A repeat of a poll we ran in 2008 and 2009, inspired by the holiday gift articles. Here's the three-part poll:
What is the fragrance-related gift you'd most like to receive this year?
Let's say you were going to ask for just one unsniffed fragrance this year, what would it be?
Are you giving any fragrance items for gifts this year, and if so, what?
My answers:
Same as last year and the year before: Diorissimo in extrait, vintage.
Guerlain Shalimar Ode à la Vanille.
Not a single one.
Note: image is christmas cactus by anee.baba at flickr; some rights reserved.
1. The fragrance I would most like to receive is AG Vanille Exquise.
2. Also Guerlain Shalimar Ode à la Vanille.
3. And also not a single one.
I don’t even know who is selling that Guerlain, I need to start paying attention.
try the Guerlain Boutique in Las Vegas –that’s where I got the bottles for splitting. The SA’s were beyond delightful .
I am so curious and as you already have it: Is there a great difference between the orginal Shalimar and this one? I love Shalimar EdT. The vintage was better, but this one is also OK for me. However, I can only wear it in cold weather.
eeek! you don’t want to ask ME this question! I do not care for Shalimar and was hoping with extra Vanilla that this one would suddenly be like the clouds parting and rays of “finally getting it” shining down to enlighten my perfumista soul……yes, well….no such luck….I found it quite unpleasant like an extra dose of nasty breath…and indistinguishable from the original Shalimar….I did however get to keep a beautiful empty bottle 🙂
Hi Parfumliefhebber,
I can tell you, as a devout Shalimar junkie, that Ode is nearly identical to the original: it has a bright blast of bergamot in the opening, then settles in for a somewhat softer and shorter lived (although brighter) version of the original.
If you don’t like Shalimar, don’t waste your time. If you’re a lover already, it’s a nice addition to the arsenal 😉
Interesting observations which just go to show how these impressions differ from person to person and that there’s no replacement to trying things for yourself.
For what’s it’s worth, I tried it on its own and side by side with the original Shalimar (both in EDP) and found the flanker distinguishable enough from the original. I thought the opening distinctly more modern and fresh floral which I didn’t really care for as it felt a little….safe and, I don’t know,…almost banal? It didn’t last long, though. The base clearly veered into vanilla cookie territory compared to the ambery base of the original. I definitely found it more user friendly, shall we say.
I neither love nor hate the original Shalimar and I didn’t mind the new version. But while the former has character and presence, the latter just felt a little too tame. Which probably means it’ll be quite popular. The top notes alone will stop many people (maybe not Daisy 😀 ) from instantly recoiling in horror and running away.
well, I had to be honest. 🙁
I love Shalimar, especially in vintage formulations. To my nose, Ode is a pale version of the original. Not offensive, just thin, watery vanilla, and more brightly floral than regular Shalimar. Not bad, just disappointing, IMO. It is worth seeking out a sample or decant to try for yourself!
I got a sample from TPC, and it has no staying power on my skin, which is weird because the original Shalimar goes on forever. It was gone in an hour!
Daisy,
I will be going to Vegas in just over a week–where might that Guerlain Boutique be located? Or can i find it easily enough by Googling it, or is the store name different? Please point me in the direction of Happy Sillage whilst I’m in the city!
Hi Mough, I’ve never been to Vegas so I have no idea “where” it is. All I know is it is in the Palazzo Hotel. Just google ‘ guerlain boutique Las Vegas’ and it’ll come up with map and phone number and other important bits like that. The SA who was so very nice to me is “Tee” but I’m sure any of them would be happy to sell some spendy bottles 🙂
Thank you for the info!
I got my Ode a La Vanille from the Guerlain boutique at The Breakers, Florida. The SAs are lovely and free shipping!!!!
A dear friend (hey!! Tamara J) gifted me a 5ml decant of this and really loved it, however I’m almost out:( . Thanks for the helpful information I need a new FB of this.
Adela , I’m so happy you loved it!
I hope you do get some my dear 😀
If you are ordering from the Breakers, Florida ask for Monique and you can tell her Tara Monteleone referred you, if you want. She is wonderful, has been working for Guerlain for 12 years and is very knowledgable. And the no tax (outside of Florida) and free shipping is great!!! Good Luck..
and if you ARE ordering from Florida—then order from the Las Vegas boutique since Nevada doesn’t have a state sales tax so you don’t pay sales tax no matter where you are. Gotta love that Nevada tax law. 🙂
Hey Tara, I got the Chamade and it’s gorgeous! and perfect! Not a single molecule of leakage! I bow down to your masterful shipping skills 🙂 It is now happily keeping company with Philtre d’Amour, Liu and Attrape Coeur.
Hi Daisy,
I think you mean another Tara, maybe “Tiara”? I too love Chamade, but don’t have any so I definitely didn’t send you any. Sorry about that.
You aren’t Tara C. ?? LOL– sorry wrong Tara! yes, maybe Tiara…I’ll check my emails for the right addy….y’all stop confusing me! 😉
Thanks!
Ode a La Vanille is absolutely lovely, a pleasant surprise as I find Shalimar cloying. The bottle and presentation is elegant and if you are looking for a vanilla fragrance I haven’t sniffed a nicer one.
Parfumliefhebber – well, hopefull you’ll get all the way down to this. I just got myself for an early Xmas gift AG Vanille Exquise. I just had to have it. It is really lovely. I’m totally enamoured with Annick Goutal right now. Good luck to you! They’ve just started carrying the epanded AG line at Nordstroms.
I’m commenting here because I didnt want to be right down at the bottom of comments lol.
I would love to open a 50ml refillable bottle of Angel on Christmas day, but I wont be. I havent asked for it and I know I wouldn’t get it if I did, my mum really doesnt like it.
the unsniffed fragrance: I’d like to try Shalimar vanilla but if it’s like the original then I probably won’t like it, though I do like vanilla. or maybe John Patou Joy because I’m dieying to know what it’s like. or anything from the sweet collection from Comme Des Garcons. bearing in mind I’ve haven’t smelled anything from CDG but I like sweet.
But I’m gonna go with Juliette has a gun, either miss charming, lady vengeance, midnight ode or not a perfume.
and the only perfume present I’m buying this year is Estée Lauder Sensuous for my mum, she loves it.
though I’ve already bought Britney Spears circus fantasy 30ml for my friend for her 18th as she like most of Britney’s line, but thats not while January so it doesn’t count. I bought it because it was half price at Boots, £20 down to £10. she probably wont me anything for mine so I thought it doesn’t matter. I might even keep it if she doesn’t get me anything because my birthday is before hers lol, then again I cant remeber it.
Receive: Iris Silver Mist
Unsniffed: Blue Amber
Giving: (what they want, not necessarily what I like) Angel, Beautiful, Polo, AA Pamplemousse and Fracas.
Oh, I would take the ISM too 🙂
Since I’m asking Santa, how about a visit to the Osmotheque to sniff some long-lost fragrances? If a mere mortal is doing the gift-giving, I would like a FB of Ubar.
Andy Tauer’s Cologne du Maghreb (and I have been entering the drawings hoping to win this).
AG Sables and Ormonde Man for my husband.
Not to brag, but I won day 2 @ Andy’s website! He sent an email, it shipped on Friday. Yippee!
I was wondering if that was you. Congratulations! If you would, please give us your impressions of it when you receive it.
Congratulations Bear!!!! That’s fabulous news!!!! 🙂
Congratulations!!! Andy is sooo generous.
Congrats, Bear!! Yay!!!! 🙂
Thanks everyone! 🙂
I will definitely review when I receive it!
Congrats Bear! Looking forward to review!
Congratulations! I’d love to know what it’s like.
congrats Bear 🙂
last year I won a sample set of Andy’s wonderful scents, so I belive in Santa since then again 🙂
How lovely for you! Congratulations! Andy is the sweetest, dearest soul.
Congrats, Bear! 🙂
Hmmm…. I would most like to receive either Joy or Chanel no. 5, both in pure parfum. Unsniffed, I would probably ask for L’Artisan Traversee du Bosphore. And sadly, no one I know loves perfume like myself, so not giving any…
that’s easily dealt with—-get online, place your orders and repeat after me in a deep, resonant tone: HO HO HO HO! MERRY CHRISTMAS! for effect you can pretend to stroke your silky white beard….
Receive: Amouage Homage Attar (or De Bachmakov, which I may just gift to myself)
Giving: Ormonde Jayne Isfarkand to my husband (the gift that gives back, as I love smelling it on him and the sample is running out)
Unsniffed: Malle’s Portrait of a Lady
I would love some Portrait of a Lady, too. I never smelled it and it’s not available where I live but it sounds really great.
The main reason my husband wears fragrance is because I like it on him (and he likes that I like it). All he has is what I buy for him–I don’t think he has ever bought a bottle of anything for himself.
1 -My wish list is pretty short at the moment but I wouldn’t say no to a bottle of Jubilation 25 or Sycomore.
2 – Hmmm, SL Boxeuses sounds gorgeous and like it could be right up my street. Oh and I’m also intrigued by Vero Profumo Onda.
3- probably not.
Hey, I would not say no to either of those myself!
1. Santa could bring me FM Bois d’Orage or Heeley Cuir Pleine Fleur or 75 ml of Chanel no.18
2. Unsniffed gift from Paris: Iunx Splash Forte or TDC De Bachmakov
3. Xmas gift for my parfumista co-worker: 1x bottle of Vanille Galante from my Hermes discovery set
What a nice present!
Hey, Cuir Pleine Fleur, Chanel 18 and de Bachmakov (which I have sniffed, and is wonderful) are probably the top three on my list this year! We’re Fragrance Twins! Also, agree that the VG is a wonderful gift – another fave of mine.
Receive: DSH Mahjoun or Cardamom and Khyphi, better both!
Unsniffed: Guerlain Liu
GIving (what they like): Elizabeth Arden Green Tea, AG Eau de Sud
I bought Cardamon and Kyphi at the King Tut exhibition last week and I can’t stop wearing it. It’s wonderful!
I went to the exhibit in the Summer, and I looked for Dawn’s scents in the gift store, but no luck — couldn’t find any!
I put it on my wish list, so I keep my fingers crossed 🙂
and I ordered a roller-bottle of Khyphi and Cardamom at the DSH sale last week…I can hardly wait for it’s arrival! omg…if you want it, order it now! 20% can’t be beat!!
that would be 20% off sale….got a little excited just thinking about it, lost my ability to type.
That is a wonderful sale… I am finally going to order the Oeillets Rouges I’ve been lusting over for the past two years. A little bottle, instead of the big one I wanted, but still… I have dropped a bundle on splits lately, so maybe I only need the little bottle. 🙂
Dawn’s scents always seem very concentrated anyhow…add that to your usual light application and smallish bottle will last you years!
I ordered the 10ml pulse rollers —even with my more….”vigorous application style” I thought that would be plenty.
I picked up a set of her Essenza dell’Ibisco at the anniversary sale, also 20% – just love it!
You’re so right! I put it on my wish list, and I put the code in with it 🙂
I did that last year, and oh wonderful surprise, my husband actually figured it out. 😀
I sure hope mine will too. My list was almost like a site map 🙂 Dawn’s site is not easy to navigate if you don’t know what you’re doing. But I hope he will figure it out or lose the “not asking for directions” guy pride and turn to me if he didn’t! 🙂
Good morning!
1) a bottle of Reglisse Noire by 1000 Flowers. Since this is almost as unlikely as Rudolph landing on our roof, I’ll say Chanel No. 5 After Bath Powder.
2) Unsniffed: This one is tough. I’m wrong so often that I very rarely do unsniffed. Let’s say the new VC&A Midnight in Paris.
3) I’m giving some fragrant hand soaps and lip balms, but no perfumes.
I am not likely to get what I want either 😉
1. Either (Andy Tauer’s) Une Rose Chypree or Rose Vermeille
2. Unsniffed: De Bachmakov
3. Thinking about giving my guy Fougere Royale, but only to steal it back from him!
I really want a bottle of the Bachmakov too.
I would looooove to have carnal flower, but never smelled it.
also am giving a friend some bpal oils.
Carnal Flower is the most scrumptious tuberose evahhh! Are you in the US? drop me a note at Daisyloo82 AT gmail dot com…..you must try it!
1. Vintage Shalimar in extrait, or maybe a backup bottle of Mille et une roses
2. Unsniffed – DSH Mata Hari
3. Probably nothing, but I’m toying with the idea of giving my teenaged niece the Trish McEvoy Blackberry Musk. It’s for entirely selfish reasons, though; I love the smell but think it’s too literal a rendition of a blackberry pie for anybody over the age of fourteen to wear successfully.
Hi, Fluffy… you know, I have a small 15ml bottle of Mille et une Rose that’s going unloved, and I’d be willing to pass it on for nottalotta dough. If you’d like, send me an email and we can talk.
Hi Mals–Yes, I’d be interested, but I don’t think I have your email.
Click on my username and it will take you to my blog (any purple username has a link attached).
Or just email me at malsnano86 at gmail.
My older sister wears blackberry musk and it does smell good!
D’oh! Maybe I WILL wear it myself then…
1 – ISM please!!
2 – Any DSH I have never tried any and I find the site so overwhelming as there are so many options. My pea-brain can’t handle that much choice.
3- The Ormonde Jayne Christmas candle…if that counts
Of course it (the OJ candle) counts! I was tempted by that myself, but I don’t use candles because I have cats who tend to knock everything onto the floor.
1. Cartier L’Heure Défendue, VII
2. Cartier L’Heure Défendue, VII
3. Patou Normandie from Posh Peasant for my dad who is French and obsessed with the ship!
Karin,
Has he seen A. M. Cassandre’s ‘Normandie’ poster? I had it in my office for a few years – I love AMC’s work
Happy weekend to all you lovely smelling people. ♥
Receive – Amouage Gold. I already sent DH – ooops I mean Santa a link to help him out a little.
Unsniffed – Malle Portrait of a Lady – because I am holding out hope that is the one Malle that could work out on me.
Giving – Katy Perry’s new PURR perfume to my daughter and my niece. They are both huge fans of KP and I thought it would be neat for them to have this perfume.
excellent plan….Santa can always use a little help. 🙂
Yes – on the Malle. Would love it just based on the description!
1. Solange Cosmic….and I’m very excited because I happen to know that Santa has a bottle tucked in the top of his closet as we speak!!
Christmas better hurry up and get here because I’ve only got about 2ml left in my split….. And FM Portrait of a Lady (Santa doesn’t know it yet, but there’s a bottle headed this way!) –hey, you didn’t think Santa makes all these fine choices without “help” did you?
2. unsniffed? hmmm tough one since I’m a rabid sniffer…Probably a bottle of Hermessence Iris Ukiyoe.
3. the usual supply of Stetson Aftershave and cologne for the CEO—I’ve dabbed him with literally hundreds of things….and nothing smells as good on his neck as regular old inexpensive Stetson! sigh…. other from that I don’t have anyone on my shopping list who is very interested in fragrance (heathens, I know!)
Oh! How could I forget about the newest Hermessence! I am dying to sniff this one. As a matter of fact, I might take a drive up to the Hermes boutique today and go sniff this in person. I’ll let you know. 🙂
Cool! Let us know!!! Any new iris makes me drool before it even reaches our shores…
Stetson is fantastic stuff on the right man. Cheap as hell, but that only makes it better, really.
I laugh every time you refer to ‘the CEO.’ 😉 We all know who is REALLY the boss!
Honestly, Stetson is a GREAT fragrance. Its affordablity should not be held against it. When I wear it, friends think its niche because they know of my perfume addiction, half the time they don’t believe me when I tell them what it is.
yeah, he laughs when I say CEO too !! 😉
Stetson is a great scent, he’s worn it for years—I sniffed it on paper many years ago when it was new (and so were we), immediately bought a bottle and I’ve loved it ever since. It smells fine on me, but great on him. And at about $16 for 2oz of afershave—he can apply lavishly (although I don’t encourage any of that “Mandom” type action). I just hope Coty doesn’t try to “reissue” it at some incredibly higher price! I like my cheap thrill, thank you very much. 🙂
Cracking up at the thought of Mandom!
Oh, I know! I laughed too.
I know…. just mention Mandom and we all get the visual…it’s become part of our perfumista culture now.
I had a Mandom-style accident with a bottle of Amoureuse recently. The sprayer on the bottle BROKE and sprayed out a thick liquid stream of perfume, instead of a fine mist. I was literally dripping in it, and running late for a tutoring session with a student. Did my best to wash it off quickly, but still reeked. It’s be a long time before I have the guts to approach Amoureuse again, and, of course, I’ll have to decant it to a decent bottle!
ohmigosh! ….that’s a tiny-dab type perfume for me! I can’t imagine a huge stream of it! You were very brave, I’m so glad you survived….
Ha, ha – I don’t think Charles Bronson would have survived THAT one!
I think i need to know who is your santa Daisy, since i would like a santa that gaves me solange cosmic too hihihihi
Maybe it’s a rich santa that would have hidden some rare guerlains too?
hahahaha —I can tell you that “santa’s helper” isn’t shy about shopping and Santa knows better than to complain! 😉
I was just going to ask, is this the same santa that bought herself cosmic during the Luckyscent blowout sale? LOL. 😉 How the CEO must love holiday giving—nice and easy!
Santa’s helper at least attempts to shop responsibly! Yes, that’s just the bottle that is cleverly hidden amongst the many Michigan State jerseys. Getting good deals allows Santa’s helper to better rationalize those full retail purchases she makes occasionally …like the Portrait of a Lady (gulp! beaucoup de bucks!)
Daisy – speaking of unloved bottles – I have a nearly unused bottle of Stetson I got while under the influence of the Guide about two years ago. Interested? How does this go: it’s yours for the taking!
oooooo yes….I’m sure I have something interesting to trade for it….let’s email! 🙂
OK!!!
Santa baby, slip some Cuir de Russie under the tree–for me. I’ve been an awful good girl!
Hope he’s listening!
1. CdG Daphne or Hotel Costes Costes 2 or Ego Facto Poopoo Pidou
2. L’Artisan Traversee du Bosphore
3. I will probably give some fragrance gifts, if only in the form of candles! But not sure which yet …
The L’Artisan is a popular unsniffed choice this year 🙂
1. I asked DH for NR For Her EDP Intense (I’m shocked I like it).
2. Carnal Flower
3. I got DH a bottle of Dior Homme because it smells great on him.
Receive – Malle’s new gardenia room fragrance along with the black box diffuser.
Unsniffed – Carnal Flower because I have heard so much about it and have developed a huge love and craving for white flower scents.
Giving – JHAG Lady Vengeance and Calamity J for my daughter because she loves them. She also thinks Romano Ricci is adorable – he is her star dreamboat.
Kairos, those Malle room fragrances are the ones I’m most likely to buy unsniffed – I’m intrigued/obsessed with the florals and with Sante des Santes and Coffee Society.
The Malle room fragrances are actually also “unsniffed” by me, but I am 110% sure that I will love them and they are my most wanted fragrance gift this year (though of course “malle expensive”:) but I have been sooooo good this year and am in great need of some santa magic, so we will see what happens.
Seems like the room fragrances would be designed to be both very beautiful and attractive to virtually everyone. If I could only decide on one, I’d push the button!
If you like white florals, it’s hard to go wrong with Carnal Flower.
Mals is right. I am neutral about white flowers and normally I can’t stand tuberose. But I LOVE Carnal Flower. It is just in it’s own orbit.
If Santa were coming and could overlook how bad I’ve been, he would bring me that Etat Libre d’Orange sixteen-scent coffret (which I am NOT ordering from Luckyscent) (because I have been VERY VERY BAD this year already).
If I could have anything unsniffed, it would be a time-travelled bottle of Coty Chypre, fresh from the shelf in 1917. If I had to be realistic, it would be a bottle of Serge Lutens Boxeuses, which I am quite certain will be my kind of thing.
Not giving anything this year, because I don’t really do Christmas.
Nice pick on the Coty!
Very good poll, I forgot that it is time to start thinking about presents!
1) ” Santa” already knows that I can’t live on Amouage Jubilation 25 2 ml decants anymore and that I need a FB.
2) That will never happen, but I would love to receive Portrait of a Lady and Hermessence Iris Ukiyoe.
3) My boyfriend, a.k.a. Santa from point 1, has been using my CdG 2 Man for two month now, so he will get his own bottle. That or Black Afgano from Nasomatto. He tried it once and it smelled crazy good on him and he liked it.
My mother really loves tuberose, so I was thinking of getting her another tuberose scent. I got her Killian Beyond Love for her birthday and she loved it. I’m not sure what other tuberose would be a good idea. Maybe Fracas? She also loves incense, though. I have to think a little more about this.
My father will get Lancome Hypnotic Man. It smells almost the same as a discontinued perfume he used to ware a few years ago. It was his favorite.
There’s tuberose and incense in Michael Kors the original.
Frankly I like it better than Fracas, because Fracas smells 100% floral to me and I like various notes to play off one another.
Thanks a lot, Bear! I didn’t know about this one. It sounds perfect. I also remember Fracas to be just floral, I don’t remember the dry down. I never had the chance to sniff the original one. I’m sure it was better.
Agree with the Michael Kors. Also, what about EL Tuberose Gardenia?
I’ve heard a lot about that one, but couldn’t find it here so I have no idea what it smells like, unfortunately. Could it be that it is part of some private collection?
Rosagreen: The Annick Goutal fragrance Gardenia Passion really is predominantly a soft, naturalistic tuberose. It opens with a snappy “gardenia” but within minutes definitely is just tuberose.
Thank you, Anns! I’ll definitely look for it and I hope that I can find it. It sounds perfect.
Hello everyone! I know I won’t be getting any fragrance gifts this year (we’re not spending very much money on gifts and my hubby is not a big fan of my perfumes anyway, due to migraines), but it is fun to dream!
1. An Ormond Jayne sample set. I haven’t tried any of these yet and hear so much about them.
2. Costamor Tobacco. I’ve been searching for a good tobacco-y scent and was trolling the past reviews here looking for one- this sounds very nice.
3. No fragrance gifts this year. Unless you know exactly what someone wants, it’s too tricky.
And I do mean Costamor Tabacca – must get more caffeine!
I like that one!
Maybe you could convince your husband, if you first get samples of scents you want/love. I also have migraine, and cannot use many perfumes (and I love perfumes as everybody here). For me this is a good option.
He did get me the Ineke sample set last year, which was a lovely gift. And I have enough samples to keep me busy for awhile, just from swapping and such!
My sister doesn’t “do Christmas” either, but I do, so I’m going to get her something floral and feminine, since it gives me a chance to check out perfumes I wouldn’t buy for myself. I was thinking of trying Diptyque’s Jardin Clos and L’Artisan’s La Haie Fleurie du Hameau, but I’m open to suggestions.
Will add 2 more possibilities from those lines: Diptyque Olene and L’Artisan La Chasse. Just in case your 1st two don’t work out.
Thanks. I’ll go up to the City next weekend and try them all out. I may smell a bit strange, but it’s San Francisco, so I double anyone will really notice.
Rick, it’s a bit weirder than the others – therefore less safe as a gift choice – but I really love Diptyque L’Ombre dans L’Eau. It has a singing green accord among the floral notes.
1. I’ve got an embarrassing lot of perfume on my wishlist. What I want most would be SSS Lieu de Reves and Champagne du Bois. Don’t ask me why I’ve never bought them for myself, but I figured they were just affordable enough that someone might actually get them for me. I also want the ELdO coffret. We’ll see if anyone bites. There are a lot of other things… Divine L’ame Soeur… L’Artisan Poivre Piquant… Piguet Futur… BK Cruel Intentions… *more* vintage Diorling and Diorissimo… I could go on.
2. Hermessence Iris Ukiyoe. This is the iris flower one, right?
3. I might get my partner either FM Noir Epices or TF Tobacco Vanille. I don’t really have anyone else that I can buy fragrance for. I have a couple of friends that I have bought for in the past who haven’t appreciated it. I do have one friend that likes to smell like a Strawberry Shortcake doll, so I might do a second dive-bombing of the Ava Luxe sale and get her some Strawberry and a some Peach.
Just “some Peach,” not “a some Peach.” 🙁 I don’t know what’s wrong with me.
Miss Kitty,
Just emailed you on MUA…Sorry so tardy, but just mailed out those SL samples I promised, so you should have them this week. Please let me know what you think…I am loving the Emeraude (and took your advice on a couple of ebay buys).
Tara
Thanks! I’m looking forward to them. 🙂
Hello Miss Kitty V.,
Can I ask you a question about vintage Emeraude? Thanks in advance for your reply.
The blue opaque bottles I see on ebay, do they contain the better smelling juice than the clear glass bottles? Or is it all just a big crapshoot?
… heading off to ebay to look for vtg Emmie in blue bottles… never saw it in blue…
http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Coty-Emeraude-Dusting-Powder-and-Mist-/170187786454?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item279ffb88d6
Not affiliated – just curious.
I have never tried the Mist. Opaque bottle is good preservation, though, so you might do okay with it. I will say that particular item is pretty pricey, if you just want to look into vtg Em out of curiosity.
I have had *excellent* luck with parfum de toilette in the gold crown-top bottle; have also bought two small bottles of parfum that were age-damaged, as well as a Really Old bottle of edt, in box, that was so weak that I could barely smell it. The cologne is not very strong, either. However, each one of the (should I admit this? it’s embarrassing) four bottles of pdt, from 15ml to 4 oz in size, that I own, is in perfectly wearable shape. Some of them did come in boxes, and I think that does tend to matter.
Oops, hit Post too soon. Meant to add, the pdt bottles show up fairly frequently, even though I only see one (overpriced) one on ebay right now.
It’s okay Mals…..we all already know you’re a complete vintage Emeraude Ho. 😉
Bear, I have a couple of those opaque bottles, and I don’t know that I’d recommend them. I’d need to try mine again, but they smell very off when I first spray them on. I’d go with the parfum spray– like Mals said, the one in the rectangular bottle with the gold cap. Sometimes it’s listed as perfume spray, sometimes as perfume de toilette, but it’s all the same thing. There are also little octagonal bottles of the perfume that are good, but not as long lasting as the spray. I have to say, though, those opaque 50’s and 60’s bottles are really fun to have. If you have other bottles of Emeraude it’s fun to have some that are “just for show.” Good luck! You can always message me at MUA and I can send you some samples of different formulations if you are interested.
Yo Kitty – drop me a line if you are interested in swapping for some Lieu de Reves. I got lots.
Ok. 🙂 I’ll have to wait and see if I get any. The wish list has already shot into motion, so I don’t know who’s gotten me what yet. I have both the SSS’s marked as “high” priority, but I’m sure, as usual, everyone ignored that part. 😉
Thanks for the info Miss Kitty and Mals, I will keep my eye out for crown-topped parfum de toilette. ;0
Wonderful poll!
1) Receive: Absolue Pour le Soir or CdG Laurel
2) Unsniffed: Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Holiday Collection box
3) Giving: Pacifica California Star Jasmine to best friend (hope she hasn’t bought it already; Burberry Brit to husband (his favorite)
You hit my favorite: if I had to flee, like Luca Turin, to Mars for tax reasons and could only take one fragrance, it’d be Alsolue Pour le Soir. Can not get enough of it. I even, after much agonizing, bought a back up bottle just in case they ever decide it’s not going anywhere. It’s so unique. I hope you get some!!
You are right, it is unique and maybe it won’t really sell. Now you got me all paranoid and worried 🙂 I think I need to get a backup bottle, too.
Absolue pour le Soir and CdG Laurel are amazing! I also hope that you get one of them. I needed both 😀
if things go as usual I will receive a gift certificate to the Perfume House for either my birthday or Christmas.
Can’t think of any unsniffed fragrances at the moment.
I am thinking about giving my friend a bottle of Reminiscence Patchouli because she said she tried it and loved it, but “it’s so EXPENSIVE!”
Ha! It’s only $70 for a 50ml bottle, and as we know, that’s practically free!
That’s a good idea– I should just ask for a gift certificate for the Perfume House. Why didn’t I think of that??
Non-perfumistas seem to have a very different idea of what is “expensive”. One of my coworkers tried to impress me by telling me about the “expensive” bottle of Burberry perfume he had bought for his wife–all of $60.
I hope she likes Burberry! The other day the CEO told me that one of the other guys came into his office to talk about what he was thinking of getting his wife for Christmas (which was odd, but okay….) he told the CEO he was thinking a REALLY nice bottle of perfume because she’s very concerned about status etc…he said: maybe something like Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds! (at this point of the story I was holding my head in my hands.) My hubby told him “that if you’ve heard of it on TV it’s not going to be good enough” then he told him he ” might want to get something “niche”, maybe a Serge Lutens or Amouage”….. and then said “my wife could make a few suggestions….” I was SOOOO proud! I thought he wasn’t ever really listening! 🙂
sooo Daisy, great challenge, do you know his wife at all? Does the poor man realize what’s going to happen to him? 🙂
I know! scary! I don’t know her at all….so I did tell him that it’s awfully dangerous to select a NEW scent for someone (perfume is such a personal decision!) that I’d have to know what other perfumes she’s liked or disliked or what notes she favors….I am sincerely hoping he drops the whole idea—for everyone’s sake!
I just love that he said, “If you’ve heard of it on TV, it’s not going to be good enough.” That’s so spot-on!
1.Always, always URC. I never want to be without this EVER.
But I will probably get the only perfume Chief has really liked on me which is Lumiere Noire Pour Femme. I almost get snarky on his dumb butt cause’ he thinks he hates patchouli on me but lil’ does he realize that this IS a rose/patch combo that drives him crazy haha! 😛
I know it’s the beautiful narcissus and pimento that got him.
2.Gosh that’s hard! I am wary of the unsniffed …Dior Diorama.
Are you giving any fragrance items for gifts this year, and if so, what? Ahh yes , each of my girls wants a perfume -Alexandra- Balenciaga Paris, Sophia – Ange au Demon eau tendre or Paul Smith Rose, Juliette -Las Chasse aux Papillions and Livvie wants whatever I wear- really this baby goes to school smelling like every perfume under the sun. She scoffs at nothing!
I think I’ll get her something vanilla based but not the SDV she had on the other day and wanted!
lol! She has to learn a girl can dream! 😉
Mama does endlessly…
SDV is a bit pricey for a young’un – and even for me! Have you heard of cherryblossomdiva? She does dupes and I have a roll-on of her perfume oil called “Spiritual Vanilla” – it’s pretty close. And the price is right! Might be a nice stocking stuffer!
I know Odanota! There is no way I would ever buy it for her but is cute as all get out to see a 7 yr. pine for such a expensive perfume!
I’ve created lil’ fragrance monsters, they bum rush my packages and steal my decants and use my FB. And tease me!
I love it though, how could I not? 😉
I take it back-a unsniffed purchase would be Dior’s Mitzah, I love Dior.
I love how your girls love perfume so much. You have raised them right. 😉
I think it’s sweet, too.
Agree – very important to learn about real perfume at an early age. Also vintage Diors are one of the things I’ll go for unsniffed when I see the right bottle on evilbay. Don’t think one can really go wrong there. 😉
1) to receive: Something discontinued.. M7, the original Ferragamo fir Men, Theorema for men or Globe de Rochas.. any of those would be nice! (if I can point my significant other to the store hehehehe)
2) Unsniffed: mmm with so many new launches…perhaps one of the Christian Dior La Collection, Balmain Carbone or the Burberry Brit Limited Edition 2010 🙂
3)Oh I love this… perhaps some prada vetiver or Terre d’hermes for my hubby.. and also some bulgari or gucci for one of my female in-laws, as it looks like I’m going to be playing secret santa to one of them.
Recently got a bottle of M7 for my SO. It’s seriously good stuff.
mmmm I love love love M7 —-got a stash of 3 bottles….for myself 😉
Daisy! Now I can see why I cannot score any when I go to the U.S!!! hehehehehe 😉
yes, mine mine ALL MINE!!
now I’m going to go looking on your behalf….I got mine from discounters for cheap!!
You must have been naughty and/or nice this year, kaos.geo, because the Santa of Enabling has you on her list! 😉
maybe more like the evil eye of Sauron…..
I rarely received more compliments from total strangers (men AND women) than when I wore M7. It is seriosly good indeed 🙂
let’s discuss this M7 dilemma for a moment….I’ve found a very good price….do we need to chat about it? You can email me at Daisyloo82 AT gmail dot com. 🙂
Also feeling potentially vulnerable to the new Diors, Kaos – those review by Octavian were so enticing!
I just read the reviews today! definitely enticing! 😀
1. I’d be sooo happy if Santa would bring me a bottle of Geranium Pour Monsieur. Or a back up bottle of one of my HG scents. Or maybe a bottle of Cuir Beluga. Santa’s used to long wishlists, right?
2. Unsniffed? Vintage Shalimar. Any formulation would be lovely.
3. Getting my SO a bottle of AG Duel. Received a tester in a swap and it’s fabulous on him! He’s really getting into scent these days and I want to encourage that!
I’m sure Santa is *very* used to it 😉
1. Sycomore or Trefle Pur
2. de Bachmakov
3. Wonderwood
1. I’d love a bottle of Spiritueuse Double Vanille.
2. Unsniffed? I’d like to try any of DSH’s Secrets of Egypt collection.
3. Nothing this year. I did give Pacifica’s Malibu Lemon Blossom to my young niece last year and she loved it.
Malibu Lemon Blossom would be perfect for a young person!
1. I’d love to find those new Frederic Malle candles under the tree, pretty please, Santa baby.
2. Hmm… Boxeuses? Portrait of a Lady? Vintage Bandit would be nice too, for the sake of comparison.
3. Giving my bestie-bestie an OJ Woman candle, and she’d better like it! Her tastes are, well, I wouldn’t say pedestrian, but definitely not adventurous. This scent is such a crowd-pleaser, though, that I can’t imagine anyone spurning it. (And we won’t discuss the big ol’ present-to-self that came in the same package from OJ…)
I thought of a better answer to #2 — MFK Absolue pour le Soir. Pretty sure I’d like it, whereas the others I’m just curious about.
Oh, hope the OJ candle is a hit!
1. All I want in my stocking is a bottle of Chanel’s Cuir De Russie. Perfume or EdT would be marvelous. Since my birthday is the same time, it would be perfectly acceptable to combine my Christmas/birthday present 🙂
2. Unsniffed. Guerlain’s Après L’Ondée. Would I need a time machine for the parfum?
3. Gifts. I’m giving my friends/coworkers/mother decants from my personal stash.I spread the perfume happiness, and simultaneously whittle down what I have!
Apres l’ondee is sooo delicately beautiful, but a time machine would be incredibly helpful in the search. That said, it is still such a lovely scent that even though not reasonable to find, it is still very worth getting a small vial sample just so you can experience this lovely little violet scent.
What a great idea to share your stash as gifts to friends, Marsha!
1. I’ve asked for Bois 1920’s Come La Luna this year, because the small sample vial I’ve been treasuring for a while now has finally run out. 🙁 It’s not necessarily my very favorite perfume, but it’s definitely one that’s great for absolutely every occasion.
2. I have so many fragrances I’d really love to try! The one I’d want most, however, is probably Rochas Femme. It’s such a classic and I’ve never smelled it, sad to say. Sounds amazing, though.
3. Nothing this year yet, though I’m still pondering gifts for my elder sister. She mentioned she likes spicy scents and loved the smell of spice markets on her recent trip to Turkey, so I was considering seeing if she’d like some Quarzazate.
Pinkster, if you want a bottle of the older rochas femme, it seems that fragrancex has some of the vintage formulation. They are selling a 1oz parfum de toilette for something around 30 dollars. But hurry up, they only have a few bottles left
My answers would be:
What is the fragrance-related gift you’d most like to receive this year?
L’Abeille de Guerlain (After All, if i’m dreaming, why not dream high? hihihi)
Let’s say you were going to ask for just one unsniffed fragrance this year, what would it be?
If it doesn’t need to be a launch, well, i’d want a bottle of guerlain djedi. If needs to be a launch, i’d be happy with one of the xerjoffs, which is a house that i don’t know nothing yet
Are you giving any fragrance items for gifts this year, and if so, what?
My mom and sister has already received their christmas scented gifts 🙂 My mom loves opium, so i gave her another bottle of the older edp formulation. My syster won a bottle of Flower by Kenzo Winter Edition.
I agree: think big 🙂
I sent an email to Santa to bring me some L’Heure Bleue vintage edp, but I misaddressed so it reached my boyfriend, oooops
unsniffed would be surely an Andy Tauer, most probably Rose Vermeille
I think I will tell Santa to bring Eucris to my boyfriend, he loves it
Eucris is a good one!
Want: I feel like I have beat this to death ; ) Etat Libre d’Orange Like This or L’Artisan Tea for Two. I might ask my mom for a bottle.
Unsniffed: Shalimar Guerlain Ode a la Vanille. It HAS to be good. I wish anyone nearby had a bottle : / Does anyone near Portland think The Perfume House might have it?
Give: Might get the SO a bottle of Ralph Lauren Big Pony 1. I made him sniff a bunch of samples a couple weeks ago, and this is the one he liked the most. He seems to like fresh citrus the most; I also found out he hates vetiver, so the more you know!
The Perfume House carries Guerlain–you should call and ask.
Good idea… I’m sort of afraid to go in person, lest I be tempted to leave with half the store!
You should go anyway, they are very nice and don’t mind if you just come in to sniff. But be warned–they get an angle on what you like and tempt you in various ways……
Receive: By Killian Pure Oud…just can’t quite convince my sweet DH that I NEED this. I’d settle for a decant if it weren’t for being in love with the packaging…MUST HAVE that box, especially!!!
Giving: Morning Dew, by Annie Oakley for a good friend. And technically, I suppose I am giving myself a purple laydown bottle of Poivre, and a quarter ounce of Or et Noir, since DH told me to go ahead and order it for Christmas. Diane is so nice, and there’s a 20% off sale through Dec 7th, so it’s a great time to buy Caron!!
Unsniffed: Malle’s Portrait of a Lady. I have high hopes for this one, though I’m not sure it’ll knock Une Rose off the pedestal I have it on!
LOVE Pure Oud – hope you finally convince Santa! Also especially looking forward to trying Portrait of a Lady.
Want: Vintage Mitsouko EDP and Tauer’s Rose Vermeille (and an extra couple of bottles of Theorema). Oh, and add on Mona di Orio’s Carnation.
Unsniffed: Gobin-Daudé Sève Exquise and Sous le Buis
Give: French Lover and Let Me Play the Lion.
Oh, I would give anything for backup bottles of the Gobin Daudes.
Want – Tauer Une Rose Chypre
Unsniffed – Lolita Lempicka Midnight
Giving – none, everyone wants books, movies or booze!
Santa, assisted by our 5 yr old, will be bringing me my choice of Midwest department store fragrance gift sets (they like to shop together). Any suggestions? Has anyone tried Guerlain Insolence?
Insolence EDT is all violets and Guerlinade, the tonka bean-vanilla-iris base of many Guerlain scents. I like it, but you must love sweet and violets. Lolita Lempicka is available @ Nordstrom.
HTH
RuthW, Insolence is great . I think of it as a rather fun, party fragrance what with all the loud red berries, so if that’s what you fancy go for it. Otherwise how about Clinique’s Aromatics Elixir.
Good suggestion, I’ve always admired it on others and I do love patchouli!
Estee Lauder has some beautiful gift with fragrance purchase deals this year, in little Coach make-up bags. You can see them on the EL website.
Thanks for the reminder, I will put Sensuous Noir on the list.
I ran screaming from Insolence, so for heaven’s sake don’t buy it unsniffed… and I LIKE L’Heure Bleue (and violets).
I love L’Huere Bleue but I will sample this first, it seems to be a love it or hate it scent.
Can’t spell tonight L’Heure/ L’Huere – either the sugar hangover from making holiday cookies with my kids or the cocktails required to deal with their sugar craze – I can’t decide.
I think an EL Sensuous gift set would be nice – and there is the new flanker too, which I have not sniffed yet.
I’m going for the flanker, Sensuous Noir. I gave the original to my sister and though I like it on her, I prefer something a bit deeper.
Noir is quite nice, and very potent! I got some of the sleeve of my hoodie, washed it, and it still smelled like Noir afterwards : D
I”m really curious about the Lolita Lempicka Midnight too!
Unsniffed wishes: Guerlain Spiriteuse Double Vanilla, and several sample sets from DSH and Soivohle.
Pre-sniffed wishes: Le Labo Oud 27 (FB), Le Labo Gaiac 10 (decant, because I don’t even think you can find FBs anymore),. Other FB, CdG Wonderwood,, TF Oud Wood.
I try to give my husband scents for gifts, but he only wears them a few times and just won’t make them a part of his routine, no matter how much he likes them. Maybe I can convince him to try the bottle of Micallef Sashka Man Black (bargain bin) I just got,, which isn’t suitable for me, but I have a strong suspicion it would smell amazing on him.
My husband is not interested either…
1. I would love to receive a full bottle of Divine L’Aime Souer.
2.Unsniffed-a vintage bottle of Doblis
3.Probably, but I don’t know what. I need to get my secretaries something not too expensive. Suggestions? Last year I gave them Benefit fragrances.
I just got 1.7 oz DK Gold on Amazon for under $30 (I ordered the one from Amazon itself, which actually comes from Beauty Encounter). The bottle is striking, and the scent is lovely. Also balanced – not too strong, sweet, or odd – seems like it would be a safe choice for a gift.
I love DK Gold so much! And my coworkers – who have smelled it on me A LOT – also say they love it. So, good choice. 🙂
Receive: Hmmm. I just bought Ambre Fetiche for myself for christmas, and I’ve got the JHAG LV purse bullet on the way from mom… I guess, as long as I’m fantasizing about getting something MORE, it would be SSS Champagne de Bois. But darn it, it can’t be had at the moment!
Unsniffed: Ormonde Jayne Tolu, or an Andy Tauer sample coffret
Giving: Miller Harris Fleur Oriental, Gres Cabaret, Herve Leger, Aveda Chakra 7, Tendre Madeleine, and maybe Egyptian Goddess from Auric Blends (haven’t bought that yet).
I only give the gift of perfume to people whom I’ve infected 🙂
I’d be snapping up some Champagne de Bois if it was actually available right now.
I’m planning to order a bottle the nanosecond it is available for purchase.
I’ll third that sentiment!
Ha, ha – I’m sure your friends are glad that what you have is contagious! 😉
1. I’d love to receive a bottle of PG’s Aomassai and/or Hermessence Ambre Narguile. May have to treat myself in the New Year.
2. Unsniffed would be Amouage’s Memoir Woman – it smelt wonderful in my dream! (Weird when that happens). Otherwise vintage Diorama, Back to Black or Malle’s Portrait of A Lady.
3. Giving my sister Bulgari’s Jasmin Noir for Christmas as I think it’s a pretty safe bet.
agree : ) it is so much fun, still weird to smell scent in dreams. I lurve it : )
Receive: SL Daim Blond or biehl parfumkunstwerke’s Egon Oelkers dedp eo01
Unsniffed: Patou L’Heure Attendue
Giving: probably several bottles from my collection to my friends and relatives. I try and thin the heard every year this way.
Thin the herd! I love it! That’s what I need to do with my perfume and orchids!
That’s a perfect solution —you thin the herd and they don’t have to drive to your house everyday to get a spritz! (so it’s good for the environment too!)
1. Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille or Issey Miyake Homme Noir Absolu’
2. Hermessence Iris Ukiyoe
3. 7 or 8 gifts from Marshalls or TJMaxx for mostly my younger cousins and a few aunts. : )
Will be curious to hear what you think of the iris when you try it…
1. I have no Significant Other to buy me perfume so I’ve bought my own Christmas present, one of Chanel’s ‘Fragrance Wardrobe’ gift sets of five 3.5ml parfums. I handed it to my son to hide from me in his bedroom until Xmas, begging at the same time that he not forget where he has put it! This is the bedroom of twelve year old boy. Am I going to have to pull it apart on Christmas morning? Oh my lord …
2. Unsniffed, I would go for one of those old Lanvins, probably starting with My Sin extrait. I’ve been eyeing it on eBay for some time. I’m not even certain that I would like it, but I long to know what it is like, as it sounds so deliciously decadent, a bit dirty, very sexual. Once upon a time women wore this. Now they wear Issey Miyake, and Calvin Klein’s Beauty, and EL Pleasures, and stuff. What has happened? Anyway, the My Sin will be something for the perfume list next year, I think, once I have recovered from Xmas, and having to register the car and get it serviced in January ..
3. I’m really the only perfume lover in my life, but as I don’t wear Coco Mlle, I will give the little bottle of that, from my Xmas present, to a friend who loves it.
Uh-oh… better tell him to put it at the bottom of a drawer or something, just so he won’t actually toss it around. I have a 12yo at my house, too!
What I’d like a full bottle of: Mary Greenwell Plum, or (even better) Iris Poudre. I have decants of both, and I have a feeling I’d like to have more. But as it is, the Iris Poudre decant will wind up under the three along with the decant of Portrait of a Lady. I’ll have to test PoaL first, though… It arrived today, and I’m only holding off on it because I sprayed some Alahine (last year’s Christmas present!) before I went out in the snow to watch the town Christmas parade.
Unsniffed? Well, I just paid for an unsniffed decant of Iris Ukiyoe, so that one will wind up under the tree too. The decants I’ve been buying lately have been pretty pricey, so they add up to a full bottle!
Giving my 10-year-old niece a small bottle of Cynthia Rowley Flower, a nice lily-vanilla scent in the Cutest Bottle Ever. Giving my sister a bar of Coco Mlle soap, since it’s her favorite.
Mals yours came today!!! I wonder if mine will??????????
I can’t wait to try it, I’m smothered in Dzing! at the moment though.
That Plum is very pretty, I agree. You’ll like Dior’s New Look I bet, it’s floral, powdery sweet, less soapy than IP but in the same family I think.
Yeah, I got some of that New Look too. I tolllld you, I Been Bad with the splits this quarter. Probably could have bought a couple of mid-priced bottles for what I put into splits of really pricey stuff (two Malles, a Hermessence, the Dior, the Mary Greenwell Plum). The ones I’ve already got, though, I LOVE. And am expecting to love the Dior and the Hermie too. (Wet iris blossoms? Swoooon.)
And forgot: am giving The CEO’s sister some samples of 100% botanical perfumes from DSH, along with a gift certificate for a small bottle (those all-naturals are ‘spensive!). The organic scented soaps I gave her for her birthday were a big hit.
I loved the Mary Greenwell Plum split I got a week or so ago. I wish it was sold here in the US.
Mals – I look forward for your comments/review of PoaL…. I am really wondering if this is a “do I need another rose” or the “bees knees” fragrance???
My initial impression is that it’s very similar to Lumiere Noire pf, which I love, but I didn’t feel the same about PoaL. I think I should wear PoaL at least another couple of times before I make any pronouncements on it.
The perfect Santa would be a James Bond version capable of spiriting a few of those plain little bottles of vintage perfume recreations away from the Osmotèque – I’d ask for Le Fruit Defendu, Iris Gris, Emeraude and Chypre, and let him surprise me with a few others.
Dialing down the level of fantasy slightly, I’d like The Party in Manhattan in that beautiful presentation with my initials engraved on the stopper.
Unsniffed – it’s going to be one of those Malle candles as soon as I can make up my mind which one. 🙂
OMG, can I hijack your Santa? I want some really, really vintage La Rose Jacqueminot. And, of course, some of that original Emeraude. In parfum.
I’d go back almost to the dawn of (perfume) time and try Quelques Fleurs.
The Osmotèque collection includes more than 2,000 fragrances. It gives me fits to think of all those unsniffed (by me) treasures!
I’m enjoying your fantasy as well. Does your James Bond Santa look like Sean Connery or the new Guy (forgot his name)? I’ll take either one-with the vintage perfumes of course!
It would definitely take classic Sean Connery to match the vintage scent treasures! 😉
Have asked for NR Musc for her Intense.
Unsniffed? Yes, those Frederick malle candles would be lovely, or the new Kenzo Once Upon a Time, which doesn’t seem to be ANYWHERE yet.
And I am giving my sister some perfume – she asked me to find her a new scent – hope she likes it!
What have you picked for your sister?
yeah, what did you pick for her? you can’t make a statement like that and then just leave us hanging!!!
Well, it’s kind of sad really. She likes EL’s Pleasures and Philosophy’s Pure Grace and had a brief flirtation with EL’s Sensuous…so based on that, her dislike of anything “too floral” her once-expressed appreciation of DK’s Cashmere Mist, and her tendency to over-apply, I bought her DK’s Liquid Nude. Which is what I wear when I’m going to be in crowded meetings all day and absolutely do not want to offend anyone (but can’t stand the thought of being scentless). Not very adventuresome or interesting, but there it is. I hope she likes it – I’ll include a decant so she can sample before opening the bottle.
The top of my list is L’Artisan Safran Troublant. I had a sample vial a few weeks ago and loved it! Gave the sample away to a friend and it’s on her list now too!
Unsniffed: Vintage Shalimar or Vintage Emeraude. I’m starting to stalk ebay but I can’t really tell what’s vintage or what isn’t.
Gifts: Mom adores Red Door (Elizabeth Ardon). It smell like… mom 🙂 I also need to find something for my 14 year old neice that will be appealing and a bit sophisticated as well. I’m not a fan of the popular fruity florals and didn’t like any of the new Harijuku Lovers this time around. They were just…okay.
I gave my 14 year old goddaughter a selection of samples this summer to chose from, as an afterthought I slipped in some rose ikebana, which was of course the one she preferred… the little travel kits are affordable ( I did cheat and give her 3 vials, kept one for myself)
Receive: a bottle of Onda edp
Unsniffed: Chanel No. 5 vintage extrait, or even new extrait if it’s any good (yes, unsniffed)
Giving: Probably a bottle of CdG 2 for my housemate who keeps coming down to get some of mine. And some Citrus Petals for my sister, thanks to Ann S.
Tama! I got TONS of both vintage and recent No 5 parfum. We can talk turkey if you want…..
Receive: Cuir Ottoman, Zagorsk or Incense Rose
Unsniffed: Armani Bois d’Encens
Giving: probably not this year
Oh, I did sniff that Bois d’Encens once, and it’s on my long wish list!
Some great ideas here!
Receive – SSS Winter Woods – self gifting is grrreat! If Santa has heard all the hints I have been dropping then Prada Eau Ambree may well be mine.
Unsniffed – Hmmmm Ormonde Jayne Tai’f in extrait – I can dream….
Giving – L’Occitane Bergamot Tea
I bet Ta’if in extrait is gorgeous.
1) A gift certificate at Scent Bar or Barney’s
2) Never unsniffed, thank you.
3) Maybe candles (I find frags far too personal to buy for someone, unless I know for a fact that they a) love the scent and b) need it…
Fun poll!
I would love for Santa to bring me a bottle of Alahine or OJ Woman
If I were to order unsniffed it would be probably be DSH
Grrr…tech gremlins
DSH Aroma d’Egypte or Kohl Gris
Giving: Natori to my mom, Pour Monsieur for my dad and Dunhill Desire for my brother ( all safe bets- nobody is very adventurous!)
Alahiiiiiiiine! Wearing it today… it’s snowing. 🙂
Natori is really nice as well.
in no particular order:
– Houbigant Fougere Royale (both the vintage and re-make/re-model)
– Guerlain’s vintage Derby
– vintage Vent Vert
– Coty Chypre
– Chanel Cologne
– Coty’s Aspen (everybody’s got one like this – this one’s mine…)
Aspen for men? That’s nice – I used to adore the women’s version, which of course is unfindable these days. It was a strange aquatic-woody-floral thing, louder than I usually wear, but gosh how I loved it.
I had a bottle of that back in the day too!
1) Parfums de Nicolai Sacrebleu. Spouse is already on it.
2) DeBachmakov, or Traversee du Bosphore.
3) Sent out a couple of decants to pals, so yes.
Yay for the spouse!
1) At the top of my wish list? L’Artisan Fleur de Narcisse (I’m getting it for myself thanks to a tip from a certain resident Enabler Queen).
2) Unsniffed? L’Artisan Traversee du Bosphore.
3) Buying? A couple of secret perfume friend gifts. And the cats are buying Dior Escale a Portofino for their dad. 🙂
Nice kitties!
They are very good kitties. I’m sure I will end up sharing the Dior, but I actually like it best on my husband.
ohmigosh….I forgot to order something for the cats to give me! I’ll have to get right on that……they always get things like wrenches or driver sets for their daddy–cats know tools! (they have a Craftsman catalog)
1. Oh I think I’d have to go with MKK – I’ve fallen in love!! (Then again, perhaps By Kilian’s Pure Oud – yum!) – Not so sure Santa will hear me this year, though – I will keep wishing 🙂
2. Unsniffed, I’d probably ask for something from DSH, or Frederic Malle (perhaps Carnal Flower or Iris Poudre).
3. Yes! I’m giving my mother some vanilla beans for my mother – not perfume but still, what delicious fragrance! And I’m giving my sister and my boyfriend each a body scrub thingy from Lush (yay fun scented body products!). Oh yes, and a 6-pack of samples from Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, also to my boyfriend, for the fun of it 🙂
Love the idea of the BPAL sampler — fun!
1. Getting: this year I gave myself some AG Vanille Exquise. And my hubby is getting me some of the DSH Coeur de Vanille (esp. now that great coupon is out!).
2. Unsniffed: definitely AG Rose Splendide
3. No gifts this year – no one I know wants anything.
I want to smell that Rose Splendide…
I’m not entirely sure it’s on the market in the US yet, so we’ll just have to wait patiently until it shows up. I’m hoping it will be a nice addition to my late spring wardrobe!
Looove polls 🙂
1) I’d love to receive even the tiniest of decants of the verrrrrry obscure, The des Sables from l’Artisan. I know I’m dreaming, though…..
2) If I had the money, I’d buy Apres l’Ondee extrait unsniffed. Or does that count that I have the edt?? 🙂
3) I’m giving several decants as gifts, although can’t list them as one friend reads this blog 🙂
I’ll second your second!
1. The Etat Libre D’Orange 16 x 10ml gift set posted here recently. Or some kind of sample set of Serge Lutens. OR the set of CDG’s Incense series. What can I say.
2. Either Lush Breath of God or DK Black Cashmere
3. So far, only to myself – yesterday I came across some 100ml Diptyques for $50 (NZD – 38USD!) so snatched up Eau Lente and L’Eau. Also a 500g bottle of the new Christmas shower gel from Lush, Glogg – it’s entirely possibly I’ll end up gifting some Lush stuff to someone other than myself too!
I always have to wave madly at the Kiwis! Loved the place when I visited with my husband a few years ago (he did his master’s degree at Massey, on a scholarship, years ago). Every so often, I start thinking of packing up all our stuff and moving from the US to, oh, Wellington. Or Te Awamutu.
Waves back! Wellington is lovely, I’m in Auckland but could happily move down there. It seems to be getting easier all the time to have a perfume habit here too, though still probably no comparison.
OMG where did you find the Diptyques and are there any left? I might have to make a trip to Auckland this weekend 😀
The World Beauty store on Ponsonby Rd. As far as I know the specials were only on for the Ponsonby Market day, sorry! But World Beauty is worth a visit if you’ve never been, also Mecca up the road. There’s another World Beauty on Vulcan Lane downtown also.
Ummm….
1. Spiriteuse Double Vanille from Guerlain or Vanille Absolument from L’Artisan
2.Lalique White
3. Probably not, my mom has about 75 fragrances so she asked me to get her Jewelry, or Michael Kors Shoes or Handbags this year!
I would take either of your answers to #1 myself 🙂
Here goes…
What I’d like from Santa: I’d love that Back to Black refill bottle from Lucky Scent as I’ve been out since Sept. and BtB is haunting me, just as I knew it would when I opened my travel bottle. Usually Kilian prices put me off, but the refill bottles are actually not too bad.
Something I’d love to get unsniffed would be: Guerlain Shalimar Ode à la Vanille or the new Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady.
I’m not planning on any fragrance gifts this year, but am getting a friend’s daughter the blockbuster pallet from Sephora and can’t wait to see what she thinks. I love giving gifts and would have picked out a frag for her, but I don’t know what she’d wear and makeup seemed easier. 🙂
However, I might gift myself when the post-holiday sales begin on all the drugstore brands I like. I’ve been jonesing for some Obsession lately and imagine there will be a good set this year if I shop around.
Portrait of a Lady is tempting!
1. Parfum d’Empire Cuir Ottoman
2. Nasomatto Black Afgano
3. no
Black Afghano will not disappoint.
1. The Ormonde Jayne sample set which I conveniently ordered already so Santa just has to wrap it. Hm, and since I could not resist taking a preview of it, I am now adding the Isfarkand to my list where it is right next to Epic Woman.
2. L’Artisan Traversee du Bosphore or EldO Like This. I want to see what all the fuss is about. For the first 5 months of my pregnancy I could only wear Musc Alize or Musc Blanc, anything else would just not agree with me (even though I had none of the normal nausea) and I missed out on a lot of sniffing during the summer and early fall. I feel like I am ages behind in my research!
Btw I am having a boy in early February and I am reading about the need for a ‘signature scent’ for mommy to not confuse the child and hinder proper bonding. Anyone think that is true?
Besides the fact that I should feel horrible about putting all these aromachemicals on myself that will surely cross into his system and do all sorts damage.
3. A decant of Le Labo Fleur d’Oranger. I only have a few people that dont look at me funny when I try to explain the concept of a decant and they get rewarded with the good stuff. And for my sister in law the body products from Eau d’Italie. She spent her honeymoon in the hotel Sirenuse and this stuff is full of memories for her.
I think it’s a little silly, but guess I wouldn’t know… my nose was hypersensitive after my youngest was born, so I couldn’t stand to wear anything anyway. I think the smell they recognize/bond to is the scent of your skin; if you’re worried, just limit your application to your wrists or something.
Congratulations on the imminent new arrival! With both of my girls I remained ‘unscented’ for the first few months- I used shower gels and lotions that had light fragrance if any and that I always have on hand and then introduced them to perfume in the form of Shalimar EDP. It is as close as I have to a signature scent and it is unlikely to be discontinued so they should be able to always pick up a bottle and think ‘Mummy’!
Now they enjoy sniffing all my bottles and smallest/svante and one of their favourite shopping stops is the perfume or
Whoops! That should be samples/decants and one of their favourite things to do is go to the perfume counters or the scented body products aisle when food shopping- and they are only 4 and 20 months! Daddy won’t know what hit him in a few years…;-)
Oh, congrats!!
you know what i wish… I wish Jacques Polge would give us all a the most amazing Xmas Present and Chanel present us with new Les Exclusifs… i can already dream of which ones to be reworked… No. 21, No. 20, No.46 and Ivoire! NOW THAT…. WOULD BE A XMAS PRESENT!
I’m not familiar with 20 or 21, but I too would love to smell the others. Am a total sucker for miracles of the past…
ALL the current LEs in smaller sizes would be good enough for me.
1 Chanel 31 Rue Cambon
2 Keiko Mecheri Attar de Roses
3 BBW for my 3 sisters-in-law. They all like brown sugar vanilla. Lucky for me, not very expensive!
My niece loves the Vanilla Sugar too!
1. Chanel seems very popular on wish lists in general. I never thought of one I want, but thanks to Rappleya’s suggestion and Daisy’s quick enablement, I think I would ask for Cuir de Russie…
2. Definitely the Malle Portrait of a Lady. Sounds absolutely gorgeous and right up my alley!
3. I usually gift L’Occitane hand creams and soaps to my son’s daycare teachers. Last year and this year, I’m also including SSS’s body moisturizers in the mix. They’re just lovely.
I have some of the body silk from SSS, it really is nice.
1. fragrance gift I’d like: AG Songe EDP in the moon bottle (will I get one – no!)
2. unsniffed fragrance: probably Portrait of a Lady or Iris Ukiyoe.
3. fragrance gift I’ll give: I’ll probably give that new Eau d’Issey to my daughter for her b-day in March. She loves the original. Don’t think I’ll give perfume for Christmas though.
LOL…no moon bottles coming my way either!
I have a couple on my Christmas List, but I can dream. I hinted my partner how much I loved Amouage Epic..He actually went hunting for it and was told that he had to get it from lucky scent…so my 6 year old little boy told me.
Unsniffed would love some FM Portrait of a Lady/SL Bas de Soie
Giving all my 6 children fragrances.
1. Gina the oldest is getting- C&G Avignon she loves my sample and I love my sample too.
2. Anna is getting- PdN Kiss Me Tender
3. Mateo is getting- Wonderwood
4. Daniella is getting- Tender Madeleine
5. Eric- wants a small bottle of Bvlgari Black
6. Alejandro- wants Un Jardin Sur Le Nil
I’m also getting my mom some Chanel no. 5 after bath powder.
and not sure what to get my partner yet, any suggestions? he likes sweet smells/ vanilla and tabaco.
Havana Vanille? Traversee du Bosphorus? Those would be good ones to try.
Thanks for the hint, I love those too. 🙂
omg! 50% off, scented body butters I have 3 sisters that I also still need to get something, I think I’ll look into this. Thanks.
Hope it wasn’t a one-day thing! It was a charity event… they were selling red baskets for $5 (proceeds to charity), and you could take 50% off whatever you could fit in the basket from a pretty wide selection (about half the store).
Ooh Alejandro is lucky, I love Un Jardin Sur le Nil. 🙂
6 kids WOW, congrats Ajuarez : DDDDD
Liz Zorn Vanillaville?
By Kilian Back to Black?
Goodness, you’re going to have the best smelling bunch of children!
I’ve somewhat fallen off the perfume planet lately… just entirely too busy to pay much attention. So… 1. maybe Like This; I haven’t decided if I actually want a FB. 2. I’ve entirely lost track so can’t think of anything. 3. I just picked up a bunch of things at the Body Shop’s 50% off sale that will undoubtedly make their way into various people’s stockings. No perfumes, but scented body butters and things.
the comment I made above was ment to be here. I must had hit the post button twice and messed it all up, sorry!! got too excited about the sale.:)
1. The fragrance I’d most like to receive would be Montale Vanille Absolu. I’m crazy about vanilla, and this one is gorgeous.
2. My unsniffed fragrance of choice would be either Parfums de Nicolai Sacrebleu, or L’Artisan Safran Troublant. They both sound like wonderful spicy fragrances, and I’ve been craving something spicy for a while now.
3. I won’t be giving any fragrances as gifts this year, since no one I know really cares for them except my boyfriend, and we have different tastes in fragrances so I’m not even going to try picking one for him.
Just a note on the Sacrebleue – definitely try that one before you commit. I don’t get spicy from it at all . To me it smells like someone dropped pink bubblegum into L’heure bleue. I really like that, but it is more sweet and berry to me rather than spicy.
The comment I have in my perfume spreadsheet for Sacrebleu is “Marshmallows”. .
Thanks to you and Antje for the warning — I’ll be sure to sample it first before I think about buying.
Huh, somehow I missed this Vanilla Absolu. My favorite vanilla of all time is Montale Vanilla Extasy so this one sounds very promising! Thanks for the pointer!
No problem! 🙂 How do you like Vanilla Extasy? I’ve never tried that one…
ahhhhh, Montale Vanilla…..thanks to dear Lemonprint, I’ve sniffed Vanille Extasy too–very full-bodied vanilla, and a definite chocolate vibe that I often get from the really intense vanillas. There must be aromachemical that to my nose registers as “hey! there’s CHOCOLATE here!!” Lea St. Barth Lea Extreme is chocolate and vanilla like that too. Vanilla Absolu is just a big, honkin vanilla….and like most Montales—they’re strong!
That’s what I love about Montale perfumes…you just need to dab on a little and you’re good for the whole day. Daisy which one would you say you like better, Vanille Absolu or Vanilla Extasy? I had my mind set of VA but now VE sounds intriguing…
Well, it’s my favourite from PdeN. It’s quite strong, so you want to use a light hand. I don’t get any marshmallow or berry. I love both Angela’s review on this site and Luca Turin’s review of it in The Guide. Both are, in my humble opinion, spot on. A truly lovely and serene perfume.
I have heard that it is a strong perfume…I usually spray with caution with EdPs anyways. And I agree about Angela’s review, her review is what sparked my interest in Sacrebleu. 🙂
Receiving: Ive emailed the list to hubby, hope he takes notice lol…Bas de Soie or CSP The’ or (I’m dreaming) Indult Tihota.
Unsniffed: Iris Ukiyoe
Giving: boxed sets of Givenchy minis to 2 friends, Fille en Anguilles & his fave Givenchy Xeryus Rouge for hubby. The SL smells absolutely divine on him, I’d buy a bathful if I could!!! :))
Seeing’s my birthday’s 8 days after xmas, I’ll be happy to accept all 3 wishlist fumes as a xmas/b’day combo hehe
OH, I want a bottle of Tihota of my very own SO BADLY! If I do OK on the Xmas gift budget, I’m going to take what’s left and get myself some Tihota, I am. (I suspect this will not happen… but I like thinking about it!)
Hey all,
Great poll, my answers are below.
1-I’d love to receive Jicky EDP in the bee bottle, or Niki de St Phalle in the snake perfume bottle.
2-Not a one, I can’t do unsniffed, must try it on skin.
3-Giving hubby the original Fendi Uomo (and I can wear it too! Is that bad??), mom Youth Dew Amber Nude, mother in law, Georgio Red gift set, best friend, Coco Mlle gift set.
That snake bottle was one of the all time greats.
just a selection..
1.Cartier XIIIème heure / iris poudre
2. Traversée du Bosphore / portrait of a lady
3. Diptyque’s body line for my mother
Nice, hope your mom loves them!
i am Jewish but would love a bell jar of ism unsniffed just because!!!
I am gifting for Christmas tho….loads of crabtree and evelyn scented goodies from the iris range and their red christmas edition candle…
Everyone ought to have a bell jar of ISM — I don’t know why neither of us do!
Fun poll!
Well, things may start off lovely with EL Youth Dew Amber Nude on my birthday this Thursday! Then… Santa, baby…. Chanel Coromandel, please? Or ELDO Tilda Swinton Like This. Unsniffed would have to go to FM Portrait of a Lady. I have dreams about it!
Giving Donna Karan Gold, YSL Belle d’Opium, Laura Biagiotti Roma and Bleu de Chanel to different close family members. Happy holidays, everyone!
I love DK Gold and Roma. Nice choices! I think I’ve sniffed Bleu and didn’t have any thoughts about it, but you’re the umpteenth person to mention Belle d’Opium in conjunction with something else I like, so I’m going to have to try to sniff this one!
I would love to receive an enormous bottle of vintage Mitsouko extrait.
Of the newish releases the ones I would like to receive unsniffed are Une Rose Vermeille- Tauer, Ormonde Jayne -Tiaré, and Vamp à New York, Honoré des Prés. ( 3 is a bit greedy but still..)
I generally don’t give fragrance as a present but am contemplating getting my sister a bottle of Bvlgari Black. She has sniffed it, liked it and I think it would suit her to a tee.
austenfan, I got my sister Black for her birthday and she loves it, despite the fact she hadn’t tried it before. Considering your sister has sniffed it and it’s realy reasonably priced right now, I’d go for it!
1 Cimbalom
2 Fords Private Blend Champaca Absolute
3 Wing and a Prayer Sabra Co, Beyonce Heat, JLO My Glow (lovely soapy lavender with beautiful angel bottle, my cousin loves the bottle)
I should remember what Cimbalom is, but I don’t…
1. Coco parfum or EDP would be lovely
2. Portrait of a Lady–I’m cautious about unsniffed purchases, especially at this price point, but we’re just dreaming here, right?
3. I’m giving several fragrant gifts this year–Bulgari Black to DH, Chanel No 5 After Bath Powder to MIL, and AG Duel to my nephew.
Happy Holidays, Everyone!
Ann C
Yes, never hurts to dream!
Oh, I’m going to post even though it’s so far down on the page no one will ever see it, perhaps not even Santa… I’m a hopeful person!
What I would like more than anything else, if Santa were buying, is the travel coffret of the 3 Clive Christian perfumes. (I would also take a bottle of No. 1, or C, instead, if Santa wished to substitute. 🙂
What I would like more than anything else UNSNIFFED is a bottle of the Mary Greenwell Plum. I really want to try this and I’m betting I will love it! If anyone wants to do a split, let me know…
Since my husband hates perfume, I’ve been pretty much buying whatever I actually want for Christmas for myself. I am very bad. Santa will not bring me more… nor do I want to add up the damage for a quarterly poll! These, though, I might wait and get myself for my birthday. Because the current total is a little silly!
I’m giving some AnjolieNYC ayurvedic soaps and a little decant of my Amouage Opus I to my best friend, who will share the soaps with her little girls. I’m also giving one of the girls some lavender I have had for a while but haven’t used for anything (real whole lavender – she can make a sachet or do something else with it) and for the littler girl, the one who, like me, loves perfume, I will probably send a small decant of something totally inappropriate for a six-year-old, like vintage Chanel No. 5, because she loves it and because I can. 🙂
Hope everyone else gets their Christmas wishes!
Not read to the bottom? But I might miss something that I’ve never heard of. Education is very important.
And you can’t go wrong a little girl something classic.It will help inoculate her against the awfulness that she will surely encounter in her teens. “Rehab VIII by Lindsey”?
I agree – I’m sure my grandmother did that for me.
Her mother doesn’t think she can get away with wearing Chanel No. 5 to first grade. Personally, I think she should give it a whirl. 🙂
I agree—I think a dab of Chanel no5 in a first grade classroom can only improve the learning environment! Wearing Chanel is all about attitude—she can do it! My daughter always wore fine perfume, even as a very small perfumista…just a little bit…but still always the good stuff. Of course having been inducted to perfumistahood at birth–it made her even more aware of the multitude of BAD smells involved with school!!
I hope you get your Tihota for your birthday….IMO you totally deserve it! 🙂
For gift received, I’d like a vintage bottle of Halston, circa 1978-1982 or a vintage bottle of Belladogia, when it used to smell like carnation or vintage Lauren circa 1982.
Unsniffed, I’d say Lux by Mona Di Orio.
For gift giving, I’d give my husband Amouage Dia Man.
I also hope everyone gets their scented wishes granted.
Old Lauren was so… graceful, wasn’t it?
sigh…..Lauren from the early-mid 80’s….one of my staples in college, the one that got the most compliments btw (espec. from guys)
Hope its not too late to weigh in!
1) Filles en guilles
2) Black March (though definitely a gamble!)
3)Not yet sure – but probably not!
An interesting gamble…I do love Black March! But can see why some people don’t.
I can’t even remember the notes, so its purely the name. It appeals to my pseudo-goth, punk-wannabee aspect!
1. Mono Di Orio Carnation
2. Serge Lutens Musc Kublai khan
3. Jil Sander No 4
1. Nothing, really. I’m pretty content ATM. I wouldn’t mind the decant of Vero Profumo Rubj that’s in the mail.
2. FM Portrait of a Lady
3. Nope!
RUBJ! I am jealous! The extrait or the EDP? That is so gorgeous! happy hannukah and merry xmas to you!
yes….thoughts of that Rubj have been tickling my lemming bone….
I only have an answer to question # 2 : Unsniffed I would love to receive Hypnotic Poison Eau Sensuelle
What is the fragrance-related gift you’d most like to receive this year?
Aaargh! Just one?! Impossible! I adore LUX by Mona di Orio. SImply exquisite. Quite a few L’Artisans! I’ve never owned a full bottle of one – just tried many samples. But, as time goes on, I find myself yearning to smell of them. If someone bought me a 50ml of Passage D’Enfer, or Bois Farine, maybe Dzongkha, or even Mechant Loup……yeah, good xmas!
Let’s say you were going to ask for just one unsniffed fragrance this year, what would it be?
i never, ever buy scents unsniffed anymore. So I wouldn’t even know where to start asking for one! I guess I could ask for vintage extrait of Bandit – I’ve never sniffed that! Oh, and Black Cashmere – department stores that stock it never, ever have testers out for some reason.
Are you giving any fragrance items for gifts this year, and if so, what?
Yup. Bulgari Black. To my male cousin. It’s been sitting in my cupboard for a year or so and I’ve worn it a few times. I love it, but I just don’t reach for it enough – and I know he likes it!
oooo—I just got one of those pebble bottles of Black Cashmere from ebay and it’s gorgeous! I think the new reissue is available at the DK website…
1.Hm, I always receive the fragrances I don’t like. But if somebody would bother to ask me, it will be Virgin Island Water.
2. Heeley Esprit du tigre, even though I never tried any Heeley.
3. No, not so many perfume lovers around me. That’s why I read you and write here, he he.
1. Iris Silver Mist
2. Iris Silver Mist
3. None, which brings me to …
Is there any interest in a NST Holiday Swap? I have a few bottles that deserve loving homes, and I’d be happy to re-home them for free.
Dear Santa,
While shopping in Montreal this weekend I found a place (Ogilvy) that still had 3 bottles of my beloved yet discontinued SL Chypre Rouge. I jumped for a while, screamed a little and danced a bit…I will leave the bottle on the coffee table. You just need to wrap it up. I promise I will look surprised.
Thanks Santa!
P.S. Feel free to surprise me with Montale Full Incense.
P.P.S. I will give my brother-in-law the Nautica Voyage that he asked you.
There is a fragrance I really want to have another bottle of, but it’s nearly impossible to find anymore… Well, I’m 23 years old now, and I have about 6 years of my “niche perfumery” sxperience. I always loved perfume, even as a kid, but it was not until I was 14, when I bought myself a first “:grown up” perfume bottle, Alchimie by Rochas. Then since I was about 17, I started exploring the world of niche, weird, unusual fragrances. When I was 18, 19, 20, 21… the weirder meant the better!! I was nearly bathing in scents like CdG Leaves, Tea, L’Artisan Dzing! or all the hardcore wood and spice frags. I wanted to be original, different and I wanted my perfumes to be representing that side of my personality. Well the thing is, after more time into loving the world of perfumery, I now find myself thinking that less is actually more… that I want my perfumes to smell heavenly, and gorgeous. I don’t want to smell like an old garage, or a hardcore agarwood forest. I want to smell like a beautiful, confident, young woman that I feel I have become. Stating that, why after years of the weirdest frags ever, I tend to love perfumes that are beautiful, delicate, subtle and simply gorgeous? Yesterday I dug out all my old perfume bottles and samples, and I saw my bottle of Gosellina… oh my god!!! It is a GORGEOUS fruity-floral… did I say a fruity-floral? Yes!! How weird after years of “Oh-So-Niche”, I am falling head-over-heals for a fruity-floral, right? Well, all I can say is that it does NOT smell like your typical, dep. store strawberry-candy mess. It smells like real red currants I remember from when I was in child, back in Europe. It is slightly tart, not too sweet, subtle and just smells like heaven to me. Oh I really, really, really want a bottle of it…
Many fruity-florals may be bad just on the grounds of being badly made, but it is nonsensical to condemn them on the grounds of BEING fruity florals. There is someting pretentious about disliking something just because everyone else is into it, but its also true that being over-exposed to something can ruin it.
yeah, a well-made with quality components fruity floral is a thing of beauty!! It’s the deluge of cheaply made, thrown together and mass produced drek that spends the vast bulk of it’s time, effort and funds on advertising that gives the much maligned fruity floral a bad reputation!
Receive: L’Artisan Dzing! which my fiance’ really loves — it’s his favourite of the L’Artisans — & knows I want.
Unsniffed: L’Artisan Traversee du Bosphore which I’ve stated interest in but the boutique that carries the line locally doesn’t have it in stock yet.
Gift: Doir Pure Poison for a friend who specifically asked for it.
I would love to receive a bottle of Fresh Pink Jasmine!! I DORE this fragrance and it’s one of my favorites. Yes it’s girly, pink but it’s also so smooth, creamy, yummi and gorgeous. I have a thing for a marshmallow note, and it’s got lots of it in the drydown. Because I’m running low on it, I need a new bottle for Xmas:) And that’s a lot easier to find than Grosellina. I have a thing for Fresh fragrances and bodycare. I liked every single scent I’ve tried so far from Fresh! My fave is definitely Pink Jasmine though. If I was to get a bottle of something unsniffed, it would be Cannabis Rose. I haven’t tried that one but it sounds absolutely gorgegous. And I want a set of new bath stuff from Fresh!! Ummm….
1. DSH Egyptian collection. (My dogs can’t afford the mummy bottles, but they might spring for a solid Sampsuchinon or Antiu).
2. Iris Silver Mist.
3. Harajuku Lovers Snowbunnies Music and Baby as stocking stuffers to teenage nieces.
1. A beautiful, expensive candle I just can’t make myself buy, from Diptyque or Malle.
2. Lancome Climat
3. I wouldn’t have the nerve to buy anyone perfume straight off, but I’d be willing to take the person to the Perfume Shoppe to sniff to watch Naz do her magic picking out a scent…
I would like to receive the latests fragrances like Gypsy, Mata Hari, as for indies. And also the last Michael Korrs blue green bottle so turquoise , can’t remember this name attached to Florida bays…