The third quarter of the year is over: time to light a candle to Our Lady Of Scented Abundance, Donatella Versace, and 'fess up to the damage you did in July, August and September.
A little recap on my spending so far: in the first half of the year, I bought 6 bottles (3 in the first quarter and 3 in the second) for a total outlay of $480 (not quite, but very nearly, double what I spent in all of 2007).
This quarter I once again failed to follow my own rules. I had sworn I would get one or the other of the two "most wanted" items on my to-buy list — Extrait de Parfum in Christian Dior's Diorissimo and Jean Patou Joy — and I didn't buy either of them. Instead, I frittered my money away on:
Estee Lauder Sensuous: I bought the 30 ml for $42. I can't say I regret it; it was reasonably priced and I've enjoyed wearing it.
The Gwen Stefani Harajuku Lovers solid coffret: $60, and I ought to feel ashamed of myself, but I don't.
Guerlain's Cologne du 68: The 100 ml bottle was $100, and this one I have very mixed feelings about. At half the price and half the size, I'd be pleased, but there isn't anything in the world I need in 100 ml, and I think the price is a bit steep. I go back and forth on the bottle: some days it strikes me as minimalist chic and a perfect fit with the juice, other days, it's unforgivably dull. At least this one was already on my to-buy list, which is more than I can say for the Harajuku Lovers.
So, total damage = $202 for the third quarter, $682 for the year so far. Ouch, and ouch again.
Note: image of Donatella Versace and her perfume collection (originally from Allure magazine) courtesy of Blogdorf Goodman.
Confession…my one purchase happens to be Dr Vranjes Elettra…for $225….the good news is, I had been hoarding a sample since last August, so I waited a full year for this buy. Bad news is, it was gift to myself for quitting work and starting grad school. I will be the best smelling person in debt on campus 🙂
I can almost add a purchase of No 5 eau Premier to my list of purchases by the end of 3rd Q….the only reason I don't buy it is because I can't even imagine I'd ever use up the 5 oz bottle….that's like beverage size! I almost veered into the 5-9 category, but just squeaked under. At this point in the year, I am waiting with bated breath for the special holiday offerings to spend my remaining funds…..If nothing temps me (doubtful), I'll begin my Lyric savings fund!
Well, this is highly unusual for me, but I only bought two bottles, one of which I gave away.
I love Bond No. 9 Lexington Avenue. It is a keeper. On the other hand, I bought a discounted bottle of Ambre Gris because I had read good things about it, liked the notes and figured “Why not?” at that price. Unfortunately, as I should have known, it was not for me, so I gave it to a colleague who loves it.
I wanted to buy more bottles, R, I really did, but I'm not digging any of the recent Fall releases that I have had an opportunity to test drive.
Hugs!
Guerlain Nahema edp and Agua Allegoria Figue-Iris, Ginestet Botrytis, Bois 1920 Real Patchouly — ironically, not really a patchouli scent, just a warm, rich, resinous beauty! — Parfumerie Generale l'Oiseau de Nuit and l'Eau de Circe, Givenchy 2007 Harvest Organza Jasmine, Diorella edt, CdG Ouarzazate. Total damage: something in the neighbourhood of $1100. OMG, is that true??? Say it isn't so. And there may be one or two I've forgotten about. Regrets? Not a one.
Lemming for: Estee Lauder Private Collection Amber Ylang Ylang, I think. . .I”m not a huge amber fan, but this one is more labdanum and smoke mixed with sultry ylang, and it is just fabulously well-made. . .
Hey, huge congrats on starting graduate school! Good to get your splurge in first, you're right — you won't be buying it while you're there, I'd guess.
AnnS, the thing about that Chanel is it's less $$ for 150 ml than most other brands are for 50. Not to talk you into it, mind you.
Oh my!! Glad you've got no regrets. I think lots of people are going to buy that EL…
Yep, it's a sad, sad day when that happens. :(:(
You know I thought the same thing…what a deal! Believe me, there was teeth nashing…but I'm not going to “super size” a fragrance that I wouldn't wear that often. I think of all the frags I've ever tried or worn, that No 5 is the one that wears itself. It never becomes part of “me” when I wear it,, even though it is very beautiful. Believe me, if it was a 5 oz bottle of Rue Cambon or La Pausa, I'd buy three!
My first year as a perfume maniac is costing me a lot. 21 bottles have flooded my house from january to june. Since then I've bought 9, two as a reward to myself for having finally finished and printed my phd dissertation (Comme des Garçons 2 and CdG2 Man), one as a reward to myself for having finally discussed my phd dissertation (L'heure bleue edp), six during a three days trip in Paris (Nicolai Vanille tonka and Sacrebleu, Piguet Baghari and Visa, SL Tubéreuse criminelle and Guerlain Attrape-coeur) to cheer me up for having finished, printed and discussed my phd dissertation and being officially unemployed…
you caught me on the very day I splurged $180 at the Jo Malone counter! to be fair though: a good portion of that sum was paid for by gift card AND it's a big gift event right now @ Saks and I got to take home a bunch of free stuff!
I got: Pom Noir and Wild Fig & Cassis colognes, and the new Pine and Eucalyptus bath oil. Got a neat black vinyl Saks satchel with a smattering of free samples, and a little Jo Malone free sample thingy – I think it's got 2 colognes, a shower gel, a lotion and a hand cream. and the really nice SA threw in a couple more free samples, too.
so I'm really not feeling any regrets. and Jo Malone's packaging is so pretty!
Let's see, I think it's only two this quarter, and both by Estee Lauder: Youth Dew, an old favorite, and Azuree, my new love. (Azuree should actually go under the “best purchases” posting, as I tested this after reading Perfumes: The Guide, and fell in love with the leather dry-down. Who knew I loved leather? Now I want to search out every leather possible…). Fortunately, the Lauders didn't break the bank – I really did restrain myself!
I think my 3 fb expenditures were last quarter, but not sure (Bronze Goddess, Tuberose & Gardenia and Bulgari Black). This quarter I think my only fb was Tahitian Holiday, which is just a fun fizzy thing to throw on when I'm feeling cheap and breezy. Plus the lotion makes me subtly glittery.
Otherwise, I have spent a small fortune on samples since this is my first year of being a perfumista-in-training. Once I get a job again I know I will be buying some more bottles and decants, not to mention a few things that will be on my Christmas Wish List. I am kind of stuck in that this-is-nice-but-I-have-a-feeling-there-is-something-better thing that makes it hard for me to spring for a bottle of anything right now. I am hoping to have the guts to actually spring for a parfum (Joy? L'Heure Bleu?) once I am back on my feet financially.
I purchased 3 bottles – the Ryoko travel bottle of KenzoAmour, Mitsouko EDT 1.7oz, and Juicy Couture 1.7oz. Not bad considering I vowed not to buy anymore perfumes – ha ha. Looks like I broke that vow! And I'm craving so many others…
I bought only two bottles.
L'Erbolario Iris during my own “Rome Holidays” (two bottles in fact, but one was a present) and L'Occitane Verveine 100ml.
I'm quite moderate 🙂
Hugs!
I've been VERY bad this last quarter *sighs*. We're talking: B by Boucheron, Bvlgari Jasmine Noir, Bond's Lexington Ave + Fire Island (altho these two were gifts so that doesn't count right?), Amouage Dia + Gold (10ml purse sprays – the Gold was a mistake – don't like it), YSL Paris, Love Kills Slowly (yes every so often I like to smell like a pungent strawberry), Very Irresistible (new one), Ormonde Jayne Champaca + Orris Noir. New lemmings are Ormonde Jayne Tolu, EL's Amber Ylang Ylang and Chanel's Beige. *Shakes head at self for uncontrollable fume addiction* Someone needs to start Perfume-Aholics Anonymous – and I need to join. LOL.
There is a woman I work with who wears Azuree as her signature scent. She always smells amazing! I tell her all the time. She would probably be really surprised about it's status in “The Guide” because she always tells me she thinks its hard to find. I don't know, but recently I've noticed the oldies but goodies sitting front and center at the EL counter – maybe they've realized what they've got! Speaking of excess…I really admire the fact that she wears only that one frag. I love having so many choices, but there is just something about having such confidence and love for one frag above all others.
That would be a friday poll – what would be your one and only? The one you'd save in a fire? If it was the last frag on earth? I don't even know if I could answer that!
Azuree is really great – I also recently discovered I liked it!
The good news is I am doing MUCH better this quarter and before the wedding in Chicago I was nearly as saintly as you Robin!
Pre-Chicago I had only spent $280 on 7 bottles- Fendi Theorema, Shaal Nur, 2 Black Cashmeres, Bal a Versailles (only $13, so if I had gotten it at the market it would have been groceries, right?)SSS Fireside (15ml), Jubilation 25 purse spray
I only meant to buy ONE bottle in Chicago, but came away with two- TDC Jasmine de Nuit and Tom Ford Black Violet- to the tune of another $355…what can I say? love was in the air…
But on the bright side, I seem to have straightened up my act a bit-and have bought nearly half as many bottles as last quarter and spent hundreds less- so maybe there's hope for me yet ;-0
I am somewhat horrified to contemplate everything I have bought this quarter – was so good last quarter, and this one I just blew my beads. I got Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille and Japon Noir, the new Aedes L'Artisan, Parfum d'Empire Aziyade, Ambre Russe, Eau de Gloire and Equistrius, Vero Profumo Onda, MB03, Hilde Soliana Bell'Antonio, Profumum Dambrosia and Fumidus, and PG Coze and L'Oiseau de Nuit. And no, I'm not going to total that up…
Oh, I've been sooo good, bottle-wise. Only one bottle this quarter, just the other day, in fact. I bought Shalimar edp, and I had a gift card so it was practically free. Only the second bottle this entire year! The other was PG Harmatan Noir, which was really more for my husband (sort of).
Confession time: The amount I've spent on decants and samples this year would have bought at least 3 or 4 nice bottles. But it's also bought me hours of sniffing enjoyment, so I really don't consider it a waste. I love a pretty bottle as much as the next girl, but I love the juice more 🙂
Oh yeah thanks to the person who revealed that you could order the amouage jubilation 25 in the travel size… you saved me a bundle… hugs
Too bad we can't go on “scholarship”…..
I only bought one, Burberry Summer, and I think it only set me back $29 at TJ Maxx
Yeah, in the end I'd feel the same. That's lots of juice.
Hey, that's not a bad deal for the money then. Congrats on your new toys!
Patty, Perfume Smellin' Things has a nice long list of leather scents, if you need it!
That's the Avon? Assume it was a bargain, then — it hardly counts 😉
You're smart to wait and see, I wish I'd done the same in the beginning.
Lucky you — I'd like one of those Ryokos!
Damn! Gotta add Back Cashmere (after the rumour about its discontinuance), Rosine Rose Kashmirie split, Armani Privee Rose Alexandrie 30ml split and — last but hardly least — Miroir des Envies by Christine Nagel, the most amazing, amazing deluxe nutty-toasty skin scent: at $170 for 50mls, my most expensive per-ml purchase, and easily my favourite one!! My GAWD, I've been bad.
OH no…. Nine bottles, hence the reason why I'm on buying restriction!
Miller Harris Figue Amer, Jubilation 25, Parfum Generale Louanges, CdG Luxe Patchouli, Heely Verveine, El Profumo Nymphea, Montale, Red Verveine (I adore this scent!), Balmain Amber Gris, Jalaine Patchouli…..
I have bought seven, but my purchases are getting much wiser and this quarter I regret none of them!: Jo Malone Kohdo Woods Day & Night, Givenchy Le De, Bvlgari Omnia Crystalline and Jasmin Noir, DKNY Black Cashmere, Jasper Conran Woman.
Hmm… I voted 5-9 but thinking back, it could actually be quite a bit more than that… Off the top of my head, here is what I remember: L'Eau D'Hiver, Barbara Bui, Love Comes from Within (just a purse roll-on), Euphoria, Cruel Intentions, Bleecker Street for the bottle alone, Spiritueuse Double Vanille, Lexington Avenue, Tam Dao, Neonatura Cocoon, AL No. 23, Chaos, Wenge, Organza Indecence, Lann-Ael, two little BURN perfume oils…yeah, slightly more than 9. *cringe*
Yes, Avon. I know, I wasn't sure whether to count it – but the bottle is more than an ounce. I didn't count my little $2 bottles of Vanilla Fields and the Stetsons!
I already had a number of fragrances before I started this, so I have to be a little careful as I only have so much room. I need to find a better storage system that is a darker place before I start spending truly big bux.
Three: two worth the (considerable) expense and one in a fit of lunacy
– L'eau d'hiver
– Serge noire
– Louve (why?!?!)
I wanted Elixir des Merveilles, and Bigarade, and Le parfum de Thérèse, and En Passant, among others, and I bought Louve. New rule: no perfume shopping while hungry.
2 Serge Lutens on the bay (small bottles), 2 Arabian oils (half off sale during Ramadan), and a great big bottle of Amouage Lyric, 2 bottles from etat libre d'orange, and innumerable decants. I'm too embarassed to total everything, and here's the really awful part: i finally opened the Lyric, and I can barely smell it! In fact, I'm having a less-than-easy time smelling just about anything perfumy. I'm hoping this is – what? – allergies? – because if my sense of smell, which has been generally very acute, goes, then… well, it's too awful to comtemplate. Tomorrow I'll take an antihistamine, and pray.
Like delfina and Tama, I'm a newcomer, so I have a wonderful excuse for the extensive damage to my credit cards this quarter:
Full bottles of Diorella; Un Jardin Sur Le Nil; PdNs Maharinih, Fig Tea, and New York; Andy Tauer's L'air (love, love, love!); Mitsouko; Cdg Zagorsk; Ava Luxe's Bakir, No. 23, Fig Leaf, and Black Tea.
The collection of samples, minis, and decants doesn't count, right?
considering I rarely bought perfumes, i bought 2 this past quarter, which nearly doubled my budding collection (hahah.. i'm such a newbie) – Monyette Paris & Hermes Le Jardin Sur Le Nil & tons of decants from the posh peasant. these were big steps for me! (i also bought 2 more yesterday, so those i won't count those for this poll) =D
Yikes! The answer is…..I don't know!!!! I buy on the evilbay, I swap, I split, I sell, then I lose track! Oh well. Full bottles? Chanel Eau Premiere, two Gianfranco Ferres, Amouage Gold (but split off 20 mls of it) and Montale White Aoud. Partial bottles? A couple of other Montales, one of which I turned around and sold, and K.L. Probably one or two others that I can't remember. Splits? Ha! A bunch, but generally small ones. Total damage? Don't want to know, but not bad this quarter. Slowed down considerably, to a crawl in fact. I may have sold as much as I bought, making up for earlier mistakes.
I was about to vote “none”…which tells you how unmemorable my one FB purchase was. I knew it, but wanted something “easy” for those days when you don't know what to wear, but want something inoffensive and light. DKNY Red Delicious, which *smells* delicious on my sister, is just blah and flat on me. Still, I'm sure it will layer with something eventually. Otherwise, it's been oodles of samples and one smallish decant (PoTL's Luctor et Emergo) for me. And I'm having a hard time keeping that one away from my 4 yo, who has decided that it's HER perfume.
Well, I share the newbie excuse with some of you. Eight bottles for me: Velvet Rose, Safran Troublant, Theorema, Kohdo Wood Day AND Night, Etro Dianthus, Eau de Cartier, and Hiris. Plus several several minis, decants, and samples, but I'm with Aparatchik – these don't count. They'd better not!
The scary thing is that my birthday is looming and I've been eying the Ormonde Jayne website, not to mention lusting after the very idea of this new Lyric you're all talking about. So please pray/send positive thoughts for me and my pocketbook.
Thanks for the cleansing experience, Robin!
I count if it's a “real” bottle and not a decant, even if it's cheap. But then, I did consider not counting my Harajuku Lovers since I didn't buy them for the fragrances, so I'm not above “fancy” accounting 🙂
Oh, how sweet that your 4 yr old loves POTL! She has expensive taste — you've got to get her to wear the DKNY 😉
Have mercy!!! You really were bad!
Gifts don't count!! Still, you were plenty bad 😉
There is a fragrance abuse clinic board over at Basenotes, LOL…
I was REALLY good in 2007. I've decided I'm going to average 2007 & 2008 together, LOL…like with taxes, you know? And you're so right on the “would have been groceries” — and pretty soon, with the way prices are going, that will cover most perfumes 🙂
I love the juice more too, in the end…and luckily I don't even count expenditures for samples & decants, LOL…
I not only couldn't answer it, I don't even like thinking about it. So you probably won't see that poll here 😉
LOL!!!!!! Signing up as we speak…OMG, I am so far gone I would likely equate the '12-step' program with meaning limitation of only 12 bottles *giggles*
Oh, all right. I spent $25 instead of $15. Hmph! lol
I'd love to claim credit, but I do think it's genetic. If I give my husband the choice between two scents, without telling him what they are, he invariably chooses the more expensive one. His mother was the artistic black sheep of a noble family, so while he grew up without much money, you'd never guess it by his tastes. I'm still trying to teach them both the concept of “making do”…
I did calculate the expenses on recent perfumes.. I knew it is going to be bad.. Now the result is showing that I spent about 1500 EUR just in the last month!..
I have 2 fine purchases: Tauer L'air du desert marocain and Tauer Vetiver dance :):)
I was unable to find summer work this year, so I was thinking that I did nothing perfume wise but MUA swapping. I was actually feeling kind of, well, virtuous, until I happened to remember that since returning to work this fall I've managed to buy perfume with each paycheck! A back up of Black Cashmere, minis of Bulgari Black and Mauboussin, and two of the new CJ Scents line.
My bottle buying has been pretty restrained this quarter (thank goodness!) I got the L'Artisan spice trio but then sold two of them because what I really wanted was the 15 ml Poivre Piquant. I also got a bottle of Carriere. Otherwise just decants and samples I think.
Great, thanks for the tip! And Azuree wasn't that hard to find, I bought it directly off the Estee Lauder website.
Hello scentsappeal—can you please try and explain what B smells like? It reads like something I should really like, but I can't seem to find any good reviews of it yet I didn't feel like trying to arm-twist a SA over the phone for a sample…….Thanks!
You know, Tama, even if you don't have a lot of funds, there are lots of good ways to get samples. Obviously, there are sympathetic SA – even over the phone, you can usually get 2-3 samples of frags + cosmetics, etc, from Nordstrom at no cost. You can also normally get samples directly from customer service of major cosmetic label websites, like Laura Mercier, etc. Now may be a good time to develop a relationship with a SA. (You may also consider getting a job at a cosmetics counter if you want – I had one a LONG time ago when I was a student Hello Samples! That way you have direct access to the frags, etc.)
Another fun way, is to get a baggie full of small vials (perfumed court sells them), and have a sample party with your friends, family, etc. Everyone brings their bottles, etc. Or, if you have some older lady friends or relatives, you may decide to go for some long overdue visits. Tell them about your new “hobby” and take some vials. You never know who might have some long forgotten bottle of Bandit or Tabac Blond in their closet!
Oh! You went ahead with Vetiver Dance…had you sampled first? Or did you go by reviews and pre-fandom?
(Forgot to mention that I've had a chance to sample…just wondered what your impression was…)
Hello Joe. Where did you find 20ml bottles of Montale?
Thanks, Ann! I am pretty well set for samples right now (more than 100) but you have some good tricks for sure. I always pick up a couple samples when I am near Nordstrom or Sephora – when I am broke I just don't go there. The party idea is fun!
I bought one! Only one – instead of L'Herue Bleue which thrills me every time (but I fell too young?! no, more like not sophisticated enough for it) a (refill only…) Nahéma. So 70 Euro – but I do not know if I bring it back and change it to LHB?! Never buy pefumes on the run…
LOL!
Good luck 😉
Whew…you need the fragrance abuse clinic at Basenotes too, LOL…
See, not regretting them is half the battle, IMHO. Good for you.
Joe, one of the nice things about these quarterly polls is that they make me keep track. Otherwise, I conveniently “forget” half my purchases. You got some great scents, too!
I don't think I'd even heard of Red Verveine…what's it smell like?
Hi bfl: I see 20ml Montales on ebay from time to time and that's where I got mine. I think I saw Crystal Aoud in that size there just this week. Would be nice to see that size more, but I confess that even that size was spendy.
Uh, just slightly, really. Congrats on finding the Barbara Bui!
I saw that listing on e bay. I purchased Black Aoud from TPC in a 20 ml. If they were more readily available in that size, I would prob own the whole line. HA!
I think I am in need of an intervention! My damage this quarter is, wow this is embarassing….11 bottles at $1470! Loads of samples not included in that total. I only regret 2 out of the 11 and those are the 2 new PDE.
Perfumerie Generale Priv Collection L'ombre Fauve
Parfum d'Empire Aziyado and Yuzu Fou
Eau d'Italie Sienne l'Hiver
L'Artisan Aedes de Venustas
Montale Red,Golden, and Black Aoud
Tauer Vetiver Dance
Dior Bois d'Argent
Serge Lutens Cedre
In all honosty, I really enjoy my scents (maybe not my sense) lol, but I just wish they offered smaller bottles of some of these.
Oh, the Lyric doesn't seem very light to me at all. I'd be pretty sure it was your allergies or something. Good luck!
Nope, happily, you don't have to account for samples or decants. I count my minis as 2-for-1, but of course you can count how you want to — there aren't any hard & fast fules.
I think this was the year that I spend the most with fragrances. I've bought around 40 fragrances during the year. The best buys: Gloria Cacharel, Gucci by Gucci pour homme, Bois d'Armenie, Organza Indecence, Dolce & Gabbama By Man, Amen Pure Coffee, Allure Homme Edition Blanche, Egoiste Concentree. Next year i want to give a break, but to me it's getting hard to do it =/ I want to buy just more 2 this year: spiritueuse double vanille and fumerie turque. And maybe, if i find one at a reasonable price, on Chaos.
Ah, I don't sell anything, but it seems like if you sell as much as you buy, you don't have to admit to any purchases at all 😉
They're the complimentary travel bottles Montale sends to you when you buy a 100ml bottle directly from them (writing to their website). you can choose the 20ml of the fragrance you've purchased or another one at your choice. And shipping is for free anywhere.
I know because a few months ago I bought a 100ml bottle of Aoud roses petals at a perfume shop here in Milan after writing to Montale to know their prices and having received no answer in about a week. I “absolutely” had to have that bottle then, I didn't want to wait further, but their price was much lower and I felt really stupid when I received their email about two days after purchasing.
Anyway, no regrets because the juice is wonderful, but I think it's nice to know you can pay less.
Coming in late to say I bought absolutely nothing in 3rd quarter. How sad. I'm in the tail end of my grad program and have no time (thus my lack of comments here, although I try to catch up once a week) and less disposable income. I'm planing on rewarding myself at year end with a slew of decants and samples – I want to try the new Lutens, and some more of the older Guerlains.
Ah, but your birthday (and happy birthday in advance!) will be in the next quarter, so you're starting fresh 🙂 And everyone needs at least one perfume from OJ. If it helps, I liked Lyric, but don't feel the need to own it — you might get lucky and feel the same.
Oana, oh dear, hope you got some really wonderful things!
Hey, but that's not too bad overall!
Thanks for the birthday wishes (I'll be 54 on Tuesday – aack!), and for the reminder that I'm starting with a blank slate – yay!
It does help to know where you stand on Lyric. I still have to sample that one, anyway. I've noticed that our tastes seem to overlap somewhat. Maybe you can help me decide between Ta'if and OJ Woman? Or maybe I'm asking too much! 🙂
The Montale website is not coming up on google. Is it gone or being redone. Or am I just looking for it in the wrong way?
Yep.. I believe I did 🙂
Chanel Coromandel
Jean Patou Joy
Robert PiguetFracas
Tom Ford Oud Wood
Tom Ford Tuscany Leather
EL Tuberose Gardenia
Black Orchid Tom Ford
Gucci by Gucci
Lancome Poeme
Rochas Tocade
Rochas Femme
Rochas Byzance
Rochas Madam Rochas
Rochas Mystere (a little brother to me of RP Bandit :))
YSL Y
YSL Nu
YSL Rive Gauche
Van Cleef & Arpels First
Mochino OH
Paloma Picasso
EL Amber Nude
Elixir des Merveilles Hermes
Cacharel Gloria
Christian Dior Dunne
Lancome Magie Noire…
Some I bought cause I wanted specific and different scents of tuberose, leather, wood, patchouli. Some because I wanted cosy scents as Lancome Poeme or Lancome Magie Noire…
I NEED TO BE MORE REASONABLE.
The worst part is not that I STOPPED wanting now.. after all 🙂
Never mind…I found the link under Perfume Houses…I love this site!
I should be slower to buy too.
I'm not a good person to ask on that pair — I love Ta'if, OJ Woman is not “me” at all.
See above…you aren't even the biggest spender here, LOL…but that is quite a haul. Agree on the smaller bottles, wholeheartedly.
ScentScelf, I sampled it first and loved it immediately and I kept loving it each time I gave it a try.
Vetiver dance is so different from any other fragrance I have tried sofar and it stands out in a very good way, to my nose. then.
There is this deep happiness in Vetiver dance, and it is a very sensual fragrance too.
What was your impression? (I am not good in describing a perfume).
Hey, as long as we're not in some back alley drinkin' the stuff! 😀
Speaking of the new Lutens, I wonder when our blogmistress is going to do reviews of Serge Noire and El Attarine? Hint, hint. I've tried both; love SN, although it's not really for me, and found EA just utterly confounding: like fermented Pez candies and rotten Vitamin C fizzy tablets. Obviously, I need Robin to straighten my nose out on the latter. . .
Sorry for the slow reply & glad you found it already!
HA, with the way the economy is going, some of us may end up that way 😉
Wow, awesome deal you got on the Bonds, congrats!! And weeping over missing the Carthusias…
*faints*
Ta'if, Haunani, no contest. But you know I find Woman too scary!
😀 so glad that I am not the only one sooo nuts 🙂 As for the bottles size I want to start to like 30ml, but usually I go for a 50ml or 100ml.. Chanel Coromandel is a winner cause it comes only in 200ml size 🙂
Nice collection you're building up there!
Are they still selling the Guerlain SDV?
Existentialist, how much longer do you have to go in school?
Kevin is reviewing Serge Noire next week. I think I liked it better than he did, but have only given it 1 quick sniff so far.
I haven't even tried Attarine! The days when I felt the need to smell new niche scents IMMEDIATELY are long gone — with 1000+ new releases a year, I've given up on keeping up, so to speak. I smell what comes my way, you know?
Thanks, you two. I appreciate the responses.I really think Ta'if is more “me”, but Woman is also just gorgeous to my nose. And Woman is more different from anything else I have. However, I think I'd wear Ta'if more often. (Aaaack! I'm showing my Libra stripes here – such indecision!). I'll put on both samples this evening and make a final decision. Yes I will. BTW, there is a base that the two share, I think. There's something very similar in the drydown that I will have to verify during my experiment. P.S. To further complicate things, I also want Champaca.
I know for a fact that Farah wants to sell a partially used bottle of Champaca…she is away this week, though, but it is something to bear in mind for your additional birthday purchases!
Thanks, Vanessa. Perhaps you could give her my e-mail address, and she and I can talk?
A year, unless I decide to go for my Psy D., which I am seriously thinking about. In that case, it could forever. :-0
Done!
Do it, do it! (I say that as a drop out)
Ormonde Jayne 'Ormonde Woman' (expensive but worth it), Balmain 'Ivoire' & 'Jolie Madame' (love the first, 2nd not so much – but they were cheap as chips online), YSL 'Nu' (online discount), EL 'Private Collection' (bought with gift voucher), Rochas 'Femme' (I think I'm going to love this one!) and four samples of Tauer perfumes which I'm still waiting impatiently for. Crumbs. Actually a few more than I reckoned! Oh well…
i bought 3 in this season – jovan musk, alyssa musk oil and un jardin apre la mousson. i've hesitated for months if i shoulod bought UJALM and spent a lot of time searching good deal in *bay. but then i met it on sale at 48euro at a airport duty free shop, it's like 10% off compared to the hong kong price. then i grabbed it and got on my plane back to hongkong 😉
6 bottles this quarter and they are Kenzo Jungle L'Elephant, Vero Profumo's Kiki, Chaos, Coco parfum, Organza Indecence, and PdN Sacrebleu Intense. I'm not keen on the Elephant juice but I don't count it as a regret as it was a 30 ml bottle on the bay and the bottle/box is just fabulous as Kenzo's often are. The Coco parfum was a refill bottle at a French discount place so was a good deal. I adore Kiki and Sacrebleu. Not too bad but I have plans…….
Hello there, and I apologize for the delay in response to your question. I've not been online for a couple days. Boucheron B was an impulse buy for me. I am a fan of the house, and the bottle is what captured me firsthand. It's lovely, as per Boucheron's usual standards. Now you will have to bear with my ignorancy in relation to attempting to describe this. While I am a perfumista at heart, I still lack the vocabulary necessary to properly review a fragrance, but I'll give it a go 🙂 Taking centre stage is a very soft woody floral with a small dash of fruity/spicy acting as behind-the-stage assistants, whose inclusion is helpful to the overall performance, but definitely does not steal the show. It's very soft, and linear, as the scent is true to form (what you initially spray, is what you continue to get from top to basenotes and completed dry down. According to marketing, it is said to contain 20 natural ingredients. The osmanthus shines through nicely on me and the patchouli while definitely 'there', is not of the overbearing variety. The rose absolute does not make a large appearance – on me anyways. Bottom line is…. It's not hugely unique or a holy grail to me by any means, but it's non offensive, and should serve to please many a woody floral lover. Hope this helped, but be sure to sample before you buy 🙂
SIGHS…well I've one more to add to the damage. I do not get along with Chanel No. 5, while I respect her, we don't see eye to eye. My apologies to the lovers out there. I just find the fragrance cold and too classic for my taste, and the aldehydes overbearing. It never worked for me. That changed when I took a whiff of the new Chanel No. 5 Eau Premiere! This is a reworked version of the original which has captured me completely. The coldness of the original is gone. It's as though they have infused the olfactory equivalent of an antidepressant lol. The aldehydes are still there, but toned down considerably. It's a comforting and mood enhancing scent which serves to embrace it's wearer. I would advise any who may respect the original version, but whom like me, have failed to initiate a relationship, to try this version. So now, a 75ml bottle joins many friends on the dresser. It's funny, when I told the SA to give me the 75ml she looks at me and says, “Are you sure??? The 150ml is a better buy for quantity” To which I replied, “That may be so, but with the amount of bottles I currently own, finishing the 75ml will be challenging enough” LOL
Oops, I meant Red Vetivier by Montale. I didn't care for it at first, then it grew on me.
Glad you found a deal!
That really was a great bottle. Wish they'd do more jungle animals…
It's a pretty flanker, although I haven't smelled it this year, and don't understand if it's the same as the version that was briefly at Saks last year.
Aha, that one I've heard of. Haven't tried it though!