Today we're helping Sheena. Sheena's longtime signature perfume was Rochas Tocade, but her local perfume store in Kuala Lumpur stopped carrying it 5 years ago, and she's having trouble finding a replacement (and yes, she knows she could buy it online). Sheena wants to find a perfume that "has a strong personality and possibly poetic", but she also wants something she can buy locally at a reasonable price (no more than $100, and preferably much less). She also says that "Malaysia is obsessed with mainstream/ pop fragrances", so she's not after a "distinctive niche scent"; still, she'd like to find something that not absolutely everyone else is wearing. Here is what we know about Sheena:
Sheena's in her mid-20s and works as a literature educator in a local university.
She's also a performance poet and slam artist.
Other hobbies and interests: belly dance, travelling, quirky clubs, lounges, restaurants and galleries.
Sheena describes herself as a "a strong modern woman with an odd penchant for vintage/classic and oriental things including perfumes".
Sheena likes notes of rose, amber, vanilla, incense and sometimes myrrh or leather. Some of the fragrances she likes include Dolce & Gabbana Sicily, Paloma Picasso Mon Parfum, Chanel Coco, Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely, Narciso Rodriguez For Her, Annick Goutal Grand Amour, Dior Poison and Bvlgari Pour Femme.
Fragrances that Sheena has tried but not quite loved include Chanel Allure ("bores me later"), Jean Paul Gaultier Fleur du Male (too clean), Nanette Lepore For Her (too sweet), Estee Lauder Youth Dew ("suits best for the boudoir"), Clinique Simply (too well-behaved), Miss Dior Chérie ("too cotton candy sugary"), and Hèrmes Kelly Caleche ("loved the leather but disappointing sillage"). And a few perfumes that made her "physically sick": Mariah Carey M, Moschino Cheap and Chic Hippy Fizz, all the Paris Hilton perfumes, DKNY Be Delicious, Emporio Armani Diamonds and Jennifer Lopez Live Luxe.
What say you?
Note: image is Post Box: Old post box in San Gimignano (Italy) [cropped] by Luca Zappa at flickr; some rights reserved.
Hi Sheena! Hmmm…not sure what everyone’s wearing in Malaysia, but how about D&G’s The One? Or perhaps Calvin Klein’s Euphoria or Chanel’s Allure Sensuelle?
Hmmm. . . . what about Cuir de Lancome as a substitution for the lack of sillage in the Kelly Caleche? It covers the vintage/classic vibe. And if she likes classic/vintage and oriental, you can’t go wrong with Shalimar, can you? Sheena might also want to try Gaultier2 for vanilla and amber, I’d suggest Goutal’s Orientaliste collection for incense, but I think that might be above her price point. I’d also suggest Tauer perfumes and the CdG incenses, but those are definately niche and she’s trying to avoid that.
I think Caron’s Parfum Sacre is an obvious choice. Rose, incense, vanilla, myrrh, some woody basenotes and a little pepper, with a vintage/oriental feel, and available for less than $30 online. It’s one of my favourites and very beautiful, I think.
I vote for Parfum Sacre too. (When would I ever NOT recommend PS??) I don’t get any vanilla from it – it’s strongly woody in the drydown on me. It does share a feeling of strength, warmth and femininity with Tocade.
How about EL Amber Ylang Ylang? The Parfum Sacre mentioned above is also a great suggestion.
hi everyone!
Sheena I also think Parfum Sacre is a wonderful one to try.In terms of availability what about Lancome’s Tresor,Poeme and Magie Noire?.For the rose and amber notes StellaMc. Stellaor Stella Rose Absolute,and finally V.Westwood Boudoir for a scent with a nice,strong personality and vintage feel to it.
Good luck and good day
Lole.
Prada Eau de Parfum has vanilla and amber and is slightly incens-y. Also it would be easy to find and under $100.
I’m not sure how easy it is to find Fragonard perfumes in Malaysia. If it is easy, Baroque might be worth trying. The EDT comes in a big (200ml) bottle and is also under $100.
How about Shalimar or Black Orchid? Or Paris for the rose? 2nd the Poeme by the way.
I agree with those who suggested:
Cuir de Lancome
Caron Parfum Sacre
Prada by Prada
and Shalimar Light or original Shalimar in edt
Perhaps you could also try –
Angel Innocent
CK Obsession (nice amber oriental – used to be popular, but now it would seem original)
Coco Chanel
Agent Provocateur
Bvlgari BLV
Guerlain L’Instant
Mauboussin edp
Trouble by Boucheron
This one is niche and more expensive so I apologize but when I read your likes the first perfume I thought of was:
Juliette Has a Gun Citizen Queen…. rose, spices, leather
I agree with Shalimar and Parfum Sacre, and for that matter, you might also like L’Heure Bleue?
I also think Lancome Tresor might fit the bill. It’s classic in a 1950’s pin-up kind of way to me; verrry pretty rose; probably easy to find.
Happy Hunting!
I’ve read that Cabaret by Gres is similar to Tocade, but I don’t have first-hand experience of either perfume.
I second the already-suggested Agent Provocateur, Vivienne Westwood Boudoir, Stella Rose Absolute. If you can find them in KL, give them a try!
For a rose-vanilla-amber alternative to Tocade, you could always try Bond no. 9’s West Side! It has a modern/vintage feeling you might like. (I’m a fan of both fragrances.)
It’s over her price range, but Tom Ford’s Black Orchid is wonderful. Rich floral heart, incense vanilla and patchouli in the drydown. It’s very distinctive and long-lasting.
The other would be Angel by Thierry Mugler. It can be found online for under 100 u.s. Both have great staying power and sillage.
I have no idea what is local in Malaysia, but an MUAer slipped Paestum Rose as an extra in a swap recently. It is a fantastic Rose that is by L’Eau d’Italie I think (someone correct me please). I also agree with the Prada suggestion.
Hi,
Give the newest Badgley Mishka COUTURE edp a try.
~Dawn
Hi, I thought of two fragrances that you might like. They are Armani Code for Women and Burberry Brit (edp). They’re quite similar, but the Code has more powerful vanilla and the Brit is a bit more floral.
Annick Goutal Songes, though maybe that’s hard to find? Or Bulgari Omnia.
As a fellow Tocade fan, it’s hard to think of a substitute. However, there are lots of great suggestions above, including Parfum Sacre and Tresor.
Another to try might be Calvin Klein’s Secret Obsession. It doesn’t seem to be that popular (it’s showing up at a lot of discounters), but it should be readily availabile. It’s a warm mix of spice, ripe-ish fruit, florals (including rose), and amber/vanilla.
Hi Sheena – since I’ve worn Coco since the 80s, and also Paloma Picasso, Grand Amour, etc, I thought I’d have something to contribute to your search. These are the frags I’d recommend, and that I also wear – some of them are also noted above too as good rec’s:
Prada – floral – oriental amber & spices
Parfum Sacre – spicy, woody rose
Agent Provocateur – saffron rose
Estee Lauder Knowing – fantastic mossy rose
Tom Ford White Patchouli – fun, floral patchouli
Stella McCartney – warm rose, amber & patchouli
Givenchy (Les Mythiques) L’Interdit – warm floral aldehyde amber
Lancome Magie Noir – dirty rose and labdanum oriental/chypre
Sarah Jessica Parker Covet – lavender chocolate oriental
Donna Karan (Signature) – a wonderful floral oriental with suede notes
Boucheron – gorgeous rich floral – oriental
Annick Goutal Heure Exquise – rose, iris, & gorgeous sandalwood
Annick Goutal Mandragore – wonderful citrus, tea, pepper & violets
Annick Goutal Songes – gorgeous tiare, jasmine & vanilla
Caron Montaigne – gorgeous narcissus, mimosa, & sandalwood (for me, rivals Coco for fabulousness!)
Cartier So Pretty – amazing rose chypre/oriental
Guerlain Nahema, Couturier Coriandre, Paestum Rose are my suggestions that haven’t yet been mentioned.
Hi Sheena
I’m not familiar with Tocade so I checked it out in M. Edwards “fragrances of the world”: it’s a floral oriental, as well as some of the other perfumes you mentioned, so maybe you want to stick to this category. Other more or less well known perfumes in this category have already been mentioned, in particular parfum sacré, so it’s worth a test ( I have to try it, in any case), trésor, poison, nahéma… others could be kasule floriental (K. Lagerfeld), flowerbykenzo… ta’if by Ormonde Jayne is also in this category, but probably too niche, unavailable and expensive for you, good luck, Bee
I have both the Tocade and Ta’if and the Tocade is much more intense. Tocade lasts but the Ta’if (which I wore today) fades with in 30 minutes on me
Can I suggest a quick trip south? Off top of head, you can get Annick Goutal, TDC, Creed and Serge at Tangs, and Fragonard and CB elsewhere in Singapore. Bit out of the range, but much fun to play with, and I volunteer to take you to my favorite discounters afterwards!
Oh, please share! I live in KL also and have been trying to find the distinctive, niche perfumes somewhere here. I was just in Singapore and checked out the department stores — Tangs has the same good selection in KL as Singapore, plus S’pore has Serge Lutens. Any other recommendations of places to find the non-mainstream scents?
Sheena, some of these I looked up for you are repeats so you might really want to try them: another Rochas, Alchimie, Dior Addict Eau Fraiche, Lancolm Poeme and Magic Noire, Estee Lauder Spellbound and Amber Ylang Ylang, L’Artisan L’ Eau D’ Ambre or the Extreme, and L’Instant by Guerlain.
Joy and good luck,
Becca
I remember a friend from college whose fragance was Tocade, I can think of Gaultier Classique Edp as a good alternative, rosa and vainilla. I agree on Allure Sensuelle, quite diferent fro the regular Allure and lots of inciense in it. Good Luck!
Ok, it’s crazy-theory-time.
My crazy theory is that now “EVERYBODY” is wearing a fragrance that smells of a mix of citronella candles and OFF! bug spray.
I think it’s Jil Sander Sport Woman (the men’s smells the same too)
I have smelled it in airports at north and south america, and also in spain.
Here in Buenos Aires the upperclass wears it too, and I am tempted to ask what is it (as most are totally oblivious to Jil Sander) and as the last craze was Tommy Girl and then Ralph Lauren Blue (I am always talking female perfumes here) I am tempted to think it’s one of those brands, or perhaps some escada?
For me, it is the current smell of the well-to-do.
I know it is a crazy theory, but well, If someone can recommend a frag that smells like that, then Sheena has a winner.
I also love Tocade by Rochas – you might want to consider Caron’s Narcisse Noir.
Hello! First thought was Habanita (tobacco, vanilla, leather- very sexy and distinctive- try the EDP or parfum if you can)- I also will join in the throng for Parfum Sacre. Also Attrape Coeur (forgive my spelling- this also has another name? someone chime in please
and Diorling- I have only smelled the vintage and it is a gorgeous leather. Bandit if you can stand it (hehe)- and Cuir de Lancome…
good luck!
I love Tocade very much, and for me it’s a very joyous scent. I find it happy and uplifting. In comparison, I don’t find the same sense of happiness in Parfum Sacre, it is a rather somber scent for me in comparison. Thus, it’s not the smell but the feeling I would want to recreate for myself. When I consider my other “joyous” perfumes (not many), the next in line is Lolita Lempika. Not the same category scent-wise as Tocade, but the same category mood-wise for me.
I agree: Piguet’s Bandit and Caron’s Parfum Sacre should fit the bill nicely! and they both can be found at the discount houses. i also like Nahema and Sheena may like it, too.
I second Bandit! It is a great love of mine. A very dark, rebellious leathery scent. And I guarantee hardly anyone else will be wearing it.
It’s difficult to recommend, as I don’t know what lines your local department stores stock. But Robert Piguet perfumes are available on-line, and very cheaply on Ebay (I just bought a brand new bottle for £35 including international shipping. SCORE!)
I do recommend finding a well stocked Guerlain counter and spending a good hour smelling strips. I did this recently, as I hadn’t explored the line, and it is so iconic I felt obliged! Nahema is glorious, Vol de Nuit and Jicky surprisingly leapt out at me. Vol de Nuit might appeal to you actually…….usually the pure Parfum versions are th emost glorious, but its worth trying the EdT in Jicky and the EdP in the others to make things more affordable.
For mainstream rose/amber/vanilla, there is Estee Lauder Intuition. Or Stella for rose/amber.
Hello everyone!
Thank you so much for your suggestions, there are quite a few that cant be found here in KL but I am not giving up yet. Besides, maybe it is time for me to go for online shopping
I am practically giggling in anticipation at the thought of these new perfumes for me to try! Can’t wait!