Ines is looking for a new perfume. She sometimes makes her own natural solid blends using essential oils and beeswax (her favorites include sandalwood, benzoin, ylang ylang, mandarin, clove, cinnamon, or ginger) but they lack staying power, and she's ready to settle down to a new commercial standby. She wants something she can wear year-round, day or night, and she'll spend up to $120. She prefers to shop online. Here is what we know about Ines:
She's in her early 30s.
She teaches at a university, and says her tastes and pastimes are predictably bookish.
She has a sense of humor and doesn't take life too seriously.
Ines likes woods, spices, citrus, and off-beat floral notes. She used to wear Alexander McQueen's Kingdom (she misses it!), but in her late 20s she switched to the "more professional" Bois de Santal by Keiko Mecheri (sometimes perfect, sometimes too sweet).
Ines doesn't like patchouli, powdery scents, vetiver, oakmoss or gourmands. She finds many musks don't work well with her chemistry.
Here are a few of the fragrances she has tried:
Bois 1920 Sutra Ylang: perfect other than the "weird green accords floating on top".
Laura Tonatto Iss: delicious in cold weather, too sweet in warmer, damper weather.
Parfums d'Empire Iskander: a little too masculine.
What say you?
Note: image is Richmond Green by Mike_fleming at flickr; some rights reserved.
Hi Ines!
Try Bois des Iles and Champagne de Bois—they’re both fabulous sandalwood scents with dry-downs that are to die for :).
Yes, Bois de Iles came to mind right away…and though you don’t like patchouli, I would still give Chanel’s Coromandel a sniff…
Hugely agree with Bois des Iles!
Totally agree – Bois des Iles
Seconding the SSS Champagne de Bois. This fragrance is probably a top 5 for me!
Hi Ines !
Laura Mercier’s Minuit Enchante parfum spray is spice and sandalwood, perfect for cooler weather, and frankly, UNDERpriced @ $90 for 50ml.
I should buy another bottle………hmm.
Ooh, I second that! My decant is nearly out and I am debating this as FB worthy. The price is fab, as you say. Hmm, think I will go spray and then decide- at least I will smell gorgeous whilst I think!
Ahhh, Kingdom! I like that one too, even though some people say naughty things about it. And I don’t like powdery or gourmands either, but don’t see you mention incense! There’s a whole raft of things there to try.
Second Dee on the Bois des Iles. If you like woods, I’d suggest Bois 1920 Come La Luna — all woods and spice, no florals, and lovely. Offbeat florals: L’Artisan Nuit de Tubereuse might be worth a test-drive and, for some reason, Serge Lutens Gris Clair comes to mind.
Happy hunting, Ines!
This might seem a little bit of a joke, but why don’t you try CB I Hate Perfumes “In the Library”. It is sold through a website and you can by a small vial of the fragrance for a very reasonable price.
According to the site,
“In the Library is a warm blend of English Novel*, Russian & Moroccan Leather Bindings, Worn Cloth and a hint of Wood Polish”
the mention of beeswax reminded me of Ineke’s Field notes of Paris. I tried it just once, maybe someone else can confirm if there are other matching notes to Ines’s brief in it?
DelRae Bois de Paradis, Ava Luxe No23, PG Un Crime Exotique, I’ll keep thinking
Un Crime Exotique is very gourmand, no?
It is quite, but, it contains many of Ines’s favorite notes. I think it might be worth a shot, in sample form of course
hi Ines,
i would suggest Penhaligon’s Amaranthine, all spices and woods and ylang ylang, might be a bit loud for day, but you can always apply with a light hand : ) hot teachers are cool : )
you can also try Natori, excellent to go ylang ylang scent, but with some patch, though it was not too dominant for me.
have fun during your scent quest : D
Amaranthine and Natori are both lovely. I’m a patchophobe, too, but I got on just fine with Natori.
I would say Donna Karan’s gorgeous Chaos with it’s fabulous woods and spices, excellent longevity and minimal/moderate sillage. Also the Wenge for her Essences line is wonderful, warm caramel tobacco and smoke, and it layers beautifully with Chaos.
Oh I second Chaos! And adding CdG Harrissa and Burberry Brit for men to the suggestions.
Donna Karen Gold in edp ~ notes of Casablanca lilies, fluid amber, sparkling acacia, white clove, jasmine templar, golden blossom and patchouli. I personally don’t find the patch’ here strong or cloying at all, I hardly smell it, the only reason I thought it worth mentioning. Plus even though it’s lily which to me is a cooling flower, it comes off as warm after a bit because of the beeswax and pollen notes therefore I think this will be really nice in winter, it’s a lovely scent. And with your savings you could buy something else also!
And of course it has the BUYMENOWBUYMENOWNOW! magic words of “Discontinued” which make every fragrance fanatic go well- frenzied.
Wait… there’s patchouli in Gold? Really? I never smell it.
I recently bought two bottles on ebay for 9.99 each (they were 30 or 50 ml, don’t recall exactly). This is a beauty and the dry down is insane. It’s not lily of the valley, but as noted above, it’s casablanca lily, making it spicy and warm. Give it a try!
Year round, day or night is a tall order! Cheap thrills that might work: RL Safari (from online discounters), or Pacifica Sandalwood, which is really more about the citrus than sandalwood. Or another CBIHP with a literary bent, A Room with a View, which is a non-powdery violet and grasses/hay and earth. I really like that one, though it probably isn’t a year-round fragrance (it seems best suited to late summer/early fall to me). I also think you should try AG Mandragore and Stephanie de Saint-Aignan’s Royal Palm, which is warm citrus and spice, but sheer enough for warmer weather.
Haven’t tried the others, but I think Mandragore and Royal Palm are excellent suggestions!
I just got samples from Soivohle and think that you’d like their new Journeyman and Meerchaum. SSS has Champagne and Tabac Aurea.
Have you tried Ormonde Jayne Woman? And Parfums 06…something has one called Lentisque which you might find interesting!
I second OJ Woman, there’s nothing else like it. I also second the SSS and I actually prefer it to the Chanel!
How about Frapin Caravelle Epicee? And I haven’t yet tried Orange Sanguine by Atelier, but that sounds like a beautiful combo of mandarin and woods. Best wishes, Ines!
I agree that the Frapin would be nice!
ETRO makes a Sandalwood as well!
I third this! And isn’t Dune supposed to be a spicy wood fragrance as well? Even more affordable.
I highly recommend Amouage Opus I, which is my fall floral/wood/spice of choice, but probably above the price point you want to spend (it is above mine!). Ava Luxe’s 23, which someone mentioned above, is also gorgeous, and much more affordable.
How about L’Artisan Tea for Two?
it may be a challenge to wear in the Summer though if you live where it’s hot.
This one is also lovely, although I agree it might not work in very hot weather. It’s a dream in fall, winter and spring…
I agree with the opinion on Keiko Mecheri Bois de Santal. You may want to try Bois 1920 Sushi Imperiale. The spice is gently smoothed over by the vanilla note.
I don’t really find Sushi Imperiale a gourmand, but I’m wondering if she’d like Kilian’s Rose Oud , just in case.
CdG Wonderwood or she may match with any of the CdG line.
A bookish type myself, I would recommend Annick Goutal’s Duel. It is technically a masculine fragrance but it is refreshing and spicy, invigorating and a bit naughty in all the right ways.
http://www.annickgoutal.com/fr/catalog/parfums+homme+annick+goutal/les+fragrances/duel+.html
Year around is tricky… Just tested Miller et Bertaux’s A Quiet Morning, which has a nice spicy/woody thing going on, with a touch of saffron. It might be a bit outside the price range though.
Or maybe TDC’s Rose Poivree, which shares the spiciness of Kingdom but is easier to wear (in its new iteration). And–PSA–Beauty Encounter has it at a discounted price…
Angela mentioned Opium Fleur de Shanghai in her post today…a spicy beauty with a mandarin topnote that definitely works year around.
Or maybe the yummy Lubin Idole with its spices, leather and sandalwood (unless the boozy topnote is a dealbreaker..) Not sure about year around though…
Good luck!
Second Fleur de Shanghai–beautiful scent that hits a high number of Ines’ likes and wearable all year.
Eau d’Italie “Paestum Rose” – you’ll love it.
I was also thinking of the Kilians, which work in different seasons. Expensive, but one can find the travel refills on line. Dolly recommended Rose Oud, and I also love Liaisons Dangereuses (plum rose), Beyond Love (joyous tuberose), Pure Oud (lovely, wearable oud), and Back to Black, which has a beeswax note.
LOL – I’m always so tempted to strongly urge the wonderful BK exploration set, which has huge 7.5 ml samples of the entire L’Oeurvre Noire (except the most recent jasmine scent, I guess) – why buy a single signature scent when you can acquire a beautiful wardrobe?
My own multi-season favs are Dzing!, a light leather, TDC Osmanthus and Etro Shaal Nur, all worth a try.
Opium came to mind first- a brazen oriental.
Samsara for sandalwood.
Shalimar-just because.
Terre d’Hermes for citrus/woods-it’s classified as a “male scent” but when has that ever stopped “us” from wearing it? This one is just gorgeous! Easily unisex.
Annick Goutal Eau de Sud
Mona di Orio Jabu- petigrain, orange blossom, ylang- ylang, monoi-tiare, rose, sandalwood, myrhh, benzoin, tonka, musk
Jean Patou Colony- a pampered, civilized oasis, under all that sumptuous, playful fruitiness of the pineapple note, under the languid sensuality of ylang ylang spiced up by carnation, there is a very distinct smell of an Animal, a gloriously stinky accord of leather, musk, and civet.
Ormonde Woman Cardamom, coriander, grass, Black hemlock, violet, jasmine absolute, Vetiver, cedar wood, amber, sandalwood
Les Parfums de Rosine Secrets de Rose bitter orange, plum, rose, saffron, licorice, plum, magnolia, ylang ylang, rose absolute, jasmine, cumin, sandalwood, amber, labdanum, moss and musks.
Woods, spices, citrus – what about Nicolai’s Maharanih? It has a bit of patchouli in it, but it’s not a prominent note to my nose…though I do get cumin from it!
Two fabulous and unusual citrus scents that I would recommend are Pulp and Palermo form Byredo. I think Pulp especially is great all year round! It’s a GREAT smell. Also, Lux from Mona di Orio is a very classic citrus with a deep woody base.
Bois de Paradis from Delrae is a fantastic woodsy/fruity/spicey scent and again, could suit all seasons and occasions. I imagine it would be quite dressy on an evening out because it is so unusual.
A floral with a ‘twist’ might be something like Louanges Profanes by Parfumerie Generale, it has benzoin and incense underpinning iris. I think also that Passage D’Enfer from L’Artisan counts as a floral with a twist, as it manages to be a light, bright, floral, crisp incense all at once!