This week we're helping Marie. She's a brand-new mom, and she rarely wears the same perfume more than 2 days in a row but she feels like it's time to settle down to a signature scent. She'd like her perfume to cost under $200, and she's willing to shop online. Her perfect scent should be comfortable, classic with a modern feel, and not a limited edition, and because of her baby, it shouldn't be a sillage-monster. Here is what we know about Marie:
She's a red-head in her late 30s, and lives in Montreal.
She loves to travel and try new restaurants.
Her husband is from the Middle East, so they go there to visit family every year; she says it's "fantastic to be exposed to wonderful new odors, food and culture".
Marie likes woods, amber, vanilla, iris, rose, some fruits for freshness (preferably red or orange fruits). Perfumes she has worn include Frederic Malle Iris Poudre (too formal), Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne (sometimes dries down into a weird sweaty smell), Guerlain Samsara (not very modern), Guerlain Après L'Ondée (she loves the smell but not the poor staying power), L'Artisan Mûre et Musc (she used to love it but now detects an unpleasant metallic smell), Serge Lutens Rousse (she doesn't consider this an everyday scent), Montale Aoud Queen Rose (her husband loves it and she wears it on nights out).
Marie doesn't like white florals, particularly jasmine and tuberose (Annick Goutal Songes is a scrubber). She also has trouble with some musks (Narciso Rodriguez, Montale Rose Musk, Chanel No.5 and Parfum Sacré are all no) and patchouli.
Recent releases that did not work for Marie include L'Artisan Traversée du Bosphore (too much going on) and Serge Lutens Bas de Soie (too 1970s).
What say you?
Note: image is Post Box by at Living in Monrovia at flickr; some rights reserved.
i don’t know, I don’t want to be negative, but it seems to me that a person who rarely wears the same perfume more than two days in a row isn’t made to have a signature scent.
This was my first thought, too. Does one really need to settle down to a signature scent?
Hi Marie! This is quite a challenge because your list of favorite notes make it hard for me to come up with an everyday scent. In my opinion you should really try Chanel’s 31, Rue Camcon. Is has a gorgous iris note over a woody, ambery drowdown and it has a very elegant and “tailored” aura yet feels totally light and modern. Plus, you get a huge bottle for about 200 dollars which should last you awhile even when used daily!
I was thinking 31 Rue Cambon too. Also Chanel No 18.
Prada’s L’Eau Ambrée – it does have patchouli but it’s not overwhelming in any way. It’s just a “hint of patchouli” really.
Van Cleef & Arpels Bois d’Iris – dry, comforting iris and amber, not overtly “woody”. I would have suggested Chanel’s 28 La Pausa but the lasting power is not worth the price you pay for this one IMHO. (But it is gorgeous no doubt)
EL’s Knowing – It’s a chypre and a little heavy on the sillage but if you walk into the spray, instead of spraying direct onto you, it’s perfect. Or do try EL’s Private Collection Jasmine White Moss – it is classified as a green floral chypre. I know you said “no” to florals but this one is just so darn pretty, I can’t help but recommend it.
Happy Sniffing!
P.S. Annick Goutal Songes was a scrubber on me too and I so desperately wanted to love it. And it’s totally different than the EL JWM. I just wouldn’t want you to think you hate ALL jasmine’s because you didn’t like Songes…
What about Prada Infusion d’Iris?
Hello,
I will suggest Parfums DelRae Bois de Paradis. It can be a bit of a sillage monster but if dabbed on instead of sprayed you might find a winner in this one.
~Dawn
Seconding L’Eau Ambree, that’s what first came to my mind too – a light amber with citrus and may rose . Also 31 Rue Cambon is wonderful and would be my choice for a year round scent you’d never get bored of. Both baby friendly I’d say and relatively recent releases in perfume terms too.
Make that a third on the Prada L’eau Amber. It’s rather fresh and I don’t get patchoulli at all.
You might also like Heeley Iris de Nuit which is rich iris with a cedar base, and 10 Corso Como which smells like spicy sandlewood to me.
Perhaps Natori EDP or Teo Cabanel Alahine? Both ambery orientals with some fruit and aldehydes in the opening.
I was hopping on here to suggest Alahine, too.
(So you liked the Natori, E? I wore it the other day – it gets dangerously close to Opium for me for about half an hour in the middle, but then it calms down.)
And meant to say, Marie, the Natori is not particularly sillagey. Alahine can be a little bit louder, but it’s not at all a room-clearing thing. I’m sensitive to big sillage and don’t like it, but I love Alahine’s amber.
Hi Mals! I do like Natori! At moments there is something in it that reminds me a little of hair products (same thing I occasionally get from Chergui), and it’s probably too close to other things I own to justify a full bottle any time soon, but I’m sort of considering a decant … (I’ve only sampled it from testers).
P.S. I just remembered that you intended to send me an extra sample of Natori but couldn’t find it — at least, I don’t *think* I ended up with a sample …
one of my new discoveries: Iris poudre (Frederic Malle, slightly over your budget, but decants are always a solution), but I’m joining the choir on being sceptical with a signature scent
And it’s available in a body cream, which is my personal favorite vehicle for a fragrance, especially if you want it to wear closer to the skin.
The “every day” thing is so hard…!
For something in the woody rose area that one could wear every day…I’d say Cabaret.
Some of the Diptyque frags are worth a try–Duelle, L’Ombre…
Also, By Kilian’s Liaisons Dangereuses is gorgeous and hits a lot of the notes…
Good luck!
I know the “every day signature scent” is a real challenge. I got into this really for the baby; I got this crazy idea that changing perfume often will confuse him! 😉 Thanks for your help and suggestions. I remember liking l’eau Ambrée, I need to go smell it again.
I wood say, unless you have tons of money, go into a well stocked store, smell the perfumes – have some coffee beans with you to clear your smelling sense between the fragrances. ask for some samples that you think might be appropriate and wear each for a day. You might find that they don’t work with your chemistry, you don’t like them once you’ve worn them or your baby doesn’t like them. You could then order on-line having saved lots of wasted dolars
I would have her check out the CdG line. Or perhaps Kilian’s Rose Oud.
Oh don’t do it, just don’t do it! ONE scent?? ONLY one scent? But maybe what you need is a good reliable scent so that you don’t have to think about making a big perfume decision every day with a new baby and all. I’m hoping you’ll keep a few other things around as well but here are some that might work:
31 Rue Cambon
Prada l’eau ambree
Delrae Mythique
Hermessence Ambre Narguile
Guerlain Tonka Imperiale
Guerlain Petite Robe Noire
Natori edp
Fifi Chachnil edt or edp
I forgot : PG Iris Taizo or Odori Iris….both very nice
Seconding Prada’s L’eau Ambree and Infusion d’Iris, and Chanel’s 31 Rue Cambon and La Pausa. And I so love Bois des Iles, you might try that too – soft sandalwood, touch of rose there. And while I, too, question the ability of any of our kind to settle down into a signature scent, I will point out that with babies one must be a bit careful – and they will recognize their mother’s scent very early on, so maybe if there ever was a time for a signature…
Ormonde Jayne Ta’if is a lovely spicy yet airy rose from the Ta’if mountains in Saudi Arabia, the notes are rose, saffron, dates and amber. Not very sweet, it’s an intellectual sexy, confindent classic but still soft. (And Linda Pinkington have promised to never reformulate or stop making it!) I just bought this when I had my baby, and when she started to talk she said: It smells mum.
Some good stuff on here! Natori and Alahine for amber, Bois des Iles for sandalwood and general loveliness (be patient with the first 5-10 minutes, please), 31 Rue Cambon, DelRae Mythique – all beautiful and interesting enough to wear repeatedly.
my mum loves this but I don’t know what else to suggest =
Estée Lauder Sensuous.
Bois de Iles.
AG Tonka Vanille (I think that is the name…)
and anyone try this little known: Lentisque ? I think that might be worth a sniff!
Coromandel maybe?
Dear Marie, first I would like to suggest something light (but woody and beautiful) considering the baby- congratulations!
Comme des Garcons No 3.
also try CDG White (milky woods and spices for winter) and No 2 (woody rose). You might like the modern, optimistic Ormonde Woman which combines forest freshness with sweet amber. I agree that Prada Eau L’Ambree has a very refined, never loud aura. Have you tried Feminite du Bois by Serge Lutens?
Coromandel is full of patchouli!!!
Andy Tauer’s Une Rose Vermeille hits a lot of your preferred notes — rose, vanilla, raspberry — and I can imagine a baby quite liking it! I’ll also second the Ormonde Woman mentioned above, if only because I think everyone should at least try it. Good luck, and have fun!
I agree – you might like that one!
Everyday with baby more suggestions:
Hermessence Osmanthe Yunnan
Osmanthus The Different Company
(Osmathus smells lovely like soapy peach and not like white flower)
For orange and a clear structure: Concentree d’Orange Vert by Hermes.
Bulgari Infusion de Te Vert is also easy to wear and quiet.
Try the new Eau Clair de Merveille by Hermes for a tender orange and amber
For Mom & Baby: Bvlgari Petits et Mamans is so cute, although not a signature scent concept
Hi Marie,
I think Hermes Eau des Merveilles would be worth a try. It has an orangey opening, then it turns salty, ambery and woody. I believe patchouli is listed as a note, but to me, it’s not so distinct that I can pick it out.
Enjoy your search!
Like Gilty and Dolly2, I’m going to recommend Kilians, which are both classic and modern, and just smell beautiful. In addition to Liaisons Dangereuses (plum rose) and Rose Oud, I’d recommend that you try Pure Oud and Back to Black. I don’t think the ouds are out in travel sets yet, so you’d need to get decants or splits of those. Luckyscent has samples.
Enjoy!
Alexander McQueen My Queen(musk, red fruits) or Rampage Butterfly (rose, vanilla). Good Luck, and Congratulations!
Dzongkha – the best iris ever. Can be worn both subltly and, well, not so subtly. Plus there’s hints of the Middle East in there, a bit of incense and tea, a nod to your visits!
Your preferred notes are similar to mine, this is one of my fave perfumes for winter:
Estee Lauder Private Collection: Amber Ylang Ylang
(amber + ylang ylang is warm and soft to the skin with vanilla drydown) its a definite comfort scent.
Goodluck!
I concur on the Prada L’eau Ambree. I would also recommend Patou Sublime if only it wasn’t discontinued.
Second the suggestion of Chanel’s Bois des Iles. Warm, casual elegance. Sonia Rykiel Woman not for Man might be worth checking out. It’s great as an everyday scent, as nothing particularly sticks out. It just smells good. Rose, dates, leather and amber.
try Calvin Klein Truth. A rather lightweight oriental. Classic. Easy to wear.
Feminite du Bois
Ambre del Nepal
Mecca Balsam-
Sensuous-a great everyday scent
Chance Eau Tendre-light and fresh
I second the suggestion for Feminite du Bois, beatiful and woody but not too strong. Also Sonyia Rykiel not for Men , it is a very comforting and cuddly scent. My last recommend is John Varvatos Artisan, beautiful clean orange blossom,its carefree and very easy to wear.