This is an open thread for participants in the Monday Mail articles to share their experiences, and hopefully let us know if they found what they were looking for (or went bankrupt trying). I've sent out emails requesting feedback from everyone who took part between September and December of last year, so check back over the next few days to see what we can find out.
Here are links to the articles for each participant:
Natalie, Samantha, Jenny, Jonna, Stefanie, Caitlin, Rebecca, Kristen, Asya, Rhonda, Kirsten, Andrea
Note: image "Letter box in a house-wall of San Giorgio in the community Resia, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy" by Johann Jaritz, via Wikimedia.
Natalie here, aka Lilydale…
Bankrupt? I prefer to think of it as genteel, sweet-smelling poverty! But I want to say a huge thanks to Robin and everyone who offered me advice in my Monday Mail session; it was incredibly educational, as well as entertaining! I’m still working my way through the recommendations, but even though my skin has a tendency to boil down even the snazziest stuff to its lowest common denominator (Ava Luxe No. 23, Black Cashmere, OJ Woman, and SSS Sienna Musk, for instance, might as well be from the same vat), I’ve already found some great scents among them.
First, the three I can’t live without:
*Bandit: killer-diller
*CdG 2: mysterious yet accessible, dark yet not heavy, impossible to pigeonhole – this was instant love, and the first FB I bought from the recommendations
*L’Air du Desert Marocain: I don’t know if my bottle of this will last even a year, since I’m practically drinking the stuff! I’ve been going through a rough patch lately, and L’Air comforts me, shields me, and transports me to a far, far nicer place…
The ones I really, really like but can live without until such time as $$$ rains down from the sky:
*Black Tourmaline: I’m not sure how this super-masculine scent works on me, but it does… I came SO close to buying it but am forcing myself to hold off until next fall
*Bois d’Encens: smells just like black pepper on me – wonderful, but awfully fleeting for the price
*Jasmin et Cigarette: sooo cool, but I can’t quite justify a purchase yet
*Lily & Spice: not sure I would have bought it on my own, but my kind father gave me a bottle for Christmas, and I didn’t turn it down!
And just for a laugh, these are the ones that really REALLY didn’t work on me:
*Bulgari Black: I wish I loved it, but I can’t even LOOK at the sample vial without getting an instant migraine
*SL Encens et Lavande: I had such high hopes, but on me this smells like one of those tiny bars of deodorant soap in the cheapest, nastiest Motel 6 imaginable – vile!
Holy moly, sorry for the epic novel above…
Samantha –Prior to my Monday Mail recommendations I had already loved perfume. But following this experience, I turned into a fanatic. I was given such excellent advice on where to buy samples and decants, as well as swapping. I was introduced to a whole, newer perfume world and am very grateful to everyone who helped me.
I think I tried every recommendation. My tastes have changed, or broadened, since that time. Here’s what I really love from your suggestions:
DSH Cimabue although it is impossibly pricey
Jlo Deseo
Guerlain Iris Ganache (same issue as the DSH)
Kenzo Amour Indian Holi
Got my purse-size spray of Louve (!) thanks for the tip! Also did the same with Daim Blonde and Datura Noir
Bulgari Jasmin Noir
Cartier’s Le Baiser du Dragon for the posh evenings out
I’ve actually fallen over for so many perfumes and have acquired a plethora of fabulous decants. Many Chanel Exclusifs, Farmacia Annunziatas, Sinfonia di Notes, obscure little CSP like Ecume de The, discontinued chocolates and creams like Fendi’s Theorema and TG’s Annam, naughty Freddie Malles (Un Parfum de Therese, Carnal Flower, Vetiver Extraordinaire for sleep-induction), incensy CdGs like Avignon and Zagorsk, the refreshing sweep of Ava Luxe’s Moroccan Mint Tea, the best chypre to wake up to Ormonde Woman, oh I could go on and on….I am a true frag hag.
Thanks to NST for existing
No, the more detailed the better, really! I think people take a lot of time making thoughtful recommendations & it's nice to hear how it all turned out. I'm so glad that you found 3 you couldn't live without (and cracking up at the Bvlgari Black).
Wow, that's so fun that it turned you into a fanatic, and sounds like you really found lots of new things…including some very rare discontinued items. Where on earth did you find Annam, I thought it was quite gone?
Hi, weird green dirty Kristen here. First, thanks for so many great suggestions–though I confess my list of 'to try' is still a bit longer than my list of reactions. I didn't settle on a particular signature scent, as I had hoped, but I did end up adding a number of your suggestions to my regular rotation:
Bandit (this was highly recommended by lots of you!): love the spicy opening. reminds me of my grandfather's leather bomber jacket
Dzing!: the middle goes sort of foody (sp?) on me but oddly it doesn't bother me, and the scent lasts forever on my skin, which is a plus
Lonestar Memories: a bit too heady for daytime wear but I like the smokiness a lot. As my boyfriend exclaimed, “Smells like campfire!”
Some perfumes that didn't work for me:
Sel de Vetiver: scrubber! Reminded me somehow of Secretions Magnifique. Strange because it seems to be wildly popular & based on the descriptions and reviews alone I feel like I should love it.
Vivienne Westwood Boudoir: Whoa! Not me–too heady, too floral, too candied–but I do get the dirtiness which I quite like. I can't pull it off but I have successfully recommended it to friends.
Paestum Rose: I admire this perfume (maybe it's because i was looking for it, but I thought I caught some of the sort of coolness of Sienne l'hiver) but I found it sort of headache-inducing.
I seemed to get a preponderance of recommendations for rose fragrances, but roses are really hit and miss for me. I couldn't get into Rose Poivree at all.
Fragrances that I discovered tangentially:
Cabaret by Gres: Strange, a rose that totally works for me–maybe it's all the wood?
Bvlgari Au The Vert: Not dirty or even very weird at all, but I've fallen in love with this one for some reason. It's a great fresh, zesty scent on me & I have it on heavy rotation.
What's next: I hadn't realized how fond I am of lily but many of you picked up on it (think Diorissimo tipped you off). So I can't wait to start delving into some of the lily-themed suggestions: Hiris, Iris Nobile, Iris Taizo.
Thanks again everyone, this was so informative and fun–I've still got quite a list of suggestions to work through!
Kirsten, thanks for weighing in. Sounds like it was a worthwhile experience for you too, and so glad to see that 2 people got turned on to Bandit, that's so cool! And the world always needs another fan of Dzing!
Menopausal Rhonda here. Based on the much appreciated, thoughtful recommendations of the NST community, I sampled Brandy, Black Cashmere, PdN Vanille Tonka, L'Artisan Vanilia, and Miller Harris Geranium Bourbon. I found Brandy quite nice, but unfortunately it set off the gagging reaction after a couple of days. Vanille Tonka was pleasant and dry and I think a good vanilla substitute for the Spiritueuse Double Vanille. But what really surprised me was how much I liked the Geranium Bourbon. It wan't too sweet or overly “rosy”, and to my nose, was sophisticated and sexy in an understated way. Based on the notes, I would never have thought to try it so thank you helenviolette for recommending it. I do see a full bottle in my future. Of course, I fear it's also going to initiate a search for the perfect rose scent.
And as Dana Cerise suggested, after giving a break to my old favorites, I've been able to go back to wearing at least one of them: Montale Golden Aoud.
But what was really disconcerting to me was that as a result of my computer's hard drive crashing, I lost my extensive database of fragrances that I had sampled during the last couple of years. It's so bizarre, but when I lost all the data, which included the notes and my comments on over 200 samples, I temporarily lost the desire to try new fragrances and didn't buy or sniff anything for a couple of months. I'm slowly getting back into it and am exploring chocolate notes, of all things. I'm currently wearing Beautiful Us Chocolate Cosmos which is all jasmine on me, with just the briefest hint of chocolate upon the first spritz only. Possibly another quest for an elusive perfect scent . . .
Thanks again, NSTers. I may not comment very much but I read the blog every morning before I start tackling work and actually feel out of sorts if I don't!
that was the good news of the day, I remember suggesting lonestar menories! I'm happy to have given you a good tip
You seem to like many of my favorites, so do try Iris Taizo! (hmm, but not really lily-smelling)
It was a hair away from impossible. I found a French site with someone selling a mini. They only shipped to Europe and the UK so I my fantastic new friend, vanessa, courtesy of NST, bought it and then shipped it my way. Took a lot of work but so worth it. Plus, the colour is just right! Hasn't gone off! This can still be found on some French sites as well as Chinese ones.
Hi everyone! I’m actually a bit embarrassed to admit this, since my Monday Mail suggestions were MONTHS ago, but I made a list of all the suggestions and am STILL working through them. For some I’ve noticed it’s tricky to even get samples that are reasonable (such as Creed fragrances). I have, however, stumbled upon some incredibly lovely fragrances, and—as I think other people are mentioning—found fragrances that weren’t outright suggested but that I would never have found on my own if I hadn’t been researching another.
So far, there are three fragrances that I absolutely love that I may never have found if it hadn’t been for the Monday Mail suggestions:
1. L’Artisan Ambre Extreme, which I think may have simply been one of the samples I ordered along with the L’Artisan suggestions. This was the fragrance I ordered a full bottle of, simply because it turns into warm, fuzzy, comforting, natural goodness on my skin.
2. Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab White Rabbit
3. Comptoir Sud Pacifique Vanille Amande—which, like the L’Artisan—came from a suggestion of the Comptoir Sud Pacifique line.
Also, at the time, I tossed my L’Artisan Pour une Ete sample in a drawer because it seemed too light and floral, but I am very much liking it now for the springtime.
Other fragrances I tried and quite liked, but perhaps not enough to place on my To Buy list:
1. Bulgari Black
2. Bulgari Omnia
3. L’Artisan L’Eau d’ Ambre
4. Tom Ford White Patchouli, which was a favorite for about a week, and then seemed too linear.
5. Versace Crystal Noir
And of course there was plenty more I gained than just a few pretty-smelling samples. Because the Pacifica line was suggested, I learned that Whole Foods has an entire aisle devoted to perfume oils that I had probably walked past dozens of times without noticing. I also have a better jist of the perfume families I gravitate toward, since some of the suggestions consistently seemed too spicy and oriental. I do appreciate all the suggestions and the help that was offered. I am slowly but surely working through each one, but it seems the second I go to the company’s Web site, I see about 5 other perfumes they produce that I need to sample! I am, however, extremely happy with my Ambre Extreme, and even if it had been the only fragrance I found to like, it would have been more than worthwhile.
Hi everyone! Kirsten here…
My Monday Mail experience prompted so many great suggestions my 'to try'
list was enormous! And, the more research I did, the longer my list got.
I tried way too many vanillas though, and I almost sickened myself at one point.
I've learned that I really only like perfumes with a touch of vanilla, not vanilla with
a little touch of something else.
It's been a steep, and at times eye-watering, learning curve!
I deliberately stayed away from discontinued or hard to find scents.
I couldn't bear the thought of finding 'the one' only to have my heart broken if
I could never have it again.
My first success was Monyette Paris, so it became my first Full Bottle this year.
Others on my 'have to have' list are:
Diptyque – Philosykos (which also led me to Marc Jacobs Fig Splash)
EL – Sensuous
ELPC – Amber Ylang Ylang
SL – Un Lys
SL – Fleurs d'Oranger
L'Artisan – Safran Troublant
Others which I really liked (but a decant is enough for now):
Fragonard – Grain de Soleil
Hermes – Elixir des Merveilles
My tastes have probably changed a little since the Monday Mail. I'm being brave
and trying notes I would normally dismiss. NST has really opened up a whole
world of possibilities for me, for which I'm eternally grateful.
Like Rhonda, I don't post comments very often, but I read the blog every day
and can't wait to see what's new.
So, I'd like to say a big thank-you to everyone who offered suggestions and
advice, and made me feel very welcome on the blog – it was a brilliant experience!
xxx
P.S. I've just fallen ever so slightly in love with Vanille Galante
(and TF Champaca Absolute and FM Dan tes Bras).
Kristin — just butting in to say those aren't lily of the valley scents — they're iris based. They'll be kind of rooty and earthy with an overlay of smooth, cool powder.
Expectations can play such a big role when trying scents for the first time–I didn't want you to be disappointed.
For a very fine (though pricy) modern LOTV scent, you might try Parfums DelRae's Debut.
Whoops! Yes, iris–that's what I meant. I was writing my comment as I ate my Cheerios this morning and clearly I hadn't had my coffee yet. Thanks for noticing that! And thanks for the new Iris suggestions as well.
-Kristen
That's great, congrats. It's such a great scent, and the packaging was so cool.
Rhonda, so glad you discovered the Geranium Bourbon, and that it wasnt something that you would have tried otherwise, that's great.
But oh, my very deepest sympathies…just reading about you losing your notes gave me a sick feeling. I understand completely why it might make you lose interest entirely. Glad to hear it's coming back, at least a little…
Asya, do not be embarrassed at all — I'm surprised if anyone ever works their way through the whole list, much less in a few months! So glad you found at least 1 full bottle, even if it was a tangent.
Wish I had a Whole Foods near by! Whenever I go visit family, I run over there to buy chocolate & scented things.
Kirsten, you found some lovely new favorites & our tastes overlap quite a bit, Glad the experience worked out so well for you, & do think finding that it expanded your tastes is as important as getting a recommendation that turns into a purchase.
But what cracked me up was how you sneaked the 3 REALLY big $$ items in at the very end in a p.s.!
I know! I'm plotting for the 15ml travel size of VG at the moment.
It takes some skillfull negotiation tactics with darling husband, but eventually he sees that one large bottle versus 30 or 40 decants is actually a saving.
That argument is equally reversible when decants are desired, of course!