Yes, we're a day late! Julie is our victim of the week. Julie is looking for a new signature fragrance to replace her long-time love, Calvin Klein Obsession. What we know about Julie:
Julie is in her 40s and happily married.
She leads a busy, active life, including a full-time job plus a part-time job reviewing restaurants for her local paper. She also designs jewelry, and is caring for her mother who has terminal cancer.
Julie loves shoes, handbags & clothes, but tends to save her money for other things. She is willing to splurge on the right perfume though!
Julie wore Obsession for many years, then after having surgery 8 years ago, it never smelled the same to her. Before the surgery, she found Obsession "soft, warm, rich, lovely"; after the surgery, it "smelled like Obsession, and not in a good way".
Julie loves orientals and notes like amber, vanilla, sandalwood, musk and spices. She does not like heavy florals, fruity or citrusy scents, and she doesn't care for lavender or patchouli. Lasting power is an important issue. Here are some fragrances she has tried that are "close but no cigar":
Guerlain Shalimar: her favorite of what she has tried, and she bought a full bottle of the Eau de Parfum. She appreciates the longevity, but finds it a tad sweet for summer.
Frederic Malle Musc Ravageur: interesting, but sometimes smells like "CocaCola dried up in the hot sun".
Frederic Malle Noir Epices: she loves the spices, but it is "a little too dry on my skin, plus there's a sharp note (geranium?) to it that jars my senses a bit".
L'Artisan Ambre Extreme: "lovely, rich, warm, a little spicy", and she is tempted to buy a bottle but finds it perhaps "just a little bit one note".
Serge Lutens Arabie: "comforting and yet exotic", but "a little too sweet for everyday".
Laura Biagiotti Roma: an old favorite she revisits occasionally, but it is too light and has too little sillage in the Eau de Toilette.
Scents that go in the "no" column:
The Chanels she has tried (5, 19, 22 and Coco) "go sour".
She finds many of scents in the the Estee Lauder line too old fashioned (Youth Dew, White Linen).
Guerlain Mitsouko was a scrubber ("smelled like blue cheese").
Serge Lutens Rousse: "very artificial, more like cinnamon red-hots than real cinnamon".
Montale: "every single one of them disappears almost immediately on my skin".
Thierry Mugler Angel: "sweet covered in honey drowned in vanilla icing".
So, what say you? I am so terribly behind this week that I'm not only posting this a day late, I haven't even got a recommendation ready. I'm going to think about it, and when I come up with something I'll add it to the comments. Better yet, you guys will have so many great ideas that I'll just agree with all of yours.
Note: image is lettres by christing-O- at flickr; some rights reserved.
How about Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan or Anne Pliska?
They might be a little too one note, like Ambre Extreme, but I think they're worth a sniff if one loves amber scents.
Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan was my very first thought. I remember hesitating between AS and Arabie, and then choosing AS because Arabie seemed a tad too sweet.
Prada Eau de Parfum, for another take on amber, always makes me smile when I smell it.
Hermes Eau de Merveilles, yet a totally different amber, unusual and very soothing.
And although I haven't had the chance to smell it yet, EL Sensuous might be worth a try, too.
I thought of Anne Pliska too, but couldn't decide if it would work any better than Shalimar in the summer — in other words, would it still be too sweet? Or is it drier?
Anyway, it's worth a shot. Julie, you can get a sample at http://annepliska.com/
Thanks, looks like Ambre Sultan is at the top of the list!
I have a feeling Sensuous is going to be too sweet for Julie, but you're right, she ought to give it a shot.
Eau des Merveilles might be a great summer scent. Julie, it's very light which isn't really your thing, but still, you might like it for summer. And the Prada is definitely worth a shot.
You know, it probably would be too sweet. But, like you said, it's worth a shot.
Frankly, my very favorite amber scent is Auric Blends Amber roll-on. It's cheap, more dry than sweet, and readily available.
That “old” Hamptons classic, Annick Goutal's Eau D'Adrain never fails me in summer. It's got more staying power than most citrus-y scents and yet does not overpower.
I'm making my list of all the things I have to try, and I can hardly wait to sample all these new goodies…..Thanks so much for the suggestions!
~Julie
How about Shalimar Light for summer? Eau de Shalimar would be too citrusy for Julie. L'Instant de Guerlain EDP would last and is modern. It starts out a bit sweet but develops into an ambery oriental.
Might be worth a shot if she can find it. Julie, Shalimar Light is discontinued but bottles are still available at some online discounters. The Guerlain L'Instant you'll find at any Guerlain counter.
Julie, that one is a straight up citrus, and you'll find it at any Annick Goutal counter (Bloomies, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom)
I think I wore the perfect one for Julie yesterday: Fifi Chachnil EDP. I thought all day how comfortable it was to wear, but interesting with the coriander/tobacco/amber dance going on. I thought it one of the most pleasant lighter-style orientals I have tested.
Eau de Shalimar/Shalimar Light/Shalimar Eau Legere is worth a sniff for a summer weight Shalimar. Etro Shaal Nur and Messe de Minuit. I know she has tried some Chanels, but Bois Des Iles is still worth a sniff. Vanilla Tonka (Parfums de Nicolai) and Kenzo Amour are both good not overly sweet vanillas with a bit of spice.
Julie, that might be the only budget rec you get, LOL — add it to the list!
Thanks Moon_grrl.
Julie, you can get samples from beautyhabit or luckyscent.
Etro Shaal Nur — great call! Julie, samples at aedes, and they'll have the Messe de Minuit too.
So agree on Bois des Iles, my favorite Chanel of all time.
The Parfums de Nicolai you can sample from beautyhabit or luckyscent.
Here's my three-cents worth if she likes orientals, etc., but has her other scent issues: Annick Goutal Heure Exquise – just divine all year round; Miller Harris Fleur Oriental which I think kicks Shamlimar's butt because it's not as sweet; and Lancome's good old Magie Noir – also divine all year round if applied correctly. Good luck!!! Sounds like you may also want to splurge on some sampler packs from Perfumed Court or some other sampler/decanters if no suggestions help!
Wow, this is a very difficult demand! My impression is that most of the great orientals will be difficult to wear in the summer. So if you choose your perfume based on being able to wear it everyday, all year long, you might have to make compromises that get you away from the smells you like… My first recommendation would be to consider getting more than one perfume and to rotate them based on season, mood, weather, etc. (My recommendation 1.1 would be to read the great article on this topic by Marian Bendeth: http://boisdejasmin.typepad.com/_/2006/11/signature_scent.html)
With that in mind, my favorite orientals for summer are hermes eau des merveilles (described above by others) and Parfum de Nicolai, maharanih eau légère. The later is a lighter version of PdeN's great maharanih, which can be found for insanely cheap (18 euros for 100ml in paris!) and will work even in the warmest weather: spices (much cinnamon!) and orange over a gorgeous sandalwood background, with a wee bit of rose. For something that would be too much for most on a summer day, but insanely good for the rest of the year, you could try Olivia Giacobetti's Idole de Lubin. I'm not very good with fragrance categorization, but I would risk calling it a woody oriental. In the wizardly hands of Giacobetti, the dark wood (doum – which I have never smelled elsewhere, so I can't say much – and a beautiful sandalwood), spices, rum and leather notes are made intoxicatingly simple, glowing and dream-like rather than heavy and cloying. (Still for the rest of the year, PdeN's gorgeous New York is also worth a try – don't worry about its being marketed for men, it is very much unisex to me… ) Good luck! Borhane
Hmmm, how about L'Air du Desert Marocain…spicy in summer, comforting in winter? Chergui may work well, too-I find it all-season.
I'm curious what Julie thinks of Calvin Klein Euphoria, which to me is the Obsession redone for the 2000s. My recommendation for summer is Thierry Mugler Alien Eau Luminescente, which is lovely solar amber–not sweet at all. The top note is jasmine, but that goes away as soon as it dries and the sillage is excellent! I am a huge Ambre Sultan fan, we add it to other juice to give it depth—I’ll be interested to hear what Julie thinks of that too, as I love the patchouli leaves in it. What about Serge Lutens Santal Blanc? sandalwood, cinnamon bark, fenugreek, copahu balsam, jasmine, siamese benzoin, iris, pink pepper, musk –also nice for summer.
How about trying Lolita Lempicka EDP for the fun of it? It might be a bit too sweet for her but it's a very rich fragrance. Another recommendation would be Reminiscence Ambre or Musc? They are great and very oriental without being too extremely sweet. One of the perfumes that's on the spice/cinnamon note, but very beautiful would be Salvador Dali – Dalimania. It has been disontinued from most of the perfume stores but You can easily find it at discounters on the internet. Another one with the spicy accord but just great for summer would be Les Belles Delice d'Epices by Nina Ricci. I'm gonna try to think some more right now nothing comes to my mind, it is hard to find just the right oriental perfume. Too many of them are so overwhelming, and just too much.
What about the new Estee Lauder Sensuous?
I 2nd Guerlain's L'Instant.
A few other suggestions from a fellow Obession lover:
Dior Dune
Serge Lutens: Douce Amere and Chergui
Angel Men (original)
Bond No. 9 New Haarlem
A long shot perhaps, but what about Opium, preferably in parfum or EDP? It's exotic spices and amber rolled into one. Second Louise's L'air… and Chergui.
I can't believe no one has recommended AW Silver Factory! It is such a wonderful woody/spicy/incense-y dream…I would say it is great all year round, too.
Also, Chinatown – it is sweet at first but soon becomes a wonderful spicy dry floriental (it does have a dose of patchouli, but I don't think she can hold it against her)
Other ideas:
Timbuktu
Black Cashmere Mist
Theorema
Organza Indecence
Oooo, good recs Louise. Second to both of those, and Ambre Sultan, too.
I'll second the Auric Blends Amber oil! It is great!!! I'll also suggest mixing it with AB Sandalwood oil or AB Sandalwood-Vanilla, or Vanilla, Vanilla Musk, White Musk or even layering it over their Black Opium blend.
On the cheaper side, how about SJP Lovely? It's popular, but it is quite nicely done and does fit the bill here for not being heavy floral or citrus, and it has very good lasting power. It definitely got amber, sandalwood & musk…
Another cheap option could be the two-for-one Dianoche. The Noche “night” portion , in particular, has a real good helping of amber and sandalwood, and the day portion has coriander and basil, which layer nicely together. (Noche can even be purchased separately)
It's at Kohl's, if you want to take a sniff… and you can get it even cheaper when they have their sales.
How about Lorenzo Villoresi Incensi? I think this is very wearable during the summer heat, yet still evokes a “dark” edge.
Neil Morris's Afire is also sweet and smokey and does well in heat, as does one of my favorite ambers, Ambre Precieux by Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier.
Another less-expensive option might be Burberry Brit Gold – a spicy creamy amber, or (this is a real long-shot here) Demeter's PlayDoh – sweet almond spicy amber (and a touch of nostalgia).
Good Luck!
Julie, I think you can find all of those. The Alien Eau Luminescente is at Bloomies.
Julie, the Miller Harris is at beautyhabit or luckyscent.
Julie, samples of Idole can be had from aedes, beautyhabit, luckyscent. The PdN I think we already covered, but it's also beautyhabit or luckyscent.
Hey, you did it, you found the one I should have recommended! Huge 3rd for the Andy Tauer, Julie, it might be perfect for you. Samples at aedes or luckyscent. And you probably know, but Chergui is Serge Lutens.
Julie, the Reminiscence is kind of hard to find, but The Perfumed Court might have samples.
Yep, 2nd vote
Julie, I think we've covered all but the Bond — you can get samples directly from their website.
Worth a shot!
Julie, AW is Andy Warhol, and that's a line from Bond no. 9. They make Chinatown too.
Timbuktu is by L'Artisan, Cashmere Mist is Donna Karan, Theorema is a discontinued scent by Fendi, and Organza Indecence is by Givenchy.
I second Sariah's suggestion of Dune (Christian Dior). I think this fresh oriental can be worn all year round and is definitely not a one note fragrance.
Dune is lovely, but is my mother's signature scent, so I'll leave that one for her. Thanks to everyone for all the wonderful suggestions — my head's spinning with the possibilities!
~Julie
Most of my suggestions are discontinued or limited edition but all are easily found online:
YSL Cinema
any of the limited edition YSL Opium summer fragrances
Gucci Eau de parfum
Dior Addict
cheers , sara
I forgot to mention that Reminiscence Amre & Musc and a few others can be found on yosmiami.com
How about:
Must for Women by Cartier
Dune, for men
Private Collection: L'Oiseau de Nuit by Parfumerie Generale
Fiore d'Ambra by Profumum
Golden amber by becker.eshaya
Thanks for taking on “the cheaper side”!
I'm another Obsession lover, and since Dune is out, I will second recommendations for Parfums de Nicolai Vanille Tonka (beautyhabit/luckyscent) and definitely try Bond 9 Silver Factory (you can call Bond 9 and order samples).
I've been reading this blog for months and just signed up today because I have very similar taste to Julie so I'm compelled to respond!
I agree with everyone above who said:
Givenchy Organza Indecence (Indecence is not Organza its a woody non-floral scent, I love this)
Donna Karan Black Cashmere (very spicy and sultry, wouldn't wear in hot weather but it's very nice in cool weather, I live in fear of this being discontinued and always have at least 2 bottles. actually I hate the bottles….but love the perfume!)
Teo Cabanel Alahine is my holy grail for ambery sophistication and I don't think anyone mentioned this above. You can wear this year 'round. There's a great review of Alahine on Perfume Posse blog from a few months ago. After this review, I tried it and fell head over heels.
You might try Jo Malone Dark Amber & Ginger Lily.
Good Luck! I hope you try some of these because your “scent profile” is so similar to mine…
Oh, you're welcome. You write what you know, I guess, LOL! While I've always loved perfume, I'm still very new to the niche market, so all my goods are on the cheap side… For now, anyway. But not for long, though, because I've got quite a shopping list compiled already in the short amount of time since I've found this terrific blog!!
Same here! I had to make a comment as Julia's scent preferences sound exactly like mine.
I used to love Obsession and wore Roma in my younger years :), and still think about getting a bottle of Shalimar…
With this kind of ambery background, I suddenly and unexpectedly fell in love with Scent Intense CS. You might want to try this as well.
And since I grew tired of Obsession, too (now it smells completely different on me than back in 1985 :)), I sometimes use Obsession Sheer, which is much softer and not so loud as the original O.
Oh, and Le Baiser du Dragon- for me it's a big scent for special occations for winter time.
Great blog, BTW!
I know Julie said Montales disappear on her (go figure, my dry skin eats up frags, but Montales stay and morph FOREVER).
Just in case you might be up for trying a sample Julie (I too used to wear and love Obsession), you might like:
Montale Blue Amber
Montale Patchouli Leaves (not your everyday patchouli)
or:
Amouage Dia (really nice, sophisticated and expensive) but try a sample first in case your chemistry kills this scent too, at $300.00 a bottle, you don't want any mistakes! Happy sniffing!
Hey, hide that wallet!
I can't remember, is Brit Gold still made?
Thanks Sara!
I wish they did samples!
Thanks!
Hi Bluevelvet, and welcome! Hate to tell you, but DK Black Cashmere has definitely been discontinued. Get another bottle now!
Julie, Teo Cabanel can be found at theposhpeasant or miomia, but not sure if they have samples or not.
Julie, Scent Intense is by Costume National, and you can get a sample at luckyscent. Le Baiser is by Cartier.
Julie, you can get Amouage samples at luckyscent or parfumsraffy.
A belated plug for three Ormonde Jayne scents – Tolu, Ta'if and Orris Noir. They are rich, heady orientals with great lasting power, as well as many of the notes Julie likes, that she might enjoy.
Since Dune is out, I have two late recommendations, both in the oriental/spicy bent: Lalique Tendre Kiss (amber, musk, nutmeg) and Sira Des Indes (Jean Patou)-this one has staying power!
Hum… maybe le parfum (Lalique)…
great lasting power
Update for Julie re: Amouage, I believe Luckyscent only has Jubilation. Julie might want to also try that one as well as Gold and Dia. Samples of Montale and the complete Amouage line are available at http://www.theperfumeshoppe.com. They have great prices and service.
Oh, my — I never expected so many wonderful suggestions. I can tell the mail carrier is going to be busy delivering all the samples I will soon be ordering! What fun, and a million thanks to everyone for their suggestions. Perfume people are the best!
I have to agree with the previously suggested Theorema – I've been wearing this lately and my colleague (trainee perfumer) commented that it smells like a “cleaned up” Obsession. She thinks Obsession has a slight off/rotten/eggy note.
Interesting Julie seems to love Orientals but says she doesn't like anything too citrus, while a citrus topnote is essentially characteristic of the oriental family. Looking over her list of “no”s it seems sharp lime and lemon topnotes are the ones for her to avoid, because lime is often the culprit in a “cola' impression (mixed with spice). Also Julie doesn't seem to like Chypres (Mitsouko) or anything too aldehydic (eg Chanel 5 or White Linen). Clearly Julie doesn't like any oriental which is too sweet/gourmand such as Angel. I think Theorema suits Julie because it is an oriental and not too sweet, and its citrus topnote is a gorgeous mandarin/tangerine. This perfume is still manufactured in Italy and I just bought a miniature off e-bay for some tiny cost like 7 pounds… I live in Australia
Good luck Julie, looks like you have some great suggestions to wade through anyway
Orientals and oriental-chypres are my most represented scent categories. I will 2nd, 3rd or 4th, or whatever….
Givenchy Organza Indecence
Shisheido Feminite du Bois and the Lutens Bois series
Dior Dolce Vita
Serge Lutens Douce Amere
Kenzo Amour
MPG Ambre Precieux
Chanel Bois de Iles
Parfum d'Empire Ambre Russe
That is all I can think of right now
Annick Goutal Mandragore? It's spicy, and doesn't have any of the fragrance notes she hates!
Etro Gomma may do the trick.
Revulsive + allluring.
I am confident that someone that loves obsession is willing to go the extra mile (and since you are asking on nowsmellthis…it is well wort it to give it shot)
WARNING, still. Gomma is not for the faint of heart and should work with your chemistry too.
Regards
P.
I see Ormonde Jayne has already been mentioned, but may I plug Ormonde Man, which would be magnificent on a woman, as would Isfarkand. The two are magnificent, but quite similar so sample both.
Also, The Different Company's Des Sens et Bois, which is very transparent woody, but has amazing lasting power. So rich and elegant.
Finally, I'll second the Andy Tauer recommendations, and add a plug for his new Vetiver Dance, which will be launched in October. Both are masterpieces!
i second the ambre sultan! that stuff is amazing, i wish i could wear it. if you love orientals, a must try is opium by YSL. although it has a bit of fruit on me it's mainly spices… another oriental that i like the idea of, but find suffocating after a while.
another is jo malone's incense duo that came out a few months ago… i forget the proper name, khodo wood or something like that… robin do you remember? – although with these two the lasting power may just be so so.
mmmm what about balenciaga rumba? not necessarily an oriental, however. this may be too sweet, but it's got a big-bosomy, honeyed, spanish-eyed quality to it. makes me think of “love in the time of cholera” by gabriel garcia marquez… also, the name is just so sexy. rumba, the dance of love (and also my obssession!)!
I want to apologize as I had not read the surgery bit and I just understood that she loved obsession.
Still, my pick still holds IMHO.
Kisses.
P.
I know many have already said “Dune” but it's a good pick–I know two die-hard “Obsession” fans who often grab for both “Shalimar” and “Dune” but always forget how much they liked the latter. Dune and Obsession are a good friends.
Even though she's not keen on fruity florals, Givenchy tends to venture into some interesting places as far as florals are concerned. How about “Hot Couture” or “Amariage”? And despite her dislike of “Angel”, she might appreciate “Miss Dior Cherie”.
Dana – Tabu
Dioressence
Good call with Tolu!
Also, just read that it was composed by the same nose as Obsession. Uncanny!
I agree with everyone who's recommended Theorema, and i recommend Lovely to pretty much everyone. What about Hermes' 24 rue Faubourg? This is a great amber – it may be a bit heavy for summer, but the Eau Delicate may be a bit too floral for Julie. Hope this helps! I know first-hand that long tough days are made easier by a great scent to sniff!
Here's another amber scent that hasn't been mentioned yet: Ambre Narguile (Hermes). Another possible Hermessence is Osmanthe Yunnan (both have been reviewed here). How about L'Artisan Parfumeur's Safran Troublant, although that might be a bit heavy for summer.
Did anyone mention Serge Lutens Five O'Clock au Gingembre? I have that on now and it is pretty ambery.
I would like to second Theorama too, even if it is a bit scarce now.
I say try Chanel Egoiste for men. Spicy without being too sweet. If I could only own one perfume, this would be it!
how about Kenzo Jungle Elephant?
Ah, Chanel Egoiste…..I used to date a man who wore that….
A huge thank you to everyone for all their suggestions; the next few months are going to be fun as I acquire samples and test drive these scents.
Thank you again to Robin for posting my request and to all the readers for their ideas!
~Julie
How about Tom Ford Black Orchid, Must de Cartier or the very lovely Tiempe Passate by Antonia's Flowers?
I second Must de Cartier and Goutal Heure Exquise. They're in the same 'wrap me in an amber coloured shawl' category as Obsession and Dune. Julie might give Guerlain Les Meteorites a try too — not as ambery, it is light and spicy – just an unsubstantiated hunch that she might love it!