The usual open thread routine: talk about anything you like — what perfume you’re wearing today, what perfume you wish you were wearing today, the perfume house you wish would release something new, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: image is Trio [cropped] by bensonkua at flickr; some rights reserved.
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It’s was absolutely arctic in the North of England today and I wore Cuir De Russie. I’ve grown to adore this, so I’ve been thinking about how to acquire a bottle before my sample runs out or if I should, perhaps, dip my toes into the whole decant thing.
With that in mind, I’m also very curious what the next Les Exclusif might be like.
Do a decant first, always the safe way
Or host a split???
Cuir de Russie is gourgeous, a perfect leather with flowers and aldehydes. A great choice!
From the exclusifs line, I’d like to have them all in 15ml versions. Chanel, please provide us with a gift set of al the exclusifs in this size!
Ditto that request!
Or at least some regular sizes! Maybe they’re getting a clue though – I just got an email from Chanel announcing their new 1.35 oz Eau Premiere. Although, I do enjoy looking at my giant 5 oz. bottle, smaller sizes would be nicer.
I just got that email too, $64 is a price I can live with. I really don’t understand the whole giant bottle-$200 Le Exclusifs thing, I would think that they would sell SO much better at, say, $100 for 3.4 ounces. I know, I know, “exclusive” and all, but who can really afford to be exclusive in this economy?
Yes please!
Yes! Even something similar to the Hermessences travel sets would be fantastic!
Ditto that!
In the same vein, I wish those bee-yoo-tee-fool 15ml Hermès minis would be more generally available. I think they’re used as corporate gifts and they pop up on the bay/discounters every so often, but I’d like a more steady supply of those. I’d own all the Jardins, for sure. Hermès, are you listening?
One of my first buys was Sur le Nil in a 15 ml, and I just this week ordered one of En Mediterranee. I’d love for the Hermessences to be more readily available, too. The nearest boutique to me is Chicago, I think.
: ) today I was also wearing cuir de russie layered with un rose chypre
Yes smaller sizes would be great, I have Cuir de Russie and I will never finish the bottle. But I would also like to get my hands on the Extrait versions. Can’t get them in Canada. I would love to own Bois des Iles in extrait.
I just want to comment that the NST “perfume shopping in NY” link is so awesome! I live out west, and just got back from a fun trip to NYC where I used the guide for the ultimate perfume shopping tour. Thank you! Oh, and I ended up selecting Etro (Heliotrope), and I got to see and smell the new Frederic Malle candle collection and it is unbelievable.
Sounds like you had a wonderful trip!
When you get three perfume deliveries in your mailbox in one day, is this a sign that you have a problem? Or does that just mean I’M DOING IT RIGHT?
I don’t know, but I’m wearing one of yesterday’s deliveries today — Guerlain Chamade extrait (blame Angela for that review!) — and I’m in love. Holy cow, is this stuff beautiful! Starts out so green it’s like stems and sap…then, like spring herself, she *blooms.* Gonna need more than my li’l 2ml guy, that’s for sure.
Chasa, to me this means that you’re a lucky person and your post office works really well rsrsrs I’m still awaiting a lot of packages, especially my havana vanille, that i’m so ansious for it but it never arrives.
What fragrances did you get?
Ha, yes, my PO really came through for me yesterday!
Aside from the Chamade extrait mini, I got a small split of FM Carnal Flower (I wanted to try it, but I’m anosmic to a lot of white flower accords and suspect I won’t be able to smell it…so I didn’t get much) and a split of Serge Lutens Iris Silver Mist.
What did you thought about Iris Silver Mist? I’ve already had a bottle of it, but i ended selling it since I didn’t found occasion to wear it. To me, it’s a cold iris, something vampiric that seduces you with a flowery pretty smell at first, and then when you realise you are very close of a cold heart, earthy and rooty iris. Never smelled something so full of personality as this one.
ISM fascinates me — though my experience with it has a timeline opposite yours. At first dab, I thought it was horrible. Literally, the fragrance equivalent of a cruel joke
The only thing I can liken it to is the smell of a magazine sitting on pavement in the rain (yes, that specific). But then it seemed to briefly disappear and re-emerged as something quite lovely! I think I wanted the split just because I found it so unique…you are right on the money with “full of personality.”
Chasa, I also have an odd association with ISM. When i smelled from the bottle, the scent reminded me off cake dough
I made a decant of Chamade extrait last night and still have some on the back of my hand (most scents will NOT wash off of me in the shower!). But it smells lovely. Congrats on your purchase!
I have a couple of dabs of the extrait—then a quick spray down with edt….and I waft spring daffodils all day, a slice of heaven!!!!….in spite of my relentless winter of cold and snow…..
Daisy, that sounds like a layering made in heaven! I need to get some of the EDT!
♥ that Chamade. Extrait is hard to come by (don’t I know–sob!); I tried some edp, and it is also quite lovely. Very happy to have both.
Good to know that the EdP is lovely as well! I was wondering how it compared! Gosh knows it would be easier to get hold of (not to mention less dear when it comes to the old and battered pocketbook) than the extrait.
Oh Chasa! Chamade is my HG!!! I love it. And you are right – it smells exactly like bounteous springtime *should* smell. I wore it all the time last winter during the doldrums in Feb-March-April to help speed things along. It is just stunning. I also find that the very opening of Chanel No 19 parfum smells very similar, as well as the first 5 minutes of Chanel’s Bel Respiro. Thereafter both Chanels take a different path. But Chamade is just the living end!!
It’s just SO beautiful! Oh my. I’m definitely blown away. I love the development with that sharp green (galbanum, yay!) opening…it adds a lot of character. And I’m not one who is good at picking out notes or following a fragrance’s development in general.
Ann & Chasa —so the Chamade EdP that you have, is it current formulation or is it a little older? which should I be looking for? My edt and extrait are both a tiny bit older (2001/2006?) I’m wondering if I got some edp if I’d love it or if I’d be disappointed….
Daisy – I can’t say about the edp, as I’ve never managed to snag any of that. I have early 2000s extrait, some vintage extrait that essentially smells the same but has a more smokey narcissus accord if that makes any sense which could be an ageing thing, and then some vintage edt and early 2000s edt…… They all smell divine! I think the edt presents more diffuse sillage and the balsamic drydown of the extrait is richer as you’d expect. I like them both, and especially love the galbanumy opening, which is nearly the same in both…… I am sure you can’t go wrong with the edp. The gold cannister style edp emerged around 2000, and it is fairly easy with Guerlains to determine rough age from the batch codes if you can get them. All this aside, there is a vendor on ebay selling the .25 oz extrait for a pretty good price. I’d just do that, then you get that gorgeous crystal bottle too!!
Have you tried Le Temps d’une Fete?
Beautiful scent with narcissus I love it!
In the Guerlain subject, does anyone here knows Mahora? It as bad as Luca Turin suggests on Perfumes the guide? One friend recommended it saying it has a exotic vibe similar to Kenzo Jungle
Rick – I’m not a huge fan of white florals, but I love Mahora and totally disagree with LT. It is definitely not a typical Guerlain (no Guerlinade), but a very beautiful, soft, creamy scent.
I’m still curious to try Mahora. Minis are all over the evil bay.
Joe – email me at rappleyea11 at yahoo dot com if you’d like me to send you some.
I just tried my mini this past weekend, and thought it was great… until I’d had it on six hours. Then it got really unpleasant (I don’t know what it was, but it reminded me of that whatever-it-is Lauder base that I hate). Six hours was a nice long ride, though.
lol – I was ready to offer Joe my sample. It goes on beautiful and then turns vaguely fecal on me in about 15 minutes – total scrubber on me, but I have a low tolerance for anything that has whiffs of poo. Strangely enough, I can’t smell the dirty diaper accord that everyone else gets from Jicky.
Get thee to Rei Rien for Chamade parfum at a better price!
It’s not a problem until they have to start stacking packages on top of the mailbox like my neighbor. I always get excited and think they’re for me, but OHHH NOOO
3 in one day sounds like a party!! OOOO Chamade in extrait….so nice….I had Chamade edt (2001) in my cabinet being totally IGNORED until Angela’s review—now I’ve been wearing it all week! I swear that Angela is a silver-keyboard devil! But in the best way–helped me to rediscover treasure.
Or just a day ending in “y” at your place, right?
And you are quite right…I love Angela’s reviews of semi-forgotten gems! She has sent me off to eBay in a lather more than once. Vintage Crepe de Chine is one of my HGs thanks to her review.
it should be a “Rule” –On all days ending in “y” perfume packets shall be delivered unto Daisy –so it is said, so let it be done!
sorry, having a Yul Brenner moment there.
ROTFL @ Yul Brenner.
Hey! I think Yul Brenner was a total hottie….you know: like back about when I was born….
Yul was TOTALLY hot! they don’t make ‘em like that anymore, alas.
Yes! I have your Sous le Vent! I love the FedEx man. And the UPS guy and all my friends at USPS.
Nope, you’re doin’ it right. Getting the right stuff, too (Chamade, sigh… Carnal Flower, double sigh…)!
I hope I can smell Carnal Flower…darned anosmia! I can’t really smell VCA Gardenia Petale or Chanel Gardenia or much of LesNez Manoumalia…kind of a bummer.
You know what else I *know* I’m anosmic to? Skunk! And I know because I wasn’t always (I can remember the scent very well), but then somewhere along the line, I lost skunk. Not a bad one to lose, I suppose.
Gah, that reminds me!! Being an Australian, I’ve never smelled skunk, and have always been mighty curious about it…WHAT does ‘skunk’ smell like???
skunk opens with a heavy lemon oil scent….you don’t want to know how I know…..then within seconds it becomes a brain numbing sulphorous musk…..and usually means you’re going to spend the rest of the evening scrubbing your stupid dog with peroxide, baking soda and dish soap….GAH! Oh and here in Michigan, in the springtime Skunks are all out at night looking for love….in the middle of roads…where they get smooshed….
skunk smells like oily Lemon Pledge, gasoline and pig urine. All together. All over your dog. Dogs are ridiculous when it comes to skunks. You think the urge to get skunked would be bred out of them by now…
And Daisy had it right with “brain numbing”. Nothing can really convey how chokingly POWERFUL it is when freshly sprayed. I mean like tear gas – close your throat up – tears in your eyes – powerful!
To me, it smells like very strong green onions, mixed with the smell of green weed, and musk. I have a strange attraction to it. Must explain why most scents I love have a “skank” element to them…..
And we have tons of the little critters around where I live. The babies are so cute!
Being a New Zealander, I’ve always been curious as to what skunk smells like too!
Ohh too bad-skunk is one of my favorite scents, strange, isn’t it??
VERY strange – lol!
I like the smell of skunk too! It’s strange because I used to hate, but somewhere along the line it changed for me.
I find skunk pleasantly musky/pungent. From a distance. I can’t stress that enough. DISTANCE IS KEY!
Oh how I hate skunk! Possibly because the first time my dog (dalmation I had years ago) got sprayed up close and personal….dashed in the door and ran to hide under my bed….took a lot of effort over several weeks to get the smell out of the carpet, my dust ruffle and the house in general. What a horrible mess, the fluid was literally dripping off her chest….onto the rug and me….ack!
I like the way skunk smell too, and I love cats. My cat is a solid black with dark green eyes.
Hello there from another anosmic-to-whte-flowers nose… sad. Try Bond No 9 Saks 5th Avenue For Her – a more mainstream version of Carnal Flower, Fracas – an absolute classic of the genre, and Montale Intense Tiare – this one is a much better done than any other monoi/tiare scent I have tried, and lasts forever.
Love Cuir de Russie. I really want the extrait at some point. Does anyone know what the retail price is for, say, 1/2 oz and is it available in the States or is a trip to Paris required?
I don’t know, but had a mini of the extrait once and it was GORGEOUS.
*…want…*
I know the answer to that question as our own dearly beloved Empress of Enabling, Miss Daisy, sent me a sample of Cuir de Russie and I bought myself 1/2 oz. of the extrait for Christmas. Price was $160 but BG was having their $25 gift card event ($25 off of any purchase over $100) so it was only $135. A bargain at twice the price!
Oops! In case it wasn’t clear – BG = Bergdorf Goodman, so yes, available here in States.
ah ha! see? even better than $185 —I was just assuming that all the extraits would be the same price. (Bois des Iles was 185 recently but I was told by several boutique SAs that it was no longer going to be in the US—-however I did not ask about CdR)
That is very good to know…!
If Bergdorf’s no longer has it, call Saks in New York. They have an official flagship Chanel boutique there and will call around for you if they no longer have any themselves.
If anyone still has it–they will.
sounds like you need to make a quick call to the Chanel boutique in NYC—if anyone has it they do. hmmm…I had the number somewhere here on my desk but now I can’t find it….I suspect it is $185 for 15ml .
That’s not a crazy price…is it? Sounds like $85 more than the new free…!
well, I have been watching the 15ml bottles of Bois des Iles extrait on ebay go for a lot more than that—WHILE you could still get them at the Boutique ( ….I think people forget to just make a couple of phone calls before they bid.) So , no I don’t think that $185 is outrageous for 15ml of extrait , not if you love it.
I don’t know about US but in UK CdR, BdI,etc extraits are available from Chanel boutiques (not dept.store concessions). I can’t remember what size they are or the exact price but I think it was slightly less than the LE bottles.
Good idea…I can keep myself distracted by doing comparison pricing among NYC, Paris and London…
I know the Exclusifs extraits aren’t available in Canada, but I heard they are in London. I’d like to know what they cost too!
You can get the pure parfum of Les Exclusifs at the Chanel boutique on Bloor St. in Toronto.
I lost my mind yesterday and purchased a pricey vintage bottle of Shalimar. I had told myself that I would not spend too much money on perfumes until April due a trip I’m taking to Tokyo in late March and was even writing off discount bottles of fragrances I’d been wanting to try because of this.
And then I made the mistake of looking at Guerlain on eBay. Saw this delightful unopened vintage bottle of Shamilar with its gleaming amber liquid and next thing I knew I was transferring funds from my PayPal account. Complete lapse of reason & judgment — but I had so wanted to try vintage Shalimar.
Well, the item’s already shipped so even if I did develop buyer’s remorse I’m SOL. Which leads me to my question, what pricey perfumes have you bought on a complete whim without a given thought to the fact that you probably -shouldn’t- be spending that much at that specific time?
K : FB of Guerlain Attrape-Coeur which I had shipped from my local Saks. Gulp!! when the card statement came.
SOTD: Bone #9 Eau de New York (70 degrees here in FL.)
I lost my head over a bottle of Attrape-Coeur recently too! But no regrets–it’s gorgeous.
FB of SDV which is STILL on back order, grrr….
It was when I purchased Tom Ford’s Moss Breches. It’s absolute heaven though…..
I can be restrained when it comes to myself, but not so much with others. When my husband sampled Coromandel and told me he liked it, I ordered a bottle that day. And for my mom, I came across a vintage, unopened bottle of Le Galion Sortilege one day and purchased it pronto – it was pretty darned expensive. For myself, I’m usually happy with FB that I save up for and decants & splits are my favorite thing in the world.
What is Sortilege like? Have you had a chance to get a sniff (or a sample) from your mom’s bottle?
Very pretty stuff. A “nice girl” sort of scent, I’d call it – a little fruit in the top, soft fresh florals (rose/jasmine/muguet), and a base that’s mostly sandalwood, I think. One of the vintage things that I actually *wear* (I bought mine on ebay, too!).
That’s a good rec. Not all vintage frags are easy to wear, despite one’s admiration for them…
Gilty – I did get to sample a drop and from what I remember, it was one of those wonderful, vintage powerhouses. Full of the authentic ingredients [I'm pretty sure it had sandalwood for one thing] that you can’t get in a fragrance any more. I really loved and admired it.
Sounds very nice…and classic!
Le Galion Sortilege Extrait is the most wonderful wet birch tree bark/old leathersmell mixed a little jasmin and carnation. I own 4(!) bottles of the suff and fear the day they stop popping up on ebaaaah. Eau de Sortilege is a weak flowery/air freshener kind. Le Galion Jasmin is worthless, but The Snob could easily compete with Miss Dior or any in that line. IMHO.
Amouage Dia Extrait…..Love the Edp…..had to have the parfum… on the one hand I’m so darned excited I’m practically jumping up and down….on the other : I can’t believe I bought it when I already have some edp…..hangs head in shame. If this makes it any better, I plan to turn it over to the CEO immediately so he can “hide” it until our anniversary.
The Amouage edps are so mind-blowing, I don’t think I can even get my head around the idea of Amouage extraits…
I know! I hope it doesn’t blow the roof off with outrageous sillage! Just the EdP’s are BIG.
Daisy, have you tried the body cream in Dia? It’s absolutely gorgeous stuff, it absorbs quickly, and doesn’t feel sticky at all. And it leaves me scented for several hours. Dia is so beautiful isn’t it?
You’re killing me! I have a sample size of the Jubilation 25 body creme that came with a bottle—-OMG sooooooo gorgeous. The last thing I need to start lemming Amouage body products as well! Currently Dia is my favorite Amouage—-but I’m an Amouage Ho so ask me again tomorrow….
The body product are my thing, and I was considering the cream
but can’t make-up my mind which one.
Chanel Coromandel – I think i’ll need two lifes to use it, since it’s so strong and have an excellent longevity that doesn’t wash off totally even with alcohol.
I regreted when I spended 220 dollar for Back To Back Bottle, but when the fragrance arrived I knew it was worth every penny paid on it
Whew! Glad you decided that it was worth it! That would have been an expensive regret.
A very expensive regret Daisy, very painful to my pocket rsrs But how could i not enjoy it? The smell reminds me off Tobbaco Vanille mixed with Ambre Narguile, two fragrances that I just adore. I get juicy berries, a liqueurish smell and something spicy, woody from tobacco.
Ooh… I love Back to Black – it’s all lovely tobacco, honey, and hay on me. I just bought the travel refills though – 30ml for $70. Don’t even ask what it smells like to Daisy….
sweat and peeeeeeeeee! oh, wait ….you said DON’T ask Daisy….
Daisy, it looks like the honey on back to black doesn’t react well on skin
My sister also hated it (but in this case it was a good thing, because this means that she won’t use it lol)
see? a silver lining on a stinky cloud
Hmm, Daisy and I really are scent twins sometimes… I didn’t like BtoB at all either. Not that honey bothers me… I love Miel de Bois and it trigger’s Daisy’s gag reflex.
Love BtB and TV but MdB…total scrubber for me.
Oh, Coromandel!!! That is in my future for sure. Great stuff.
Mine were completely helpless purchases of per-reformulation Guerlains: Chamade & Mitsouko extrait, and a few bottles of Nahema edp. My heart almost gave out each time, but then I figure they were major investments in my fragrance wardrobes that will last me for many years of joy. And they will only be increasingly hard to find and more expensive in the future. Also, a major bender to pick up some pre-reformulation Coco parfum… Gak. I think I need to get a special insurance policy for my collection!
Exactly. That’s the reason I went ahead and bought the Shalimar. I want to experience what it’s supposed to smell like, I want to wear that perfume that literally radiates off the skin, and while I see vintage bottles being sold they’re often used or have evaporated a bit and I know that they will eventually become near impossible to come by.
I don’t know why insurance policies don’t allow the scheduling of perfumes as a rider, if they did I’d definitely have my collection insured. There’s a rider for jewelry & furs so why not other luxuries?
Probably because ti gets used up. But can you insure vintage wine collections? hmmm.
Preach on sista about the pre-reformulation Guerlains. I keep saying I’m NOT going to buy anymore, but then…. you know how it goes.
I also couldn’t help myself on a bottle (split, but still) of their 180 Ans. That stuff is seriously gorgeous. Nothing creates a lemming like the words “discontinued”, Limited Edition” or “not sold in stores”. Yikes!
Guerlain 180 Ans…..sigh…..so good!
I’m wearing several versions of iris today, (samples and one decant) inspired by Angela’s recent review of Mythique: on my left arm I have Odori Iris and Heeley Iris de Nuit. On my right, I have Mythique and Chanel 28 la Pausa. The soft and sweet Odori Iris and the drier, more floral Chanel have won the fragrance challenge. And, as I find them quite different, I guess I can own both (decants, at least). Didn’t that work out nicely!
Also, I’m always on the lookout for close to the skin scents (like Angela mentions when she discusses Mythique – versatile, subtle, unobtrusive). If anyone has suggestions, I’d love some recs. Thanks.
I have a split of the Odori on the way…anxious to try it. Also recently sampled the Heeley, and think it might be my favorite so far, as it seems to hit all the different aspects of iris in turn. I’ll have to try it again when the weather warms up.
Hope you like it – I really love it. I think I prefer the Heeley in warm weather – it’s very dry and “clean.” All the irises I have on are classy scents in their own right – wouldn’t mind owning any one of them. The Odori and the Chanel just happen to have the edge today!
I really want to try the Heely iris and the fig too – they sure get raves.
I’m so glad to hear you mention the Heeley…I’ve only sampled it from the counter so far, but was so pleasantly surprised by how nice it is that it’s on my short list of “next iris.” (Yup, it’s bad; I can sort the wish list by note, by house, by price point–all in my head.)
oh no!!! you and Rustic are killing me! I was just thinking last night how much I wanted to get a bottle of Heeley Iris de Nuit !!! Now I want to split it !!! ARRGGGGG!
Say what?! hehe
new name for you: EvilRusticDove
we’ll talk in a few weeks….piggy bank is in intensive care….but got 2 more bottles of Balsamo della Mecca today, as well as Lorenzo Villoresi Donna and Lyric woman (all for splitting) and still have that Un Crime Exotique to decant….. got my work cut out for me tonight. Not really supposed to be here at NST—came in here to retrieve big box of atomizers…..must get back to work!
Umm, Daisy – is that Lyric Woman split filled? Oy.
sorry Rustic…it is full. and the bottle took soooo long to get here I was beginning to fear perfume crazed spltters showing up on my doorstep!
Daisy – I don’t know how you do it. I made TWO measly decants last night and my finger was screaming! I hated it! You must make thousands!
Oh I kinda figured that Daisy – but had to ask!
Wait until spring.
Actually, it reminded me a lot of your Id’I/Hiris layering combo…it has the floral aspect of Id’I and the earthier aspect of Hiris…and a bit of the peppery kick from TDC’s iris, too.
Oh, sure, tell her wait ’til spring…
As the voice on your other shoulder, that’s a split I’d be in. {mwa ha ha…}
I always keep an atomizer of PId’I /Hiris mix on hand—it really is the best of both—spritzed some on my nightshirt last night before bed and drifted off on a cloud of iris….
I dunno-Daisy may have a bionic spritzer-finger!!
Decanting… the next Olympic event! And the gold medal winner for the United States – Daisy!
Just as long as they don’t expect me to wear a leotard…..
Searching for an iris scent. I love 28 La Pausa but it disappears from my skin in minutes. any suggeestions short of going to Paris and getting SL Iris silver mist?
With La Pausa and other Les Exclusifs EDTs (not Coromandel, though…that one sticks around for me), I take the advice of another NST poster and spray until wet. And then I do not dab around to other areas like I would normally. Spray and let it dry. I don’t know if that will help you, but it keeps La Pausa and Bois des Iles from disappearing on me too quickly.
Maybe VCA’s Bois d’Iris? And re getting something like ISM, splits are a handy for that — there was just an ISM split on the Google group (my portion arrived yesterday, whee!).
Thanks I think I will try and go on the site and find some splits good suggestion. Oh today I am wearing LA Dzongkha. Going out later and will wear CDG Stephen Jones love that meteor violet
I get an earthy iris from Cartier I L’Heure Promise. Something green, that smell also of roots. At my skin L’Heure Promise had a great sillage, when I thought that i wasn’t smelling it anymore waves of the musky green earthy smell went to my nose to reminded me of that the lovely smell was still there. To me it has a spring vibe very comfort. It’s a shame it’s soo expensive, because i enjoyed a lot.
A more affordable iris that i enjoy is Dior Homme Cologne. I think the Iris on the Cologne Version is more pronnounced, and it has a powdery and citrusy metallic edgy that wears perfect on summer days.
Romaayden: Try The Different Company Bois d’Iris. I love La Pausa and also find it fleeting, but TDC is my favorite iris. You must try it sprayed too. I know some people also find it fleeting, but to me it really lasts and is the most wonderful scent, especially if you get some on your clothes. It’s also available in 3 x 10ml travel atomizers; sometimes you can find a single for sale on ebay.
Poking my head in to second the TDC Bois d’Iris recommendation. My favorite, too!
Cruising by and thirding Bois d’Iris! (Unsurprisingly, my favourite iris too)
Though it’s definitely different from La Pausa, it’s well worth a try.
Thanks so much Joe and the other perfumistas Will drop by Aedes this weekend and try TDC’s Iris.
I really enjoy OJ’s Orris Noir. Great longevity there.
Have you tried Le Labo’s Iris 39? It’s one of my favorites. I also get a little earth & root and a touch of violet. It has moderate sillage and excellent staying power.
Never thought to sniff Le Lebos Iris I have Tuberose and Patch will pop into their Elizabeth st NYC location this weekend
OHhhh Roma-if you have the patch, you may really enjoy the Iris 39. It also has patchouli, and a beautiful one at that….. Let me know what you think if you get to try it!
Today the weather here in Brazil is very dry and hot. I wanted to use something interesting but that had a light sillage, so I choose wearing my decant of Cuir Pleine Fleur.
Have someone here already tried Tonka Imperiele? I’m very ansious to try this one and I like to have as much opinions as possible about it…
Ooh… I have – I’m wearing it today and it is true love. I have a feeling that I’m going to go through the decant in no time flat and have to buy an FB when it hits the States. It has a wonderful, smoky quality under the tonka that makes it yummy without being edible.
Smoky and yummy? It looks interesting! I have saw a comment saying it has a creamy chocolate vibe. Is it true?
I don’t really get chocolate from it – unless it’s a bitter, dusty dark chocolate.
Cynthia, thanks for the opinion! Dusky dark chocolate looks very elegant, the type of gourmand fragrance that i enjoy.
I got a sample the other day—–OMG gotta have some of this! Didn’t get any chocolate though—good thing too since choc. in perfume usually makes me nauseous after a while.
Daisy – you do realize that if you do a split of the Tonka Imperial, I’m going to reserve at least half the bottle, right? Or maybe I should get the bottle this time and decant what you want from it – lol.
Daisy – are you (or someone on Google Groups) going to do a split of Tonka Imperial?
Not yet—but you know as soon as it’s available I’m on it like a hungry bear on fresh salmon!
I didn’t get chocolate, just a sweet creamy tonka with a heavy dash of rosemary. It’s very smooth and exceptionally gorgeous!
Kallyna, creamy tonka with an herbal vibe is welcome too
I’m very ansious to try this one!
I tried it the other day instore. They didn’t have a proper tester yet, just a small bottle she bought out from the back room which she very sparingly spritzed on my arm. It is really gorgeous and doesn’t smell synthetic at all. On me it went on as if there were no top notes. It’s not linear, but there seemed to be only 2 stages… like it immediately settled. After about 10 minutes I realised it reminds me of Bond No 9 Chinatown but replace the incense with something more balsamic. I’m not sure yet if I’d fork out for a full bottle, but will look into getting a decant to properly test it.
Cjordan, if it has something from chinatown, i’ll like a lot. My favorite part from chinatown is exactly the sweet, spicy and incensy dridown of it. Thanks for your opinion!
I think the similarity is the biscuit-y-ness – like a freshly baked vanilla-spice cookie. But – you know – a $270 cookie.
Rick: Tonka Imperiale is beautiful, rich, and addictive. I find it to have lovely vanillic-woody warmth. I don’t think I’d notice chocolate if it hadn’t been mentioned in write-ups. Definitely sample it.
I didn’t have time to think what to wear this morning, and I recently pulled my samples out of my purse to reorganize, so I grabbed MH Fleurs de Bois. Love it, but it’s totally wrong for the weather today and has left me feeling all out of sorts.
Has anyone ordered from OJ through the website? I placed an order on the 13th, and the charge showed up on my cc, but I’ve seen no order confirmation (just payment confirm that says it’s NOT an order confirm). So I sent an email a few days ago, and have had no response to THAT, either. Has anyone else had this problem with them?
I order from the OJ site all the time and have never had a problem my purchases usually arrive within a two week period
I have ordered via their site, though it was months ago — before they launched their new site. I got a World Pay payment confirmation and then an order confirmation from OJ the next day. It’s really weird that they haven’t responded! I emailed them one other time about their travel sprays (sales@ormondejayne.com) and they replied *very* promptly, within an hour.
Yes, I got that first confirmation, but not the second. Well, I’m off work Thurs and Fri, so if it hasn’t arrived by then, I guess I have to make a (much dreaded!) phone call.
Not that I have a vested interest in this or anything, but yes, email them.
LOL! I did, but they didn’t respond. If I don’t have a package or at least correspondence by Thursday, I’ll call them on Friday when I’m off work and my husband is home (so I can call via Skype).
Not that I have a vested intertest either but, *fingers crossed*.
yeah, you guys and your “completely uninvested” altruism is a beautiful thing….. ***snicker***
Hey – is this one that I’m un-invested in, too? Maybe you *should* call them…
It sure is! No fear, I *will* be calling them, phone phobia aside, on Friday if I haven’t seen or heard anything.
That’s odd! I’ve never bought from them, but have e-mailed to and fro on a few separate occasions and found them *very* prompt and helpful in answering.
I’ve never had a problem, either; the currency transfer went through first, then the order confirmation the next day. This was with the old system, though. Keeping my fingers crossed!
Just for everyone’s future reference: on the off chance that there was something odd with the email, I decided to send them a follow-up from a different email account, and it turned out that *was* the problem. If you use Comcast, beware…apparently they have issues with it. They responded quite promptly to the email from my gmail account.
Started my day in what I thought would be Debut by DelRae but the snow storm outside said “no”. I spritzed on some Havana Vanille. I’m getting tired of that now too. I found a nice, cozy remedy to these winter woes: Kristiansand New York! It’s refreshing and so easy to wear but still good in the cold thanks to woods and amber…mmmmm
Glad you found something to beat the cold!
I was just thinking of this one…I wrote for a sample, which I received just before Christmas. In all the chaos, I set it aside and lost track of it until this week. Now that I’ve re-located it, I need to give it a try.
I saw A Single Man directed by Tom Ford in the cinema last night and suddenly have a yearning to try his fragrances haha.. anyone a fan? I heard nice things about the musk range but 140 euro for 50mls? yikes!
Im in a perfume rut at the minute…can never decide what scent i like between the seasons!
I have not yet seen the movie, but I will. Love Colin Firth.
Try YSL M7!
I second Robin recommendation. But try the old bottle, the amber one, and not the new one, the transparent with a brown sticker at the back of the bottle. The new one is a anorexic M7 that doesn’t stay so long on skin
I like his Black Orchid. What did you think of the movie? I do want to see that but haven’t gotten to it yet.
Regrettably, I haven’t tried any of the TF Private Blends yet, but plan to order decants from TPC at some point. I do own bottles of Black Orchid, B O Voile de Fleur and White Patchouli – they’re not favorites but I do like them and the bottles sure look great sitting on a shelf.
Susan, thank you for bringing this up! I’m supposed to see that this week, and totally forgot! I need to make a phone call right now to remind my partner…
My favorites from tom ford era on commercial fragrances are:
M7
Nu edp
Gucci Edp
Gucci Pour Homme
All of them strong scents full of personality, great for winter or cold nights
I thought the movie was fantastically beautiful visually. Great cinematography and design. The story had very touching moments as well. Overall I liked it.
Yes, it made me want to wear Tobacco Vanille because an article about an interview with TF said, “He walks in and smells like a vanilla bean.”
Arpege is actually mentioned in the film, and I’d have loved to know or see what Julianne Moore’s character was doused in, because she definitely looked like one perfume-loving dame!
After all my bad-mouthing of Mr. Ford and his smarmy open shirt, I confess that I am a fan of the Private Blends – in particular the Oud Wood, Bois Marocain, Tobacco Vanille and Champaca Absolute. They are awfully expensive, but what the heck.
Oh – I’m so happy I get to share my SOTD with you all today! It’s, drumroll please… SSS Champagne du Bois. Absolutely gorgeous stuff. One of my all time favorites.
Chamoagne du Bois? How is the smell? Woody and boozy?
Rick – for me, it’s sparkling, spicy and woodsy. It’s truly stunning.
Rustic Dove: it sounds gourgeous. I appreciate this kind of fragrance, that can achieve complexity and luminosity at the same time. I’m a sucker for spicy fragrances, I’ll add this one tho my decant wishlist
You will not regret it!! Please report back after you try it!
SSS has a nice 5ml size for a great price and I do believe Laurie ships outside the US. Champagne de Bois is also one of my HG’s, but if you’re going to try Laurie’s fragrances: you gotta try Tabac Aurea too—amazingly true tobacco leaf.
Daisy – I have a sample of the TA to try too. Can’t wait.
Champagne de Bois is wonderful and strikingly similar to Bois des Iles, in my opinion. Tabac Aurea is… oh, gosh. Words fail me. I love it. It smells like autumn sunshine to me.
Daisy, I also love tobacco fragrances. My favorite of this moment is Bell Antonio from Hilde Soliani.
)
5ml is a perfect size for a test drive rs I’ll see how much they charge to shipping it to Brazil (sometimes being a fragance lover that is crazy about niche but lives in south america is very hard
Ah, so envious of you all. I can tell they’re well-done, and they *should* be just my thing, but there is just some note in there that cries foul on my skin. They make me queasy.
All the SSS are gorgeous IMHO!!! I love Rose Musc and Tabac Aurea the best, and then Femme Jolie, Velvet Rose, Voile de Violette and Lieu de Reves come hustling in all for close seconds! Mals and I always disagree: I think Champagne de Bois smells like a richer more incensey No 22…. Ha! – but either way, CdB has a very Chanel like construction but with that rich, incense and woods signature of Laurie Erickson. (I actually think the lovely woody sandalwood in Tabac Aurea smells similar to the long drydown of Bois des Isles. ….)
I don’t get a similarity between Bois des Iles and Champagne de Bois either…..but then Mals and I are always doing a seesaw about 31 Rue Cambon too : she says amber, I say leather…..(of course: I’m right)
I’m one who *does* get a similarity between BdIles and BdC. Just sayin’.
Sorry…that acronym should be CdB.
And the SSS line is so affordable! I can’t believe the prices on such beautiful fragrances. Bois de Champagne is on my To Buy list, along with Lieu de Reves. I really wish my stupid tax return would get here.
I know Miss K – I was shocked at how affordable they are!! What a nice surprise.
Yep, my next SSS will be Champagne de Bois. Lovely stuff.
Ack, I *just* held myself back from placing a SSS sample order a few days ago — this comment exchange is not helping my resolve!!
(but it IS helping me identify which scents to sample, so carry on)
Chasa’s shopping list:
Champagne de Bois
Aurea Tabac
Sienna Musk
Femme Jolie
oh, heck, don’t you know that “resistance is futile”????
See how helpful I can be?
You’re looking for another gem for your enabler crown, aren’t you! Indeed, you are the very spirit of helpfulness
Indeed……..that and I’d look fabulous in a jewel encrusted crown!
Jumping in here to say another huge SSS fan. There aren’t words to adequately describe the beauty of Champagne de Bois. Other favorites for me are Vintage Rose, Fireside and Jour Ensoleille. And just wait until the new Encens Tranquille is available. I think Laurie has outdone herself!
Wonder when Laurie will release that white floral? I’m waiting for that.
I think fairly soon Mals. I know she’s working on it now and she wants to release it before Spring – right around the corner!
Squee!
I meant Champagne de Bois, not Bois de Champagne. Dork out moment.
too funny—my brain automatically put it the right way!
SODT = Tauer Incense Rose. I have fallen madly in love with this, and pretty much anything incense. Must attempt to resist temptation to pull out the freshly-paid-off Amex and go on a luckyscent spree. Slow work days are dangerous on the bank account…
Since you mentioned incense, tomorrow I plan to sample CdG Avignon for the first time.
Avignon is on my wishlist too, hah! Hope you like it!
I just tried Avignon the other day. Smells like a smoky wood fire to me.
Mmmm, yes, Incense Rose is great! I wore that a couple of days ago with a few precious traces of Amouage Tribute layered over it.
Ooo, Tribute! I’m so jealous!
This morning I can feel the end of Summer here in Australia – the air is crisper…. so I feel it is time to wear something other than Bel Respiro, Chanel Eau de Cologne and Escale de Portofino which have been my summer staples. I need something transitional – summer-y but with an edge of jumper – a light cardigan scent I guess
I’m not sure what though.
31 Rue Cambon!
Hmm… maybe that doesn’t have the edge of summer, just the cozy autumn thing going on. It’s just the first autumn scent that jumps to mind – plus, I’m distraught about being to the bottom of my decant and plotting to get more so it’s on my brain.
Cynthia – I think 31 RC is a great suggestion for cardigan sweater weather.
Yes indeed. I’m wearing it today because there is an autumn twang in the air where I live. Up until now it has been too hot for 31.
Allure Edition Blanche has this kind of smell to me. Summery, but enjoyable in colder weather too
Yeah, here in New Zealand you can feel summer changing into autumn, its just slightly cooler. Still plenty of heat yet to go, tho.
Are you on North Island?
Yes, north island, auckland, the north shore of auckland.
Very nice place. Warm weather, lots of ocean… I visited briefly (for two weeks) a few years ago. My husband did his master’s degree at Massey, years ago, and he was thrilled to take me around to his old stomping grounds.
Mals, its certainly warm today! Just walked to nearby shop and now drenched, have sweat running down myface. Did you visit Long Bay beach w/ your husband? I’m 10mins walk from there.
That summer-to-fall time of year is my favorite! Last year at that time, I especially enjoyed Guerlain Terracotta Voile d’Ete (a light, sun-baked carnation fragrance), The Different Company Bergamote (a mellow, warm citrus with a touch of ginger), and the very unusual Parfumerie Generale Bois Blond (a compelling green grass/hay/tobacco combo).
Second the Bois Blond, and adding CBIHP M#4, A Room With a View.
My fiance just sent me a message informing me that I have 2 packages waiting at home, which contain the following:
Chanel Beige
Hermes Caleche
Eau d’Italie Paestum Rose
Angel Rose
Kelly Caleche
Youth Dew Amber Nude
Bill Blass Nude
Gres Cabaret
Never sniffed any of these. Some are FB and some samples. I don’t know what I’m going to try first, but I am very tempted to fake ill so I can leave right now.
I don’t envy your decision of which to try first! There’s some mighty good stuff there.
Actually, I have tried Beige so that’s one less to worry about tonight. I’m thinking I might try Paestum Rose on one arm and Cabaret on the other, since I have seen reviews comparing them.
I was testing Paestum Rose this morning and thinking, This reminds me of Cabaret. Of course, if I’d worn PR first, I’d be saying, Cabaret reminds me of PR… might need to do a head-to-head of these soon. I *think* I might actually prefer Cabaret, but I’m not sure.
I can never make up my mind if Paestum Rose is stunning enough to be FBW even though it is very well done. I think I’d like it more if it had two more shots of rose, lol. There are so many good rich woody roses out there – Parfum Sacre and Magie Noir come directly to mind – that PR gets a lot of competition for my attention.
Yeah, I’m still thinking that it’s terrific, but too… I dunno, political? All things to all noses? I’d have loved more rose in it – or less rose, more myrrh.
a little shaky? a bit nauseous? you do look flushed……let me feel your forehead…..oh, you are burning up–better head home right now! This might be contagious! (it’s good of you to be so concerned about not getting your coworkers sick…)
Seriously.. I’m burning up.
It’s a horrible case of Perfumista-itis !! Straight home and to your room young lady! (take those boxes with you so they aren’t cluttering up the foyer)
Those frags are a very good reason to go home sick! I wonder how many of us are “working” right now?
I should be working … but instead I’m just pretending.
sotd, estee lauder spellbound. It smells different each time I put it on, today its peppery. It reminds me of something I can’t quite put my finger on.
Oh, have not smelled that in so long! Must try it again.
Today I returned to my sample of Poopoo Pidou. Enjoying it, though I don’t love it (which is fine, another one off the list!). What I’ve really been wearing a lot lately, though, is CdG Daphne. It’s very cold weather friendly and I love the combination of bitter orange, incense, tuberose, amber … lovely. I can’t imagine spraying it though — I think it would be VERY overwhelming.
I LOVE Daphne! It seems to get love or hate reactions though I’ve noticed.
Yes, it definitely does seem to be love/hate! And I get that — it’s not subtle!
Me too! Love Daphne.
I’m upset because L’Occitane is discontinuing their Honey & Lemon EDT. I’m surprised because I thought it was really popular. Ah well. I will have to order a back-up bottle while I can and order it for my sister-in-law who said she liked it when I was wearing it.
It seems like they discontinue everything eventually – there is a lot of turnover in the line.
Yeah, I’ve heard complaints about that before from other people.
Today was the first day I ever sampled L’Artisan’s Dzongkha. All I can say is “Wow!” I absolutely, positively adore it! I can’t stop smelling my wrists. I may have found a new signature scent. It’s amazing and unlike anything I’ve ever smelled before!
I’ve been meaning to make a trip to Neiman Marcus for ages to try that and other L’Artisans . . . I’ll make it there someday.
Oh, I’m envious of you! I remember my first encounter with Dzongkha. Isn’t it wonderful? I treasure my bottle.
SOTD- Tauer Un Rose Chypre’ waiting on 3 orders of perfume I hope the packages are at home……. I ordered a couple of bottles at 75% off from Perfume 1.com 11 day ago.
You have to tell us what you ordered. It’s the law.
I wore URC yesterday, and there are traces of it on my cardigan today. I have yet to get sick of that one, and that’s saying a lot for me.
I spray only once with this one and lasts and lasts.
I ordered
Samsara edp 1 oz
L’ instant edp 1 oz
24 Faubourg edt 1.7 oz
Un Jardin Apres Mousson edt 1.7 oz
Second order
Samsara body cream
L’heure Bleue edp 2.5 oz
L’instant Perfumed body lotion
from Aedes I order the Amouage Luxury Miniature Set.
I am looking to order from the Carons, wish one do any of you suggest I should get.
Since you like Une Rose Chypre, I strongly recommend Parfum Sacre. It’s not an urn scent, so it’s relatively cheap. But gorgeous – and give it a couple of wearings to setle in on you. Aimez-Moi’s lovely, too, if you like violet and anise and vanilla.
Poivre is beautiful, but did not last on me as I thought it would. And haven’t tried Tabac Blond yet, but I’m thinking I ought to.
Can you sample first?? You might need to, if you haven’t tried any of the Carons yet. They have a lot of fans and a lot of detractors, and it’s hard to say how they’ll work on you.
Yes, do tell.
SOTD: Black Tourmaline.
Here’s my question: Do you ever just give up on a particular line, even if perhaps you haven’t tried all its offerings? I still haven’t found any Guerlain I need to own — although I find several of them likable or admirable — and I don’t get the PdNs I’ve tried at all. On the one hand, I feel like an amateur or a philistine for not understanding their appeal, but on the other, it’s sort of a relief to narrow down the field of must-haves…
I think I have given up on the PdNs. I’ve tried about five of them and I didn’t care for any of them … maybe I just don’t merge well with that line! I agree, though, it’s a relief to narrow things down a bit.
I haven’t liked a Creed yet – they smell really synthetic to me. For that price range there are so many lines doing it better that I think I’ll just stop testing these when I see them.
That reminds me…Bvlgari is horribly plasticky on me. I’ve only tried one Creed, and liked it, but it’s not a line I have much interest in exploring.
Yup, I’ve pretty much written off Creed too.
I don’t care if I *am* a philistine, I like what I like. And I do NOT like Guerlain (except SDV and Vetiver, and LHB has potential). I also really don’t get the fascination with Serge Lutens, though a slim few are ok. I know people say SL is “difficult” and “strange”, but that isn’t the problem I have with it…in fact, I’d like it better if it were. I just get a hot sweet gooey mess. Pretty sure there are others, too, but I’m not thinking of them just now.
I’ve disliked most of the SLs I’ve tried too, but there are a few that intrigue me enough to want to keep trying. I guess I see potential in the line (how patronizing does that sound?!), whereas I can’t imagine EVER falling for a Bond.
No, I know what you mean. In the case of SL… I don’t think it’s that I can’t see the potential, it’s that they simply do not work on my skin. The interesting parts are over almost before I can register them, and then I’m left with the drydown, which is barely distinguishable from one to the next on me…sweet, vanilla-ambery-musky mess. I have a similar problem w/something I wore for years…either my nose or my chemistry changed, and it’s just too sweet.
I think it might be good to narrow your consideration to lines that typically treat you well. I haven’t found a Lauder scent to love (they seem to share a base that just nauseates me, no matter how pretty they are up to that point), nor a Hermes (I think the style is a little too pared-down for me, or something). The Guerlains, and the PdNs for that matter, are often very formal. I did a heavy PdN sample test last summer (tested 12 of them!) and liked about half, while one was a Can’t Live Without (LTdF).
I have the same problem with Lauders, Mais. I try them now and then and they start out nice and then…oh no, not that again. It’s the base, I guess.
Some the Lauders do seem to share a base – luckily, I like the base!
I haven’t been wowed by a L’Artisan yet. Havana Vanille (which I almost bought unsniffed) was spot-on “10 Cane Rum” on me. While I love a good rum, I don’t wanted to smell like it. Dzing! teetered between horse droppings and band-aid on me, and Dzonghka, while I really appreciate it, is so dry to my nose I feel like I need a humidifier. And I was really disappointed in their fig offerings when compared to the beauty of Philosykos… I’m not sure if I should continue to explore the line or give up.
I have issues with their lack of staying power. I love the Safran and the Voleur but they’re just too fleeting…
Wow, if Voleur is fleeting on you, you’ve got bigger scent-eating skin issues than even I have! Timbuktu & Dzongkha have pretty good power too, at least for me.
You too? It’s a drag, isn’t it? Although looking on the bright side, we can wear 3 different frags in a day…or have a chance of draining a 200 ml bottle of an Exclusif in one lifetime!
I need to retry both Timbuktu and Dzongka properly…with a good healthy spray or 3.
I tend to love L’Artisan as a line, and I really like Dzing!, but your description of it is spot on — it does smell like Band-Aids and horse droppings! Thanks for the laugh.:)
Horse droppings I can take, but band-aids? Ugh!
sorry, I think I got a bit too much sun when I went for a walk to the shops.
I’ve tried only Dzing!(OMG CARAMEL!) and Havana vanille(bandaids and plastic and sweet vanilla syrup) from L’artisan and I’m already wondering if I should just avoid the line lol but I’ll probably try a few more anyway.
Good question. It’s Prada for me, the Infusions, anyhow. And L’eau Ambree. I just can’t smell them…
…or maybe a decongestant is in order…
Yup, Creed just doesn’t like me…..and I don’t like them…with one exception: The de Rose Bulgare—everything else I’ve tried: blech.
I gave up fast on MDCI as even though you can tell they are well crafted, they just weren’t stunning enough for that price point – I tried about half of them, and was like, eeh, I don’t know…… And I am waffling on PdN – I only really like one or two of the ones I’ve tried, and I can’t decide if I want to make the effort to get into the rest of the line. Ditto with Dawn Spencer Hurwitz – gorgeous but too expensive for what it is.
I think that I’ve given up on both Bond No 9 and Creed – every one of the Bonds either is just meh on me or is horrifying and none of the Creeds has been better than just “fine” on me.
I love many, many of the Guerlains, but it sure would be cheaper if I didn’t.
With you there on the Bonds. I was so turned off by Broadway Nite that I tripled bagged it and tucked it away in a drawer. My husband rarely says anything negative but that was too much even for him.
Creed’s Virgin Island Water is my go-to for warm weather. Putting it on makes me happy. That first 80 degree, out it comes!
No Bonds do it for me either! Luckily (not!) there’s plenty of other expensive stuff I love.
There may be one or two Creeds I like, and many that I find repulsive. I don’t understand the love. Sometimes you can see why people like it even if it’s not you, but not with this line. I own decants of Silver Mtn Water & Rose Thé Bulgare and I’d like to try the Windsor, but otherwise, no.
I like a handful of Bonds and hate others. Prada’s base (as discussed recently) doesn’t really work for me, but it doesn’t inspire either hate or love, so I’d just as soon skip the line.
Mostly, I’m an Equal Opportunity Perfume Ho. I’ll do/smell anything.
I haven’t found a Chanel to love. And this leads to my question… I tried Egoiste for the first time the other day, and ALMOST fell in love. It smells very very nice on me. I read some reviews that compare it with Bois des Iles. What you you all think about that? It’s been a while since I tried BdI, and while I thought it was pretty, I was underwhelmed. Egoiste, on the other hand – oh, that sandalwood finish – just might be a Chanel for me…
After reading Kevin’s reviews of Egoiste and its predecessor, I hunted down Egoiste Cologne Concentree on evilbay (not that expensive, really). I admire but do not love most Chanels – too perfectly beautiful, like an elegant French marble statue; yes, it’s beautiful but I don’t want to live with it. But I love Egoiste because it is so delicious. I’m not sure my small bottle of BdI is well-preserved, but I prefer Egoiste.
Nozknoz, you say it so well! Chanels ARE beautiful, like elegant French marble statues! They are just too elegant for me, I guess. I think I need some Egoiste eventually, though. Need to try the Cologne Concentree that you mention. My sample was the EDT. Just remembered – I do admire Beige quite a bit, too. But again – it’s just too perfectly coiffed, or something!
“too perfectly coiffed” – that’s it exactly. LOL!
Oh yes. Though there’s one or two exceptions to every rule, as always!
Chanel – I’m an aldehydophobic. ‘Nuff said. Coromandel and 28 La Pausa are beautiful, though – and I have high hopes for the as yet untried Sycamore.
Mona di Orio – something in all of them reads as plastic to my nose. The one glorious exception is Jabu, a 5 star entry in my book.
Montale – Just ew.
Bvlgari – Most of their tea-based scents have an unpleasant burnt rubber note to me. The one I do love is Au Thé Rouge.
Excellent question! I’ve had no luck with Andy Tauer, unfortunately, although he’s gotten lots of love here; everything of his I’ve tried becomes stale, coarse and dirty on my skin. And I’m wondering if I’m ever going to like any Patous; they go from hairspray to skanky on me, without ever stopping at floral. I must be anosmic to something critical in the heart.
At this moment I’m testing on my wrist the L’eau Neuve that one of my friend bought and sent it to my house. It looks like a perfect scent for summer. Very lemony, bright, a little bit sweet, it reminds me off the smell of Caipirinha and lemon-ball candies.
That was a nice one…but so many similar things out there. Was kind of surprised they reintroduced it.
I was inspired by the comments in Angela’s review of Mythique and decided to revisit Cuir d’Iris and Iris 39 today. I got my samples about 6 months ago and didn’t like either of them at all, but today I find myself smiling and liking them both a LOT. They’re very different of course and Cuir is all cuir (as Joe stated yesterday) and no iris. I see decants of both in my future.
Oh, I love Iris 39 – but I know what you mean about trying and not liking something and then loving it later. I think that, for me, a lot has to do with the weather – especially for iris.
Wearing IRIS 39 today.
lemming……and making decants for you Carlos….
Thanks dahlink!
Iris 39 was not instant love for me either. But God I love the stuff now. Can’t get enough of it. I get plenty of earth, dusty root and violets.
SOTD – Bal a Versailles – it is so darned dreary, miserable and cold here today that I just needed that sensuous warmth that only BaV has………………. which leads me to my question to all you good folks: I have an edt of BaV that I got at Nordstrom of all places about 2002. Recently I tried to buy a backup bottle of it from a reputable online vendor. It smelled like gasoline! Gasoline and flowers. I thought: where is my smoke? where is my luscious jasmine? where are my spices? I am sure it has been reformulated. …………… Do any of you have any tips of a good place to buy some good quality BaV??? (aside from evilbay of course…)
Ohhhh nooooooo! Flowers doused with gasoline, how awful!
Wonder if the citrus went off… was it gasoline all the way through? No beeswax? No big Georgia O’Keeffe flowers copulating?
Ummm… maybe that was a bit graphic for a family blog. Please forgive. Robin, please delete if offensive.
Ok by me!
Yes, gas the whole way through. I tried it a few times to make sure it wasn’t just new bottle syndrome, as my other one has aged a few years. But it never got that smoldering never-ending depth it always gets to ….
I believe parfum1.com has it —I’ve always had very good luck with their stock. And sooner or later: they’ll have a 20%off sale.
Oh say—got some rose samples today! haven’t tried any yet—very exciting—but forgot what I’m supposed to send to you….this is terrible: something vile happened to my mailbox —the other day I logged on and it was empty…..EMPTY! crap.
SCREAMS! I would freak out – was it your gmail inbox? Maybe you could contact them and they could restore it?
thank god it was NOT my gmail box—-egad, can you imagine? I only have like 10 bottles splitting right now! I’d be crying….really loud crying…with swearing mixed in …..liberally…..uh huh, lotsa cussin
Empty box- NO! Maybe your carrier is going to start blackmailing you for some cookies or something, lol! Yes, roses… I want you to try the Miele Rosa first as I have never met anyone else who has ever smelled it!! Also, I think it was Rose Ikebana and what? … uh, Donna. Er, maybe, that Montale? Rose something.
my aol.com mailbox — I don’t think there’s anything I can do because I’m pretty sure I clicked on the wrong thing and did it to myself….in Safari my mailbox screen (which I never open because it’s redundant) got opened when I sent an email to a merchant ….and it had a bazillion old emails in it —there was a button to clear out all previously deleted emails (mostly advertisements etc.) and it said that the function could NOT be undone…..but…..500+ previously deleted emails??? so yeah, I emptied it……cool all the old crap gone. The next day when I logged on to Aol and opened my mailbox—anything I had opened but “kept as new” was GONE. ACK! and yes, really gone. Most were things kept for reference—like shipping notices that I keep until items are delivered, or emails from FRIENDS that I still want to reference in swaps etc….like yours…..wah!
Did you look in recently deleted mail? Mail sometimes stays in there longer than 24 hours (at least when I used aol.com vs. the AOL software itself).
yeah, it wiped out the recently deleted files too….which was okay….but I don’t know why it took all the “keep as new” mail….very distressing.
Yes! now I remember…I shall scribble a note and go do that before I forget (again) thanks for the memory jog.
SOTD – Organza
Testing – Amaranthine
So frustrating. I’ve heard people say their skin is a cumin magnifier. I have the same problem. If a scent has even a hint of cumin in it, that’s all I can smell! And not to say that I hate cumin. I don’t really. It’s just that I can never smell ANY of the other notes in a fragrance if cumin is in it. Lately, I’ve tried CdG 2 – all cumin. Timbuktu – cumin. and now Amaranthine – cumin!!! And I don’t even see it listed in the notes. Had the same problem with Maharanih. May as well just rub some cumin powder on me and call it a day. Sure would be less expensive.
And another topic – I tried Rubj the other day and it was instant recognition – a dup of an 80′s drugstore scent! For the life of me, though, I can’t place the fragrance! I thought it might be Chloe Narcisse, but I shared that thought with another perfumista, and she said most definitely not. Hmmm…anyone else have this experience with Rubj? Would love to identify that dup!
Haven’t tried Rubj, can’t comment. (Hated Chloe Narcisse.)
Funny about the Amaranthine… I got “sweaty men’s underwear” out of the drydown of Maharanih, but nothing even vaguely offensive from Amaranthine. No naughtiness whatsoever.
Cumin is really hard for me too, normally I just can’t take it at all. Not b/c I hate it, but because it just makes me want to eat Mexican food!!! But thankfully I can make it through the Amaranthine and even Timbuktu. The milk & green sap aspect in Amaranthine is strongest on me. In most others it’s an automatic scrubber.
Funny, I don’t get a hint of it in Amaranthine. Not a drop.
I could see where it might bother people but it doesn’t me. The only recent scent that gave me cumin overload was the new L’Artisan Al Oudh. Do not ever try it. I am fascinated with it, but anyone who detests cumin would gag for days.
Thanks for the warning on the Al Oudh, Joe! I’ll avoid it.
Hm, I wasn’t around in the 80s so no help there… I did find the opening of Profumum Neroli eerily similar to Rubj. Mind you, they go in diametrically opposed directions after that, but the opening: identical. I prefer the Profumum, I think.
MY SPLIT OF CARNAL FLOWER ARRIVED TODAY! So happy!
Yum, congrats!
Just dabbed on CS Neroli…it is so cloudy and cold out, it reminds me of summer when I wore in alot…and it is warm.
Now, don’t hate me…this a.m. I sprayed on Halloween (Jesus Pozo) on my way into work (just got a bottle as part of a swap)…and I like it!
That’s the Czech & Speake, right? It’s a really nice Neroli.
Yes! Czech and Speake. One of my fav nerolis.
I like MDCI also, and have Tom Ford, Annik G, and Laura Mercier on hand too for a neroli fit.
Got L’occitane neroli as a gift last week and i’m not sure what to think of it….
Which MDCI? You may also want to try MPG Jardin du Néroli; it’s a nice one.
I’m wearing Cuir Ottoman today and loving it. The balsamic base coupled with iris and leather is dreamy. Is anyone else a fan? I really want to buy a FB now, but I feel like this is the perfect autumn scent and the angel on my right shoulder is telling me to wait. Does anyone else have a bottle buying budget in place? And if so, do you care to share some of your queue? I’m trying to limit myself to one a month (that includes decants). I think Amaranthine is next on my list after this Cuir Ottoman.
I’d be tempted to wait until Fall too, and in the meantime put in an automatic search on eBay just in case.
LOL! I think many of us *have* a bottle buying budget, but I don’t know how many actually stick to it! Always some enabler leading us astray…. coughDaisycough…..
I usually stick pretty close to my bottle budget – it’s those pesky decants that get me. They *seem* so reasonable at the time…. but those suckers add up.
Hey! well,…credit where credit is due and all that….but you wouldn’t even believe how many bottles I’ve had to buy because someone ****coughRapplecough**** as sent me samples….
my enablers pin is rivaled only by YOUR enabler pin, my dear!
LOL! Fair enough. But ain’t it fun?!?
SOTD – Dzing, so I’m feeling horse-droppy and band-aidy, and it smells sooooo good!
Yesterday got my luckyscent order of AT Incense Rose and L’A Drole de Rose, so I am in rose heaven. Also recv’d samples of the DelRae line, and whew – that Amoreuse is powerful stuff. One drop on my hand and I smelled it all the way through the curling … and the ice dancing … and the 11 PM news … and 2 episodes of Family Guy on Cartoon Network …
Next on my to-test list.
I second that to- test list.
I didn’t realize that Delrae had such an affordable sample set! Thanks for drawing my attention to that… I just love sample sets
Beautiful photo today, Robin.
Yep. Can’t take any credit for it though.
Well, you get credit for choosing it.
Was Sortilege ever reformulated? I was wanting to get some on eBay but is there a difference between “discontinued” and vintage”? Sometimes those words are thrown around pretty loosely by the sellers.
Well, it’s discontinued, so any on the market is now vintage! Don’t know if it was every reformulated — don’t even know how long it was on the market.
Sortilege is long discontinued and Long Last Perfumes does a version that’s supposed to be identical, but it’s not. It can’t be with the restrictions in place now probably – but to me, they smelled VERY different side by side.
Thanks for the info Miss Dove!
Like Dzingnut, I am in rose heaven today! Wearing Ormonde Jayne Ta’if, and it is a beautiful thing. It makes me feel truly happy even though I haven’t had too much to be happy about recently… isn’t it amazing how perfumes can do that!
Also recently I can’t get enough of Tauer L’Air du Desert Morocain. I don’t think it’s really a work fragrance or a going out fragrance, but more of a lazy day relaxation fragrance. I like to wear it when I am chilling at home, reading a book or doing crossword puzzles. I love the way it makes me feel transported to a different time and place… I’ll say it again. Isn’t it amazing how perfumes can do that!
Absolutely! I wish I could use my medical flexible spending account to pay for it. Beats therapy and Prozac.
Yes!I still can’t get over how body kouros took me to Egypt! It really did!
(the sun again)
I have a question for the Aussie commenters here.. are any of you in Melbourne? I’m Australian, but currently living in Canada. Moving back to Melbourne at the end of the year and wondering whether I need to stock up on niche perfumes before I come back. I didn’t really get into perfume before I came over here so not sure how good the range is.
I dont live in Melbourne but do visit 3 to 4 times a year. If there are niche perfumes, you cant live without, then buy up before you come back! I have never found the niche perfumes that I love and shipping to Australia (if you can find a company that will ship) is very expensive.
Wow! So many comments already! People love the open threads!
SOTD = SL Cèdre. I was reminded on Perf Posse about it being one of Uncle Serge’s terrific cold-weather comfort scents.
Confession OTD: I really need help with my decant / splitting addiction. Helllllp! Really though, I DO manage to not jump into splits as often as my initial reaction would want me to. 5ml-10ml decants are affordable, but they add up!
of course you realize when you say you “need help with your addiction” in this room—you’re more likely to get offers of splits (helping you to get more) rather than an intervention . And getting any response to that from ME is hilarious….let me tell you what I got today…..
Hmm.. Joe, step back from the google group. You need to have a good friend come and change all your passwords and stuff – at least set up a hurdle, yes? I am trying sooo hard to be goooood…. but it is tough! Rededicate yourself to only doing swaps for one month! There are enough of us yes, we can help you out!! I think I owe you some swaps anyway…..
So, do what I have (mostly successfully) done: make a hard and fast rule that unless something is rare and hard to find, you won’t get any splits unsniffed. That’s saved me several times lately… I figure, if it’s worth having, it will come around again, AFTER I’ve smelled it and know I want it.
Boo – that was exactly my rule too! Never buy unsniffed – and what did I just do? Yep! Bought a decant of Balsamo della Mecca from coughDaisyCough.
Oh… good luck Joe. I think the 12 step programs warn about “people” and “places”. Just sayin….
Yeah, I “never” bought that one unsniffed too, thanks to coughdaisycough.
my goodness…..some of the commenters here really need a riccola…. *** coughRappleTamacoughcough***
We tease because we love…. and also because we refuse to take responsibility for our own addiction!
Are you serious about wanting help? If so, I can remind you when I see you caving in Google Splitsville…. Seriously, I get all the messages. They keep me company while I’m writing a novel (I have pretty good willpower). Just say the word….
Also, today I threw out my decant of La Pausa. Thought I’d love it as I am iris-crazed, but dang! I get such a whiff of fertilizer after a few seconds. Barf-worthy (BW). Am I alone here? Good thing it dissipated in about 30 seconds – no wonder they sell it in such a big bottle.
Uh-Oh. I just read your comment after posting the one below yours. haha Monstabunny – Never throw away a decant – it could be swappable!
YOU THREW OUT A DECANT???? Someone call a doctor! Monsta has lost her mind! ……half this room is slapping a hand to their foreheads in distress…..please tell me it is just sitting on top of a bread wrapper and can be saved…..if it’s under the coffee grounds, I’m afraid it’s a goner.
I think instead of being a crazy cat lady, Daisy is a crazy decant lady! Sheltering cats and hording newspapers, nooo… hording mounds and mounds of small vials! I will confess I do occasionally throw out some samples – mostly the trashy yucky ones that I wouldn’t even dare pawn off on my good swap buddies or family members, least I get a reputation for trading crap!
I’ve thrown out one or two samples and had to mop the beads of sweat off my brow afterward.
I even hem and haw when I think about throwing out empty sample vials. They can be used for SOMETHING, right? LOL.
lol – I threw out a couple of empty vials the other day and it was soooo hard – I had to say to myself, look, you have all those nice clean ones in that box. These will never be clean enough to use again.
Oh good! So you’re telling me it’s actually all right to throw out the samples of Montale’s Mango Mess and the Byredo Fruit Pulp Vomit?
Fruit Pulp Vomit? LOL. Just the other day I called Pulp a frozen fruit bar on steroids, but I like your description better.
No – because you can always inflict them on some other unfortunate soul who wants to give them a try in exchange for something that you want. Or – make yourself suffer a few more times before giving up on them.
Send them to meeeee! lol
I’ll take anybody’s fruity messes.
Tama dear, be careful what you ask for! Email at rappleyea11 at yahoo dot com if you’re serious.
And Cynthia – I have sent out SEVERAL packages of samples since I received them, and I *cannot* make myself include them!
That’s how I felt about both Extract of Limes and Little Italy – but the person who I sent them to liked them!
some samples just need to be shared with a disclaimer … put them in a little baggie labelled “sniff at your own risk” …..one person’s scrubber may be another’s holy grail.
Threw out?!?
I refuse to blush. It was only a tiny amount and I have too many decants and I chucked it. I threw out some bathwater too, not certain if there was a baby in it.
LOL!
Hated it Really? I just sprayed my decant, and I LOVES it!
Nope. I hated La Pausa. Nice to have company!
I haven’t tried it on skin yet…bc sniffing the bottle, I just didn’t want to. Can’t say that about many of the LEs! I’ll probably try it at some point anyway, bc rarely something will smell better on skin than off, but I’m in no rush w/that one.
Just got back from the mailbox – a little padded envelope with a small decant of 28 La Pausa. *Happy Dance*
Yay, RD! (little happy dance with you)
SOTD – Butterfly Flower BBW
I wish I was wearing a fragrance to make a very tired mum feel sexy.
I tried looking for Jicky in the Toronto/Mississauga Ontario Canada area and I can’t find it. I am curious about the scents everyone talks about but it seems here in the great white north a lot of these fragrances are unavailable.
I did smell Youth Dew on a co-worker of mine and loved it. So I might make a trip the the EL counter and spray some on and see how it interacts on me.
I just smelled Youth Dew on a woman in Starbucks the other day — she smelled great! I asked her if she was wearing Cinnabar, though — there must be something in the base of both that smells similar.
For Jicky did you try the Guerlain boutique on Bloor (110 Bloor St. W.)?
Theperfumeshoppe.com carries lots of niche lines and has a sample program…
Both Sears and the Bay have Jicky in Toronto.
SOTD – I’m wearing Parfums MDCI Vepres Siciliennes and what a lovely scent. I do wish it would last much longer though.
Wish Osmanthe Yunnan came in an extrait or even eau de parfum. If there is one, please let me know.
Oh, yes, wouldn’t an Osmanthe Yunnan extrait be wonderful?!
Mardi Gras weekend I was driving around in Lafayette, LA (pop. 113,000) when I saw a billboard with a picture of Bond No. 9 Chinatown on it. “They sell that HERE?!”–I almost crashed the car. Of course I went to check it out, a cute boutique called Kiki. Several lessons learned on that trip, one being not to judge perfume shopping opportunities by the size of a town. Btw, the winner of that particular expedition was Diptyque L’eau des Hesperides. Weird and wonderful: a sample is on the way.
Wow, on a billboard, no less!
Question: has anyone experienced Hermes Un Jardin en Méditerranée changing color? I purchased a bottle last year, and recently noticed the juice had turned dark. I keep all my bottles in a cool and dark place. The scent hasn’t changed, just the color….
Oh dear. Just checked mine, same color. Sorry! Glad it still smells ok.
Not personally, no – but I do remember a BN thread on one of the Jardins changing colour quite dramatically, with pictures from several people reporting the same problem. Forum search perhaps?
BTW, I love the crocus photo Robin. They are one of my favorite spring flowers!
Can’t wait to see real ones! Very sick of snow here.
This is SO random.. but the number 1 result for “perfume” in Polyvore is this fragrance called “Sex In The City”.
http://www.perfumeblvd.com/sex_in_the_city.htm
What the heck? Anyone heard of these? Why is it so popular?
Also, I am wearing Vera Wang Princess today.. can’t help myself.
Ive seen the sex in the city perfumes in shops, but never tried them. Id be interested to know what they smell like because they’re not too expensive here.
Good evening!! Late to the game because for some reason NST and I are on opposite schedules. I teach all day on Tues/Thurs, which are when all the “lazy” polls tend to happen. (But I suppose in the end it’s best that I avoid blowing the afternoon lazing about here!)
Today I wore one of my favorite confidence boosting fragrances: 31 Rue Cambon from my brand new bottle (instead of the decant I’d been nursing) gifted to me for my birthday by my partner in love and perfume-crime. Swoon!
But I actually have a fragrance question. I have fallen in love with the scent of Pureology anti-fade conditioner in the maroon bottle. It’s sort of a cherry-floral concoction that I just adore. Does anyone know that line of hair products? And can anyone suggest a dupe for the fragrance or something similar? Weird request, I know. Thanks all!
Sorry I can’t help you with your question. I can commiserate with your problem. I’m teaching on Tuesdays and Thursdays this semester also. And today I had a meeting at noon–rats!–so I couldn’t join in the fun during lunch. I hope you get a reply tonight.
I teach too (mondays, tuesdays and wednesdays..), and also have a 31rC bottle, it that a statistical association popping up? (SOTD is however rose 31)
I have a SAMPLE of 31 rc
So R31 vs. 31Rc?
You like Rs and 31s, apparently.
wow, that’s interesting , I hadn’t noticed! .. I’ll have to think about any freudian implications
MJR17 – I’m not familiar with the hair line, but you might try POTL Luctor et Emergo. It has a cherry note and is pretty nice.
hey thanks rappleyea! edp or edt? and has anyone tried the body creme?
The cream is fantastic…I might actually even prefer it to the perfume (not sure which concentration it is). The perfume can be a little challenging some days.
That’s what I was thinking! That maybe the perfume might be too much, but the body creme would be more subtle….hmmm
I’m testing Kat Von D’s Sinner and it;s reminding me of something from the past… Maybe I’m thinking of United colors of Benetton Hot? *shrugs*
or maybe one of those Bonne Bell bottled emotions…
I smelled it but have already forgotten it, so will be no help, sorry!
I have a sample of it on the way from Sephora — I’ll see if it smells “of the past” for me!
Well, one of my many SOTD was Havana Vanille and vanilla is just not my “Holy crap, more please” note. Then later, after a luxurious mid-afternoon nap (troubled sleeper) I dabbed on DelRae’s Debut, which I just cannot get behind. I’ve been not-so-secretly lusting after VCA’s Muguet Blanc (God help me) so I know that lily of the valley is a note I need to scope out but Debut just gets flatter and oilier as it wears on my skin. So scrubbed that after awhile. Now I’m head-over-heels with CdG+SJ. It was laundry soap the first time I smelled it but it’s grown on me.
Long post for something that won’t much reading. Oh well. That’s my scented day! =D
I love that CdG too. Keep dreaming I run into it at TJ Maxx for 19.99. Ha!
SOTD = l’Air du Desert Marocain. Big rainy day, kinda chilly, perfect. A guy who is a tenant in my building and I have decided it is much fun to squeeze each other very tightly a couple times a day (nothing like a big hug) so I made him sniff me. He had a very distracted look for a second and then made a yummy noise and deemed it good. lol
Most recent purchase – giant bottle of Le Labo Rose 31 – sooo yummy. And I got a bunch of samples with it, including the new anti-Serge. I need to wait for warmer weather for that one. I am pretty much not a Serge girl, so far. I don’t know. Nice but not totally me. Been sampling lots of fun stuff, thanks to all my perfume pals and Luckyscent.
Ooh, Rose 31! Congrats, Tama!
Congrats on the Rose 31! That is wonderful stuff isn’t it??
Serge and I have a “difficult” relationship.
I’m wearing Borneo 1834 today-I’m in chocolate/patchouli heaven!!
SOTD: Cuir de Lancome. I like the opening freshness and was also very surprised to notice that after a couple of hours it smells very much like SL La Myrrhe, a bit less sweet. At a fraction of the price and actually on the sale in the US – what a sweet steal!
Great buy, congrats!
SOTD: Parfum Sacré.
I’m going scouting for perfumes for a pen-friend to try out today. He wears Cool Water, more out of convenience than anything else, and says that perfume counters confuse him. But he is passionate about food, in rather an intellectual way, has opinions on teas and is, I think, a good cook, so there’s a distinct possibility that he will find perfume interesting once he gets started.
We’re aiming for “classic and gentlemanlike, but interesting”. He has no idea what notes he likes and dislikes, but I think he might like leather notes (am definitely sending him to check out CB In The Library). I’m looking at it as an opportunity to familiarise myself with some classics from the men’s department, too. What are the must-smells?
I have decent access to both niche and mainstream scents, and so does he – we live in the same city, so no difficulties about that, at least!
Monday Mail candidate?
I’m horribly informed about masculine must-smells!
Maybe, depending on how the first suggestions turn out!
Oh, Pimpinett, there are some beautiful leathers. Heeley Cuir Pleine Fleur, SL Daim Blond, PG Cuir Venenum, L’Artisan Dzing and Cuir de Lancome would all be worth testing. Hermes Bel-Ami is well-regarded. It would be interesting to put together a sample pack that you both could compare and discuss. I think I got samples of all of these except the Hermes from Lucky Scent, and the Perfumed Court must have a leather sample pack.
I should get that leather sample pack for myself, if nothing else, it’s a fragrance family I like but haven’t sampled nearly enough of. I tried Dzing! yesterday and loved it, predictably – Bandit is really growing on me as well, although I had some trouble with that relentless galbanum at the top at first.
Ah, if you like Dzing, I think you will find it rewarding to explore more leathers, Pimpinett – enjoy!
These are not all leather but for department store classics you could start with Chanel Pour Monsieur (just the original, not concentree), Guerlain Habit Rouge and Vetiver, Dior Eau Savage and, if he’s brave enough, the wonderful Diorella. Hermes does some really good masculines so as well as the aforementioned Bel-Ami there’s also Equipage, Eau d’Hermes. Terre d’Hermes is great and a little more modern.
For leather it might be worth trying Bandit. It can be a little scary for a beginner but you never know. I fell in love with it at first sniff.
While the Chanel Pour Monsieur is not available in department stores or freestanding Chanel boutiques in the US (they only carry the dreaded and way-too-sweet ‘concentree’ – even on the official Chanel US website) – it is widely available at discounters online. I actually didn’t ‘get’ this fragrance until I scored a bottle of the original. Seek it out and swoon.
I didn’t realise it wasn’t readily available in US (it is in UK). What a shame, I think it’s lovely. A good, honest man scent, understated and not flashy.
Thank you! I’ve sent him on his way to try out Habit Rouge, Guerlain Vetiver, Eau Sauvage and Caron Pour Un Homme, for starters – those were my favourites of the ten-odd I tried, and I really need to go back and try those four on my own skin as well. If that sparks his interest, I’ll get him onto some things across the aisle as well.
Sorry, I’m late. My name is …….. and I am an addict. Especially after reading the 383
comments. My ever growing list is expanding – I must have Osmanthe Yunnan, 31rc and Parfum Sacre or I make get the shakes, and I confess I threw out a handful of DSH samples–they were old and they all smelled like incestuous siblings. I can be ok with this.
uh-oh , another case of Perfumium Tremens! Quick, get out your samples and start sniffing!!! Clearly we need to get you into some swaps. I only have the 31RC of the ones you mentioned….but feel free to drop me a line at Daisyloo82 at gmail dot com and I’m sure we can find a few things for you to sample.
(welcome, this way to the rabbit hole….)
I found a great new store with lots of niche lines this past weekend. I think my next purchase will be Sienne L’Hiver.
Nice choice! I’ll “need” to get some of that next fall, I think.
Another question – can’t think why I didn’t think of that when I posted the first one.
I’m attending a wedding tomorrow. It’s an unconventional wedding, to say the least, the bride is a burlesque performer, the theme is Alice in Wonderland and the guests are encouraged to dress to the nines. It’s an evening affair, with a big party afterwards, and there is probably no such thing as too much, too strange or too loud.
I’m going as the White Rabbit. What kind of perfume do you think W. Rabbit would wear?
Well, late to the party, SOTD Joop le Bain. For spring I would like to try something else, but I don’t know where to start. I am hoping to find the AA Herba Fresca, and would also like to try something with roses, but mostly the rose is wearing me or it smells very sour. At the perfumery they look at me whether I come from another planet, when I don’t like the scents they show me. One scent was nice, but in the drydown it had so much Patchouli (a killer) and I could’t get it of my skin for 2 days. Has to be said that the staying power was excellent… Maybe anyone has a suggestion for a nice rose scent? Julliette had a Gun Lady Vengeance and Valentino Rock&Rose Couture were nothing for me. Thanks and have a nice weekend.
On my side of the world, Summer has officially started today. So will start using my most favorite “summer-related” scent which is Green Tea. =)
I love reading the posts about the memories evoked by certain perfumes, etc but have you guys tried associating/matching each bottle with a guy you are seeing?
That’s what I do, makes me remember also the guy’s personality and any fond memories with him.
I’ve associated Pleasures with this doctor I used to date. I used to date him during his internship and he said that seeing me in my corporate clothes plus smelling the perfume reminds him that “there is beauty & sophistication outside the chaotic ER”. Awww.
Another is Armani Diamonds (which I love to wear whenever I have client presentations). I’ve matched it with an artsy-fartsy-graphic-designer-who-is-a-nerd-but-doesnt-look-like-it guy. The scent is subtle and does not overpower his scent (and his personality). For someone like a nerd, he sure thinks big of himself. Why am I still seeing him? He is cute! (oh but that’s a diff story)
SO even if I don’t remember names anymore, I would remember the scent. (Body Shop Moonflower guy, Burberry London boy, D’arpege bf, etc). Wait. Remembering the perfume instead of the guy’s name just kinda sounds wicked.