The usual open thread routine: talk about anything you like — what perfume you’re wearing today, the best perfumes of the 2000s, the first fragrance you'll buy in 2010, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer.
And of course, wishing everyone a very Happy New Year and a peaceful, well-scented 2010!
Note: image is new year by *Sally M* at flickr; some rights reserved.
Anyone get any good perfumes for Christmas? I received a bottle of Bvlgari Eau Parfumee Au The Rouge, but unfortunately it broke when I was carrying everything to the car. I’m wearing Au The Vert today instead! I had ordered some minis to be stocking stuffers, but they still haven’t shown up. 🙁
Oh – what a shame about your Christmas present! 🙁 I got two new perfumes for Christmas. Joy from my husband and I ordered a bottle of Miller Harris Figue Amere for myself the other day. My SOTD is Soivohle Blood Orange & Vetiver – not sure yet what I’ll wear this evening…
So sorry the bottle broke. I’ve been lucky and have yet to break a bottle of perfume, though I’ve had some near misses.
For Christmas my mother-in-law gave me what can only be described as a freaking huge bottle of Chanel Nº22 to replace the tiny decanter I had been relying on. I kind of want to swim in it. My fiance’ gave me a bottle of Tocca’s Giulietta and my best friend gave me a bottle of Tocca’s Cleopatra. Both are fairly light fragrances, but I think they’ll be nice for warmer weather.
I’m wearing the Chanel right now as I plan on wearing it out tonight.
Aren’t the Tocca bottles pretty? I have Cleopatra and it is nice for milder weather.
They really are. I really prefer understated designs and there’s just something so simple yet exotic about the Tocca bottles. My only real compliant with the perfumes are they’re really just too light. Very little staying power. I sprayed Cleopatra on before I went to my office on Christmas Eve and by the time I left at noon the scent was nearly gone. Sprayed a bit more on when I got home but ultimately doused myself in Midnight Poison before our holiday guests came over because you couldn’t smell Cleopatra at all.
I may look into the solid perfumes they offer to see if that adds a needed ‘oomph!’
No. 22 is definitely swim-worthy! What a nice m-i-l you have. 😉
It really is. I’m having a difficult time wearing anything else these days.
And she is a lovely women. She heard me mention that I liked it in passing one day months ago and hunted down a bottle for me. It was the highlight of Christmas, especially because she and I were discussing perfume the night before and I kept going on about my love for 22 without having a single clue she’d bought a bottle for me.
That is really nice. I hope you and your MIL continue to have a good relationship. My MIL died three years ago. She had Alzheimer’s which took her away from us first, then cancer took her permanently. I miss her terribly. She taught me how to knit, which I do professionally now, and one of the last coherent things she said to me was that she was proud of me and wanted to visit my store. She never got to.
When she was younger, she was a real beauty who wore classic red lipstick and Shalimar parfum.
Oohh, lucky you. Chanel No. 22 is beautiful. I don’t blame you for wanting to swim in it.
My friend who used to love perfumes just called to thank me for sending her some No. 22. She is now in the throes of raising a large family – five kids, two, possibly three, who have autism and are profoundly involved – and really doesn’t have much time to herself. Her husband works from home during the day, and she works at night (in an unscented workplace!) to provide health insurance benefits and extra money for the family. Anyway, we stole a few minutes to catch up and I sent her a set of decants of No. 22 in various forms – parfum, vintage parfum, and the EdT. I think perfume is a necessity for a woman in her situation – it is so easy to lose yourself. I hope that little package helps her feel beautiful.
What a good friend you are! You have such a big heart, Julia.
How sweet of you.
I got a bottle of Fumérie Turque (Lutens) from my wife, and gave perfume to most of the women in the family. The Lutens is quite nice, smoky and difficult to wear. I like it!
So sorry, on both counts!
I got two from Santa. Bandit from my hubby and I bought Azuree for myself. I am a very happy fragrant girl today. 🙂
Your Husband is a lucky one! Bandit is a great leather fragrance
Better, you are lucky, since you got the Bandit, not him. Do you have the new version? Is it different from the old ones? I think i had two years ago a sample of the old one
I think I have the new version-I had a bottle of the old years ago, wish I could remember it.
I had a bottle of the old version in the 80’s but it was in a trunk that got misplaced by movers, along with other treasures.
Mountain, i hope that you can get another au the rouge =) For Christmas, I got, anticipated, a 30ml bottle of Sables from my auntie. She let me choose what I wanted rsrs
I also got a box of roger & gallet soaps, a mini kit of miller harris fleur du matin body products (shampoo, soap and body lotion), and 3 soaps of Natura Ekos Halzenut.
Sounds like you got some great gifts!
My husband gave me a bottle of L’Ombre Dans L’Eau and my mother-in-law gave me a bottle of CB I Hate Perfume In the Library. I’m enjoying both very much. I also got lots of samples as stocking-stuffers, which was a nice bonus.
Oh, I did well this Xmas – a bottle of SSS Opal, some SSS Femme Jolie body cream, Tocade, vintage No 5 parfum, vintage Chamade… and then gifts to me from myself (the best category) Mitsouko parfum, Shalimar parfum, Heure Exquise edp, Kenzo Flower Oriental… Fragrance is the gift that keeps on giving!
Wow! You did very well!
Vintage Chamade! My DREAM present! Lucky lucky lucky YOU!!!
I *am* lucky – there is a vendor I stumbled upon that is selling vintage without realizing it is vintage. Lucky me indeed! I emailed my sister and was like you must get this for me asap before it is gone!!!
Oooh! Very nice! I just love Femme Jolie. How are the body products?
SSS body products are very good. I have the shea cream in Velvet Rose and Femme Jolie, and also the shea lotion in FJ. I think the shea is really beautifully done – thick, rich, absorbs well, etc. Laurie puts a high concentration of fragrance in them, so they are wonderful.
I’ll second Ann on the body products. Laurie mixes the ingredients herself and the quality is 1st rate. The cream is rich in shea and absorbs so quickly you don’t have to wait to put on your clothes! The lotion is lovely also and I look forward to using that in the warm weather.
AnnS, isn’t SSS Opal wonderful? Just tried that one-love velvet rose too. Laurie is great.
I didn’t really notice Opal much when I was first getting into SSS, even though I’d tested it early. And then I just realized I like it very much this year when I was looking for a nice vanilla soliflore style that didn’t smell like food or candles – I do make the effort to retest certain samples after some time has passed, just to see if I’ve changed my mind about them. What I notice now with having a sprayer for Opal rather than the tester is the lovely ambrette seed – it really plays very well for me from a good spray – it adds a type of quiet elegance to what is otherwise a very well done vanilla. And it lasts for hours. Very lovely to wear for those times when simplicity is called for. And Velvet Rose was my first fav SSS – I wore it for my wedding. Eventually I’d like to get the shea cream for Opal too…
Mmmm, Ann… I may just be begging you for a sample of Opal sometime soon. LOL. Or maybe I’ll just order a 5ml size from Laurie. It sounds great — I often love Ambrette. I considered a decant of the Le Labo Ambrette, but I think it seemed incredibly fleeting (at least when dabbed from the vial I had).
Ange du demon has served me well this Christmas. Suited the season perfectly and I’m thinking it wil take me through the wintery months until the thaw.
Here is my question: Which perfume should I choose to welcome the new decade? I’ve narrowed it down to No. 5 Eau Premiere, Estee Lauder Jasmine White Moss, Guerlain Idylle, and my precious decant of Guerlain Les Secrets de Sophie.
Happy 2010 to everyone!
Hi Elizabeth – for what it’s worth – my vote is for the Secrets de Sophie. I haven’t smelled it, but it seems like it would be a ‘sparkly’ fragrance.
Ditto on the Secrets de Sophie.
I’m of the belief that you can never go wrong with Chanel, especially when the evening involves drinking champagne.
Oh, not Idylle or Eau Premiere! I haven’t made up my mind about JWM, but I suspect Sophie (which I haven’t smelled) is the leader by a mile.
Eau Premiere would be my pick, but have not smelled the Guerlain.
I’ve not yet smelled Sophie, but my vote is for Eau Premier. And I can back that up – I’m wearing it today as it is so sparkly, lovely, sophisticated. It just smells like champagne to me! I layer it with the regular No 5 body cream which gives it some more depth like the original No 5. And it lasts and lasts…. Great with a LBD for a good party or even staying at home with good friends…..!
Happy New Year!!
Oh, I love this layer combo idea. I need to get my hands on both first, however. I’ve got a sample of Eau Premiere. Is there any place I can get a small container of the No. 5 body cream?
Most of the standard department stores have the body product testers around. It would probably be easy to procure a sample of the body cream or lotion from Macys, Nordstrom, etc.
Thanks, Ann. Yes I will visit the Chanel counter at Macy’s tomorrow. If they won’t give me a sample I’ll perform my little experiment on the spot. Better wear short sleeves just in case.
Eau Premier! (it will be one of my first major purchases in 2010)
Lovely scents! Since you call your decant of Les secrets de Sophie “precious”, I believe this is the one you should choose – what better fragrance to welcome the New Year in, that the most precious you have ?
My New year frag is Ormonde Woman, it will be just perfect with the long, burgundy dress I’m wearing tonight.
Sounds very elegant!
I can’t be first, surely? I am usually 205th at least!
Anyway, my New Year’s Resolution is to stop buying perfume, or to buy it at a much slower rate. When I open the door of my beer chiller, things topple out like those vending machines that actually “vend”. Then there are the three drawers that take the overflow… Something’s got to give eventually. When my dad died at the age of 90, he was completely immured by books, which were his particular passion. I’ve got a way to go, but still…
I’ll second you on needing to slow down with the buying. In the last month I’ve acquired six perfumes and haven’t really even had the time to experience them all to their fullest.
Yes, I have to do that too. I’ve been *better* lately, since I’ve been doing decants…
but still enamored of my ebay hunts for vintage. Recent score: an old bottle – I’m guessing 60’s based on the label, which is red and black lettering on white, and the color of the scent, pale yellow – of Je Reviens. Now that’s pretty stuff.
You are a vintage Queen! I remember when I was a little girl and Je Reviens was at the local department store. I always loved the way it smelled, but was too little to even bother asking my mom to buy some for me. Can you imagine?
I still have miles more books than perfumes, but I have too much of both I guess. I feel guilty about the perfume though, & not about the books — the books will last, the perfume will spoil long before I use it up.
Have you had many bottles spoil on you Robin? I must say I’ve been lucky, though I should shut my trap. Don’t want to jinx myself here.
Only a handful, really, but the long term outlook can’t be good…and I’ve undoubtedly got bottles I haven’t smelled in years at this point.
I have a lot of books bit these days give away a pile every year to my kids’ school fete. I have not reached a ‘buy one, give one away’ balance, but it’s close. I wouldn’t dream of doing that for perfume, but I did give away a bottle this year and it felt really great!
I also want to buy less fragrances in 2010 than i bought in 2009, It ended that i have barely used somethings that i bought these year and I wouldn’t like to repeat this in 2010. I think i’ll buy more decants, that are a reasonable alternative to stop buying full bottles and stil continue to have new fragrances to wear
Okay, 5th! : – ) My typing speed needs work…
SOTD: Un Rose Chypree, and I believe it will be my first purchase of 2010. I’m in no way able to judge best fragrances of the 2000s since I really only got bit by the fragrance bug a few years ago and I’ve been rather slow and methodical about trying scents. I tend to focus on families rather than new releases, although this year I focused on oud at the same time the market did. Happy New Year’s everyone!
Happy NY to you as well! So interesting that you focus on families — do you only like a few categories?
I am kind of like this – I approached my scents overall by House. I feel like it is research for developing my nose and knowledge of style. So there are some houses I haven’t got that deep into. Of course I veer into independent, single releases, and others here and there. But I find it fun to explore a house, etc. This year I am going to get all the Serge Lutens, Frederic Malle & L’Artisans done and then get into Comme des Garcons and keep going through Biehl PKW….. t must be my librarian’s tendency to categorize and analyse… It was a lot of fun though finally getting through Guerlain, Chanel, Fendi, Givenchy, Donna Karan, a bunch though not all of Montale, and Sonoma Scent Studio.
I started out doing that as well, the exploration by house – and then got sidetracked by “vintage” everything… and then Rose everything… sigh. Testing wound up being very eclectic, although I will say that I explored what intrigued me, not just what was new.
Good thing I kept notes!
I do this too! I’ve explored just about all of Andy Tauer’s line, and find I love everything! (My wallet weeps). Had a lot of fun exploring Sonoma Scent Studio as well. But it’s harder for me to follow through with the larger lines — I seem to run out of steam before I’ve sampled ‘everything’.
By house makes sense to me. By family — wouldn’t say it doesn’t make sense to me, but it’s not how I work.
I like to explore and organize fragrances by house, too. I’m also a little bit of a fangirl and sometimes I group things by “nose.”
It’s not so much that I’m only interested in a few families as that I’m interested in broadening my horizons, so to speak. And focus on interesting or new notes. Last year I spent a lot of time exploring vetiver scents (boy are there a lot of them!) and this year I spent a lot of time on ouds. I’ve found that the fragrance world is so large that I really believe there are multiple scents that are ‘me’ in every category, I just have to search to find the right ones.
I went through a vetiver stage too – emerged while getting through Chanels. This year I want to spend more time exploring incense as it is normally something I have trouble with unless it is really light – a product of too much Catholic school, lol. But it is impossible to really test *everything* as some houses are just too prolific.
Ah, makes sense!
I received Clinque Wrappings for Christmas (well, I bought it myself and gave it to my husband to give to me!), and with some gift money I ordered Tabac Aurea. Now that I have a nice small collection of frags I love, I intend to use them up this year.
Happy New Year to all my fellow perfumistas/os!
Congrats on snagging some Wrappings! They did not seem to promote it much this year.
fleur-congrats on Wrappings, isn’t it fun stuff? Wish Clinique would do more marketing for it. In SF, only Bloomies had it this holiday season.
I tried to find Wrappings since everyone seems to like it and it only comes out around the holidays. I read that you need to ask for it as it is sometimes kept behind the counter, not promoted, etc. I asked for it at several different Clinique counters and they all looked at me like I was crazy. Maybe next time….
I got mine at Macy’s, but it was also available through the Clinique website.
I’m wearing Or Black by Pascal Morabito, which I was crazy enough to order via the internet. (Shipping was almost more than the perfume.) I don’t know what my wife will wear, but there’s a good chance it will be Rose Chypree. She’s almost finished her first bottle!
Wow — a drained bottle is a glowing recommendation!
I’ve still got remnants of a cold so my sense of smell is not great but I’m not letting that stop me from having a fragrant NYE. The place is filled with the smell of a carrot cake I made (nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, orange peel) mixed with the Diptyque Benzoin candle which was a Christmas present (yay!)
And later I will be putting on some 31 Rue Cambon. It’s probably my favourite ‘discovery’ of the year and the only FB I bought in 09 so seemed like an appropriate choice. Plus I have the whole 200ml of it to go through. I wonder if I’ll mange to use it up in the next decade.
Hope everyone has a great evening regardless of how you are spending it. Happy New Year, everyone!
Oh, carrot cake + benzoin candle sounds so lovely!! Wish I could smell it. (and have a slice of that cake)
Consider yourself a recipient of a virtual slice, Robin. And everyone else, seeing as virtual cake can go a long way 😀
🙂
Since virtual cake is also very dietetic, I’ll take a large slice, please! Thanks!
when you put it like that—-I’d like mine with a big scoop of double vanilla ice cream! Thanx. 😉
DH aka Santa gave me a full bottle of FM Carnal Flower!! I can’t wait to wear it! My best friend gave me EL’s Knowing which I am wearing right now and I gave myself a full bottle of Chanel’s 31 Rue Cambon! That was a bit painful in the pocketbook but every morning I wake up and take a sniff, so I think it was worth it. Haven’t decided what I am wearing tonite yet; will depend on what I decide to wear…we are just staying in and watching very old movies and eating takeout Chinese food. If the kids leave as planned, I may break out the Magie Noir! And in February I will be going on a FM sample extravaganza! Happy New Year to everyone!
Oh, nice! I would love to have a bottle of Carnal Flower.
Hubby and I are staying in for New Years-we like low-key. I’ll be wearing Magie Noire and we’ll watch old movies. I’ve got tamale pie ready to throw in the oven for later.
This break has been fun-I’ve read 11 books on my “must read” list.
Oh, Tamale pie… YUM! Our new New Year’s tradition is to have these special pastrami sandwiches my husband makes with drinks. It’s a lot easier than the holiday cooking I used to do.Not very glamorous, but tastey.
So jealous on the reading you’ve gotten done!
Lucky you! We usually stay home, but I lost the vote this year and we’re going out.
And wow — congrats on the reading.
It’s been so nice to sit with a cup of hot tea and zone out-I feel so relaxed and happy…..
We like to stay home on New Year’s Eve – we call it “amateur night.” My husband plays in a very popular local band and they have started booking the band on New Year’s Eve again. The band wives had a little rebellion many years ago and they stopped for a few years, but now they are back. They play pretty much every weekend and I get my husband’s band money for whatever I want. Since I picked up this perfume habit I’m very supportive of booking the band! (He does have a day job as an attorney.)
any links to youtube to check their music?
I’m wearing TF Black Orchid tonight.
Here’s a question for you all:
What are your favorite fragrances with honey notes? Any honeyed chypres out there? All suggestions are welcome!
I like SL’s Chypre Rouge, great honey chypre with fantastic staying power. And also Azuree by Estee Lauder. Azuree does not have honey listed in the notes but I swear it has something sweet, at least on my skin it turns sweet…..
I second smokeytoe suggestion. Chypree rouge is a great honey chypre fragrance. I usually hate some honeys in my skin, since the end being so animalic and i sense a note of pee in some honeys that i don’t appreciate. In chypre rouge, i just detect the right amount of honey with the usual dried fruits liquer that lutens adore to use in his fragrances. I detect it slowly going to a woody and dry base, very chypre, with traces of the bright and yummy honey and fruits of the opening. One of my faves from lutens
I have Chypre Rouge, but rarely reach for it.
My fav fragrance with a nice honey note to it is the Sonoma Scent Studio Tabac Aurea. It is primarily a woody scent with lovely natural dried tobacco smell (not smoke), labdanum, some patchouli, but it has an overall honey accord that follows it through. It is really rich, wonderful stuff.
Ooh, this sounds good.
My favorite honey notes are in Chergui (comforting), Amoureuse (gorgeous!), and Botrytis (yummy).
These are the three I like, too, and I will add Frapin 1270.
Tokyo Milk’s Honey and the Moon, L’Occitane’s Eau de Miel (which I believe is discontinued) and of course, MAC’s Naked Honey, also discontinued. If you’re interested in samples of any of those, I’m jasouza9 on MUA.
Miel de Bois is another one. I am not a big fan of honey notes so I cant say it is my favorite. The only one I ever liked was Eau de Miel. Contact me on MUA (staranis) for samples of both.
I second or third Botrytis!
I LOVE BLACK ORCHID!!!! Sorry…I got a little excited there. HA! 🙂
I’m deaf now… warn me when you’re going to shout with glee!
Just kidding. It makes me happy to imagine you jumping up and down at your computer. I think Bk Orc would be fab on a man. It was too-too something for me… maybe just too odd? but I really liked the edt, Voile de Fleur, and am wearing that today.
Oh, Black Orchid is terrific in winter — I recently discovered it and fell hard. I need to get a bit of the Voile de Fleur from a local fragrance pal.
It is pretty damn awesome, isn’t it? 🙂
Miel de Bois! Which nearly nobody else likes but me.
I like it! Once I get past the “who’s wearing cat pee?” phase of it. 🙂
and Kevin! 😉
I’m one of those who miel du bois smells just like pee on skin 🙁 I tried, but this lutens doesn’t work at all with me
I like civit-y perfumes and I really want to try that one, but someone I work closely with perceives honey notes as rancid soap.
I just got a large decant of Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille and I get a big honey note in the opening that I like.
If you like civet so much, you should really try the Lancome (La Collection) Climat. It is a very lovely dry, aldehydic white flowers fragrance that is almost “green” and sits on a really nice soft civet base. Very nice stuff, very wearable and soft.
ohmigosh, Miel de Bois triggers my gag reflex nearly as quickly as Secretions Magnifique—-I think our noses may be from different planets……
Ooh, I’ll have to look into that one.
i love miel de bois…but whenever i wear it my hubbie and daughter go euw
another honey chypree is soir de lune.. gorgeous
I gave frags as gifts this year rather than receiving any: Boucheron EDP for my mom, Terre de Hermes for a nephew, Parisienne for my other nephew’s girlfriend. So I was forced (italics!) to play fragrance Santa for myself, and bought Chanel No. 19 (love the green color) and Cristalle EDP. SOTD is Dzing, and we’re not doing anything tonight either except for a late afternoon run to Petsmart, so I’ll probably spritz on some Dzonghka. Any cat lovers please respond: am I crazy to wish for a perfume that smells like kitty breath? Just their regular breath, not the I-just-ate-half-a-can-of-tuna breath. I really love that smell. Happy New Year to everyone!
There was a thread on Basenotes recently in which a guy waxed poetic about cat breath. He said it’s kind of savory. I, myself, try not to breathe when my Sal Pal meows in my face, but her breath doesn’t usually smell rancid. 😀 And Happy New Year to you, too!
Oh, that’s funny. It makes me think of when Ralph Wiggum from the Simpson’s says: My cat’s breath smells like cat food.
I love kitty breath, I even take a sniff when they yawn! But I’m not sure I’d want to wear it.
I don’t know about kitty breath, but I think that kitty fur smells wonderful. Especially after they’ve been basking in the sun.
I love the smell of cat fur! I have one cat whose fur smells just like peanut shells. Nice!
Oh! Kitty fur! They all seem to have their own unique smell, and I love that. My orange tabby, who was the love of my life, smelled like Kix cereal. I have one cat now that smells like face powder and lilacs, and another that smells like a rain storm. If someone bottled the smells of my cats, I would buy them.
I must go home and smell my Julian.
I think we need to talk to CB – as I recall he also enjoys a cat’s smell. Mine smells like nasturtiums and pine sometimes, or just sun.
So sweet! We can spin cat fur into yarn. The fluffy undercoat that you brush out has a nice crimp in it and you can do it on a simple drop spindle.
I had a very elegant black cat about 10 years ago (I think an American Burmese) that had the most wonderful coat – his fur smelled so good. I miss him still. Funny thing was that my sister used to say he smelled like me (Coco Chanel) as I’d always pick him up in the mornings when I would get ready. He helped me get dressed for work – I’d say Max, What should I wear? And he would say, You must wear black and wear fur. (And yes, I am nuts. He was a wonderful cat.)
Nooo not nutz-Max sounds like a wonderful kitty. I love kitty breath. My two kitties smell different. Smokey smells like warm powdery musk and Rocky smells woodsy.
This is rue! I don’t associate cats with smelling ‘good’ at all, even though I love them. But now that you mention it my Sal Pal’s fur does smell nice, like facepowder and the faint tail end of perfume. When I wore scented lotions exclusively, my DH used to comment all the time how she smelled like me.
I adore my kitties’ breath. And everything about them. 🙂
SOTD Yves Rocher’s Neonatura Cocoon…I have a cold that will not quit so I can’t smell most things…
Hope you are feeling better soon!
Yes, get better soon!
Thank you both!
And Happy New Year to All!
Hope you feel better soon….
thanks!
Happy New Year for Everyone! I wish for all my nst fellows that 2010 bring us fabolous launches, long-waited relaunches and, who knows, that some of us can finally found his/her fragrance Graal 🙂
I was going to use my decant of Midnight Oud from Juliette Has a Gun, but my Vetiver Oriental, to my surprise, was delivered today, so I changed my mind and i’m gonna use it.
But Fabulous launches = Fabulous buying!!! 🙂
Carlos, nothing is perfect rsrsrsrs
Oh, i saw your list of fragrances on your blog. What a impressive collection you have! I like almost all your fragrances. You have one of my 2010 fragrance wishes, a bottle of Spiritueuse Double Vanille
Rick I am sooooo happy I purchased that bottle. It has quickly shot up to my TOP 20! 🙂
SDV is my NYE scent, Rick. I was decanting some to send a friend a sample, and spilled it on myself. Voila – my SOTD. 🙂
Bonus!
I almost always do this when decanting samples to friends. Yesterday i was during the day with the smell of the rahat loukhoum in one of my hans and amen pure malt on the other hand due to this.
Congrats on your new bottle!! Is it a bell jar? (can’t remember if that one is export or exclusive)
Robin, is the export version. It’s a little bit hard to find now, but i got one at ebay for a great price
Good for you!
I would love some suggestions on new fragrances to try. I’m a big fan (and have a large collection) of dark, smoky, even difficult, scents (SL, Tauer, FM), but I’ve been craving something light and accessible lately. Something even a little <> fruity, but with some staying power? I would say the lghtest scents I have now are PdN Balkis (a little too sweet) and Philosykos. Any suggestions from my wise cohorts?
By now, yes, I am a broken record. If you are looking for something light and fruity, you may want to try Mauboussin. It is technically a vanilla oriental, but I think it is sheer sheer sheer – nice dried and fresh fruits, a dash of incense, and a wonderful non-foody vanilla base. Really easy to wear and lasts forever. Along similar lines, you may want to try PdN Sacrebleue which is another floral-fruit vanilla oriental that is amazingly beautiful and easy to wear. I can’t say enough about either of these fragrances.
Maybe the Mauboussin will be my first bottle of the new year – there’s a 15 ml on ebay for about $15, so I just might pick that up after hearing so much good stuff about it on here!
May I second this!? a big favorite of mine…
Might as well… I thought the bottle was fun, so I bought a mini unsniffed. Passed a sample on to Ann, and the rest is history. 😀 I like it, but don’t adore it as she does.
I agree, Boo – I like it very much but don’t looooooove it. I have a mini, garnered in a swap, and I wear it but don’t think I’ll be buying more. At the same time, it’s very pleasant, and I think worth the risk of buying unsniffed.
I do love Mauboussin. It’s one of the few fruity fragrances I can wear.
For light and sheer, how about some Hermessences or other JCE creations?
Or, perhaps, some vetiver scents. They can have a little of earthiness and smokiness to them still but feel fairly fresh too.There are tonnes out there but my personal favourites are Vetiver Tonka and Sycomore.
Ooh, good call on the Hermessences. I’m rather partial to Vanille Galante – and on me it does easily last the day.
Or… Safran Troublant! Not really fruity, but definitely accessible and ethereal. Other L’Artisans to look into: Passage d’Enfer, Mimosa, Papillon, Thé pour un été…
Second the JCE suggestion – Jardin sur le Nil is very light, but interesting too.
I’ve never sniffed the Mauboussin, I will have to order a sample of that. I do like Sur La NIl, I may have to give in and buy a bottle to ease into the “lighter fragrances” world. Thanks for all the suggestions!
I’m not a big vetiver fan, but I admit I haven’t had hardly any exposure. The first time I ever really smelled it was AT Vetiver Dance, which was also my first real scrubber! May have soured me on it but I should give it another chance.
Something light, accessible and even a little fruity? Check out Hilde Soliani’s Il Tulipano. It is accessible but not pedestrian or boring (there is a hint of dirtiness in the lovely pulpy juiciness).
And although I don’t find it lasts very long (4 hours maybe), I think that Hermé’s Un Jardin Après La Mousson has a nice fruitiness (melon in this case). Reminds me a bit of Un Parfum Pour Thérèse. I find Sur Le Nil to be too lemony, too much like cologne at the beginning when I am in the mood for something “fruity”, and so this one in the series passes muster.
Oh, for “light and sheer” (albeit not fruity), the grandaddy of them all is of course, Bvlgari’s Eau Parfumée Au Thé Vert. It is more subtle, more blended, then L’Artisan’s Thé Pour Une Eté, which is a similar (but stronger) tea/rose scent.
Thanks for the suggestions, although I don’t usually like melon, Therese is one of my all time favorites!
Believe me, being the snob I am I never thought I’d be looking for something ‘light, accessible and fruity’, I’m a perfumista in reverse! Not really though, just trying to round out my wardrobe.
I have been waiting for the opportunity to ask this question: what men’s fragrances come in EDP (or even perfume for that matter!)? I know of several but would like the community’s answers. Thanks.
Celestia, the EDP’s that I know are:
Guerlain Homme Intense: just not so intense as the bottle suggest, but a long lasting version of the traditional guerlain, with the herbal side of the original amplified and with a mineral accord in evolution that remind’s me a lot of terre d’hermes. I think they share probably iso e super on their drydowns.
Jaipur Homme EDP: A Creamier version of jaipur pour homme, with more enfasis on vanilla and cinnamon anda superb sillage and longevity on skin
Dior Homme EDP Intense: a great option for those who don’t like the iris on the edt, because here the powdery effect of iris stays only at the first 15minutes on skin, and then it develops to something creamy and woody, with a detectable white chocolate on its basenotes
L’Instant Pour Homme Extreme: I just love this one. More woods and more gourmand notes than the edt one. It has something resinous, also creamy, that I don’t detect on the edt version and I like a lot on this one
For New Year’s Eve, I used my Mitsouko shower gel and EDT. I have the extrait but just one drop just about kills me, since I am one of those inexplicable aquatic/ozonic lovers. But, I usually use Mitsouko at Xmas.
Whenever I question my colleagues in the perfume dept. about men’s EDP’s, they invariably come up with Boucheron and YSL Kouros. I would also add Habit Rouge (now in Perfume as well) and Heritage. Vetiver Extreme is listed as an EDT by Osmoz.
I believe Terre d’Hermes now comes in EdP, but I haven’t tried it yet.
Jirish, the Terre d’Hermes comes in a concentration labeled as Parfum, but it wears more like an EDP. I have bought one, didn’t like and gave my bottle as xmas present for a friend. If you’d like that your terre d’hermes edt were more pronounced in patchouly, woods and had less of that vegetal iso e super drydown that the edt has, maybe the parfum will be perfect for you. He also reminds me something of the Frederic Malle French Lover/Bois d’Orage, but i cant tell exactly what it is.
Hanae Mori is the first one that pops into my mind as a mens EDP.
Caron Pour Homme. I think the extrait was called Impact, or Impact Pour Homme? But don’t know if they still make it.
Oh, and Courvoisier L’edition Imperiale
The Divine’s masculines come as EDP’s. ( L’ homme de coeur, l’homme sage, l’être aimé au masculin) I really like them. Esp. L’homme de coeur.
As xmas gifts, I gave my mother a 50ml bottle of Opium edp, that she just loved it! For my sister, i bought a gift set of the eau des merveilles that was for pennies on fragrancex (50ml + body lotion + shower gel for 30 dollars!). And my brother in law was gifted with a fragrance that I bought for myself, didn’t liked and ended fabulous on his skin, a bottle of Barolo from o Boticario.
Wonderful!! I might have to look into that Merveilles gift set, what a deal.
Good choices. You’re thoughtful!
I’m wearing Pacifica Avalon Juniper today, it’s perfect for the inch of snow we got over night.
That’s a nice one. We got a couple inches too.
Ooh… I love that one and I always forget that I have it. Plus, I only spent $3.00 for the bottle because someone had already sprayed it a few times. I might have to put it on later – although it’s 65 degrees out today, so maybe I’ll dig out my Cristalle Eau Verte.
I spent the last few days in New York seeing the relatives, visiting museums, shopping and sniffing. I made it to Takashimaya (one of my favorites) and Saks then went to the Village to hit some of the places on Bleeker. I printed out the NST “Shopping in New York” page which is how I found Enfleurage. Great shop! I got to sniff two different types of agarwood along with plenty of other things.
I’m like all of you upthread who commented on trying to cut down on perfume purchases next year. My husband looked at the bottles and decants the other day and told me I was going to need to name a “perfume executrix” in the will ! 🙂
What fun — I’d love to visit Enfleurage!
And yes. I’ll need to think about the future of my perfume too 🙂
I love Enfleurage! I buy essential oils from them. Great people!
We’re celebrating our 25th anniversary today! Though we’re having a special evening “in”, and we’re not dressing up, I’m going to wear Une Rose. I don’t think any fragrance makes me feel more special!
How wonderful. Happy Anniversary to you both, wishing you many more happy years together!
Congratulations on your 25th!!
Happy Anniversary!
Oh, how lovely! Huge congrats 🙂
Happy anniversary! I’m sure your hubby will appreciate your smelling lovely (ravishable?).
Thanks, all, for the warm wishes! And I let my husband spritz on my Havana Vanille. We both smell wonderful! 🙂 (Some day I will get a full bottle of Une Rose. I’m now on my second travel bottle.)
Congratulations, and here’s to the next 25 years of smelling fabulous!
Thank you!
Here’s a question for all of you. I have discovered that the narcissus/daffodil note in perfumes is VERY appealing to me. So far, Caron Narcisse Noir is my favorite, and I really enjoy Guerlain Chamade, too. Are there others that feature this note that you would recommend? I do have the limited edition L’Artisan, Fleur de Narcisse, on my list to try.
PdN Le Temps d’une Fete!
Abyss, I forgot about that one! I tried it for the first time recently, and it went straight to my wish list! So gorgeous!
YES, YES, LE TEMPS D’UNE FETE! (Gosh, now I’m shouting… sorry. I love that one, it’s probably in my top three.)
Also check out MFK Lumiere Noire (you like rose, right?) – it’s expensive, but decants are available. It is wonderful. Probably the sexiest thing I own; it just edged Citizen Queen out of the top spot for Husbandly Attention.
Mals – have you ever compared it to Chamade? I thought it was very similar to Uncle Jean Paul’s fragrance.
I really must get a bottle of the Le Temps. It suits me really REALLY well.
Now, I just looked up some reviews of Lumiere Noire, and I think it sounds downright scary! However, I’m going to take your advice and at least try it. 🙂
H: I think Lumiere Noire is the one I got a free sample of recently and I think it was quite nice.
Also, for Narcissus, the Prada exclusives Narciso is nice but $$$$!
Rapple, I like Chamade, but I LOVE Temps – and other than both being green florals, they don’t have all that much in common. Very different foci.
(Foci? Where’d that come from?)
Hi Rappleyea – I think that Chamade is only barely relatable to Temps as a classically structured green floral. I think Temps is very beautiful and fresh. But IMHO it is more similar to the gorgeous opening of Chanel No 19 and something light and crisp like Diorissimo (if D were a “green”) than it is to Chamade,. They are certainly both green and have lots of galbanum and white flowers, but Chamade changes into that gorgeous balsamic Guerlain base, and Temps stays lighter and fresher, almost soapy but not really soapy if you know what I mean. Now that I’m thinking about it, it is more like Chanel’s Bel Respiro and PdN’s own Eau d’Ete than the heft of Chamade. And everyone knows I love Chamade. Temps is more sheer, fresh and lively.
Ann & Mals – Great analysis Ann. I didn’t really elaborate enough, but you’re right – while they are very similar in the beginning on my skin, Le Temp falls apart on me and becomes soapy and sharp whereas Chamade goes into the lovely Guerlinade laced with blackcurrent bud and galbanum. Sorry to say that none of the PdN have worked on me.
Rapp – very interesting you say that as Temps does fall apart on me too during the drydown. I think the opening and early stages are just beautiful, but after about 2 hours it just gets a little strange on me – kind of sour soapy sap type smell I can’t ever make heads or tails of. But before that time I do think it is very beautiful. I only enjoy it if I just wear it for those 2 hours and apply another fragrance or just re-apply Temps to enjoy the beginning again. Funny how that can happen. If you want to try a different thoroughly gorgeous green galbanum aldehyde along the lines of Chamade, No 19, etc. you may want to try the edt of Annick Goutal’s Heure Exquise or Chanel’s Bel Respiro. (PS – the only PdN’s that I’ve tried that really work on me are eau d’ete and rose-pivione)
…. oops – forgot PdN’s Sacrebleue which is very lovely to wear.
Etro Shaal Nur. And CB I Hate Perfume M1.
Just got, but haven’t tried, a sample of the Shaal Nur; hugely second the M1 Narcissus though. Seems like CB has another one too, but can’t put my finger on it just now…
I didn’t realize that Shaal Nur had narcissus! No wonder I love that fragrance so much! Gotta go check my list of notes on that one…
I’ve not heard of the M1. There is a line I need to explore more! Thanks!
Haunani – I *have* to recommend my HG – Vol de Nuit. And if possible, buy an older bottle on eBay.
Thanks. I need to give that one a full test. I sniffed it in a store once and was very intrigued!
H – Caron’s Montaigne has a big funky narcissus in it – it mixes up with a lot of lush florals for a very heady quasi oriental. I think it is really tremendous.
Thanks, Ann! I do have a sample of that one. It’s a little “big” for me, but I seem to keep coming back to it. Love the orangey opening, and what I think must be the narcissus!
H – in Montaigne I particularly love the warm, natural mimosa accord, which I think keeps the narcissus from becoming too much as it transitions into the base. But it is a pretty major fragrnance that needs to be applied lightly. I love it at the end of winter/beginning of cool spring.
That sounds like a good time of year for Montaigne, and I’ll try it again with a lighter touch. I do love its bright warmth!
For xmas i got Tom Ford Grey Vetiver and Marc Jacobs for Men. Im looking for a great incense scent to buy for myself as my first purchase of 2010. Any suggestions?
CdG Incense series, any! Or if you want to shell out some $, Armani Bois d’Encens. Or the original Gucci Homme, biggest bargain of them all.
I’ve been lucky enough to be a tester for Laurie at SSS of her Encens Tranquil. She hasn’t put a final version back up on her site yet, but it will be very soon. It is a beautiful, seamlessly done scent. I highly recommend it.
In addition to the CdG series I also like Durbano’s Black Tourmaline and Tauer’s Incense Rose. Oh, and also Messe de Minuit.
Rictor: I love the Comme des Garçons Incense series, but also think L’Artisan Timbuktu is phenomenal, and Tauer L’Air du Desert.
All great suggestions above; Heeley Cardinal is another interesting incense to try.
Thanks for all the suggestions. Of the above mentioned, ive tried the Gucci PH, CdG Ouarzazate, which i found too peppery, and Kyoto, which i love, but find strikingly similar to Terre D’Hermes, which i have owned before and can get a better deal on. Many of the others were on my sample list actually, but Messe de Minuit wasnt on my radar so i will have to look into that.
MdM is one I find highly wearable, though I often have trouble w/incense. I love it, but it overpowers after awhile; not so w/the MdM. Kyoto and Ouarzazate didn’t quite work for me, but Zagorsk was lovely. And I’m with Joe on Timbuktu (also Dzongkha).
Good suggestions already, Rictor, and you might want to try Aedes de Venustas from l’Artisan as well. It’s got tons of incense and other interesting goodies — husky stuff!! They name these notes: orange oil, pink pepper, cardamom, incense essential oil, black pepper, rose, iris, cedarwood, incense resinoid, patchouli, coffee, opoponax, benzoin, treemoss, everlasting flower, white musk and vanilla.
The two incense perfumes that come to mind are L’Artisan’s Passage d’Enfer and Dzongkha. The latter is more exotic (the inspiration was Bhutan), and the former evokes the sensation of being in a cathedral — it’s “cool stone walls, grand vaulted ceilings and flickering candles”. I love both.
I own Timbuktu and love it, but don’t go to it as an incense fragrance, as to my nose, it is more about spices and earthiness, sweat and dirt.
How could I have forgotten Let Me Play the Lion?!!! One of my favourite scents of all-time, and a beautiful incense fragrance.
Well, I made out quite well at Christmas — my sister gave me EL Sensuous, and my mom gave me Caswell-Massey Elixir of Love No. 1, and also one of those cute little Harajuku Lovers bottles with the little girl (the fragrance is G, it smells coconuty and beachy). Not something I would have bought for myself, so it’s fun to have!
I am drowning in bottles and samples, so I’m set with perfume for a while …
Oh good!
And do think G was the best of the HL, and those bottles are adorable.
Yes, the bottle really is too cute!
Oh, congrats on your good gifts. I love Elixer of Love – I’ve always had a bottle of that since the early 90s. I think it is a very well done floral – love that artemesia! It is great in the summer – it reminds me of being in my favorite gardens with lots of herbs and making cut arrangements. I love the dusting powder and lotion too.
Yes, Elixir of Love has that nice herbal thing going on — and I love the bottle! I’ve only had a mini of it from a sample set before this.
I’ve been having a lot of fun with different fragrances this year. I finally found and (hey, got!) my perfect patchouli scent: Coromandel. So I agree with Klytaemnestra that one can’t go wrong with Chanel 🙂
I was also very intrigued by Tauer’s Une Rose Chypre, and it is on my “to-buy” list next year (I first read about this fragrance on this particular blog, so thank you!).
I never thought I liked rose fragrances, but I was surprised to discover that I just crave the dry-down of Montale White Aoud and my favorite Jayne Ormonde’s so far is Ta’if. I will keep looking for deep, rose-saffron combinations.
Happy New Year to everyone!
Oh, Ta’if is wonderful, I absolutely agree with you. I’m not much of a floral lover, but if I do wear one, it is usually a rose base. And Ta’if is the only floral I own a full bottle of. Having said that though, I really liked Une Rose from Fredric Malle and Rose de Nuit from Lutens. They were very robust, complex, ‘meaty’ roses!
Do try Czech & Speake Dark Rose if you haven’t yet!
Dear Robin,
Yes, I tried Dark Rose just a few days ago, and now I am in trouble! I have to decide between Dark Rose and Montale’s White Aoud–I can’t really afford both. They are very similar. The saffron in Dark Rose is gorgeous, and the oud is, indeed, softer in the opening, but I’ve found the dry-down in White Aoud just a tad richer… Oh, well, I hope this will be the most difficult decision I’ll have to make next year 🙂
sneaky pie: If you love rose+saffron, you really must try Montale Red Aoud as well. In a lighter vein (good in warm weather), with a lot of juicy orange added, is Diptyque L’Eau de Tarocco. I’d be happy to send you samples of both if you like: joe805 on MUA.
I *LOVE* Une Rose Chyprée — on me, it has a delicious almost fruity quality… One of my Christmas presents this year — highly recommend!!
As for other, more dark, roses I’d recommend L’Artisan’s Voleur des Roses, which has a dirty, earthy quality. I actually (shockingly) prefer it to FM’s Une Rose, which on me is often too much about red wine.
The second dark rose scent, which is my most reached-for scent, is Paestum Rose. It is dark and resinous, rose with frankincense and myrrh. Oh so dry, and oh so beautiful.
I’m a bit late, but maybe you’ll check out comments: in winter (and only then) I love the saffron-rose combination of Opôné (Diptyque)
I am wearing Mitsouko today in another failed attempt to finally ‘get’ it. I thought the generally reflective mood of the day would support the cause, but nothing yet. I have Parfum Sacre on the other wrist just for good measure. Has anyone ever tried the oil version of it? I did not want to splurge on the extrait, so I ordered the oil – how does it compare?
never tried the oil….but I do have some extrait (lurve it) and will send you a sample with your Havana Vanille—putting a note next to your name as we speak! 🙂
WHERE did you get the PS extrait?? Love the edp so much… that wasn’t you that won the recent auction, was it? Seller in Taiwan, gold bottle had a little scratch?
oops, reading too fast—-my mistake , I have Mitsy extrait…..scratching out the note…..
Well, now I’m calm. I was all flipped out, thinking, “but she doesn’t care that much for Parfum Sacre!”
sorry for the false alarm….I hope you had a paper bag handy to breathe into for a moment… 😉
I can-t believe there was a bottle on ebay and I missed it! They must have spelled it differently so my ‘watch list’ did not pick it up.
LOL — I pull Mitsouko out every so often and try again too. Not sure it’s going to happen, although that eventually worked with Shalimar.
When I first sought out Mitsouko, I recognized it as the signature frag of a Fifth Ave. elderly grand dame I worked for when I was a college student. I just couldn’t get around the association. Eventually, I resorted to harsh means — I wore Mitsouko riding, day after day, and in the stables when I mucked out. I now associate her with worn leather, horse sweat, and cantering across the fields. She is mine now!
I have to really admire your tenacity! I’ll try a sample once or twice and if it doesn’t work for me, I pass it on. I don’t care WHAT the scent is! I came to Mitsouko (and Vol de Nuit) as a teenager. It was just another tester at the Guerlain counter – who knew it was anything special in those pre-computer days – and Shalimar, which was popular then, was too sweet for me.
Yep, I’ve finally given up on Mitsouko too. I think it’s one of those things that I admire – I do get the mood of it, all autumnal and thoughtful and mysterious – but I really just don’t like it.
I adore Parfum Sacre and have been wearing it frequently these cold days. Where did you find the oil, if you don’t mind saying?
The evil TCP has it, of course! They do carry the extrait too, but it was just too much this month. I will report back once I have tried it.
I know there is one store in NYC that carries the full Caron line, but I have not been yet. On my list for 2010.
I got a gift certificate for the Perfume House for my birthday (just before Christmas.
I’m thinking about getting Montale Red Aoud……
Oooh, what a fabulous birthday present!
Yay, what fun!
SOTD is DSH Un Robe De Zibeline.
Oh, I don’t know that one! Is it nice?
I believe it is a relative of the Cinnabar/Youth Dew clan.
It makes me think of elegant women in furs as the name suggests.
It has a kind of illusory quality in that when you smell it close up, the scent flies apart into disconnected notes, then from a distance it turns back into itself. DSH Chevalier D’Automne does the same thing. I have a backup bottle just in case…..
Happy New Year everyone! I am working at my restaurant job tonight so I am in for a busy night. It doesn’t mater much what I wear there because I will quickly sweat off anything I put on. So, I am just wearing my recent go-to fragrance Lolita Lempicka.
LL is an old favorite of mine. 🙂
Hope you make a gajillion $ (assuming you’re working for tips).
Mmm, LL is tasty, though! And long-lasting. It feels very Mid-Summer Night’s Dream to me.
SOTD: SSS Vintage Rose – I know, I know…. I couldn’t decide, just that it had to be a rose, so I picked this. It goes well with my deep rosy pink cashmere sweater and it’s snowing/raining outside, so works as a comforting low-keyed scent.
Didn’t get any perfume gifts this year (I gifted myself instead), but my husband gave me Mandy Aftel’s Essence and Alchemy book and I gave him Timbuktu.
I have a question: For those of you in your 1st year of perfumista-hood…. did you find that you got more colds than before you began exploring all the different scents? I’ve gotten 2 serious bouts of laryngitis mixed with various sinus and respirtory infections this year, the 1st in more than 25 years. I’m just wondering if any of you had similar experiences thanks to the barage of scent ingredients passing under your noses. (I hope this has more to do with having a toddler in daycare/pre-school, and not having to curb my ‘perfuming’ habits…)
My friend that works in a hospital has always said baby colds are the worst, so it’s more to do with the daycare connection than your perfume habit. Sniff on!
Little kids are like poison – I’m sure it has more to do with that.
hehehehehe : )
Oh, it’s definitely the kids. For sure. I’m on kid #2, and the last couple of years have been just horrid (she’s in Kindy this year). Either my immune system finally woke up, or the probiotics and extra Vit D I’ve been taking are doing their jobs, bc I’ve been sick a lot less lately.
Colds from your little one is most likely the culprit! Seems when you have young children, colds are the worst. They’re sick and you’re tired from caring for them if they don’t sleep well. Then YOU catch the cold which means you’re now not only tired, but sick as well. It does get better as they age and your own immune system seems to get stronger.
I second the probiotics suggestion to amp up your immune system. More sleep would probably help too, but that is just not in the cards for moms. If you like dairy, try to drink some Kefir (in the yoghurt section/dairy case) every day, that has really made a difference for me. Good source of protein and calcium in addition to the probiotics.
Definitely blame the kid! And I swear those kid bugs hit us grownups harder — every time my son picks something up at preschool, he’s sick for 2 days and then I’m laid low for 6 weeks. I like to think a good strong perfume will ward off at least some of those germs, though!
Thanks to everyone for your input! It’s good to know you are all in agreement. What Natalie said is true – he gets sick for a few days and I’m out of commission for 6 weeks. I’ve never missed singing during Easter or Christmas and this year I missed both. There’s a good reason for being glad 2009 is over and hope 2010 will be a better year!
I’ve been doing a lot of probiotics since i was first pregnant (almost 4 yrs ago), and now have incorporated echinacea and Vit C along with specially formulated immune boosters (by Dr’s order) so am hoping to fight off the germs more easily. Will also try using perfume like garlic against vampires!
Cheers!
OF – seriously, try increasing your Vit D intake….most people (except maybe those near the equator) are horribly low on it, and they’re finding that the “recommended dose” is no longer anywhere near enough. I’ve tried a lot of supplements over the years and rarely notice any difference, but the Vit D has actually made a big one.
Dr. Mercola (mercola.com – no affiliation) preaches the same thing!
I will. (Thanks also, Rappleya!)
Am already taking calcium supplements that include D, but will also seek out add’l sources of D.
SOTD: Encre Noir. I’m on a vetiver kick these days, and it reminds me that there’s not a vetiver out there I don’t like. I’ve been trying to decide if I need a bottle of Sycomore. I probably do.
I bought myself some Jubilation XXV for Christmas. Stunning.
Jared, I also gave myself a bottle of Jubilation XXV as Xmas present. Did your came with a box of amouage gold soaps too?
No! Mine did not! I wish it had though! But still, I’m glad for the Jubilation XXV! Isn’t it great??!!
Jubilation XXV is one of the best things I’ve ever smelled and my “very special occasion” scent (though I do pull it down to sniff the bottle or dab a bit on my wrist frequently). I think I’ll have to wear some when I get back home this weekend.
Gave my husband (otherwise known as The Man Who Would Not Wear Perfume) Encre Noir for Christmas, and he actually likes it!! Not sure if it is “the one” (I think FM’s French Lover is “the one”), but I just hope he will wear it… it is gorgeous!
I have only bought decants this year, as I was too financially strapped to splash out on FBs. I figured it was best to have smaller amounts of more perfumes, rather than large amounts of a few. My fave purchases of 2009 are: Passage D’Enfer, Muscs Koublai Kahn and Ambre Sultan.
Desired purchases for 2010: Bandit Parfum. And that is ALL. (unless i suddenly have a pay rise and can afford anything else! In which case, it’s a toss-up between Bois Farine and Timbuktu. And definitely Reverie au Jardin. And an incense candle from Diptyque. And finally I will order that sample of Tubereuse Criminelle, which I have been waiting to try for over a year………)
Wonderful discovery to end 2009 with: Wallander, the Swedish crime series. I heartily recommend it to all crime drama fans. (Don’t be confused with the english tv version starring Kenneth Branagh! Which is OK, but not as good as the original swedish ones.) You can buy the swedish dvds on amazon, and some kind person in sweden uploaded a few episodes onto YouTube. You want the ones starring Krister Henriksson and Johanna Sallstrom. Enjoy……
I like Wallender! Very well done series.
The Wallender books are wonderful too.
Oh, I not only agree with your fragrance choices, but with Wallander too. The Swedish versions (with 2 different Wallander castings) are soooo much better than the one with Kenneth Brannagh. We were in Ystad when he was filming some street scenes, and got to see him (like him as an actor, just not in this!).
That’s so cool that you were in Ystad when they were filming! I would so dearly love to visit Scandinavia – Stockholm in particular, and some places in Norway.
The Kenneth Branagh one is growing on me. I think it is very unusual and brave for Branagh not to have transposed the cultural context. Usually when TV/Film remake a foreign story, they retell it in their own cultural context (Infernal Affairs/Shall We Dance/The Ring/The Office etc) It’s such a realistic medium it doesn’t usually require the audience to suspend their disbelief that much. Theatre, however, does it all the time. So it is really interesting to see Branagh do it with TV. I’m not quite sure it works, but it certainly adds an intriguing element and quirkiness to the series.
And, of course, the Branagh version does not have the Linda/Stefan side-story, which is so fantastic! They have such smouldering sexual tension, it’s brilliant! I also love how the details of their relationship aren’t explained, so you never know whether they are on a hiatus or back together until they suddenly kiss, or she walks out on him or whatever.
Blimunda, thanks for mentioning that Wallender is up on youtube, I just watched “The Mastermind”. I’d heard of the series, but never seen it before. It’s really, really good. I’ve ordered one of the books, too.
Hi Annunziata. The kind Swede uploaded three other episodes – I think the others are Afrikanen, Fotografen and something like ‘ Sven de Punkten’!! I’m glad you enjoyed them.
I was the fragrant Santa this year, I gave 4 of my friends Michael Kors Island rollerballs, 1 friend a mini Opium for when she’s on the go and another friend a big bottle of the original Michael Kors. I gave my mother, a Clinique Happy and Aromatics Elixir devotee, a bottle of Moschino Cheap and Chic which she adores. On that note, why hasnt anyone reviewed any of the Moschino fragrances? I’ve always thought of Cheap and Chic, with its iconic/ironic ode to Olive Oyl from Popeye was a classic. Their newest release, Glamour is super boring but Couture, released a few years ago, is just divine.
Anywhoo, thanks to Now Smell This, 2009 has been my most fragrant year ever. I got to reading NST (obsessively) just this year and am now the proud owner of like 20 fragrances, all bought this year. I dont know whether to thank you all or give you a check for a bazzilion dollars lol. I’d like to thank NST for awakening a love of fragrance in me that has enriched my life and emptied my broke-ass teenage pockets 😉
Good on ya, DannyAngel!
20 bottles is a nice collection! Do slow down next year or you’ll hate us 🙂
Happy New Year, all! Cute image, by the way.
It’s been a good year — despite little ups and downs I have nothing to complain about. Everyone here has brought me much joy and entertainment. I’m looking forward to 2010, with a resolution to be more frugal regarding perfume! I have quite a collection to enjoy, and I’m going to try to be more choosy about splits and purchases, and maybe get rid of some bottles I don’t truly love. I need to save for a trip to Japan to visit a friend who’s working there for a year!
This is my last day in the Northeast (NJ) and I’ll have a low-key early dinner out with my mom. I may wear Noir Epices again or Borneo 1834.
Best wishes to everyone! 😀
Changed my mind: wearing Amouage Epic for an epic new year!
Joe, did you get to shop in NYC???
H: Sadly… no!!!! Can you believe it? It was pouring on Saturday when I walked past Aedes with friends in tow, and they asked if I wanted to stop in but I knew they didn’t want to, so we kept walking to the subway. The rain really was miserable that day. And the next day I was with another friend and didn’t have time to shop. Oh well. But I did some sniffing of several new things at the suburban NJ Macy’s and Lord & Taylor, so it wasn’t a complete loss. I discovered that Aromatics Elixir is a very interesting scent!
How sad to walk past Aedes in the rain! Glad to hear you got a little sniffing in, and I’ll bet you had a good time with friends and family.
Oh, so sorry! You must go next time.
what does it mean: low-key early dinner?
Someone help me with my horrible indecision problem: what should I wear tonight? Keep in mind I am a low-key NYE person (impressive if I stay away past midnight, much less actually do something). We’re going to see a movie tonight, and then to a dive bar for cheap, high-fat food. Here are my options: Bandit, Coromandel, Chanel No. 5, Une Rose Chypree, Bond No. 9 Broadway Nite, or Joy perfume. My biggest concern is not wearing anything that makes people who sit near me in the theater move away. (Or maybe I *do* want that… Hmm…) I know none of the above are “subtle” but keep in mind I’ll have several hours to air out before we go to the movie at 10.
I meant “stay AWAKE past midnight,” not stay away. I need to stop having conversations with coworkers while I’m typing.
Chanel no5…..gorgeous, classic, who couldn’t enjoy you? 🙂
Yeah, I’d say No 5 or Joy for sure. Still no clue what I’M wearing, mind you….
…and finally decided on Citizen Queen. Why not? 😀
Seconding #5. Have a fun night, Miss Kitty. What movie are you going to see?
Avatar, sans 3D. I have chronic vertigo, so no nausea-inducing motion for me. I’m not normally a Hollywood movie kind of person, but I am intrigued by this one. We’ll see. 🙂
I absolutely vote for Joy, Ms. Kitty! That automatically adds major karma points going into the new year, with a name like that, right? I’m also looking forward to seeing Avatar sometime soon, though it’s generally not my type of movie either. They say it’s ‘Dances With Wolves’ with blue aliens. LOL.
There is nothing like a bit of Bandit to cut through the greasy food smell in the dive bar. But because of the movies I would second the No. 5 or the Rose Chypree.
LOL!! That’s great! I love Bandit and wear it some evenings for that weird, wonderful smell.
Miss Kitty: we’re going out too (to a benefit, of all things) and I am challenged to stay awake after 10 PM! Open bar, but I hope they have coffee 😉
In the 60s and drizzly here tonight, not sure what I’m wearing either…hmm…Bandit…
Happy, healthy 2010 to all!
Oh, I think I’d go for the Une Rose Chypree. Not to knock the classics – but URC is distinctive.
Now that’s one that I need to re-try. Something in the dry down didn’t really agree with me, but up until then, it was drop dead gorgeous.
I would go with Bandit — perfect for the dive bar, and it’s sure to clear the seats around you in the cinema! Your evening sounds fantastic, by the way.
No 5 or Joy……oooo tough decision….love them both….it seems to me that Joy garners more compliments, which makes me think that movie goers near you will be sniffing in appreciation. so my vote goes for Joy. (coincidentally, I happen to be wearing Joy myself! although I’m sure that’s not influencing my vote in the least….)
Yes, Daisy… Joy! We’ve missed you around here lately, by the way! Happy New Year! 😀
aw, thanks Joe! been a busy week—if I even look at the computer, I swear, someone starts calling out for me to do something! Plus I’ve been splitting up all those Havana Vanille bottles and making samples—very time consuming (and my spritzing finger is exhausted!) I see that I’ve missed out on some great threads this week ! But as soon as I get all these packages out in the mail, then I can relax a bit.
Sounds like you are having a good time visiting the Motherland even if you aren’t perfume shopping. Happy New Year 🙂
I am going to jump in here and say Coromandel – I am biased right now anyway, lol! But just a dab in the cleavage and you can smell it all night without bugging anyone. Besides, Portlanders can take a dab of well done classy patch, can’t they?
Oh Miss Kitty – I didn’t see your post til today. 🙁 I would have suggested URC cause that’s what I ended up wearing last night and we could’ve been scent sisters. 🙂 What did you end up wearing, and what did you think of Avatar? I saw it in Imax 3-D and it was an incredible experience – not only visually stunning, but there are times when you actually feel like you’re very much inside the story. They have perfected 3-D technology for sure. We saw previews for Burton’s Alice in Wonderland and a Nasa Space Shuttle/Hubble movie that we’re excited to go see when they come out.
Can anyone offer me some info on Jeffery Dame’s Lullaby? I’ve read info from the site but I wonder what people’s reviews are….can you compare it to another fragrance, perhaps?
Sorry, I haven’t tried it.
Happy New Year. all!!!
SOTD is one of my presents – finally! My bottle of Farmacia ss Annunziata Aurora. Boy, is a that far dry-down stunning.
I also got Theorema, so I had a nice Italian perfume Christmas!
Since I was poor for most of 2009, I think I will probably be a bad girl this year. Yay!
You go girl! 😀
Ditto that!
Yay! I’m glad that Santa came thru with the Theorema for you! It is some lovely stuff! 🙂
Nice presents, congrats!! I keep waiting to see when we’ll hit the point where we’ve bought up all the world’s Theorema.
I know! I keep kicking myself for not shelling out for the 3.4 oz bottle this spring.
I am anticipating being another hoarder on that one.
SOTD –does there have to be just one? I started early this morning with a touch of Joy — am switching over to Plus Que Jamais for afternoon/evening. Tomorrow will bring what tomorrow brings, but I’m thinking the simple, happy sparkle of The Different Company’s Osmanthus might do the trick. Temps have been in the low 60’s under gorgeous blue skies here!
Christmas present–a gift certificate to Aedes–my first perfume gift from a family member! (My brother.) I thought for sure it was destined for a bottle of Mythique, but now that it’s possible I am, of course, dithering…
Happy New Year everyone, and many thanks to Robin and the whole NST team for another fantastically informative and witty year of perfume reading! My life is truly richer and happier for having stumbled across this curious little corner of the interwebs…
I adore your brother!! How sweet that was! I totally understand the dithering though….so many possibilities!!! hmmmm, maybe pick something from your wants list that Aedes carries and Beautyhabit does not….since Beautyhabit sometimes has sales…..? On the other hand Mythique is gorgeous!
Hee, hee! My brother is a gift certificate guy. Tell him where to order and he does. And I do the same for him. Sometimes I get the (strong) feeling that we really exchange gifts so we can say to my mother, “Oh, yes, I gave him/her X.” But it works out for both of us!
Sweetlife – I’m so glad that your brother came through. Enjoy!
What fun to have a gift certificate to Aedes! I would have a hard time picking too. What’s on your buy list other than Mythique?
Oh, only impossible vintage things, though I might break down and buy a current bottle of Bois des Iles in parfum. I think the problem with Mythique for me is that it’s a sleeper. I keep thinking — “wow, I never would have thought I’d like this.” And: “I’m not even sure I can smell the middle of it, it’s so subtle.” And yet, I think about it when I’m not wearing it and my decant has drained in a flash so clearly it is a favorite. I think. LOL!
SOTD is Micallef’s Note Vanillee. Tried Havana Vanille but it always seems a bit odd on me. The Micallef stays close to my skin but lasts a good 12 hours. Have quickly used up this small sample. Need to decide how to proceed because I’m hooked.
My husband has given up buying perfume for me just as I have quit buying computer items for him so no bottles under the tree.
Sounds like you need a bottle of the Micallef!
I have loved Jil Sander Woman III forever. I started wearing it after a trip to Italy in 1985 and on a Sunday stroll through Ravenna this amazing fragrance hit me and it was Jil Sander III. It has become increasingly difficult to find without paying an astronomical amount. Does anyone know where it might be available or something else that has a similar feel. I would appreciate any and all comments/suggestions.
With best wishes for a decade of interesting fragrances!
I’m sorry but I have no idea. I assume you’ve already done the obvious and added an automatic search to eBay?
Tonight I’m wearing Back to Black by Kilian aphrodisiac. I think this smooth honeyed tobacco is just perfect for the start of a new year. The close to the body sillage is perfect for me, the scent is like a secret I’m carrying with me 😉
For christmas I got money, so I could buy some perfume myself. I totally fell in love with some Kilian perfumes… I bought Back to Black, Cruel Intentions and Prelude to Love. I know many people think the by Kilian perfumes are not worth their high price, but I think they suit me!
I don’t think that it’s the juice price that anyone objects to – it’s the packaging. I refuse to pay extra for packaging since all of my fragrance sits in a dark cabinet, in their boxes (if I have them). Happily, I discovered that Saks would let me buy the refills without having the originals, so I was able to spring for the Back to Black travel refills (which have been getting a workout since I bought it).
Yes, many people complain about the pricey packaging (me too!). But the advantage is, that you can refill the bottles once you own them. If I couldn’t refill them, I would not buy any by Kilian scent!
Congratulations on your Back to Black refills, the fragrance is gorgeous, isn’t it?
I like your phrase “the scent is like a secret I carry with me.” Lovely.
Thank you! And a happy new year 😉
Congrats on your 3 new bottles, that’s so nice!
Thank you Robin!
I love all of them! And with these 3, I have everything I wanted: An alluring but quiet scent (Back to Black), a loud and strong scent (Cruel Intentions) and something fresh and citrusy for summer (Prelude to Love).
Happy new year and thank you for this wonderful blog!
No fragrance for Christmas – the CEO thinks that I have too much already, plus, I got a nook e-reader for Christmas. Yay! Now I can spend too much money on my other obsession – books. At least with the e-reader, I won’t have to get rid of any current books or try to find someplace to put more bookshelves.
Which isn’t to say that I haven’t gotten any new frags – they just weren’t gifts.
SOTD – started out Attrape Coeur, but I’m wearing Guerlain Rue de la Paix right now and trying to decide what to wear later. It will just be us and the neighbors – we’re having a block party (it’s 65 degrees out today). So, I’m trying to decide if I’m going to go summery with Cristalle Eau Verte, seasonal with Brit Red, classic with 31 Rue Cambon or Cuir de Russie, or wear my new pre-formulation Mitsouko to let 2010 know that I’ll be taking no prisoners this year. 😉
Oh good, do you love your Nook?
I adore it – I’ve had my nose buried in it since I got it. It definitely makes reading convenient – especially since I can check out ebooks from the library and start reading them instantly. Which I could do on the computer before, but it’s much more comfortable to sit somewhere else and easier on the eyes than reading on the computer screen.
Thanks. Trying to decide if I’ll buy an ebook reader in 2010, or just stick with the little screen on my iTouch.
Reading on my iPhone is actually one of the things that convinced me that yes, I would read on-the-go if I had something with me and yes, I needed a bigger screen. I can see the iPhone fine and I do read the NY Times on it all the time, it’s just that I have to scroll pages too frequently to comfortably read a book on it.
Daisy is another ereader lover – she’s had hers for a lot longer than I have and uses it all the time.
I do like the Stanza app on the iTouch, but yeah, it’s a little screen.
SOTD. TF Private Blend Oud Wood.
Love the choice! One of my faves form the PBs. Lucky you…..
Robin – I haven’t tried nearly enough perfumes from the past decade to name “Best Of…” but I think that would be a great inter-blog project like the recent Best of 2009.
While there are many perfumes that I admire from the decade, my personal favorite is Guerlain’s Spiritueuse Double Vanille.
I’ve got a couple polls along those lines planned for January 🙂
SOTD–none! I waited all day for my postal worker to bring envelopes from TPC and I wanted to remain a blank canvas. Somehow they didn’t make it from my p.o. to my mailbox! (No comment.) I’m waiting for some more Chanels and for Feminite du Bois. I love Bois de Violette. Kinda hoping I’ll like FDB better, since it’s cheaper! Tonight I’ll dip into the last few drops of my BDV sample. Happy New Year.
Oh, what a shame — hope you had a wonderful New Years Eve anyway!
I’ve been wearing TF Voile de Fleur all day (two spritzes at 8am, and it’s still with me at dinnertime, even with my scent-eating skin!) but now I’m thinking of my Dolce Vita parfum. Might have to scrub.
The only notes that seem to cling to me like death are tuberose and vanilla. (Or balsams, which I avoid.) Interesting.
That is interesting. I don’t think I know which particular notes cling to me…just seems like any perfume I hate clings to me!
SOTD is L’Air du Desert Marocain — SOTY (Scent of the Year), really. It’s seen me through some rough patches this year, so I figured I’d better ring out the old with it too. I’ll be spending the evening sipping hot cocoa with a splash of bourbon and enjoying a box set of Jeeves & Wooster. I’ll also be anticipating the bottle of Incense Rose and the heap of samples I ordered last night as a little gifty to myself — Happy New Year, all!
Oh yes, I know what you mean: LAdDM got me through some very long days at work this fall. It smoothed the hard edges and lingered during the commute home. It felt like a kind companion sometimes. Sounds weird, I know. I love your plans for tonight!
Doesn’t sound weird at all, Suzy. When I’m sitting in my windowless office having a really miserable day, just a whiff of LADDM (or several other favorites) remind me that there is still beauty in the world.
Oh, I totally understand… I imagine it like a soft Persian rug, one you can either wrap around yourself like a security blanket or sail away on like a magic carpet!
My best bargain of 2009 50ml Prada Amber Pour Homme on the bay for 14.99! Yup yup! 🙂
Oh, excellent — congrats!!
hello from 2010!
Here, its 4.56pm on 1 jan, 2010.
Welcome to the New Year! I’m answering so late that it’s nearly 5 in the afternoon on 1/1 here 🙂
Happy new year Robin! And to every single one of you all here!!
SOTND (scent of the new decade) = Jubilation 25. Auspicious, yes? 🙂
Perfect!
I got the sephora sample kit…when I went to redeem the bottle, dior addict 2 was out so I ended up with versace bright crystal (I know, sweet and gourmand, but not as sweet as viva la juicy, the only other one that smelled good on me! Pucci was nice, but reminded me o old horse leather at first smell…)…and a bottle of escada at half of at macys…would trade it all for mdci le rivage! 🙂 enjoyed my sample grab bag from perfumed court too!
Hope you’ll snag that bottle of MDCI in 2010!
Wasn’t online yesterday, but SOTY was Bois des Iles.
I mentioned my Chaos acquisition in an earlier post but neglected to mention that for Xmas I bought my hubby a bottle of Terre D’Hermes and decants of Dzing! and Nostalgia – all were big hits. Thanks to everyone who commented via his Monday Mail.
It’s a snowy, cold New Year’s Day and this aft I’m going to a belated Christmas get together with the outlaws. I can’ t decide whether to go with the tried and beloved winter favorites (BdI, Feminite de Bois, Ormonde Woman, Theorema, DK Gold, Chaos) or reach into the sample tickle trunk (Aqua Fiorentina, Sacre Bleu, Natori, White Jasmine Moss, Vanille Galante).
If anyone’s still out there, I’d welcome suggestions.
Happy New Year and Happy Sniffing everyone!
Sorry I’m too late…fell very behind on the comments here. Hope you picked something perfect!
I like your winter favorites – all lovely. I think BdI, Theorema and DK Gold are friendly for crowded rooms, if that’s an issue.
Enjoy the day!
Oops, that was supposed to be a reply to ScentRed.
Thanks Mals. Theorema it is. Family-friendly and warms my body and spirit.
This morning I wore Nicolai Sacrebleu just for me. I have only a tiny sample, but keep going back to it for a dab. It didn’t immediately seem like “me” but I find it very compelling, possibly addictive.
Happy 2010!
To celebrate the beginning of 2010, I purchased Amouage Dia Woman on January 1st, 2010.
Cheers to a hopefully better year and decade ahead. 🙂
~Daw
And made my first error….
My name is spelled DAWN. ;0
LOL! Now you’ve made your first mistake of the year and you can relax and enjoy the rest of it 🙂
is it surely a new decade? i thought it would start in 2011. no need for a new decade to have new decants…
I keep reading and hearing conflicting reports about when the decade starts…. 2010 or 2011.
Found this on http://volokh.com/2009/12/27/when-does-the-new-decade-start/ :
Excerpts: So the second decade of the twenty-first century, if you want to use the term “second decade,” might begin either in the 2010 or 2011; my sense is that actual usage is mixed on this. But the decade that we will call the 2010s (or “the tens” or “the teens,” whichever the preferred term ends up being) will pretty certainly begin a few days from now, on Jan. 1, 2010, and will run until the end of 2019.
Dawnkana, thank you for the clarification : )
enjoy your Dia. after my first robbery i will buy one too : )
Awww, you’re welcome. I’m still kind of confused about it and I even thought to myself yesterday when I heard someone talking about the new decade starting in 2010 that it should start in 2011.
There was a huge discussion about this on one of the sports blogs that I read. Basically, since a decade is ten years, you’d count the years ’00 through ’09.
Unless you are like me and count from 1 to 10 like a normal person!
Rappleyea, that’s the way I think of it. 2000 doesn’t sound like it’s in the 90s, just to use one example, so to me, the new decade started yesterday.
I’ve been reading your wonderful blog for about 18 months now and it has taught me so much about fragrance! I’ve always loved perfumes and have owned dozens since my teenage years but knew nothing about the wonderful world of niche fragrances until I started reading this site (Tampa is not exactly an ideal location for sampling all of the great niche scents… thank goodness for the perfumed court). So for the new year I finally decided to post and let you know how fabulous I think your site is! Many kudos. 🙂
For Xmas I got Prada L’Eau Ambree (which I just can’t stop spritzing!) and an Estee Lauder Sensuous gift set which included a wonderful body lotion and the body oil spray too. I am very pleased with both. I am already awaiting the opportunity to buy new spring scents (my favorite season and smells), with both Un Matin d’Orage and CB I Hate Perfume Violet Empire on my must purchase list. Also determined to get either Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia or Van Cleef’s Gardenia Petale (would love both but who on earth could afford it!).
Keep up the fabulousness and happy new year!!!
Dear K Scott I got my mom the tuberose gardenia as a gift this past october. I got the smallest sized bottle (the one without the stone encrusted cap) and it was about 80 bucks.
I must say she is extremely pleased (people keep asking her what is she wearing and complimenting her) and I cannot help smelling the bottle everytime I go for a visit hehehehehe.
I have not tried Gardenia Petale…How would you describe it? Buenos Aires is still harder for samples and niche frags than Tampa… Thankfully I’ve been able to escape to the US for short vacations the last 3 years 🙂
Cheers!
Buenos Aires! You’ve definitely got me beat. 🙂 Your mom must have been so pleased to get the Tuberose Gardenia as a gift from you. Not only is the smell divine but the bottle is so beautiful! To me, the Gardenia Petale seems to be a little lighter and more sparkling than the Tuberose Gardenia but the gardenia note in both smells very similar- very lush with a touch of green. I’ll be hard pressed to choose between the two- I love both bottles equally in different ways: jeweled & unique vs. elegant & classic (I love the simplicity of the VCA Extraordinaire bottles). The TG does have better lasting power on me. Think I need to wear them side by side to make the final choice. Highly recommend that you try the Gardenia Petale if you like the TG. And the VCA Bois d’Iris is fantastic too!
k-scott, hi and welcome! You got wonderful presents, and I’m jealous of your Prada — I want a bottle & will probably buy one this year.
I’ve been watching the discounters for the Prada – it’s hit them, but it’s not very marked down yet.
Yeah, I’m watching too.
I am wearing Kiehl’s amber layered with Arancia di Capri (from aqua di parma) and loving it!
Top perfumes of the noughties..mmm. I’ll just write the 5 that first pop into my mind..
YSL M7, Prada amber pour homme, Fleur du Male (gaultier), Gucci Pour Homme II, Un Jardin Sur Le Nil (hermes)
First purchase of the 2010’s? well I still have not received my christmas present from my significant other, so I could ask for one of the new eaus de hermes (gentiane or pamplemousse) or a truly outstanding citrus to replace my verveine agrumes that died last summer (the death was from natural causes…I loved it to death!hehehehe)
Any suggestions as to a truly outstanding citrus off the beaten path?
Happy New Year!
Totally agree with Un Jardin sur le Nil. Pure genius! If you haven’t, you should read the Chandler Burr article about Jean Claude Ellena creating that scent, its fascinating (and easy to find via google).
Not sure if you’ll consider these off the beaten path since they’re more classics than niche, but for men I love Monsieur Balmain (prefer the original formulation, but the new one is nice too) and Dior Eau Sauvage.
Happy new year!!!
Hey, thanks for the insight on the Van Cleef.
I did read the article you mention some time ago, and I loved it.
And regarding the citrus, I have the Eau Sauvage (currently the fraicheur cuir, but I did own the regular and the Extreme was my signature frag before I got bonkers with perfumes hehehehe)
I will give the monsieur balmain a try!
Cheers!
I am afraid to recommend a citrus since so many of them were reformulated this year. I’d guess many of my favorites would no longer be my favorites if I had time to track them all down and smell them again 🙁
Robin, I did not think of the reformulations!
It wasnt in my radar, but I guess you are right… it is a whole new world, no?
We’ll have to “rediscover” the citrus. among other stuff.
😛
Happy New Year, Robin, thank you for this wonderful blog which I enjoy reading so much. And thanks to all you lovely parfumistas, what a delightful crew. I saw 2009 out with 31, rue Cambon, and am trying to decide whether or not to simply give up: I love it, but it *defines* evanescence on me…I don’t think I’m peculiarly anosmic, I seem to be able to smell most of what y’all describe, most of the time…sigh.
What a shame! You might be anosmic to something in 31RC though. There are definitely particular perfumes I’m not able to smell.
SOTD – Coco Mademoiselle Chanel. Happy New Year!!!
Happy 2010 to you!
New perfume for the new year – Terre d’Hermes. Loving it!
Great choice.
Happy New Year to all of you.
And to you!
I feel a serious addiction brewing. Discovered decants and samples last year and now I’m trying virtually anything that sounds interesting, with one notable exception. It’s the basis for a question which I’m hoping someone can answer. Rose (in perfume form, not the flower) seems to give me a seriously intense headache. Anyone know why I might be so sensitive to rose in perfume? I’m wondering if it could be a particular type of rose. Since I haven’t been able to isolate the exact culprit, fear of headache + stomachache at times keeps me from trying some perfumes that sound amazing but from notes appear to have a somewhat strong opening or ending of rose. Carolyn
Hi Carolyn, and welcome to this half crazy, half sane, thoroughly fascinating — and frustrating, and potentially very, very spendy — little interest of ours (she says, tongue in cheek, knowing that for most of us it’s addictive and all-consuming, at least in the first couple of years when you feel compelled by an irresistible force to try EVERYTHING).
I’m not an expert on chemistry or particular sensitivities to ingredients in fragrance, but from a purely practical level (if you have really concluded that it’s only the rose fragrances that bother you, since it could be that something else common to those rose scents is actually the culprit), my advice would be to try a scent that is made from “real” rose — any of the Montale roses, Joy, Amouage Lyric, Bvlgari Rose Essentielle, Serge Lutens Sa Majeste la Rose — and see if you’re okay with those.
If you are, then it sounds like synthetic rose or a related ingredient — geranium is frequently used along with rose — is the cause of your rose woes. Test-tube roses are less expensive to use, so they quite logically show up in lots of less expensive rose scents. The answer: bite the bullet, buy great rose fragrances, enjoy a reaction-free day, and smell great the whole time. 😉
Hope that helps a little. . .
Thanks for the welcome Robin! And for suggesting some real rose perfumes to try. I’ll definitely work on getting some samples/decants of all the ones you suggested. I’m making up for lost time given that perfume really only sunk its teeth in me at the start of 2009. I’ve fallen in love with Kilian Cruel Intentions, Bulgari Black, Chanel Bois des Isles, Fendi Theorema, Omnia Profumo Onice and Eau d’Italie. TPC doesn’t have Climat at the moment so I’m looking for small bottles on E-bay. Is $30 a crazy price to pay for 1.5 oz? If so, does anyone have another suggestion for place I can get a small sample or decant? Thanks, Carolyn
Take a look at some of the online discounters, I know I’ve seen Climat at some of them.
Belated Happy New Year!
My SOTD is Winter Woods a sample with my SSS order and definitely FBW.
That’s a pretty one!
First fume o’ the year is Tabu. That’s it!
Nice choice.
I’ve been loving the sample of Green Jade (Bulgari) I got, but tonight I’m wearing a spritz of Kouros. Just feel like having something very different. My boyfriend of 2.5 years and I parted yesterday, and I’m sad about it. I think Kouros will knock me forward a bit. I bought him a bottle of Terre d’Hermes for him for Christmas, and it smelled very good on him NY Eve. Ah well.
I have a couple corrections to my post above: Bvlgari Omnia Green Jade.
Oh, I’m so sorry 🙁
For christmas I gave my dad Dior Homme Sport, which he has been craving ever since it was realeased. He had a huge smile on for the rest of the day. For myself I got a bell jar of MKK and they threw in a 20 ml Chergui as a bonus. I couldnt be happier. My favorite musk and my favorite honey,hay,tobacco. Back to black is a CLOSE second. For 2010 I am ALSO going to hold back on the perfume schopping. However I do already have a couple that I “really need”. Micallef note vanille, Back to black, costes 2 and Bois D Armenie. SIGH!
Hey, that’s a nice bonus!
Speaking of cats and perfume…I’ve found a use for my Pink Sugar, which I used to love until I got introduced to niche and vintage perfumes in 2009. Now I find Pink Sugar WAAAAAYYYYY too sweet until the very end of it’s dry down. But I’ve found that it works brilliantly as a room spray when one of my 6 cats is having a particularly smelly day. In fact, I’ve found that Pink Sugar can mask just about any pleasant odor. 🙂 Carolyn
Oops…typo. Meant to say that Pink Sugar can mask just about any UNpleasant odor. Carolyn
That’s cool, Pink Sugar covers rancid cat smell! 🙂 I really like it as a bedtime fume, so much so that I’ve considered buying a fb strictly for that purpose. It’s so lighthearted! It feels like a fluffy pink bathrobe to me.
I know what you mean. I’ve thought about spraying Pink Sugar on my pillow…several hours before I actually intend to lie down that is…so that the scent is comforting rather than overpowering. Carolyn
I like to use Kenzo Amour on my pillows and sheets, too – that’s another great comfort scent.
I’ve also used both of them as linen water – sprayed them lightly on (colorfast) clothing while ironing. Yumm…. my shirts (and closet) smell fantastic. Of course, then I either have to wear a coordinating scent that day or not wear anything at all.