Kristina, who says she got interested in perfume about 2 years ago, is looking for a new fall / winter perfume that will work for day or night. She has good access to perfume stores, online and off, and she can pay up to €150. Here is what we know about Kristina:
She lives in Germany, where she works as a communication manager in public television.
She is interested in all cultural things like music, arts etc. and loves to take trips to Paris or New York.
She also loves nature, yoga and hiking.
Kristina's "signature scent” so far had been Chanel No. 19. She likes green and citrus notes, rose, osmanthus, iris, woods, vetiver, raisins, soft leather, incense and smoky notes. She generally likes chypres. Her current rotation includes Parfums DelRae Mythique, Eau d'Italie Paestum Rose, Chanel Bel Respiro and Hermès Osmanthe Yunnan.
Kristina doesn't like heavy white florals, anything too gourmand (including vanilla, clove, cinnamon), or ozonic /and marine notes. She doesn't like anything too sweet, which rules out most of the Serge Lutens line.
Here are some of the fragrances Kristina has tried:
Parfum d'Empire Wazamba: she adored it, but then it turned to candy.
L'Artisan Tea for Two: nice but a bit too cozy.
L'Artisan Timbuktu: she hasn't made up her mind yet, but it might be too masculine.
Chanel 31, rue Cambon: close to perfection, but she doesn't want to buy 200 ml.
What say you?
Note: top image is Letterbox [cropped] by Roby Ferrari at flickr; some rights reserved.
GM! I recommend a sniff if parfums d’empire Eau Suave! I think it might at least interest you tho there is a sweet note on top. I have also been using l’art L’eau L’Artisan this summer and I enjoy the green notes…not sure how it might work for fall. And Nicolai Vie de Chateau also has that green-ness you might be seeking!!
Hello!
In regards to Chanel 31 Rue Cambon, I think this one is rather similar to Chanel Coco Madamoiselle.
Would also like to suggest Dior Diorella and Futur by Robert Piguet.
Have fun sampling from all the good recs that are sure to come your way today on this thread.
~D
I knew I’d forget something great… Bandit! And the galbanum in that reminds me also of Miller Harris’s Fleurs de Bois.
Seconding Bandit! That’s the first one that came to my mind.
I’ll 2nd all of Dawnkana’s rec’s!
Seconding Futur! And pick me up a bottle while you’re at it! 😉
It sounds like we have similar taste, so I’m going to throw out a few of my fall/winter faves (though I’m low on sleep, so likely to forget the best of the bunch). I think you should try L’Artisan Dzongkha, Eau d’Italie’s Sienne l’Hiver and Bois d’Ombrie, Bvlgari Black for a less-cozy tea (I get no rubber), CdG Zagorsk, PdE Ambre Russe, and if you can find it online, the discontinued Ralph Lauren Safari.
2nd Bvlgari Black and Ambre Russe…I’m in live with Ambre Russe this summer but it is a fantastic fall scent!
Hi,
thanks a lot for your suggestions so far – I thought about the Bvlgari Black, too, but read somewhere that it is strong on vanilla which isn’t my fave – can anyone comment on this?
With Bulgari Black it might depend on your skin. My skin really accentuates vanilla, so when I wear Black I smell the vanilla A LOT.
I really don’t get vanilla, either… it’s basically a straight black tea on my skin. It’s definitely one that reads differently on different people. So many describe it as “weird” or “rubbery”, and I don’t get any of that at all. I like Tea for Two, but do find it too sweet much of the time. On a rare day, it works. I don’t have that issue with Black.
I was thinking of Safari too as it is a little thicker and warmer than No 19, but in that same vetiver/floral place….
Safari came to mind immediately when I read this. I keep hearing it has been d/c’d but it’s easily found at various discounters. It’s lovely, elegant, and a real bargain.
It’s on the Ralph Lauren website (I think it’s on the CVS website too). Why do you think it’s been discontinued? Is this a rumor, or do I need to buy a “just in case” bottle?
I mean – SAFARI is on the Ralph Lauren website…
You know… it had been d/ced, and I don’t see it in stores anywhere, but I did hear something at one point about them bringing it back just through their website. Good if that’s the case, it really is a great scent.
I would like to recommend:
Rien by ELDO
Halston & Halston Couture
Profumo by Aqua di Parma
Cabochard by Gres
Sounds like we too have similar tastes…
I’d suggest Andy Tauer – L’Air du Désert Marocain, Le Maroc pour Elle, and Une Rose Chyprée.
I especially enjoy Le Maroc pour Elle in the fall; it hits all the right notes for me.
And a very bold choice would be Vero Kern’s Onda — “Vero Kern’s Onda is, to put it simply, astonishing. From a distance, it is slightly sweet, smoky, and warm. Up close, it is earthy, sleek, rich, and erotically charged. ” Wear it if you dare…
http://memoryanddesire.typepad.com/blog/2008/03/vero-kern.html
Thanks Tallulahrose, I will defnitely try Le Maroc pour elle as I liked L’Air du désert… (not enough though to buy a bottle)
Do try the Une Rose Chypree! It has cinnamon, but it’s not a foody cinnamon. It’s really beautiful.
Try Sonoma Scent Studios Incense Pure. Its Wazamba, without the fruit notes.
Hi Kristina – I love No 19 too and Timbuktu also. Here are my rec’s, esp. as you also like rich oriental roses (Paestum Rose) too:
Caron’s Parfum Sacre edp Intense – this is an amazing fragrance with soft, rich rose, dry pepper and that shimmering woody base.
Lancome’s Magie Noir, current or vintage (current is like a watered down version of the vintage, but still essentially smells the same.)
Molinard Habanita – if you want to try something with a smoke accord – it has gorgeous powder, soft leather and lots of vetiver. I think Habanita is a type of green fragrance, even though primarily an oriental.
Chanel Coromandel- The elegant spices and patchouli are dusty, dry and just wonderful. Very sensual.
Amouage Lyric for Women – very gorgeous rose, dry spices and shimmering incense accords.
Sonoma Scent Studio Tabac Aurea – a rich, woody, cherry tobacco (not smoke) and labdanum fragrance. Very interesting and IMHO a real modern classic.
If you can ignore the price, I’d second Lyric… only didn’t mention it bc of the price.
Oh, and how did we miss Mauboussin? That’s a great fall scent for a chypre-lover.
Hi Boo! I just posted that one, too! Excellent thinking!
Yes! Mauboussin – I didn’t think of that b/c for me it is my favorite most wearable “vanilla” oriental after Shalimar. But there is all those super sheer incense and patch notes….
And I only mentioned Lyric b/c you can always find it in a split or decant – a FB of any Amouage is too $$$ for me too!
Given how little I care for vanilla, it’s surprising how often I don’t pick it up in scents other describe as vanilla-heavy. But I won’t complain!
I don’t generally care for vanillas either. I kind of kicked Mauboussin over to that category so Shalimar would have someone to hang out with, lol. I don’t really consider Shalimar to be a vanilla either. IMHO they are both pure “orientals” that just happen to have vanilla in them.
Ah! Parfum Sacre! Why didn’t I think of that? Yes! I would suggest it in any of it’s incarnations, but do have to admit that I’m hooked on the PS Intense. (Thanks to you, Ann!) 😉
Thanks to the Perfume House having it in stock…… It is hovering on being one of those desert island fragrances…..
I second the Lancome Magie Noir!
I also second exploring the Sonoma Scent Studio line – great stuff.
And Chanel 31 Rue Cambon is indeed perfection! Just because you don’t want the big bottle, perhaps you could get a decant instead from online…no need to settle on something else if you love this…Best of luck!
I know – SSS are so great. It is hard to pick a favorite!
Adding –
Comme des Garcons Daphne.
Daphne Notes –
bitter orange, incense, saffron, rose centifolia, Tunisian jasmine, tuberose, iris, patchouli, oud, amber, vanilla
~D
Lots of great recommendations already, I would second things like Bandit, Diorella and AdP Profumo (a plum chypre).
I think you might also like Amouage Jubilation 25, which is a fantastic chypre. Like Diorella with extra ooomph. It’s a little out of your budget but there are always decants 🙂
for fall/winter/day/night my favorite was Natori
Yes, Natori is very good – it also makes me think of the Agent Provocateur (self named) fragrance.
Hi Kristina,
If you love Chanel No 19 (I do too) and chypres with vetiver, I’d suggest Sonoma Scent Studio’s Jour Ensoleille- it’s a beautiful chypre with neroli, labdanum, beeswax, sandalwood, ambergris, vetiver, oakmoss absolute, and Indian patchouli. Really stunning, and her scents are very affordable.
For more Iris, I’d suggest Le Labo’s Iris 39-it took a few trys to grow on me, but I adore it. It’s a beautiful sophisticated Iris with a spicy patchouli twist in the drydown (ginger and cardamon, I think).
Le Labo Patchouli 24 could work if you found Tea for Two to be nice.
What about Black Cashmere by Donna Karan? To me, its the olfactory equivalent of wrapping myself in a fox fur coat as I stand on balcony during a wintry moonlit night sipping red wine.. i.e luxurious, exotic and special..
Its not too expensive, but I havent seen it at too many retailers
This is what I was going to suggest. It has really nice, luxurious notes of incense, cedar and spice. As far as I know it’s inexpensive, and pretty easy to find online.
Black Cashmere is back. Different bottle, same beautiful scent. It’s can be found on DK’s beauty website or at Bergdorf’s and Neiman’s.
Hi Kristina! We like a lot of the same things, too. I like the suggestions of Caron Parfum Sacre, Acqua di Parma Profumo (fantastic, but expensive!), Amouage Lyric (also expensive), L’Artisan Dzongkha and Timbuktu, and Eau d’Italie Sienne l’Hiver. Other suggestions:
Etro Shaal Nur, a beautiful, versatile, and complex oriental with rose.
Mauboussin, a shimmering oriental with a not-too-sweet dried fruit element available at great prices from online discounters.
Gres Cabaret, a lovely full-bodied incense rose, and another excellent online bargain.
Lutens Gris Clair, an unusual (and not too sweet!) smoky lavender with incense and amber (notes include lavender, amber, tonka bean, iris, dry wood, incense). I can’t do most Lutens, but I love this one.
Best wishes with your quest!
Yes – totally agree with your pix, H, and esp. the Mauboussin!!!
So many great recommendations so far, thank you so much everyone! Orders for samples are practically on the way!
Chanel 19 is often compared to Heure Exquise by Annick Goutal. A lovely fragrance, softer and more floral than the Chanel. Try the EDP it’s much better than the EDT.
Hi Kristina! I also love a couple of your favorite perfumes. Heeley Iris Noir & VC&A Bois de Iris are two iris scents I would recommend. Have you ever tried Chanel Bois des Iles? Truly wonderful. Some favorite scents of mine in cooler weather are SSS Champagne de Bois, Lubin Idole & FM Noir Epices . And since you favor chypres, have you ever tried Mitsouko?! For me, it’s a chypre extraordinaire.
Mmmmm Bois des Iles… and Idole! Love those in the fall as well.
Didn’t we do an Idole split Boo?
Yep. 🙂
All super wonderful rec’s Rustic! It is so easy to pick good things for fall/winter!
So true Ann!
No.19 is hard to beat and is also one of my favorites! Here are some other ideas based on what you said you like:
Parfums de Nicolai Le Temps d’une Fete
Chanel Cristalle EDT or EDP
Guerlain Attrape Coeur (same vein as 31RC)
Guerlain Vetiver Pour Elle
Dior Homme (regular or Cologne)
Parfumerie Generale Cuir d’Iris
You may also want to try the new Parfums del Rae Coup de Foudre. It is a rose floral, but with clean, crisp green and citrus notes–a must try if you adore the rose in No.19 🙂
Oh, and I forgot to add my go-to chypre:
Gueralin Sous le Vent…heaven. 🙂
Fantastic list-I must add PG’s Iris Oriental
Despite the name, Tom Ford Black Violet is similar to 31 RC but lighter. You should also try Diorella and Hermes Caleche. If you sample Bandit, be sure to apply it very lightly as it is powerful.
I’d like to second (or is it third) the suggestions of Bandit and Magie Noire. My other recommendation is Armani by Armani (also known as Armani Woman or Armani Black). It’s a gorgeous floral chypre, unfortunately discontinued but can be found on ebay.
Though indcredibly similar to No. 19, Divine’s L’Infant would probably we right up your alley. It’s a little less soapy-green than No. 19, friendlier, with a wee-bit more of mimosa and a twig-like-green freshness that is simply superb and fine for all weather conditions.
Tha being said, however, I would understand not wanting to shell out for it, seeing as how its rather not off the beaten track from No. 19 – but at least try a sample!
Just thought of a couple of chypres that might be good to try, Kristina, if you haven’t already. These are two of my favorite fragrances:
Y by Yves Saint-Laurent – a really lovely soft green chypre
Niki de Saint Phalle – a wonderfully different chypre with a marigold note, discontinued but still available online
Want to add my voice to the chorus recommending Ambre Russe. Other Parfum d’Empire scents that might work for you include Cuir Ottoman, a lovely iris-leather with incense and smoky notes, and Osmanthus Interdite, which has tea and incense in addition to the osmanthus. I’d also like to suggest Miller Harris Fleurs de Sel. Many think of it as a summery scent, but I love it in the fall and winter. It opens very green and herbal, but has a rose and iris heart, and a smokey vetiver and leather drydown with a beautiful and haunting salt note throughout. Although it iwas supposedly inspired by a salt marsh, it is not ozonic or marine.
I prefer Fleurs de Sel in the cooler months, too, and agree that it’s gorgeous.
Could i recommend Breath of God? It was by BnevertooBusytobebeautiful, who does not exist any more. Nonetheless, Gorilla perfumes (I think that’s how they are called) are bringing it back around this autumn. It’s inexpensive and very especial. It’s very smokey.
Kristina,
I too hesitated, debated, delayed … getting 31RC b/c of the size and price. But, then I figured out the price per ml and finally got a bottle. I am so glad I did – haven’t found a good substitute yet, plus it feels good having such a supply! I can wear it without thinking of hoarding, etc. So, I say go for 31RC if in the end you can’t beat it! Not to say you should abandon your search.
I’m sure this is common knowledge, but I don’t know the answer: is there a way to apply for the “help so-and-so find a new perfume” blogs? I could really use the help!
https://nstperfume.com/the-monday-mail/
Thank you Robin!
Hi Kristina,
I see you are wearing two of my summer favorites – No. 19 and Bel Respiro, so let me share two of my cool weather favorites with you, both from The Different Company:
Bois d’Iris – Iris, vetiver, bergamot, geranium and cedar are among its notes. To me, it is what the name implies-a woodsy iris scent. I also get a little of the geranium. Love!
Sens & Bois – TDC lists Chinese cedar wood, white violet, black pepper, elemi, ginger, patchouli, vervain, bergamot and incense as the notes for this fragrance. To me, it’s cedar made sexy. Mmmm!
I love both of these, too, L!
There are 2 Bois d’Iris-one by the Different Company and one by Van Cleef and Arpels. Both are excellent, but the VC&A is my fave.
this is a tough one! Mostly because as I started reading I thought—Delrae Mythique! Bel Respiro! 31 Rue Cambon! –only to find that you’ve tried them or wear them……sheeesh….then I thought hmmm…maybe some Une Rose Chypree….ahg! mentioned! ….oooh, some Amouage…Lyric or Epic ….again, I’ve been beaten to the suggestion! ….. even Natori EdP ! ……okay…you might like to try some Floris Cefiro for summer…similar to Bel Respiro in feel but a little “nuttier”….or maybe some drier spice/woods like YSL M7 or Satellite Padparadscha… for iris perhaps you’d like a sniff of PG Iris Oriental? ….and now I’m out of ideas…. good luck! 🙂
Daisy, you did your best, no worries 🙂 reinforcement is also very usesful 🙂
Being a vintage Chanel 19 girl (I highly recommend vintage parfum), most of my recommendations have been suggested by the fabulous perfumistas of this blog! Some other chypres to try:
Deneuve-discontinued but can be found on ebay
Givenchy III
Mitsouko (make at least 2 years old to get the oakmoss)
Jacomo Silences
Jean Paul Sherrer (first one)
EL Knowing (watch out! this one can wear you!)
EL Aliage-fantastic, green, not expensive! Very under-rated
Hi Kristina, CHANEL 19 is one of my favorites. It is a green woody semi floral. Don’t ever give a good thing up:-)
Hi Dixie, you’ve got good taste!