Nadine is today's subject. She's from Paris but is currently living in Berlin, and she's had some trouble finding a new perfume. Actually, she'd like to find two: one for warm weather and one for cold, and...
...ideally the former would be written in the mirror language of the latter, or vice versa. Two perfumes which invoke the "sensual world" of Ulysses' Molly Bloom, "the taste of seedcake from his wet mouth"... Something perhaps a little complicated but not troubling, more feminine than bordering on androgynous, a big secret one can share, coquette, touching and definitely more of a perfumed assault rather than breezy olfactory haiku.
Her price limit is around $200, and she has pretty good access to perfume stores. Here is what we know about Nadine:
She's in her mid-20s and finishing a Master's degree in Comparative Literature.
She has dark blond hair and green eyes.
She's moody, complicated, melancholic and very sentimental, but also (she hopes) silly, funny and sometimes seductive and charming.
For music and clothes, Nadine says she is "drawn toward the mutant hybrids and the bastards".
Nadine likes powdery and gourmand notes, citrus, chypre and floral notes. Scents she has loved in the past include Guerlain Samsara ("I love the powdery, 80s oriental chic of this scent but because I've worn it for a while I'm a bit bored of it now"), Chanel Coco Mademoiselle ("...very coquette and sexy to me, but I have grown tired of it"), Jil Sander Jil ("too simple and monolithic for me"), Frederic Malle Le Parfum de Thérèse.
Scents she likes or likes to smell on others, but would not wear regularly herself include Santa Maria Novella Melograno, Clarins Eau Dynamisante, Rochase Eau de Rochas, Annick Goutal Eau d'Hadrien and Acqua di Parma.
Nadine does not like obvious fruity notes, anything that's too syrupy sweet, too heady or too fresh. Some fragrances she dislikes include Calvin Klein ck one, Davidoff Cool Water, DKNY Be Delicious, Elizabeth Arden Sunflowers, Joop All About Eve, Armani Emporio Armani For Her, Serge Lutens Douce Amère, Cacharel Anais Anais, Vivienne Westwood Boudoir, the Clean line, Narciso Rodriguez For Her, any of the Annick Goutal orientals.
Here are some of the fragrances Nadine has tried in her search:
For winter: Shisedio Feminité de Bois ("great big plum"), L'Artisan Passage d'Enfer (too much incense), L'Artisan Safran Troublant ("smelled like its name, and not in a good way"), Guerlain Vol de Nuit ("too old-fashioned"), Guerlain L'Heure Bleu (Nadine owns it but "hasn't understood this scent yet").
For summer: Creed Spring Flower ("too violently floral"), L'Artisan La Chasse au Papillons ("a bit boring"), Frederic Malle Lipstick Rose (she doesn't like obvious or predominant rose notes).
Note: image is ei, seu carteiro! by .mands. at flickr; some rights reserved.
A few immediately come to mind-THE ULTIMATE May BE ROJAS DOVE UNSPOKEN or ENSLAVE. one is a chypre , and one is an oriental.
A few more choices Guerlain’s Iris Ganache or Nahema, L’eau d’Hiver by JCE for Malle might work as well.the Jovoy line is interesting ;either Poudre or chypre
Out on a limb for spring- Molinard’s Iles d’or, and Verno Kern’s Rubj
Completely agree with Iris Ganache! It is absolutely delicious!
Hi, it’s Nadine again.
I don’t know whether replying to the suggestions this early in the game is protocol, but I will chime in a little anyway
MEMECHOSE: Thanks so much for the suggestions. I have already sniffed the Guerlain scents but will revisit.
As for Molinard: I have visited Grasse a few times and flirted with a few of their fragrances while I was there, but I think I over-did it each time as I can’t remember any one smell in particular… Seeing as a few of you have suggested Molinard fragrances I think I’ll look into this line again, tho’.
I am very tempted to try Roja Dove and Verno Kerns — you have got me dreaming (drooling? *YEEAOW*)!
AHHHH Comp Literature. I was a literature major as well. How did i not think of this.(hits forehead) 1876 by Histoires de parfums for a drop dead sexy scent named for birth date of mata Hari. personally .I wear 1804, George Sand….the double entendre “histoires’= stories AND histories. A Wonderful line to explore.
Thank you once more Memechose!
I once tried the Colette frangrance, but it wasn’t the love affair I had anticipated. I looked up Mata Hari and will try it, absolutely!
Roja Dove- No coffee yet sorry.
Hi Nadine, have you tried Ormonde Jayne’s Ormonde Woman? It is a stunning almost-chypre, in my opinion, no powder but just lovely. I would say it is stunning in any weather.
What about Guerlain’s Mitsouko or Amouage Jubilation 25? These I prefer in cooler weather. Jubilation 25 is very complex and melodramatic, in no way a haiku.
I’ll think some more. Good luck and I look forward to others’ suggestions, as usual.
Hi Everyone!
This is Nadine. A little note to say thank you to Robin and all of you for including me in your feature! I’m so thrilled, my mouth is already watering.
LOVETHESCENTS: Mmmmh, those suggestions sound marvellous. The only one I know is Mitsouko because an ex-bf used to wear it…
Yes, Nadine, you must sample the OJ and the Jubilation!
Thinking more about powders, have you tried Lorenzo Villoresi’s Donna or Teint de Neige? The Neige one is a little sweet, but the Donna you might go for: it’s gourmand and powder with some lovely swirling flowers….rose included but not in the obvious sense.
How do you feel about vanilla?
I am swooning over the OJ description on the website and perfume forums! Thank you!
Teint de Neige has been a recurrent suggestion, so I will defo look into that.
As for vanilla: I don’t like overly gourmand notes and I hate pure vanilla soaps or cremes or scented candles, yeech (sorry, vanilla-lovers). However, most of the powdery scents I like – the ones that feel more suitable to colder weather to me – have a strong vanilla presence in them, so I would definitely go for a fragrance built around it.
A big thanks to all of you who recommended the OJ line — I’ve been looking into it and am excited to try some of the fragrances. Can you recommend testing the EdP or will only the parfum do?
LOVETHESCENTS: I will try some of the Lorenzo Villoresi scents today. I wonder if Teint de neige will suit a blondish pale pink girl with some freckles across the nose, I feel I don’t really live up to the name… we shall see!
The EdPs are wonderful.
Hi Nadine
I am an OJ lover in London! I own Ormonde Woman in EdP and am very happy with it – but I do find that it wears off quickly. Now that I know I love this scent, and never want to be without it, I will invest in the Parfum when my EdP runs out.
Of course it depends on the person, and the lasting power will be different for everyone. Are you ordering her sample programme? I guess, if you love the scent enough, investing in the Parfum would be a good idea. But the EdP is a cheaper way to make sure you really love it first!
Thank you Robin and Blimunda.
I’m happy to hear that the EdPs differ from the perfumes more in lasting power than actual scent — that’s what I was a bit worried about. And yes, I’m going to try and get to whole sample set. *YEAH*
Salut, Nadine!
I second the recommendations for Ormonde Jayne Woman; in fact, any of her scents might interest you. In some of these the florals are more tropical in feel (Champaca, Frangipani), but they are all wonderful and the drydowns are similar. I also wonder if you’d like Prada’s Infusion d’Iris, a powdery floral without too much sweetness. Attrape-coeur (Guet-apens) by Guerlain is also a nice floral, not dated in feel. Montaigne by Caron is another great powdery 80s scent, but without the oriental note (just be careful how much you put on!). A more classic floral is Le Dix by Balenciaga; to me it smells retro rather than dated. Also try Manoumalia by Les Nez, another lovely tropical. Bonne chance!
Oh, Le Dix is an excellent idea for any weather as well!
Bought this yesterday…
What did i buy ? Attrape-coeur
Coucou Bergere,
merci pour ces pistons! Is the Prada Iris anything like Iris Noble by Aqua di Parma? AdP Iris is too powdery for me as a perfume, but I adore the body cream! Thhe scent is heavenly and it feels so soft on the skin.
I’m putting Attrape-coeur high up on the list, mostly because I love the name
Sorry, that should read Iris Nobile.
It sounds like you want a serious, powerful feminine perfume! How about Chanel no. 19, Bulgari Black or YSL Rive Gauche? Mitsouko might work, too, I like that suggestion.
Hi Nadine, Berlin must be such a stimulating place to live!
now, “a big secret one can share, coquette, touching and definitely more of a perfumed assault”
…brings me to four florals (easy to wear, not exactly an assault, but with great and distinct personality):
– Isabey Gardenia (for the chic lady-like retrò feel: seems so right to me for Berlin @ 20!!!)
– Frangipani by Ormonde Jayne (for the lime peel on the white flower cream)
– Rubj by Vero Kern (for the uncompromising rose-honeyed beauty)
– white aoud by Motale (roses, saffron, woods and vanilla – very nice)
wether these are winter or summer scents depends on the wearer, I think (maybe the last two are better in winter). For summer:
– Eau d’Italie (splash or not)
Good luck with your quest!
Thanks very much Zazie!
I’m in for a serious try-out period!
Berlin IS stimulating — fun, funny and sadlarious (sad, hilarious)… but unfortunately there are only a few places in the city that carry a larger range of niche scents, and none of them are individual boutiques. If anyone is visiting Berlin or thinking of moving here I WOULD NOT recommend the famed Quartier 206 because the sales people are terribly unfriendly and not helpful. KaDeWe and Lafayette are nice, but many lines are not available. So I have a question for all of you living in Europe or Germany in particular: can you recommend something like The Perfumed Court, based out of EU/D? I will repeat this question in the next open question thread, so if you don’t feel like answering now, no worries!
You should to visit The Different Scent, a wonderful niche boutique in Berlin. You will find many lines there not available elsewhere. I was also a little disappointed with the frag selection in Berlin, no L’Artisan to be found anywhere?? I’ve also looked for a European Perfumed Court, but not found it (yet). First In Fragrance, based in Germany, seems to have a good sample program though.
Thanks for the tip, I’m off to the shop today!
If you’re in Berlin and looking for L’Artisan Parfumeur you can find the semi-complete line in the Quartier, though I dislike that dept. store.
I went to the shop yesterday, it’s really sweet, a very good recommendation!
Nadine sounds very much like my dd- similar tastes, colouring, academic ativities, style and age- a smart & sophisticated person.
maybe try:
L’Artisan Premier Figuier Extreme
L’Artisan Mure et Musc Extreme
Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom & Honey
Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir
Guerlain Apres l’Ondee
Chanel 28 la Pausa
TDC Un Parfum de Sens et Bois
Creed Love In Black
FM l’Eau d’Hiver
P&J Blanc
Thanks Bxasif!
Nice to know that there are a few of us CompLit people floating around here. We’re much in demand in today’s work force :S
Nadine –
After reading that you like powdery, I immediately thought of Lorenzo Villorosi – TEINT DE NEIGE – it is a little sweet, but definitely one of the Queens of Powder. Actually, you might want to try quite a few from his line – DONNA, YERBAMATE, INCENSI, ALAMUT – they’re all nicely done and pack a big punch of powerful sillage.
Good Luck,
Marko
Yes, Marko, I think I will have to familiarize myself with this line, which I had never even heard of before you suggested it. Thank you. Amazing.
Fifi Chachnil.
I was thinking Fifi also–“sensual, coquette, a secret…” certainly not “haiku”. I would call it a tobacco scent with floral and citrus notes…plus that charming coriander twist. This works in Winter or Summer.
Oh Colombina!
I am intrigued!
I’m not much one for 50s pin-up scents, but I will try to become familiar with this one…
adding Balenciaga Cristobal as a possible winter choice, and Hermes Eau de Merveilles for summer….:-)
Hi Nadine
I heartily support the suggestion of Ormonde Woman for a great winter scent. It is superlative – it is feminine, mysterious, unusual and extremely sensual. You will smell like no one else.
Summer:
Mandragore by Annick Goutal. This is a slightly melancholic twist on a citrus, made with Mandrake. (The Edp version is better than the EdT.)
Also for summer, try Guerlain’s Jicky. The EdT is a lighter, sparklier version – the denser the concentration the more animalic it becomes.
For summer evenings……..Fracas by Robert Piguet. This is an assault of tuberose!! Very sexy and flushed!
Hm, I would suggest L’Instant de Guerlain, very nice powdery though it takes a while to like it,
second Premier Figuier & Musc et Mure from L’Artisan,
what about Un Jardin apres la Mousson, depends on how she gets the melon.
Herzlichen Dank!
Predominant fruit is difficult for me (I would not be able to wear Petite Cherie or Eau de Charlotte), and melon especially is a weird one, but I rather love it in Le Parfum de Therese, so I will try out Un Jardin apres la Mousson, it’s a lovely name, too.
Hi Nadine, a few of my favorite mutant hybrid bastards have sprung to mind.
For summer, two weird violet blends by genius perfumers are Mark Buxton’s mb02 by biehl parfumkunstwerke, and Christopher Brosius’ Wild Pansy. Both combine violets, leaves, dirt, twigs, branches, and forest into something lovely though the mb02 is more traditionally lady-like, and the Wild Pansy more terrestrial.
Comme des Garcon’s #3 is supposed to smell like an imagined flower in outer space. It is one of my favorite scents of all time – basil, flowers, cedar, mysterious space gasses etc. Wonderful.
You may also like Six Scents #4 Gareth Pugh & Emilie Coppermann which is supposed to express “diagonal” – includes dill black pepper and tea. It’s actually very light and summery. #6 is Preen & Mark Buxton, and although it’s described as rhubarb and violet leaves I find it much more dill and peppery than #4. Perhaps my samples are mislabeled! Either way, both are great, light, wearable and unusual.
For winter, CdG Odeur 71 is an odd bird – “The notes are inspired by dust on a hot lightbulb, bamboo, metal, electricity and lettuce juice” which to me smells like electricity, hot dust, cedar and incense. Its terrific, and totally wearable. It’s a lighter alternative to #2.
These scents sound uninterpretable and moving.
I’m really intrigued and hope I’ll be able to get my hands on them soon.
I can’t say that I’ve been particulary daring or avant-garde with my perfume choices thus far, nor do I know if I would want to smell bird of paradise scents on myself over a longer period of time as I haven’t experimented enough. I don’t think I would fall for an overly literal fragrance (I imagine the Demeter line to be a bit like this), though I would love if someone were to translate the smell of the fur on the back of a small animal like a cat or hare after it’s been running through the wet grass.
Would you say these fragrances (aside from the violet ones) are hermaphrodite or more obviously gendered?
As one also prone to moodiness, complication, and the occasional silliness, I’m just going to recommend some of my personal faves:
*CdG 2 Woman: complex, dark, mysterious, competent, and really, really cool
*Bandit: You want perfumed assault? Here you go!
*L’Air du Désert Marocain: smokey, spicey, dry as a bone but definitely feminine enough for a woman
*Tauer Incense rosé: dark, sultry rose
*Heeley Cardinal: light incense with a citrusy twist
I’m not sure how you feel about incense, but I’m very drawn to its inherently melancholic characteristics. As for florals, you might want to try some carnation scents — the spiciness keeps things interesting. The Lorenzo Villoresi Donna mentioned in an above post has some carnation; there’s also LV Garofano, Caron Bellodgia, and CdG Carnation (still looking for the perfect carnation for myself, but these are a good place to start!).
Just a thought on the mutant hybrid bastard theme: B Never 2 Busy to B Beautiful (or whatever the heck the name is) Breath of God: floral + engine grease. You might like CdG Stephen Jones for the outer-space violet too. Have fun!
I love incense as an essential oil but I have yet to find a strongly incensed-based perfume I woud actually like to wear… If I found something that worked for me it could be big love, though, I feel.
(By the way, in my case my mum and boyfriend say it isn’t complicatedness, but difficultness :))
Hi! This is my first comment on NST but I have been reading for a while
Nadine, I first thought of Serge Lutens Datura Noir. To me, it’s an intoxicating summer scent that mixes an unusual white floral note (the datura) with notes like bitter almond and tonka.
L’Artisan Voleur de Rose is a dirty rose with wood and earth. Some people have discribed it as walking through a forest. Not sweet, but moody and complicated.
I also second the Fifi, and would like to add Anne Pliska.
Enjoy the hunt
Thank you Datura!
I wanted to be excited about the Serge Lutens line when I first heard about if a few years ago, but somehow I wasn’t drawn to it. I will definitely seek out Datura Noir again though, as I can’t remember it and it has been suggested a few times.
Does anyone else dislike the packaging? I’m into the whole minimalistic concept in perfume flacons (some of the cucul ones are downright ugly, ahem, Maitre Parfumeur & G, ahem), but I find both SL and FM let down some of the fragrances in their lines (Therese doesn’t belong in that bottle, IMO).
I’m honoured that you wrote your first comment to make a recommendation
Nadine, I’m thinking Guerlain Insolence EdP, FM Carnal Flower or Iris Poudree, Juliette Has a Gun’s Lady Vengeance, Guerlain Oriental Brulant, Guerlain Angelique Noire, MDCI Enlevement Au Serail, and Rosine Rose Praline. I don’t think the rose notes in Lady Vengeance or Rose Praline are as predominant as they are in Lipstick Rose.
Good luck, and happy testing!
Would you say that Lady Vengeance and/or Rose Praline have the same kind of pin-up, film noiresque appeal to them as Lipstick Rose?
No, not as much. They are both more praline like. LV reminds me of homemade waffles for some reason!
I’m stumped for a Summer suggestion, but for Winter, how about Guerlain’s Sous le Vent? I second the Angelique Noire. Both are stunning, complex and worth a try. Happy spritzing!
hello!
Hi there!
Here I am again .Robin this new format is wonderful ,thank you very much can I just say that I am missing a lot your recs.( you’ve got excellent taste and thanks to your reviews and this feature I have fallen in love with various stunning fragrances making my life richer(speaking in terms of sensations,moneywise I am poorer ,lol) well I suppose if you can’t do them anymore is ’cause you’ve got your plate full so to speak…but I am looking forward to more of your personal favorites inserted here…
Well, here are my recs.for Nadine;for winter what about Paloma Picasso Mon parfum,Bandit by Piguet or Molinard’s Habanita?For summer Hermes’ Un jardin sur le Nil or Guerlain’s Herba Fresca?
Bonne chance, Lole.
Merci à toi Lole!
I couldn’t wear Paloma Picasso as my mum sometimes wore it when I was a child… I can’t wear Coco either, I associate it too much with her (in a nice way, of course).
I’ll second the recommendation of the Lutens Datura Noir. It has a lot of powder (in fact, on some people it smells like the inside of rubber gloves). Definitely also try one of the biehl parfumkunstwerke selections, being a hometown perfumery…
I am familiar with the Berlin “scene” in terms of clubs and music venues and the sort of “mutant hybrids” you see hanging out there, so my recs are based more on the vibe of your lifestyle, since overtly floral scents strike me as inappropriate for the city.
I would also suggest Ormonde Jayne Woman, and OJ Tolu, also Divine L’Inspiratrice – though for powder, Divine L’Ame Soeur and L’Infante are also nice, Bvlgari Black and PG L’Ombre Fauve, and Damien Bash Lucifer No 3. They are all offbeat and edgy, with in most cases, a slightly dark undercurrent. Balenciaga Cristobal, which someone mentioned, would also fit the bill, which is a slightly spicy, woody oriental. Bois des Iles is powdery and gourmand, and gorgeous, if not especially edgy.
These are a few of my favourite things for wearing in Berlin!
I love how you have chosen scents to suit the city!
It’s true that not too many of the cool girls wear Juicy Couture here, hehe.
I am jumping on the Andy Tauer bandwagon as well and seconding l’Air du Desert Marocain – I like it very lightly applied in warmer weather and heavier in cold. Also love Maroc pour Elle.
Farmacia ss Annunziata makes interesting gourmand scents – my faves are Aurora (clean spice with no vanilla) and Perla, which is fruity and marshmallowy but not cloying. I’m still testing the line.
For the more avant-garde flavor I would say Bulgari Black, l’Artisan Dzing!, Bond 9 Andy Warhol Silver Factory, CdG 2, CdG odeur 71.
Hello Nadine!
I would recommend TDC Jasmine de Nuit….the jasmine isn’t prominent at all,it is a tas sweet and spicy,a true beauty!
I hope to try this soon! Jasmin in my father’s favourite flower.
*is*
Yes – Dzing! would be just the thing for under the arches at the Hackescher Markt!
I can’t imagine a better scent for winter than Hermes Hermessences’ Ambre Narguile. It’s like being enveloped in cashmere – which I believe was it’s inspiration. It’s not as expensive if you buy the box of 4 purse-size sprays, and Hermes is really generous with samples – maybe they know they’re addictive so you’ll be sure to return for a FB! As for summer, I like Parfum D’Empire’s Osmanthe Interdite, and also Annick Goutal’s new one called Duel.
How about Dior’s Eau Sauvage Fraîcheur Cuir? I know it’s tilted toward men, but it smells terrific and would double beautifully on a woman. It has the citrus of its sibling, with an added hue of leather, all held together by a beautiful powder. It would serve nicely as your daytime fragrance…
If you like that, you might also try Jaïpur Homme Fresh, which is quite similar, though without the added leather tones. Ostensibly a limited edition fragrance, it’s been “limited” for five years now.
Hey, a thought from a frequent reader, first time commentor, nose obsessed, rookie perfumista: Kenzo Amour might fit the bill. Gourmand without making you smell like something to eat, sweet but tempered with a bit of woodiness and a bit powdery, but not in a baby’s-butt kind of way. It’s been a winter scent for me, the sweetness has a warm wrapped-up-in-blankets feel. Easily found at Sephora or at the Kenzo website and completely within price range.
Good Luck!