Today's triple-extra-lazy snow-day poll is essentially an open thread: ask a question about fragrance. Anything: where to buy something, what's the best iris scent, whatever. Or, tell us what your scent of the day is, or what is the last thing you bought, or the fragrance you want to buy next. Anything you want.
Then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer.
Note: image is simply white by LightSpectral at flickr; some rights reserved.
The comments from this article could not be imported when we moved, so here are all 325 comments, posted in several large chunks:
On February 4, 2009 Katich said:
I have a semi-technical question to start-
Any suggestions for learning to discern notes? I’ve been getting better with practice (“finding” various listed notes) but I still sometimes get overwhelmed with the sum versus the parts of perfumes, if that makes sense.
Oh, and I’m wearing Bulgari Black today- for me it adds an extra layer of warmth as I look forward to our (hopefully) 65 degree weekend…
On February 4, 2009 vanessa said:
Can’t help you much on that one, Katich, except to try to home in on perfumes with a dominant note till you clock what that one is. Though when a perfume is well blended, even if you now know your gardenias from your jasmines in an obvious situation, it can still be hard to tease out subtle notes in a composition. That sorts the expert noses from the amateurs like myself.
My question is: when you are using a decant kit, which I am thinking of investing in, and where your full bottle has a non-removable spray mechanism, do you squirt the juice down some kind of a funnel and does it then drip into the bottle in a fairly well behaved manner?
On February 4, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
Vanessa, see:
http://nowsmellthis.blogharbor.com/blog/_archives/2007/3/29/2750067.html
Katich, these might help:
http://nowsmellthis.blogharbor.com/blog/_archives/2008/7/21/3801813.html
http://nowsmellthis.blogharbor.com/blog/_archives/2008/3/14/3526132.html
On February 4, 2009 Farah said:
Hi V,
I’ve found that it is impossible to get 1ml vials in the UK. If you find a place that sells them, do let me know,
Farahxx
On February 6, 2009 AussieBec said:
go on ebay and search. I have found a chinese supplier that can help you out for a decent price. Look at item number 260355139135
On February 4, 2009 AnnS said:
What I found very helpful when I was first trying to pick out notes (because I had a lot of trouble with some notes as well), was to test two or three fragrances with similar note listings at the same time. For instance, testing Chanel No 19 and Annick Goutal Heure Exquise next to each other brings out a great moment when you can really smell iris and galbanum, which they have similar, and then the vetiver of No 19 and the sandalwood of HE whcih they have different. (You can also throw Givenchy III into this group to notice the wonderful white flowers opening and then the oakmoss dry down)….Another great learning set are Tom Ford White Patchouli, Stella McCartney Stella, and Prada edp. They all have a nice amber/patchouli thing going on. But when you compare them at the same time, you can pick out the different floral notes, musks, resins, etc. Noticing what is the same, and then picking out what is different really helps. Or take two different soliflore fragrances and test them at the same time. You may notice the same major accord for say, honeysuckle, but then very different notes in the dry down. Although there are always fragrances that are so well blended it is challenging for sure.
On February 5, 2009 Katich said:
Thanks so much for the suggestions! I’m going perfume shopping with a friend next week (she’s looking for a spring fragrance) and I think I may pick up some of those suggested samples (I already have most of them) and start to experiment.
I actually live in North Carolina, USA, so my access to raw materials is a bit limited until I have a chance to invest in coming across some. We’ll see if I can rustle up any essential oils.
Thanks again!
On February 6, 2009 AussieBec said:
I just spray it into the bottle by holding the srayer over the neck of the vial or atomiser. I prefer removable tops though as it is way easier to use a pipette but what can you do?
On February 5, 2009 jawhara said:
Katich: I find that a great way to learn to distinguish different notes is to smell out single note essential oils. This will give you a great idea how the raw material smells.
I don’t know where you live, but I really can recommend the Farfalla line available in Europe. They also have shops with scent bars, where you can sniff all their oils. They also have different qualities of many oils, like 5 different rose oils (Moroccan, Bulgarian, Egyptian, Attar, Mairose etc), peppermint vs. Spearmint vs. Arabian mint etc. very educational!
On February 4, 2009 Kelly said:
In the most polite way possible, I want to know if anyone has ever gotten a bad decant, specifically from The Perfumed Court? I ordered a decant of Coco Mlle. EDP and it is very sour and nothing like the dept. store sample I have been using. I either got the EDT or the below zero temps ruined my frag. The rest of my samples have seemed okay. It makes me very apprehensive to order decants from them again. Advice?
On February 4, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
K, I have only ordered from them once & had no problems. Did you email them about it?
On February 4, 2009 Regina said:
I’ve only ever had one tiny thing go wrong at TPC (one vial missing from a large shipment) and they fixed it IMMEDIATELY. Definitely email their customer service. http://theperfumedcourt.com/ContactUs.aspx
On February 4, 2009 Kelly said:
I did email them several weeks ago, but never heard anything back. I read their return policy and figured I was out of luck, i.e. no returns. Maybe I will email them again and see if I get a response this time.
On February 4, 2009 lilydale said:
I think they all went to Paris for a bit but are back now — definitely try e-mailing again!
On February 5, 2009 alotofscents said:
This the same question K. Robin I was ga-ga over Cruel Gardenia sample 5 mils.from Lucky Scent S0 I bought a special 30mls. from Luckyscent again. But instead of smelling like the 1st. sample, it smelled like fungus or a faint hint of mushrooms. Will the real C. G. please stand up? Can your smelling be so wrong? There is nothing in C.G. that is mushroom like and it’s so pricey. I even had to have you cut it out of your posting of me in your Monday Mail and I thought I had found a ringer.
Q. If your ordering samples to find out what something smells like, how so you know what it suppose to smell like?
Ironically the T.F. Black Orchid had no truffle or earthy smell at all.
It smelled pleasant and mild. Dare I buy the large bottle? I have no idea.
Well Joy and thanks,
Becca : ^ (
On February 5, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
I’m confused…Luckyscent doesn’t sell Cruel Gardenia (?)
On February 6, 2009 alotofscents said:
Lord I’m so sorry, I meant The Perfumed Court.
On February 4, 2009 lovethescents said:
Hi Kelly,
A good friend of mine ordered a decant for a friend. When she received it, the juice did not match the name; that is, it was correctly labeled but the fragrance was something else. She contacted the P Court and they resent it but the wrong size. She’s still awaiting rectification…Do email them, though. And good luck!
On February 4, 2009 bklyn fragrance lover said:
I order from them often. Only a minor problem ONCE…mislabeled vials. I just changed them myself. No biggie really.
On February 4, 2009 AnnS said:
The only thing that ever happened to me regarding TPC was that the sample of Chanel No 19 edt that I received from them was very definitely the older version b/c it had the sharp vetivery leather dry down. At about the same time I’d bought a bottle of No 19 without knowing at the time it was reformulated. At first I thought the No 19 sample from TPC was bad, then I realized it was just the older leathery version. It worked out to my benefit in that capacity b/c now I know what they both smell like. And I actually perfer the reformulated version anyway.
On February 4, 2009 joe805 said:
I’ve ordered from them many times and have always been happy with them. I hope you get some good customer service about your possibly sour decant, because I think they are all great ladies.
On February 5, 2009 vanessa said:
I have ordered literally squillions of samples from TPC in the past year and they have made all the mistakes mentioned, but they do rectify them with a good grace, usually:
A few vials have been underfilled: 0.5 ml instead of 1 ml, and once I got a 1.5ml level in a 5ml spray! Then the replacement sent was the wrong perfume (!), and I am still waiting on the correct one. 0.7ml instead of 1ml they are reluctant to consider an underfill. Have had a few of those, but I guess it is less of a deal.
I have also had a 1 ml sent instead of a 5ml. I got to keep the 1ml and they sent the 5ml afterwards.
An old discontinued Champagne de Bois vial (SSS). The perfumer herself told me I had the wrong thing – it was very sharp.
But these must represent a few percent of all the samples I have bought, so I would use them again.
On February 4, 2009 Dusan said:
Scent-wise, I’m going commando today in protest at our lousy postal service. The thing is, a long-awaited sample of the DIVINE Manoumalia arrived in the mail two days ago. Cracked to pieces. So I’m kinda (ab)using this thread to vent my frustration. Sigh.
Have you tried it, R? Can we expect a review anytime soon?
Hugs!
On February 4, 2009 dawnkana said:
OMG! I can’t believe your long awaited Manoumalia sample arrived shattered. As soon as I sampled this one, I bought a bottle from LuckyScent. My favorite scent by far right now. The perfect combo of tropical flowers and earth. Manoumalia is instant transport to the South Sea Islands. I just love it. Hurry and get another sample!!!
~Dawn
… I ordered the Maomoulia and was expecting it in January…still hasn’t arrived…what would be worse; to never see it, or to have it finally show up shattered?
On February 4, 2009 Dusan said:
Oh it’s beautiful, isn’t it? The accompanying note that has soaked up the entire content of the vial now perfumes my room. I’m definitely getting another sample.
On February 5, 2009 ScentScelf said:
Oh, sob …
You guys really are finding it all that, eh?
On February 4, 2009 Gstelz said:
Dusan, I had a close encounter yesterday. The USPS office said they didn’t have my package – that they’d left it and someone signed. News to me! I went home to search the property: nothing. Went back to the post office and they found my package of Satellite A La Figue! under a pile. The box was desecrated. It looked as though a truck ran over it several times and then threw it in the ocean for a couple of days.
LUCKILY the thing was bubble wrapped up the wazzoo and my bottle was safe. Close enough call to make me think twice about going USPS ever again. UPS is amazing and I’ll stick with them.
Sorry your story didn’t turn out so well
On February 4, 2009 Dusan said:
Gstelz, thank god your bottle was safe and sound after all! I feel better knowing mine was only a sample.
Enjoy your Satellite A La Figue!
On February 4, 2009 SFLizbeth said:
God, I hate those close calls. I’ve received boxes that clink/tinkle upon picking them up. It is no fun at all. Enjoy your Figue!
On February 6, 2009 AussieBec said:
Oh, don’t get me started on the postal system! My idiot posties leaves parcels on the doorstep to be stolen, frequently delivers to the wrong street (lucky they are honest and bring parcels back to me) and have delivered numerous parcels that look like they have been stomped on. One was labelled fragile but was seriously crushed. The contents were thankfully safe. The other day, a registered parcel got delivered when I was not home so they leave a note and you have to collect from the post office. This is ok except for the fact that the postie took the parcel not to my nearest post office but one that was about a 20 minute drive away.
On February 4, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
Dusan, I’m soooo sorry! I’m terribly behind & barely finishing reviews — have only tried it once so not sure when I’ll get to it. Have a feeling that it’s lovely but not me, but hate to say that based on only one try, you know?
On February 4, 2009 Haunani said:
What a shame about your sample! Mine hasn’t come yet, and now I’m nervous. I have high hopes for the fragrance!
On February 4, 2009 Tama said:
My Silver Factory came as Union Square once and broken the next time. The place I got it (Fragrances & More) was really nice about re-shipping – I offered to pay but they refused. So make sure you get in touch with wherever you got it – they might replace it for you.
On February 4, 2009 quinncreative said:
I’m still waiting for my sample which was supposed to arrive around January 15. I ordered a sample from LuckyScent and love it in the bottle, but on my skin the musk blooms huge. I’m not a musk fan, but out of the bottle. . . . ahhhhhhh.
On February 4, 2009 datura5750 said:
Due to an unfortunate Marie Antoinette obsession I have become enamored with Francis Kurkdjian’s Le Sillage de la Reine, does anyone know of a similar perfume that is available/affordable?
Wearing 4711 (grandmothers bottle circa 1967) layered over Kiehl’s musk, I did this before I read todays blog entry, weird.
On February 4, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
I am interested to hear an answer to that too!
On February 4, 2009 maggiecat said:
My (otherwise nearly perfect) SO dislikes perfume, although he puts up with my obsession. I try to wear quiet, skin scents around him – i.e. today’s choice of Sage Machdo’s Pearl. I like sandalwood and the softer musks, as well as vanilla and citrus scents, and he seems to tolerate these fairly well. Any ideas/recommendations? For scents, that is. In terms of the relationship, this guy’s a keeper, so no advice needed there!
On February 4, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
Sage Machado Pearl sounds like a great choice. Am thinking perfume oil would also be better than alcohol-based, or maybe solids — they tend to have little sillage. Maybe a solid in Pacifica Sandalwood? As much citrus as wood though. Or one of the more vanilla-ish Crazystick things?
On February 4, 2009 Regina said:
Have you tried SJP Lovely? It’s very nice but very much a skin scent in my opinion, Maybe even enough to convince your keeper that you just smell awesome naturally, mwahaha.
On February 5, 2009 Fuddy Duddy 101 said:
I tried SJP’s Lovely and I very much wanted to like it b/c the price is very good, but unfortunately it does not agree with my body chemistry. It smells like an old fashioned hair dresser’s perm solution on me ~ sigh.
On February 4, 2009 joe805 said:
Hmm, off the top of my head I’d recommend Malle’s Dans tes Bras (beautiful skin scent with light violet) and maybe Ava Luxe’s Milk.
On February 4, 2009 ahtx said:
Maggiecat, most of my friends were sure they disliked perfume–downright disapproved of it–when my obsession first began. I tackled the problem with a full on charm offensive. I interviewed them about the kinds of smells they liked/disliked, previous experiences with perfume, and so on, and then I got them to sit down for a little sniffing session. You may have to be a little more…surreptitious…but I say the best defense is a good offense! The first time he sniffs something that makes his eyes roll back in his head, or that makes him break out in a grin, you’re on the road to conversion.
On February 4, 2009 Haunani said:
A couple of light & soft musk-based fragrances that I like are Sonoma Scent Studio’s Opal and Montale’s White Musk.
On February 5, 2009 AnnS said:
Maggiecat – I had a similar problem with my husband with some newer fragrances, especially as I was getting into white florals and aldehydes. I noticed that a lot of times he just didn’t like the change b/c I smelled different than he expected. What I also noticed was that my husband normally dislikes the opening of fragrances, especially white florals. I try and apply when he is not in the immediate vicinity. Also on several occasions he’s commented he didn’t care for something, and then another time I’m wearing the same and he says he likes it. Don’t give up yet! I suggest not always telling him when you are trying something new and then allowing him to get comfortable with a new scent, maybe well into the dry down, at a time he’s feeling very “friendly”.
On February 5, 2009 Daisy said:
My hubby is the same! Never responds positively to any “new” scent—especially the topnotes. I think it has something to do with an aversion to change. If I ask an opinion the first time I wear something it will always be negative but wait a few days and suddenly I’ll get a spontaneous “that smells good.” (that’s about as technical as it’ll get) Have patience.
On February 5, 2009 Robin said:
Sonoma Scent Studio’s Opal is a beautifully understated musky ambrette that just sinks into a girl’s own chemistry so softly and deeply, it’s almost like a second skin. You can find it online on the SSS website.
Chunk #2:
On February 4, 2009 sarahn said:
Luca and Tania’s book, The Guide, has reviews for two Parfums d’Empire fragrances I’ve never heard of: Inhale and Exhale. Has anyone heard anything about these?
On February 4, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
They have acknowledged that mistake — those are by B Never Too Busy 2 Be Beautiful.
On February 4, 2009 jasmine said:
Well Robin,I am on a “powder” kick so if there is something really worthwhile out there,please let me know.
I have Habanita which I love!
On February 4, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
I’m not a huge powder fan so hope others will chime in! If you’re seriously into powder, you should try Lorenzo Villoresi Teinte de Neige & Keiko Mecheri Loukoum.
On February 4, 2009 AnnS said:
Hello Jasmine – I went through a major aldehyde powder thing during the fall and winter. Here is what I found that really merits trying:
Fragonard Grain de Soleil – a rose jasmine powder frag that has a wonderful rice pudding dry down.
Montale’s Powder Flowers – I think it smells like heaven, but my husband thinks is smells weird. It may be helional (sp?). To me it smells like a warmer, richer version of Chanel No 5, a woodsier, wee bit of incense version of Tient de Niege. It has a wonderful sophistication and a comfort thing going on as well. It lasts forever.
Chanel No 5 eau Premier has a sunny powder component.
Givenchy L’Interdit (Les Mythiques) is powdery and light – very classy and wearable.
Van Cleef & Arpel “First” – classy traditional French aldehyde that is powdery b/c of aldehydes.
Annick Goutal Heure Exquise which is a gorgeous rose/iris/sandalwood. The dry down is profoundly beautiful, bone dry sandalwood powdery goodness.
On February 5, 2009 Robin said:
For a powdery oudh, do try Montale White Aoud; for a unique, not-too-sweet powdery-creamy thing, you might want to track down Parfumerie Generale’s Louanges. And — more love for SSS — Laurie’s brand new Lieu de Reves is in the LV TdN family, but without so much powdery vanillin; it’s a really soft, pretty, lightly powdery blend of orris, heliotrope, sandalwood, rose and violet. (I’m going nuts over SSS lately!)
On February 5, 2009 SFLizbeth said:
I’ve tried her new one too, it’s lovely! I’d never experienced a lot of violet until I tried her scents.
On February 5, 2009 Robin said:
SFLiz, I love Laurie’s violets! And her roses. And her woods. And everything else she does. We perfumistas are lucky to have her.
On February 5, 2009 AnnS said:
Lieu de Reves is very pretty. It smells like a very rusticated version of Apres L’Ondee. It is lovely, and very powdery, but not like baby powder. More like violets, creamy heliotrope and an earthy spring component that combine for a very natural smelling floral.
On February 5, 2009 Robin said:
YES!!!!
On February 5, 2009 Haunani said:
Oh boy!!!
On February 4, 2009 OperaFan said:
Along the line of First is Guerlain’s Chamade, which (for me) starts out with a similar rich aldehyde floral, then tones down to a really pretty powdery drydown. No one will accuse you of wearing baby powder for this one! Both I consider really classic and classy fragrances.
On February 4, 2009 AnnS said:
How could I have forgotten Chamade! Chamade is one of my favorites too, and it is a very beautiful amazing powder. One of the most sophisticated fragrances ever. *Sigh* OperaFan is right – no one will think you just walked out of the nursery!
On February 4, 2009 lilydale said:
Not sure if it’s still available, but L’Artisan’s Orchidee Blanche is (was?) a gorgeous powdery scent.
On February 4, 2009 AnnS said:
Orchidee Blanche is absolutely gorgeous creamy powder. Sadly it is discontinued, and can only be found at decanters or if you are lucky!
Also along these lines is the Frederic Malle Iris Poudre. t is a stunning, cool, powdery fragrance that is supremely sophisticated.
On February 4, 2009 lilydale said:
Another one gone with the wind, sigh! I’m ashamed to say that I have no idea where my perfume collection of 20 years ago went; I have fantasies of one day unearthing it in one of the ancient boxes in my father’s attic. Until then I’ll be here, kicking myself.
On February 4, 2009 AnnS said:
That is so sad – Orchidee Blanche would have been a total FB for me – so beautiful – but I just decided it wasn’t worth all the work & expense to track it down. I am satisfied with my large decant. Why do they discontinue such beautiful fragrances?
On February 4, 2009 damselfly1213 said:
You could try Le Dix – it has aldehydes, violet, leather, and powder.
On February 5, 2009 vanessa said:
Le Dix is spectacular!
On February 4, 2009 GuerlainGirl said:
I have a long-standing love affair with Paco Rabanne’s Calandre which is a powdery green. We sleep together regularly.
On February 4, 2009 Daisy said:
I am so glad to hear that I am not the only one to apply perfume before bed—even if the hubby is already sleeping soundly and the only ones to appreciate me smelling wonderful are me and the cat! I’m not so sure the cat really appreciates perfume but she tolerates it and I tolerate her purring right next to my head so we’re even.
On February 5, 2009 SFLizbeth said:
Nope, there are others. Hubby loves it when I do that. Although our kitten doesn’t care for PC Tuberose Gardenia, he loves Chanel No5.
Good taste, that kitty….
On February 6, 2009 AussieBec said:
Try Palazzo by Fendi. Very powdery.
On February 4, 2009 Petronella said:
Hello all, greetings from iced over Stockholm, Sweden. One of the things getting me through the darkness and freeziness is my favourite holiday tea – black tea with saffron, orange peel, pink pepper and chili. Now I would like to ask the fabulous NST community for a perfume suggestion following the same notes pretty please :).
On February 4, 2009 Katich said:
Shoot, I’ll just take the recipe for the tea! That sounds amazing!
I’ll be interested in what scents people suggest as well…black tea is one of my favorite notes.
On February 4, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
Me too — I want that tea, it sounds great!
On February 4, 2009 Regina said:
CB I Hate Perfume Russian Caravan Tea is a wonderful black tea with citrus. Like most of the CBIHP it’s fairly photorealistic – this is a bracing black tea with not a drop of milk!
On February 4, 2009 AnnS said:
Have you tried Mandragore by Annick Goutal? It has a peppery tea accord that is very pretty.
On February 4, 2009 bergere said:
Mediterraneo by Carthusia smells like lemon ice tea with an herbal swizzle stick–very refreshing on a hot day. Borsari Te verde might be nice layered with something spicy–it’s a nice strong tea soliflore (or, it would be a soliflore if tea were a flower–although I suppose it sort of is).
On February 4, 2009 dawnkana said:
My favorite tea dominant perfume is: Un The Au Sahara. It is the most beautiful tea perfume I have tried.
Here’s the info from http://www.luckyscent.com
Un The Au Sahara
Eau de Toilete
by Stephanie de Saint-Aignan
The Scoop
Inspired by Paul Bowles’ novel “The Sheltering Sky”, Un The Au Sahara, is a tribute to love in Sahara desert. The understated, elegant exoticism of the blend centered around a sumptuous green tea note will delight lovers of tea perfumes. The piquant freshness of the opening notes of tea and mint smoothly transforms into the darker luxuriousness of woods and patchouli that lie in the heart of Un The Au Sahara. The spicy amber accord in the base is that desert sky that “hides the night behind it”…The soulful, soft and deep composition moves us to “reach out, pierce the fine fabric of the sheltering sky, take repose.”
Un The Au Sahara Notes
Green tea and mint bouquet, precious woods, patchouly, amber, spices
On February 4, 2009 Regina said:
Oh my goodness, I have been WAITING for this thread! And now I can hardly remember all the questions I am always wanting to ask. One big question is what is the best way to apply perfume from a non-spray sample vial? How do you all do it?
On February 4, 2009 lovethescents said:
I dab carefully on pulse points. Never rub as it destroys the molecules…learned that right here on NST!
On February 4, 2009 Regina said:
Dab with what, though? I have been upending the bottle onto myself. Or fingers or Qtips (but I dread losing some of the sample to the cotton!)
On February 4, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
I just wash my hands & use my fingers. I wouldn’t mess w/ cotton, you’re certain to waste some of the juice.
On February 4, 2009 Tama said:
I totally upend it on myself – or side-end would be more accurate. Just dump it on there! You almost never get as much as you would with a spray. I upend a couple times on my wrist, dab that wrist against the other one, then drag it on my decolletage. I consider any other method wasteful!
On February 4, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
Not from me — I don’t buy that “crush the molecules” thing. All it does is possibly make the top notes evaporate more quickly. I rub if I feel like it
On February 4, 2009 AnnS said:
I rub if I’m not crazy about top notes. It seems to speed development along.
On February 4, 2009 lovethescents said:
Oh, thanks for the clarification…I wonder wear I read that??? I remember now! On the Perfume Shoppe website! I know nothing about the chemical composition of perfumes so rubbing molecules sounded like it could affect the aroma. I’ll start rubbing again
On February 4, 2009 Daisy said:
okay here’s the chemistry for the day. Go ahead and rub your wrists together. You can’t “crush” molecules because the electrons on the atoms are negatively charged and they repel other atoms. So any time you think things are rubbing there is always an electron cloud preventing molecules from actually touching each other. so there! (rub, rub, rub,,,)
On February 5, 2009 ScentScelf said:
Yeah, Daisy…thank you! That always amuses me, when I hear/read “crush the molecules.”
We have this crazy underground accelerator thing on a few acres that tries to smash atoms…but that is a MIGHTY big wrist, LOL…
On February 5, 2009 Daisy said:
(snickering) yeah, crushing perfume molecules today….taking over the world tomorrow!!!
However, I agree that rubbing your wrists together does seem to move-the-notes-along, so to speak. I suspect because you are spreading them, exposing more surface area and allowing the alcohols to evaporate more quickly…..I hope this isn’t crushing the msyterious quality to fragrance….
On February 4, 2009 joe805 said:
This is funny… using the little “wand” thing that’s attached to the stopper takes too long.
What I do is press the open end of the vial firmly against my skin (making a seal) then invert the vial so the liquid is in contact with my skin, drag the vial along and eventually remove the vial carefully so the whole thing doesn’t spill out on me. I guess there’s an art to it.
I know some people don’t like their skin to contact the rest of the perfume in the vial and “contaminate” it with skin oils, but I can’t be bothered. Occasionally I just use my finger against the opening of the vial and then transfer to my neck or behind the ear or whatever. I also have no fear of rubbing… I think that’s a myth.
On February 4, 2009 lilydale said:
Somewhere I read that the best way is to take a coffee stirrer, dip it in the vial and plug the other end with your finger to get a drop or two, then apply it to your skin. This method is WAY too involved for me, but I guess it’s great if you want to prevent contamination (and have a ready supply of coffee stirrers).
On February 4, 2009 joe805 said:
That’s good too — I keep meaning to steal a bunch of those “mini straws” next time I’m in a cafe that has them. Also, some of us consider them “swizzle sticks” for cocktails instead of “coffee stirrers”… depends where your priorities are. LOL.
On February 4, 2009 lilydale said:
Priorities here definitely lie with the former! Just don’t try to apply perfume with those little umbrellas, though…
On February 4, 2009 lovethescents said:
I am very curious about 2 scents which are outrageously expensive:
Puredistance
Sali Oguri Persiphone
What are your opinions on them?
Also, does anyone know where I might find Vivacites de Bach by Bach?
Finally, does anyone know if Comme des Garcons distributes in Montreal?
I started off my day at 5 am and put on AG’s Le Chevrefeuille. Now in the late afternoon, I’m pining for a Cuban beach so just put on Deseo.
On February 4, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
Puredistance is really pretty, but what you’re paying for (and I think they don’t really pretend otherwise) is the bottle. I liked my sample but didn’t fall in love w/ the scent. Persephone isn’t that expensive, is it???
I don’t know where to buy Bach in the US now. Not sure it’s here.
On February 4, 2009 lovethescents said:
Thank you so much for the feedback. I’ll leave Puredistance alone for now. I’ve been trying to swap for a sample but no one has it. Oh well….As for the Persephone, I can’t locate it anywhere on the net, except for at the PCourt where the oil (which is all they have) runs for 10.99 for .5 ml!
Thank you for the info about Bach…oh well to that one too!
On February 4, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
You can buy Persephone here, although it does turn out to be expensive:
http://www.salioguri.com/user
On February 4, 2009 lovethescents said:
Thank you so much for seeking out that information, yet again! It is sooooo pricey. Now how fair is that?
Thanks again
On February 4, 2009 Kayliana said:
I found that one very beautiful. Fruity, chocolate, then all about the sandlewood. If you like woody scents you should like it. I was in love for the first 10 minutes…then turned too masculine for me. I like sweet and warm just to clarify. Hope this helps!
On February 5, 2009 lovethescents said:
Thanks for taking the time to explain. It sounds so intriguing but I refuse to buy a FB unsniffed and the sample price is so outrageous. I’m still hoping to swap for it.
Chunk #3:
On February 4, 2009 krokodilgena said:
I got samples of Paestum Rose and the L’Artisan/Aedes de Venustas, and I’ve already tried Kyoto and Avignon. Which are all by Bertrand Duchaufour, who everyone loves. And everyone loves these scents.
Am I seriously the only one getting Necco Wafers?
I feel like a freak!!!
On February 4, 2009 AnnS said:
I only got meh – men’s style frag from Paestum Rose and was very disappointed since I’m such a rose lover. You have my sympathy, but no explanations….I didn’t pursue the others.
On February 4, 2009 joe805 said:
Necco wafers is interesting — I thought those were kind of fruity and chalky? Aedes & Avignon to me are all about churchy incense — I find both similar. Not sure if you’ve explored many incense scents — I don’t know how to describe other than incense. I’m thinking Frankincense to be exact. It’s been awhile since I’ve smelled Kyoto, but that’s a Japanese style incense with a hint of coffee. I personally love incense scents, but if you get Necco, that’s ok! Keep trying them or move on to something you enjoy better.
On February 4, 2009 krokodilgena said:
Avignon and Kyoto are the only ones from the Incense series that I don’t like. I have the Incense accord oil from CB I Hate Perfume and I like that.
I haven’t tried anything else that is supposed to be churchy incense and I don’t go to a church that lights incense. My family hosts Japanese exchange students regularly and they always bring us incense but none of them have been like necco wafers and pinesol.
On February 4, 2009 mals86 said:
Necco wafers are chalky, all right, but licorice-flavored, not fruit. Possibly there’s some anise in the juice?
On February 4, 2009 Tama said:
Only the black ones are licorice – they are different spice flavors – clove, wintergreen, peppermint, chocolate, etc. And one that tastes like orange. Same flavors basically as spice drops. I could totally go for Necco – doesn’t Demeter make one? My cousin and I used to get those and smash them up in a cup so they’d last a longer time – we only got one candy a week. I still love them.
On February 4, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
Yes, Demeter made a whole Necco collection! Mostly fruity stuff.
On February 5, 2009 SFLizbeth said:
Oh, love Necco wafers. But can’t co-mingle flavors…
On February 5, 2009 mals86 said:
They ALL taste like licorice to me. Of course, I haven’t had one for, oh, ten years or so (one year somebody was giving them out on Halloween, and my daughter turned up her nose at them).
On February 5, 2009 krokodilgena said:
I’m referring the chalkiness. Actually, I haven’t had Necco wafers in a long time so maybe my comparison isn’t very accurate.
I guess I should have said “sweet chalk” but I didn’t think of that before.
On February 5, 2009 vanessa said:
Speaking of incense, would like to know if anyone out there finds Damien Bash Lucifer No 3 as totally swoonworthy as me.
And whether anyone else owns a bottle of Roja Dove’s Scandal (only EDP, mind)? Per ml, it actually works out 50% cheaper than Bvlgari Jasmin Noir, would you believe, or the prices Jasmin Noir was fetching when it first came out, say! The be-tasselled purple velvet bag on its little black podium is hard to beat for sheer OTT opulence!
On February 4, 2009 Haunani said:
Necco wafers! That’s fascinating. My SotD just happens to be Kyoto and I don’t get that at all. I think it’s a very beautiful incense fragrance, and a bottle is on my wish list.
Speaking of chalky candy, though, I think that Perfumerie Generale’s Iris Taizo smells exactly like crumbled Choward’s violet candies. I like it a lot!
On February 4, 2009 occhineri said:
I’m wearing Iris Taizo right now for the first time and was just thinking it smelled like violet candy–right before I read your comment! I like it, too, but my favorite violet fragrance is Bois de Violette. So lovely.
On February 5, 2009 Haunani said:
Oh good, Occhineri! Glad I’m not crazy. I really like Iris Taizo, though my favorite iris so far is Bois d’Iris. I’m not crazy about Bois de Violette because the woodiness is very harsh to my nose. And I like woods! Something I read makes me wonder if it’s the chemical called Iso E Super. Would love to hear any insight that any of you have on that! For a woody violet, I prefer Keiko Mecheri’s Genie des Bois or Sonoma Scent Studio’s Wood Violet.
On February 5, 2009 joe805 said:
Funny, H… we must have very similar tastes: Bois d’Iris is one of my absolute favorite scents.
On February 5, 2009 Haunani said:
I’ve noticed that too, Joe. I read your comments avidly, because we do share some favorites! Bois d’Iris is “just right”, IMO.
On February 6, 2009 AussieBec said:
If you want to know what IsoE super smells like smell Escential Molecules 01. This is almost pure IsoE super.
On February 5, 2009 krokodilgena said:
I know, everyone else is getting a beautiful incense fragrance. I have some kind of freakish skin chemistry that turns it into necco wafers.
On February 5, 2009 bklyn fragrance lover said:
Necco Wafers??!!??? I was like, what the heck are they all talking about, so I googled…OHHHHHHHHH….those things! While I was reading, I was picturing Nilla Wafers in my mind. HA! I don’t get NECCO WAFERS from the scents you mentioned though. And you are not a freak! For the longest time, I thought I was the ONLY one who got a celery note from Dzhongka which BTW really turned me off. After months of reading NST I found out that I WASN”T the only one. I’m a big incense lover, but find the CDG’s unwearable in public, though I LOVE the candles! Now Paestum and L’artisan AdV I find to DIE FOR! THere…my 2 cents.
On February 4, 2009 AnnS said:
What a great poll! Here is my question/problem. I understand the classic chypre, but the modern oakmoss free chypre has me stumped. I’m thinking the modern chypre is something that just has a dry non-sweet leatheryish vetivery base. But that isn’t helping me find interesting frags to try. Please help. Aside from Chanel 31 Rue Cambon, please let me know what you all think are modern Chypres and WHY….
On February 4, 2009 lovethescents said:
What an excellent questions. I have trouble understanding chypres altogether.
On February 4, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
First off, I think the “modern chypre” thing is incomprehensible to begin with…and don’t understand why the industry wants to use it since most consumers don’t know what a “real” chypre is anyway. That said, agree with your take (dry, non-sweet leatheryish) and would add Gucci by Gucci as an example.
On February 4, 2009 AnnS said:
Glad to know I’m in good company. I’m getting the feeling that these days it’s just tossed around to mean “not sweet.” I’ll have to revisit my Gucci sample….I’d bought a sample of Montale’s Chypre Fruite, which was nice, but really just smelled a little oriental-masculine to me. Very confusing.
On February 4, 2009 SFLizbeth said:
Does anyone remember Gucci III? That was a nice scent, and I think, a Mossy-Chypre?
On February 4, 2009 Tama said:
Frederic Malle has an interesting take on this in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wu28o405fCA
He has simplified things quite a bit for his line.
On February 4, 2009 AnnS said:
Tama – thanks for the YouTube tip – I really enjoyed watching the video. He really said “chypre” with quite a bit of disdain! lol.
On February 4, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
Forgot that video, thanks!
On February 5, 2009 OperaFan said:
I don’t know how extensively this topic was addressed in the past, but when did the switch from the classic chypre to the new synthetics begin? Those of us who have no allergy issues may want to hunt down the older versions and this may give us some reference to locating versions closer to the originals.
On February 5, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
I don’t think there’s a hard & fast date, but this will help you w/ the history of oakmoss regulation:
http://naturalperfumersguild.blogspot.com/2008/08/natural-perfumers-guild-member.html
On February 6, 2009 OperaFan said:
Thanks Robin!
On February 4, 2009 violetnoir said:
Wow! This is a great idea, R. Hugs!
Question: Does anyone know when Hermes Vanille Galante and AG Un Matin d’Orage will debut in the US? I am longing to test them both. Since I possess not an ounce of patience when it comes to perfume (excuse the pun…ounce…perfume…so lame!), I just had to ask in an attempt to assuage my impatience.
Wearing No. 18 today with a dab on the hand of my Manoumalia sample, which was given to me by a wonderful friend.
On February 4, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
R! I will be NO help, as I’m trying to ignore them both to prevent myself from ordering unsniffed, LOL…I do remember there was a post about VG this morning on MUA from someone who had called their local Hermes. That’s all I know!
On February 4, 2009 giveitomespicey said:
I was in Hermes this weekend and the guy told me it would be the end of February.
On February 5, 2009 SFLizbeth said:
speaking of Hermes, has anyone noticed Hiris is gone from the web? Has anyone seen it in the boutique?
On February 5, 2009 Daisy said:
I’ve noticed that a number of webstores seem to be “out of stock” with the Hiris —try Beautyencounter.com last I knew they still had it in available, and at a decent price too.
On February 5, 2009 SFLizbeth said:
Thanks! I emailed Hermes, and “we’re not carrying it on the web” was the reply….
They didn’t say they discontinuing it, which was my original question…..
On February 5, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
Oh dear! Last time it disappeared from their website they said they were just out of stock, and eventually it was back. But this sounds ominous.
On February 6, 2009 SFLizbeth said:
I know, very troublesome…. and I hate non-answer replies too. Have to take a trip to the Hermes boutique in Sf to check things out.
On February 4, 2009 joe805 said:
Scent of the Day: Noir Epices. I am SO happy I discovered this scent a couple months ago!
Also: My Avignon is shipping today. Happy.
Questions:
1. Where can I get a tiny vial of vintage L’Heure Bleue? I need to see what the “actual oakmoss” fuss is about. TPC doesn’t have it. Anyone?
2. I’m considering 5ml decants of Felanilla & Spiritueuse Double Vanille, unsniffed? Good calls, yes? I’ve finally “gotten” vanilla (also, I’m not getting the Felanilla for vanilla, but for the green jasmine).
3. Robin: What’s your target date for the WordPress rollout?
On February 4, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
1. I don’t know!
2. Yes to both!
3. Hopefully in about 2 weeks
On February 4, 2009 Rappleyea said:
Hi Joe!
I can’t help you with the L’Heure Bleue issue , but I can tell you that Double Vanille has become my very favorite winter scent. I ordered a sample fall before last just to see what the vanilla fuss was about and fell in love. I bought a bottle and literally have to make myself wear other scents in the winter.
On February 4, 2009 bklyn fragrance lover said:
I am going to have to revisit Noir Epices thanks to you Joe. You’ve been oohing and ahhing over this one since the holidays. Please let us know your take on the Felanilla and SDV…I’ve been interested in those myself.
On February 4, 2009 Haunani said:
Ditto. I’m even more curious about Felanilla now that you mention “green jasmine”, Joe!
On February 5, 2009 joe805 said:
Woops! Can’t believe someone didn’t catch me on this — Felanilla is the saffron/hay/banana/vanilla one — Drama Nuui is the “green jasmine” one that was launched at the same time. Of course I haven’t sampled either. Sorry. I’m glad I caught myself before buying unsniffed and then going, “where the *(&#@ is the jasmine?!”
On February 5, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
LOL — you’re expecting me to be awake, are you? I didn’t even notice. I liked Drama Nuii but not as much as Felanilla. Marina over at Perfume Smelling Things did a nice review…
On February 5, 2009 Haunani said:
So no green jasmine, huh? That DID sound strange, I guess! I will check out that review, Robin, thanks. Do want to try Felanilla.
On February 5, 2009 vanessa said:
I would have caught you out if I had logged on sooner?! : – )
On February 4, 2009 Daisy said:
I don’t know about vintage –but the perfumed court has samples of L’Heure Bleu…they may be able to direct you to a vintage source. I’ve ordered from them and been quite pleased although I’ve just read a couple less than happy comments here tonite.
On February 4, 2009 Daisy said:
oh, I guess TPC is the perfumed court….hmmm, getting late, reading tons of posts, apparently not focusing the best! sorry.
On February 4, 2009 Momlady said:
Help,help,help. What is that note? It seems that so many scents have it and I’d really like to know what it is. ( I say this b/c it smells absolutely horrific on me) I first noticed it with Dune when it first came out back in the dark ages and have been encountering it ever since. For instance I just got 5 much anticipated samples of various Ormonde Jayne scents. And there it was again. ( Got Woman, Champaca, Man, Tolu and Orris Noir…I noticed it on all but Man and Orris Noir.) Must scrub!!! Something awful happens in the drydown (on my skin) of so many otherwise lovely perfumes..drives my crazy (okay, it’s a short trip..more like put it in neutral and let her roll backwards….but still!). Can anyone out there tell me what this ingredient/note is? BTW the Tolu…smelled like babypowder to the 10th power til the drydown when it went completely off. Thoughts?
On February 4, 2009 AnnS said:
Can you describe how it smells bad?
Many people find helionol not so good. It can smell tinny, metallic, antisceptic…
Sometimes different synthetic musks can smell like sour cardboard….
On February 4, 2009 Momlady said:
It’s a warm almost-vanilla(would that be the faux musk?)…with this hint of..vomit. The weird thing is it’s not exactly sour but it’s certainly not sweet either…though you almost expect it to be. And it radiates…in fact I think it ends up getting stronger a while into the drydown.
On February 5, 2009 krokodilgena said:
someone said iso e super… I think that is what Molecule 2 by Escentric Molecules is basically supposed to be.
I just got a sample of that and I thought it was kind of sour and vomit-ish.
On February 4, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
Hmmm. Guessing it’s a synthetic musk, or hedione, or iso e super. But don’t know the chemical makeup of all of those scents so can’t be sure.
On February 4, 2009 Momlady said:
Whatever it is, I guess I’ll just have to call it the evil fragrance molecule for now, it has rendered many wonderful (on other people)fragrances off limits for me. I seem to magnify the worst aspects of it. So sad! : { Wish it came with a warning label…this parfum contains….: P….and may cause gagging in some people.
On February 4, 2009 AnnS said:
Momlady – you may just try sampling some of the fragrance line from Sonoma Scent Studio. The perfumer, Laurie Erickson, had corresponded to me about certain bases and musks at one time. There are a few that she has trouble with as well, so I’m sure she doesn’t use those in her own fragrances. I can’t remember which sample it was that I sent her from my own collection. It’s a fragrance I like very much, but she indicated it had this base that she can’t stand and gives her a headache.
On February 5, 2009 Momlady said:
Thanks, I’ll check it out. I end up in Men’s Fragrance more often than not because of the evil mystery molecule..problem there is the other bane of my ‘smellin good’ existence…the whatever it is in men’s stuff that turns to sour sweat and Axe on my skin…or what I like to call the ‘Irish Spring Effect’. lol
On February 4, 2009 mals86 said:
Am now desperately in love with Chanel Bois des Iles… I know TPC has large decants, but if I were to save up my “egg money,” where, oh WHERE would I find a bottle to purchase on my own? Is it one of those that you can only buy in person in the Paris boutique? Cannot find it anywhere online, even at the Chanel site.
On February 4, 2009 lovethescents said:
If you don’t want to buy a decant of it or organize a split with someone, you must go to a Chanel boutique. This means the shop where they sell their clothing, shoes and purses, and not the Chanel cosmetics counter. Do you have a Chanel boutique in your city?
On February 4, 2009 lilydale said:
Or maybe call a Chanel boutique and ask if they’ll ship a bottle? Perhaps Saks in NYC carries it; maybe someone else will know better than I. If they do, I’m sure they’ll ship.
On February 4, 2009 mals86 said:
HA HA HA !! I live in rural Virginia, 53 miles from the nearest Macy’s… and that’s the only “big” store close! Not even possible!
So how would one arrange this split? Please excuse my ignorance.
On February 4, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
See:
http://nowsmellthis.blogharbor.com/blog/_archives/2008/7/14/3789736.html
On February 4, 2009 mals86 said:
Bless your heart!!!!!!! Thanks so much.
On February 4, 2009 giveitomespicey said:
Go to Make Up Alley.
On February 4, 2009 Filomena said:
You can purchase Chanel’s Bois des Iles at Saks or Bergdorf’s in NYC. You don’t have to go there in person–you can do it by telephone and they will ship it to you. I have a bottle of it and I purchased mine at Saks. I love that fragrance also–it is one of my favorites.
On February 5, 2009 ahtx said:
Having just tried Bois des Isles in the extrait (from Saks in NYC) I have to chime in here and say that you might want to save your pennies for a bottle of that instead of the giganto EDT bottle. They are both scrumptious, but the extrait is — O. M. (holy mother of) G. — scrumptious. The first thing that’s made me yelp out loud in awhile.
On February 5, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
2nd. Gorgeous stuff.
On February 5, 2009 Filomena said:
I couldn’t agree with you more. I have both versions but the perfume is to die for. I’m not sure the perfume is that readily available. The SA at Saks told me that I got the last bottle. Does anyone know if the perfume will be be available not that Bois des Iles is now in the Exclusif line?
On February 6, 2009 Regina said:
I asked this very question in Bergdorf’s last night. Not that this is necessarily the best source, but the SA did say that they are not making the parfum now that this is an Exclusif. Don’t panic though, this is just one sales associate! (I confess to having waited until my TPC decant showed “shipped” before posting this comment.)
On February 7, 2009 mals86 said:
Dear Lord… I find the HG and then find out it’s nearly unobtainable… I am saying very bad words now. (Good thing the kids are upstairs!)
Well, dang it, I’ll just have to get a largeish decant from TPC. I have not tried the parfum but if the EDT is this beautiful, the parfum must be pure paradise.
On February 4, 2009 lilydale said:
I’m taking a break from dousing myself with L’Air du Desert Marocain (I’ve had my bottle only a couple of weeks and have already put a serious dent in it — pretty soon I’ll be drinking the stuff), so today I’m wearing Lily & Spice.
My question is about sample organization: I bought ammo boxes for my samples (thank you to whomever shared that suggestion!), but because I am utterly anal, I can’t decide whether to organize them by perfume house or perfume name. Or maybe by dominant note (I have one box for incenses and another for everything else)? And is there any way to label them so I don’t have to actually take them out of the box to see the names? Fellow neurotics, please advise!
On February 4, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
I organize by house because it’s frequent that I want more than 1 from the same house at the same time. But no idea on the label issue — I don’t use ammo boxes.
On February 4, 2009 SFLizbeth said:
I would organize by alpha by fragrance house, then alpha by name.
On February 4, 2009 AnnS said:
Take it from a librarian – house then name is best. It’s like an author / title arrangement. However, since organization is my work, I like my frags arranged by type (oriental, soliflore, accords, etc.) and then season Of course, I have a master document that lists all the houses, full bottles, and samples I have….I weep since I can’t afford Michael Edwards Encyclopedia…so I amuse myself in my free time with devising boolean logic circles to cluster all my frags….What can I say? I’m a total nerd.
On February 4, 2009 lilydale said:
Oh no, now you’re tempting me to make Venn diagrams!
Thanks to all for the house/name recommendation; that does make sense now that I think about it, and it’s interesting to see the range from each house.
On February 4, 2009 Haunani said:
You two sound like fun. I’d love to spend a day organizing fragrances with you!
On February 4, 2009 AnnS said:
It is fun for me! Some people have sudoku, I have about 6 different organization systems (on paper). My favorite is this: pick a season, pick a destination (Paris, New York, Banff, where ever), then pick the best fragrances from my own collection that would serve a trip to that spot. I have lists of frags for wearing to all my favorite locations depending on what time of year it is! I also have lists for other things like business meetings, events, dates, whatever. It’s good brain exercise and it keeps me thinking about all my bottles so I don’t forget about the ones in the back!
On February 5, 2009 bergere said:
What fun! You could organize a ‘fume party around that idea (I bet someone already has), what to wear to any given spot on any given occasion in any given season — business meeting in Tahiti! Spring wedding in the cathedral of Mainz! First date in Chinatown! Groundhog day in Milwaukee!
On February 5, 2009 AnnS said:
Well now you have me stumped. I’m really trying to decide what I’d wear for G-day in good old Punxsutawney – Hmm…What does well with over the top and freezing cold? I think in the interest of trying to encourage spring to arrive I’d have to wear one of my favorite summery florals!
On February 4, 2009 GuerlainGirl said:
I took an Access database class & used my “required project” to create a perfume database — so motivating! So, I join you in the geek world.
On February 4, 2009 AnnS said:
OMG! I thought about doing that as well, but I just couldn’t make the time. I have nerd jealousy! What you need to do now is convert it using ASP & java (do people still us those?) to make your own on-line database!
Have you seen this website? Perfume Intelligence –
http://www.perfumeintelligence.co.uk/library/index.htm
On February 4, 2009 SFLizbeth said:
Oh what a fabulous idea! A relational database is perfect for the task….
On February 5, 2009 joe805 said:
You all are making me LAUGH! A major part of my job is being a database administrator, and even though I’m anal about organization, I guess the last thing I want to do in my off time is enter all my perfume in a spreadsheet or (heaven forbid) relational database! More power to you all, and thanks for the laughs!
On February 4, 2009 SFLizbeth said:
And I work in a Library…. go figure! All those librarians are rubbing off on me
On February 4, 2009 AnnS said:
Librarians are the best people! Sigh, I wonder what Dewey would say about Michael Edwards classification system!
On February 5, 2009 Haunani said:
I use Excel to keep track of all the fragrances I’ve sampled, house name, notes, comments, and personal rating. But I want to go back and add the perfumers’ names. And I should probably graduate to a real database program! Call me a geek wannabe, LOL.
On February 5, 2009 bklyn fragrance lover said:
Guess I’m a nerd too. I have a spread sheet inventory of all my bottles. I do alot of trading and selling as well, so I like to keep it documented.
On February 4, 2009 Tama said:
I haven’t succumbed to the ammo boxes for the the labeling reason. I keep mine sorted by house in those little organza bags they usually get shipped in, or small plastic zip bags. I have three bags that are miscellany, one for the scents that are mostly mainstream, one for niche that I only have one or two bottles of that house, and one for “fancy” niche like Vero Kern and SIP. Someday I may outgrow that but I like tipping out the bag on my bed and rifling through. I actually can lay hands on what I want fairly quickly.
On February 4, 2009 AngelaS said:
Hey, I did the ammo box thing, too, and its brilliant! I use the box meant for larger shells for spray samples and larger vials, and the larger box with the smaller sections for regular sized samples. I labeled the top of the box to show where–if the box were closed–the samples would be. The boxes stack nicely, too. Now all I have to do is keep up with filing my samples where they belong.
On February 4, 2009 lilydale said:
Good idea for the labeling! I’d put it inside the lid, so you could see the “map” while the box was open. The only problem is re-doing it when you get new samples… time to invent an ammo box with a touch-screen digital lid?!
I do love the ammo boxes, though, and the range of sizes is great. Plus I got to take a trip to Cabela’s to get them, which is an adventure in itself.
On February 5, 2009 Bee said:
I’m a real nerd here: I store my samples in empty styrofoam trays (those for disposable laboratory cuvettes), there are different sizes, the 100 ones are quite O.K. and I’m ordering the samples by perfume house, but might switch to M. Edward’s classification
Chunk #4:
On February 4, 2009 Filomena said:
Today I’m wearing Prada’s Infusion D’Iris. I’ve been on an Iris kick all week, starting with L’Artisan’s Iris Pallida, followed by Hermes Hiris and The Different Company’s Bois d’Iris. The last fragrance I bought was a biggie (in size and money-wise)–Chanel’s Cuir di Russie. I won’t be buying anything else for quite a while!
On February 4, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
Oh, an iris week sounds nice! And congrats on your CdR
On February 4, 2009 Daisy said:
mmmmm… Prada Infusion D’Iris…..I love it! (I’m wearing it today as well) Hermes Hiris is my all-time fave perfume (I wish it came in a gallon jug!!) I’ve got several iris samples on the way; including AdP Iris Nobile edt & edp, Iris Pallida and Bois d’Iris….gee, sounds as though we like the same stuff! Now I’ll need to check out the Chanel. by the way–have you tried layering the Hiris and the Infusion D’Iris ? yummy
I would love some opinions on the best of the Iris fragrances…someone save me before I buy them all (and then starve….)
On February 5, 2009 joe805 said:
Hi Daisy: You’ve already got a sample of my favorite, Bois d’Iris on the way. Love the stuff. You should also sample Dzongkha if you haven’t — it’s not a traditional iris nor soliflore, but I think it’s pretty amazing.
On February 5, 2009 Filomena said:
Yes, it does look like we like the same type of fragrances. Cuir de Russie is not an Iris scent. It’s hard to say what my favorite iris scent is, but Hiris is on the top of my list. I used to use it all the time and then took a long break. But the moment I spayed it on myself again, I remember why I loved it so much.
On February 5, 2009 Daisy said:
I am going to check out the Cuir de Russie simply because you like it and we seem to enjoy the same kinds of juice. I’m afraid that I am unable to truly judge a juice based on it’s list of notes….maybe cuz you just never know how they’re going to show themselves (?) …..anyhow, my best way of finding new things is by checking out stuff that others enjoy who share similar likes to what I know I already like…..does this make sense?
On February 4, 2009 Smartylicious said:
Long shot here, but maybe anyone tried Tom Ford Arabian Oud? :o)
On February 4, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
Not I!
On February 5, 2009 bklyn fragrance lover said:
No but I can’t wait to. His only new products I’ve tried so far are Champaca and Italian Cypress. The latter I LOVE!!!!
On February 5, 2009 Smartylicious said:
I tried both and loved them !
On February 7, 2009 AussieBec said:
I tried the Tom Ford Oud but wasn’t that impressed. I say go for one of the Montales over the Tom Ford. Nicer and cheaper. Whats not to love about that?
On February 8, 2009 bklyn fragrance lover said:
TF Oud Wood and Arabian Wood are 2 different scents. The latter has not been released in the states but will be in November.
On February 9, 2009 Regina said:
I tried it and thought it was very nice if a bit masculine for me – but I got mostly vetiver. Maybe because I am not that familiar with the oud note? But seriously vetivery.
On February 9, 2009 Regina said:
oh wait, strike that! i was talking about the regular oud, not the arabian one. blush.
On February 4, 2009 Poop-C said:
I think I absolutely love Rum in fragrances (Tommy Bahama South Seas).
Today= Bvlgari Black. I love the “v” in Bvlgari. Apparently, this is a scent for sexy astronauts, lol. I loves it.
I almost wore DKNY Red Delicious though.
On February 4, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
More rum: Lubin Idole. And something else that I just can’t think of at the moment…if it comes to me later, I’ll be back.
On February 4, 2009 monkeytoe said:
SL Santal de Mysore has a rummy undertone.
On February 4, 2009 bklyn fragrance lover said:
By Kilian Straight to Heaven is inspired by rum…or so say they say on their website.
On February 7, 2009 AussieBec said:
How about Rum Tonic by Malin & Goetz?
On February 5, 2009 Zazie33 said:
Rum lovers: Chêne, from Serge Lutens.
It is all about the “bois du rum”.
The most wonderful rum opening one can think of (I haven’t tried Idole, though).
The dry down is dry and spicy and – thin: it seems to me in complete opposition with the joyful, exhuberant opening – a must try, and a “sample before buying” kind of fragrance.
On February 5, 2009 Smartylicious said:
Rum + chocolate = Guerlain Gourmand Coquin, yummy ! :o)
On February 4, 2009 lunarpanic said:
Would really love some help with my current quest:
I’m looking for a floral – specifically a white floral – that a man can pull off. The qualifications are, it must contain no discernable trace of vanilla, and not too harsh on the aldehydes. I like tuberose, orange blossom and jasmine. Not afraid of indoles. So far I’ve found that floral chypres like Diorella and Aromatics Elixir work best, but I’d like something more flower-dominated. Diorella is a bit too fruity/citrussy, AE a bit to woody/leathery (I love both, but there just not quite what I’m after in terms of a floral). The Serge Lutens florals (A la nuit etc.) are nice but a bit too literal, Fracas I love, but it’s a bit too much…? Any ideas?
On February 4, 2009 joe805 said:
Hmm, it’s hard to know what you mean by “pull off”…. I’m pretty willing to wear just about anything as long as it’s not a sillage monster, in which case I only wear it at home. Otherwise, just a tiny dab or so if I want it to stay close to the skin. I’m also not big on aldehydes. I haven’t tried the ones that haven’t worked for you. Hmm, flower dominated but not too literal…
I like FM Carnal Flower for tuberose, and you might want to try Gaultier Fleur du Mâle for orange blossom (though to me it’s pretty sweet). A tuberose I really love is SL Cèdre, which isn’t straight-up floral, but heavy on the tuberose, with lots of other well-blended notes in the mix. For jasmine maybe sample L’Occitane Green Tea & Jasmine? This is almost a Monday mail question.
On February 5, 2009 peanut said:
you might try Paul & Joe Blanc (a Jean Claude Ellena creation) which I love love.
On February 4, 2009 capillary said:
What about Parfum de Therese? It’s famously similar to Diorella, but jasminey rather than citrussy (although it has some fruit), and while it has a little leather, it’s not pronounced.
My question has to do with Serge Lutens availability in England. Do they stock Chergui anywhere? I don’t think Roja Dove at Harrods does, and nor does les Senteurs. Thanks!
On February 4, 2009 SFLizbeth said:
If there’s a Barney’s in England, I think they stock Chergui.
On February 5, 2009 donanicola said:
Hello – I’m UK based too. I saw Chergui in Selfridges about 18 months ago but I think that was when it was on limited export release. I wish I’d bought it then but I didn’t. However I have read somewhere (Ozmoz maybe) that Chergui will be permanently joining the export line sometime this year. If I’m right we’ll soon be able to get our hands on it in Libs, Fenwicks, Selfs etc – hurrah!
On February 5, 2009 Bela said:
Chergui wasn’t there the last time I look in Selfridges – about 10 days ago.
On February 5, 2009 Bela said:
Oops, ‘looked’. LOL!
On February 5, 2009 capillary said:
That would be great… damn Lutens and his exclusivity. Thanks!
On February 4, 2009 AnnS said:
Have you considered Givenchy III – maybe has a bit too much aldehyde? But give it about 10 minutes and it is just gorgeous white flowers with a green oakmoss dry down. I think a man could really wear it. Also you may like Chanel No 19, which is a little more interesting than Chanel Pour Monsieur, but in the same ballpark. Ferre by Gianfranco Ferre (2005) is a really transparent white flowers fragrance that has a nice green vegetal note. I think if it works, it would be very interesting for a man.
On February 4, 2009 AngelaS said:
Bond Chinatown might be interesting.
On February 4, 2009 Haunani said:
Lunarpanic, my husband sometimes enjoys splashing on some of my Diptyque Do Son. It’s sort of an aquatic tuberose with (for me) a slight seaside feel. It think it was Robin who described it as smelling like “tuberoses submerged in water.” Very apt, I think!
On February 5, 2009 Robin said:
lunarpanic, you might want to try Delrae Debut for a white floral. It’s got some lime and linden blossom along with lily of the valley, and it’s a fresh, complex blend that’s not too sweet or girly. Great quality, too; the nose is Michel Roudnitska. I’d love to smell it on a guy!
On February 4, 2009 Diana57 said:
I’ll be visiting Paris this spring, and hope to buy a fragrance — haven’t decided which one. I’ve had some misadventures with lost luggage, and nowadays I prefer to take only a carry-on bag. Would most stores in Paris be willing to ship a bottle purchased there to the US, or should I wrap my bottle up carefully, check my bag, and trust fate? Thanks for any advice!
On February 4, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
Diana, I’m jealous of your trip! But I don’t know the answer.
On February 5, 2009 Petronella said:
Don’t know about shipping but I think we still have strict regulations about fluids in your hand luggage. At least before you could only bring 100 ml and you had to put it in a zipper plastic bag (available at the air port). Ppl trying to bring toilet bags or beauty boxes as hand luggage ended up in deep trouble and even had to throw things out. So my advice is to check regulations thoroughly!
A trip to Paris sounds lovely, I am just a wee bit envious :).
On February 5, 2009 vanessa said:
I brought three bottles back on the plane from Paris carefully wrapped in my smalls and jumpers in my hold luggage. Worked for me. Have done the same with bottles of wine with no mishap!
On February 5, 2009 Robin said:
In case not everybody knows, “smalls” = undies! Vanessa, let me guess – you’re a good, proper Englishwoman?
On February 6, 2009 vanessa said:
C’est moi!
On February 5, 2009 Bela said:
Unless they already ordinarily ship fragrances to the US, I doubt very much any store will ship bottles there. The Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido certainly won’t.
On February 5, 2009 bergere said:
My husband recently brought back a bottle of Cristalle edt from France. He bought it at the airport perfume shop, which was actually pretty well stocked, but the security was tight. To allow him to bring it on the plane, they vacuum-sealed it in a bag with some sort of tag indicating that it was safe for transport. Although there are a lot of perfumes I’d like to buy that are only available in small boutiques, I’d be afraid to lose them in a baggage search.
On February 7, 2009 AussieBec said:
I have to admit, on my last trip overseas, my hand luggage was absolutely PACKED with perfume and luckily I didn’t get questioned cos it would have hurt having to surrender that cache! There had to have been over twenty bottles in there!
On February 4, 2009 Rick said:
Ever wonder what dilithium crystals smell like? According to this site: http://trekmovie.com/2009/01/28/cbs-announces-new-star-trek-licenses-including-monopoly-uno-apparel-fragrences-more a set of Star Trek fragrances are coming out this spring.
On February 4, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
Cool!!! But not good names. And wish they were TNG or Voyager. (kvetch, kvetch, kvetch)
On February 8, 2009 Valkyrie said:
OMG how awesome, the combination of 2 obsessions for me. Like Robin I would rather have them in them in TNG and Voyager as well. Off the top of my head I really want Seven (of Nine) which would have to be heavenly white florals tinged with metalic violets. But an earl grey/ leather Jon Luc would be awesome as well. In fact I could swear someone here once said a scent reminded them of him riding a horse in one of the movies. I could spend the day thinking of scents for TNG, Voyager, and DS9 characters/ episodes.
On February 8, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
Yes, perfect for 7 of 9! I never watched DS9, don’t know why, and can’t love Enterprise, but really miss TNG & Voyager.
On February 4, 2009 damselfly1213 said:
Great poll! I’ve been wanting to ask…what makes a perfume “French” as opposed to, say, “American”? You know, sometimes someone will describe a perfume, such as Diorissimo, as “very 1950’s, very French.” OK, so what makes it “French”?
On February 4, 2009 AngelaS said:
I can tell you that if I were describing it that way (and I bet I have!) I’d mean that it had an aldehydic top and a little murkiness in the drydown. It smells like “perfume” and not like blackberries or sandalwood or pink peppercorns. You know what I mean?
On February 4, 2009 monkeytoe said:
Angela put it much more nicely, but I would say aldehydes, a bit of skank, and a degree of illegibility.
On February 4, 2009 SFLizbeth said:
SL Fleurs d’Oranger is a randy romp through an orange grove to me…..
On my skin the randy part takes a while to dry down, then it’s this amazing orange blossom scent. Not my bag, but the cumin is very front & center!
On February 5, 2009 Bela said:
Fleurs d’Oranger is meant to evoke the scented Moroccan air, so, although it’s French, it’s not trying to *be* a French perfume in the great tradition of French perfumes.
On February 4, 2009 AnnS said:
I think if them as shapes as well – American clean, fresh & open. French complex, thick & closed/secretive. My favorite are Italian style which are always so natural and full of a lot of motion.
On February 4, 2009 SFLizbeth said:
Seems to me the French aren’t afraid of the “skank” factor, that would be civet and other “dark & dirty” notes…. For me, it’s cumin that gives that effect.
On February 4, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
Echoing everyone else: more skank, less “pretty”.
On February 4, 2009 Regina said:
Here’s a question about the Turin Sanchez book. I don’t agree with them about everything, of course, but I do find myself feeling unenthusiastic about even sniffing many classics because they have such a low opinion of the reformulations. However, sometimes I wonder if they tend to be overly harsh on the reformulations – giving a perfume a terrible review because they hate the fact that it’s changed for the worse, not because the perfume is actually now terrible. For anyone who has done similar comparisons, do you think they’re fair in this, or perhaps exaggerating sometimes?
On February 5, 2009 pyramus said:
I was sort of annoyed by that aspect of the book, too. It’s as if they were dangling something unattainable in front of us and laughing. “Oh, you think you like Cabochard? Well, it’s piss compared to the way it used to be!” (As it turns out, I do like the reformulated Cabochard, and have never tried the vintage, and probably never will, which is just as well.)
But they’re actually right, unfortunately. I got a bunch of samples of Caron urn perfumes and, while they’re mostly good (and a couple are wonderful), it’s obvious to me, even without having smelled the originals, that they’re nothing like they used to be–they lack the Frenchness that I would have expected from such a quintessentially French brand, the voluptuousness and the bare suggestion of filth (which is to say skank). They all do dry down to the base that Turin complained about, the “sour soapy rose” instead of the classic dark Caron base that should have been there.
As for my own experience, I know that, to name two, Calvin Klein’s Escape and Dior’s Fahrenheit are literally nothing like they used to be; they weren’t just tinkered with (to make them more cost-effective or to replace banned materials), they were completely redone, as if people had no memory.
I think of it as The Simpsons Effect. If you just started watching the show a year or two, you might enjoy it and think it’s funny: but it’s nothing compared to the way it was in seasons 4 through 10, fantastically well-written and clever. Same thing with perfumes: if you just walked in on Lancome’s Magie Noire, you might love it (it’s still a good oriental), but it’s changed drastically from the way it was launched in the late seventies: the darkness, the mystery are gone.
On February 5, 2009 vanessa said:
Yes, yes, yes re Magie Noire. That was my signature scent in the 80’s insofar as I could lay claim to such a thing, and I cannot get on with it now. As you say, the dark allure is gone!
On February 5, 2009 vanessa said:
Yes, yes, yes re Magie Noire. That was my signature scent in the 80’s insofar as I could lay claim to such a thing, and I cannot get on with it now. As you say, the dark allure is gone!
On February 5, 2009 SFLizbeth said:
I third that comment, I’ve worn Magie for years, 25 or so. It’s changed. I think I have an old bottle that’s been in storage. I should take it out and compare….
On February 6, 2009 vanessa said:
Please, please do – I have no point of comparison now with Magie Noire. I didn’t think of that as a question, but actually it is one of the most burning things I would like to know!
On February 5, 2009 Tama said:
I know they were right about Patou Sublime. I nearly fainted when I first smelled that, kept my bottle too long and tossed it (kick kick) and got a new mini. Not the same at all.
On February 5, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
Regina, I think they’re usually pretty spot on about reformulations. That said, if you never smelled the original you won’t know what you’re missing, so why not try the scent? I really like some of the new versions, even if they aren’t what they’re nothing like what they’re supposed to be (Balmain Vent Vert, for instance).
On February 5, 2009 Regina said:
You’re right, I should try them anyway – Vent Vert is actually one I was specifically wondering about, so thanks for mentioning it. It’s all subjective, I know, but I do get the suspicion that there’s an emotional reaction to the fact of reformulation going into the rating… the way you might hate a movie, even a pretty good movie, if it were made from a favorite book!
On February 5, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
Well, yes, all subjective, but still — the original Vent Vert was genius, the new one is very wearable & pleasant. I like it, I wear it, I’d never claim it was genius.
On February 5, 2009 SFLizbeth said:
It’s the whole dangling a carrot thing, and they can be a bit harsh, too..
On February 5, 2009 Robin said:
Kevin wrote a tuly terrific, philosophically-wise piece about carrot-dangling within the last couple of days. Look for the Chanel logo photo that heads his article — right here on NST!
On February 4, 2009 Ojeda said:
Does anyone know much about the fragrance brands they sell in the US store Anthropologie? The only ones with lots of available reviews are the Tocca and Fresh lines. I’ve been on the lookout for an innocent, simple light floral and that store seems to stock a lot of that type. A few have struck me as blandly sweet — all kinds of light blue and pale pink type stuff — but there are so many that I haven’t explored them all.
But I gotta say, I’m really liking this one line they carry, Tokyo Milk. They’re like super-Demeters, with interesting concepts and a recession-friendly price tag ($28). I love “Ex Libris”, with a dark green fig twist at the top, and “Waltz”, which is ‘honeyed rose’.
On February 5, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
I have not tried any of the Tokyo Milk scents. I think you can get samples at hamptonct.com if you want to live with them awhile before you buy…
On February 5, 2009 Bonnie said:
I have a very (I think) simple question. How do you pronounce CHYPRE???
On February 5, 2009 SFLizbeth said:
I think it’s “Sheep-rah”
On February 5, 2009 Bonnie said:
Thank you! Everytime I read that word, I would pronounce it Chi-fer…silly me!
On February 5, 2009 Celestia said:
I once asked a French person and the answer was ‘sheep-rah”, if it’s a noun, and “sheep-ray”, if it’s an adjective.
On February 5, 2009 pyramus said:
Don’t forget that if you’re pronouncing it really accurately, you have to roll the “-r-” a tiny bit: the sound is right in the back of your throat, unlike the English version, which is very much up front.
Also, you can tell the noun from the adjective because the latter will have an accent mark over the “-e”: “chypré”. (Or, if it’s a feminine adjective, “chyprée”. “Le parfum chypré”, but “la cologne chyprée”. Not that this is likely to come up.)
On February 5, 2009 Bela said:
Yes, one must *not* stress the last syllable in any way. I would transcribe it as sheep-rrr, not sheep-rah. There are several websites where one can hear French words spoken by natives (stay away from the Canadians: their accent is different).
The rule is: the stress always falls on the last syllable *except* when a word ends with an unaccented ‘e’. Accents are not optional in French (unlike in Italian, for instance) and are there to indicate pronunciation not just stress (actually not stress at all).
HTH
On February 7, 2009 AussieBec said:
In an earlier comment on chypres there was a link to Malle perfumes where he pronounces the word.
On February 5, 2009 vanessa said:
I’d say “Sheep-ruh”. : – )
On February 5, 2009 vanessa said:
Sorry, Bela, hadn’t seen your post at the time of writing – but I concur with you!
On February 5, 2009 Celestia said:
Thanks, Bela and Pyramus, for clearing this up. I really appreciate the clarification. Unfortunately I don’t know how to put accents on with my computer. I agree with Vanessa too, about the correct pronunciation.
On February 5, 2009 austenfan said:
Ok, this is a very long shot, seeing this is an American blog. In the late eighties I spent a year in the South of France. Lots of women were then wearing a perfume that to me smelled of the garrigue; the smell you find in the middle of summer in Provence. It’s a mixture of the smell of sun baked pine trees, French herbs and perhaps a hint of lavender. Stupidly I was never brave enough to ask what they were wearing. ( I was only 19 at the time). I have never discovered it since. It must have been very trendy then because I could smell it everywhere. On reading Dr.Turin’s review of La Nuit I thought I had found my elusive fragrance. Alas, it is not La Nuit. The only one that seems to come close is Dali’s first fragrance. I think it was simply called le parfum de Dali or something like that. But the Dali is not quite like the fragrance I remember smelling then.
Would any of you know what this fragrance may have been?
Thanks for any suggestions!
On February 5, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
That sounds like Fragonard’s Eau des Garrigues, although I don’t even know if that was made then. They have since renamed that one Figuier Fleur:
http://www.fragonard.com/parfums_grasse/eaux-de-toilette/figuier-fleur-c-60.htm
On February 5, 2009 austenfan said:
Thanks for your suggestion!
I will try and figure out when that one was released.
Thanks again, olfactory memory is so funny, I may not even recognize it when I actually will smell it again.
thanks again anyway.
On February 5, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
You know, rethinking — no way was that Fragonard trendy. It must have been something else.
On February 5, 2009 Bela said:
You are absolutely right, R: by that time, Fragonard was a failing, little company only known in the South, if at all.
On February 5, 2009 Bela said:
I spent most of my childhood and youth in Nice, so I know exactly what you’re referring to. It is an amazing and unique smell.
I used to wear the original Dali and, yes, it did smell quite a lot – but not exactly – like garrigue, but to my dismay I found recently that the Dali currently on sale is not the same as the one I wore in the ’80s: it has been reformulated.
The original Vivara used to smell very close to garrigue too. I can’t think what else it might have been, unfortunatel, otherwise I’d go and get it right now. LOL!
On February 5, 2009 vanessa said:
Sous Le Vent smells very garrigue to me – I used to live in Antibes in the late 70’s!
On February 7, 2009 austenfan said:
Thank you all for the suggestions. At a guess( having never smelled it) I somehow don’t think it will be the Fragonard.
I lived in snobby Aix-en-Provence where women considered themselves to be better dressed than the Parisiennes. Wearing Fragonard does not seem to go with that image. The Dali seems the most probable candidate. It was launched in ‘ 85 I think. I will definitely try the Guerlain. It’s not an easy house to get acquainted with where I live. But I am dying to try some more of their classics.
This lazy thread is a great idea by the way!
On February 5, 2009 divinemama said:
This has been a very informative read. I haven’t made it through the whole thread yet. I just wanted to suggest that this be a monthly or quarterly poll. Given the number of posts, I imagine I am not the only one who enjoyed this open ended format.
On February 5, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
Good idea!
On February 5, 2009 Patty said:
I’m curious about “Antilope” by Weil, which in its original formulation only seems to be available in EDC. I also understand that a reformulation has been launched. I’ve read the reviews in “Basenotes”, but was curious if anyone here had tried the original and the reformulation and could comment on them.
On February 5, 2009 KarenG said:
I have a question for any Canadians who have ordered from the Ormonde Jayne web-site. Can you tell me how much you paid in duties and brokerage fees? I’m about to pull the trigger on a bottle of Ormonde, but don’t want to be surprised by any extra charges…
On February 5, 2009 Robin said:
Karen, I ordered the sampler, around $60, from here in Vancouver and didn’t pay a penny. If it’s coming by regular post and you let them know of your concerns, they will mark the package appropriately. I wish I could say I’ve done it more than once, though, to be able to tell you it’ll never be a problem. I do know of other Canadians who have ordered from them and haven’t run into problems, if that helps.
On February 5, 2009 KarenG said:
Oh, that helps enormously! Thanks so much Robin
On February 5, 2009 Regina said:
…but I think the sampler is free postage worldwide, so wouldn’t apply to a regular purchase?
On February 5, 2009 Robin said:
Regina, I believe Karen’s talking about Canadain Customs levies on imported goods, not on postage.
On February 5, 2009 Robin said:
Enjoy your OJ, Karen. They’re all pretty darn fabulous, aren’t they?
On February 5, 2009 Bela said:
At the risk of being thrown out of the perfumista club, I would like to query the need for distinguishing all the notes in perfumes. Since – unless I’m much mistaken – the aim of ‘noses’ is to create a composition that is harmonious and well balanced, I doubt they want us to be able to discern every single note and ingredient in their fragrances. I truly don’t think it is absolutely necessary for perfume appreciation. IMO, it can put off and create bias: I love Tubéreuse Criminelle; it is the only tuberose scent I can bear; all the others make me nauseous. I stayed away from it longer than I should have *because* of its name and its main ingredient. I’m also thinking about people who say they can’t stand cumin. It is impossible to say whether people who reject scents that have cumin in them would actually do so if they weren’t aware of the fact. On the other hand, I’m not sure being able to detect all the notes enhances the pleasure a perfume provides.
I am also not interested in the chemistry of it all. It bores me and I don’t see the point of learning about it. I leave all that to the real experts.
On February 5, 2009 Daisy said:
yup…I just close my eyes and start sniffing! Like it or don’t like it; who cares what’s on the ingredient list!
On February 5, 2009 Robin said:
Bela, I take it all with a grain of salt. Blogmistress Robin has discussed this at length, so no doubt this will be a reitteration of her take on the subject, but basically the idea is that the list of notes is a kind of a guide, not to be taken necessary completely literally. There are so many synthetics around that if you read “black currant,” or “melon” for example — or “oakmoss,” or “sandalwood,” these days! — that is likely NOT coming from the real thing; it’s a molecular-level interpretation/replication of the note.
I understand that a bad experience with a note might have turned you off a lot of fragrances with that note listed in the composition, but think of the good experiences, too. Many times I know that I’ve found my favourite scents just because, for instance, I’ve been tracking down anything and everything with iris on the list, or rose, or incense. I can’t see that there is such a thing as too much information; it’s all in how you use it!
On February 5, 2009 Robin said:
P.S. Or don’t use it!
On February 5, 2009 SFLizbeth said:
Reading about notes before trying a scent could possibly create a bias. If there’s a story behind the creation, I find that interesting, if it smells good and brings one pleasure, that’s what matters!
What is important, is if there’s a known allergy to a particular note, for me it’s Cypress. Then an awareness of notes would matter, rather than spend a few hours in extreme discomfort.
On February 5, 2009 Bethy said:
I really liked Angela’s post on this very question
http://nowsmellthis.blogharbor.com/blog/_archives/2008/10/28/3951251.html
and the discussion that followed.
I do like to know about notes in general just to have the vocabulary to talk about perfume with other people who love it and learn from those who have more experience than I do.
I must admit too that I was a biochemist at Uni and I find all the more technical stuff very interesting, but interesting in itself… almost next to my enjoyment of perfume rather than directly part of it. Does that make sense?
On February 5, 2009 AnnS said:
Bela – when I was a teen back in the 80’s I fell head over heels for Jardins de Bagatelle, and I’ve always had a bottle one way or the other for all these years. I am also one of those people who gets major league headaches with tuberose, so I normally avoid it in all shapes, titles, descriptions, etc. So then I had to really re-adjust my thinking when I began my perfume education. I was searching out the notes for all my favorite frags to put in my notebook. You could have knocked me over with a feather when I read that JdB has tuberose listed as a note. Tuberose that I hate and makes me feel sick in one of my favorite fragrances. I learned after that to not always put too much into the titles or descriptions of frags, and try to just take them as they come, and use my nose to decide what works and what doesn’t. It was a helpful lesson to also get over aldehydes, as well as cedar. I still have trouble with cumin and coriander, but again, I try to just see how it goes when I can test them out. I don’t really have any interest in the actual chemistry of it all either. I prefer in many cases to let the magic of fragrance do it’s work for me. I actually like being stumped by the fragrance when it becomes it’s own thing.
On February 9, 2009 Bela said:
That’s exactly how I feel. (Sorry for the delay: forgot I’d contributed to this thread.)
On February 5, 2009 Kate said:
Incense question… I love the heavy incense operfumes, particularly in the colder months. I bought the Crazylilbelle Enscens Mystic, and loved it, very heavy churchy incense lightened up with some citrus and a good dollop of vanilla. But it’s a solid, it doesn’t evolve over the day. Is there anything that anyone can suggest that would approximate this in a liquid?
I’ve got CdG, which is great but a bit too frankincense-y, and I’ve tried L’artisan Passage d’Enfer, which is just a bit too light and floral, and also the Tauer ranges which again are great but lacking that Churchy note.
Thanks!
On February 5, 2009 Kate said:
Sorry, CdG Avignon, was too frankincense-y..
On February 5, 2009 lilydale said:
I haven’t tried the Crazylibellule yet, but based on your description, perhaps Josef Statkus? Other options might be Heeley Cardinal (very bright incense, but no vanilla) or Profumum Olibanum (incense plus orange flowers, along the same lines as Passage d’Enfer but with more oomph and less soapiness).
On February 5, 2009 Tama said:
How about Fire from Heaven from CB I Hate Perfume? It has a very nice churchy quality.
If you can find it, Lush Icon was specifically made to smell like church. I like it much more than I used to.
On February 5, 2009 AnnS said:
I can’t really comment about the similarity to the Crazylilbelle Enscens Mystic, but if you want wonderfully blended incense based frags you must test out the following from Sonoma Scent Studio: Champagne de Bois, which is a light incense style frag in a Chanel style (like Bois des Isles or No 22); Winter Woods which is a sweet musk based woody incense; Vintage Rose which is a rich rosey incense; Ambre Noir which is a dark dark woody incense; Encens Tranquile which is all about rich incense, etc….you won’t go wrong testing any of the SSS line that has incense and woods. Laurie Erickson has quite a gift for very well done incense frags.
On February 5, 2009 ‘Manda said:
Kate, have you tried any of the other scents by Crazylibellule and the Poppies? I noticed that Sephora started carrying them. BTW, the Crazylibellule website is such a work of art!
On February 6, 2009 peanut said:
Try a sample from Perfumed Court of Patricia De Nicolai’s Vanille Tonka, which on me is, once it settles about 60% incense, and 40% vanilla/other. It is one of my favs.
On February 9, 2009 Kate said:
Thanks for all your suggestions! Weirdly I was going into town tomorrow, with the very intention of going to the tiny Nicolai store to get that very scent, untried. From all the reviews it sounds just my cup of tea.
On February 5, 2009 Bethy said:
Well, today I am wearing my Maharanih sample and very much enjoying it.
My question is about A Taste of Heaven from By Kilian. Lots of people mentioned a lavender note (and I *love* lavender) but I didn’t get that at all. The overwhelming impression for me was this spicey note that kinda tickled the back of my throat. It’s been awhile since I smelled it but does that ring a bell with anyone who has tried it?
On February 8, 2009 Sarah said:
I hope someone is still checking this thread! I have a question: have the re-issues of the Donna Karan perfumes been reformulated at all? Or are they identical? I like Chaos a lot (it’s Serge Lutens Lite – thank God) but don’t know whether to buy a new bottle or troll eBay for the original…
On February 8, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
I think the consensus is that they’ve been reformulated, but respectfully.
On February 8, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
Bethy, does not ring any bell with me, sorry!
On February 8, 2009 platinum15 said:
Open tread!!! Yeah!
OK here is my question… What is going on with Serge Lutins??
In Canada, it used to be available at Sephora. Then it was pulled from Sephora and it became available only at Shiseido counters (and only at The Bay–I think) Now, it’s no longer available at the Shiseido counters and the Shiseido SA I spoke with had no idea as to where they were available now? What’s up with SL???
On February 8, 2009 lovethescents said:
Where in Canada are you referring to? In Montreal, you can find around 5 SLs at Sephora. They can also be found at Ogilvy’s.
On line, you can order them from the very Canadian The Perfume Shoppe.
Good luck!
On February 8, 2009 platinum15 said:
I am in downtown Toronto. I should have no problem finding them… but they are impossible to find
On February 8, 2009 lovethescents said:
I really don’t know Toronto but why don’t you start calling those higher end shops/department stores like Holt Renfrew and Noor. If they don’t care SL they might tell you who has exclusivity.
Good luck
On February 9, 2009 Valkyrie said:
Oh this is a very stupid question, I hope someone might pop back in to answer but what makes a perfume bottle a tester if it’s being sold online? It was meant to be a tester in a store/ boutique? I am really eyeing some unsniffed Hiris because of the possible discontinuing, and I want to know if I should pay $27 more for a non tester bottle. It probably is just labeled tester and has a different lid, but does it have a cap and all the juice is still there right? I am definately a cyber perfumista, I can’t even think of how the tester bottles in stores differ from the regular bottles.
On February 9, 2009 Daisy said:
Hiya Valkyrie, I think it may depend on where you are purchasing your tester. I always, always, always buy fragrance online (I hate to shop at actual stores) and I generally buy testers if they are available—-I’ve always gotten a bottle with the regular cap but sometimes (depending upon brand) they may be in a plain cardboard type box. I’ve never gotten a bottle that was not “fresh”— but I’m careful who I buy from (and I know what the fresh juice should smell and look like) .
Hiris is my all time fave, with Prada Infusion d’Iris a close second. Can you tell me what shop you are looking at?
On February 9, 2009 Valkyrie said:
At parfumsraffy.com- its $50 for 3.4 oz edt tester
But at fragrancenet.com it’s $77 for the same size non tester
And I’ve only looked around at a couple other places, these 2 were the cheapest.
On February 9, 2009 Daisy said:
well you’re looking at reputable places—I’ve checked EVERYWHERE….worn my clicking fingers to the very bone!….and it does seem as though most webstores are out of stock. I emailed Hermes to ask but who knows when or if I will get a response. Here’s where I order my perfumes: Beautyencounter.com they have the tester for 45.90 and I think they have a coupon….check back a few posts here at nowsmellthis…..
I also called Beautyencounter just a few minutes ago and she says that they have not received any notice from Hermes about discontinuation. Where did you hear this very alarming news??
On February 10, 2009 SFLizbeth said:
Daisy,
I posted a note on a previous blog on NST regarding Hiris.
It wasn’t on the Hermes website. I emailed Hermes, asking if it was being discontinued, and did not get a direct reply. I got the “at this time, we are not offering our Hiris fragrance on the website” reply….
On February 10, 2009 Daisy said:
sheeesh….they couldn’t just give you a yes or no answer? like, Duh, we noticed it’s not at your website!
I’ve emailed them too…supposed I’ll get the same non-answer! rats! I love sampling and all but I have a couple fragrances that I always keep on hand for when I want to KNOW I smell great, or when I just get tired of fiddling with those little vials. Maybe I’ll pick up an extra and stick it on the fridgerator shelf where it’ll be safe just in case…….
On February 10, 2009 SFLizbeth said:
Daisy,
I posted a note on a previous blog on NST regarding Hiris.
It wasn’t on the Hermes website. I emailed Hermes, asking if it was being discontinued, and did not get a direct reply. I got the “at this time, we are not offering our Hiris fragrance on the website” reply….
On February 10, 2009 Daisy said:
this was sort of unexpected: I got an email from Hermes!! Here is what they said about Hiris: (straight from the email)
Please note that the Hiris fragrance is not going to be discontinued. For more information kindly contact Colette Simon or Shannon Feinstein at our Madison New York boutique at 212-751-3181 and they will be happy to assist you.
On February 9, 2009 Daisy said:
I found the coupon code LUV5 on a $50 order, LUV10 on $100 and LUV20 on a $200 order saving you 5,10 or 20 $$ until 2/14
On February 9, 2009 Valkyrie said:
I read about the possible discontinuation in a more recent NST entry, I just tried to find it and couldn’t. A lot of online shops aren’t in stock, and even the Hermes site didn’t have it in stock.
On February 10, 2009 Daisy said:
okay— I just found Hermes Hiris 100ml at amazon.com for $40 —mind you it says “unboxed” and shows the product without a cap—it also will give you free shipping—so you could have your Hiris for $40 !!! If you can think of something else you would like to buy to get your shopping cart total to $59 (in fragrance) you can also get $10 off.
The only drawback is that I’ve never ordered perfume from Amazon.com and have no idea of whether it is “fresh” etc. However, with amazon I think if there was a problem you could do something about it.
I was all set to order an extra bottle from beautyencounter but now I’m wondering if I should give amazon a try??? anybody have any advice to share??
On February 10, 2009 SFLizbeth said:
Valkyrie,
Hiris is available on-line at the ‘bay, for 50 and under, some are 3.3 oz bottles…
On February 10, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
Valkyrie, yes, it was meant to be used as a tester instore, but instead they’re selling it. It may or may not have a cap or a box, you’ll have to check. I buy them all the time.
On February 10, 2009 Daisy said:
yup, I do love me some testers.
I don’t know aobout you, but I throw the boxes away anyhow. I’ve never received a bottle without a cap, but if I did, I guess it wouldn’t really matter since the spray bottle is sealed and I keep them in the fridge so who’s gonna see? It’s all good if the juice is fine.
On February 13, 2009 Wendy said:
Hi all.. have been reading this blog for about 3 years now and have become hooked… great to find i am not the only fragrance freak! Anyway, just wondering if anyone has every ordered anything from http://www.scentmatchers.com/ . Supposedly they can match just about any scent there is, and if it is true it would save those of us in love with discontinued or reformulated = messed up fragrances a lot of grief. Thanks, and keep those wonderful articles and comments going!
On February 13, 2009 NowSmellThis said:
You might want to check out this thread on basenotes:
http://community.basenotes.net/showthread.php?p=1370674