Talk about anything you like — what perfume you’re wearing today, what perfume you'll wear for Halloween, the last bottle you bought, whatever. Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer.
Note: image is Bokeh Weeds [cropped] by Noël Zia Lee at flickr; some rights reserved.
Ha! Spookily, it looks like I might be first…
Okay…Halloween scents! I’ve been waiting to dress up as Morticia Addams and wear TDC Rose Poivree, which is totally the roses dying in the vase, emphasis on the vase water, on me.
Perfect!
Roses dying in the vase… that was Voleurs de Roses on me.
I love how Morticia clips the flowers off the stems, cara mia.
LOL!
Good morning all.
SOTD = Chêne … which will be perfect if it stays a little cool today like it’s supposed to, even though yesterday it was 80 degrees!
Last bottle bought was the CdG x Artek Standard, on the way soon is a decant of Guet-Apens, and the next bottle will probably be the much more reasonably priced Kretek by Ava Luxe. I am, in fact, reining in my budget! 😀
Kretek! I miss that smell 🙂
I have a decant of Attrape-Coeurs/Guet-Apens, and it is gorgeous. I adore the amber in it; I wish I could just cuddle up in it. However, I think it’s too warm still for me to wear yet (we’ve only had frost twice), and I’m saving it for Christmas.
Oooh… I have a decant of that on the way.
Oh! I just wore Attrape-Coeur yesterday…love, love, love…
Oh geat- another one to add to my ever growing list for TPC!
Joe – I made the mistake of asking my Finnish husband if he knew of a company called Artek. He gave me a blank stare, so I spelled it for him. Still blank. Said it was a Finnish design company, and he said “OH! Arrrrrrrrrrtek!” (rolling R). Stunning how much of a language barrier we have sometimes, given that he IS fluent in English (and has been since age 3). 😀 Anyway…gave him the list of notes and he was definitely intrigued.
Hah! Your story makes me smile. I had a similar experience in August. While travelling from Calgary to Amsterdam, I sat next to a lovely man who said he was originally from the Netherlands but had lived in western Canada for more than 30 years. He asked where I was headed. “Mastricht,” I said, invoking, as best I could, 4 years of university-lecture hall-German. He was blank. He had never heard of it. Curious, I suppose, that there might be a place in his homeland of which he had never heard, he asked me to spell it. “Ahhhh! Mastricht!!” [he said, with a pronounciation I still can’t process phonetically], “I grew up in the next village over!”
I was surprised that he hadn’t been able to convert my clumsy English pronounciation of the word into its spelling (based on my pronounciation) and then “read it back” (in his mind) into Dutch — since he had a lifelone facility with both languages.
Returning to the topic of perfume, it was only upon my return that I realized I had completely missed (!) the most perfect opportunity I will ever have to sample/purchase the perfumes of People of the Labrynth. I cannot find, anywhere, a decant of A-Maze. I am STILL kicking myself for the total brain-freeze I experienced while there!
SOTD – Lempicka Fleur d’Corail. I’m not sure what I’m wearing for Halloween, because my sister is getting married on that day (don’t ask) – so I guess I’ll be wearing something suitable “bridesmaid-y”. Otherwise, I’d pick something to match the weather or my costume.
Last bottle bought – Tocade for $9.99! Yes, I’m going to mention it everywhere.
Last decant bought – Jasmine et Cigarette. I’m not sure how much I like it yet – it definitely smells as advertised, I just don’t know how much I want to smell like I’m about to take the “walk of shame” after a night of partying.
Jasmine et Cigarette doesn’t smell *that* much like cigarette to me! I like it. Not sure I need a bottle though.
It doesn’t smell like cigarette at all on me! I was actually disappointed.
It doesn’t smell like a cigarette, per se – more like eau d’ashtray. I’m hoping that my nose develops a little more and it picks up a nice smoky smell.
All I get is jasmine. 🙁 Either a tobacco smell or a smoky smell would be excellent. Darn.
yup…ashtray…big ole yucky ashtray….erk! I got a decant just yesterday and I am sooooo glad I waited until all the errand running and such was done before sampling. So it was an experiment….now I’m just sending everyone I know Jasmin et Cigarette samples (gotta get it outta the house somehow!) gah!
Don’t send one to me!!!
Despite some of the negative feedback, I’d like to try JetC. I like to live dangerously.
Cool, RusticD, I was getting a packet ready for you as well….and now it’ll have ashtray…..er, JetC in it. :-p
😀
OMG, I’ll buy it off of you!! Email me!
me me me me!!!
LOL, and here I’ve been avoiding it for fear it might lure me back to my evil ways, thereby depriving me of my budget. 😀
Married on Halloween. ..oh, I’m not supposed to ask. As if getting married isn’t scary enough!
Has anyone tried those Cire Trudon candles? I’d lurve one of those, probably just to buy something.
A nice MUA swapper sent me a big decant of Dzing! and dlove it! Now it it would only cool off enough to enjoy.
SOTD: Hermes Un Jardin sur le Nil (still hot here).
happy Halloweiners, everyone!
Kevin liked them:
https://nstperfume.com/2008/12/23/cire-trudon-mademoiselle-de-la-valliere-candle-home-fragrance-review/
I lust after them but am too cheap to buy!
Sigh … it’s really not that weird of a story or anything. My sister is a huge procrastinator and, despite repeated warnings, did not book a venue until it was too late and Halloween was the only date left in Sep., Oct., or Nov.
My parents got married on Halloween. Not sure what that was all about.
I sniffed a few Cire Trudons the other day, and some of them were lovely — I was particularly taken by one that purports to smell like the polished wood floors at Versailles! — but a few of them were seriously noxious. Definitely not a candidate for an unsniffed purchase, especially for that amount of moolah!
I have two of those candles: the Versailles one someone already recommended below and one called Ernesto…tobacco+leather..Both are fantastic..the smell is just the right intensity (Ernesto a bit more intense), the packaging is really elegant…I do recommend (except for the $ of course…) 🙁
thanks…maybe I’ll try the Versailles one and close my eyes and pretend!
And pretend you didn’t spend so much on it, right? LOL!
I’ve actually never tried other scented candles (you know, good ones), so I guess my recommendations aren’t worth much..but my father, who is absolutely NOT into scented things and all this fuss said when smelling the Versailles one, “oh, that’s nice..”…now THAT is a recommendation!
The Walk of Shame! Oh, perfect for JeC! (You know me and jasmine.)
And whatta steal on That Slut Tocade – good for you. And you smell nice, too.
Yeah, I steered clear of that JetC because I know anything remotely “ashtray” would make me gag, though nice, aged tobacco leaf is okay.
lol – I’ll definitely skip sending you a sample in the next package then. Unless you want to see if your experience is closer to Robin’s than mine.
I’ll take my chance and skip the potential for an ashtray experience! Thanks for thinking of me, though! 😉
crossing Joe off sample list……
And how did you enjoy the J et Ciggy?
Oops. Didn’t notice your comment above. Uh, yeah… that’s why I was pretty sure I didn’t make a mistake in missing the split boat on that one. Sorry for you.
well, it wasn’t very spendy for the decant and now I get to make all my friends suffer…..what could be better than that?
oh btw….tracking info says the Lubin Idole and Cuir de Russie should be here tomorrow! 🙂
Now on to Jicky and Chamade!
Goody on the Lubin Idole!!
Wha???? I thought you didn’t like either Jicky or Chamade!?! What changed your mind?? Or am I misunderstanding something?
Rapp: The only thing you are misunderstanding, is that, given enough time and a big enough budget, our dear Daisy is capable of falling in love with almost anything… and the upside for us (if we’re willing to wait) is that she’ll be willing to host the split. 😀 Someday I won’t be surprised to see her hosting a split of Secretions Magnifique.
LOL! Nowwww I understand. Thanks Joe. I was really confused as we just had the Jicky conversation this weekend! I believe she referred to it as a “bad breath scent” – sacrilege!
Maybe she meant “bad breath” in a good way? Errrr… but that’s a quick change of heart.
I’d better shut up because you know she’ll be along any minute and threaten to cut off our supply, and then won’t we be some sad junkies?
EGAD! Secretions Gagnifique!! I couldn’t get thru the decanting process without hacking up a furball…or six!
but you know, if you all wanted some…….JUST KIDDING! 😉
How did I miss you were doing Idole? Oh well…I’m sure enough others missed to to accommodate a second split…that was my next one up.
Did someone say Chamade?
One of my HG’s Ann. Isn’t it fantastic?!? That’s why I was confused – Daisy doesn’t like it and I was contemplating a backup bottle.
Rapp – anytime you want to split some of my supreme HG Chamade, you just let me know… I have been on a secret hoarding mission with Chamade and would love to have a comrade in arms. Contact me at MUA (I’m kalishka) – we need to talk.
Oh Ann – you’ll be hearing from me as there’s a vintage – ish bottle at a great price that I’ve got my eye on but could NOT justify buying. But splitting…. that’s another matter!
oh my….go get a flu shot and everyone starts talkin about ya!
oh Boo….I didn’t know that one was on your list!! I would not have a problem splitting up a third bottle if you and a few others want me to.
Jicky and Chamade—yeah, I got a little excited and offered to host a split…I probably won’t keep more than 5ml of each–just because they are classics that won’t always be around: kind of like a reference material. These are the Edt. Oh, Jicky is a bad breath scent but it’s important to know about …will I wear it? only if I’m trying to get out of town relatives to go home…..
Ok, now we really need an intervention if you’re hosting splits of scents you don’t even like! LOL 😀
I’m just shaking my head here. I don’t even have a comment…..
They’re both recharge bottles, too – she isn’t even getting a good bottle out of it.
I’ll shut up now – especially since I went in on the Idole and Chamade splits unsniffed. Well, the JetCig, too – obviously.
Ack, not sure what happened to my reply…my screen went wonky. Anyway…don’t be silly! I was planning to do one, and will probably keep at least 30 ml myself anyway (it’s a nice one!), so probably don’t need too many others.
I really like Cuir d Russie. 🙂
Oh, me too! I’m keeping some of Chanel CdR and Idole for myself…so those splits weren’t 100% atruistic… but 200ml is a LOT of leather. And the Idole–I only wanted a decant type but there weren’t any on wiki…..the rest is history.
Marshall’s? I found Tocade for $9.99 there too.
SOTD-Hermes Eau de Pamplemousse Rose. Wearing something easy because I still really can’t smell anything getting over this nasty cold. Giving my sniffer a little break.
I don’t usually do anything on Halloween–but if I did, it’d be Voleur de Roses by LA layered with CdG Avignon. It’s got that nice goth/earthy rose feel to it.
Oh dear, not better yet??
On the mend, but still not 100%-would love to be able to taste or smell something….. but that will come soon I hope!
I have a new bar of dark chocolate in my desk that is waiting for the taste buds to return……
Oooh, what kind??
It’s Lindt dark chocolate bars.. I have the dark choc & salt, dark choc & chilis, dark choc & orange. Have yet to find the pear flavor, but I will.
I found them a Walgreens, of all places. It’s a perfect afternoon treat with a cup of tea.
ST – Target carries them, if you have one nearby. I love the chili and the orange, and just got the sea salt one for the first time (used to get the one from World Market, but all the WMs in MN closed down 🙁 ).
I like the one w/ orange, the Orange Intense I think it’s called?
sorry it’s taking so long for you to be back to your regular self!
Good chocolate choices though….mmmmmm LIndt dk choc. mmmmm
It’s the cheap-thrills of all my habits for sure!
Voleur de Roses layered with Avignon sounds wonderful!
I discovered it by accident–wore Avignon at work, and spritzed LA’s VdR to go out at dinner. The CEO thought I’d gone shopping…. again. 🙂
I love happy accidents like that!
Another spooky incident on NST! I was thinking I would wear CdG Avignon on Halloween, but felt it would be too …. well, just too. And then I hit on what I thought would be a brilliant combination, the CdG incense layered with YR Rose Absolue, which will warm it up and sweeten it. So, great minds think alike (or sort of). Hope your nose gets better soon.
Thanks!
Halloween scents. Well Id think something sweet would b perfect for Halloween. Flowerbomb, Lolita, L lolita, Fantasy, Hidden, Viva, Hypnotic, Covet, the list goes on and on. I think Im going to wear my Hypnotic Poison or Hidden Fantasy.
Ooh.. how about Pure Poison? I love that stuff and will probably break down and buy a bottle eventually.
Today I’m wearing Pure Poison. First time i didn’t like it.
after two days become one of my favorite.
it’s nice on me. I like it’s lasting power; it’s not too strong.
SOTD is Dzing, and my HG of the week is also Dzing – now that the weather is cooler, I am rediscovering how much I lubs it. Speaking of expensive olfactory experiences, my husband and I found out last week that our septic system is mortadella and must be replaced, to the tune of $20-40k, so I cannot buy anything for the rest of my life. So I think I need a bottle of perfume to cheer me up. Something I can buy online, taking advantage of a 15% discount … I’m leaning towards Balmain a Balmain – has anyone tried it? A kitten would also help, or a visit from a baby kangaroo.
Hi, Dzingnut, sorry about the pipes! Balmain by Balmain is quite nice, a greeny floral chypre. Starts with bergamot and a green spiciness, then a creamy jasmine (with a salty hint, I thought; I also don’t get the supposed rose), over a fairly masculine chypre. You could do a lot worse.
What Bergere said. It is something I like to share as an example of a happy inexpensive find.
I wore Dzing! yesterday – love it!
Major OUCH on the septic system. I’m still wondering if renting isn’t much cheaper and less of a hassle than owning a home!!! 😉
Good for you on rewarding yourself with a new scent. Buying unsniffed, though…be careful!
Ouch 🙁
the balmain is very nice. is it an edt or perfume? saw pure perfume on ebay a couple of weeks ago. I have a mini of the edt; green, with jasmine, very lovely chypre, a bit masculine, but which chypre isn’t. if you’d interested, I can send you the mini (amounts to a larger sample) so that you avoid any nasty blind purchase surprises
sorry about the pipes 🙁 would a yellow lab do instead of the baby kangaroo? 😀
ps. dzing! has been on my wish list a year or so and I still didn’t hit the BUY button, I guess it’s the price that puts me a little off (but then I go and buy 3 cheap ones, oh well)
Oh ugh, you poor thing… How about something warm and comforting, like Theorema? Or a heap of samples to keep your mind occupied and entertained?
We have baby hopping marsupials-mainly wallabys-here but not sure that i can post one over-even if i managed to catch it!
Ohhh! That sounds adorable! Do they get as big as kangaroos?
They are very similar to kangaroos- but with a prettier face. We have a couple that are often eating our back lawn.
awwww they sound just cuter than cute! But I suppose like any wild animal that eats up your landscaping they can get tiresome. We have deer….beautiful, but pests when it comes to landscaping (which is apparently very delicious.)
Oh yes i failed to mention…..back lawn, roses, fruit trees and most of my flowers when they are very hungry!
SOTD, last bottle, and what I’m probably going to wear on Halloween are all one and the same: Serge Lutens Borneo 1834. I’ve been wanting it for a very long time, and my bottle just arrived yesterday. This is great stuff!
I have really fallen HARD for Borneo recently, so I am envious!
Joe, it’s the only chocolate-heavy fragrance that I enjoy. I love its uniqueness.
Not to enable anyone, but Luckyscent has a deal going where you get some nice-sized Lutens samples when you buy Borneo. Just sayin’.
Congrats!
Nice! Borneo is a very lovely scent. Sampled some recently and was wrist-sniffing all day!
I’ve ordered some salty/ambergris samples from TPC-will try them when my shiffer is back in business. I ordered Heely Sel Marin, The Different Company Sel de Vetiver, Miller Harris Fleurs de Sel, Vetiver Bourbon and Mandini’s Ambargris.
Love, love, love both Fleurs de Sel and Vetiver Bourbon. And you don’t hear too much about the Vetiver Bourbon.
Fleurs de Sel is really outstanding fragrance. It is always hovering on my to buy list though. It was one of my early niche discoveries. It is very unique and it reminds me completely of the smell of the countryside in Greece.
Fleurs de Sel is unique – a favorite of mine, too!
Ooh, one of my favorite categories! I love the first three, but haven’t tried the last two. Would love to hear more about them.
I will let you know for sure!
That sounds like an awesome sample theme Smokey.
It’s been fun for sure. The last theme was violets or iris–found many to fall in love with, bad news for my limping wallet. It will burst into flames at any minute!
Well we’re all in the same boat Smokey – at least you’re not alone. 😉
I love Sel de Vetiver! It was the first really weird frag I fell for. that sharp saltiness is perfect for the hot, sticky weather (esp here in Florida). First put it on and thought eewwww…you know, then I couldn’t stop wearing it.
Sounds like a neat little project…pls report back!
I sure will! As a frmr FLoridian (Sarasota) there were many scents I couldn’t enjoy due to heat/humidity. In SF, it’s much cooler/drier. I have discovered a whole fragrance wardrobe for sure. SL’s Daim Blonde is wonderful in cooler weather, a Fall fave.
SOTD is a sample of Cologne Pour Le Soir, which I like but don’t love. I do have a question for everyone – besides Bois d’Armenie, are there any other perfumes that smell like papier d’Armenie? I’m addicted to the smell of those glorious little papers.
You could possibly try SL Fumerie Turque?
I too love Papier d’Armenie , I buy them from LAFCO , Santa Maria Novella brand . I have never found another scent as close as Bois d’Armenie . I gave up and went back to the SMN papers…
SOTD is Smell Bent’s Violet Tendencies. It’s actually quite lovely on me, a dark green violet with smoky wood and leather The only downside is that it doesn’t have the staying power of the other Smell Bent I ordered – Jackie OLantern. The fun thing about ordering was the trick or treat samples they sent. I got a trick (burnt popcorn accord) and a treat that I think is buttered rum.
That’s so funny, trick or treat! I knew I liked those people’s sense of humor. I admit that none of the scents have really grabbed me by their descriptions, though.
Thanks for bringing up Smell Bent–I was trying to remember their name the other day. Add that to the list of thousands of samples I want.
Hey Jirish, I have a bottle of the Violet Tendencies and it is all pine sol and new leather on me. OK, but not what I was looking for. If you want to take it off my hands you can give me a holler by PM’ing me over on Perfume of Life, I’m “sweetlife” over there, too.
SOTD: By Kilian Back to Black.
Last bottle purchased: PdN Patchouli Intense
Dying to sniff L’AP Havana Vanille!!! <3
I am coveting that Back to Black!!
How is the PdN??
I’ll let you know when it comes.
Yes Robin…I am bending over for my spanking. HA!
LOL!
Did anyone actually buy those halloween edition frags from Smell Bent that we had an article on a week or two ago?
I got Violet Tendencies (the violet-leather one) and Jackie O’Lantern (the hazelnut pumpkin).
I’m wearing Wazamba today, will probably wear it for Halloween as well, unless I go for Avignon. Loving this stuff.
I’m with you on the Wazamba! Isn’t that a great scent?
Curious about the Wazamba? What’s that like? I just fell hard for Cuir Ottoman…I think I need it desperately. (and I’m not really a leather-fan..Cuir de Russie smells like poo on me..at least the first 5 minutes..)
Don’t know if you’ll find this – but on me, Wazamba was a nice soft Christmas tree smell with a beautiful resinous drydown. I thought I got a bit of something maybe lemon (?) on top, but reading the notes, I found apple so maybe a very tart apple. Definitely NOT fruit.
Wearing Mauboussin today, though at this moment, it seems to have completely disappeared from my skin. Hmmm…
No idea what I will wear on Halloween. My husband and I tend to boycott parties and handing out treats. We typically go to the movies! I know, I know. We’re no fun. Ha!
Mauboussin stays nice on me a long time, but Feminite du Bois does the disappearing-reappearing act. Weird, huh?
Hey Mals – that Fem de Bois problem… that’s musk anosmia. Can you believe I can only smell FdB for about 5 seconds – then it completely disappears! Totally invisible!
Shouldn’t surprise me… I suppose there are so many musks you never know which ones are going to go incognito on you.
I love the musks in Tabac Aurea… swoon… ahem, sorry. Uncurling my toes now.
It’s the gorgeous cherry tobacco and labdanum that kills me in Tabac Aurea. Like a cat with katnip! I love love love that labdanum!!!
Very strange, Ann. I’ve read that FdBois is very heavily comprised of the aromachemical ISO E Super, which is apparently in a lot of fragrances, but I don’t think it’s considered a synthetic musk. Maybe there are many categories of aromachem anosmia, not just musk related. A shame though. Mals says she can’t smell Nahema — isn’t that a Class 5 tragedy?
It is a major tragedy. Nahema is one of my HGs…
And, now that you mention it, I am anosmic to Iso E too. How about them apples. It makes things fun since it is in so much fragrance! It all just depends. All this chemistry is amazing!
I’m happy that I can smell Noir Epices!!!!!
Oh, yes, and I forgot to say, there are many different kinds of anosmias, but I think I understand that musk is a fairly common one. Laurie Erickson from SSS has posted on this on her blog, and then she was also kind enough to explain it to me as well. Last year she did a musk anosmia test with a small group of people. She put samples of different musks and Iso E Super, etc, in a package we mailed around. It was very informative. Sometimes musks will also block the smell of another essence, so it can’t be smelled either. Believe me, I was very surprised when FdB was totally invisible, that is rare even for me!!
Be glad you can’t smell it! With the help of Helg from Perfume Shrine, I’ve about deduced that that is the note in Osmanthe Yunnan that blows up on my skin out of all proportion to anything normal. I’ve found it in other scents too, some more than others. I believe it is March who says it “grows like Topsy”.
I can’t smell ISO E Super either, just like nothing at all! Laurie had sent me a set of “suspect” items for me to sniff ( looking for the honey-
gone-bad note I was getting from Vintage Rose and a couple others )
turns out I need to avoid “plum accord” paired with coumarin I think it was…anyhow ISO E Super— nadda
Same thing with Mauboussin – disappearing act on me, but then the vanilla drydown came back. I must be anosmic to SOMETHING, but no idea what it may be! Would love to try that sniff test of different notes.
Regardless, Mauboussin is a great fall scent (even though I can only smell 2/3 of it…ha ha).
how’s the mauboussin? I’ve been eying it for a couple of weeks on ebay, read some nice reviews…but have no chance to sample it.but it sure looks tempting
It’s a great vanilla oriental. Very interesting. There is a moment at the opening when the dried fruits – which are actually rather light – seem to take over the composition, but that passes rather quickly. I was ready to be unimpressed the first time I smelled it, and then a few hours later I was like “what smells so good?” And it was the Mauboussin. I think it smells a lot like the following, so if you’ve smelled any of them, it may be worth the risk: Organza Indecence, Badgley Misckha, Kenzo l’Elephant, Laura Mericier Minuite Enchantee, ……
What I like about the Mauboussin is that it has this lovely light oliban note that keeps it from smelling like a vanilla candle, but it is not an incense fragrance. And the dry down is sheer as gossamer, but warm and absolutely gorgeous and lasts for hours (on me). It is really a very nice, very wearable, vanilla oriental. And you will not smell like a nice candle.
oh yum! I love it too! Does parfum1 have a coupon code running right now? 15% off? Seems like the Mauboussin was a very good price there.
Zara – you could always grab a mini over on Beauty Encounter. I bought one unsniffed, and sent a sample to Ann, who bought some and sent a sample to Daisy…LOL! I’m glad I have the mini, but wouldn’t need more than that, since it’s a very occasional sort of scent for me.
It certainly made the rounds! It smells so good!
And the mini is the cutest thing ever! I really like the shimmery, not-too-sweet dried fruit in Mauboussin, so I recently bought a full bottle. I’m learning that I don’t care for most fresh, juicy fruit in fragrances, but a dried fruit vibe is a good one for me. Here are some I’d put in that category: KM Ume, Frapin 1270, Lutens Arabie. Can anyone offer more dried fruit suggestions? Oh – and I tried Daim Blond, but was underwhelmed.
You might also want to try the Lutens El Attarine.
For a while I get a dried, slightly candied fruit note in Bois de Paradis.
Thanks, Joe and Daisy. I haven’t yet tried either of those!
I’ve been trying out samples from Sonoma Scent Studio this week, and today it’s Vintage Rose and Fireside. Both are, unfortunately, just-misses for me, the VR I find a little cloying, and the Fireside has an edge that I didn’t like, probably the birch tar. Thought for sure the latter would be super.
Vintage Rose was one of the few My God I Can’t Stand This scrubbers I’ve tried. I also found it sickeningly sweet. There’s nothing on the notes list that would alert me to stay away from it – I don’t know why. But whatever it is is probably in most Estee Lauder frags too, as I also get that queasy feeling from them.
Should also say that I’ve liked all the other SSS scents I’ve tried: Sienna Musk, Velvet Rose, Champagne de Bois, and the stunning Tabac Aurea. Whatever the offending note is, it’s not present to any degree in those scents.
I didn’t care for vintage rose, either. My favorites are Rose Musc and Velvet Rose. And I feel sure that I’ll love Tabac Aurea once I get around to trying it!
H – I completely forgot that you love Rose Musc too. *Sigh*….. So it is very likely that you would find Tabac Aurea as gorgeous as I do.
Laurie has a new 5ml purse size available!!! Who can resist that?
(certainly not me! you all know that)
Oh, that’s good news! Time for me to visit her site again…
Ooh, thanks for the tip, o Superenabler!
(Hi all – You may find a duplicate of this reply somewhere down at the bottom – so I copied it up here where it actually belongs!)
OK…. I was pretty “ho-hum, just read the threads for today,” then I came upon this one, so I feel somecompelled to defend VR, which happens to be one of my favorites from Laurie! With all due respect to all for their opionions, but I love VR, possibly for the reason everyone else hates it – that jammy plummy note – and I generally dislike sweet perfumes. The combination with the rose note makes me think of holding a hand-warmed glass of port while sitting in front of a warm, cozy fire.
I think the only other of her scents that has that plum is the Wood Violet, which turned out to be my “scrubber” scent, mostly for the violet. I usually don’t get along with scents heavy on the violets.
So there’s MY 2-scents…. : )
While both Vintage Rose and Wood Violet were scrubbers on me (that darned plummy thing) I know lots and lots of people LOVE them! She produces a limited line (which is a good thing) and I’m sure wouldn’t keep something available if it wasn’t selling really well. Laurie makes some wonderful stuff! Champagne de Bois happens to be one of my all-time favorite perfumes…I’m rather steeped in it right now! sniffffffff–aaahhhhh! 🙂
I much prefer Vintage Rose to Velvet Rose, and I love Wood Violet, so I guess I am a plummy jammy girl.
Evil Scent Twin!
I remember the first fragrance I ever smelt- Coty’s Sweet Earth ( and I’m not saying how long ago THAT was). It was the Woods trio and The sandalwood scent smelt nice for a synthetic. The first fragrance I actually wore was Babe by Fabrege. Like Virginia Slims, I’ve come a long way baby!
I remember Babe! I used to have it…
I remember the commercial with Margaux Hemmingway too.
I’m forever on the lookout for an old bottle of that! It’s such a fond memory for me. I can totally smell it just thinking about it.
Buying Babe was like a rite of passage in my house. It was the first “real” scent we girls were allowed to buy as preteens. Up until that point it was all tea rose and violet splashes. Smelling it still makes me giggle when I remember dousing myself in the stuff and feeling very sophisticated.
Oh my goodness – Babe!! Now that’s a blast from the past. I wore the scented deodorant too – my first experience with such a thing. People used to tell me at the time that I favored Margaux [I have that same heavy eyebrowed, overbite thing goin on]. That poor dear – I was so sad when she passed away, especially given the circumstances.
Hi Dolly! I was in my early teens when the Sweet Earthcompacts and Babe were being sold at the local discount/department stores, so you’re not the only one “up there” in the age category! I bought both and had the floral one of the Sweet Earth compact which had Hyacinth and Ylang Ylang. They were lovely.
I had Babe, too, in my teens. I remember the smell still.
My deep, dark secret is out!
Me too… and how about “C” with Candace Bergen?
That was my cousin’s favorite scent growing up. Remember Smitty?
Oh, MY cousin wore that too!
Smitty -no. But now I have a funny picture in my head trying to imagine what it must be.
It was touted as the “disco” scent. From what I can remember, It had a citrusy twist to it. I lOOOve vintage stuff.
…and I love disco!
Makes me want to put the Bee Gees on the ipod and troll the thrift stores for a bottle of Smitty. 🙂
Smitty!! I vaguely remember that one. I’m sure I wore it; I’m sure I loved it. I’m sure I owned several bottle of it. But, unlike Heaven Sent, the various Jovans, and Love’s Babsy Soft, I cannot, for the life of me, locate its smell in my olfactory memory…
SOTD = Tabac Aurea
On my “to buy” list – Shalimar and Dune
Is anyone familiar with the original Mariella Burani fragrance (in the bottle with the flower bouquet cap) and can comment on it?
Nice to see some love for Dune. it’s a fragrance that doesn’t really fit in with scent profile, but there’s just something about it that keeps me buying bottles….
I used to wear Dune when it came out and I really enjoyed it – particluarly that lotion they used to make. I often think about getting another bottle…. It is in my to buy limbo.
It’s in my “to buy” limbo, too. I used to wear it, and I still like it, but I have a hard time re-wearing scents from the past for some reason.
Yep! Mariella Burani is really nice – a softer, creamier No. 5, if you will. I have a big bottle of edt and will recommend it to anyone who likes soft florals. It does have aldehydes, but they’re more like the bubbles effervescing off the top of your 7UP than the high-beam white lights of No. 5’s aldehydes. (Mind you, I like No. 5, but I know a lot of people find it unwearable.)
And Tabac Aurea is amaaaaaazing, IMO. I found the patchouli a bit too insistent for my picky-on-patch taste, so Laurie is kindly tweaking the formula for me. (Means I’ll have to wait a while to get my own bottle, but for something that good, I’d wait a long time.)
Yeah for all the love for Tabac Aurea. I think it is the greatest stuff ever!!!
I don’t know what I’m waiting for. May as well buy it blind!
Oh no! Don’t buy it blind. Someone the other day was lamenting that it didn’t work for them…. Get a sample at least!
Or maybe, if I’m very brave, the new purse size! :-0
Um…yep…that was me. BUT since then I’ve tried it a couple more times and it’s progressed from ‘scrubber’ to I can somewhat ‘appreciate’ the artistry of it. It’s just one of those rare scents that persists for hours on my skin (virtually all day) and to my nose doesn’t seem to shift or evolve, remaining fairly linear on the fresh tobacco theme with traces of amber flickering in and out. I can’t detect any musk/patchouli or any other listed notes, but that could of course be that musk non-smelling issue (can never remember that word) and/or my skin chemistry. But I’m glad I’ve tried it and own the sample because for some reason I like to know that it’s there if I need it!
We fragrance fanatics are a strange breed indeed.
Love Tabac Aurea – I’ve been working on a sample, but will need the FB soon. I agree that there is not a lot of development in this fragrance; on me, there is the prominent tobacco note, alternating with honeyed amber. That’s fine, I could smell it all day very happily, and it does last! I would suggest getting a sample first though, as the tobacco note may not work for all.
Hi fleur – I have a bottle of Muriella Burani from back in the day – if you can call mid 90s back in the day. I think it is a very warm sunny aldehyde fragrance. It has a very warm “mediterranean” feel to it. I used to wear it a lot in the summer and it always lifted my spirits. I see it having more in common with the No 5 eau Premier than the regular No 5 which is more cool and composed. MB has very nice bergamot citrus adlehyde opening and dries down to a soft floral oriental sandalwood type fragrance. It lasts for a long time.
Yes, all the citrus in MB reminded me of EP. I will hereby admit that I actually like MB better than I like Eau Premiere – I think it’s that creamy drydown that I enjoy so much.
If I hadn’t sent MB to my fragrance purgatory and sort of lost sight of it, I would have realized a longgg time ago that the reason I like Eau Premier so much is probably b/c is smells so much like MB. Doh! Ahem – save your money – buy Muriella Burani instead of Eau Premier!! No, I love EP and No 5 extrait too. We can’t have enough of those sunny aldehydes!!
Ooh… the things that I learn on this blog. A less expensive Eau Premiere? Sounds fabulous.
Oh drat! Ok, I read about this on Muses in Wooden Shoes…and started wanting some…and now this discussion! arrggggg! Cynthia, my dear, do we need to split up a bottle?
Daisy, you and C should split one. I have a feeling that I’m going to use allllll of mine up. (But who will get the pretty bottle??)
Thanks all for your comments! I’m purchasing a bottle unsniffed, based on glowing recommendations like yours. After winning, then never receiving, a bottle from a seller on eBay (in claim limbo now), I finally ordered from Amazon. Very reasonable, worth it for the pretty bottle alone.
ebay frightens the heck out of me. I use amazon a lot too. I recently obtained some of my fav fragrance in vintage format from a vendor who did not know what they were selling. 1960’s era Guerlain for regular prices. Sigh. It always pays to look under every rock…
Amazon? Really??? I use Amazon all the time for used books, CD’s and DVD’s, but it never occurred to me to look for perfume there!
Oh, yes. Amazon definitely. Leave no rock or online vendor unturned…. I’ll tell you sometime about my Chamade coup….
Luckily for me, between yesterday and today Paypal refunded my money. Until now I’ve had pretty good experiences with eBay. And I recommend Amazon as a source for fragrances too. Some are sold by Amazon itself, and some by third party vendors, at a range of prices. Anyway, I should be receiving my re-ordered Mariella soon – looking forward to it!
I love the original Mariella Burani and have always been surprised it doesn’t get more attention. Althogh maybe I should point out (apropo of the Babe discussion above) I did start wearing it in high school. Anyway, it’s a lush, feminine floral that I still find rather distinctive; I’ve not smelled anything like it. I’m terrible with notes, but if you were to ask about a specific component or something I could probably comment. Do you need a sample?
Dolly, I remember Coty Sweet Earth scents, too. My favorite was Clover. They disappeared quickly, but evidently are fondly remembered by quite a few of us. 🙂
SOTD is Ralph Lauren Glamorous. It doesn’t match the weather or my sartorial style o’the day, but the single rhinestone on its cap seemed to wink at me this morning as I was perusing my perfurmes, so I chose it.
Teri- I went to the Vermont Country Store last year because I got a hold of one of their catalogs and they had the woods, grasses and flowers trios. I got excited and immediately was disappointed when I smelled the sample- not at all like it was back in the 70’s. Smelled more like Vaseline. Evidently they advertise that it is being made just for them. There is hardly any fragrance at all. At least i still have my childhood memory!
Bergere – thanks! I may skip the Balmain de Balmain, since I have my GIII and Y – I think I’m drawn to more “femme” chypres. But I’ll buy a backup bottle of Le Dix instead!
SOTD is Eau de Charlotte. I miss it when I haven’t worn it in a while and need a reunion. 🙂 For Halloween, I will probably go with something incensy — but not sure what yet. Passage d’Enfer?
Passage d’Enfer! Perfect!
Maybe I’ll wear Messe de Minuit when the little hellions come to the door.
Cue the Toccata and Fugue!
“Tocade and Fumes” ! 😉
🙂
Snort!
Ooh, Messe de Minuit — great one!
Passage d’Enfer is so perfect–I may have to bust out the credit card and buy a bottle before Saturday…
Passage d’Enfer is my next L’Artisan sample.
Tell me what you think! Maybe we can split a bottle!
I blindly bid on, but lost, a 15 ml bottle of that one…everyone raves so much, and it was only 15 ml… 😀 Someday, I’ll try it too, but my next is Havana Vanille (just requested from LS).
I shall keep you informed Miss Kitty…
I’ll probably take my boys trick-or-treating on Halloween. (We never get trick-or-treaters, living way up in the holler like we do – on Halloween we make the trip back to our old neighborhood where we lived before moving out to the farm.) I’ll be wearing two drops of vintage Magie Noire edt. Man, that’s some wicked good stuff – all witchy and elemental… no wonder I can’t wear it on a regular basis, it eats my thought processes.
SOTD is Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille, which I broke down and purchased a 4ml bottle of on ebay for $17. Mmmmmmmm. I smell gooooooood. It actually reminds me a teeny bit of Bois des Iles, but with less subtlety and more spice.
We’re not way out, but we’re at the top of a hill so we don’t get much Halloween action either…my dh takes my son somewhere else more fun to trick or treat.
We never get them either, on a cul-de-sac in a n’hood full of retired people. However…those folks have been moving out in droves, I guess, bc suddenly there are TONS of little kids swarming around. Guessing this year we’ll actually get some. Woohoo! I love Halloween.
I’ll share my trick or treaters with you! We see about 125-150 come thru. It’s not a huge subdivision but we get many that come and park in the cul-de-sac and unload a dozen kids….it’s cool we love Halloween and do the complete pirate graveyard….we have to be ready to bring the “cauldron” out to the little ones though in case they are too scared to pass the graveyard although we try to not make it too, too scary ….Sometimes I have to tell the CEO to calm it down a little.
We always get a bunch, too; in fact, we get some who bus in from other neighborhoods. We’ll flag ’em your way.
We get H’ween “immigrants” in our neighborhood too! Our area must be known for good candy.
SOTD is vintage Emeraude parfum de toilette. Yeah!
For Halloween? I actually have to work a totally adorable event our parks & recs runs for little kids so they have a safe and fun trick or treat event with a pumpkin patch, etc. I’ll be wearing something fun and kid friendly – most likely Mauboussin which is so great, or SSS Femme Jolie.
So your Emeraude purchase turned out well? 🙂 The PdT is really nice, it’s so… gosh, what’s the word I want… clear? translucent? gleaming? Something like that.
How about transformative on a dreary day? I am in my happy happy joy joy powdery amber place now. Shh….
AnnS., I know that happy happy joy joy powdery ambery place, and I get it from a newly discovered favorite, Martine Micallef’s Note Ambree. Have you tried it? I’d be willing to bet that you’d love it~
I’ve never even heard of it!! I tell you what – I’ll swap you a Tabac Aurea for a Note Ambree…
I was just looking at that line on LS, wondering which one I could fall in love with (those bottles!). 😀 None sounded enough like me to get on the short list though…I’m so far behind.
Ann, yes, let’s talk! Do you have my e-mail address?
I’ll have to look in the long past recesses of my email but I’m kalishka on MUA…..
OK, and I’m Kolea on MUA and Haunani on BN. Yay!
If all you people’s marketing efforts aren’t causing a run on vintage Emeraude, I’d be shocked. I need to beg a sample off someone at some point (wink wink).
I think that can be arranged…. 🙂
Blame Mals for the run on Emeraude. I was all set to get some Shalimar extrait when I decided to see just how similar they are too each other. Well, I think E smells a lot like the drydown of Shalimar which is the part I like best anyway. So that just freed up some $$$ … which is going right to that bottle of Beihl Parfumskunstwerke eo01 !
Oh, sure–flaunt your vintage Emeraude! I am starting to worry, I still haven’t received my two ebay bottles. 🙁 I need them or I will die!!!!
Ebay -schmeebay. I hope your Emeraude shows up soon! That Mals- she is the super sneaky enabler! Distract yourself with another fab amber you must have somewhere in your collection! I’m thinking of Bulgari Black these days too!
Wow – Miss Kitty – that’s taking an awful long time to get to you. 🙁
It’ll probably show up tomorrow.
Let’s cross our fingers for Miss Kitty!
I will not rest until it arrives.
It did show up today! Yay!!! Now if I can just get over my irritation at being charged twice what the shipping actually caught… sigh…this is why I don’t spend much time with ebay.
SOTD: testing out YSL Elle, not too impressed
As for Halloween, I’m not sure yet. I’m going to a murder mystery dinner (my character is a stalker apparantly) and our character are supposed to be at a costume party. I haven’t figured out what to dress as yet, so I’ll choose a perfume later.
Oh, I remember sampling Elle – I think my journal entry says something like “inoffensive, wouldn’t buy”.
Yeah, that pretty much sums it up! It’s not bad, definitely not a scrubber, but nothing real interesting about it either.
SOTD, ysl yvresse, nice little thing, very lovely in this colder and gray weather. also, another potential buy to join my growing collection is joop femme, discovered in a duty free shop in prague, on sale for something like 15 euros…what a lovely and forgotten oriental!
just like mals86, I’d go for magie noire for halloween 😉
I love Yvresse so much I drool over it.
kay, that does it….I’m sending you my unloved bottle.
that would be “Okay” ….darn lazy typing fingers!
I thought maybe you were just calling me Kay to get back at me for referring to Dolly as Daisy.
Nah, vengeance takes way too much energy. (just like accurate typing)
SOTD is Guet-Apens, the last drop of a sample, I am hoping a split of No. 68 will be similar…
Joe has hooked me on Guerlain!
Also loving SSS Femme Jolie and Soivohle Green Oakmoss.
I was just mentioning Green Oakmoss today…it’s a nifty thing, no?
I think this fall is going to be about me coming back to Guerlain…I am hoping the same about No.68. 🙂
Wait… this is my fault? What did I do to hook you on Guerlain? LOL
I would never point fingers, lol. Have only myself to blame. 🙂
Yeah, I think it was on the playground…”Hey you…..try a sniff o’ this….good ‘aint it.?….well you can have more, but it’ll cost ya…
HA! 😀
I’m a relative neophyte to the world of perfume and I’ve been spending a good part of 2009 collecting samples of all kinds of fragrances and quite happily exploring and wearing them all. And even those that I wouldn’t think are necessarily my style, I’ve embraced and worn with abandon. Except that lately, whenever I look at my pile of samples, I feel sort of lackluster. There are a select few that I simply adore and love wearing (Chanel Cuir de Russie, Frederic Malle Une Fleur de Cassie, and L’Artisan Dzing!being among my favorites and all, incidentally, were love-at-first-sniff). But there are quite a handful that I would have happily worn a few months ago and which now I can’t be bothered to sniff, let alone wear. Am I possibly becoming less greedy and more particular about what I like and don’t like? And is this normal?
I never imagined that I would become more persnickety about fragrance, especially since I’ve really enjoyed the discovery process overall.
I’d guess so, since I’m just at that same point. I’ve sampled like mad for the past year and a half, and am now a little burned out on it all. So what I’m doing now is looking at the ones that really held my attention, and prioritizing them for FB or decant purchase (well, except I’ll be placing yet another LS sample order tonight, lol).
Boojum has a good point.
You could also start trading some of your stash for for things you wouldn’t try in a million years…you never know what will surprise you, and even if you get some scrubbers, they tend to help you appreciate what you love all the more.
Or perhaps pick a specific note/accord and hone in on educating your nose on all its permutations (something like rose or the smoke accord can be found in a million things ).
Bookgirl – I had a run at the beginning of my sample insanity when I bought like $65 worth of samples and I didn’t like a single one of them! It happens. And all my hundreds of samples are carefully stored away. I revisit from time to time as my tastes change or if I want to refer to something from a blog post. I think of it as a reference library of sorts. But now that I really have a sense of what does and doesn’t interest me, I use them primarily for swaps and such. Mostly now I have enough “bank” to do swaps almost exclusively – I rarely buy new samples outright anymore. Once I even sent some niche samples to an SA I had at Nordstrom who was interested and it buttered her up to send me some from that store. They also make good drop ins for gifts too!
Happens to the best of us, BG. I don’t think it’s so much becoming persnickety as it is getting to know what you really like. I’ve always loved perfume, and I think back to when I was in high school–I would have worn anything anyone gave me. Now? I’d better love it. Once you find out how many really quality offerings there are out there, there’s no going back. 🙂
I suppose it’s only a good thing that I’m honing my perfume skills and preferences and making room in my life for the perfumes that truly delight and intrigue me. And I can set aside the samples I’ve outgrown for someone else to discover and enjoy.
Thanks for your responses, everyone!
I have a sort of related dilemma: I too have been sampling like mad for the last few months, and found a couple of fragrances out of the dozens (!) that I’ve finally decided I just had to have, but when the FB’s actually arrived, after much anticipation, it seemed something of the sheen had worn off, and, even though I had taken my time and tried to make sure I really loved them before i bought them, somehow a little of the magic seemed to have disappeared in the transition from sample to FB. Anyone else find this happen?
I saw some vintage Cardin de Pierre Cardin for women on Ebay. That was a relative of mine’s ABSOLUTE favorite back in the late 70’s. I mean she toted that around like Linus with his blanket. I began to see how one can get attached and then be upset to have it taken away. Does anyone else have a fave that was maliciously removed from the market?
Dolly, I’m sure we ALL have faves that disappeared– hence the frantic bidding on * bay for vintage stuff. Actually, it was a search for my onetime signature scent, the original Chloe, that led me into the perfumistas’ sector of the cybersphere. I’m glad to have learned so much about fragrances and the fragrance industry and have at last broken away from the “must have a sig scent” mindset. Yes, I did get a mini of original Chloe parfum, but it’s more for nostalgia’s sake now. Unfortunately I have become infatuated with all sorts of d/c scents, which leads to far too much compulsive searching through the *bay, etc. . .
PS: my SOTD is vintage L’Aimant parfum, not pricey, bought on *bay. But now I’m thinking that I bought too much of it; to me it’s like Chanel no 5’s mild little sister. I prefer no 5’s self-possession and perfect bone structure.
I also had the original Chloe. I do have faves, like anyone else, but not just one signature scent. It pays to have back up you know.
GG, if you want to unload some of the L’Aimant, let me know. 🙂
MIss Kitty, I’m going to evaluate my stocks, and we may well work something out. What’s the best way to contact you?
MUA–same name, just all one word. Thanks!! Don’t feel obligated to sell anything. I know I’ve thought of passing things on, only to have a change of heart when I really think about it.
I’m still waiting for a recent *bay purchase to arrive– the “oops” one that made me realize I might have overdone it– then I’ll wend my way to MUA. (I’m not on there yet, so it could take me a while to get situated.)
The original Chloe. *sigh* It was my first ‘real’ perfume when I was just a freshman in h.s. And I had it in the parfum version, with the tiny bottle with the glass calla lily stopper.
That bottle was lovely. I never had it, sigh, as the edp better suited my budget while still smelling full and fabulous. The edt always seemed thin and incomplete, but the bath powder was gorgeous.
Just got out of a FOUR HOUR meeting. Ugh. SOTD and last purchase both: the 2007 Amarige Mimosa harvest LE. While I love it, it’s definitely NOT an everyday scent, which is why I didn’t buy it last year when it was readily available (at the time, I thought I was looking for just one scent, silly me). And I’ve also decided (too late for today) that it really isn’t an office-friendly scent. Far too much sillage.
Hello B. I think a nice swap is in order. I wanted that LE Mimosa soo bad and then kind of let it slip through my fingers… aside from it not being office friendly…what does it smell like?
I have you down for a sample, no fear! I’ll also forward you the ebay seller I got mine from…he still had 5 bottles last I looked, and it looks like he’d had the listing up awhile (as in, months). It only cost $90 shipped from the UK – cheaper than it would have been if I’d bought it last year in the first place, so I’m extra pleased. Got it in only a week, too.
Wow. Thanks for the tip!!!
Happy to share…now that my own bottle is safely acquired, that is. 😉 It was buy it now priced, btw, so no aggravating bidding. As for how it smells…I’m terrible at scent descriptions, and never smelled the original Amarige, so can’t even say how they compare. Best I can say is a) I think you’d like it, and b) it’s a nice, warm, womanly floral without being *too* perfumey or overpowering. Totally not my usual style (I tend toward modern and true unisex to slightly feminine), but I love it.
I just hate meetings.
SOTD is Chanel Egoïste. It is our first autumn together and we are having a great relationship :). Other pick-me-ups in our grey and dreary October are Cuir de Lancome and Mitsouko. I enjoy tuning into how the scents evolve and change with the seasons.
My husband got a shock when he saw a mini of the Egoiste on my dresser, lol. “Where did that come from?” Apparently, he wore it for years, just not since we’ve been together. Heehee.
May you have a long and happy life together 🙂
SOTD is Mitsouko, which seems to have become my Autumn Standby. For Halloween, I’m hoping my next batch of samples will be here in time for me to whip out the Feminite du Bois.
Yeah for Mitsouko!! I was wearing that on Monday. It is just so amazing! I think it smells like that wonderful smell of leaves on the ground – spicy & earthy. It is definitely a fall fragrance!
We’re Mitsouko sisters today Norjunma! 🙂
Triplets! Mitsy is my SOTD. But it is cool and rainy here and I was kind of thinking that it was time to put it away until spring! LOL! For some reason the moss and bergamot in it always feel so refreshing to me, and I really enjoy it in warm weather. Go figure…
I wear it any season – just all the damn time. 😉
Huzzah!
Definitely need something with incense on Halloween to exorcise a few demons – so Dzongkha or Passage d’Enfer…
SOTD is Lolita Lempicka (so cheery – I’m not ready for fall just yet!) and looking forward to decants of Cuir de Russie and Idole on the way (thank you super enabler).
Where is Daisy anyway? I expect she’ll come roaring in here at any moment….
ROAAAR! Speak of the devil….er, enabler….busy day, I hate missing the open threads! So many good conversations!
Got to find that sample of Messe de Minuit….it’s here SOMEWHERE….seems like it was cold, dry incense…kind of spooky but I liked it. May have to get a bottle…..would be willing to split it if others are interested.
If you get a bottle, could you send me a sniff? I’ve been wanting to try that for ages!
Wearing Les Nereides Musc de Samarkand (got as a sample – underwhelmed – smells just like Jovan Musk). The perfect Halloween scent to me would be Loree Rodkin’s “Gothic 1” – which they used to sell at Luckyscent, but no longer do. I LOVED IT! Aroma M’s Geisha Noire may work as well, but there is NOTHING like “Gothic”. Oh wait – there is Regina Harris’s Rose Maroc – also a good one. But how I long for my “Gothic”… (new poster/member, by the way – hi all!)
oops – correction – it’s Regina Harris “Frankincense-Myrrh-Rose Maroc” – that’s a mouthful! But it sure smells good – quite bewitching!
Hi and welcome!! You know you can still buy Gothic (and there’s a whole bunch of them now) at the Loree Rodkin website?
And adding…just checked, La Creme Beauty also still has it.
Hi and welcome!
You’re one of us now…..brace yourself! 🙂
OK!
I was just reading about the Guerlain Les secrèts de Sophie and the various outrageously priced Holiday “gifts” .
So… with all those “over $150” things on the market, special released, niche things and luxe that, what is everyone’s “CHEAP” dirty little secret?
You know … that drugstore priced frag that you could not live without? (samples not included 🙂 )
… and my frag of the day is Heros from Didier Calco
It’s nearly impossible to find so every precious little drop is a special occasion.
I love Chantilly. Maybe it’s not so glorious these days, I don’t know. It always smells good to me. My mom let me have a pour bottle of it when I was like 8 years old, and I just thought I was the queen of the world. And when I was pregnant a few years ago it was one of the only fragrances I could tolerate – probably because it is so light and thin, lol. But it has that soft powdery aldehyde floral thing that I love so much.
I bought a Chantilly gift set for my mom for Mother’s Day eons ago – can’t remember what it smells like.
It smells a lot like a very thin version of Les Mythiques L’Interdit…without the strawberry accord. The very faded drydown of the L’Interdit to be more specific.
Thanks Ann – now if I could only recall what L’Interdit smells like. LOL
Rustic—adding L’interdit sample to your list……
You’re an awesome enabler Daisy!
The LeLabo Labdanum reminded me of Chantilly for some reason.
Cheap thrills, at under $25/bottle:
Ivoire de Balmain, a green floral/floral chypre that took awhile to grow on me – it’s great in summer humidity
Rochas (That Slut) Tocade, rose-vanilla-patchouli
Mariella Burani, a soft floral
Love the Ivorie de Balmain and Rochas Tocade [that wench]. Don’t know MB.
Ditto on both. This may sound a little odd but Paco Rabanne (the eponymous frag, not 1mil or metal) is woody and crisp. It was my first attempt at crossing the perfume gender barrier and I still love it. It’s also a steal for $10.
More cheap thrills: along with thirding the Ivoire by Balmain, Vent Vert is another green floral chypre; it’s supposed to be a ghost of its former self, but it still isn’t bad.
Cheap thrills:
* the Balmain du Balmain mentioned above
* a second on the Mariella Burani
*Grey Flannel (crossover!)
* Third Man, Caron (again, crossover…whomping 125ml. for $30 at Amazon right now…$5 over budget, but you could split three ways and have 40+ml for $10, LOL
* Rochas Absolu
* Yves Rocher Voile d’Ambre (my fave, though others like the Rose or the Iris) when it is on sale for 50% off, which is at least 2x a year
i’ve been in a funk and decided i needed some retail therapy – since 2 of you mentioned the yves de rocher, i just ordered a whole load of stuff there for $25, including a small voile d’ambre! thanks for the recommendations!
Ooh… cheap thrills.
Definitely Tocade – $9.99 at Marshall’s (yes, I mentioned that deal again).
Coty Stetson – surprising Oriental
Coty Sand and Sable
Yves Rocher Rose Absolute, Iris Noir, and Voile d’Amber – watch for a sale on the purse spray.
All of the Pacificas are under $25 a bottle and I love several of them – Tibetan Mountain Temple and Avalon Juniper are my current faves (I paid $3 for the Avalon Juniper because someone had stolen the cap and sprayed it a few times.)
I was going to say I didn’t have any cheap thrills, but I forgot about the Avalon Juniper… I got a variety pack of 9 solids (unsniffed) last year, and that was the clear winner for me of them all. The cute owl packaging didn’t hurt either. So hey, I guess there’s one grapefruit that doesn’t go cat pee on you after all!
My cheap thrills are Victoria’s Secret body sprays in Love Spell and Strawberries and Champagne. I won’t wear them out in public, but they’re great after a bath at night. The matching body butters are good, too. (And the only scented bath products I’m not allergic to, which was unexpected.)
Mine is Body Time’s Egyptian Musk. I love the stuff, and a bottle lasts forever too.
Sotd–a spritz from my newly arrived bottle of Oscar de la Renta Volupte. Remember that? Love the drydown. Bought it for only $12.
I’ve been naughty and spendy lately: travel bottle of Jubilation 25, Chanel Cuir de Russie decant, Guerlain decants, and now have my eye on 06130 Lentisque…..
As for Halloween frags, what about the del Pozo? I have a mini of that so I might have to wear it just because it’s called Halloween.
That’s what I love about this board – being in the company of people who always make me feel better about my own spending! It’s going to take until the end of the quarter reckoning for me to get up the courage to face the damage I’ve done recently.
It’s true: if we’re going to be spending the money anyway, we might as well be in the company of people who don’t make us feel bad about it!
Now…why was I thinking of cutting up my credit card, and why shouldn’t I buy that CdG Avignon…
It is getting all too easy to picture myself wearing rags pushing a shopping cart of well-wrapped heavily padded treasures down the road and muttering to myself about how the Kaiser has stolen my oakmoss. But I smell goooood…
LOL! I LOVE that image…awesome. 😀
I still love to dress up for Halloween. For the past many years, I do a variation on the same witchy theme. If I were to do that again this year, I would wear either Bvlgari Black or TFBO. This Saturday, however, we have some old friends visiting from out of town for the weekend [yay] and we’ll be going out to a really nice restaurant [it’s called VOLT and it’s owned by one of the “Top Chef” contestants this season – love that show]. Anyway, not really sure what to wear yet, but it will be something special. SOTD is vintage Mitsouko extrait!! I received my Ebay score today and ripped that sucker open and applied lavishly. I’m in transcendent perfumista mode at the moment. 😉
Transcendent perfumista mode. Love it. After the holidays I am going on a full fledged Mitsouko hunt. All hail Mitsouko.
Hear, hear. I’ll drink to that. Just poured a glass of red wine [and no it isn’t 5 o’clock yet – I’m in a festive mood].
Ah, but the sun is always over the yardarm somewhere! 😉
You can’t make me! 😛
Excellent shopping, Rustic!
(You can leave me off the Mitsy party guest list, though… she STILL hates me.)
Aww – that’s too bad Mals – I wish you could tell what all the ruckus is about.
So which Voltaggio owns that one? Sounds good regardless! I found myself getting reeled into a marathon of TC last week even though, once again, at the start the overdone drama really annoyed me… love watching the challenges, though.
Joe – that would be Bryan. And I agree, what I love best about TC are the challenges and those chefs are truly amazing at what they can pull off. So impressive.
Well, when I plan on going to a restaurant, I always wear a chypre – I learned this from Turin. They always, IMO, don’t ‘interfere’ with the dining experience.
Last time I had a wonderful white-tablecloth meal (with jacket, etc) I wore Tabac Blond parfum and it worked beautifully.
Oh I agree Mike. I have worn Mitsouko to many a dinner out and it works really well. I think I would like to come up with a different idea for this Saturday, though Mitsy is a perfect backup plan. 🙂
I agree about the chypre… I also think a nice simple rose soliflore (not too strong) goes very well with most foods, esp. Mexican& Thai or Vietnamese. Something clear and simple like a rosewater.
Ann, thanks – that makes sense.
What do you do if chypres don’t work on you? 🙁 I’m the inconsiderate slob who wears whatever I want to dine out, I guess.
maybe a tea scent?
HA! forgot my little icon is a teapot…
Yeah, for a minute it was like reading a comment from that teapot in the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast. 🙂
LOL!!! “Tale as old as time…”
Lucky you! Vintage Mitsuoko is lovely!
If it’s cold tomorrow-I plan on wearing it. Keeping fingers crossed..
Hope that worked out for you today Smokeytoes!
I will probably be wearing my sample of By Kilian Back to Black on Halloween, but not because I find it too dark or black.
I have a question. I will be going to Epcot, Orlando, and I will have a rather limited amount of time for myself. The website says there are two perfume stores in the French area: La Signature and Plume Et Palette. I believe La Signature carries Guerlain, but how about Plume Et Palette? Do they have any interesting brands there (different from department stores)? Which one would you recommend I visit if I had to choose?
If you are going to visit only one, yes go ahead & visit the Guerlain/La Signature store. The other carries other French brands (Goutal, etc) but nothing like the in-store-only-Limited-Editions like the Guerlain does. Enjoy!
Thank you, Mikeperez! I have other places around where I can try Goutal, but no place where I can try these Guerlain Elixir editions, which sound so yummy.
Do they have Serge Lutens at the Plume?
I don’t recall seeing SL there, but the two shops are very close – you can easily duck into Plume and check.
Just went to Epcot this summer and of course I visited the wonderful Guerlain store there. (It started to thunderstorm as only Florida in August can, and my husband and I and our three young’uns needed to find shelter fast!! 🙂 😉 The SA was so helpful and pleasant while my DH and I sniffed EVERYTHING. Heaven. Needless to say we walked out with a bottle of Jicky to share. Such a great (and soggy) afternoon that was…..
When I was there some years back (maybe 4 years??) the Guerlain store had nothing you couldn’t find anywhere, but I’ve heard wonderful things from other people so maybe it varies, or maybe they’ve just improved. I didn’t find anything special anywhere else in “France”.
It does vary Robin. I live nearby and since it’s a law here in Florida tht you must got to Disney at least annually, I’ve been there quite a few times. The selection can be all the usual suspects or the rare and unusual. It seems rather hit or miss.
The shop I loved was the big one in “Japan” — I spent ages in there! Most of the rest of Epcot I could do without, and my son was not interested. The Magic Kingdom, though, he would visit every week without complaint!
Trying Safran Troublant for the first time today. I’ve been intrigued about it for a while and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but I’m liking it a lot.
The saffron makes me associate it with colour orange so I suppose it’s quite apt for Halloween too.
Yep, that color association thing makes perfect sense to me. A saffron note makes for a veddy interesting fragrance, dontcha think?
OK…. I was pretty “ho-hum, just read the threads for today,” then I came upon this one, so I feel somecompelled to defend VR, which happens to be one of my favorites from Laurie! With all due respect to all for their opionions, but I love VR, possibly for the reason everyone else hates it – that jammy plummy note – and I generally dislike sweet perfumes. The combination with the rose note makes me think of holding a hand-warmed glass of port while sitting in front of a warm, cozy fire.
I think the only other of her scents that has that plum is the Wood Violet, which turned out to be my “scrubber” scent, mostly for the violet. I usually don’t get along with scents heavy on the violets.
So there’s MY 2-scents…. : )
Ummm, don’t know how this post ended up down here – it really belongs in the thread somewhere up above about SSS’s Vintage Rose….
Oh, Laurie gets a lot of love on NST! These days it seems like her Champagne de Bois and Tabac Aurea are popular with fall coming on. I think Vintage Rose is lovely too. But I love that Rose Musc much better! Have you tried the Cameo? I love the new formula for Jour Ensoleille which is a totally gorgeous chypre.
Hi AnnS!
Yes! LOVE the Cameo and the Jour. I may have been one of the first in line to get both when they were first released. The Jour by itself is a bit “youthful” for me, so sometimes I combine it with CdB and they really compliment eachother. Granted, I enjoy each on its own as well.
Opera Fan (LOVE the screen name) – I too am a fan of Vintage Rose. Many of the SSS scents get too sweet on me (Tabac Aurea) but that one doesn’t. The opening smells exactly like dried rose petals on me.
I’m not dissing VR, exactly… just saying that it’s got something in it that literally made me nauseous, and I don’t think it’s the plum. I like any number of plum-note stuff (Natori, TF Voile de Fleur, Mauboussin, Fem du Bois if it didn’t disappear on me halfway through…) and I’m not automatically turned off by sweet. All the classic Lauders do that to me as well – there MUST be some common ingredient.
It’s okay, Mals. I wasn’t offended as much as somewhat disappointed that it wasn’t getting much love so wanted to show some support! We share a lot of commonalities in terms of scents we love but the nose is such a funny organ!
Hi Rappleyea – Thanks for the remark – I really am a fan and in my earlier years, did even consider a career. Opera and perfume certainly have an affinity for eachother. Many scents were inspired by them and I like to wear various scents depending on the work being presented.
Well I’m impressed that you’ve got the voice to even consider an opera career! I know about the Mitsouko and Liu opera associations, but that’s all. This would be a fun thread topic!
Sorry, I didn’t mean to give the impression of dissing VR; it’s just not great on me. I’ve been in the Champagne de bois fan club for awhile now, and I was moved to try most of what Laurie has, since CdB is so great on my skin. Stupidly, I did not request the Tabac Aurea sample, since I’m a patch-o-phobe, and it seems that I can smell 3 molecules of patch in a fragrance that someone is wearing next door. Now I read that Laurie is tinkering with the patch in that one for a sister patch-o-phobe. . ..
LOL I honed right in on that too, though I think I must be a wee bit more tolerant of it than mals. If it’s there as a minor supporting player, such that it doesn’t really even smell like patch, I’m fine.
If it’s any consolation, I really like patch and got no patch at all in Tabac Aurea – and I looked for it!
It’s actually nice patch, very grassy and earthy. Pleasant – but something about patchouli just hijacks my brain, so the experience goes something like: Ahh, smells like That Old Boyfriend… leather jacket, dried leaves, pipe tobacco… mmm, there’s some spice and amber… I can smell an autumn day… wait a second, is that patchouli? well, it’s nice patchouli…. autumn day… amber… PATCHOULI!!… no, I want to smell the autumn dayPATCHOULIPATCHOULIPATCHOULI!!!! Dang, I wish that patchouli would just shut up. Honestly, there’s not much of it – I’m just really sensitive to it.
I liked Vintage Rose too!
I had my own private sniffapalooza in NYC on Sunday, and I’m dying to share my impressions! Bear in mind that my tastes, nose, and skin are all strange, so your mileage may vary, as they say:
Cartier XIIIeme Heure: To die for… A big blast of almost oud-y smoke, then lapsang souchong (unsweetened, thank goodness!), then spices, a smidge of florals, and finally, a lightly smoky vanilla. On the list.
Kilian Pure Oud: Another winner, but $400? Ouch. Smoky, oud-y, but smooth as silk. Your skin, but 400 smackers better.
Kenzo UFO: Gorgeous bottle, meh juice — not bad, but I really wanted a reason to buy that bottle, and it didn’t give me one.
Kurkdjians: I need to test out my samples, but one of them had a definite Orchidee Blanche vibe. And the bubbles are a hoot!
VC&A: Yup, the iris one is lovely.
Havana Vanille: Weirdly hollow, like something’s missing. Pleasant enough, but didn’t do it for me.
SL Fille en Aguilles: Pine, pine, pine. I don’t think I really like pine.
ELd’O Fat Electrician: Nice, actually. Vetiver backed up by cedar.
Whiskey Caramelisee and Solar Donkey Power: Can’t remember who makes these, but I liked ’em, particularly the whiskey. Unfortunately the Bendel’s perfume section practically had tumbleweeds rolling through it, so I couldn’t get any more info, samples, etc.
And my Halloween scent? For taking my adorable little cheetah trick-or-treating — assuming I get the fershlugginer costume made in time — I’m thinking Burning Leaves.
Oh dear…I hope I don’t have that reaction to HV! Wouldn’t surprise me though, as most vanillas seem flat/hollow to me. Fingers still crossed…and adding the Cartier to the must sample list. :/
I sniffed Guerlain SDV the same day, and it didn’t strike me that way. Duchaufour is known for “airy” scents, right? Maybe his airy is my hollow?
Well didn’t you just have the most awesome time?!
Would have been more awesome if I’d had the money to actually BUY the ones I loved, but yes!
I was surprised by Fat Electrician too. I liked it. Didn’t call up their “Fat Electrician from Jersey” guy for me at all. Luckily.
I know — makes you wonder if the people who named it even smelled it first.
I like it, too!
“Your skin but $400 better” – love that! And I’m so jealous of your sniffies trip…
SOTD is Estee Lauder Pure White Linen Light Breeze. It continues to be unseasonably hot, so I’m still sticking with my summer frags. I’m really hoping the weather changes soon, because all my colder weather bottles and decants are calling my name. Especially Tabac Aurea which I sampled the other day and loved.
What to wear on Halloween? I think I’ll try the Pumpkin Patch sample I got from CJ Scents.
I love Pure White Linen Breeze! It’s the only recent Estee Lauder release that I can stand.
It’s heating up here, a bit earlier than expected, so I wanted a light fragrance and settled on Tommy Girl. I popped by Myer to check out the colognes and splashes – tried Guerlain’s Vetiver and Marc Jacob’s Cucumber. Loved Cucumber! Vetiver’s dry down reminded me of chai! I don’t know if I corrupted it or what …
PWLLB is the ONLY Lauder that doesn’t turn my stomach. Too bad it only lasts about an hour.
Today I’m wearing L’Eau d’hiver. The more I wear it, the more it grows on me. The first time I tried it it came out too baby powder, I thought, but now when I put it on I sniff myself compulsively. Guess a bottle of that is going on my holiday list!
I love L’Eau d’Hiver — I recently ran out of it and must get more soon!
If you’re interested in splitting, let me know…though it sounds like that’s a FB for you.
I will definitely let you know! I have a feeling I’ll be craving it soon. Last time I had a 10 ml bottle and because I tend to spray L d’H pretty liberally, it went fast!
I’m over on MUA, same name (or just ask around, several people have my email by now). Might be good to have anyway, since we seem to have a good bit of overlap in taste.
Cool, thanks — I’m on MUA as tempest322.
SOTD: CdG Kyoto, which I finally got a decant of! There’s such a great burst of bitter coffee in the opening, as well as a bitter green note which kind of reminds me of sur le nil… odd I know, but that was my first impression. After that its all woods and incense and YUM!! So beautiful! It’s really so perfect fpr fall.
Belle, that’s one of my faves. Glad you’re enjoying it!
I tried (and love) Zagorsk, and had Ouarzazate in the cart to sample next…but maybe I should swap out for Kyoto instead! (Or accidentally get both, whichever….)
Ok, did anyone watch the premier of So You Think You Can Dance last night? The opening number is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen, and it’s this number with all 20 dancers performing. The concept is that it’s the 1930s, and they’re all members of the four biggest gangs in the city. They end up in the same club and have a sort of turf war on the dance floor. BUT, the style, clothing, and movement is soooo cool and my thought was what all of these people would smell like! I’ve come to realize that that period was IT in terms of fashion and fragrance! Imagine these bad-ass beautiful people dancing it off wearing Mitsouko or Bandit! COOL!!!! Find the performance on YouTube!
SYTYCD is so fantastic! We record it and I haven’t seen the episode yet. Sounds like it might have a ‘West Side Story’ vibe going on?
Yeah! I hadn’t thought of that, but yes!
Well I’ve got two things this week!
First: There’s this site of cute animal pictures called Cute Overload. Usually the post the picture/s and some kind of funny caption to go with it. Here is one from yesterday with a caption about perfume: http://cuteoverload.com/2009/10/26/like-my-new-perfume/
Just thought I’d share 🙂
Two: I go to the Savannah College of Art & Design and we have this place called shopSCAD for selling goods made by students. I went there last weekend and found they had a bath and body line which included some alcohol-free fragrances both in spray bottles and roll-ons. Here’s a link to the website: http://shopscadonline.com/artist-bio.html?a_id=1115
The craziest thing though was this fragrance called “Milk & Sugar.” It was awfully, awfully sweet, but it smelled… warm. Like a nice little cup of warm milk before bed. I had never experienced that with a scent before.
Oh, they are so sweet!!
I love cute overload. I can get lost for hours – lol
Aww …. Cute Overload is definitely addictive!
A word of warning: don’t get confused and go to Cute Overkill, like I did once. It’s not the same. Oh, it’s not the same…
LOVE the Scad shop! Great place.
SOTD is Vettiveru, because it is still a bit warm but a little crisp. And I just put on a sweatshirt that smells wonderful and I have no idea what is on it. – lol – might be the Rose Muskissime.
Nothing much to say – been trying my Possets samples and a lot of them have a sort of sweet/buttery sillage aspect I don’t like, even though at close sniff I can smell the subtleties and niceties of the scent. Do like Adamus, though, which makes me smell like a boy.
I will be doing some kind of vampire-ish thing to scare the kids, and will be wearing either one of the Opus “Afraid of the Dark” series, or, their Voodoo, or Histoires Marquis de Sade or Serge Lutens Chene. Will make up my mind then…
Vetiverru is perfect!
Kevin sent me a bunch of Possetts samples but haven’t gotten to them yet. I am behind!
SOTD is Creed Love in Black. To me this smells like a lush bouquet of wilting violets…that you’d bring to a funeral. (Wouldn’t hurt if it were raining, too.)
My mom visited me over the weekend and gifted me her vintage (70’s era) bottles of Chanel No. 5 and 19, still sealed. I want to try them but breaking the seal is scary.
Right now I am deliberating buying Bond No. 9 Chinatown and Chanel Eau Premiere. Also trying to decide between Cumming by Alan Cumming or Le Labo Patch 41. I love both but can’t justify (or afford) buying that much perfume. Thoughts? Also, Sephora stopped carrying Cumming as of two weeks ago!! Lame. I don’t know who else noticed. But their friends and family sale is on right now (everything 20% off!) and I was waiting to buy it and now I can’t. Grr.
And…while stalking perfume on Beautyencounter’s site I saw that Black Cashmere is on there for $50. Worth it since the reformulation? I don’t know…and it’s in the older bottle, not the slim one they have now at Bergdorf’s…
GM: Your mom is fabulous! Enjoy those…I’d love to sniff the originals!
Personally, I don’t think it’s even a match b/w Chinatown & Eau Premiere. Just sampled the Chanel this weekend and it was unremarkable. Now Chinatown is one of my faves, so I’m biased.
Sample, sample sample…and enjoy!
Yep, if your mom has just gifted you some No. 5, I’d skip the EP as well. Go hunt up some Mariella Burani instead, you can find it for less than $25 – and you can get your Chinatown TOO.
And if you hate that vintage ’70’s No. 19, let me know!
Ha ha. From the notes it actually sounds like something I wouldn’t like. But I guess I won’t know till I try…
That is absolutely true. Someone sent me a sample of a scent I was unfamiliar with, so I looked up the list of notes, and nearly tossed it aside. Then someone else mentioned it, so I opened it up and dabbed a little on and….yum! Not sure it’d be a FB for me, but I am SO glad I didn’t just regift it. 😀
Can your mom come visit me? Or can we trade moms? All I get from mine is news clippings related to her latest paranoia.
Today, L’eau d’Hiver in honour of the first dusting of snow on the nearby hills.
For Halloween, my staff and I are dressing as hillbillies, which is contrary to what we are (corporate lawyers) but less scary. I am wearing a plaid quilted shirt with a cheap trucker’s hat perched on my head. I would be interested in suggestions for a suitable scent to go with the hillbilly theme.
After Halloween, my husband and I will celebrate Day of the Dead at our home. We display photos of relatives and friends who have died, often accompanied by their favourite snacks (rum and coke for my dad; red rose tea and crackers for his mom) and for a couple of days we reminisce and share good memories.
What a wonderful tradition! I think celebrating the Day of the Dead has gotten lost in the ever growing hoopla of Halloween. Speaking of which though, I’d suggest Dzing to go with your hillbilly costume. It’s got a lot of barnyard going on….in a good way!
Agree that this is a great tradition you have. As for the hillbilly scent, I’m thinking something cheap, that announces itself as such. Sadly, after spending two days looking at Luckyscent and Aedes, I no longer recall the names of cheap perfumes… only those over $200. The brainwashing must be complete.
Oh, wait! I know! Avon!!
I think I will wear DKNY Red Delicious- I feel like having an apple scent today. Last perfume bottle I bought- just last week, L’Encre Noir for my husband.
Lucky husband!! Will you borrow some?
Sotd,,bois de isles….toinight i have teacher conferences so i think i will use dzing or nu or black cashmere…i love the fall, i bring out all my favourites (and there r many)…ive discovered a a new love by l’erbalario (an italian co. ) called ambreliquida…a very special ambre!!!(actually a feminine ambre) they also have an iris scent which is a lot like Lorenzo V teinte de neige….as well great body products…am thinking after all the good things iv’e read…champagne de bois is omething i need to know!!!
Today i passed though the amouage counter and had a sniff from each lid…..i think i loved them all today!!!! what fine fragrances!!! to late in the day to be part of threads so…
have a good week everybody
L’Erbalario used to have a little boutique in a mall near me, but unfortunately it closed. I liked the products too.
Fall fragrances are like woolen clothes. You never touch them during summer, and their (re)descovery in October is so comfy and right, that you cannot believe how nice they smell and how much you disliked them in hot season. Rediscovered Gaultier 2!
What a nice way of putting it!
“Tis the season for Avignon! Dzing has been getting some wear time as well, but tonight I wore Bandit, and it mixed nicely with the rain falling on those dried leaves!
Yes on the Avignon…this is the best time of year for church incense, I think. But boy am I tired of rain!
So much I like Ava Luxe, so the more I regret descovering the line too late. Nobody can tell me if she is going to produce her eaux de perfume again. I love a lot Olibanum. My question is if there is any other similar fragrance to replace its loss?
I’m really sorry but I don’t know.
I’m wearing A La Nuit on Halloween to ward off vandals.
LOL…hope that works!
Ooh, I’m late to the party, but here goes anyway.
Testing Vero Profumo Rubj today – wow, this is ODD. Violently orange blossomy opening, then violet/sweetened iris and a very grassy, though not necessarily green, undercurrent all the way through.
And now jasmine.
It’s gorgeous, and I’m not even a white floral kinda gal.
The Vero Profumo scents are interesting…wish she’d add to the line!
Question: What is the best way to sell unwanted bottles fast? My collection is teetering at just about 300 (ACK!) and there are definitely a good 50 or so that I’d be more than happy to part with. Whatever I make from it will probably just go back “into the system” (Barneys here i come…) but any ideas would be most appreciated!
Empty bottles? Or with juice still remaining?
If you’ve got liquid remaining in them, go google scent splits wiki. You can also sell full bottles on there. (“Full bottles” meaning in the original bottle, not necessarily the bottle being completely full. I’ve bought plenty of things that were half full.)
Thanks so much Miss Kitty, I will definitely try that site. All of the bottles I’d like to get rid of have betwen 50-80% perfume remaining. (Do people really pay money for empty bottles? Wow….) Btw, how do I price them?
Belle, I’d sell any attractive empty bottles on ebay – but don’t expect more than 5 bucks for them (unless they’re crystal or vintage or really pretty).
As for pricing your partial bottles, I’d figure roughly how much is left and multiply that percentage by what you paid for the bottle, and then subtract a small amount for the fact that it’s not new. (Example: for a 60% full 50ml bottle of Songes edt, assuming I had paid around $60, I’d start with $36 and then bump it down a little to, oh, $33, plus a small set amount for shipping.) Depends on how badly you want to clear out your stuff – you could say costs are negotiable.
And some people don’t list prices for their bottles, they just negotiate via email with whoever’s interested, so you could do that instead. As a scent-splits snooper, though, I never bother with the “make me an offer” listings – I want to know what’s available within my budget without starting the endless email cycle. I don’t have time for that.
Help finding a fragrance!!!
I’m new here :)) and I absolutely love this website.
Long time ago (in the early 90’s) I loved my Dad’s cologne by Yves Rocher “Samarkand”. I used it myself and for some reason on my skin it didn’t smell masculine.
It is discontinued now. May be you can help to identify something similar to this? It has Basil, Lavender, Geranium, Ginger, Patchouli, Cedarwood notes.
Hi & welcome! Most unfortunately I don’t know Samarkand, and this post is now kind of old so it won’t get as many readers. You might try posting again next time we do an open thread (we’ll probably have another week after next). You could also consider the Monday Mail:
https://nstperfume.com/the-monday-mail/
Welcome S! I just started posting last week, and already I feel like part of the NST family! It’s a slippery slope from here, I’m sure….:)
I agree with you, Belle..
Today I tried Terre d”Hermes. I love it! It is very close to what I was looking for. Especially after an hours or two.
Someone suggested to layer Terre and Kelly Caleche. I have Kelly, just need to get Terre.