Another July, another damage poll. Donatella Versace, Our Lady of Scented Profligacy,1 wants to know what you bought in the 2nd quarter (April, May and June) of 2012.
Update: the poll is now closed! Stay tuned for the next damage poll.
My purchases?
I meant (really!) to finish my decant and then wait for it to come out at discount, but fell prey to that “buy” itch while in Neiman Marcus, so I’m the proud owner of Prada Infusion d’Iris Absolue. Damage: $117. Added to my first quarter damage, grand total for the year so far is $202.
As always, report your purchases in the comments if you dare! And as always, we don’t include samples or gifts, and you can count miniatures, decants and bottle-splits howsoever you like (I usually count them as half bottles).
I am still on vacation, and may be slow to respond to comments today, sorry!
1. Why does Donatella host (against her will, mind you) the damage polls? There is no real reason other than the picture of her perfume collection, which shows that she indulges regularly at the perfume counter. The image, by the way, is originally from Allure magazine and appears here courtesy of Blogdorf Goodman.
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This second quarter of 2012 was the most “rich in fragrance” so the damage is as follows:
60$ – Annick Goutal Nuit Etoilee ( a split, half of the bottle stayed with me)
80$ – Van Cleef & Arpels Bois d’Iris
63$ – Prada Candy (for Mum. I bought, she paid for it)
I’m not counting numerous samples and mini decants that joined my collection, but I’ll list a few names: Gaultier2, Platinum Egoiste, Iris 39, Eau Noire + many many more.
Wow, excellent price on the VCA, I paid much more than that.
I was very lucky to find a tester bottle online, I would probably not buy it for a higher price.
OMG! the second quarter just flew by for me!
I swear I believed we did this just 3 weeks ago!
Ok I bought a couple of bottles for gifting (I know they don count, but the DO count for me!
)
And honestly I thought about keeping them myself LOL!
Currently I am experimenting with Strawberrynet and trying to do a first purchase to see how the shipping works for Argentina… If that one goes through, I think the remaining quarters will be a very different story for me….. Availability of hard-to-get-stuff (for my country’s standards) + free shipping + discount prices = major credit card mayhem!
Major credit card mayhem!
Thanks for making me laugh 
This quarter, I guess I have been bad.:
L’Artisan Parfumeur Méchant Loup, 100 ml
L’Artisan Parfumeur Thé Pour un Été, 100 ml
L’Artisan Parfumeur Mûre et Musc Cologne, 100 ml
YSL M7, 100 ml
Aedes de Venustas Eau de Parfum (new), 100 ml
Comme des Garçons Eau de Parfum (new), 100 ml
Comme des Garçons Cologne Series Vettiveru, 500 ml
Comme Des Garçons Sherbet Series Rhubarb, 30 ml
Cartier Déclaration Eau Genereuse, 150 ml
Frédéric Malle Café Society Room Spray Gun
The L’Artisans were ridiculously cheap (about $40 each)
Speaking of Café Society… the candle was called Coffee Society… why the switch? The spray now sounds more al fresco.
That’s an impressive list Furriner! Which of these purchases makes you the most proud?
Thanks! I think the Aedes de Venustas
Nice choices there!
thanks!
Where on the planet do u get l’artisan for $40 ???your list is amazing !!
Fragrancenet had a bunch for a very short time a bit back… They all disappeared really quickly. The ones I got were all the older bottles, too.
Great score! I’m jealous.
Me too ! I have a crush on merchant loop , thou I have not smelt it ! Is it wonderful ?
I like it, but I think it works better in colder weather.
I am insanely jealous, both of the cheap L’Artisan AND of the Frédéric Malle room spray. How I covet one of those room sprays!!!
Café Society is very good. They are a bit pricey, though…
Furriner, I recently saw Cafe Society mentioned as a historical phenomenon at the Schiaparelli/Prada exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. According to Wikipedia, “Café society was the collective description for the so-called “Beautiful People” and “Bright Young Things” who gathered in fashionable cafes and restaurants in New York, Paris, and London beginning in the late 19th century.” Although FM describes this parfum d’ambience as the scent that lingered after his parents’ dinner parties, I’m guessing the title must reference their social milieu, and that Coffee Society was an awkward translation. This is a working hypothesis, anyway!
Thanks.. that does make more sense. You’d think they’d make it consistent, though.
Furriner how is that room gun? I have the Rubrum Lily candle which smells right at about 30 ft. In a small space it smells like cloves, medicinal. Seems like its throw is best for a more open space. Does the room spray work regardless of the room size?
I want the Aedes! On my buy list…
Did my comment get eaten?
I had vowed after last quarter to rein in spending and I was pretty successful. No full bottles, only purchased a couple samples (Sweet Anthem, Perfume Pharmer’s Strawberry Passion perfumes). So my total is ZERO, yay! My budget rejoices.
I did receive Andy Tauer’s Carillon Pour un Ange as my Mothers Day gift, which I’m thrilled with and plan to wear at my wedding next month. I also got delivery of the Tableau de Parfums Kickstarter perfumes, purse sprays of Miriam, Loretta, and Dark Passage, but that was in last quarter’s tally as that that was when the money left my pocket.
Next quarter should be more spendy because we are honeymooning in New Orleans and plan to hit up Hové, Bourbon French Perfumes, and Avery Fine perfumes, so I’ve budgeted for 2-3 bottles on that trip.
Again, sorry! It did get eaten, but I put it back
no worries, Robin! Thanks for restoring it!
I’ve been good. Battled four or five Godzilla-sized Guerlemmings and won! Bought no exclusives!
A few discounter purchases – Coriolan and Vetiver (in the frost bottle since it’s been discontinued in favor of the Habit Rouge bottle), as mentioned before Lys Soleia. Think that’s it. Might get 2007 Habanita. Also a bit of a lemming for Lolita Lempicka Eau Blanc, half of which is for the bottle. Think it’s a LE. Waiting for an enabling GWP.
Love the term Guerlemmings!
I do too.
Third that! Now I know what to call my specific lemmings!
LOL I am copyrighting it – guerlemming! Perhaps the most deadly species of lemming!
Indeed, I fear they have no natural enemies and I’ve been overrun by them!!
Like a good student, I can use this new word in context….
I have a guerlemming for Myrrhe et Delices.
ME!!! TOO!!!!
And I have been afraid to try Lys Soleia, lest yet another Guerlemming be loosed upon the world.
Would a Chanelemming be a Guerlemming’s natural enemy, or do the two species enjoy a symbiotic relationship?
Oh, I think a Chanellemming and a Guerlemming are almost BFF’s! In fact, I’d venture to guess that all of the lemmings are one, big, happy family!
I’ve always been rather immune to Guerlemmings…until about a month ago. Now, I got it BAD. It’s a GuerVirus! The only cure is regular “shots” of Guerlainaid.
You don’t think there’s a Guervaccine?
I hear the IFRA is working on one.
Very funny, and yet very sad! I hope you’re wrong!
don’t worry; it’ll be completely free of any skin, lung, or eye irritants…100% allergen free….even free of all possible and imaginary allergens of the future! … it will be made of completely synthetic…..water… but it will cost $250 / 50ml….but don’t expect any discounts anywhere because the IFRA owns the company that makes it and they have complete control over pricing. But don’t worry, you can rest assured that the IFRA is looking out for your best interests.
How very reassuring! So glad you could put it into perspective like that, Daisy!
I fell victim to 2 different tactics – the “limited edition” and a GWP! I got the Jo Malone Assam & Grapefruit and Plum Blossom at NM during their fragrance event. Got an adorable straw bag packed full of samples, so I don’t feel too bad about that one. Also got a bottle of Guerlain Cologne du 68 from a discounter, but that was almost free and I split half of it to boot! Total damage – $160 (minus some for the split).
Congratulations on Jo’s Assam & Grapefruit (been willing to try it) and Cologne du 68 (it’s great, I might go for a split too)
What do you think about the guerlain 68 ? Wats it small like?
I enjoy it but I am no good at describing stuff. There is a review by Robin here on NST! It is a nice light scent that is great when you don’t want to think about what to wear. And it isn’t your typical “cologne” – not fresh or citrussy.
Lol. These tactics are very effective.
That straw bag had a great selection of samples, most were new releases. Wish more GWPs were so well “curated.”
The full bottle I bought this quarter was Turtle Vetiver Front. Bay Area summer is foggy with occasional bouts of hot, and I think this is a good scent for transitional weather.
I do have a decant on the way, ordered at the end of the second quarter– CDG Play Green. I am a sucker for all things green (still mourning the demise of Virgilio), and ambrette notes are very good to me.
Agree about Turtle Vetiver Front. I got a decant in the spring and loved it. Now in the heat of summer, not so much. Come fall, it should be just right again. I can imagine this being perfect on a foggy day.
I bought a decant of TF Tobacco Vanille and that’s it. It was a good choice since I find that TV is a scent that’s perfect to me on some days and a bit too much on others.
That’s a nice one.
Agree, good choice YellowLantern.
I’ve continued to remain frugal this quarter, which is good, because it is *finally* house-hunting season! (Looked at a pretty cute one just yesterday, in fact.) I only spent $63 on perfume–a Youth Dew gift set (spray and lotion) from Goodwill and a bottle of Parfum Sacre, which has yet to arrive, but apparently was shipped a few days ago.
I bought a massive number of samples somewhere along the way, but maybe that was last damage poll? In any case, I’m still working my way through those (along with several swaps).
I have yet to meet my goal of making good use of my gift certificate to Our Lady of the Scented Wrists (the Perfume House), so another purchase is likely in the works soon. If anyone wants to make suggestions, I’d welcome them! I seem to have a consistent jones for spicy orientals. (Not a reference to my dating life–HA! Do you need to know that the last guy I dated was Japanese for that to be funny?) ANYWAY . . . I really want to expand my options–maybe something “refreshing” but still warm rather than vegetal?
Nice find at Goodwill! I hope you enjoy your Parfum Sacre; it’s one of my favorite rose scents.
Warm-but-refreshing is an interesting question. I find that cedar and incense notes can have that effect, depending on the context (especially if there’s a bit of citrus involved). Maybe Heeley Cardinal would be worth checking out?
Thanks, Emily! I have a small decant of Parfum Sacre, which I’ve really enjoyed, so I’m looking forward to being able to use it with more abandon! I did maybe make the mistake of looking up the review here on NST and learned that what I am enjoying is a reformulation, which many find inferior to the original. . .maybe ignorance is bliss in this case?
I know I’m asking a lot for something “refreshing” but warm–I really want something summer-acceptable, not too overwhelming but still warm rather than green or marine in notes. I own and enjoy L’eau d’Hiver and Kenzo Amour, which both sort of fit that bill. It’d be nice to have something a little less snuggly, though! I tried Theorema today, and it’s orangeness was pretty good, but too fleeting to want to seek it out, I think.
Oops. Meant to say I’ll look into the Heeley scent, too. I like the idea of incense and orange, especially!
Speaking of orange, Anne Pliska has a sort of Dreamsicle effect for some people. I think there’s a review on NST that discusses AP vis-a-vis Theorema, in fact.
Sadly, I get all Juicy Fruit with Anne Pliska! I’ve retried it a few times hoping to get beyond the chewing-gumness, but no luck!
L’eau Ambree might be an option?
I haven’t explored the Prada scents hardly at all (don’t tell Lucasai!), so I will be sure to give this a try! Thanks!
Jardin du Poete 100ml $140
Chergui (for my husband) 50ml $82
Eau de Gloire 100ml $46
Economy pack of khus incense sticks $3
Small pack of patchouli incense cones $1
Total: $272 – leaving out the incense that’s about $1.07 per ml – not bad…
0.0 Chergui for $82? You should be able to subtract that from your total!
I love this logic.
Oh, and I forgot the mini 7e Sens that my ginger Tom found in the linen closet – “was lost but now am found.” Surely I can substract a few more dollars?
Bas de Soie
Habanita (the old EdT)
DSH La Vie en Rose
I bought La Vie en Rose at the Denver Art Museum, waiting for my time to enter the YSL exhibit. It’s amazing:
A. How many of those clothes I wore cheap knockoffs of.
B. How the clothes made for customers were as tiny as the ones made for models. Judging from a pair of highwater pants on a mannequin, you can be short and buy designer clothes, but you have to qualify as a model in all other dimensions.
C. That in the notorious photo in which YSL advertised Pour un Homme, he took off everything EXCEPT his glasses. Afraid that he wouldn’t be recognized without them, or just so blind that they never came off? (As a lifelong hypermyope, I am inclined to the second explanation.)
I wish I could see that exhibit! Lucky you, & congrats on the DSH bottle, those were really nicely done.
I clicked “2-4″, but really, it’s more like 1 1/2 bottles (that’s my story and I’m sticking with it!):
FB of SSS Forest Walk – this scent is beyond gorgeous!
1/2 oz. of vintage Femme (at a great price)
tiny bottle of Je Reviens parfum because of **coughAngela’scough** review.
Forest Walk is lovely. I actually preferred the next-to-last mod of it – it was greener and more piney – but the final one was beautiful too.
I have to agree on both counts, although I could only tell the difference when they were side by side.
I really want to try this Forest Walk since i first heard about it. How is it that you get to sample unreleased versions of it?
Rictor, Laurie uses a few people to test her perfumes during development and to give her their feedback. That’s how Mals and I are familiar with the next to last version.
that is the way of Angela’s reviews.
And as we all know, resistance is futile!
true that! I don’t even try to resist anymore. Just heave a great sigh and go shopping.
Still high but better than last quarter–at least I didn’t exceed a month’s rent this time
Decants and minis $113
Labdanum 18 -50ml $157
Vintage ebay lot–a total steal that included full bottles of Emeraude, Imprevu, Intimate and a half full bottle of very vintage White Shoulders among the 2 dozen bottles $47
This, of course is responsible for me falling into vintage land and becoming a bit obsessive about Shiseido Inoui so a bottle and a half of that (about 100 ml total) $156. The seller of the 2nd bottle also included an unexpected free gift of 2 1/4 oz White Shoulders cologne. Yay!
Since I’m having so much fun with the first vintage lot, I bought another lot of a couple of dozen scents…$64
Lastly, I’m awaiting the arrival of 2oz of vintage White Magnolia but it was paid for last quarter $21
Grand total $558
Wonderful vintage haul!
It really was great and now it has gotten me into greens (a category I totally wasn’t into before) and all the ones I mentioned are now new favorites. Wasn’t thrilled about some avon stuff but the lot was so spectacular overall, that I can ignore the nonthrilling stuff:-)
One bottle for me – that FB of Lush 25:43 I’ve been threatening to buy forever. And I’ve been wearing it a lot!
I did get one other bottle – L’Occitane Labdanum. A co-worker who has commented (favorably, thank heaven) on some of my scents, gave it to me. It was a gift from her sister, but she just didn’t care for it and thought it should go to a good home. We should all have such lovely co-workers!
I got a 15ml of 25:43, which I was wearing a lot too, until the bottle cracked in my overnight bag
Now my bag smells delightfully of 25:43, but I’m out of a bottle. I liked it so much, though, that I think I’m going to have to upgrade to an FB.
just one
I got a 50ml bottle of Miss Dior Chérie whilst abroad in Majorca for €65 = £51. it’s discontinued in the UK so I jumped at chance to get my hands on it! it also worked out £10 cheaper than at home too! 
Congrats!
Two long-considered FBs which I finally bought during the SF Sniffa (thanks, Tama!): Bas de Soie and Folie de Rose. (I really wanted to put off buying Folie until winter and buy Ecume de Rose first, for warm-weather wear, but Barney’s didn’t carry Ecume!)
Tama is awesome for organizing those! If I lived on that coast, I would So Be There…
They’re a blast. Maybe someday your travel plans will coincide with a Sniffa date – I hope so, you’d have a great time.
(Whoa… looks like my first comment got eaten. Huh. No commercial links in it, either. I’ll try again. Robin, you can leave my other comment in the spam bin if that’s where it wound up!)
I was better this quarter, only buying two bottles for a total of $152. I supported Brian Pera’s film and received a purse spray of Tableau de Parfums Loretta for $60. It’s a very strange, camphoraceous tuberose-patchouli thing; I’m not getting the fuzzy spices and dark fruit that Brian mentioned when he talked about it. I can’t quite wrap my head around it yet.
And I also bought a big bottle of Le Temps d’une Fete for $92, fearing that it had been reformulated since it disappeared from all the usual sites online at about the same time. Turns out I was right, it has been refo-ed and is now less perfumey, less weighted toward the woody-patchouli-mossy-opoponax base and much more weighted toward the green/yellow floral topnotes. I still love it and find it quite wearable. It used to wear more like an EdP, but now feels more like the EdT it’s always been (four hours of wear instead of six).
On the plus side, I’ve been wearing the heck out of all the bottles I already have, really enjoying them.
My first comment got eaten, then my second comment got eaten, then I figured I’d quit bugging Robin! LOL
Very sorry this happened when I was awol for so long…just unspammed it!
Oh, and should add that I’m still wrapping my head about Loretta too. I want to write about it, but came down with a summer cold (ick), so I can’t smell very well and want to be able to smell it one or two more times before I write about it.
It’s so NOT what I expected from the description. I have long held the notion that either my skin amps patchouli, or I’m hypersensitive to it. I eventually get the woody notes, but I don’t smell any rose, it’s mostly tubey-patch camphor-bubble gum. Freaky. And yet strangely addictive.
It’s not what I expected either! My mind was a bit blown. I do not get as much patch, at least on the first wear, but definitely the bubblegumminess. I honestly can’t wait to write about it, if I can just kick this cold.
So sorry! I did just delete it since you retyped it anyway.
50ml bottle of Amouage Dia for a total of £60 including postage which I thought was pretty good deal since they retail for about £150 or so.
Total damage for the year is 2 bottles and £63
Smart shopper, you!
I try my best
I’m super-pleased – Dia was on my To Buy list for about 3 or 4 years so it’s nice to finally have a bottle instead of having to carefully ration my sample!
This is my first time participating in the quarterly poll. I’m a long time lurker, recently delurked (and glad I did!)
I’ve bought two bottles this past quarter, both from TJ Maxx, but both items I had been planning to get and happened to stumble upon.
Grey Flannel – $16 (purchased for my husband, but I’m counting it because I’ve nabbed it for my dresser. I mix it with Fragonard’s Eau Fantasque, for a mossy green/grapefruit combo)
Crabtree & Evelyn’s Wisteria – $12 for the 3.4 oz bottle. They redid the packaging, so there’s been a fair amount of C&E at discounters lately.
And I wanted to get a 10ml decant of Dzing from the Scent Splits wiki for $20, but the site went down before I could pull the trigger. : (
But now I have some birthday money burning a hole in my pocket, so 3rd quarter might look very different!
Grey Flannel is really nice. Glad you delurked!
I’m always happy to see people de-lurk and join in the fun!
Shame about the wiki …….
What a brave soul to de-lurk on a quarterly poll!
only one buy, on impulse, and I realized afterwards that it’s just not right on me: Aedes de Venustas..I do like the chunky tourmaline (?) coloured glass bottle though
What a shame, so sorry! It is a beautiful bottle though, you’re right.
Only one bottle this quarter, a small flask of Tresor Midnight Rose, that was a Mother’s Day “you pick” present from my 11 year old son. It came with an obnoxiously bright bag of Lancôme samples. Both the scent and the bag have turned out to be breezy Summer fun.
I love when that happens. I have a leopard tote from a silly Bath & Body works set that I adore and actually use all the time.
All i bought was a 50 ml of Montale Red Vetyver.
I am about to buy another bottle though. Perhaps even this very night. I am deciding between By Kilian Straight to Heaven, Mark Birley for Men, or Serge Lutens Chypre Rouge.
Love Straight to Heaven, so that gets my vote, although I haven’t tried the others.
About my usual level of iniquity this quarter:
Cristalle EDT ($75, minus a $20 Nordies reward check)
Giant backup bottle of Yvresse ($50 or so, on sale)
Backup bottle of Byzance from the ‘Bay ($36 and oh so fun to say)
Tokyo Milk Dark Excess ($36)
Bunch of vintage minis from a local antique store (Shocking, Y, Magie Noire, Cabochard; $20 total)
Jacomo Silences PdT ($18; was panicked about reformulation rumors)
Giant bottle of Demeter Earl Grey Tea cologne ($18, threw it into the Yvresse order to get free shipping)
… and, best of all, a purse spray of DSH Le Smoking as an early birthday present from the husband.
Also, my birthday-presents-to-self FBs of Manoumalia and Monyette oil are supposed to arrive today, though I placed the order on June 29 so I could take advantage of Luckyscent’s free shipping promo. To avoid dithering about which quarter that order belongs to, I’m going to say it doesn’t count because it’s a gift from the cat. I wonder how many more gifts-to-self I can rationalize away before my actual birthday on the 31st.
“…my usual level of iniquity.”
I love it!
Wish my wallet felt the same way
I love Silences PdT.
Me too. It was a blind buy, but it’s worked out splendidly. I think you were the one who disseminated the discontinuation info that inspired this purchase, so thank you!
Okay, okay. Silences PDT vs. the EDP: is the EDP as good? AND reformulations – when, now? On what: PDT, EDP or both? This one has been on and off and on my to-buy list.
The EdP is not *quite* as good, but almost. Less deep, less mossy, less galbanum-y, slightly more floral. I found my PdT on Ebay. I’d just snap up whatever I found (assuming you like green scents).
I keep forgetting to wear Silences! Summer is its best season.
It really cuts right through the summer sweat and grossness. And it’s not that long-lived on me, so I can keep spritzin’ away.
This is a fantastic haul! I want to sniff Dark Excess
Meg, I wish you lived in the States — I’d happily send you a sample. Excess is well worth seeking out if you like not-at-all-sweet amber-patucholi type stuff.
Emily, clearly we are on the same wavelength, justifying a perfume purchase as a gift from your cat – priceless! I think that perfume buying is always easier to explain with this kind of logic. The fact that no-one actually buys perfume for me, requires a creative excuse from time to time. Husband will pay for some of my Etsy Jewellery orders, but that’s as far as it goes. I doubt I will live long enough to wear all my perfume purchases, but then one day someone going to a vintage store may pick up some of them, so let’s just say I am laying the groundwork for perfumistas of the future to discover the glories of the past!
I seem to have developed sudden amnesia!
Lucky you!
Rofl. It always happens to me when someone asks me how many bottles I have.
I think there is a bug going round, ‘cos I’ve caught amnesia too!
I got two decants of favorites:
15 ml Atelier Cologne Grand Neroli–a back up decant!
10 ml Hilde Soliani Il Tuo Tulipano–thanks Daisy!
And two 5 ml decants, unsniffed, that are still in the mail:
MMM Untitled L’eau
Kerosene Copper Skies
This was a very good quarter for my bank account: $56
I sampled a number of new things, but we don’t count that…. a good thing.
Yes a very good thing… As I splurged on almost 200 samples…. *I know, I know, I should be punished*… But there are so many scents! So little time!!
I am often grateful that samples *don’t count* in the damage poll!
Ooh, I have my eye on Copper Skies. Do report back when it arrives!
Emily, I’m very curious to try Copper Skies. Maybe it will come in the next few days. I’ll report.
Yay! Hilde Soliani Il Tuo Tulipano! Such a gorgeous fragrance and it is so seldom mentioned! We may be the only two people who know of its existence…..
This was my first “nary a one” first quarter since perfumistahood (what is that, two years now?!). I took a little and inexpliable breather from perfume these past couple months but now I have returned to the perfume drawer with renewed vigor. Got a great fumie gift too-a Toykomilk Parfum Vials de Alchemy, the “Garden State” collection-which is great fun.
The Garden State set also sounds delightful to your fellow Tokyo Milk fan here. I’m a bit intimidated about mixing ‘n’ matching, though!
You’ll have to keep me informed of your new finds!
Three this quarter:
Donna Kara Gold
PdE Azemour
Puredistance I
and a number of samples and a decant of Guerlain Plus Que Jamais!
Azemour! It’s amazing. I’ve got a decant–for now
And I’ll pipe up to say how amazing Plus Que Jamais is! But I have to say that that is the only Guerlain that didn’t last on my scent-glue skin. How is longevity on you?
Longevity is quite good on me, not like an Amouage or Tauer of course, but it lasts the day!
Wow! What a difference. But maybe a good thing or I’d have a bottle of that too! It’s a beautiful scent – enjoy!
Like Robin, I couldn’t resist Infusion d’Iris Absolue while visiting my daughter in Minneapolis this past weekend. Why is it so much easier to talk ourselves into spending money when we are on vacation? I also bought a FB of Montale White Aoud this quarter as well as a discounted Donna Karan Gold for $18. On eBay I bought used partial bottles of Cashmere Mist, Prada Infusion d’Iris, Bulgari Au The Vert, Acqua di Parma Profumo, vintage parfum d’Hermes, Coconut Lime Verbena, and Le Baiser du Dragon. A spendy purchase was a vintage bottle of Narcisse Noir, but it is sooo gorgeous, both the bottle and its contents! Am not counting all the sample sized vials acquired from LuckyScent.
Wow, that is a huge, and gorgeous, haul! I hope you enjoy them all!
Thanks! I’m really enjoying them but running out of space in my perfume cabinet!
Well I started by being very good this quarter and not getting anything until the end of May when a very cheap and very large ( 400mls) of Prada’s Infusion d’Iris came my way.
However I spent the last 3 days of June in Paris and that wasn’t good for my credit card but lovely for my collection. I got:
Lutens: La Myrrhe
I sniffed about 7 or 8 of the exclusives and test drove 3 on skin; Boxeuses, De Profundis and the aforementioned La Myrrhe.
Parfums de Nicolaï: Vanille Intense, Cédrat Intense, L,Eau à la Folie and Cologne Haute Provence.
Etat Libre d’Orange: Fils de Dieu du Riz et des Agrumes. This one wasn’t planned at all. I went to visit the shop on a whim and was completely smitten with this one.
There are also a lot of perfumes I sniffed at Jovoy’s and didn’t buy.
The MDCI’s ( Promesse de l’Aube is stunning), some of the newer Histoires de Parfums ( I can’t get the Tubéreuse Animale out of my head) and Parfums d’Empire Azemour which is indeed a beauty.
And I did a brief visit at Goutal’s; I liked the Nuit Etoilée, and bravely resisted buying it ( for now)
I love La Myrrhe. Cherish my partial bottle.
I got a pocket atomizer yesterday and decanted some of my bell jar into that. It’s just so beautiful. From the descriptions on Bois de Jasmin I thought I might like it, but did not expect to be so instantly smitten.
You are STRONG, austenfan – I wouldn’t have been able to resist that beautiful blue AG NE bottle if I had sampled the scent and liked it!
I like to think so too!
I really like Boxeuses and wish it were available in the states. Congrats on all your purchases… you smell terrific!
This is a first for me. I purchased 2 full bottles this quarter. That’s it. Usually 10 or 15 bottles were normal for me in a quarter.
The 2 bottles I purchased are:
Poivre Piquant (L’Artisan) – Love it.
L’Eau A La Folie (PdN) – Blind buy and I hated it.
Not feeling the urge to splurge on perfumes lately.
~Dawn
My wallet cannot wait for me to get to your phase!
Hi Zubi,
I hear you.
I don’t know what happened. Nothing sounds good.
I have over 260+ full bottles in my collection, accumulated over a 6 yr. period.
I am content and happy and enjoying this wave of total perfume collection contentment.
~Dawn
I have started feeling that recently though. I don’t feel like sampling because I’m afraid of the umpteenth disappointment, and I enjoy the bottles I bought.
It could also be because I just got all my fruity florals (collected over the last 5 years) from home (almost 30 bottles!!!!), and I know I’ll have to try those before buying anything new. Seeing so many bottles (most of them blind buy) that I have now grown out of, is pretty grounding.
Dawn – tell me about that new PdN! What didn’t you like? Which are your favorite PdNs? I keep looking at that one. Octavian’s review makes it sound ridiculously good.
*hides in cloud of shame (and perfume)*
Bought after testing:
1 fake “vintage” Miss Dior Cherie
2 real vintage MDCs (in honour of memories)
SL Un bois de Vanille
SL Cedre
SL Santal Blanc
Parfum d’Empire Aziyade
Parfum d’empire Ambre Russe
Guerlain Insolence EdP (!!)
Elie Saab le Parfum
Chanel Coco
Tom Ford Black Orchid
Blind buys gone good (all on severe discount):
Beyonce Heat Ultimate Elixir (YUM)
John Galliano EdP
Alexander McQueen My Queen
Molyneux Quartz Homme
Blind buys gone meh:
Almost every single mini bottle (and full bottle) of Yves Rocher perfumes
Diesel Loverdose
Lolita Lempicka
Molyneux Quartz Femme
Do bear in mind.. I started my perfume journey around April… so I can be forgiven, right? Seeing as I was buying like a madwoman in my beginning perfumista stage (I now don’t feel the need to buy or even sample as often as I used to (I sometimes sampled 4 scents a day! lol I have filled an entire writing pad in less than 2 months))
Zubi, the perfumes are nourishment for your soul, and that’s just as important as good food for your body! Congrats on your lovely new acquisitions!
So true! I wrote in my signature on basenotes (only half joking):
Perfume appeals to my nose the way music appeals to my ears, exquisite food to my taste buds, photography to my eyes, and great loving from my man to my sense of touch.
I can safely conclude, then, that PERFUME IS ART in its purest form.
As an artist, I therefore have a responsibility to buy as much perfume as I can. You know, to learn about art and all.
and thank you
I love this community so much!
Hi Zubi,
I’ve been there! lol
I used to order samples like crazy from LuckyScent and like you, I would sample most of them in one day but then, I would promptly order a bottle or two of the samples that I fell in love with on first sniff.
The only advice I can give you is try not to blind buy after reading great reviews. I got caught up in the hype and I still do once in a while. ;0
~Dawn
Please tell my past-self that 2 months ago! haha!
I blind-bought way too much. But I have learned, and now only get samples, and if I can’t, I have learned to test how bad I want it by saving it in a bookmark (which I promptly forget).
Cedre I bought because of loving the drydown after multiple testing (but I forgot what the opening notes had smelled like) – I despise it now. Can’t stand the opening notes, but decided I’m going to learn to love it
I still blind buy if the price is good. I can’t help it. I say I won’t but then I see something deeply discounted and I’m doomed.
Oh, Zubi, I’ve so been there! If you were to seek out a Damage Poll past–maybe it was spring last year?–you’d discover my rather luxurious introduction to the perfumista rabbit hole! (I tried to hide it in one of Daisy’s posts, but the meanies found me anyway!) I am happy to say that I’ve learned a little more restraint in the last year and a half, although I understand that it takes some folks a little longer than others to get to that point! Enjoy all the fun of exploration, in the mean time!
Hi Zubi, judging by the comments so far, it’s been a frugal quarter for many of us. Someone needed to help out the economy. Looks like it was you!
I fall in love with scents all the time. It’s part of the fun. But my rule is I have to use up a 5 ml decant/sample before I can buy a full bottle. This works well because often the urgency to buy a FB fades surprisingly quickly.
Have fun with this wonderful hobby and take your time.
Great advice, Suzy Q. I’m going to try to take it. It is so easy for some of us who are beginners to the joys of perfume to get a little carried away!
Farouche, I learned it all from our wonderful host Robin!
Zubi, just as there is no crying in baseball, there is no shame in perfume.
Ambre Russe! Love that one.
I love that! Great philosophy. I wonder if we can convince Robin to make that the tag line for the site?
Ha, works for me! I’m long over the shame
what’s shame?
Umm…. “It’s a shame I don’t love that blind buy?”?
Hi Zubi – I see Insolence EDP has some exclamation points next to it. Is that because it’s awesome?
Ooooh, Zubi, you will cherish those perfumes (except for the meh ones) for a long, long time. Not only will you smell amazing, but you now have so much perfume that it will take forever to use it up! AND, you can continue to eat healthy (and cheaply! more $$$ for perfume!!!) by just eating lentils. Lentils and oatmeal and kale.
Hey, have a great journey. You started in a good road!
II was kind of that way last quarter–I did the Monday Mail so I bought a lot of samples plus I got a good tax refund after years of being underemployed, so I went a little crazy. It really does sort of become a crash course on educating your nose. Am not currently feeling the need to buy more samples, which I expect will continue for a while. Of course, I’m moving and my bank account will REALLY hate me once I’m going to school in Manhattan and can sniff tons of things in person (and add to my FB wishlist) 8)
I didn’t report on myself last quarter, so I didn’t have to admit to the three FBs I was panicked into buying after hearing rumors of discontinuation/reformulation: Bvlgari Black, Omnia, and Jacomo Silences. This quarter, the wonderful rescue kitties I acquired back in February cheered me up over an impending “important” birthday by gifting me with over 75 samples! I love those cats!
I have Black and Omnia, and I admit even now to nearly buying a back-up, especially of Omnia. I’m really torn about it, though, because really, I have SO MANY other options! *sigh* Hate to think that the lovely and fascinating have to be fleeting as well!
I know! But back in the 70s-80s I never dreamed that reformulation would spoil so many of my favorites — so even though I try to tell myself now to be content with finding new loves, I still feel a sort of compulsion to stock up on current beauties that seem threatened. Habanita, I’m heading your way…
I haven’t been into fragrances long enough to watch a beloved scent change into something lesser than itself, but I can well-imagine the heartbreak! Just today I was testing (retesting, actually) Organza Indecence against the reformulation, and there’s no contest–the original is far better! I would happily own a bottle of the original if it didn’t sell for exorbitant prices on ebay!
Try Cavalli Oro and add a bit of a vanilla scent like regular Organza or Allure or whatever it’s about the same.
EEK!!! What’s this rumour that Bvlgari Black is being discontinued/reformulated??? If this is the case, it looks like the third quarter might be spendy
Yeah -for me too.Except not for me. My dad likes Black and the Au Rouge tea .I need to stock up for him . And my mom likes Omnia original….EEEEEeeeeek! My debit card wants to hide from me.
This is my first public confession
100 ml Dzing
75 ml obsession ( not as good as I remember )
50 ml black orchid
Demeter pipe tobacco, dirt , gin and tonic , hemp leaf and saddle
Ahhhh , not so bad!!!
I honestly mentally buy a new fragrance ten times a day , I have a very active imagination !!!!
My latest obsession now is luxury soap and room sprays !
Don’t you feel better now? Confession is good for the soul.
I, too, buy many imaginary bottles.
As do I.
Full Bottles:
DSH Pandora extrait, 15 ml
Vintage Shiseido Mai EdC, 80 ml
Vintage Shiseido Murasaki EdP, 60 ml
Decants and Minis:
Aftelier Secret Garden EdP, 5 ml
Lubin Black Jade EdP, 5 ml
Amouage Dia Woman EdP mini, 7.5 ml
Vintage Yardley Red Roses Cologne, 2 minis
Tableau de Parfums Dark Passage purse spray
Total Price:
I’m sorry, but that is classified information.
LOL, “classified information”. Where did you get the Dia mini? I’d like to have minis of several Amouages.
I got it from eBay, but I am not absolutely sure it is the real thing. I snapped it up when I saw it, and then all of a sudden there has been a rash of Dia minis showing up, I would say about a dozen of them in the last couple of weeks. Considering that I have had “Amouage miniature perfume” as a saved search for at least a year now, and had only seen about 5 or 6 show up in all that time (for any Amouage scent, not just Dia), the sudden rash of them seems suspicious. Also, the bottle is not the same color as it appears in the photos from sites, such as Lucky Scent. My LS sample of Dia is long gone, so I cannot compare. What is in my mini bottle is a beautiful, rich, floral scent with good sillage and lasting power, so it is nice stuff anyway, but I do wonder.
If you want several Amouage minis, you might look at the sets that Amouage offers. Lucky Scent still has them, possibly other sources as well. The women’s is 7.5 ml minis of Gold, Dia, Jubilation 25, Ubar, Lyric, and Reflection, for $280. I don’t know which ones you want, but if that list includes several that you do want, you might consider it. I wish I would have just bought the set instead of trying to buy individual minis. I just didn’t have the $280 all at once, and then the mini of Ubar showed up…Also, I wanted “only” 4 of the 6. I can take or leave Lyric, and I cannot bear Reflection.
Thanks for replying. That was very helpful information. Yes, splitting up one of those mini sets might be a solution. The Amouage fragrances are so concentrated that I don’t need a FB.
There is a rash of Dia minis showing up on ebay because last month there was a promotion at Bergdorf Goodman (and Neiman’s?) where there was a beauty bag GWP ….one of the items in the bag was an Amouage mini in a small black velour drawstring bag.
—I’ve seen them on ebay like mad and I assume they are authentic. But I’d be happy to send you a sample from my fb for comparison.
Hi Daisy! I didn’t know about the promo; that makes a lot of sense as to why so many of them would be showing up at once (and relatively cheap). Mostly they are going for around $30 to $40. I didn’t have any reason to suspect there is anything wrong with my mini other than the sudden glut of them on the market. I was afraid someone may have been flooding the market with fakes. I will say that I have two other minis which I am sure are the real thing, and the bottle matches them. Also, the juice smells fantastic, so I thought if it was a fake, someone did one heck of a job. The sample offer sound great! I was going to buy a sample for comparison, just to make sure. I am actually considering a FB purchase, and before I spring for one, I want to make sure what I am really buying. Contact me at Roses_50 atsign yahoo period com.
Another tame quarter for me:
Full Bottles (ish):
1. Xerjoff Oud Stars Discovery Set (6 x 15ml)
2. Caron Aimez Moi 50ml
3. Robert Piguet Notes (Split Half of 100ml)
Decants:
1. Amouage Ciel Man
2. Amouage Lyric Man
3. D’Orsay Le Dandy
4. Guerlain – Encens Mythique d’Orient
5. Guerlain – Rose Nacree du Desert
6. Guerlain – Songe d’un Bois d’ete
7. Guerlain Mon Nectar Preciux
8. Keiko Bespoke Canyon Dreams
9. Robert Piguet Casbah
10. Robert Piguet Oud
11. Thierry Mugler Alien Gout du Parfum
12. Thierry Mugler Angel Gout du Parfum
13. MDCI –Chypre Palatin
14. Dior – Grand Bal
How do you like the Guerlain desert series, Carlos?
They are very well done, not typical Guerlain, and you can definitely tell they were designed for a middle eastern audience. I haven’t tried them all yet, though.
I like your taste – lots of these are on my “try” list. Which Oud Star is your favorite? AND how are the Deserts? I have the Angel GdP (do NOT like the original), and the bottle is adorable.
I like Oud and Mamluk the best. Gao, I gave away already, lol
Thanks Carlos.
You are the grand sultan of fragrance mr !!! I bow down to thr pure wonderment of your fragrance library, I hope the people around you enjoy your fine taste in perfume ! Well done and full admiration
Thanks, sinnerman
Even when Carlos is “tame” he has an impressive list!
Very true, Daisy!
OMG! How could I forget a $185 bottle? I also purchased XRay Profumo Ressurextion
My acquisitions this quarter:
- PG Brûlure de Rose
- Guerlain Mitsouko EDT (gift from a friend)
- OJ Woman
- Carner Barcelona Tardes
- Atelier Cologne Vanille Insensée
- Atelier Cologne Orange Sanguine
I didn’t think I had bought so many bottles. I mean, it’s about half of what I got during the previous quarter, but I thought I had gotten only 2 or 3…!
I also gave my mom Lann-Ael for Mother’s day. But it doesn’t really count, does it?
I love Orange Sanguine – I think it might be my next FB. What do you think about Vanille Insensée?
Orange Sanguine was almost an impulse buy, I had sampled it once or twice before but not much — but it smells delicious. Although it seems like I should spray about 15 times for it to be detected without sticking my nose next to my wrist… Oh well. Actually every single SA I crossed paths with between the fragrance display and the cash registers mentioned how great of a scent it was. (I guess they had gotten their own complimentary samples a few days earlier…!)
I love Vanille Insensée, it had been on my wishlist for a long time and I first emptied a small decant but only last month did I find a store that carries the line here. I’m not generally a fan of vanilla scents, the only other one I like (but liiiiiike) is SL Un Bois Vanille, but Vanille Insensée smells like an actual pod of vanilla, it’s very fresh. I don’t really detect the citrus note that Kevin described in his NST review, but I’m not really good at detecting notes anyway. It’s just for me the perfect comfort scent for warmer weather. If you haven’t tried it, please do!
Bottega Veneta
28 La Pausa
Fan di Fendi EDP
Keiko Mecheri Loukhoum du Soir
Lancome Eau d’Orangerie (had not previously heard of this but it’s a nice, light orange blossom)
Molton Brown Iunu (the jasmin is so-so, but I love elemi)
I’d like to get some scented candles next quarter.
Jealous of your 28 La Pausa!
Oh, let me see…..I had a very odd quarter.
Finally got my Jubilation 25!!!! $300
But then I went on a tear and got an odd assortment of things:
Diamonds and Emeralds (Elizabeth Taylor)
Truly Pink and Bouquet, Vera Wang
La Perla
Vent Vert, Balmain
Elisabethan Rose, Penhaligon’s
Si, Lolita, Lolita Lempicka
The Elisabethan Rose has been such a huge let down; I have gone through several samples and have adored it for years, but it is a very different beast when sprayed as opposed to dabbed. I need to decant it, I guess. I generally very much do prefer the dabbed version of scents.
I love the first part of the Balmain, smells like Chanel 19 to me, but the drydown smells like Design, which has always irritated me. La Perla, same thing; love the first 10 minutes, but the dry down is scrubber territory. The Wangs were meh, though Truly Pink is lovely for about a minute.
I bought Si, Lolita for the bottle, and didn’t expect to like it, and I don’t. Don’t hate it, just don’t care for it.
I was seduced by the mention of “green” and carnation in the list of notes for Diamonds and Emeralds, but it smells just like White Diamonds to me, and I don’t care for it at all. For some reason I smell either tuberose or orange blossom in both.
I got all but the Jubilation at discounters, so I’d say my total is around $500, maybe a little less.
Someone PLEASE tell me to not spend $65 bucks on Jessica Simpson’s Vintage Bloom, when I only want it for the bottle! Surely it’lll hit the discounters fairly quickly?
Wait for it to hit the discounters!
Agree.
yep—it’ll be at discounters soon and you’ll be so mad at yourself if you buy at full price and a month later it’s easily had for half the retail.
Thanks for keeping me on the straight and narrow, Ladies!
Another big quarter for me!
10 full 100ml
—-6 from L’Artisan Parfumeur (for the price of 2)
—-2 from Lostmar’ch
—-4711 (this one was 200ml)
—-Diva de Ungaro (just because…)
So total $334 this quarter
Total for the year: 24 FB –$ 1022! Ouch!
Wow, I’m stunned! Not by the $1022 total, as I cannot say anything about that, but by the 24 FBs.
I wish I had 24 FBs.
Which L’Artisans?
Havana Vanille
Poivre piquant
Fou d’Absinthe (+2 shower gel)
Tea for two
The pour un ete
Mechant Loup (my favorite!)
all NIB at $39.99 each
My purchases this quarter:
Tableau de Parfums – Dark Passage (technically I bought it last quarter, but it didn’t arrive until mid-June, so I’m counting it now)
Lush – 25:43 (a 15ml that busted and spilled in my bag, so now I’m going to have to buy a new one – probably a FB, because it’s so lovely)
Lush – Breath of God
Lush – Box ‘o’ 2ml Samples
Bottega Veneta
L’eau de Chloë hand cream (to go with the FB I got for my birthday)
Total: $240, which actually isn’t as bad as I thought it would be.
But seriously, I have been wanting to buy FBs of L’Artisan Parfumeur Traversée du Bosphore, SL Tubereuse Criminelle, Etro Shaal Nur and POTL Luctor et Emergo for the longest time, I’m wondering why I’m spending all my cash-money on mall purchases? (Okay, I guess, to be fair, because they smell beautiful and they’re cheaper.)
Sorry — this got picked up by the spam filter, don’t know why — just put it back!
Traversée du Bosphore is the best!!!
I bought some vintage Habanita and Azzaro after reading about them in The Perfume Lover. Also finally bought Guerlain Terracotta Voile d’Ete after Rapple praised it (again) in a weekend poll. Also YS UZAC Pohadka, which is really lovely. (They’re all great, actually – I’ve been wearing Habanita a lot in our record-breaking heat and unsettling derecho storm disaster aftermath.) Also spent a fair amount on samples and decants.
Very much wanted Amouage Beloved after using up a decant but can’t find it on the BG website. I need an enabler to explain how I can get it!
I’m so glad that you I didn’t steer you wrong and that you like TVdE! It’s been perfect for this oven we call summer.
Daisy usually has the Amouage connections… just sayin’
TVd’E is really lovely, Rapple! I realized that you’d mentioned it multiple times – and it’s such a bargain, too.
We broke temperature records all spring and the all-time June heat record on the day of the derecho – trying not to think about what July and August may have in store! But at least my perfume collection is well prepared!
If I’d been less busy, I would have ordered the new SSS forest scent, too…
I’ll have to tap Daisy’s expertise on Beloved. It’s got the depth and character of the 80s/90s scents I loved, but still modern. Genius!
On no! Brilliant job of enabling! Now I have to get a sample of Beloved. Another stone for your enabler’s pin!
Rapple –I’ll send you a sample tout de suite!
Noz–I “think” I have your address….I’ll go look.
Beloved is AHMAZEBALLS. love it.
oh –Noz — you are looking for a bottle of Beloved? ok–it’s not on the website because the only store in the US that has it is the flagship BG’s in NYC –you’ll either need to stop in to get one or call to order.
Even though he’s the Guerlain manager , I always talk to Jason (he’s just a complete doll) 212-872-2734 / $430 in a 100ml only.
Just finding this…
Thank you so much for the sample, but YIKES at the price! Here’s hoping I don’t love it …but do I know someone who can set me up with a decant if I do??
Thanks, Daisy! Wow, no wonder Beloved smells so good! If I manage to twist my arm and call, I’ll tell him Daisy sent me!
Checking in from vacation and horrified that it’s damage poll tiime already. Trying to remember what I bought is hard but I think it was a weak quarter for me. I bought a gift set of Diane unsniffed because it was $15 at TJ Maxx. I bought a lot of samples but those don’t count even though my wallet says otherwise. I think my $10 MichaelKors was this quarter and I bought hubby some Dirty English for his birthday for $16. Very unimpressive I know. I think there was something else but since I’m not home I can’t go look right now.
Very wise to get out of town ahead of the quarterly damage poll – I’m going to set a calendar reminder NOW!
Long time lurker here but I had to post because I went a little nuts this quarter. I bought:
Dzing 50 ml
Prada Candy 50ml
AA Herba Fresca
Lolita Lempicka 30ml
DKNY Pure 30 ml
Eden 30 ml (unsniffed and currently in transit…should be interesting)
Bellodgia
I’m keeping the totals to myself because I’d run the risk of actually realizing how much I spent and I’m a big fan of denial.
Herba Fresca is awesome – one of my favorites! And all of those are relative bargains, perfume-wise, so you should be proud of yourself!
Denial is an important feature of my survival skills….
This quarter I get an “F”, F for F.E.A.R. (Failed to Exercise Any Restraint). The damage –
This section reserved for “I would not have heard about these were it not for this blog”:
- Annick Goutal Nuit Etoilee EDT – 50mL
- Chanel 28 La Pausa EDT – 75mL
- Diptyque L’Ombre Dans L’Eau – 50mL
- Diptyque Philosykos EDT – 50mL
- Eau de Cartier Essence de Bois EDT – 100mL
- Ormonde Woman EDP Travel Set – 4 x 10mL (I bought the Discovery Set last quarter and loved Woman…I have only tried 2 of the 18 samples in the set so far)
- Pacifica Mother’s Day Gift Set of 3 – Mediterranean Fig Perfume – 29mL, Tibetan Mountain Temple Perfume – 35mL and Vanilla Vera Cruz Pefume – 35mL
- Sonoma Scent Studio Boxed Set of 5 Mini-Sprays – 2X
- Tauer Discovery Set – 2X
I take full responsibility for these:
- Aedes de Venustas Signature EDP – 100mL
- Chanel Coromandel EDT – 75mL
- Chanel No. 5 EDP – 50mL
- C.O. Bigelow Lemon No. 1999 EDP – 100mL
- Crabtree & Evelyn Iris EDT – 30mL
- Gorilla Perfume The Smell of Freedom – 9mL (this will be SOTD on July 4th)
- Gorilla Perfume Imogen Rose – 9mL
- Gorilla Perfume Karma – 9mL
- Hermes Kelly Caleche EDP – 50mL
- Laura Mercier Eau Gormande Figue Fraiche – 50mL
- Tom Ford Violet Blonde EDP – 50mL
- Wonderstruck Taylor Swift EDP – 100mL (gift for niece)
Clearly, I have to take austerity measures. This quarter, for every hour of exercise, I will put $15 in my Perfume Purchase Kitty. I know it’s only July 3rd and I am already in the hole…but I still have 88 more days to fill the kitty.
I had a “jaw hitting the floor ” moment just then !!! Also hearing the sound of applause , bravo * possibly standing ovation ?
i’m impressed! I also got Sonoma Scent Studio samples this quarter for the first time, which is probably leading me to bottles of Fireside Intense and Tabac Aurea soon…
HA! I bet we’ve all been victims of F.E.A.R. and G.R.E.E.D. (Gratuitous Resource Expenditures to Eradicate D’lemmings) at some point…
….we should have those on tee-shirts. just sayin’
Great acronym and a very impressive haul! Congratulations!
The perfume purchase kitty is a great idea. You will be in awesome shape by the time next quarter rolls around if that’s the only way you’ll allow yourself to buy new scents. I’m thinking I should try that.
I know! excellent idea!! I think I’ll give it a try too.
Poodle, you hit the nail on the head with “if that’s the only way you’ll allow yourself to buy new scents”. I have a vacation coming up in mid-August (a cruise to the Norwegian Fjords, leaving from and returning to Amsterdam) which should give me plenty of walking/exercise hours to add to the kitty
Looking at everyone’s haul in 2Q got me hankering over a few must try / must buy (and I just ordered 2 unsniffed – Tokyo Milk Dark Excess from Emily’s list and PdN L’Eau à la Folie from a recent review by Robin). Eeek!
Despite mostly falling off the planet these days, I did manage to surface long enough to be ensnared by a great sale AND a split just as the quarter kicked off. I went in on a split of Chanel No. 19 body cream for $20, and then found Kelly Caleche 100 mls for $24. Couldn’t decide if I preferred edt or edp, but at $24/100… I just got both. Oops. Nary a sample since then, however; I’m in downsizing mode.
Boo –you are always a tower of steel banded willpower.
Actually, I’m just terribly indecisive, and since I currently don’t have time to sit and stew about things, I don’t get around to deciding in time.
Plus, I’m just sick of the cluttered house.
WHERE did you find 100ml of Kelly Caleche edp for $24????? I love love love the edp, even if I never reach for it; I feel like I must have it. I have the parfum, and it’s one of my top 10. I hope that the edp will help me hoard the parfum.
A perfume friend (C) has a friend who sells perfume; she had a bunch of great things at very steep discounts, and C was kind enough to post the list in a group. I definitely wear the edt more often, but sometimes want the rosiness of the edp.
Lucky you!
Looking back I think I wasn’t too bad this quarterI Kept it within the one bottle per month rule. So:
1. L’Artisan Parfumeur Dzing! edt 100 mls and 95 euro out of pocket
2. Etat Libre d’Orange Rossy de Palma edp 50 mls about 67 euro but I got the complete ELoD range sample set free
3. Agent Provocateur Strip 50 mls edp about 40 euro
No samples, no minis, no decants, splits. About 200 euro spent. It could’ve been lot worse (wiping sweat of forehead and breathing a sigh in relief)
Rossy is such a great Rose scent. I love it, don’t own it yet, but very well may.
Indded is a great scent! I was debating between this one, Rien, Putain des Palaces and Bijou Romantique, but it was Rossy that captured my heart eventually.
That is funny. My first ELdO was Rien. It was kind of a toss of that one or Rossy.
If only I had your restrain and discretion, Robin! But I call this joyful spending and refuse to feel guilty about them! Perhaps I’ll slow down now? Whatev…
My purchases:
1. OJ Frangipani
2. SL A La Nuit,
3. SL Bas de Soie
4. SL Sa Majeste La Rose
5. Isabey Fleur Nocturne
6. Jo Loves Gardenia
7. Vero Profumo Rubj (extrait)
8. Roja Dove Danger
9. M Micallef Gardenia
10. Guerlain Elixir Charnel Gourmand Coquin (for my daughter)
11. Van Cleef & Arpels Gardenia Petale
12. AG Le Chevrefeuille
Not sure if the list is complete, since I’m away from home and can’t check…
Hey, it took me a long time to slow down. And you got some really beautiful things
that is an excellent list.
Lady Murasaki I want your perfume budget!Your list is lovely!
0.0 Your daughter is lucky!
(goes without saying your picks for yourself are also top notch)
OK – I have never owned up on a Perfume Poll before and I feel it is time to step out of the shadows and embrace my perfumehood:
Le Labo, Labdanum 18, 15ml
Cuir de Lancome 50ml (complete bargain – couldn’t resist, so glad!)
Parfumerie Generale, Cadjmere 50ml
Parfums de Nicolai, Kiss Me Tender 30ml
Mona di Orio 3 x 7ml (Cuir, Vanille, Musc) (I’m counting this as one, but now need a full bottle of Vanille)
Estee Lauder, Bronze Goddess 100ml
Serge Lutens, Fleurs d’Oranger 50ml
The scary thing is that June was a no-buy month as I am saving for a birthday bottle of Epic in August!
Congrats on confessing! Hope it felt good.
good purchases but …..oooh, the Epic is going to be soooo worth it!
I went a bit awol over mens perfumes this quarter. I bought
-100ml M7 (They are now making a new version I don’t really like – absolute oud- so I had to garb this…)
-100ml Mugler’s Pure Havane (supposed to be a limited edition but still available where I live – and I got it for a bit less at a discouter.)
- 10ml Apivita Wood (I was in Greece and HAD to have an olfactory souvenier)
- 50ml Korres: Peonia, Pear and amber (for the same reason)
I do like everything I bought so no buyer’s remorse; came to about $220 or so.
My lemming at present is for Chanel allure edition blanche – but I have quit my rather dead end sales assistant job and am waiting to get my next work-project underway, so I’m putting a hold on this one.
apologies for the several typos!
You were wise to get some old M7, wish I had some.
How do we know what “old” M7 is? I see there is a “new” one this year (?) but was it also reformulated a few years ago? I’m so confused! All I can tell you is the bottles that I have are a couple years old and they smell fabulous!
The original M7 had an amber coloured glass bottle – same colour all around. This one was meant to be the true animal.
The first reformulation had the same box! But, the bottle was clear glass with some kind of brown/amber card inserted into the glass on the front and back. The sides of the bottle remained a clear glass. This one was a little less heavy on the amber.
The last formulation thankfully got a new name and bottle: it is called M7 Absolute Oud. It comes in a black bottle. Its a sort of light citrus cologne. A different genus entirely.
I managed to get the first formulation, since the original was no longer available. I did however smell a tester of the first and actually preferred the version with less amber. (or convinced myself I did, anyway!)
Nice to see you, Daisy! Hope that helps.
Pure Havane is a treat.
After having all but two of my FBs seized by customs moving country, I have only bought one replacement and that was SSS Jour Ensoleille which I could not bear to be without. Have been surviving on samples for the last few months and am quite liking it.
Please tell us you are getting your bottles back eventually!
Sadly no – they have been “destroyed” as “dangerous goods”. If perfume is so dangerous to put on a plane, I wonder why its the main product sold at duty free shops!
this is so upsetting to me! But at least you are enjoying samples. THere’s something very freeing about not being tied down, it’s like dating i guess
oh no!!! I don’t know where you are—but hopefully they will just tax you and then you can get your bottles. And hopefully the tax will not be too much. I think in these instances it is okay to fib and say that “really old” bottle of Guerlain isn’t worth much–you only bought it for the glass bottle….and then say it’s only worth about $20……
Yikes…so sorry that it happened to you. Were they brand new in box? I thought personal items (non-contraband, of course) were generally “safe” from seizure!
They had all been well used – fortunately I guess.
I got more than I intended to as always. For some reason I agonised over the first purchase (L’occitane Immortelle de Corse EDP 75ml) for several months, It was my first full price retail purchase ever. Then in quick succession I bought a whole lot of more expensive things I love less with no guilt whatsoever because they were at big discounts. Funny thinking on my behalf. I got M7 100ml, SJP Covet 100ml, Annick Goutal Mandragore and Musc Nomade 15ml and Prada Infusion D’Iris 200ml. grand total about $250.
Oh, but you got some great things!
Tasteful pick.
I love The Damage Poll! I think I’ve been pretty good this quarter:
Bronze Goddess
Bronze Goddess Capri
Cartier Basier Vole EDP Mini (still in transit)
Carter Basier Vole EDT (technically Q3, I think)
Bvlgari Omnia (original)
2 bottles of Cuir de Lancome
1 travels sized Badgley Mischka one of the very few “fruities” that I actually like.
and a few decants: Beloved (MUST get FB of this!), What We Do In Paris Is Secret, and LeLabo Labdanum (which reminds me of Guerlain Vol de Nuit). I’ll toss in a handful of large Chanel Exclusive samples which then let me to aquire an almost full bottle of Chanel Cuir de Russie extrait from a perfumista friend.
I think last quarter my haul was double or triple this so I think I’ve rounded a perfumista corner. Finally.
Good stuff! I’ve got backup bottles of Cuir de Lancome as well.
It’s dreamy, isn’t it? I was going through a leather phase and, upon learning that it’s been discontinued, blind bought 2 bottles… so glad I did! I think I actually swooned a bit when I sprayed. Maybe I oughta get a third back-up…
I bought two bottle of perfume this quarter but both were very expensive: Amouage Opus I and Aedes de Venustas, I have been coveting Opus I since it came out a year or so ago and it took me this long to get it. I haven’t bought much this entire year but these two really brought the total up–$525 without tax or shipping.
Happy Fourth to all.
i was bad…..I’m practically the poster child for BAD. I didn’t even keep track of number of bottles or how much was spent. But I did a LOT of splitting so it doesn’t really count anyways….right?
for my own greedy self I bought a few bottles….
Amouage Beloved
the new Guerlain Deserts Trio
SSS Forest Walk
CBIHP 7 Billion Hearts
MFK Oud
DSH Mirabella (omg, it’s sooo glorious)
a back up of Sisley Eau de Sisley #3
a vintage 15ml of Chanel no22 extrait
and a few bottles of vintage L’Heure Bleue extrait.
although I am going to split the Guerlain Songe d’un Bois d’Ete and Encens Mythique d’Orient….they are too big and masculine for me.
Now that is a stunning list! CPIHP has been on my must try list for AGES, how does it compare to Mona di Orio’s Vanille??
SO GOOD to see you!
Comments from Daisy are a big part of nst for me – i have been missing them!
Daisy – echoing JolieFleurs – it’s great to see you again!
I just can’t admit/confess to what I’ve been up to ‘cos I think I would be horrified, and if I don’t mention it, then I haven’t spent any money at all, have I?
Ordered thre bottles of juice just over the last two days, one of which was Jacomo’s Silences as I’ve heard all the rumours too. They are bringing out what they are calling a “reinterpretation” named Silences Sublime, and it makes me think it will actually be a replacement, not a flanker …….
Daisy, the last time you posted your list I think it was about three times as long!
Daisy your list makes me smile.
To what other Guerlains/other perfumes does Songe d’Un Bois compare? I love the notes listed, but it might be a bad blind buy (I do well w/most Guerlains; Lupin Dandy went too manly for me).
Daisy, it’s nice to see you around again!
I’m very pregnant and considering leaving the workforce once the baby comes in early September, so I felt the EXTREME need to get FBs of things that I love. Because who knows when I’ll be able to afford them again. I don’t think I bought any perfume in the previous 6 months at all. A few of these have been on my to-buy list for years:
* Vintage 100ml Chanel 19
* PdN Eau d’Ete (smells slightly reformulated but still good) 30ml
* 40ml in a 100ml bottle of Jardin sur le Nil
* MDCI Un Coeur en Mai – Full bottle (no bust)
* SJP Lovely back up bottle ($20 on sale)
I had heard rumors that Un Coeur en Mai was reformulated, so I emailed them directly to see if they had any of the original formula left. They had ONE unsold bottle; the rest were on their way to Luckyscent. So I bought it! Whew! I consider it gloriously beautiful. I haven’t smelled the reform; maybe that would be good too. But this way, I don’t have to worry.
I have to say that the Chandler Burr Untitled project is what made me decide to buy the back up bottle of SJP Lovely. It’s such a pretty perfume. I think I only skip it because it’s a celeb frag, and after I realized that it’s a great deal and that I shouldn’t let marketing bother me, I decided to jump. It’s so cheap!
Congratulations! Envious of the vtg No. 19, but even more of the possibility of leaving to stay home w/baby. I never had the chance, but was at least fortunate enough to leave the first one home w/my mom while I worked for the first 2 years, and my husband stayed home w/my second for the first 3. Hoping to win the lottery today so I can declare my independence from the workforce.
As to staying home… I have literally no idea what to do. I don’t know how anyone plans this sort of major life change (having a baby). I’m utterly lost. We saved for the past few years, which makes staying home an option, but it’s a HUGE life change. I’m a workaholic. I’ve never not had a job.
Perfume has been a lovely distraction during this past few months.
I have nothing but praise for the millions of women who have made these life changes before me. How come they don’t teach this sort of thing in college? What with all the talk on how women can do all things that men can do, no one ever really talked to me about how to decide what I WANT to do, rather than just what I should be legally ALLOWED to do.
Alas, that sort of thing really can’t be taught.
Too individual, requires more soul-searching about what you really value than factual knowledge, and for that matter, your answer may change over time (mine certainly did). I would love to stay home, but never found a “provider” kind of guy. Oh well.
Quite a lot of people git the Aedes de Venustas perfume… akes me want to try it even moooore!
I bought:
it’s lovely layered with GpM
-Géranium pour Monsieur – Frederic Malle
-Mangragore Pourpre – Annick Goutal
(frist they send the Mandragore but the seller said i could keep it so now I got Mandrgaore as well for free
Wow, I was too excited for this post and failed to spell Mandragore correctly twice -.-
Delurking just to log this quarter’s buys:
Lolita Lempicka – L’Eau en Blanc
Penhaligons – Amaranthine
YSL – Opium Vapeurs de Parfum Legere
and, Guerlan AA Lys Soleia
Late to the party! Total damage – around $500. YIKES!!! I think that’s the most I’ve spent in a long, long time. And I’m supposed to be on a budget. What is it about restrictions that makes us want to break them???
Bottle purchases:
Thierry Mugler Miroir des Envies
Kerosene Trewthe Creature
Chandler Burr The Untitled Series S01E01
L’Heure Bleue vintage extrait purse spray
Decants:
Aedes de Venustas EDP
Guerlain Tokyo, Moscou, New York EDTs
Dior Grand Bal
Guerlain Mon Precieux Nectar
Guerlain Rose Nacrée du Désert
Mini (deal of the quarter)
Boyfriend rollerball (a whopping $10)
Samples from Luckyscent
Hilde Soliani Gli Invisibili series
Amouage Opus series
I’m proud that I spent less in the second quarter than the first. But, it’s not much to be proud of.
It’s not the bottles that I love that make me sad, no matter the price; it’s the ones I’m not excited by.
I’m sampling more, and I have a new budget plan for the third quarter which would be somewhere in between what I think I should spend and what I actually do spend. Yes. This is the plan.
Yes! Never stop planning!
Nothing to break the bank, but I went a little old school with my purchases, a 50ml bottle each of EL Private Collection and Cinnabar.
I can confess one bottle! Hermes Osmanthe Yunnan! And I almost don’t have to confess that since I won the money I spent on it in a slot machine at Caeser’s Palace! Also, my sweet husband bought me Lys Mediterrenae (I am sure I botched that) travel sprays, which I have been wearing the heck out of and basking in compliments. I fear I will have to confess a FB of that one once I drain those sprays. And I ordered the samples from Olfactive Studios, and hope they arrive soon…
Been a very bad girl, 6 bottles, but I was reasonably circumspect in the first quarter. 518 AUD at Luckyscent, only because Pentachord Auburn was 1/3 off the price! along with Profumi del Forte – Vittoria Apuana, Caron – French Can Can, and Parfum d’Empire – Fougere Bengale and quite a few samples, justified by the freebies. The piece de resistance, was the vicarious pleasure of having a girlfriend walk into the Palais Shiseido and putting down 245 euros on a bottle each of Mandarine Mandarin and Encens et Lavande, which I had previously deposited into her bank account. This is the first time such a thing has happened in my perfumista life cycle, so terribly excited. Trips from Sydney to Paris have been out of the question since 2005, (did not know that much about perfume back then – “who is Serge Lutens”? I asked the Sephora SA on the Champs Elysees – gives you some idea) so the drought has been somewhat broken.
I’ve no idea how I managed to miss this post (hence the tardy submission….). It’s been probably one of my most frugal quarters – due to other big-ticket item purchases, so probably nothing to be proud of. My acquisitions were all vintage/2nd hand items for a total of $246:
Chamade 90ml edt canister refill
Chamade 1/4 oz extrait purse spray
Nahema (~5ml remain) extrait purse spray
Chanel 22 1.5oz cologne spray (still trying to figure out how to get the sprayer to work….)
OJ Woman 10ml Travel Spray (Split)
Counting Nahema and OJW as one unit since both were partials.