The usual open thread routine: talk about anything you like — what perfume you’re wearing today, the last perfume you were tempted to buy but didn’t, the last perfume you swore you’d never buy but did anyway, whatever.
Note: image is hellebore [rotated] by geishaboy500 at flickr; some rights reserved.
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My desire for ATauer L’Air has resurfaced with a vengeance!
Right there with you. I used up the last of my samples of both L’Air and Incense Rose this week and boy, I’m sad to see them go. Want more!
SOTD = PG Cuir d’Iris from a new decant. I’m now an official musky-animalic leather fan, because recently I’m really smitten by this and ELdO Vierges et Toreros. I’m pretty sure a FB of the latter is in my future. Thankfully, I think I like it better than the much pricier PG.
Next perfume I’ll buy will probably be Youth Dew lotion for my grandmother for Christmas. I also need to pay for my Havana Vanille decant when that finally gets shipped!
I never thought I’d buy Serge Noire, but I just bought a decant, half of which I’m giving to my mom with other patchouli-based decants.
Last perfume I was tempted to buy (this morning!) is a bottle of Diptyque Oyedo on Ebay. I’m not doing it.
I love Serge Noire. It`s one of those odd things that I loved from the first sight. I find very deep, and misteriously sexy, the blend of saffron, cloves and incense.
Where did you order your HV decant? I haven’t been able to find it on TPC or the posh peasant.
Our resident enabler, Daisy, is doing some splits. Most of my decants lately are privately-hosted splits from one of the following two sites:
http://scentsplits.wikidot.com/current-splits
http://groups.google.com/group/scent-splits
hi Joe
Had it been Eau Divine, I would have been cursing all the way to my PayPal account
probably didn’t order soon enough for Christmas….so how about Apres le New Year? hahaha if I have to, I’m entirely capable of inventing a suitable holiday.
hi daisy..how do i go about getting a split of ssschampagne de bois…i have just registered on mua as hksent
Hi HKM, I assume from your username that you are in Hong Kong?
Laurie ships out of the USA but check her website Sonomascentstudio.com for charges….I think she’ll ship samples for about $3-4 USD…. I think that theperfumedcourt.com also ships internationally….I suspect their shipping might be higher BUT they also carry EVERYTHING so if there’s lots of samples from a variety of brands then TPC would be the way to go. It would be great if you could find another perfumista in the Hong Kong area who wanted to do sample swaps or even combine orders with you. Personally, I adore Champagne de Bois—I predict you’re gonna love it!!!
Oh! sorry I didn’t realize (reading too fast I guess) that you said split, not sample! hmmm….really, considering shipping issues …you might be better off just getting a 5ml purse size straight from Laurie….now that she has those purse sized ones available, it’s a struggle for me to not just go and order one of everything!!! Really, you need to check out her website….be prepared to drool!
I have a sample that I would happily send you since I can’t take the aldehydes, but I wonder about shipping. I’m Julia941 on MUA. PM me if you know about such things. – J
Joe, better late than never! Just had a chance to follow this thread while having a cup of tea at my laptop this morning, and thanks to your link to the Scent Splits Google Group I am now a member. Didn’t even know it existed. Seems like a great bunch. I’m most grateful!
Hi Kalynna, I’m splitting up a few bottles….but they are taking FOREVER to get here….oh, and the mail person is now officially frightened of me…..sigh
Oh boy, I would love to get into splits and decants! I’m Kalynna on mua if you want to contact me.
On Saturdays if I know I have packages coming, I lurk outside waiting for the mail person. I followed him down the block once because he had my luckyscent samples in his cart and he was taking WAY TOO LONG to get to my apartment!
You guys are CRAZY — I know because I do the same thing. I think stalking mail carriers is a federal offense.
SOTD: SL Gris Clair, from a decant. Saw a FB on parfum1.com and somebody beat me to it while I dithered. Bet it was one of you!
Watch out Kaylanna! Going to those scent split sites will send your Pay Pal squealing into the night (jk).
And you mean it’s not OK to run up to the mail person like a disheveled mess because you’ve been installing pergo in the kitchen since 6 am but want to see if your new pack of Amouage decants just came in?
Well, I can plead INNOCENT to that one! Lavender is not my friend! Wow, this is cool….a perfume incident that is not my fault!
Lol! I didn’t know someone else did this. He thought I was stalking him. I told him, no; I am stalking what’s in your mailbag! Hilarious!
LOL Kalynna, obviously you’re not alone! My mother-in-law works as a mail carrier (mostly packages) and when I’m expecting a delivery I’ll actually phone her in the morning while she’s doing the sorting to ask if there’s anything for me. If there is, I’ll arrange a place to meet her so I don’t have to wait. Now THAT’S crazy.
Lol, you guys crack me up. I try to be stealthy about my stalking. It’s not a crime if you don’t get caught!
I missed an insured package from Sonoma Scents (Laurie Rules!), and went to the post office to pick it up last night. It was about three minuted till five, closing time, and my mailman wasn’t back yet. I asked if I could wait for him and tried to emphasize how important the package is as Chanukah starts Friday night and we’re going out of town and I really needed it. She was as helpful as usual and told me I couldn’t even wait for the guy . As I was leaving, a van pulled in and it turned out to be my mailman and he took the package off the truck for me, and mentioned how many packages I receive. He will get a nice Christmas gift from me this year,
I would have left the locked up postoffice and staked out the parking lot, waiting for my mailman to get back to base with the truck. Of course, there’s often a different delivery person every few days and I don’t recognize them that well.
Basically what I did, shouting to each carrier as they came in, “are you him?!” I got lucky and he gave it to me right off the truck rather than unloading it and making me come back for it. Our mailman is pretty nice. We have a crazy deaf cat who often gets in the mail van and “helps” him with his rounds. At the end of the day he brings him home and makes him get out.
Be sure to tip your mail carrier generously….
I accidently ordered a sample of Cuir d’Iris (I have no recollection of adding it to my Luckyscent order, seriously) and I love it so much! i just moved though and it got lost in transit. I might have to work up to a decant or make a split or something.
Accidentally ordered! Ha! Ha! I’m about to accidentally order SL Bois de Violette!
Today I`m wearing Hermes Rocabar, and i think it matches perfectly the social clothes that I`m wearing today. It`s muted spicy, sweet and woody, a little bit like a comfort scent to me.
I`m tempted to buy, after Angela`s review of this week, a bottle of coco edp. Saturday i`m gonna go out with my auntie and she`s gonna let me choose a fragrance as a birthday present.
Oh, happy birthday to you! Hope you get something wonderful.
yes!! Happy Birthday on Saturday!!
Happy birthday!!!
Happy Birthday!
Thank you guys
In fact, my birthday was on 9th December, but I’ll only have time to go out with my auntie on saturday to choose a fragrance. I hope that I find something interesting a good price, like a bottle of nu edt or coco chanel edp or some vintage guerlain (sometimes they appear here for incredible prices) or even a discontinued fragrance for a great price, like the le few dìssey light that i bought for less than 15 dollars 50ml (one of my greatest bargains of the year)
That was a bargain!
Does anyone here knows rochas globe? I`ve seen it appear on several Luca Turin reviews on the the guide and I got curious about this fragrance…
I have not smelled it, but have always heard great things.
SOTD — Parfums DelRae’s Bois de Paradis. And my sample is getting low. Woe! Maybe Santa will bring me a bottle (or a gift certificate that would partially sponsor a bottle).
You know what’s awesome in the vintage perfume bidding wars on eBay? When a seller spells the name of a fragrance incorrectly and you manage to find the listing anyway, but hardly anyone else does and you get a nice bottle for a song. That’s what’s awesome
I’m done prowling around the ‘bay for Crepe de Chine (foratleastafewmonths).
i got lucky in a similar way on ebay – the seller didn’t put “Hermes” in the listing title for the Eau de Merveilles (constellation bottle) so I was the only bidder – YAY!
That is awesome when that happens on ebay… I found something that way once, I forget what it was. Takes an awful lot of time to find, though, and ebay is a timesuck anyway!
I need to get a teeny decant of that one (BdP) to layer with my recently acquired decant of SDV. SOTD: Parfum d’Empire’s Ambre Russe… and I’m pretty certain that will make it onto my “to buy” list in short order, though as a decant or a FB, I’m not quite sure.
Just got a decant. Love at first sniff. I must be going through a big amber phase right not, because all the fragrances I favour use it in large doses.
I know, isn’t that a great feeling? I recently got two 2.5 oz bottles of “Shalima” Light on ebay for $33.00 each.
A friend told me to misspell things on eBay, and I recently won an antique set of “Jickey” nips in a copper case!
Excellent score!
Is it Thursday already? Yikes. I need to buy gift wraps, boxes and ribbons for the Christmas gifts.
I’m wearing Theorema today, and it makes me feel like I should make another bold attempt at buying a frag unsniffed. The object of my scent lust? Balmain Jolie Madame. I know it’s a classic but I’ve never smelled it. From the review here I learned that she’s a chemist with an intriguing personality. So yeah…I’m tempted. Maybe one of you should talk me out of it LOL
ahhh, but you smell FABULOUS!!! Love Theorema!!!
Jolie Madame is a must sniff before purchase type scent….hopefully someone will chime in with a sample for you —on me it was a combo of soapy and sharp, didn’t work at all….but Madame gets plenty of love from perfumistas who love the classics.
I am the proud owner of three 100ml bottles of Theorema due to our Dear Daisy and her love of it. I’m happy to decant and send a sample. I’ve never done it before and need to get some decanting supplies, but I’m eager to get swapping. I’m Julia941 on MUA.
Thanks, Daisy! I’m still on the fence….still tempted but not as much due to some advice here. Maybe I’m just too blinded by my luck w Theorema hehehe
been there, done that! I’ve actually had more unsniffed successes than failures…but it’s so disappointing when your hopes are high and then it’s a “mistake” . Wasted $$ and all that. Sampling first is the best advice….and we all ignore it once in a while. For the mistakes there’s always swapping! Oh, and it helps to have a few teenage girls as neighbors—I’ve been known to unload some mainstream mistakes on friends’ daughters….they’re excited, I’m relieved; it’s all good.
I have my own teenage daughter but she’s just as much an Amouage Ho as I am….scary, huh?
Hi Perfumegeek,
I wear Jolie Madam and love it. On me, it turns into a soft powdery/leather/chypre. The drydown has civet/patch/vetiver which all works. The lasting power is about six hours.
I just finished my bottle and plan on ordering more.
Glad you love it, I’m still on the fence but more than likely will accept samples from the kind perfumistas here. I like patch, love vetiver, kinda ambiguous about civet.
I’m pretty sure I have some at home to send you…lemme check. Are you in the US?
Yep I’m in the Southwest US but will be relocating to the Southeast pretty soon. Thanks for the kind offer! I hope you like something on my sample list as well.
Get a sample first, please. I love JM, but it takes a) the right weather and b) the right mood to wear it.
Also, it’s been reformulated in the last couple of years, so if you sample, be sure to find out what you’ve got a sample of. I have a bottle of not-the-most-recent formula, and I like it, but as I say, it’s tricky and not for everyone. Hey, PM me at MUA (mals86) and we’ll talk about samples.
Thanks for the advice? The right weather? Warm or cool? I’ll contact you on MUA soon, but I’m relocating for a job and a fiance so we might have to do this till after the move across the country
agree with you in the jolie madam
Sorry – missed the fact that you are wearing Theorema and want a sample of something that I don’t have.
SOTD is an accident: vintage Shalimar (Goodwill score!) on my sweater. Nice to get away with wearing perfume at work without actually wearing perfume.
Latest temptation? Mitsouko extrait on ebay. Trying to restrain myself. Here’s the kicker: I don’t even like Mitsouko. But I never liked Shalimar until I got the vintage, so now I’m certain that that’s the missing link between me and the Guerlain’s.
Request: looking for a good tobacco vanilla (or just tobacco or just vanilla) as a gift for someone. Thinking mid-range price wise (between $90 and $135). She’s tried and liked so far: Havana Vanille, Bulgari Black, and a Guerlain and a Hermes, both of which I forget the names of. Any suggestions?
What about the SSS tobacco scent everyone raves about?
Oh, that’s not a bad idea! Affordable, too!
As I stated earlier, Laurie rules, and Tabac Aurea is really worth the very little money it costs. You can purchase samples, 5ml purse sprays, 17ml. bottles and 32ml bottles. I bought it unsniffed and it was worth it. She included samples of Winter Woods and Femme Jolie, which I ran to my computer to order full bottles of. I wore Femme Jolie to teach a beginning knitting class last night, and halfway through the class all my students were asking how they could get some. Read the reviews of Tabac Aurea (she links to them if you click for more information on a scent). One person said it feels like a vintage perfume before all the reformulations started, and another compares her talent to Serge Lutens. Yet another prefers it to Havanna Vanille. I love it and it’s amber-y base. I’m very into amber right now.
Ohh Femme Jolie sounds fantastic.
Get the Femme Jolie! Unsniffed! If you don’t like it I will buy it from you for cost plus interest and shipping. It is actually the least expensive of her perfumes and it is beautiful.
julia..u make me wnat to buy ALL of them
Femme Jolie and Tabac Aurea are two of my fav SSS fragrances – Femme is such a great cuddly woodsy scent for all occasions, and Tabac Aurea is just the living end. It is so rich and sophisticated. You can’t go wrong testing them!
I love all of her creations that I have sampled so far, with the exception of Champagne du Bois because of the aldehydes. Aldehydic fragrances trigger nauseating migraines in me. So sad….
Anyway, I wore Winter Woods this morning (before showering and “changing” into my SOTD) and it is a dream. Where has she been all my life. Smoky, but not overpowering with a beautiful drydown to warm, spicy goodness. I’m so impressed by Laurie’s work and the fact that it is so affordable. I would happily pay three or four times what she asks for and consider it a bargain. I’m going to order some of her body products soon.
Winter Woods is genius! I need to get a little bottle of Tabac Aurea, it reminds me of my mom because she keeps all of her clothes and blankets in an old ceder chest. I like to put a little bit on before bed, makes me feel all cozy
Mmmm I love that lingering scarf/sweater scent, I would imagine Shalimar smelling really delicious as that scent. I personally love Havana Vanille, I wish I could be on your Santa list
We should all just forgo shopping for our loved ones and buy for each other. It would be so much more fun.
LOL!
Way more fun! I was thinking of giving my daughter a bottle of Field Notes from Paris, since it reminds me a little of the Coco Mademoiselle she wears. She sprayed it, put her nose directly on it before it was even dry, then proceded to make exaggerated gagging and choking sounds. Guess who I will NOT be sharing the wonderful world of niche and classic perfumes with? In her defence, she only wants to wear Chanel because her grandmother was from the same small town in France as Coco.
I asked my husband if he wanted some gift suggestions for the children to give me and he told me no, that I already buy all the perfume I want for myself.
Yeah, why not LOL. Wait, don’t we do that already with all the splits and swaps?
I was just thinking that! It feels like Christmas every time I open my mailbox and see a padded envelope!!
Miss Kitty- It’s taking every ounce of my self control not to get carried away on ebay. So many choices and so little time. That’s what I must keep repeating to myself…..so little time, must be strong!
I was just enjoying my sample of Serge Lutens Chergui yesterday — I think it’s my latest favorite tobacco scent. Sweet, like pipe tobacco, so not what I consider typical of tobacco scents, but rich and lovely.
Chergui is really nice. I decided that I didn’t need a bottle, because although I love spice, I didn’t want spice in my tobacco-and-hay scent.
I’ve heard Chergui compared to Back to Black–any thoughts on that? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
No idea on BtB, but Chergui really is a nice one. It’s one of the very few SLs I’ve tried that has somewhat worked on my skin. I should probably get a small decant of it at some point to make up my mind.
don’t know about Chergui, but B2B goes right to pissy on me…it’s that darned honey note…bad news in almost every form.
Literally ROFL at the Bueller reference! Classic!
Rapple–glad someone got that. I wonder sometimes if people just think I’m crazy. Well… I’m sure they do anyway.
we get you, we are your People. It made the whole scene flow thru my head……hey that movie doesn’t date us does it??
Daisy – no, I think we’re safe. At least…i know my 13 yr old niece and daughter have both seen it. In fact, the last time my niece was home sick from school, her FB status said she was watching it. So we could be just about any age.
Just guessing here but is the Guerlain Spiritueuse Double Vanille? and the Hermessence might well be Ambre Narguile. Both, of course, painfully spendy. SDV runs about $215 /75ml and the Ambre Narguile $235/ 100ml —but at least with that you can pick up 4/15ml bottles for about $150
TABAC AUREA. TABAC AUREA!!!
Laurie is working me up a customized blend with half the usual dose of patchouli, which turns out to be just perfect. I don’t have it in hand yet, but should by the end of the year. Will send some, if you like.
And I know what you mean about that blasted Mitsy vintage extrait! I just can’t get into Mitsouko, and I keep thinking, “Edp will be better,” (no) or “VINTAGE would be better” (NO), or “Vintage extrait, there’s the stuff!” (haven’t found it, at least at a price I can afford).
I finally realized that I have plenty of other things to love, and officially gave up my ebay search about two months ago.
My rule is: As long as I don’t get on ebay, there’s nothing I want on ebay. I need to follow my own rule.
Yeah, not paying $300 for Mitsy extrait. Too many other things out there that are a certain thing–so true.
I think you’ve mentioned people sending you different versions thinking you will like one better. I don’t have any vintage, but am happy to send you some extrait. Julia941 on MUA.
Miss Kitty – I wish I had read your eBay rule about 10 minutes earlier! LOL! I got on eBay, and there was an older bottle of Samsara ending in two minutes…. for not too much money….. yes, I bid, and won. And then I thought, “Why did I just do that?!?”
Not to enable or anything, but my very favorite eBay seller has ‘older’ Mitsy extrait for $219 for 1 oz. Email me if you want her info.
Thanks, Julia!
Ooh, that would be awesome!
YES!! I love Laurie. We have had some email correspondence and she is working on a very vintage-y base I can’t wait to smell. I want to send her some of my vintage Shalimar and Jicky. I think she is also getting ready to start testing a new incense fragrance and I can’t wait. I’m getting ready to buy a back-up bottle of Femme Jolie and a purse spray to go along with it.
A new incense??? OMG—-I’m salivating! hmm…reminds me I haven’t been to her blog in ages…..
Never tried Habanita, but the description is promising.
Lutens Un Bois Vanille is a nice vanilla, I actually prefered it to the Guerlain’s one.
I’m off to check out that Tabac Aurea stuff, it sounds incredible!
I just accidentally got a sample of that one. It was very vanilla beeswax candle on me. Now, I love beeswax candles…but I don’t want to wear one. Serge and I just do not get along.
I like Une Bois Vanille, but I think I prefer Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille a little more. It is definitely worth a sample if you haven’t tried it. I also think PdN makes some of the best vanillas such as Vanilla Tonka and Vanilla Intense. Very reasonably priced, too.
i love fumerie turque for tobacco and sdv and bois de vanilla for vanillas
Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanilla is very nice, too. I think I prefer it to Havana Vanille.
SOTD today is Yves Rocher Voile D’Ambre. Bought it unsniffed after reading about it here, which is not much of a risk since it’s so cheap!
There is a moratorium on perfume buying for a little while – I got a little crazy, at least for me, with buying stuff on the ‘bay.
That’s a nice one. I hope they’ll do more in that Secrets range…
I really like Voile d’Ambre, too. Thanks for the reminder to get my mini out soon!
SOTD – CdG Carnation – a nice, spicy scent for our cold, cold weather today.
Last scent that I bought that I swore I wouldn’t – Kilian’s Back to Black. But I didn’t buy the overpriced packaging and scored the travel refill.
Last scent I resisted – hmm… not sure, as everyone well knows, my powers of resistance are next to none. Probably one of the various things that I’ve left sitting in my shopping cart at parfum1.
Cynthia W- I am awaiting my sample of CdG’s Carnation from luckyscent. I loved the notes listed in there.
CdG Carnation— only the most glorious carnation scent ever!!
Yes, yes it is. My second FB purchase of a “real” perfume was CdG Red-Carnation. Absolutely love it. The only carnation better is VINTAGE Bellodgia parfum. Honestly, don’t bother with the new one especially in the EdT. DSH Oeillets Rouge is also a beautiful carnation. L’Artisan makes one called Oeillets Sauvage, but there is nothing “sauvage” about it and it is hard to tell where you have applied it after about an hour. To be fair I was working from sample vials, so I never had the chance to give it a full spray.
a FB of CdG Carnation is #1 on my Xmas wish list – can’t get enough of it right now!
No SOTD. Just got a kitten at the weekend who doesn’t seem to like perfume so laying off for a few days. Hope he adapts quickly!
Congrats on the kitten!
Not like perfume??? Should have stuck to dogs…
No kidding! My Newfoundland loves it when I spray her with perfume because she is the most beautiful girl in the world and it only makes her prettier!
I hate to tell you what my yellow lab thinks makes great perfume….it leads to an immediate bath every single time….
I think my mutt and Daisy’s lab have to do some swaps.
Hi Rachel!
Hi Nina!
Carnation is on my Christmas list, too!
Hi Tama
THere is a French perfume store off of Union Square SF that has an exquisite carnation. I can’t remember the name of the vendor but they have many lovely scents-I tried their carnation and could smell it after a shower. It was deep lush and spicy. It comes in a red box, I think…..
Address please! I can definitely hit downtown SF sometime this season. A perfume boutique is just the draw, but I don’t want to wander around Union Square wondering “where, exactly. . .?”
Hi GGperfume
It’s Jacqueline Perfumery, on 103 Geary St between Stockton and Grant. The carnation perfume is in a red box, it’s a french company but don’t remember the name. When you walk straight thru the doors, it should be directly ahead of you on one of the top shelves.
The gentleman is very helpful, and he has LOTS of great stories about working with french perfumers from the industry. I love talking to him, I always learn so much.
It’d be fun to get together for a perfume trip sometime.
Let me know if you’re interested. I’m SFLizbeth on Makeup Alley.
Just saw your response today– thanks! I’m not on MUA yet, but whenever I finally sign up I’ll contact you and my other NST friends. I may be selling some items once I evalute my stash honestly.
SOTD: Cologne Pour le Soir layered with my sample of Havana Vanille.
I have been tempted to buy a FB of Havana Vanille for quite a while now, but I have already blown by budget for December…but I really really want it and it’s Christmas, right??
I never thought I would buy a celebrity fragrance, but I was having intense nostalgia for my freshman year of college the other day and impulsively bought Britney Spears Fantasy for $10. My roommate used to spray it every morning, and I would always wake up longing for cupcakes!
Random question: I’m accumulating a large collection of samples and right now I have them all in a basket and I can never find what I want! Does anyone have any suggestions on how to keep them organized?
Samples: I recently decided that I’m giving up on the small plastic craft boxes. I think the best system is probably snack-sized ziploc bags labeled by house or other category, and then storing all the ziplocs in some kind of nice box or small drawer.
Angela uses what I swear she would say was an ammo box. It’s perfect. I keep meaning to try to track down a military supply store to find one.
I remember seeing that suggestion many times here, lol!
Ammo boxes (for different gauge/diameter ammo) are good for decants, but not for tiny sample vials.
However, I recently saw lipstick holders like the one below and I may invest in several to replace the rigid perfume boxes and tops in which my decants now all stand upright:
http://housewaressolutions.com/Cosmetic-Organizer-24-Piece-Lipstick-Holder/M/B0009FHJUU.htm
That works pretty well for single vials–I did the lipstick holder thingie for a while. I’ve got all mine in the little 2×2 baggies, so I’m still holding out for the ammo case.
(I actually went to a Fred Meyer and a WalMart in the middle of the night a while back looking for one. No luck.)
I use ammo boxes for all my sample vials — you can get different calibers for each size imaginable, and you get to go to fun guns ‘n’ ammo shops! If you want to see lots and lots of scary white people wearing camo in one place, just take a trip to Cabela’s…
Natalie, as it so happens, I’m going away for the weekend, and the town I’m going to be in just happens to have a Cabela’s. Maybe I can take pictures while I’m there, and start a website like the “people of WalMart” website.
Ohh, people of wal-mart is great entertainment when the boss is away! Can’t stay there too long without getting nauseated by the state of the human race though…
My fiance is ex-military, so I will have him hook me up with some supplies. Thanks so much for all of the suggestions!
I use 5.25 inch square 81-well cardboard freezer boxes. They come in two- or three-inch high versions; those that are 2 inches high work well for the 1 ml vials, and those that are 3 inches high work well for slightly larger ones. Many biological supply companies carry them.
Biologix sells packs of 5 for $10 (and right now they’re having a buy one get one free sale), which is the least expensive price I’ve found (I didn’t do an exhaustive search), although I wasn’t thrilled with what they charged for shipping.
See http://www.biologixresearch.com/store/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=36&cat=Cryogenic+Freezer+Boxes–Cardboard#
Hey, those freezer boxes are cool and something I haven’t seen before. My problem is starting to be that I have so so many vials that I have trouble categorizing them… with a box like this I guess I could have a “Chanel corner”, “Floral corner”, or something like that.
Haha, I looked at those, but was too cheap at the time to buy them. Little did I know how many samples/decants I’d end up with! I think I posted some links on one of the old perfum storage articles. At the time, I was thinking of getting 4 different colors and organizing by season, but then…they’re so hard to categorize.
I organize mine alphabetically by perfume house (rows) and then by the name of the perfume within the house (going from left to right within a row); works well for me.
What really does me in, when I start to think about that, is how often I’d have to rearrange the boxes!
OMG!!! those are amazing….I’m going to have to have some!! Saving the site to go back and shop….thank you….you get an honorary enablers pin for this kind of thing!!!!
Thanks, Daisy. Coming from you, that’s high praise indeed
Wow, those are so neat. Sure beats my pull out the drawer, do an I’m-Sure-It-Was-Here-Somewhere rummage system.
umm, yeah….that’s mostly the system I’m currently using as well.
Oh wow, these are great! Thanks!
You’re welcome
SotD is Aomassai topped off with a sampling of Tobacco Vanille. I mean, one does not leave that lying about when it reaches one’s post box, now does one?
I am happy to report that I did *not* resist my latest temptation, and am now the owner of the glorious Mona di Orio Jabu. Yes, it came at the expense of frags that have been patiently waiting their turn in my wishlist forever, but this one completely skipped the rational part of my brain and went straight to “want”.
Congrats on your Jabu! Those bottles are so beautiful.
this blog is my new addiction! ive been reading all week trying to find some unique scents for my christmas list but i’m getting lost – you are all so knowledgeable about fragrance! At the minute i’m using a perfume oil (smells rahter like coco chanel!) i bought from a perfumer in Egypt but christmas perfume ads stir the consumer in me! I really want to smell some Ego Facto perfumes: Poo Poo Pidoo and Me, Myself & I! I also smelt DSquared’s Wood (? I think thats the full name ) today and its a bit too heady for me but a little bit different too i like it! I wish I could find some ego facto in Ireland but I suppose i’ll just have to go to Paris
x
Hi and welcome! Your perfume oil sounds like it might be more interesting than much of the new stuff on mainstream counters this year
haha thank you! it was a big emporium that ship a lot of their oils to perfume houses in europe – they did assure us chanel used their oil but I wouldn’t quite believe that – still it looks like i’ll never run out of it and it only cost about £15! Great site x
I would not believe it either, LOL…
SOTD the new Halston Woman. (I’m man enough for it!)
Question? I have an opportunity to go for Ferre’s Bergamotto Marino. Is it worth it? Any one else tried it??
I have not, but heard good things.
Hello everyone! Thank you Robin and commenters for making this blog so much fun and completely addictive! I’ve been reading for a good while, but now have to delurk to share happy news to any Swedish perfumistas out there: at Hermès in Stockholm you can now choose four different scents for your Hermessence travel set. I was there to get Jardin en Mediterrannee for my sister’s birthday, but ended up with Ambre Narguile, Rose Ikebana, Osmanthe Yunnan and Poivre Piquant instead. At about twice the price (1200 sek/about 170 USD) but I couldn’t resist it. Maybe this is old news, but I was so overwhelmed and had to share my happiness!!
Oh, wonderful! Congrats, those sets are lovely (love the little muslin bags, silly as it is).
Thanks, and yes those bags are lovely!
Congrats!
Can you now mix and match? I don’t think they allowed that in the past but there are a couple of Hermessences that I’d love to own in a smaller size.
Yes, mix and match as you like! Isn’t it great? The SA told me they changed the policy about a month ago, I don’t know if it applies everywhere in the world but guessing it should? I’m hoping to find someone to split a set with, I could certainly do with 2xOY come spring (and it soon will, no?).
Excellent news (not for the wallet but, y’know…), I’m going to investigate and see if they now do it in UK too. I’d also love OY for summer as well as Vetiver Tonka and a smaller size of Ambre Narguile to save me from having to take the large bottle when travelling.
Great news, Helle! Thanks for sharing.
Hi Helle,
I was in Hermes boutique here in Miami and they allow you to mix and match travel size bottles set. They cost $145. I would love to split it too. I want OY.
Darn, I recently bought a vat of OY from the Beverly Hills boutique because they said that you couldn’t mix and match. I felt like a big spender until I realized the guy next to me had racked up $10,000 worth of ties. Congrats on your find!
you did well!! I’m afraid to go anywhere near a Hermes boutique….I’m a sucker for great big bottles., and they’re sooooo spendy.
I’m in “luck” there, as there isn’t one anywhere near me, to my knowledge.
Probably Chicago…..but if it’s more than 50 miles I don’t consider it “in my area” either.
Yes, Chicago is the closest one I think, and that’s something like a 6 hour drive (guestimating).
That is lucky. I commute past Rodeo Drive every day now and it’s soooo tempting!
enjoy, halle and thanks for sharing
For the past few days of exceptional cold (for the SF Bay Area) my SOTD was either Bois de Paradis or Ta’if (Ormonde Jayne), plus one day of testing Coco (I’d never worn it before!) inspired by Angela’s post. It’s an amazing composition, but too much resin for me to wear comfortably. I felt as though I had been encased in a bar of divine Pear’s soap or was breathing God’s own Vicks Vaporub. Well worth experiencing, though.
Now that we’re back to milder temperatures I’m wearing Chanel no 5 parfum. It so suits my introspective mood on a quiet rainy day.
GGPerfume-isn’t the weather great!? The last few days, I’ve been wearing Coco or Magie Noire (vintage). Just heaven in cooler weather :~)
I’ve tried Magie Noir several times and just don’t get it. In fact, I usually wind up at the LUSH bar washing it off. Is the vintage that different? Basically I get an Aromatics Elixer smell followed by nausea. I’m guessing aldehydes since certain ones are a migraine trigger for me. Is the vintage less aldehyde-y? I want to love it, but am learning that I just can’t love some things.
Hi Julia
Oh it does sound like you’re sensitive to something in the MN. That’s a terrible reaction, esp. the nausea. Yes I think vintage makes a difference but I don’t know if there’s less aldehydes or not.
“God’s own Vicks Vapo-rub.” What a fascinating description!
I know! I want some.
I’m actually going to try wearing Coco next time I suffer chest congestion with a cold. At least I should be able to smell what I’m wearing, and it will probably make me feel better too.
Me too. Now I’m going to have to try Coco!
You had me at “encased in a bar of divine Pear’s soap”! Chanel ought to pay Angela a commission!
I already crabbed about this once today, but I got a bottle of the recently reformulated 10 Corso Como, and am SO disappointed! I need to remember that sniffing before buying includes old favorites.
Wearing Andy Tauer’s Incense rose today. What a lovely fragrance — and it’s lingering scent going on six hours, despite walking around in snowstorms here. At least I smell warm, even if I don’t feel it.
Tsetse- I also recently received the revised version of 10 Corso Como(Sorry, must be on an r kick today). Anyhow, since this was my first experience with this scent and I did not get to smell the original, I sadly had nothing to compare it to. I was not very pleased. For me, the rose was so dominating and in the middle, say about 5 to 10 minutes into it, it got a really tangy, sharp sweetness that suddenly disappeared. Strange. Robin had said the woods were not so nice. So right.
I’d see if you can return the bottle. Never hurts to ask, right? I’ve never smelled the original, but recently sampled the reformulated version and found it very, very sour. Not to my liking at all.
Fortunately, I only ordered the sample.
I had this happen with Antonia’s Flowers Tiempe Passat about a year ago: the new bottle smelled nothing like the old (and far too different for it to be mere variation, as opposed to reformulation). I did call them and they were very good about agreeing to take the bottle back. And then I decided I couldn’t part with it — it was still probably as close as I could get to what I wanted, and I just had a sentimental attachment to the idea of still owning me some Tiempe Passat. Now I’d better think hard about whether I’m similarly-weirdly attached to 10CC.
Anyway, thanks for the reminder that one can always try for the return — It certainly worked the one time I asked!
Oh, very sorry to hear that about TP!
Wow, 2 more weeks until Christmas. Let’s see. I am dying to find the vintage Halston from 1982 that I have been craving( actually I’ll take it anywhere from 1975 to 1982.) There is also a fragrance from Poland that I have been wanting to sniff.(A few really)
What’s the fragrance from Poland? This Polish girl needs to know! I had no idea we had anything exceptional in liquid form to offer besides vodka. (Not that that isn’t enough.)
Not to knock vodka, but Sok (blackcurrant juice) was pretty good too. Had it in 1990 during a university trip there; would love to go back. It was a beautiful place, and the people were so nice.
Mals- I am so jealous! Hope to go one day.
Miss Kitty- So sorry to take so long to get back to you. I knew we shared a connection! I am Polish as well. The fragrance is called Pani Walewska. According to the legend, it was created in memory of one of Napoleon’s mistresses, who was Polish and he happened to fall in love with her.(Oh, the power of us Polish gals!) You can find it @ Pol-Store.com, which specializes in everything Polish. They are out of Staten Island, NY. I e-mailed twice to find out what the notes were, if I could get a sample, or what it smelt like and got no reply. I did a little digging on my own and it is not an easy fragrance to track the composition of. I can’t recall what site it was, but I managed to find jasmine listed as one of the notes, with perhaps an overall powdery feel. I also have a perfume historian from the UK looking into it as well as another one called Narilla. There may have been others, but after WW2, they seemed to have disappeared. Evidently, PW is the most well known perfume from Poland. Wesolych Swiat!( Merry Christmas!)
LOL–birds of a feather! This is great information. I will have to check that out!
Hey you two… I’m returning to the motherland (New Jersey, not Poland) next week, but looking SO forward to everything I’m going to eat, especially makowiec, chruściki, placki, and pierogi. My relatives don’t do wigilia (almost all the old generation have passed), but I’d love to attend one sometime. Thanks for that polstore site.
I’m a Texan, born and bred, but I’ve lived all over the world (which is why my spelling is so inconsistant) and I LOVE New Jersey. I wish I was going there for a white Christmas this year. Even though I’m Jewish.
Hey Joe – Can I come over for dinner? Save some haluski & makowiec for me.
Perfumegeek: go for it! I also bought Jolie Madam unsniffed and love it. And it’s inexpensive if you buy it from one of the online advertisers (fragrancenet or Parfum1) especially now since they are all offering 10-20% discounts. SOTD: Cheap-n-Chic, and I’m about to buy Boucheron EDP for my mother and Terre d’Hermes for my nephew.
I recently got Jolie Madame unsniffed too and love it! A friend pointed out it smells like PdN Odalisque which is a connection I hadn’t made. I tried both at once and Odalisque is a little lighter/more floral but they are actually very alike (on me at least)… The JM is a little easier to come by though!
Awesome that you like it! I was going to spring for a sample but then as you said the price is really reasonable and I find it hard to resist. Why buy a couple of drops for 3-4 bucks when I can get the FB for 15?
Love the name of your SOTD! I bought Fresh’s Strawberry Flowers gift set from Sephora for my future mom in law.
SOTD is Hermes Eau des Merveilles. Hope it’s cool tomorrow so I can drag out the Fendi.
I’ll send you some cool! It was -4* here this morning. My crazy husband built a snow cave yesterday, and he and the 5 yr old spent the night in it. Brrrr. No thanks!
Boo! Whoa that’s the other side of cold. Hubby and son spent the night in the cave? That’s sure brave. Wonder what the inside temp was…. Thanks, but I’ll keep steady in the mid-40′s. I’m such a wimp.
LOL! Daughter, actually… daddy’s making sure she grows up tough. I think he said the research he did indicated that the inside temp wouldn’t be colder than 28? or was it 22? regardless of the outside temp. Still…no thanks!
sheeesh….I hope everyone’s toes were okay this morning!!!
And —I’ve been moaning about our 11 degrees here all day…now I feel a bit better that someone else is even colder!!! But a snow cave?
A SNOW CAVE???? your hubby might be crazy you know.
Daisy – I informed him of that likelihood last night at the dinner table. I also made it clear I didn’t entirely approve, and that he had better realize it was *only * being permitted because I trust his outdoor instructor background to know what he’s doing. AND that he had best not make me regret it. N said she was quite toasty though, and had a great time.
But that’s so sweet that your daughter had a nice time. That’s a memory she will treasure!
My dad wasn’t so adventurous, it was trips to the library for me (he was a teacher) but I loved going with him.
Spent the night in it!? Poor man’s Icehotel, I guess. lol
WOW. In the snow cave… all night…
The other morning when it was snowing, we got a call at 5 am from the sheriff’s office that someone had called to say that there were several cows on the four-lane highway near our place, and could we come look. The CEO stumbled out of bed and threw on his snow gear and boots to go and see, mumbling curses about the cold the entire time. (Turned out there were no cows anywhere on the road, and all of ours in the field closest to the road were lying down in a big huddle to keep each other warm, so it was very unlikely there ever WERE any cows on the road.)
My point, and I did sort of have one, is that there is NO WAY my husband would have slept outdoors in a snow cave. Yours must have a great sense of adventure.
The SOTD = Lyric woman….snifffffffff, ahhh…love this stuff…..
But the temptation that I’ve been resisting for almost a year—oh, you all stop laughing, yes I can resist…ok, maybe I got distracted…but I’m back to lemming it again : Divine L’Ame Soeur …..I wanted a bottle for valentine’s or birthday…or ANY special day, thank you very much….but it didn’t happen (don’t be sad, I”m quite sure I got something else fabulous, Ubar , I think) So anyhow, today I’m on the trail of L’Ame Soeur….anybody want some??? I do believe I’ll split half the bottle off…..
It is pointless to resist.
(I still haven’t smelled the L’ame Soeur.)
yes , resistance really IS futile…..and the proof? I’ll give you proof. How I know I should not resist my lemmings —if I had purchased this last year (yes, I totally caved and made the buy earlier today) the Euros would not have changed but the USD equivalent= $20 more now than 10 months ago!!!
Mals — it may take weeks to get here, but you know I’ll send you some.
See, perfume addiction also teaches you about the economics of international currency markets. Bonus!
Joe the Justifier…..
hey, that works for me!! I never knew anything about exchange rates….now I’m on top it all the time!!
My credit card was frozen after my first attempt to order samples directly from Frederic Malle in Paris. I had to call them, explain it, then go through a zillion purchases to make sure they were mine.
joe u r my kind of guy….we have to justify this indulgent obsession of ours…
Daisy, did you see that on Amouage website they have gift boxes of 6 miniatures now? A great way to get a bunch of different Amouages in one go, surely?
I’ve seen those!! They are so ADORABLE !!! still spendy, but very very cute! When it comes to Amouage I’m afraid that I’m less than spineless….my resistance level makes jell-o look strong….
I didn’t hear that, and my eyes are covered…
I know! I keep telling myself that the price per ml is even worse than usual and that I only really want two out of the lot – Dia and Jubilation. I’ve a bottle of Lyric already and I’m not desperate for the other 3. They ARE awfully cute though *sigh*
Cute, yes. But $300 worth of cute – I think not. Especially since I already have two of the scents with another on the way.
I think I need to borrow your budget…
Epic Woman is a decant, as is Gold (which I don’t have in my hot, little hands yet) and Jubilation 25 was one of those fantastic anniversary bottles – $50 on Amazon. Believe me, I can’t spring for the FBs of the Amouages. Well, I guess I could – if I were a signature scent gal. Or willing to put up with a lot more flack from the CEO.
I thinking that I maybe, might possibly get my budget under control next year – goodness knows that I couldn’t possibly wear all of the stuff that I already have. Thank goodness for decants and discounters.
1.
I always complain about acidic sport masculines à la Allure Sport, but I had a sample of Dior Higher Energy when it came out and when I smelled it again this week I got hooked. Is it the ginger? Tania Sanchez has ‘run out of things to say about these horrible sporty’ (Perfumes: The Guide, 2008). I feel guilty…
But hey, I just read it was created by Nathalie Gracia-Cetto (see below under 3.)!!
2.
But to make good: I bought YSL Rive Gauche Intense at TK Maxx really cheap. It’s my new favourite: quite different from the EdT which I also own and love. Rounder and much heavier on that wonderful, clean, bright patchouli note and less floral. And thank god no gourmand feel. The perfect ELEGANT spicy winter scent!
3.
Lacroix’s insolvency means, there is no chance for one of my favourite everyday standard scents Tumulte pour Homme to be re-released. I’m thinking about getting a third bottle to gain more time to find an appropriate replacement for this smoky cedar chant. I’ll miss that gorgeous laurel/juniper opening…
Nathalie Gracia-Cetto, please do it again for YSL and make them replace that awful “L’Homme”!
4.
Bought Hilfiger Girl (£9.90/30ml at superdrug) for my mum for Xmas… It’s so nice I’m thinking about keeping it for myself! Also got Yardley’s Lilly of the Valley for her. Atkinson’s has it for less than half prize (£4,95 instead of 13). I know she likes the actual flower in real life, but this one actually smells dull and bitter. Next time it will have to be Diorissimo…
It is a darned shame about Tumulte Pour Homme…don’t think it was a big seller for the brand though. I am rationing my bottle !
tooo bad about tumute..i like robin will ration my bottle
I was at a conference a few weeks ago and out of the nearly 2,000 people who came by our booth I smelled nothing but woods, woods, woods.
Was that bad?
Not bad at all, just interesting. Daisy is right, it could have been any number of things but it was an arrayed and surprisingly lovely forest of woods where in years past I have smelled Bath and Body Works, if anything at all. To quote The [American] Office, “How the turn tables.”
yeah…to put your experience in perspective just consider this: it could have been waves upon waves of marine-ozone-fruity-floral-raspberry-peach-melon (with an amber, vanilla, tonka, sandalwood,musk (white, gray, &dark) base!) did I mention the melon? oh and don’t forget the “sport” flankers of the above.
You forgot the pink pepper!
egad, you’re right!! I’m so ashamed.
SOTD is Attrape Coeur, I had a huge lemming for a while and finally got a sample. I find a lot of Guerlains hard to love but I love this one!
I’ve a question – I’m curious to try a bunch of fragrances, namely Bvlgari Black, Jolie Madame and Theorema but I can’t seem to find these in stores. Are they all discontinued or just tricky to find?
I’ve never seen Black in stores, but it’s easily available online. Theorema is discontinued, but still available at some of the discounters. No idea about JM.
Black’s easy to find online, I think, but Theorema is hard to find at a reasonable price. Jolie Madame (see up a little farther) has been recently reformulated, but the new is widely available at the discounters.
Thanks ladies! Yup, I’ve seen them online but I try not to buy things uniffed if I can test them in store at all.
I’m the same way…although I found a tester of Black for just over $20, so decided I’d spring for it. I like it, find it wearable, but don’t get the “weird” vibe people speak of at all. It’s just a nice tea scent on me.
Really? Tea? I love tea notes so I’ll definitely have to try it now!
Do you have a Sephora near you? They usually have the Bvlgari Black testers out – you have to look on the men’s side though.
Thanks! I don’t think there’s one in the area but I’ll double check just to be sure.
It’s so funny, I can get to all sorts of niche lines and exclusive collections and it’s the older mainstream releases that prove the trickiest to find.
well, I can’t help with JM or Bvlgari Black (hot bike tires on me) but I can send you a bit of Theorema. I’m daisylu on MUA.
oh–are you in the USA?
I see bvlgari black in stores everywhere. Sephora, Bloomingdales, Macys, Lord and Taylor
Its usually in the mens dept by the way. You probably wont have any luck finding it with the womens perfumes.
I’m in UK but you know, it never occurred to me to look in the men’s section. I’m going to do just that next time I’m in town. Thanks!
oops, I see you are in the UK — shipping a tiny vial would probably be silly…….somewhere there was a discounter that had Theorema minis for 50% off…..naturally now I can’t remember who it was.
Thanks for the offer nonetheless, that’s very kind. I think I remember some online discounter selling miniatures of Theorema so if it’s discontinued then I’ll just hunt down one of those instead.
I think it was Rei Rien.
I checked both when I was looking…still no luck. That said, the scent selection in the stores here seems to be getting smaller and smaller. Guessing the recession is to blame.
Yup! Plus with SO many new releases, I guess the stores have to prioritise the space.
Sad, I’d much rather be able to buy the tried and tested classics than yet another generic release that smells the same as a million other things.
WHERE are these marvelous L&Ts? (I tried Black at Sephora and bought my bottle on teh Bay, but….) My mother is in the habit of giving me L&T gift cards for Christmas–much appreciated, but the DC-area stores’ fragrance selections leave something to be desired.
i live in laurel md, and its maybe a 45 min commute max to Chevy Chase or even to Tysons Corner Va. That will give you access to Saks, Neiman marcus, Bloomingdales, Lord and Taylor. The following have stores or boutiques in one of the 2 places: Gucci, Bvlgari, Dior, Chanel, Ferragamo, Van Cleef & Arpels, Burberry, to name a few.
SOTD = Epic Woman. Does it smell like OJ Woman to anyone else out there? I do like it very much, but I love Jubilation XXV more.
Thing is, I held out my wrist for my boyfriend to smell and he said, “Wow, what is that? Let me smell it again.” And he *never* says that when made to sniff my perfume explorations. So, I’m all about smelling like one wants to smell, but it was nice, for once, to have him swoon for a perfume. Why, why can’t he swoon for the things I do??
Anyone face a similar conundrum?
Epic Woman reminds me a lot of OJ Ta’if – a spicy rose. I prefer Epic because I find that Ta’if can be a touch jarring at times but both are very nice indeed.
Yes Janjan, I feel your pain. Pretty much everything I get my wife to smell is met with a wrinkled nose and a shake of the head. The only scent that got the thumbs up was Philosykos which she said was ‘stunning.’. Oh well, one out of 250 ain’t too bad. LOL
SOTD is Bond No. 9 Bryant Park. It seems a bit of an odd choice for our bitterly cold weather (we just had a winter storm pass through), but there’s something about this scent that goes well with the cold, the tartness and patchouli.
My favorite of late is CdG Daphne — lovely! And I’ve also been enjoying Etat Libre d’Orange Noel au Balcon.
I’m also loving the CdG Daphne. It even took some of the edge off my Amouage lemmings…!
Daphne is such a great cold-weather scent, I think!
I’m test driving CdG Daphne for the first time today. I like it. I don’t know yet if it is FBW since I already have a FB of Minuit Enchante (incense-y floral/gourmand w/tuberose), and the queen of tuberose, Fracas. I really like it, though. A few more wearings and I will decide between Daphne and Carnal Flower as FB purchases. I’m betting Carnal Flower will win and I will purchase a large decant of Daphne.
So you find Daphne similar to Minuit Enchante? That’s another one I’ve been dying for but haven’t tried. Would you say they are similar in smell, or in concept?
Mostly concept I think, but I’ve only worn Daphne once. They are both incense/floral/woodsy fragrances, but Minuit Enchante is more of a spicy gourmand and Daphne is more floral and I love tuberose. Daphne is stronger, has more sillage and excellent staying power. I sprayed on two or three sprays from my 2.5ml sample around noon yesterday, and I can still smell it this morning at 9:15. I find that Minuit Enchante fades pretty quickly on me.
SOTD: Une Rose Chypre…next to last spray left!
Hope you entered the Advent draw for the day over on Andy’s blog!
I sure did!
Your package should be arriving today.
Yay! Think I can pass it off as a gift for my husband’s birthday? He must like for me to smell good, right?
It’s heeeeeeeeeeere! Thanks again!
am thinking this must be a try fume for me…in the future
Wearing a fuzzy, lilac & silver sweater today – it was feeling like a “Drole de Rose” day today!
Perfect! I love Drole de Rose when I’m feeling all soft and girlie. It always puts a smile on my face!
Oh, haven’t worn it in ages, and I should!
Oh! I had a match-the-sweater day, too! Put on my pale green one, and just reached for the Amaranthine decant. It worked well!
I’ve got a question-has anyone tried AT’s Un Rose Chypree? I’m a fan of rose/chypres. Any thoughts on lasting power/sillage?
tx
IT’S AMAZING.
It’s got a number of fans here. Lasting power is pretty good on me, probably 5-6 hours and I have scent-eating skin; also, I don’t apply much. Sillage is quiet, but I’d say rather dense from the skin out about 6-8 inches – it’s neither an elevator-clearer nor a skin scent, but does’t radiate much. (On me, that is. And like I said, I probably underapply.)
I think it’s beautiful; it’s got enough ambery labdanum in it to keep it on the right side of chypre for me. At the same time, it didn’t grab me emotionally and I didn’t feel like I needed more than my sample.
That sounds lovely, I like amber & Labdanum, in addition to the mossy/rose/leather chypres.
Love this one…it’s almost edible, it’s so good. As far as sillage/lasting power: it’s a powerhouse on me. My skin usually eats through top notes and gets right to the base, but not with this one. A little dab lasts all day and projects quite well.
Yes, Rose Chypree is a major powerhouse. A tiny dab is about it for this one – I think its a major sillage fragrance.
I’m not sure I need more than a big sample, but it’s really nice and lasts forever. It’s a truly luxurious scent — I think on one thread around here we decided it felt like wearing a mink coat lined with $100 bills.
Smokey, I think we need to do a meet-up after Christmas to sniff stuff and I can give you a bit then. I love it and have been an advocate of it since I won samples in last year’s Tauer Advent.
I’m Tama over on MUA , too.
That sounds like a great idea, would love to meet up. I’ll shoot you a line on MUA, btw, I’m SFLizbeth on MUA.
SOTD is my sample of Alahine parfum. It’s gorgeous, but I think I like the edp better — good thing, because the edp is waaaay cheaper than the parfum. I bought a bottle of edp on Cyber Monday, with a coupon, so that’s what The CEO is giving me for Christmas. Other scents of the week were Tocade, Parfum Sacre, and Vanille Tonka… I love cold weather!
I am doing a giveaway drawing for one of my “I don’t love these” minis over on my blog; hope it’s okay to mention that. I’m back to blogging now that NaNoWriMo is over.
what is your website? i’m intrigued…
here’s Mals’ site:
http://musesinwoodenshoes.blogspot.com/
You could also just click on her screen name…it will take you straight there.
Well – Yea! – I didn’t even know you had a blog. You’re now bookmarked.
Anyone know what happened to Chandler Burr’s Scent Notes Blog? He sort of dropped off the planet over the summer. I keep checking back periodically to see if he’s reviewed anything new, but no digs. Thanks!
This is a funny piece by Nathan Branch that sort of answers your question:
http://www.nathanbranch.com/2009/11/where-in-the-world-is-chandler.html
Thanks! Nathan’s post was barely readable, but I think I got the gist. : )
Ah, yes… the one that quoted some of us. Ahem. My eyes almost shot out of my head when I saw that. Then I remembered my real name isn’t attached and relaxed a little.
Purchased my FIRST SL Bell bottle. Rahat Loukoum…15ml juice left. Too bad it wasn’t Iris Silver Mist. Speaking of Iris…loving my new bottle of VC&A Bois d’Iris.
Does it make you drool?? I swear, it is so darn delicious smelling I can barely get my nose off of my wrist….I’m sure everyone is absolutely disgusted and thinking I have a runny nose….nose to wrist, great big sniffing noises….oh well, at least it encourages people to leave me alone during this cold and flu season!
But Rahat is wonderful, congrats!
congrats…lucky u
I thought i found a great boutique that has a number of niche lines , all of which i want to try(Ineke, MPG, Ulrich Lang, Eau de Italie). Ive been there twice, in Nov and yesterday, and both times they had a sign that they were closed for the whole week. Its Christmas season, for christs sake! I dont understand this place, but they irritate me now, because its at least an hour drive.
sheesh, You’d think this is EXACTLY when they’d want to be open EXTRA!!! Stick a note somewhere with their phone number and call before you make the drive next time. I know you’re annoyed and want to say “forget you guys!” but how can you resist all that niche???
Wow, that’s really weird.
Oh, I don’t know…perhaps they’re foreign. It’s only here, after all, that shops are open at all hours, every day, and 4 weeks of personal leave a year is seen as generous. I went back to my college town for a funeral a few years ago, and tried to stop in at my favorite Lebanese place, only to find a sign on the door that they were closed for a month while they traveled back home.
True!
OK, I swore I would never buy anything from Serge Lutens, because I find him a pretentious git, but here I am wafting clouds of Gris Clair, courtesy of a decant from the lovely Miss Kitty! Hoo boy, is it ever more powerful sprayed than dabbed, but still gorgeous.
I just got back from a trip to Venice that was utterly fantastic — acqua altas and all — but no scent purchases. I stopped by a SM Novella shop, an Yves Rocher shop, and a few others, but not a single one of them had so much as a blotter strip, so to hell with them! And honestly, the exchange rate is so dismal — and everything there is so expensive anyway — that I doubt I would have found any deals.
Has anyone here smelled the new LAP Al Oudh? I’d love hear any impressions of it…
I tested it at Barneys last week. They had a small tester but no bottles for sale yet. It was more cumin than anything else on me. The cumin gave it a nice skank level but I found myself wishing the cumin would get out of the way a bit for the rose/aoud to come through…
Ah, Natalie… Venice! I’m totally living vicariously through your mention of it. I’d love to get back there again… but you’re right, it’s almost too expensive to buy anything.
Even in the off-season it’s jaw-droppingly expensive, and I swear the prices got jacked up even higher when they switched to Euros. To make matters worse, the Italians are so darn good at displaying their wares that I found myself buying things I normally wouldn’t just because they looked so tempting in the shop window!
And one of the things I like almost as much as perfume is art glass. ACK!
Glass can get you in serious financial trouble, especially in Venice/Murano. My father loves the water glasses at a snazzy Venetian restaurant; it turned out they were by Carlo Moretti, and I thought it would be nice to get him a few for Christmas… At 90 euros a pop, however, he’s getting exactly ONE of them!
Thank you! I’m really on the fence about many his creations and I don’t really feel like worshipping at his feet. There are so many things out there to love, but then there is Santal de Mysore…. Arrrgh.
Today I wear L’Artisan Havanna Vanille from a sample. It is raining all day and I needed some “sunshine”.
Hope that worked!
Well it didn’t stop raining, but for my mood it was good
Forgot to add that for all of you mourning the loss of LAP’s Orchidee Blanche, the new Cologne pour le Soir from Kurkdjian is definitely worth a sniff — it was very reminiscent of that lovely sweet powderiness.
Thanks — will try to remember that for the next person that asks.
I need help- do any other Aussies ( or anyone else) know of a company that will ship, full bottles of niche fragrances to Aust? I ordered a 100ml bottle of my new fav-CdG Red Carnation, and was told that they couldnt ship to Aust. Some do, some dont! But which will?? Help please.
Need to ask. Australia oder Austria?
Sorry- no Australia. We have very strict shipping rules!
If you are from Austria you could try at first-in-fragrance (ausliebezumduft) or essenza nobile. You can contact them at their homepage.
If you come from Australia, sorry I could not give you an address
Luckyscent? I’ve not tried it yet b/c the postage is v. expensive but they say on the site that they ship internationally. I have my eye on a bottle of Le temps d’une fête from them, once I’ve recovered from Xmas.
The site i originally ordered it from also said that they ship internationally but then, due to our strict shipping rules, they couldnt send it! very sad!! It was a Christmas present- to myself!
I think that here in UK http://shop.lessenteurs.com/ will ship worldwide. I also think that they have more in store than what’s listed on the website so if you are after something specific then it’s always worth shooting them a quick email.
You could try beautyencounter, they ship internationally, though at a price!
Hi Debbie, I know that Kleins perfumery in Melbourne stock a fair few of the CdG line (not sure about Carnation though). They’ve got a web site and ship all over Australia (www.kleinsperfumery.com.au). Hope this helps.
Thank you-looking it up now!!!.
Latest Marshall’s find: Joy EdT, 50 ml, for $39.99. Only one bottle hiding among the celebrity scents at my local Marshall’s, but good hunting to everyone at other branches.
One of my sisters doesn’t like the latest reformulation of Arpège and is looking for a replacement. What would you all suggest?
Wow, great buy!
And don’t know…sounds like a candidate for the Monday mail?
Arpège and Chanel No. 5 were the only two perfumes I can remember our mother wearing. My other sister is sticking with Chanel, but she only wears Coco.
I gave Andra some samples from The Perfumed Court. She has the taste to admire Mitsouko and LHB, but hasn’t declared undying attachment to either.
I had at least two samples of DelRae’s Mythique but couldn’t make up my mind about it because although it was pretty, it also seemed so light. However, I kept getting drawn back into trying it again and again. I finally bought a FB which arrived yesterdayand today I am wearing it. It is so much more beautiful when sprayed on. I’m happy I purchased it!
YAY! congrats on your new bottle! Mythique is a gorgeous iris. I’ve only dabbed the scent on…so it’s even better sprayed ? I was thinking about that one when Beautyhabit was having that yummy 20% off….but bought Inekes instead. Hopefully in a few months…when poor miss piggy bank is out of intensive care…they’ll have another fab coupon.
Daisy, Mythique is so much more beautiful when sprayed. I love it! I also like a few of the Ineke fragrances and bought Field Notes from Paris and Evening Edged in Gold. Which one did you buy?
Hi Filo, I ordered the After My Own Heart (lilacs) for my daughter, and Field Notes From Paris for the CEO (yeah, right) –they told me the Field Notes was out of stock but would be in soon…rats!
I also got a bottle of Ginestet Botrytis (for me) so that’s why I couldn’t put Mythique in the the basket as well….pennies all spent! Next time a discount rolls around we should talk about splitting a bottle.
I bought the “Field Notes from Paris” and “Evening Edged in Gold”. I had some financial problems and couldn’t buy a thing from May until November, but I’ve sure made up for it. If a good deal comes up I’d love to do a split, if I have any money left.
I’m curious to hear from people who were foolish enough, like me, to have bought one of those huge bottles from Chanel’s Les Exclusifs range. Does anyone think they will get through the 200 mls in their life time? I’ve made hardly any impression on my bottle of Bel Respiro, much as I like it. Is Chanel going to cave in and bring some of these out in smaller quantities? Has this rather silly experiment paid off for Chanel I wonder?
Hard to believe but I’ve used up half a bottle of Coromandel…think I bought it the year the Exclusifs came out. A bit worrying…
Nah, that shows true commitment. Well done.
I’ve 31 Rue Cambon and I love spraying with abandon
There’s something very satisfying about that big chunky bottle with a magnetic cap.
Min you, while I enjoy trying a lot of fragrances, I like to have a very small collection of full bottles so I do get trough them. I’d probably struggle if I owned a lot of bottles and decants.
I luvs me a great big honkin bottle of les exclusifs! I have 31 Rue Cambon (HG and love to spray with abandon) and Bois des Iles again more spraying with abandon. Once you’ve established that you have “enough” —maybe you want to consider selling a couple 10-20ml splits?
OK, really dumb newbie question that I’ve been dying to ask: How the heck to you decant from these? The Annick Goutal bottles easily unscrew, so I’ve figured that out. But the Chanel and most other bottles I have are sprays without an obvious (at least to me) way to crack them open without, well, cracking them open.
Do you want the ugly truth? >:D You just have to transfer it one spray at a time. Some spray nicely and you can go straight to the bottle; others (like Lubin Idole!) are more of a disaster in waiting, and require the use of a funnel to catch the spray.
true that! There is just something evil about that Lubin Idole spritzer! I must have sprayed my eyeball a half dozen times or more! And as interesting as the bottle is—it was darn hard to hold and spray spray spray ack! my eye! ……I certainly hope all my splittees appreciate my sacrifice….
See, I’m working up to the whole splitting, swapping thing – the next logical step in the fragrance obsession transformation.
And here I thought there was some magic perfumista magic trick. Thanks for letting me in on Decanting: The True Story
Daisy – the bottle was ridiculously wide and hard to hold. I wound up holding it against my midsection and spraying w/my thumb… think I’d have had carpal tunnel otherwise, and I only did one bottle! And yes… for the first time in awhile, I was awfully glad I wear glasses!
ScentRed, in case it helps, here is our decanting article:
http://www.nstperfume.com/2007/03/29/perfumista-tip-how-to-decant-perfume/
oh, i think i am reaching that stage….but i have to figure the whole mua thing out and a problem is that i live in hk
I’ve got a six month old bottle of sycomore that I like to spray with abandon as well. love me a good dousing of sycomore! i’m not too concerned about using it up either. though i may be persuaded to make decants at some point.
Yeah, I have the opposite problem. I did a Coromandel split, and every time I look at the bottle I think, “Oh, where did you go? You were once so big and beautiful, you poor, empty thing, you!” Then again, I still haven’t used it. Not once.
Yeah, you express it well. Psychologically, if in no other way, it is wonderful to have that lovely big of luxury bottle sitting there.
For 31 Rue Cambon I make do with a decant. It’s a mean little thing and it would be great to have it in a beautiful Chanel bottle. But I can use 31 RC only sparingly because I find it very rich. I’d go a 100mls if Chanel would bring it out in that size, but 200mls? Nah …
I wondered/worried about this too but, like others, love my big vat of Bois des Iles and the freedom to spritz at will without any fear of running out. To me it’s the epitome of luxury and I’m nearly embarrassed by the pleasure I derive from its’ excess. Nearly…
SOTD – my new Crazy Libellule l’Olfactive 129, which was one of my first fragrance fall-in-loves when I first started on this blog. It is just warm fruity florally basic thing with a gorgeous dry-down but it makes me happy for some reason. It’s more for spring, but it’s new and I have wanted it a long time!
Just bought Tokyo Milk Poe’s Tobacco unsniffed and it is pretty cool – very green – not the warm tobacco I quest. But I like it.
Found a bottle of That Slut Tocade for $15 at TJ Maxx – thank you to Daisy for the sample so I would know to pick it up! It does quite nicely on me after the first kind of odd blast.
Theorema is on my wish list for Christmas, as is the aforementioned CdG Carnation, and Farmacia ss Annunziata Aurora (2nd year in a row for both of those – if I don’t get them I’m buying them).
Almost bought Back to Black, but am waffling. I might get the travel refills and just get a $5 spritzer for it.
Time for lunch!
Oh, hope you will get some Theorema! I want everyone to have a bottle before it finally disappears.
And I need to try more Tokyo Milk scents.
TM Ex Libris is a terrific scent that must be tried. Anyone who loves Philosykos should at least like it. A café/shop near me stocks the line and I think most Anthropologies have them also?
Yeah, I need to start adding Anthro to my sniff route.
Was at Anthropologie last night — they had exactly 2 TM testers. Drat.
Interesting…I don’t get a similarity to Philosykos, but rather to Un Jardin En Mediterranee and to Miller et Bertaux’s #3. But agree it is a great little scent, and it’s on the to-buy list after winter is over.
Look: http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m38.l1313&_nkw=Shalima&_sacat=See-All-Categories
Oops, I meant to reply to the comment about finding misspelled perfumes on ebay. Sorry, I’m still learning…
That’s ok! You can leave another comment up there directing them here if you want…
I tested Idole by Lubin yesterday-not sure if it’s love or not. I got dry/incense and woods, with a touch of spice. I was hoping for more spice and leather. Have to give it another go, perhaps on a day when it’s a little warmer.
I also have a sample of Straight to Heaven By Killian. Hope to try that out over the weekend. But for that price, I don’t know if it would be full-bottle worthy.
Have your scrubber remedy at the ready! I know a lot of people love it, but I’m walking proof that it can go VERY wrong on some. It smelled like the morning after an overindulgent night at a dive bar on me. ugh.
Thanks for the heads up! Good to know that can happen, so I do have my non-scented deodorant at the ready…. just in case.
Straight to Heaven smelled great on my honey. I think it’s definitely in the love it or hate it category.
I tried By Killian last night. Hated it. Immensely. Had to scrub it off immediately. I haven’t had a reaction like that in a long time.
By Kilian hasn’t made a single thing that wow’s me….in fact the only one that was even vaguely “decant-able” was Cruel Intentions…I think that was it….had an iris note….anyhow, the rest were pretty close to scrubbers. Money saved! YAY!
Hmm, now I’m going to start watching your comments more closely. Always on the lookout for a scent twin!
Well, I was just working an estate sale; guess who just got severl (maybe 15?) vintage samples, including Chloe parfum, Kouros, Caron Nocturnes and Infiniti, something hilariously named Extra Strength Cologne, a Guerlain that was called Imperial something-or-another that smelled of limes, and an Escada. I was underwhelmed with Kouros: it wasn’t as pungent as I was hoping. And it dried down to that dryer-sheet accord that I’ve been finding a lot. Nocturnes was nice (a little bit too muted) but dries down to that dreaded snuffed candle. More testing is required, or course.
And I went to my local niche perfume store and acquired samples of CdG’s new Standard and Bois 1920 Come La Luna. Standard is nice but it smells so much like there’s something missing. There’s a big ole hole right in the middle, waiting for the stronger woods or herbs or whatever to come back from it’s smoking break. And Come La Luna has the best top notes I’ve ever smelled. Ever. Unfortunately, two hours in, it goes to dryer sheets. Maybe it’s different sprayed. I wish it were cheaper so that I could spray whenever it strikes my fancy.
That’s that. =P
At least it sounds like you’ve had an interesting week or so.
and yeah, I hate that dryer sheet accord too….not that it smells “bad” , it just smells like dryer sheets, which are like $6 for 200 !!!
Oh, excellent find, congrats!
I just read in a magazine the Hugh Grant likes Chanel Cuir de Russie… I think he’s even more hot now!!!
Nice! I can picture that.
Hello Everybody, I’m a new girl, (pleeeeeze be nice to me) have been a reader for a while now and decided to just jump in. Today I got a goody box from ReiRien which contained, among other things, EL Tuberose Gardenia. It’s definitely love at first sniff! Thanks to Daisy for first pointing me in their direction, since that site has never come up on any search I’ve made.
ahhh, super enabler hard at work….lol
Reirien is really new, but they have a lot of really interesting stock and generally good prices—now if they would just give us a big juicy coupon code…..
So a goody box, huh? and you’ve already found something to love, that’s great! Now go get yourself a nice big perfume cabinet and join us in our collective addiction!
Welcome Cassie! But my gosh, Daisy is enabling people she doesn’t even know! Now that takes talent!!
what can I say? It’s a gift….
now I just need to lure her into some of my splits…..Cruel Gardenia, Philtre d’Amour, Derby, L’Ame Soeur…bwahahahahahaha!
Hi & welcome! Now you need to try all the other tuberoses…Fracas, Carnal Flower — or have you already?
Hi Robin, yes have tried Fracas, and though it’s lovely it hasn’t got that ‘ooomph’ factor for me, it strangely disappears quite quickly. Have been wearing JPG Fragile for a few years now, and nearing the end of the bottle, and am finding it hard to track down. Hopefully it’s not discontinued, as I would be v sad to see that go. Coincidentally, I was on FM site yesterday – just having a look – may have to revisit it soon. . . wellllll it is almost Christmas, and as they say in the L’Oreal ads “I’m worth it”
Here you go. Excellent price, although I did not comparison shop at all (was just checking to be sure it’s still around)
http://www.beautyencounter.com/3423470391213.html
Hi and welcome Cassieflower. I love your gorgeous dog avatar. So cute!
yes he is so cute…how do u do the avatar thingy? i am so technically impaired
http://www.gravatar.com
SOTD: SL Douce Amere – nice but nothing I have to own.
The last item I passed up was Tocade, my last unsiffed buy was Cabaret – like it but would rather want to smell it on a guy. I thought it would help with my Lyric cravings – no luck.
My current obsession is Parfum Sacre. I am stalking the NYC store where they have the actual extract. I am reading how wonderful the Caron parfums are and how superior they are compared to the EDPs. I need to go on a Caron binge to try the whole range.
Did I give you any other Carons to try? If not, I can. Although it sounds like you’re doing a fine job on your own.
Yes, Miss Kitty started me on the Carons and I also have the Aimez-Moi. Which I love.
Parfum Sacre in EXTRAIT!??? I adore Parfum Sacre…
love douce amere at the right moments!!
Sotd = CdG Daphne.
Most recent purchases – Sonoma Scent Studio Femme Jolie and Winter Woods.
What I’m after – Vol de Nuit parfum, or vintage Jicky extrait. Maybe Ormand Woman or L’Air du Desert Morocain, too.
Oh, I want vintage Jicky extrait too!
Today I’m wearing L’Artisan’ Dzongkha, as recommended by Belle (thanks, Belle!). For me, the scent evokes what I imagine a Buddhist temple in a distant land to be like, with the air heavily perfumed with incense and tea leaves. Only fitting that I am so drawn to this scent, as I’ve been drinking so much tea lately (I’m obsessed with Rishi tea, has anyone ever heard of it?). I’m in love.
Hi Bookgirl. I haven’t tried that tea, but I sure love Dzongkha!
SOTD – Mitsouko edp b/c it is so cold and dreary here. I just love the stuff! My big news is I was very good to myself and bought some 25 oz Shalimar extrait for Xmas. It is so deep and intense! I can only say that this is one of two fragrances that I own that I wanted just as much to have the bottle. I’ve been dreaming about finding similarly shaped bottles at junk and antique shops for the past two months!
Wonderful! Remember to deepen your voice and say “HO, HO, HO!” as you hit the “buy it” button— that way it counts as a Christmas present (at least that’s the theory I’m actively promoting) and no one (particularly husbands) are supposed to ask how much you spent on presents, right? Because that would be rude, right???
The Shalimar bottle is so beautiful!
I confess that I picked up an empty Chamade bottle recently – the small parfum one in crystal – and put my Chamade pdt in it. Just for “pretty.”
When some sad day, my Chamade extrait is empty, I too plan on filling it with some of the edt that I have…. I wish they still made the tiny .25 oz of the Guerlain parfums… I would love to have that tiny bottle. That is one of the reasons I went ahead and bought the small Shalimar extrait – I figure one of these days they won’t make the tiny size anymore and then what will I do? It is so cute! I am waiting for a special occasion to wear it – it is so dramatic!
SOTD is Eau de gentiane blanche on the right arm and Un Jardin En Mediterranee on the left. Ask me why I did that? Just wanted to try something different. Plan to buy Iris 39 this weekend and looking for an outstanding men’s fragrance for my husband. Any suggestions?
Since you’re on a Hermès kick, I can’t recommend Terre d’Hermès enough for a man. I can go on and on with the list, but Timbuktu is also great.
this is the BEST fragrance on my husband..anytime/anyplace and i never find anything wrong with it…it always smells perfect…i love jubilation xxv on him but so many times,it is tooooo much! (better keep it for me)
LOL , I also have a number of fragrances for my CEO….strangely enough they somehow (it’s a mystery) have ended up in MY perfume cabinet….oh well….I wouldn’t want them to go to waste….
My CEO is getting Timbuktu for his Christmas stocking stuffer….
He actually prefers it over L’Air du Desert – says the lightness makes it more wearable.
Ormond Jayne Zizan is fabulous, it wafts around in the background, and every now and then it gives out a little blast of citrusy zest. One of few men’s fragrances that I find irresistible.
Hi Perfumlaydee
How about Le Labo’s Rose 31? It’s fantastic on men or women. The staying power is excellent.
SOTD is Donna Karan Gold which warms me on these cold, snowy days. I also spritzed a bit of Chaos when I arrived home from work and they played very nicely together.
What I thought I’d buy but didn’t – Les Epices de la Passion ( thank you Robin for being a voice of reason). What I still might buy, but am conflicted about: Chaos. I LOVE it. But this is the only fragrance that made dear hubby say “Ew. Uh-Uh”. What to do. What to do…
Gold is beautiful, isn’t it? And not too light for winter, either.
Giorgio! And I like it!
I kind of liked that one. (Go easy on the spray, wouldja? It’s pretty unless you bathe in it.)
Oh of course. I don’t want to upset people, contribute to climate change, or cause any other disturbance.
SOTD – Vol de Nuit parfum. Aaahhhhh…….
Lemming that I’ve managed to stave off: cobalt blue lantern bottle of Guet Apen.
Scent I bought that I swore I wouldn’t: Samsara (vintage edp) – go figure! I’m a Guerlie Girl, but there is a limit.
Cobalt blue lantern bottle you say?? Now I want one!
Feast your eyes, although I’m sure you’re like me and won’t hit the Buy Now button just to get that beautiful bottle when you can get Attrape Coeur at the Guerlain boutiques for about half that.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140365829508&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_1110wt_1062
Oh, how lovely — thanks for the link! Yeah, nothing would make me buy it but it’s nice to look at.
Rapple, have you tried Parure by Guerlain? What did you think?
oh dear..i was also leamming that beautiful cobalt blue lantern…and so many other fragrances on e-bay….i think the best thing, is to not go there for another few months!!!! to much restraint needed!!!
SOTD The gourmand something from les elixers (guerlain) yum, yum, yum…wish it were a candle . Will definately test it again
I bought Chloe edp INTENSE(with the black ribbon) on first sniff and am really enjoying it. The others didn’t really grab me at first sniff!
Have a Happy Chanuka and enjoy the weekend everybody
I’ll tell you what I told Rapple —that’s a LOT to pay for a pretty blue bottle!!!!
but it’s soooooo beautiful!!!oh well. lucky for dreams
It’s a siren call isn’t it, HGMom? I did let Daisy talk me out of it though I came pretty close.
This must be the strangest scent experience I’ve had in a while.
I just happened to bruise my knee while wearing Ambre Sultan, and while putting on some Red Flower Oil(a chinese herbal remedy containing turpentine, chili oil, clove, cinnamon, citronella…etc in a oil base), it magically weaved in with the sweet ambery sillage and turned out divinely sweet-herbal-salty-aromatic.
I thnk I am actually liking this…lol
The Red Flower Oil sounds pretty good to me on its own! lol
Try mixing just a bit of them in a sample vial….test it out and let us know….you could be the next Indie sensation.
SOTD – Passage D’Enfer. It wears off within a few hours though, so I brought my Ta’if to ‘change into’ for this evening!!
Scent I was holding off on buying, but couldn’t resist……Muscs Koublai Khan. Well – the purchase was utterly understandable, really. It became available in the Export range, so naturally the opportuntity had to be seized.
Scents I am holding-off on and managing to keep at arms length…….Bois Farine and Champaca. I will eventually cave-in and get me some, as I find them so utterly luscious.
Recent sample sensations…..La Myrrhe and Encens et Lavande. The Encens was so-so. It felt a little like wearing Reverie au Jardin’s less vibrant little sister. But La Myrrhe totally blew me away! It is so pungent and epic. It wore ME rather than the other way around, which I loved. It was the most interesting scent experience I’ve had for a long, long time. Thanks Monsieur Lutens!!
I adore La Myrrhe – I think it’s another one of those love-hate scents. A lot of people complain about it smelling medicinal, but I think that’s why I like it. It smells like a salve my mom used to put on all my boo-boos when I was little; the salve is VERY strongly scented and instantly identifiable – it contains, among other things, camphor, clove oil, and myrrh.
OTOH, I didn’t think I needed a whole bottle of it – for one thing, it’s hugely spendy (nonexport), and I’m only infrequently in the mood to wear it. And yes, it “eats my head,” as I say about any fragrance that absorbs my attention when I wear it.
That’s a great descriptive phrase – ‘it eats my head’! And a perfect way to describe La Myrrhe. I do find it very medicinal and heady as well, which as you say, renders it unsuitable for regular use! I wouldn’t ever spring for a bell jar. It’s very beautiful though, and I really admire it and enjoy wearing it. I’m going to force it upon my male flatmate to see how it smells with testosterone-heavy chemistry! (I found that Muscs Koublai Khan completely transformed on his skin, and was much better than on mine!)
This month i only wear Rose, perfume by Bulgarska Rosa Karlovo. Even though this is a local perfume (I don’t know the proper term, it is not niche, nor indie), it is a subtle and darling, refreshing-green Rosa damascena scent, one of the products of the biggest producer of roses in the world.
It sounds gorgeous! It is hard to find a really beautiful, true rose. I use the Bulgarian Rose essential oil in my aromatherapy practice – so many healing uses.
I’ve taken to wearing my parfum extrait of Cacharel’s “Lou Lou”, again. The one in the little blue flacon with the tassel, that comes in a box well-designed for spilling it. If that stuff ever knocks over or the bottle breaks, it’s been nice talking with you guys! No need to embalm my body.
LOL!
Wild excitement: I “get” Fendi Theorema! I smell what all the fuss is about! Finally!
(At least, I smell something worth a fuss.)
I had to get there “through” Bois de Copaiba, which I don’t like much at all, but it enabled me to perceive the notes. And I’m not sure if Sushi Imperiale helped me on the way, or hampered the process, but I also see a strong relationship there.
Woohoo! Buyin’ a bottle!
It’s unforigivable that “Fendi” axed their fragrances! Even their mainstream-leaning blends (“Palazzo”) were very interesting. Unfortunately, too many of their beautiful classics were knocked-off long before their years and nowe the whole lot has been forced to the gallows. Fendi was one of the few houses that could compete with the old house style of Patou. It’s a shame.
It is, and I don’t understand it – don’t most fashion houses make most of their money from perfume? Or am I missing something?
But I’m really glad that I like it before it’s permanently too late to get a bottle. I was tempted to buy it “in case” I ever liked it, but that way lies perfume hoarding of a level that I, personally, shouldn’t risk. (Hoarders in the family. All collecting instincts must be carefully examined for a minimum level of rationality, and buying perfumes that I _don’t like_ falls far short of that standard.)
Speaking of buying it, I’m seeing 1.7 ounce bottles for sale at BeautyEncounter. Now that it’s too late (I already ordered a bottle), is this the right stuff?
Theorema did not sell well. Have heard people speculate that it might have been due to the name…
for the last two days, I’ve been wearing joop! – femme and I’m smitten. bought it at the airport while waiting for my flight, and it was cheap, but such a gem. some might argue it’s too 80′s-ish, but hey, it’s a solid floral oriental with wonderful silage and incredible drydown. not for the faint at heart
Sounds nice!
Has anyone tried Parure by Guerlain? I found a vintage bottle and am interested in purchasing but don’t want to do so unsniffed. From what I hear it’s an amazing rose/leather/chypre?
Parure was not a favorite of mine, although admittedly I haven’t tried it in several years. Very sweet & plummy, and kind of heavy — not really the sort of chypre I tend to love.
Today I’m wearing Mango, I was tempted to buy Hypnose Senses… The last question don’t apply, perhaps I did but then it surely was longtime ago.
Hypnose Senses is pretty!