! How fun would it be to get about 20 of us all on a perfumerie/winery/castle tour??? Egad, it might not take us the whole week to get booted off the European continent!
Pshaw – they can’t kick us off the *whole* continent, can they?
Even if we get 86′ed, it will totally be worth it!!
Ooh, can I come? I’ll research the cute little hotels and restaurants!
Count me in!!
Me too! And if they try to kick us out…at the very least, I have VIP connections in Finland and can get us asylum there. LOL!
SOTD – nada, nothing, zero, zip – I’ve done so much testing lately my nose is burned out!
And on that subject, I have a question. Can any of you recommend a perfume(s) that’s not as sweet as everything I’ve been testing lately? I have some vintage Mitsouko and Vol de Nuit, but I don’t want to keep chasing vintage to find dry-ish, sophisticated scents.
Thank you!
Vetiver Tonka. Or some of the bracing SL scents like Gris Clair or Encens et Lavande.
I’ve put them on my list MB – thanks! I’ve stayed away from many of the SL’s as they have such a reputation for sweetness, but “bracing” sounds perfect!
I’ll be curious to hear what you think of Gris Clair. I have grown to love it, but I know some people who think the vanilla in it is a little too sweet.
Wow, neither of those turns sweet on me. Most of the other ones do, however – I hate that jammy finish. But here’s another idea, Rappleyea: do you like very green stuff? Diptyque’s Ombre Dans L’Eau is nice and not at all sweet IMO.
I love green as long as it doesn’t get bitter. Chamade is one of my favorites. Interestingly enough, the old Guerlains don’t get sweet on me. Yes, there is some sweetness, but it is always anchored by their base.
Wow, I must be seriously deranged by pregnancy because i don’t get vanilla sweetness in Gris Clair at all :S
Rapple, I have issues w/sweet too; it seems everything goes very sweet on me. Nearly every SL I’ve tried falls in that category. For dry, green, not at all sweet, you could try my beloved MetB #3.
Boo – you’re going to have to translate. What is MetB#3. My first thought was Miel et Bois, but that doesn’t have a #3 does it?
Miller et Bertaux.
green green and green….it is quite green! I think bracing would fit as well. Do they have that at luckyscent? I know that lusciouscargo carries it…at least they did.
I think that’s one reason I frequently prefer to sample men’s…they tend to be less sweet.
I agree, but even they are getting sweeter!
Very true!
Ormonde Woman — dark, violet-green, and velvety. Love it!
That was extremely sweet on me! There was some note in it that was very similar to the floral note in Osmanthe Yunnan, and it kept getting stronger and stronger as the day wore on.
Wow, you must like ‘em REALLY dry, then! I assume you’ve tried Bandit? That goes straight to hell on me, but it must have a legion of followers for a reason.
LOL! I do, but then I love Guerlain’s SDV, so there must just be different qualities of sweetness? Believe it or not, I haven’t tried Bandit! Will. Correct. Immediately. I have been wearing Piguet’s Baghari recently that Carol at WAFTbyCarol sent me. That’s pretty good.
Rapple: send me a note at MUA if you want my sample of Bandit. I’ve just used a little of it. (I’m under the same user name, all one word.)
Thanks Miss Kitty!
I find that all the OJs I’ve tested have a sweetness in the base that makes them smell somewhat alike. Now, I like that base… but I was thinking today, I must get out my sample vial of Orris Noir and retest it with OWoman on the other arm… they were very similar, to my mind.
Good point. Thanks to our Daisy, I have a decant of Orris Noir and I do like it. It can be too sweet on some days, but overall I really enjoy it. I’ve also tried OJ’s Tolu, Champaca and Osmanthus… you can guess the results. Actually, I thought they were all beautiful, just not for me.
C – I get that w/the SLs. They start out fun and interesting and wonderful…then quickly all dry down the same sweeeeeet base. Such a shame.
How about Soir de Lune or Chanel 19, or Rue Cambon? I think Bel Respiro is the grassy Chanel exclusif-someone correct me please if I’m wrong.
Happy Thursday..the end of the work week for me…hurray!!!
Hope you are having a great vacation Robin.
Anyway….I was at Henri Bendels this week and tried Coeur d’Amour and really like it. It was the first true ocean smelling fragrance I have ever tried. I am tempted to buy, but wow what a large bottle, athough per ml I guess its not that expenisve, but I can’t imagine using 250ml of anything ever!
Later… while I was pursuing the MUA fragrance board I noticed that several people complained that Coeur d’Amour became moldly smelling after a while (I did not notice that development, but then again I was covered with about 6 different perfumes by the end of the shopping spree so I have no idea what I was smelling after a while) . The MUAers mentioned that Lostmarc’h's Ael-Mat was a beautifully realisitic Ocean breeze smell which, however, did not turn into must or mold.
Does anyone have any experience with either of these or other true beach/ocean breeze/spray (not suntan lotion) perfumes?
Thanks…sorry for being so long winded!
I suppose it would depend on what type of beach, but Hermes Eau de Merveilles makes me think of my trip to the Outer Banks, NC last year. It’s dry, salty, a hint of citrus…
I did not have that problem with the L’Artisan, although of course your mileage may vary. I certainly wouldn’t order the Lostmarch unsniffed — personally I liked the L’Artisan much better (although admit I loved neither).
Oh, and my favorite aquatics: CSP Aqua Motu (admittedly smells rather synthetic) and CBIHP Mr. Hulots Holiday.
No mold on me either, I liked it quite a lot. Also like the CBIHP Robin mentioned.
SOTD: DK Gold, nice. It’s fairly subtle on me, and therefore not too much for the heat (upper-80′s and humid here – we’re finally getting our typical summer weather). I’ve been wearing L’Arte di Gucci a lot lately, too – dabbed, not sprayed, since I get a lot of scary cassis bud if I spray, but simple Rose Garden if I dab.
I keep most of my scents out of the sun in a hatbox or in a cabinet; the A/C hovers around 76 or 77 deg. F, but I just can’t be bothered to keep them in the fridge (except my sweetie Petite Cherie, because it’s got such a rep for turning). I had some cold-weather scents in my closet for about six weeks, IN their boxes, mind you, and it still smells like Tocade in there – you open the door, and the Tocade throws its arms around your neck and slurs out, “I’m drunk, I lost my underwear, take me home…” I really feel for The CEO sometimes, with That Bimbo living in the closet, but I don’t THINK it’s lingering on any of his button-down shirts. Hope not, anyway!
Apparently I am not the only one desperately bidding on vintage Jolie Madame parfum on ebay: I’ve lost two auctions in the last week by not breaking my rule of “Figure out how much it’s really worth to you, bid that amount, then forget it.” Curses. I really want some, but without trading away body parts…
I could have sworn I saw a cute mini at a not TOO bad “buy it now” price.
Note to self: Do not let my bottle of Tocade play with Mal’s bottle of Tocade…
Yeah. How’d I get the slutty bottle? A better question: why do I like it?
I should talk: mine had it’s top off when I bought it…
Misskittyv – I sampled the Tocade that you generously included in my package the other day and thought it was delish. I don’t know anything about it – vanilla based? I just sampled a little dab and I’m saving the rest for a couple of ‘sweater weather’ days.
Careful Rustic! According to Mals you had better make sure your underwear are well, and truly secured before applying Tocade…..this is all so intriguing…I really must try me some Tocade!
Want some? I got a honkin’ big (slutty) bottle… I can send you some when I finally, finally, get my youngins out of the house for the school year. (We have been nuts busy! I hope I don’t murder them in the next couple of weeks.) It IS rose, but it’s the deep variety, not the sour-wine type, and vanilla and patch.
Oh yes yes yes! Oh you know what? I ‘ve ordered a bottle of that Natori EdP and I could swap you sample for sample–sound ok?
Yep – that all sounds good to me!
BTW, you can usually find Tocade for $10 or so at Marshall’s and TJ Maxx. Mine was in the most bedraggled box I had ever seen, but there was nothing wrong with it otherwise. Awfully good deal for $10!
Yes–what she said.
You were braver than I… I just sniffed at the vial and set it aside for fall.
SOTD – AG Eau de Sud.
Question of the day: What fragrances do you turn to (if any) when you’re feeling under the weather?
you mean lousy weather? or feeling ill?
Like migraine, stomach flu, or something else that sends you to bed.
Oh, those are scent-free days FOR SURE. Talk about a sure-fire way to ruin a frag by association.
2nd that.
Me three. (Although if it’s a run of the mill headache, and not a migraine, I break out the Gris Clair.)
oh me 4 for sure! Might make you feel tons worse. If you think something nice might act like a pick-me-up….at least try it on a cotton ball ( not skin) that way if it makes you want to rip your nostrils off…you can just toss the cotton in the trash.
Hope you feel perkier tomorrow.
I thoroughly agree: don’t wear anything scented if you’re feeling woopsy. My mother told me she could never bear the scent of Jean Nate because she associated it with morning sickness– apparently she was working her way through a big bottle of after-bath splash when the early months of pregnancy caught up with her.
Headache of tummy trouble – no scents.
Regular flu – Vick’s Vapo Rub all the way. Love that stuff.
ahhh….Vicks vapo rub! there’s a childhood scent for sure! I love it too…..I had pneumonia all the time so I smelled a lot of vapo rub…you’d think it’d be a bad association, but I think I like it because it made me feel better, comforted when I was really sick.
***small sick confession alert—I have a small container of Vicks Vapo rub in my night stand drawer and sometimes I take it out just for a sniff or three. ***
When I thought I had lost my sense of smell after my nose incident I got the Vick’s off my nightstand and took a huge whiff – could barely smell it but it was comforting to know I still could.
Did you all have “brown salve” (aka ichthamol) when you were kids? My mother used to put that on fairly bad cuts, splinters (it really drew them out), etc. Well, that’s why I love Le Labo’s Patch 24 – it smells like brown salve!
Funny, I was just wondering if I could still get Drawing Salve – I wonder if that’s the same thing.
That’s it! And it’s gotten to be impossible to find in pharmacies, but the veterinary supply places have it in pretty good size tubs for something like $5.00. We use it a lot in the horse business to draw gravel out of horses’ hooves.
Cool, I have never heard of drawing salve! And I grew up at a riding stables for goodness sake!….I’ll have to alert my mom to this wondrous stuff…she still has plenty of furry family members on the farm and I bet that would be very useful. Sounds like it’d be good for anyone who gets slivers and such too.
Oooh…that stuff is crazy! We have just a tiny bit left in the bottom of a baby food jar. I’m had more splinters extracted with that than I care to admit (I was a rather rambunctious child). It’s interesting, though, that you guys are so familiar with it. I’ve never met anyone else who’d even heard of it. It just appeared in our medicine cabinet one day (courtesy of my grandma) and we never knew what it was…just this mysterious black goo that looks like tar and smells oh-so-interesting. I used to hate the smell. Now…not so much.
And Daisy: I totally sniff the Vicks too.
Could be worse…I’ve heard stories of people actually ingesting it. Bleh.
Back on topic: I’ve been wearing the Parfum version of “Covet” lately. I’d never fallen in love with any of SJP’s scents, but I really love it in the Parfum version. So warm. And it was free.
I also scored Elizabeth Arden’s Green Tea (good in the heat) and a full bottle of Burberry London in all of its cute plaid-ness…all for about $17. I love it when former SAs have garage sales. Wow….long-winded much? Whoops. 
uhggg….like sniffing the Vicks but ingesting?? blechhh.
SOTD: Kenzo Flower – still trying to decide if I like it or not.
I’m eagerly awaiting bottles of Philosykos and Aqua Allegoria Figue Iris, but the shipment tracking has not been working. Argh!
ahhhhhhhhhhh, Philosykos—soooooo good!
I almost wore Kenzo Flower today, but found myself reaching for Amour instead… it’s almost chilly with the fog and drizzle, so this was a good comfort choice for me.
If you decide you don’t, you might still try some of the flankers. I liked Flower Oriental better than the original, and the upcoming Flower Essentielle sounds great too.
Hey all,
Happy Thursday ! SOTD is JM White Jasmine mint w a bit of Pomegranite noir — I find it juicy and refreshing in summer (but masculine enough for my tastes!).
Just curious — anyone have any favourite perfume shopping locales in Toronto? I’m fairly new to fragrance and was wondering if there are anyone knows of any nice perfume shops in that part of the world …
Love the blog ! Should comment more often …
Good idea to combine the WJM with Pom Noir … love them both but for some reason never thought of it, even though JM is all about combining. Will try it now!
Hi Drew,
Yorkville(Bloor & Avenue Road) is a good bet.
Along Bloor you’ll find a Guelain flagship store with its entire collection. Ditto Hermes. There’s also a good selection at the Holt Renfrew on Bloor and just down the road The Bay carries most standard dept. store fare.
Noor is a my favorite spot. Good niche collection. Very knowledgable and friendly people – usually one of the owners (Nalia or Frederico). 176 Cumberland St. (at Avenue Rd.) •416-928-0700
Happy shopping!
SOTD – Parfums 01630 Feuille de Reglisse. I’m in an office w/cranked AC, so I figure the weather (90 and humid with storms on the way) is irrelevant. Even so, I think this is light enough that it wouldn’t matter if I DID ever get to set foot outdoors. Off to a boring conference call…
Ugh on the boring conference call, hope it is long over by now.
It is, but surprisingly, the FdR is still hanging in there (albeit faintly)! It’s been well over 12 hours now. I’m stunned that such a light, sheer fragrance would stick around that long. Thank goodness I like it.
My dear new friend Daisy sent me a sample of Theorema, which I didn’t quite get until today. It’s very stormy, waves driving at the shore, gray and drizzly. Usually I would reach for the Ambre Narguile but I don’t have any with me, so on went the Theorema. I totally feel consoled now. (First time I smelled it, for some reason I got a hit of champaca incense, which I associate with a certain person I love but don’t always want to be around!). So now I’m wondering, has anyone ever tried the pure parfum? When I find a frag this warm I typically prefer the extra cushy depth – but it’s expensive! I could get the EDP cheapo. Anyone able to weigh in?
Awesome! I’ve totally been lemming my first sniff of Theorema, but it’s late in coming in the mail. Arrrrgh! No matter that it’s still hot and humid outside here. I’ll be able to weigh in as soon as my package is mailed!! (it’s the EDP, btw)
Hi Monsta! If you are liking Theorema on a stormy day…just wait until cold weather arrives this winter—wonderful stuff!
I love Ambre Narguile too….Rapple sent me a sample and now I’m dying to have some!
Isn’t lovely how we feed each others addictions?
Speaking of feeding the Perfume Addiction Monster, I need to add Amber Narguile and Theorema to my need-to-try list…
I wonder which one you’ll prefer? I found Theorema initially to be a more versatile Amber Narguile.
Speaking of which, a thread over at Fragrantica has me in Theorema for the second day in a row.
I need to check my notes when I get home, but IIRC, I did try the parfum & it was not so much more wonderful as to be worth the $.
SOTD is Jo Malone Lime, Mandarin and Basil — my first try. It’s really, really bright, a good countermeasure to the dark and rainy day. I’m liking it.
Yesterday’s SOTD was Hermes Le Jardin Sur le Nil, which I had really hoped I would adore… but not so much. I’m not sure which note in there smells like pepper, but after the first burst of green, that’s all I can smell! And it lasted forever: ten hours after I put it on, when the other notes were long since history, the pepper was still there. Not so much love, but a heaping serving of disappointment, alas.
If you want to unload that bottle of Un Jardin Sur le Nil, umm, let me know…
ahh! I’m so sorry you don’t love Sur le Nil.
See, now that was my reaction to Mousson. There was enough pepper in that one to actually make me sneeze
SOTD: Black Orchid
Can’t wait to smell: Tom Ford Private Blend Bois Marocain
Going to London in October and look forward to sampling this while I am there.
Lucky you on the trip to London! By then the 4 new TF White Musk scents will be out too, and possibly that upcoming Grey Vetiver.
Today I’m wearing Nina. I recently figured out it’s my favourite out of my little collection of just 7 perfumes. Kenzo Flower used to be my favourite out of them all but I’ve recently found it too powdery.
I’ve also realized I tend to like citrus notes the most even though I’ve never actively looked for perfumes with certain types of notes in them.
Nice that you’re narrowing down your preferences!
SOTD – EL Jasmine White Moss
I store my perfume in a few places (no place will hold the whole thing). Most of it is in the hall bathroom because no one showers in there and there aren’t any windows in there either. I keep the ones that I don’t have the boxes for (pre-perfumista purchases) in the medicine chest to protect them from light and some of the others on the vanity in their boxes. The other half of my collection is in my home office in my hutch – also stored in their boxes. That is also where I keep my samples. I’m thinking about moving the whole collection to the spare bedroom – it’s the coolest room in the house and the whole thing could be housed together.
I’m anxiously awaiting my sample of Jasmine White Moss. Do tell – how do you like it?
I really like it – it hasn’t supplanted EL’s Tuberose Gardenia as my favorite EL, but it has a very pretty opening and a nice, grown-up dry down.
I don’t know if I would have fallen for it enough to buy the FB if Estee Lauder hadn’t had such a great GWP deal going at Neiman’s, but I do really enjoy it and have been wearing it quite a bit lately. Like TG, it does have quite a bit of radiance and sillage in the beginning, but it becomes a much closer-wearing scent in the dry down. Even with the opening sillage, it isn’t too much in the heat – I’ve been wearing it in 100 degree weather and it’s been lovely.
Oh I just got a sample of the Jasmine White Moss – I found it remarkably adult. I haven’t quite swooned for it, but I thought it well-done and will continue sampling.
SOTD Eau parfumee au the rouge, which I’m not sure I like, but it is hot today; maybe when it gets colder.
I tried Narciso Rodriguez for Her (edp) the other day, and had a really bad reaction to it; I was wondering if it affected anyone else that way. I mean, it starts out like a snootful of diswasher powder, complete with sneezes, then segues to a screechy bug-spray. The screechiness stayed for two hours, so it wasn’t just a topnote that burned off fast. It got some love on MUA, and I wondered if I was wearing the same fragrance; are its fans anosmic to something, or am I hypersensitive to something?
I’ve got a friend whose absolute favorite winter scent is The Rouge. I’d try again in a few months.
Good enough!
Did I burden you with that one, Bergere? I think I did. I never liked it either. It was just ridiculously strong and deadly on me. I think it might also have mosquito repelling powers,
LOL! I’ve had a few that the family has said smells like bug spray… particularly some of the JMs.
Funny how subjective the whole smelling experience is. I’ve had several things that I’ve loved be dismissed as “bug spray,” and then when I tried Ananas Fizz, I swore it smelled as bug sprayish as anything could get, and got more compliments on it. A friend of mine kept raving about it, and I finally had to ask him if he had some really great camp experiences as a kid or something–is the smell of Deep Woods Off one that conjures up happy memories for you? He said it smelled “really expensive, like some good Chanel perfume.” Who knows…
LOL! Well, to be fair…in my case, it was my husband. He grew up in Europe, where apparently their bug spray smells better than ours.
He said “it’s nice…but something about it smells a little like some bug spray we had back home, and I can’t shake that, so I can’t really like this.”
Today I’m wearing Guerlain Homme Intense and slightly regretting last week’s purchase of Tom Ford’s Noir de Noir as I truly think it’s too much of a “feminine” fragrance, despite being labelled unisex. I know these labels don’t *really* matter, but I just feel it’s *too* strong and feminine for me to pull off. A little eBay auction may be on the cards!
What a shame! Hope you can unload your bottle w/o losing too much $.
I love Noir de Noir! When/where would you be selling it?
I’ve been trying to restrain myself from buying a bottle of Diorissimo. If anyone can sway me one way or the other, go for it.
Hm. I have now sniffed the current incarnation of da big D, and was Not Impressed. I’d make sure what I was buying first: the new packaging is mostly white or pale grey with a touch of pink (go over to perfume shrine and do a search for Diorissimo, so you can read Helg’s really informative post on the changes to it). I have the version right before that, with pink oval, and I do love it. Word is that the even-earlier versions are even-better, but also that D is one of those fragrances that goes off easily, so vintage may not be the way to go either.
Clear as mud, right?
‘Kay, here’s the link. And I should have said I had the version with the pink box, grey oval. Oops. http://perfumeshrine.blogspot.com/search?q=diorissimo
Split may be the way to go, baby.
Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking…Hmmm…
I don’t think Diorissimo is what it used to be…20 years ago I loved it but now – dunno. I have a bottle of the EDP — so perhaps give the EDT a try? the EDP lasts forever on me and I find it can be quite tiresome. Chanel Bel Respiro for me today, a lovely breezy summer day here in Angleterre.
*cough* split *cough*
er — should that be SPIT?
Oh, I think I’ve decoded this! Go in on a split?? Hmm…
Miss Kitty:
Funny you should ask… I received an email today from eBay telling me about some new listings from one of my favorite perfume sellers – Yoshimi7039. The new listing was – drumroll – a 30 ml. bottle of vintage Diorissimo esprit de parfum (I have no clue what this is). Buy Now price was $89.99.
I’ve bought three bottles from her now, all vintage, and everything was impeccable.
Oh, man… do I have $89.99? Why oh why do I always spend my perfume budget at the beginning of the month? Ok, going to have to think on this one. Thanks for the heads up!
If you go for it, you have to let me know as that would be another stone in my 14K gold, diamond encrusted enabler’s pin (awarded to me by Daisy!).
Very tempting. I would have bought it if it wasn’t located in Japan.
Robin -
Her shipping is only something like 12 for 13 dollars, and the last time when I bought two bottles she combined shipping so I only paid once.
Ah, I see…..(– or was it a cross between a spit and a splutter (at the thought of the price?) don’t know much abt splits and haven’t seen any u.k. based ones, tho I may be wrong — are they like swaps or does money change hands? I’d be interested to know how it works.
Basically…a bunch of people decide they want a frag, but not a FB of it. One person buys the bottle, splits it off into decants, and the others send usually just enough $ to cover costs, or slightly more to compensate for time/effort. So it’s like buying a decant, but planned ahead and without the hefty markup some of the decanters charge.
I find Diorissimo so elegant, so perfectly beautiful, as to be a bit hard to wear. (I guess that’s not much help to you is it?) Not an every day fragrance, or at least not for me. Rather cheerless. The iteration I own is the one with the pink box, white oval, grey inside the oval.
Sorry, should have added that mine is the EDT. I find it pretty long-lasting.
Does anyone have any info on the new Tom Ford – Gray Vetiver? It’s got a big splashy (HOT!) ad in the new Vanity Fair but I can find no info anywhere on the internet or Tom Ford’s website for that matter.
Fragrance of the day – Hermés, Un Jardin Sur Le Nil. LOVE. It’s my summer fragrance. Although it’s like a November day where I am so maybe I should have deviated. Meh.
I say meh also. Do you get a lot of the incense in the drydown? It’s pretty much all mango mango mango on me.
Curiously, that incense in combination with the mango smells like chewable vitamin c on me. But I really like it. It’s kind of wrong, and I enjoy that.
“it’s kind of wrong, and I like it”… so perfumista.
I like JSLN myself. Mango+wet green stuff+woods. No incense on me, though.
I get a weird disinfectant vibe from Nil; it’s kind of peculiar and rather unpleasant on me. Definitely meh.
Me too… it just doesn’t work on my skin.
To all of you who don’t like your Un Jardin Sur le Nil: send your bottles my way!!
UJSLN = Mango forest on me (is there such thing as a mango forest?). SOTD is L’air du desert marocain – so dry it works even in the heat. LOVE it.
I broke down a month ago and bought a storage unit for my perfumes. I don’t have lots of full bottles (30 or so), but I have tons of decants and I really needed to be able to store them so that I didn’t paw through them every morning. It sits underneath the vanity in the bathroom out of the light (and because of our industrial-strength AC, out of heat/humidity).
In the longing to try list, Wazamba! I just love saying the name. The L’Artisan Havana Vanille, Creed Aqua Fiorentina, PdN Weekend a Deauville, Penhaligon Extract of Limes, SSS Tabac Aurea, and Ineke Field Notes from Paris.
Man, I want want want that Penhaligon’s Stock thingy.
I like that “30 or so” bottles counts as “not a lot.”
I feel better now.
Also, I found this over on Perfume Shrine:
http://perfumeshrine.blogspot.com/2009/06/tom-ford-grey-vetiver-private-blend.html
Sounds delicious. I’m a vetiver hound, so will be sniffing it at earliest opportunity.
ahh! thanks. am dying to try this. I LOVE Black Orchid. So have high hopes.
Hi everyone! First time-ish poster, long time follower.
SOTD is CdG Kyoto. (sunny, hot hot hot outside–ready for my cold weather fumes!)
And hopefully my Gravatar will work…
Hi Daisy!!!!!
Hi Caviglia! Welcome. I see you’re already fragrance friends with the darling and wonderful super-enabler Daisy.
me super enabler? YOU super enabler!! If your super-enabler-club-pin got anymore glitzy stones on it , the shine of it would become a driving hazard for other motorists, the weight of it would topple you over ….you get the idea.
heheheheheheheheheeeeee……..
yes, drat you! that Guerlain Attrape Coeur is fabulous!
Your gravatar ROCKS! Any kitty is a good kitty in my book.
Haha, thanks! Meow! It’s O-Koh Kitty, Hello Kitty doing the Japanese incense ceremony.
Hi Caviglia! I’m so glad you decided to stop lurking and start talking!
Welcome to NST,….we’ll be your enablers today….lol
oh, I meant to ask, did you ever find some Feminite du Bois EdP ??
Hi and welcome, and you smell great!
Hello, all…home recuperating after 6 days inpatient for surgery — and I don’t seem to be able to tolerate scent! Or have much food appetite either. Anybody else experience that? I think it might be a rx to the general anesthetic that will pass — as i’ve spent a bundle on scents recently! Just scored a split of Chanel Bois des Iles in swap. SOTD: an attempt at Eau de Rochas (Gawd, is it hot here!)
Suzanne – Glad you’re home – wishing you good health soon!
I’m sure your fragrance aversion will pass as you heal. Probably similar to people with migraines being unable to tolerate scent. Not to worry.
Yes, it will pass, but I’m so sorry you’re having to go through that.
That’s a long time for inpatient. I hope you start feeling better!
I’m sure you’ll be fine. My appetite and sniffer were out of whack when I broke my nose and I wasn’t even in the hospital much. I think our bodies just get a bit shockie and need time to re-balance after a trauma.
And now I have to giggle, bc my sniffer was all out of whack for YEARS after my youngest was born. If anyone can inflict trauma on a mom, it’s that kid.
Love her dearly, but oh is she a handful!
I’m sure it won’t be long until your nostrils are once again quivering in anticipation of new fragrances. I hope you get to spend some time recuperating at home now…..reading/commenting here so you don’t get bored while resting.
Hope you’re better soon, S!
So sorry you’ve been out of commission! This will pass and you will be sniffing soon (hopefully that red oud)! Take it easy and don’t push yourself too hard!
Thanks for the kind words! I’m fortunate that I have the ability to be home for a while. Will restart sniffing today, perhaps some Bronze Goddess to go w/our rainforest weather here in Florida. I’ll probably come back better than ever and really fry my credit cards. thanks again!
SOTD – lovely Bois de Paradis, which I’ve just bought after a few weeks of obsessing over it. I prefer it in the heat — all my light and green stuff just evaporates! (Also really loved Amoureuse, which surprised the hell out of me because I’ve never enjoyed white florals or honey that much, but that one is gorgeous.
Oh! And Emotionelle is pretty hilarious with that huge melon note. I thought of your review as I tried it, Robin, haha. Mousson has ruined melon for me forever, man.
Yep… I thought I could handle melon, but Emotionelle was a big ol’ overripe melon decomposing in the August heat for me. NO. THANKS.
HA! And did you try Mythique? I have not yet.
Mythique is verra verra nice…a dry woodsy iris on me. I bet you will like it Robin…..but I know you will compare it to Iris Silver Mist to me there is quite a bit of similarity.
That does sound (verra) nice. And since SL is apparently not inclined to add ISM to the export line, I need a substitute.
Hey, unless the above rumor turns out to be true, and they’re ALL available in the US.
Can I tell you how happy I am that it’s an open thread today? Just what I needed. Been doing some sampling and want to report in. SOTD is the Roger& Gallet Bois d”Orange (thank you, Robin!) after having a mini sniff-fest at the mall.
Disappointment du jour: Queen by Queen Latifah. More ambery sugar water. Not as nauseating as the Halle Berry, but still a scrubber for me.
Tried the l’Occitaine Bergamot Tea and realized I am perfectly happy with my SOTD and didn’t need it. Also tried the Jasmine Tea, which is rather nice. I tried some BBW lotions I needed to catch up on – White Citrus, Velvet Tuberose, sniffed some others. Didn’t get anything.
Went to the new Sephora and just did scent strips. I think I am about ready to try Black Orchid on skin. because I did not completely recoil from the strip this time. I think I am warming up to Tom Forn in general, even if I do wish he would just button his shirt already.
I recently got samples of Miss Dior Cherie l’Eau (typical fruity floral but done a bit more nicely and perfectly wearable), Infision d’Homme, and Tom Ford Men. Also the coming-up Michael Kors Very Hollywood (very meh – typical typical typical), and EL PC Jasmine and White Moss (commented on above).
I’m finding I really like citrusses. Malle Bigarade Concentree is pretty great, as is my SOTD and a few others in my pile. Sort of an offshoot from my vetiver thing, I think, since so many of those have citrus.
Sorry this was a book!!
Dang! on the Queen L thing. I really wanted to smell that. (Where’d you find it? I’ll have to wait anyway, since I live in the total sticks, not a decent perfume store anywhere near me.) I’ll probably smell it anyway, just ’cause.
They had it at Macy’s – I was attracted to the bottle, forgetting where I had seen it. They are bad about scent strips so I put a little on.
Halle Berry—hooooo-eeee Cynthia dear sent me a sample of that (she might be trying to KILL me!) j/k lol wowzers, it about knocked me down. It’s not that it smelled “bad” it was just huge, overpowering and I think my sinuses actually began to melt…..oh and it has the lasting power of Uranium 237.
Ha ha – I had to send it to you because I’d already made the mistake of trying it in the store, so I sure didn’t need that sample they sent me. Maybe I should have warned you about that one instead of the lemon bug spray that is Fresh Sugar Lemon.
Robin swears that the Halle is much nicer in the cooler weather – I’m afraid to try ever again though! I’ll make it up to you in the next package and send non-radioactive scents.
Speaking of radioactive scents, I was in Walgreen’s today picking up some drugstore stuff and some woman decided to try the testers of the fake scents – you know If You Like X, You’ll Love Our Y! She doused herself in the fake Pink Sugar and then moved on to the Halle tester and doused her other arm in that. I thought they were going to have to call out the HazMat team – she was definitely trailing a cloud of poisonous gas. Did I mention that it was close to 100 degrees today, too?
I received my package today and I’m so excited about the samples you sent along – and the earrings are beautiful! Now I just have to figure out what to try first.
LOLOLOL—ohmigosh…laughed so hard I think I drooled on myself some…sheesh. HAZMAT team!!! I thought everyone in the free world knew to stay a healthy distance from those knock-off perfumes in the drugstore if they wanted to STAY healthy!
I hope you ran…..really fast….
Very rarely when I write “LOL” am I really laughing out loud…but the Tom Ford “button your shirt already” thing killed me! Maybe we could start a petition and present it to him: “Dearest Tom, we love your perfumes (some of us more than others), but we need to talk to you about your shirt. There are more buttons on top for a reason. Please use them. Signed, Perfumistas Who Care.”
hahahhaha – do you think he’d listen?
YEP – really LOL!
HAHAHAHA ahh, you’re killing me…..you know this could start a rash of extremely faux sincere letters to oh,so many perfume-celebs…..I’m getting out my poison pen with the pink pompoms on the top!
Kitty! you must be feeling some better….you are back to your snarky self that we all know and love. A Lazy Thursday Poll really IS the very best medicine!
Thanks for all the reviews! I am very behind. And the only one, apparently, who liked Halle
The stranger who passed me in the aisles in WalMart while I was spraying it in the air liked it!
Random Perfume sighting in film: I watched Breaking and Entering the other day and laughed at the scene where Jude Law pulls out a Jo Malone gift box and proceeds to gift a Russian hooker a large bottle. She hated it.
HAHAHA !! that’s a pretty bad recommendation when even a hooker turns up their nose at a frag!!!
Maybe it was too prim? She could have had some Bal a Versailles. Or some Tocade. (evil grin)
Oh, she was a Bal A Versailles girl for sure! lol
How funny!
uh, baby phat golden goddess.
hides face….i just really like the champagne note!!
THERE IS NO ROOM FOR SHAME HERE!! Be proud! Now, if you said you actually liked Kimora Lee Simmons, then we’d have to talk.
(PS, if you like champagne, you should try Vraie Blonde by Etats Libre d’Orange. It’s a little similar to Yvresse, but only in the yummy champagne part.)
Nope, no shame. I kind of liked YSL Champagne (I have a mini of the original stuff that was later named Yvresse) – except that the opening was very cat-pee, probably the cassis bud, and then it went all Mitsouko on me… sigh. It’s available for swap if anyone wants it…
Oh, now you tell me! I just ordered a bottle off of Beauty Encounter!
Definitely no shame here – I own a bottle of Britney’s Fantasy.
So, I started of by wearing Dzongkha. Nice, reflective, a little musty. Perfect for the second day of my (NEW!) job at estate sales. And my, this current house has at least six perfumes. So on my left hand, between thumb and forefinger is Ungaro Diva, which is pretty nice but I really don’t like fruit in my perfume. On the other side of my left hand, vintage Chloe, which started off so promising but smells like butter. I mean, tuberose. Reminds me of Fracas, actually, though I haven’t put Fracas to skin yet.
And on my right hand, between thumb and forefinger, is vintage Rive Gauche. Parfum. Which I didn’t know existed. It’s like liquid topaz, honey with indecent, practically oozing flowers and just the lightest brush of powder. I’m in heaven. Off to eBay!
Wow. My, my. Diva is huge, isn’t it? And I used to wear Chloe; yep, buttery tuberose, but Fracas is somehow less perfumey, more a force of nature.
Diva is in a little mini so the effects are probably dampened. (Totally thought you were calling Fracas “Diva, which would’ve amused me. Then I realized and felt dumb.) It’s really pretty but I just can’t get by fruit! Boiled, pickled, fried, stewed, jammed, I just don’t want to smell like fruit.
I could probably make that into a little Dr. Seuss-like rhyme….
I’ll have to try Fracas but don’t think I’ll like it. And neither will the rest of the people in the store, I’m sure.
Wai-wai-wait a second here. Your new job involves estate sales? How are the perfume pickings? Are you able to alert your friends about fabulous stuff that’s being auctioned? (“Hey, Suzanne, there’s a mostly-full bottle of Mitsouko parfum at that sale on 12th St. Go bid on it and I’ll pay you back, okay?)
Yeah! Oh, congrats on the new gig, by the way.
YES! since we are all your very best friends in the whole wide world I think it would be entirely appropriate to mention perfume finds going up for auction…..****grin****
I don’t see perfume a lot, and sometimes it’s just White Shoulders or White Diamonds (which isn’t as bad as I thought it would be). But this woman worked in JCPenny’s in the eighties and in addition to the stuff mentioned, she has a bottle of Scoundrel by… someone (red box, I think the first name might be Elizabeth?) and a little seashell mini of White Linen parfum. And there’s possibly more.
I might start announcing anything good I come across; I already might buy everything decent I stumble upon. But, um, if I found Mitsouko parfum, I’d probably keep it. Though I think I like the EDP better (I haven’t had enough exposure to the parfum; don’t shoot me!)….
And thanks everyone for the congratulations! =D
Oh, congrats on the new job! It sounds like a lot of fun…much better than the dull legal documents I have to deal with. Desperately need a career change…
It’s really fun, but it’s not a real support-yourself job; I’m actually really rather young. xP
Being a perfumista, we opened a trunk today and it smelled intensely of mothballs. I went “Mmmmm!” and was looked at funny.
Yes, that IS my trouble…I’m the breadwinner in the family, so anything I would truly enjoy is off the table. Meanwhile, my husband gets to play superhero without worrying about such trivial details as salary. One day, it will be my turn. I just hope it’s before I’m 70.
SOTD: Trying out my new Parfum d’Empire samples (won from the generous Denyse at Grain de Musc), so I’m giving 3 Fleurs a shot — it’s a pleasant enough tuberose, but nothing to set the house on fire. Wazamba, however, oh my gaaaahhhh… I don’t know how I lasted 2 hours before desperately scrubbing it off (in vain — the stuff wears like iron). Now, I’m sure it smells lovely on someone, but on me it was like those weird sweet, mustardy stewed fruits they serve you in Italy with your bolito misto, amped up to the nth degree. About 12 hours after trying to scrub it off, it finally calmed down to something resembling a dry incense, but oh man, was yesterday a looong day. (I feel churlish saying such awful things about samples given so generously, but I gotta tell it like it is!)
Oh, here’s a question: My dear, kind, sweet father is taking me to Venice in a few months (woo-hoo!), and while I’ve been there several times before, I haven’t paid a visit since my latest perfume obsession. Does anyone here know if there’s any good perfume hunting there? Surely I must be able to find Baume du Doge SOMEwhere, right?!
Why is it that all the scrubbers are so persistent? 12 hours, jeepers, that’s a long time to live with something.
Is it wrong that lilydale’s description of Wazamba just made me want to try it that much more?
lol – that happens to me all the time. Smells like sweaty boys and Pepsi? I’m THERE!
Oh good lord, now I know who to send a sample of mysore sandalwood to…..it smells like socks and mens sweaty underpants…..way to high on the “earthy-o-meter” for me.
Ha! I know what you mean — describe something as “disturbing” or “difficult” and I start salivating like Pavlov’s dog. Wazamba started off intriguing — a weird, caramelized-celery smell — but then went seriously off the rails for me. Not to mention that I can’t stop singing the name to the tune of “La Bamba”…
Venice! How exciting! I’d love to go sometime. You’ll have to report back on your perfume adventures.
Oh that sounds just awful. LOL! You know…a month or so ago, our own brilliant Monstabunny mentioned poison ivy soap as a good solution for scrubbers. I tried it…and it WORKED! All I had was a premoistened wipe meant for camping, but even that was enough to remove every last trace of whatever it was I had on.
For getting off nasty perfume, the absolute no-fail solution for me is a swim in a chlorinated pool, but I wasn’t going to schlep all the way to the Y just for that!
Yikes Lilydale, but then you smell like chlorine!! That’s even harder to get off your skin! And thanks to those who actually tried the poison ivy soap – I didn’t know if anyone was paying attention. As for being called “brilliant,” well pshaw…
Oops, forgot to add thanks (to you and Monstabunny) for the tip about poison ivy soap — I need some anyway, so nice to know it’s a multi-tasker.
It has been some time (really quite some time) since I was in Venice, but don’t remember any perfume. You need to stop off in Florence! Or, of course, come back and report if you find something fabulous in Venice. Jealous of your trip in any case!
Yeah, I won’t cry if I don’t find any perfume, but it sure would add to the fun! I’m ridiculously excited — I haven’t taken a proper trip in about 5 years.
I’m tellin ya’, it’s as much fun to test a scrubber as it is to test something nice….we actually enjoy the strange, unusual and occasionally stinky stuff! Now I want to sniff it too.
I’ve been in luxury land lately. I’m sampling Amouage and Serge Lutens. Out of the Amouage I’ve got Jubilation XXV, Dia, Gold, and Homage (Attar). I’ve only tried the Jubilation (which is all floral to me with about two seconds of incense), but I am so anxious for the Homage! The Lutens fragrances have been a total disappointment. Miel de Bois: not the urinous mess I was expecting, but not terrible. Vetiver Oriental was god awful, Gris Clair is the worst thing I have ever smelled (and I’ve got Yatagan here). Serge Noir I fell in love with, though, with its burnt out, spicy, sweaty, disturbing goodness. I’m not surprised (but if you don’t like cumin, run away). I have to come up with new vocabulary to describe the badness of those Lutens, though. Yikes.
Clearly you are in need of a solid whiff of Etat Libre d’Orange Secretions Magnifique (gagnifique would be more accurate) —but first: brush up on those superlatively derogatory adjectives. Lots of them.
After all of this Lutens weirdness, I’m yearning to go back to my Vol de Nuit. But yes, I anticipate that Homage will knock my socks off in a good way!
I agree with Daisy that you need some ELO! I have just discovered the Amouages while here in Germany – they’re sold at the boutique down the street. Wish I hadn’t…why is luxury so easy to love? They are beautiful and my perfume budget won’t allow it now!
I thought Homage was seriously gorgeous. Hope you’ll like it.
I love your site! full of great content and information!
Antonio-
http://www.absolutefragrances.blogspot.com
Thanks.
Tara: A true ocean/beach fragrance that I’ve tried is Aod by Lost March, very nice. Stopped by Bloomies this week, and sampling Michael Kors Very Hollywood, which will be premiering September 2009. Not my type, and my 19 year old was not too impressed. Today, I’m wearing Iris Orange (not sure the correct name) by Prada, this too is a sample. Find the Iris Orange ok, but not worthy of buying a FB. Sorry for rambling on and on.
Too bad about the Very Hollywood…
Hey……… I’m working in NY this weekend, and within walking distance to Aedes … will they give me samples? Every single time I’ve been there, they’ve been closed, which forced me to peer through the window and then play with the pups across the street at Le Petit Puppy. I’m so wanting to try Jubilation! I heard Aedes has a dog or 2 in the shop… should I bring the dogs a treat?
Yes, they’re usually nice about samples. I don’t know about the treats!
They are ridiculously generous with the samples; I think the limit is not how many they’ll give you but how many you can ask for without starting to feel embarrassed! Definitely the most gracious place to shop for perfume in NYC — no stinginess with the samples, no hard sell, lots of great things to sniff. There was a dog when I was there, so a little treat might be a lovely gesture.
Speaking of Aedes, I was there two days ago and there was no dog… only a picture of one on the counter. It kind of felt ~memorial-like so I didn’t want to ask, even though I’d also heard of the dog before!
Aedes is sample central! I have many many from there. Twice I have returned for FBs so their generosity works in their favor. Wish other perfume vendors were so canny. At these prices it is very hard to justify a impulsive purchase. I have to live with the frag for a while or I don’t buy, no way. The one time I bought a FB on a whim in Aedes, boy did I regret it: 06310′s Lys – currently in use as a bathroom deodorizer. Anyone want it?
Just tested and fell hard for Dior Escale a Portofino. So summer perfect!
Oh good!
Hi everybody. I am still looking for a romantic mixed woody-musk floral.
I keep finding scents that are all floral with no musky base or else the spice overpowers the romantic flowers.
I don’t really want to go back to Romance by R.L. or E.L. Pleasures Exotic. Pure Poison by Dior comes kinda close, so does Guerlain’s Cruel Gardenia and Chanel’s Chance.
My latest love is Penhaligon’s Lilly and Spice. But for a signature, it doesn’t have a discernable base to me. On the other hand, it does smell exactly like a real Casablanca Lily. I also can’t find it at Lucky Scent so does anyone know where you can buy it?
My scent doesn’t have to be a Masterpiece. A lot of scents I like are *meh* to most perfumistas. For instance I’m think of getting a mini of Chloe the eau de perfume. The notes just sound very romantic to me.
Thanks for your help-I feel just clueless at this point.
-joy,
Becca
Have you done the Monday Mail? I can’t remember if you were ever one of our victims, er, subjects.
Becca – this is a stab in the dark, really, esp because I’ve only sniffed it once myself, but have you tried the new Kenzo Amour flanker?
Oh…and Aedes carries the Penhaligon’s.
2nd the Monday Mail suggestion.
And I would like to recommend that you sample Badgley Mischka Couture edp.
Have a good weekend.
~D
Hello lovely perfumistas!
On the subject of sniffing tours in Paris and London: currently based in Manchester, UK, I am originally from Paris and go back to visit friends and family in my home town several times a year, via London on the Eurostar.
Needless to say, perfume sniffing and sampling is always on my menu! Over time, I have “converted” a couple of friends to these impromptu tours, accompanied by other, more culinary delights, of course.
So if anyone is planning a fragrant Paris or London trip, why not drop me a line? I know my way around the French capital’s perfume world pretty well, by now, and it is always a pleasure to meet fellow-aficionados!
Fragrant regards,
Laura
That’s very kind, thanks Laura!
Not wearing any fragrance today so far, but yesterday I wore Habit Rouge during the day and Zegna Extreme in the evening.
Love Habit Rouge. Still quite in the dark w/ the Zegna scents.
Diorissimo’s defintely not what it used to be. I don’t believe it would have become a classic if they had originally issued the current blend. To paraphrase Tania Sanchez (or LT) on SL A La Nuit, this one is death by lily of the valley.
I have a FB of Diorissimo bought unsniffed and it’s….potent. A little goes a VERY long way. I was really curious about the original as well.
Well now I have to try this Fleur de Corail. It never stops!
I bought a fragrance today and am wearing it.
Lolita Lempicka Fleur de Corail.
I am walking on the cold autumn beach. The sun glows behind a thin veil of pearly coulds and a chilly breeze lifts my hair. A glorious wave of salty warmth envelops me from the sea and the silken waves, still playing the passions of summer, wrap around my ankles like Persian kittens.
Ooooh, that sounds good!
Happy Friday!
SotD – Chanel Bois des Iles (edt)
Fragrance I can’t wait to smell – The upcoming Lalique Encre Noir Pour Elle.
Fragrance I never want to smell on me again – SL Miel de Bois.
~D
With you on the Lalique, it is top of my list at the moment!
SOTD: Cristalle. In dry weather I mostly smetl the hyacinth, but humidity brings out the oakmoss. Yesterday was hot and dry and I wore Narcisse Noir. The base stretches out in the sun and purrs.
Speaking of purring, this is Mitsouko, who informed me that with three rescue cats and two rescue dogs I could stand one purebred (well, two, one of the rescue cats is also a Maine Coon): http://www.spirithillcats.com/spirithillflirtini.htm. Chypre for a forest cat, peach for the spots. She is 5 1/2 months old and almost as big as the adult DSHs.
Cute! I had a big boy kitty years ago that looked like that – I never knew he was a breed until I saw some at a cat show years later – lol.
I’m so weeeeeaaaakkkk!!!!!
I had the new Luckyscent August Sample Pack ordered before I even knew what was happening!!!!
Argh!
lol
LOL, that pack sounds awesome, but my $$$ is reserved for several lemmings I’m nurturing at the moment. I want to hear how L’Eau d’Hermine smells — the notes sounds faboo, and it’s got a critter on it that looks just like my girl ferret, Yuki!
Yeah, that was the nail in the coffin – I was going to order that one anyway. My $$$ SHOULD be reserved for lemmings!
Oh, greaaaaaaat, Tama! I didn’t know those things existed. And now I do! My wallet doesn’t thank you.
Happy to be of service!
Blerg … I didn’t know about the monthly sample packs either.
Must.resist.temptation.
I can’t wait to sniff Nasamatto Black Afgano, L’Artisan Havana Vanille, and the new Serge of course! Feminite Bois…thinking thinking…buy?…thinking thinking.
I want to smell all of those, too! Samples definitely required.
OH…and IRIS SILVER MIST! There is a bottle floating on the Bay….sure wish some of us could come together on that one! Only 4 days left!