It's been a long week, so a very quick and very lazy poll:
What is the fragrance you most regret buying this year?
And what should you have bought instead?
I am still mad at myself for buying Hermès Jardin après la Mousson. I should have been patient and smelled it first. At the very least, I should have waited for the small bottle to be released.
For about the same price, I should have bought Christian Dior Diorissimo in extrait. Saks has it for $125, and I've been lemming a bottle for a few years now. I kept dithering over the price when it was available at discount (I think it was $90? At Parfum1 maybe?), and now I can't make myself pay the full price. Instead, I'm frittering away my money on things like the Harajuku Lovers.
Note: image is Meiklokje (cropped) by Nelly at flickr; some rights reserved.
Hi and Happy Friday !
The fragrance I regret purchasing was Ghost.
The fragrance I should have bought was Amazone by Hermes.
BTW, I love the pic of lilly of the valley, they always make me smile.
Diesel Fuel for Men; I loved it on paper, smelled it on my skin in the store, and bought it.
It was only later when I realized that there was an element in the drydown–the heliotrope, possibly?–that made me physically ill.
Isn't that a nice shot of LOV? It's so fun to “browse” on Flickr.
Happy Friday to you too, and hope you'll get your Amazone!
Darn, that's a shame! What do you wish you'd bought instead?
covet pure bloom! I loved it at first but regret it cos it gives me headaches…think it's the tuberose cos I'm not keen on Christina's inspire either.
I wish i'd bought a new bottle of Vivienne Westwood's Boudoir instead…my old bottle from years ago is past it's best and I miss wearing it!
So far, I do not have a disappointing FB purchase, and I have bought several since I jumped into perumistahood with both feet this summer. Perhaps Sublime EDP, but it was discounted and it is a Patou, after all. It is lovely, just maybe not 'me', right now. I might like it better in the cooler months. I was looking for Patou Cocktail, but haven't been able to find it.
Very few samples that are regrets either. I guess I am easy to please at this point.
(Heading off to look at Saks.com for that extrait…)
TGIF 😉
I regret buying three 1.7 oz. bottes of Black Cashmere (not b/c I don't think it is great-but i thought it was going to disappear)- My money would have been better spent on one big bottle (that would have lasted for years)…
I also regret paying full price for Andy Warhol Silver Factory (I adore it, but I have seen it on the Bay for much more reasonable prices)
Actual regret- Etro Shaal Nur (bought unsniffed at discount)- I think it is a great fragrance, but I can't wear it-
With all of that money sqandered I could have bought a number of lemmings: Organza Indecence/ Drole de Roses/ Chene/ Habanita Parfum…
Un jardin en Méditerranée is the first tha comes to mind.
But two weeks ago I was in Paris and bought a full bottle of Tubéreuse criminelle. I had tried it a few times in the wax samples and tried it three times there (not alone, always with other fragrances on, because of course I wanted to try a few “real” Lutens non export).
I really thought I loved it (weird beginning included), but once at home, wearing it alone has immediately become unbearable. I apologize for TC lovers (and to myself for the 110 euros I sprang out), but my sensation now is that of wearing a perfume meant for dead bodies. I've worn it two times so far and it has improved only very very slightly (from really unbearable to “Jesus, I'm not alive and I'm walking”). Maybe I should have bought Chergui or Bois de violette…
But my parisian tour has also left me with other loves: Baghari, Visa, Attrape-coeur, Vanille tonka and Sacrebleu (but the last two in 30 ml) and, of course, with a large hole in my bank account…
This has been very much on my mind this week, having done a tally in my FB drawer, and discovering to my shame that about 45% of the bottles purchased this year in the feverish euphoria of my new perfumista hobby are mistakes.
You ask for the one I regret most? Probably CK Euphoria, whose very name is a poignant reminder of this – between its sweetness, and its young and slightly party girl image, this one is not sitting well with me at the moment, but if I were to reckon up in terms of cost now, probably Private Collection, whose more mature boots I sense I am not big enough to fill. Or on the same level of cost – perhaps more so – L'Ete en Douce. And there's a whole bunch in between, including Vintage Gardenia, which is bugging several of us!, though Robin's purchase was doubtless more historical.
The full list, with detailed reasons, is available on application. I would gladly swap you for the Mousson, Robin, only I don't think you would care for any of my rejects, to be perfectly frank. I think I have clocked your taste quite well along the way by reading all your reviews.
What do I wish I had bought instead of PC or L'Ete en Douce or Euphoria? PG Brulure de Rose, Tauer L'Air du Desert Marocain, L'Artisan Eau de Jatamansi – or even The pour un Ete which was the one I nearly bought when I plumped for L'Ete en Douce. LEau d'Hiver would have been nice, Mousson as I say – oh, so many things, the list is endless…
This year I have been very silly. I've had heaps of fun, mind, but I would love to rewind and start again.
Visa is a perfume? How very apt!
Yeah, it sure is…
Maybe one day we'll also have Loan or Mortgage Extreme.
ROFL!!!!!
I should have never bought Fico di Amalfi, I should have bought the almond one instead. I should have never bought a bunch of stuff from L'Aromarine because they were cheap and I thought they would smell ok – instead I should have bought one, more expensive, nice bottle of nice perfume. Like Eau de Lierre. I should have bought Diptyque's Gingembre candle while I still could.
hi delfina–
i had a very similar experience with SL Bois de Violette– i tested it over and over at the store, plus with my wax samples, and decided to buy it. once home and decanted into a small sprayer, though, i found i didn't like it as much. it was simply too much for me! i found a solution, though: i spray it on a cotton ball, and then dab the ball on pulse points. i feel like it works better on a smaller space on my skin– much like when i tried it at the store when they dabbed it on me. hope this works!!
-nikki c
Fortunately, I have not regretted anything I've purchased. But I've also purchased very little fragrance this year. The last FB purchase was the 30 ml Badgley Mischka, and I really love that one. My next FB will probably be SIP's Black Rosette. My sample is long gone and I'm lusting after it, especially when we go back to standard time…
The lazier, the better, R! I love these polls.
Fortunately, no regrets this year, as I am older and, thanks to everyone on all the great fragrance blogs we've got as resources, far wiser.
Back in the day, though, OMG. And I have dozens of bottles which, like Vanessa, make me sigh when I look at them. Reminders of those dizzying early days, crazy days, when I was nearly frantic to own every single thing I sniffed. Days when my nose was FAR less discerning, didn't know what it wanted, got fooled by a pretty opening note. Days before I understood there was a whole world of decant/sample resources out there. Days when I didn't know the names of Frederic Malle, Serge Lutens, Jean Claude Ellena. Seems like a hundred years ago, and it was only a couple!!!
Covet Pure Bloom is strong, too!
Oh, I made horrible mistakes in my first year — not least of which was just the number of bottles I bought! If you haven't yet imposed a monthly limit, do! It saves you from yourself.
A discount Patou can't hurt, and perhaps it will be “you” later, who knows?
We all thought it was going to disappear. Very rude of DK not to keep us in the know!
And I do hate buying something, then seeing it cheaper elsewhere.
Oh, I am so terribly sorry you hate your TC! If you really don't want it, I'm sure you can get your money back on Scent Splits or something.
I am not joking when I say half of my collection comes from my first year, and half of that, I didn't need. You live, you learn, right?
Mmm, no huge regrets – but I do feel that the 50 ml of Bvlgari The Rouge were too much, if there was a chance, I would have gotten a smaller bottle. I like the scent, but don't wear it often, and it tends to feel a bit too sweet at times. Still, I'm glad I tried it. Will probably try to swap it for something I haven't tried yet.
thanks! I'll try that when I'll be less scared by the bottle. She looks and me and laughs loud every time I open my perfume cabinet!
I think I'll give it a few months to “recover”. After all I've changed my mind more than once on many scents, and a good number of my beloved ones did initially scare or annoy me somewhat. Hope hope hope.
That was me between February and May – an indiscriminate magpie, Hoover, grab bucket crane, every grabby image that comes to mind, with finger always hovering over the “Pay Now” button on Ebay. Now, most of my money goes to The Perfumed Court, and I haven't regretted any my FB purchases since June (and there have been a few!)
As usual, such an interesting topic. I very seriously regret purchasing a 50 ml bottle of Caron's Nuit de noel. Grating, harsh pain spearing through my nairs!! I haven't bought any other FB, but have spent way too much on samples, many of which I really don't enjoy. However, several of them have really pleased me, notably Farmacia Annunziata's Kama, Brandy, and l'Artisan's Piment brulant…can't wait to sample SL's Chene!
I'm always getting sucked in by cheap stuff too. Sigh.
I really want a bottle of Black Rosette too. Keep hoping they'll decide to release it in EdP.
A slight twist on what you just said — I get mad at myself for frittering away $100 on two cheap bottles of crap, or a bunch 'o samps, and then realizing at some point I could have had a real bottle of something else. Not that I “need” a bottle of anything (you don't either). OTOH actually owning a bottle of something is often the kiss of death in terms of my interest in it. I am pretty sure for instance that if I ever spring for that bottle of Clive Christian X for Men I would never want to wear it again…
Good point, marchlion, which is why those lovely decants of 10-15 ml can be so useful. Beyond that can be olfactory suicide! By the way, what is OTOH??
I regret buying Ambre Gris unsniffed.
Hey, you win some, you lose some.
I can't think of anything at this point that I would buy instead. On the other hand, I only spent $32.50 on it, and I was happy to give it to a very lovely colleague looking to replace her years of wearing Angel.
Hugs!
I, too regret Ambre Gris. I think it was the bottle that hypnotized me. That disco ball on top was just egging me on…!!
I did get it for about $30. For the money I should have purchased a decant of Liaisons Dangereuse By Kilian. Or the new Bath and Body Works Vanilla Woods (around $25).
This month I spent at least $50 on various and sundry minis and bargains on ebay, and I've swapped nearly all of them away. I can't say I regret them, however, as I learned a lot about what I like and don't like. My biggest regret is not buying a bottle of Andy Warhol Silver Factory available on Amazon for $189. I just found out today it runs for $230 retail and the price is going up Nov.1 for all Bond's. D'OH!
I change my mind too. I envy you your bell jar!
There are lots of little travel Bvlgaris at Sephora now, but don't know if that was one of them. You'd think they'd have done a coffret of the tea scents by now.
Oh dear, grating and harsh, no less! I'm so sorry. Hope Chene will work better.
I don't either?!? Ha, of course it's true, but for a second there I was thinking MOI? But I don't own any Diorissimo in EXTRAIT, so I MUST need at least one bottle!
R, I wonder how many people bought that AG cheap and then regretted it? Bet there are TONS of you. So glad you found it a happy home, and hugs to you!
Done in by the disco ball, LOL!
See, I want to find my AWSF on ebay for about, say, $60? Maybe $75? Then I'll buy 🙂
Should NOT have bought Shiso (Leaves Series) by Comme des Garcons (It is a discontinued scent…but it's so hard to wear this one, it's SO edgy!) but I found it in Stockholm on vacation and I grabbed it. 🙁
Should have bought Pulp by Byredo Parfums instead. I have a decant of it now, and its def FBW!
I bet a lot of us bought it, R. But, on the other hand, it was a great deal, and most of the folks who bought it, love it.
I buy so few bottles, did much more swapping and decant purchasing this year. However, in my slump time that shows up each February, I treated myself to a bottle of Black Orchid Voile d'Fleur and wish I hadn't. I thought it was love, but it's just too much gardenia for me and I rarely wear it. My first thought is that I'd rather have the first Black Orchid, but on second thought, not really. I wish I had Les Nereides Patchouli Antique or Imperial Opponax instead.
I think I was a much slower learner, R!
Being on a budget, I've bought few samples (mooching samples off SA's is the way to go, for me) and even fewer bottles in my first months of perfume addiction – so proud of myself of actually following advice!
Yet I fear I may have jumped the gun on Hiris. It's gorgeous and I enjoy it a lot, but when I sampled Bois d'Iris after purchase, I loved it even more… just maybe…
I regret that I bought a bottle of Vol de Nuit edt…I should have made the effort to take those funds and buy the parfum version. Now I am waiting to use up my edt before I'll let myself buy the parfum. Next year….
I've kicked myself over about how many samples I've bought this year – how much I've spent on small decants – about $300 +. But really it's prevented me from buying some full bottles I know I would have hated. One sample order of about $70 didn't produce a single frag I liked!
In my early rush of perfumeuphoria, I bought a FB of Un Jardin En Mediterranee. Not that it's not a great fragrance — it is — but for some reason the cedar note came up so strong that I smelled like a hamster cage, which, incidentially, had not happened with the sample! So, in an effort to layer it with something to disguise the cedar, I bought a (cheap) bottle of Coty Vanilla Musk (insert gagging sound here,) unsniffed, because it was up for some award on BN.
Well, all's well that ends well I guess: I swapped the Mediterranee for a FB of Vol de Nuit EDT, which I love, and maybe some day I'll find a use for the Vanilla Musk!
LOL, Olfacta!
“jesus, I'm not alive and I'm walking”
…….thank you for the best laugh of the day!!! ROFL
while I'm here – most regretted going down Memory Lane and buying Ma Griffe. Absolutely terrible reformulaiton, has an onion-y smell.
Should also have bought Diorissimo extrait. It's my fave spring fling, but is too thin in Edt.
Over here in the corner, with the appropriate rueful, knowing chuckle…what, about 5 WEEKS after the watershed moment when I realized I had passed through the manic acqusition stage?? 😉
I believe it is “on the other hand.”
Why don't we all put a list together of our “REGRETS” and perhaps exchange them with someone else's REGRET and that way we would all be happy in a WIN WIN situation–Just a thought:-)) Amanda
I regret buying a bottle of Kenzo's Flower – it's pretty, but not for me (I end up smelling like a marshmallow after about half an hour). It was only the second perfume I've ever bought, and I had no idea what I was doing (my education continues, and I haven't picked up anything I'm not really fond of since).
I should have bought Fracas (and as soon as I manage to find a new job, I probably will – that and Estee Lauder's Sensuous). I'm right at the beginning of my wacky perfume obsession, and it's really quite fun (my Mum has even offered to buy me a bottle of whatever I like as soon as I've finished my Master's thesis, sometime in the next couple of months). 🙂
That is the best idea *ever*.
I wish You luck in finding the right one!
The biggest regret I really have is that before I never really gave Guerlain a chance. That was due to the fact that I have had a terrible experience with Shalimar. Also I bought Bvlgari Tea scents: red tea n green tea, just because I was in the mood for some light tea scents this summer (I always have a bottle of Mintea but I wanted to use something else as well). I don't LOVE Bvlgari teas but the saleslady was so nice… yeah, well if I just gave all of those Allegorias a chance, I would have ended up with Herba Fresca a long time ago, and I would have happily stopped searching around. I guess it's never too late, and Allegorias that were never really tested by me, turned out to be beautiful scents (at least the ones I have tried so far). Now Bvlgaris are like sitting on the shelf untouched by me, and instead I am enjoying Anisia Bella and Herba Fresca.
I regret buying the 3.4 bottle of My Insolence and the 3.4 of Flowerbomb. I wish I had saved the $200+ and bought, well, a bottle of Missoni. (and maybe another Harajuku lover…)
Well, I'm in my first year and still in the spending-way-too-much stage. I guess I've been lucky to learn fairly early in the game that I really can't wear very sweet fragrances. Two that I liked at first, but wish I hadn't bought:
Hanae Mori Butterfly. Just looking at that pretty bottle makes my teeth hurt now. Any fans of this one out there?
Jo Malone Vintage Gardenia. At first the spices balanced the white flowers for me, but I seem to have changed. This one may be salvageable – I'm going to try the layering ideas suggested by some of you in a previous thread.
Wish I'd saved the money I spent on both bottles toward a bottle of Ormonde Jayne Ta'if or, perhaps, Miller Harris Terre d'Iris.
I went back the next day and bought Boucheron pour Homme. Now I'm broke, but I smell nice. 🙂
Join the club, LOL..
Still vaguely hoping it will turn up at discount again. I crack myself up worrying about the $30 difference…I probably spent that on coffee & chocolate in the last week.
Ah, cool scent, but agree maybe not something I'd reach for every day. I still haven't tried the Byredos!
I have that slump in February too, every year. Wonder if it will suit you better when that weather rolls around again? Or is it just a mistake?
It's very hard in the beginning — whatever you like, something you like better is probably just around the corner. At least you're not buying too much.
And Hiris was one of my first purchases too!
You all should put together a swap or a sale, and let the rest of us take those mistakes off your hands. For a couple of bucks, I wouldn't mind a deal on something new!
AnnS — wow, $70 and not one single winner!
And know what you mean about the VdN. One of my goals is to buy extrait more often, but then when I look at prices, I never do.
Hey, at least the Coty was cheap!
That's called swapping!!
Kayliana, which Piguet?
Hey, congrats on (almost) finishing your master's thesis, that's wonderful! And deserves a bottle of something. Fracas sounds perfect.
Beware of nice salesladies, LOL! Perhaps you'll go back to the Bvlgari teas later? I do think they're great scents.
Have you checked the prices of the Missoni at discount? Might not be too bad by now.
Yes, Ta'if!! I still need a full bottle of that…making do with a decant for now. Hope you'll find something that will cut the sweetness in the JM…and whatever it is, it might work with the HM too! Something dark & woody, maybe.
I bought the 30mL L'Heure Bleue parfum from eBay earlier this year and ended up paying $40 on sales tax on top of the hefty price tag…which didn't save me a cent at all…
(And I was brave enought to buy the 50mL EdT Mitsouko today, complete with the new packaging…my sister complimented on the drydown but the peach opening has been changed for sure…)
I wish I could have stocked up on Osmanthe Yunnan or Chanel No. 19 parfum instead!
I regret the box of Infusion d'iris soaked tissues. Inordinately expensive and totally useless when it comes to samplig the fragrance. Same as the sample pack from Les nez: can't stand the lion , can't smell the Antimatiere at all, and the Unicorn smells both tart and nondescript to me. On the other hand, Borsari's Violettina (don't think it is marketed abroad, or not yet) came as cheap as dirt , 9 point something euros for a 30 ml bottle, and it is delightful. I wallow in it at night.
Oh gosh, a number this year, most of which I sold soon after.
Narciso Rodriguez for him – vile dead grass, sold on ebay.
Caron Pour Homme – nasal rape by lavender, sickly vanilla.
Michael Kors – ashtray in a bottle.
YSL pour Homme – fizzy lemons evaporating after a brief interval spent irritating my sinuses.
Purchases I have liked most include: Dirty English, Lavandula by Penhaligons, Elixir by Penhaligons, Black Walnut by Banana Repulic and the sublime Elixir by Penhaligons.
I mentioned Elixir twice, oh well, it's that good it's worth it.
regrets on not buying habanita perfume , only the edt.
louve by sl
should have bought l'eau de issey feu when it was available
My regret is a FB of Bulgari Rose Essentielle. I liked it but never really loved itl.
Come to think of it I have another regret from some years ago: Vocalise by Shiseido. That makes two FB-regrets of r o s e fragrances..
What would I have liked to buy instead of Rose Essentielle? Le Parfum de Therese definitely.
I can't tell you how many times I've almost bought Sublime – even when it was still widely available in the US. I knew a woman who used this exclusively and she always smelled diving. I've deleted this scent more than any other, save Nuit de Noel, from a shopping cart….
You know, I've moved 13 times in 10 years – all over the US. I can say with absolute assurance that fragrance smells differently in different locations – weather, temperature, regional differences, etc. I've purchased frags that smelled wonderful to me in one city and totally meh in another. It doesn't surprise me that you bought something you think you liked while traveling that you can't stand at home.
I did make one concession about the VdN – after vigorous price checking across different internet vendors….I determined that the price of one 1.5 ml sample of VdN parfum from Perfumed Court was actually a good price. So I let myself have that wee bit of the parfum as consolation. I just make myself repeat over and over – it's the juice I love, it's the juice I love. I make myself forget about the bottle for now.
I used to reward myself in grad school with a good massage…now I think I'd take the fragrance instead!!
I can't stand the sweet stuff either – for a number of years now I've been in perfume purgatory….
The first time a SA spritzed HM for me, I was like, this smells like something….bubblegum. I'd just blurted it out. She was not amused. I have trouble that when I make a food association, it normally ruins a frag for me forever. I almost bought a full bottle of Songes, which I really loved…until someone said it smelled like Pepsi….and now I can't smell past that.
Argh, those tissues. I keep wanting to like them, but I have a nagging voice in my head saying they're not worth it…thanks for the confirmation!
Let Me Play the Lion is in my “Like It” column…but Unicorn spell smells like a Choward's violet lozenge to me. I have some Norma Kamali Violette coming my way; perhaps that will be the violet that pays….
Hey that is a GREAT swap. I see another lazy Friday poll in the future — what's your best swap?
I regret getting the 50mls of Hypnotic Poison. I like it, but that stuff is potent! I wear so little of it that I should've gotten the 30ml. Stupid impulse buy!
My most regretted purchase this year is Mugler Cologne which, it turns out, gives me a terrible headache the instant I put it on.
If I had that money back, I would put it toward either Jicky EdP or C&S No. 88, which are next on my list of things to buy (though both are utterly unlike Mugler Cologne, of course).
I've done overall quite well this year–bottles of OJ Ormonde Man and Orris Noir, which I adore, Black Cashmere, which is very “me”… but the one I regret just a bit is the Eau d'Italie Sienne L'Hiver, which I like but don't fully love. I was at Aedes, with a gift certificate hot in my hand, and my boyfriend liked it, and I mostly liked it, and it was a Duchafour, and they were out of the Tauer L'Air du Desert Marocain and would have had to ship it and I wanted something in my hot little hand right then…
I like it, but there's no way I'll ever ever use the entire bottle. Should have gone for a Montale Oudh or the Tauer, despite not having the satisfaction of walking out with a bottle.
Well the very first time I ever selled the vert by Bvlgari was like 4 or 5 years ago and I liked it, but back then the big thing was their newer white tea – which I liked better than the green one. I ended up with a bottle of white tea and it was very nice! Then I got deluxe sample from Sephora with all three of them, and I liked the red one. But now that I bought it and have a lot of juice to use on my skin – I am not that sure anymore. Doesn't last, ok I know it's EdC but even those Allegorias last a lot longer. I think from all 3 the one I like the most is definitely au blanc and that's what I should've bought. The vert is nice too but I like Masaki's Mintea or Herba Fresca lot better so why do I need that one? I actually gave the vert to a friend of mine just yesterday. She likes it and cool!
People can swap at MakeupAlley, Basenotes, or Scent Splits 🙂
$40 on sales tax?!? Why?
Still haven't smelled the new Mitsouko, and maybe I just won't.
Violettina, is that new?? I like cheap as dirt.
LOL — great descriptions! I'll have to try the Elixir, didn't even know it was out yet.
Perfect, now it has a good home 🙂
So the vendeuse told me, but I wouldn't set much store by it, it simply means she'd not seen it before (like me). Do inquire, and if it can't be found down there, I'll happily send you some, if it is possible without disquieting the CIA. It is a fresh, un-powdery violet-violet, but very persistent on my skin. No sillage that I'm aware of, which I like.
actually, I bought those tissues against my better judgement: only ones I know that actually smell the same as the bottled perfume are 4711's. But I didn't want to buy another bottle of perfume, and it seemed an easy get away. No such thing in life, at my age I should long have learned.
I'm sorry about the unicorn, I like horses and violets, and woods,and the copy-ad really got me, but the juice really didn't work for me.
Exactly! If they had a coffret of the tea scents, I would have gladly bought it instead – just to try all of them, instead of having to choose just one. Ah, the god of smaller perfume bottles, hear our plea…
Memechoses, we all should have bought Feu when it was still around.
Interesting, I'll see what I can find out. I do like their Violetta di Parma.
I have the travel size of Therese, which is plenty for me — I adore it but don't wear it often.
It is rather strong. I'd like a little 15 ml, even.
What a shame, I love the Mugler! The Jicky & C&S both worth owning too though, of course.
Till now my regret is delices de cartier.
I tried a few times on skin before buying, but even though after adding it to my cabinet it became unbearable!
I feel sad and depressed when I wear it, as I had just catched a cold!
I should have bought ANYTHING instead!
Re: “Jesus, I'm not alive and I'm walking.” I nearly peed my pants laughing.
Well, I'm confessing with great shame. I defended Jardin Apres Le Mousson hugely when it came out, and the first three times I wore it, I was enchanted. I bought a BIG bottle, I was so thrilled. And then I did a decant and took it with me on my travels to a more humid part of the country and all of a sudden it was a mess–all melon and marine (which had not appeared before) and not at all nice. I quit wearing it, and tried again when I got back to the desert. No go. Melon and marine.
I gasped in horror and tried the Jardin sur le Nil and it, also suddenly changed into something dank and sullen.
So now they reproach me, when I could have had Swoon by Neil Morris or another small shot of L'eau d'Hiver. Sigh.
I bought a mini Sublime and am glad it is only a mini – for some reason this seems like a mere shadow of its original self. I had a bottle that went past its prime and tossed it before I knew that sometimes they can still be okay and I regret it now, because this is not the same.
Fortunately my only bad purchases this year were uber-cheap drugstore experiments (Lady Stetson, Stetson, and Ed Hardy mini I just wanted for the bottle). I only bought 3 FB's – EL Tuberose Gardenia, EL Bronze Goddess, Bulgari Black. I have spent several hundred on samples, though, so I'm not exactly being frugal.
It's always easier to spend $100 four times than $400 once. I've needed new glasses for a year, but have bought many pairs of shoes and bottles of perfume and God knows what.
There is a travel size? (Sound of feet walking away in search of smaller bottle…)
You have done well this year though, despite the Sienne. I know that feeling of just wanting to take a bottle home *now*.
Drat, what a shame!
How interesting — now you're making me think I need to revisit Mousson in January — maybe it won't be all melon & marine on me then?
But won't you love Mousson again when you're not in the humidity?
It's not out yet – I am quite in with Penhaligon's and I got a pre-release bottle.
It's divine. Think CDG Man2 with Turkish Rose. A really beautiful and unusual fragrance.
Olfacta, I had the same result from the UJEM, much to my dismay. But it smelled so fantastic on my watch strap the next several days, I thought it warranted another try. I wanted to find somewhere closer to home to try it, so I Googled…and found this blog. Can't complain about that! 🙂 (BTW, at least for me, MetB's GGG&G smells very much like UJEM in the beginning, but carries all the way through instead of dissolving into pure cedar.)
Regret buying Chamade. Regret not buying Kohdo Wood Night.
My regret would be buying a 100ml of Vanille Noire du Mexique, it was a bargain I couldn't resist but do I really want it? No, it's nice and pleasant but whenever I wear this for a day I dont feel myself. I come home and rummage through by perfumes looking for something “dirtier” or with a bit more kick (plus I hate the “I smell chocolate” comment I get from everyone when I'm wearing this).
Another one would possibly be Infusion d'iris – not because I hate it but because sometimes it's too dry for me and sometimes it's a little too feminine and possibly a major reason I dislike it is that a work colleaque wears this (my fault entirely as I recommended it to her) and she sprays this like there's no tomorrow. I should've saved my money for Infusion d'homme which I like better..
What does it take for me to learn to stick to my #1 rule. Do not buy without sniffing ! I can't even fall back on the excuse of being a “New Perfumista” …I was born one. It makes no difference whether or not all of the reviews, and everyone on all of the perfume blogs are orgasmic about any fragrance, from experience I know that if it's a predominately White Flower Fragance, it WILL STINK on me. I'm the only one to blame for my purchase of Carnel Flower, I bought it before there were any reviews. When I walked into the room my son and husband absolutely gagged, my son said I smelled like a Mexican Whore. It seems that most women, and a lot of men love Tuberose. My first terrible experience was with Fracas. It was an extremely extravagant purchase, and I ended up giving it to a very dear friend on whom it smells divine. My biggest regret this year are: Nahema, and Persephone ( No offense to Sally, I think she's great). The costliest was Nahema; why I would have thought that I'd like it, is beyond me since there's never been a Guerlain that I have liked. My first Guerlain mistake was, L'huere Bleu in 1961. The woman behind the counter in the grocery/drugstore, informed me that there were no testers because the fragrance was so expensive. Out of stupidity, I bought it anyway instead of being inconvenienced by a trip to a downtown Department Store. Everything I had read about Persephone convinced me that it was a scent I just had to own, plus it was unatainable. I'm sure it's lovely on most people, but it's not for me. It isn't odious,
( in fact it is barely discernably) it just isn't anthing special on me. At least it's not something so offensive that I have to rush to scrub it off. Why are the scents that are most repugnant always particularly tenacious, and impossible to obliterate ? The fragrance that I wish I had bought instead is Fico Di Amalfi. The sample sat around for ages because it didn't sound like my kind of fragrance, which I suppose should tell me Ithat I should be more open to trying something different, it may be a delightful surprise. The best advice that I can give to a newbie is, try before you buy. It not only saves you big bucks, but you don't end up miserably dissapointed.
LeNez
Ahem… and how does your son know what a Mexican Whore smells like?
lol 😉
Let's see. It's still my first year, so I have been very busy buying stuff. I regret buying:
1. Azzaro Homme. It was on sale at TJ Maxx, so it wasn't a huge amount of money, but I bought it unsniffed based on The Guide's glowing review. Nice fougère, but very 80's, and I've literally never worn it and probably never will.
2. Diptyque L'Eau de Néroli. Got an enormous honking bottle in the heat of summer when the Boston Diptyque store was closing, but there are really nicer eau de cologne's out there.
3. AdP Colonia Assoluta. Bought it because it was by Duchaufour and Elléna, and it is a very nice woody eau de cologne. But I've worn it maybe once since then.
4. Mitsouko EdT. I wish I had just concentrated on finding vintage in extrait de parfum.
Most of my regrets are that I spent so much on full bottles when I probably only needed only a decant or sample. I could have spent the money on Chanel Cuir de Russie parfum, vintage Mitsouko extrait, some Serge Lutens, or Frédéric Malles.
I'm not in the humidity. But like an allergy, once I got the melon and marine, it stayed with me in the desert. Even sprayed on my clothes, even applied lightly.
Now that I think of it, it is EXACTLY like an allergy—you can go for years without being allergic to something, but then you ARE allergic, and the allergy doesn't go away. That happened with me with bee stings. I became allergic after a bee sting in my teenage years. And after wearing Mousson, after insisting I got no melon, it suddenly bloomed on me and every time I wear it, the melon gets bigger and riper and the marine breeze gets wilder.
I'm surprised the bottle isn't turbid and rock around on its foundation with all the turbulence.
…regret buying COCO EdP, because it turns out to get too heavy on me these days. also angel innocent, lovely but I am a)no angel b)not innocent c)too old for that 😉
Instead I should have bought… hmmm… so many I would love to have, but none I actually would buy. Mousson maybe.
I regret buying Osmanthe Yunnan-it's too ethereal for its price. I wish I had gotten Dior's Cologne Blanche instead. I'm tearing through my decant at breakneck speed.
Really hope they're bring back the Kohdo Woods, L.
Those Vanilles really did go cheaply though!
Too bad you've got your colleague bathing in the IdI!
Completely agree about trying before you buy — but I disregard the rule at least once a year myself. Sometimes, you just can't wait!
Jtc, Colonia Assoluta puzzles me — you'd think something by my 2 favorite perfumers would wow me, but it doesn't. Not even sure I really “like” it, although it's nicely done.
YATAGAN by Caron! I can't believe I caved in based on “The Guide” and Kevin's love for this stuff.
It is literally awful and unless you are an old retired man living in a Florida nursing home with 2 brand new knees and the determination to still go to the dance on Friday night at 6 PM, it won't fly in today's world!
Kevin, I'm waiting for your response with my hands protecting my face 🙂
Eric
LOL at “all the turbulence” — and yes, I swear it's more & more melony every time I wear it. Sigh.
LOL at “a)no angel b)not innocent c)too old for that ;-)” !
It is darned ethereal, but boy do I wear it alot!
HA — Kevin probably isn't even following the comments here. You can hope, anyway!
Hey, CdG Man2 with Turkish rose sounds awesome!
Hi Robin. What is the URL for scent splts?
http://scentsplits.wikidot.com/
Thank you!
Regret Bronze Goddess by EL. P-U!! What was I thinking? LOL
Wow, lots o' comments here! Not many regrets. JM Lotus/Waterlily was an impulse buy I didn't need but I was wrapped up in the fact that it was LE and I'll never be able to get it again; it's only 30ml and I don't mind owning it.
Biggest mistake however was probably a half-bottle of SL Santal Blanc (on eBay and thus fairly reasonable) — I'm getting that danged infamous “cat pee” sensation from it and I'm just wondering if I'll like it when the weather is much cooler. Bought it unsniffed just to add another SL to my collection because of his “reputation” (dumb) at a good price. I just have to wonder if anyone really *loves* this scent.
Wish I had bought instead? Well, for the same price as the used half-bottle I eventually could have gotten on eBay 50ml of Mousson or maybe Dzongkha.
Oh, the other mistake was 50ml of Tommy for Men because I used to wear it 10 years ago and was nostalgic — however, you can't go home again: it's nothing but cheap nasty crap and I'll never wear it, but it was less than $20 so hardly worth regretting. Still…
Ohhh… Osmanthe Yunnan's on my wish list. Fragrantfoodie, perhaps you'd like some Hanae Mori :-).
2 Strong regrets
1) SL – Mandarin Mandarine
I dont really know why I bought it (perhaps I was sure to please my girl-friend which is not the case)
But the trouble is elsewhere, even if I read so much about SL, i dont like his perfumes. It is a quite difficult confession for a perfumista, but it is real. I dont like the Lutens basenote …
And once every two years I make the same mistake, I bought one bottle in order to like at least ONE SL. Smelling a SL for me is like seing a nice drawning and feeling nothing.
2) MPG – Ambre Doré
Ok, i was trap by the SA. A nice quite unknow limited edition (quite expensive also for a MPG), a fabulous nice amber inside and a very delicate packaging.
So what's the trouble ? The trouble is that I have already too much amber in stock … I am quite sure I will only use this only one or two days per years.
i bought Diesel and it stinks!!!!! wish I ad tested it first instead of taking everyome's word for it.
wish I ad bought J Lo.
LOL–unfortunately, I already sold the bottle and am not such a big fan HM 😉
without a doubt my biggest regret this year- EVER- was an unsniffed purchase of Serge Lutens Serge Noir. gaak, slapped upside the head with a plank of cedar then stuffed in a sweaty armpit.
why oh why did i not just buy FM L'Eau d'Hiver……ah well, live and learn 🙂
HA, send it to me 🙂
Ah, I've tons of those impulse buys I didn't need, but don't completely regret all of them.
And hey, I paid full price for a full bottle of Santal Blanc & love it 🙂
Drat, you have 2 expensive regrets, sorry! Have not been able to try that MPG myself, glad to hear it's at least well-done.
Insencé by Givenchy for the BF.
He told me he liked it, so I bought it as a gift.
I can't stand it…. and he wears it every day and generously!!
Also bought Azzaro for my dad. My mom has warned me that she will be filing for divorce if my dad ever wears it again.
N-E-V-E-R buy for others!!!
I didn't love that one either, so sorry you ended up w/ a whole bottle!
LOL — great description! The cedar I can live with, the sweaty armpit, maybe not 🙂
Ouch! Yes, next time, buy for yourself 🙂
I was in London for a day earlier this month, and had decided to check out/buy some juice it is hard to come by here. So first to Harrods: Lyric by Amouage (waiting for the temperature to come down here in the SF Bay area before wearing, but content to hug the box while rolling around on the floor), and so far no regrets. Harvey Nichols: Putain des Palaces and Rossy de Palma, and all i can say is “humph!. Neither one is a wow, neither one has lasting power or sillage, and the spray nozzle is leaky on Rossy. So definite regret there, esp. since they smelled fine in the store and weren't inexpensive. And then on to Arabian Oud on Oxford Street, based on a decant from TPC: Fairouz and another one (forget the name) – both are fine, and the packaging rewrites the definition of vulgarity, so there's entertainment value as well. Also purchased some lovely Egyptian jasmine oil and incense (again, will trot out when it gets a little cooler). A big plus was the 50% off special for the month of Ramadan, and the salesgirl was adorable.
If i could do the trip again I would definitely forgo the Etat Libre d'Orange juice. If i could do the year over, I certainly wouldn't have stored a major part of my “collection” in the cupboard i stuck them in. Hanging on a wall that gets sun most of the day, the temperature got into the 100s – frequently – sparing nothing except Clinique Aromatics Elixir. So major regret there.
But looking on the bright side (thank you, Prozac!), I found Serge Lutens' Louve, and am buying Ava Luxe's Madame X as soon as my paycheck lands.
My biggest regret of the year is buying Insolence edt – it smelled nice the day I sniffed it in the store, then every time after that I would sniff the nozzle and be sickened by it. Finally sold it. Not purchased this year, but the other big mistake was a large bottle of Jardin en Mediterranee – can't tolerate that particular fig scent. Also bought MB03 instead of Josef Statkus because it was cheaper – duh.
Wouldn't it be nice if this poll had a follow-up where each of us can offer our regret-purchases and maybe exchange it for somebody elses regret-purchase?
It will be my pleasure to send my Bulgari Rose Essentielle or my Chanel Allure Sensuelle EdP to anybody on NST in exchange for something I would love to have like a bottle of Terre d'Hermes e.g.
Annonose, LOL at “content to hug the box while rolling around on the floor”!
And nice haul you got there, congrats! Sorry you weren't happy w/ the ELdOs, that's a shame, and the leaky nozzle is the last straw.
Cazaubon, that is a shame! I liked it, but don't need a bottle I'm sure. Josef Statkus: I *do* need a bottle. But still haven't got one.
There are so many places to swap already!
WOW – this is certainly a passionate topic.
I think my first regret was the original Issey Miyake in the 90s. The ozone note was so hot at the time but frankly smelled like damp socks on me, especially in the Singapore humidity. The feeling of euphoria wilted into dismay instantly… I will never forget my first regret but it was my first lesson in sniffing long and hard before putting any money down for a perfume.
I regret Guerlain' L'Instant. And while I did try it in the store, I didn't do my usual wait 24 hrs. I liked it, bought the large bottle $110.00 and drove home, only to discover that the scent must have remained in the store, cuz there was none on me! In fact I even regret my samples of Guerlain. Nahema, in my opinion was so overrated, but I had to try it. I find, almost without exception, Guerlains very unremarkable. I could have added $60.00 bucks to my $110.00 and had 100 ml of Montale's Aoud Queen Rose. Instead I still have a full 100 ml of L'Instant. Okay, okay, I did still get my Montale, but just the same. . . . .
Oh yeah, and I just remembered Coco Mademoiselle. AND I got the 100 ml EDP, the perfume, and the perfumed body creme. What was I THINKING?!!! Just way too too “Mademoiselle” for someone who enjoys looking like a madam (yes, that's what I meant to say!) Thankfully my mother loved it and got it and wears it.
@hollyc *lol*
I bought Coco Mademoiselle for my mom, she loves it – but it is way to MAdemoiselle for a 64year old 😉 so I took it myself and gave her No.5 as a perfume instead. Now I wear Coco Mademoiselle though I have a really calssic style. I do not love it, but it is okay with me and I got a lot of compliments for it. If I would have bought initially for myself, it would have been on the regret-list.
Rules: Buy the perfume (at least for Chanel).
NEVER buy unsniffed & never buy the same day, try a least a week, no matter if it is a cheap thrill oder an expensive one.
If I cannot stop thinking/smelling ist, then it is worth the money.
…or let's say: It is worth to be worn by me 🙂
Good advice. I now only order samples, that way I overcome the racing pulse, the sweating palms that tell me “If I just walk out of here with a full bottle, swans will be swimming in my ditch, golden doves will perch in my trees and will be 21 forever (. . . okay that ship has sailed) nonetheless, you get my drift… You are so right. Always try first (for at least a week) and if you can't be without it, buy it. Honestly ladies order samples, not only will you make fewer mistakes, you will have more fun. Luckyscent, the Perfume Shoppe, the perfumed court are all fantastic sites. Call me madam!
Astrorainfall, LOL at “damp socks” — at least you learned a lesson!
Why don't we start a sub thread on the oldest person we know who wears Coco Mlle? II'll “raise you” my mother-in-law equivalent, nearly 74 and happily wearing my cast off sample! Any advance on 73.75?
I'll see you and raise you to 84 for my mother. Perhaps the scent should be renamed?
Haha! “Coco Crumbly”?
It;s quite late for me to read this entry, but I want to share my regrets as well.
Thanks God, I won a perfume in an auction of perfume in VietNamese website, it is In Control Curious marked by Briney! I have to confess one of my reasons to force me for getting the bottle is I love Britney since I was I baby girl! But, when I won, I was so happy (of course) and I was so eager to pick up my babe. But that;s a hard life. After testing the scent, I just wanted to run as fast as I can!!! Terrible sweetness I;ve ever smelled. ^^!
And now, it;s still there, waiting for me.
Oh,Britney, I have to apologize you, or you must apologize me about that???
The fragrance I regret purchasing was CK Euphoria (cheap sniffed but untested impulse buy).
The fragrance I should have bought was DKNY Fuel.
So sorry your purchase didn't work out! It is a very sweet scent.
Hey, at least it was cheap 🙂