Our same old open thread routine: talk about anything you like — what perfume you’re wearing today, what perfume you're going to sample next, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer.
Note: image is it's lily to be square by Genista at flickr; some rights reserved.
Oh good, an open thread. I have been wanting to mention something I found with regard to sample/decant storage. I found a sixty-compartment lipstick organizer on eBay, and it works wonderfully. The compartments are 3/4″ x 3/4″ square and 1 1/2″ high. I estimate they would hold up to about a 10 or 15 ml decant, depending on proportions. My 5 ml decants fit with plenty of extra space. Each compartment will also hold up to 6 “standard” 1 ml sample vials or about 3 of the larger 1.5 ml spray vials. If you type in “sixty-compartment” in the search box on eBay, it will come up. Just be sure to spell out “sixty”, don’t type “60”. I could find nothing like it in my local stores–Target, WalMart, etc. had NOTHING like that for sale. With shipping it came to $35, but I consider it well worth it as my decants are finally organized and I can find what I want easily. BTW, I am no affiliation with the seller, just a satisfied customer.
Thanks for the tip 50 Roses, sounds perfect.
Great idea… no shipping to Canada 🙁
The one thing that bugs me about storing decants and bottles upright – you can’t see what they are! For bottles I’m currently using, I store them in their boxes on their backs in my vanity drawer, and decants also on their sides/backs in the same drawer. Bottles that are hibernating for the season are stored the same way in a larger drawer in another room.
Of course, storing them on their backs/sides risks leaking, but so far I haven’t had any problems.
I have my decants stored in alphabetical order by perfume name, so I know approximately where to look for a particular one.
Ah…good tip!
I write the name on those little white round stickers and put them on the top…but it is an extra step.
I keep meaning to do that. On the other hand, my collection is still manageable. For those with bigger collections, though, I’d think it would be a time saver over the long run.
I did that in the fall – put the stickers on top the caps. It really made a big difference esp. in the morning when I can’t spend a lot of time digging.
I just ordered a couple lipstick holders from the container store for $6.99 each (holds 24) … and I also plan to put little tags on the tops of decant caps –finding what I want has become a major headache!
Re: storing bottles on their backs – I have a sealed bottle of vintage Shalimar in a special edition box from the mid-60’s (as far as I can tell). It was stored on its back for years and there has been leakage despite the seal being in place. There is a halo of perfume around the bottle. Of course, it is at least 40 years old so it took some time for it to get that way, but I do store everything upright now.
A friend of my boyfriend’s gave me a bullet cartridge container, and they work for the smaller decants, but I’m still at a loss as to what to do with the larger ones. I’ve gotten pretty good at finding what I want by the shade of the juice, but things are still getting lost or pushed aside.
I have a friend who does the same – she orders from Cabelas. I’ve yet to check them out but she swears by them and she’s an organization freak (like me) so I do need to check them out. Wonderful to hear other’s ideas. Right now I’m using Container Store earring/jewelry holders (like lipstick holders).
Just got a random sample of Knize 10 with a FB purchase at luckyscent. I looked it up to before sniffing it and wondering why the heck they sent me a man’s scent. Smelled it and fell in love. They know what they’re doing! It kind of reminds me of Sacrebleu-does anyone else get that? Maybe the mix of fruit and powder? Except that I hate the opening of fruit in Sacrebleu, and love Knize. 🙂
Yes, they knew what they were doing. I’ve only samples KT once, many years ago and was stunned; after the unexpected strawberry top note, came an equally unexpected, beautiful [and dirty] patchouli & leather finish. Is my memory off?
No, you’re right-and there’s some nice carnation in there too. It came with my bottle of Etat L’s Putain des Palace, which has some leather too, so maybe they were playing off that. Man, just when I thought I was done buying perfume for a while they have to tempt me with new things! Argh.
Thanks for the tip, I love birch-tar leathers such as Cuir de Russie but thought Knize Ten would be too macho and scary. Will give it a try now though.
Funny you should mention Sacrebleu– Knize Ten has always reminded me somewhat of another Patricia de Nicolai fragrance: New York. It really breaks barriers in terms of fragrance gender. Glad you enjoyed it!
I may be going to Paris this year and what am I most excited about? The opportunity to purchase a bottle of Iris Silver Mist! I think I have a fragrance ‘problem.’ 🙂
Problem? What problem? I see no problem, Raymond During my first trip there, while everyone else was planning which museum to hit first, I was mapping my way to the nearest Annick Goutal boutique! While I’ve fallen in love with other niche perfume houses since then, AG will always be the first!
i bought a bottle of AG Gardenia Passion in Paris and it brings back memories every time i spray it! if only it would last a little longer on me…
Yes, that tends to be the common limitation of the line. A sales associate in one of her boutiques once told me that the scents actually weren’t meant to last all day. The intent was to wear one scent during the day, and transition to another (I suppose AG) fragrance in the evening, without the two scents interfering with one another at all. Whether that’s clever marketing speak, I’ve no idea…but it does seem logical.
Unfortunately for those of us with scent-eating skin, almost not perfume lasts all day. I have AG La Violette, which I love, but it is rather fleeting on me. Two hours is about it.
That is not a problem. It’s only a problem to those who don’t understand us!
Roses- I am sharing the frustration of scent-eating skin. It is so much work trying to find a scent that lasts. Oh the humanity!
I have made peace with it for the most part. It is much better now that I have obtained decanting supplies and made decants of my perfumes. I can slip the decant in my purse for touch-ups. Before, I was loathe to put a whole bottle in my purse, but otherwise my perfume didn’t make it past lunch. It is actually nice sometimes to be able to change fragrances during the day without having to scrub and scour. If I want, I can put on one thing in the morning and a different scent in the afternoon. I can change yet again for the evening and again at bedtime (after a shower) if I wish. So really, I am fine if a perfume lasts 3 or 4 hours on me. It really only bothers me if it wears off in 2 hours or less. I don’t want to reapply THAT often. My biggest disappointment was the Anya’s Garden perfumes. I got the sampler set (10 scents) and not a one of them lasted even an hour on me. Perhaps all-natural is not for me. I think I need some synthetics to get any longevity at all.
Oh yes, while I love that my skin keeps scent for quite a while, I do need to scrub and scour when I need to change scents. Sometimes even a shower is not enough, and that can be hard. I would love to be able to change into a different scent by evening, but it is very rarely possible with scent hanging in 4 hours as the very min and 6-8 on average.
On the other hand, I do appreciate not needing to reapply.
Sorry about the Anya experience.
Great idea! I need decant equip!
When visiting Skins cosmetics in Rotterdam last year I bought Musc of Mona do Orio, which is a eau de toilette. when using it in the morning is stays on me till the evening! I have never experienced that with something else. Now I’ve discovered the possibility of buying samples at first in fragrance. l’eau dépices by Andy Tauer, Clive Christian nr:1, extremely expensive but after trying (the sample was also 20 euro~!! not my favourite. Today I am trying their company scent: aus liebe zum duft nr1. Not really unisex but worth a try. This week I received a box with all the fragrances of Ineke!!!Bought at the perfume lounge in Amsterdam! I am a lucky person!!
Oh, how familiar! I bet you anything, my family would be shocked and terrified to find out that I’d be right there with you on my way to AG boutique!.. But I see no problem, no.
That was true for me also – my first trip to Paris, during my one and only “free” afternoon, I made my way over to the 68 Champs Elysees Guerlain shrine while everyone else in the party headed to the Louvre. On my second trip, where I was on my own, I visited AG and on my third, I went to Malle.
Very funny! I did the same — I plotted all the Annick Goutal boutiques for my husband. He had a great time buying me perfume! Now of course, there are many others (and no trip to Paris would be a trip to Paris with a visit to the original Laduree!)
Oh no, no problem at all. It’s the norm if you’re a perfumista. Unless you’re saying we all have a problem, hmmm?
😉
Normal is so overrated!
Normal is open to much interpretation!
Hey Opera Fan, do you have an advice on what sort of scent is suitable for a matinee opera? I will be going to a special performance next month, in which the composer will be the conductor. I’m not really an opera type, so I don’t know the dress protocol.
Hi Dilana – What to wear all depend on the locale. At the Metropolitan Opera, you routinely see the full gamut – from designer high-fashion all the way to jeans and sneakers in the nosebleed sections. The basic rule is – the more likely to be seen, i.e., Orchestra or lower level or front balcony sections, the better you dress. Matinee dress codes are usually more relaxed unless it’s a gala benefit.
What you’ll be attending sounds like contemporary materials, so certainly no need to go with the big heavy classics. Something lighter, more “modern” or even quirky may be more suitable. Plus, depending on how “tonal” the music is, something citrusy or herbaceous may help to keep your mind clear and focus on what you’re hearing. I was given very good advice recently by Rappleyea and Daisy when I attend a very modern production of a classic Wagner opera and I wore 31RC. Whatever you do, avoid big sweet or ambery scents. I’ve got a recently-experienced horror story to relate about that, someday….
Oops – I actually wore Chanel Cristalle edt to the opera. It was a matinee. The 31 RC I wore to the B’way musical in the evening, and transitioned to Attrape Coeur for the 2nd act – it suited the story line. :-8
No problem!! I think that is a great idea! After last weekend’s 3 wishes I did some looking around and found a partial bottle of ISM which arrived on Thursday and it is SOOOOO beautiful. I recommend getting two. I’ve been dabbing a little bit of it on top of L’Heure Bleue extrait. It smells wonderful but might be a sign of of clinical depression.
Hello Everyone!
Here is my question: What fragrance has a distinct white chocolate scent? I love white chocolate more than dark or milk (blasphemy! I’m sure) chocolate, and am aware that it is actually cocoa butter, milk solids, sugar and vanilla in most cases. But it is still me favourite to eat.
What perfumes smell of it? TIA for all responses! 😉
Hi Bear,
In the Guide LT describes Coromandel as “powdered white chocolate”. Can’t say I got that from it myself, but might be worth a try.
On the high end: Coromandel from Les Exclusifs de Chanel; on the more modest side: Fantasy by Britney Spears, and Nude by Bijan both have ‘white chocolate’ accords.
Hi Bear,
Guerlain Iris Granache smells like white chocolate to me.
Bear-Thanks for posting that. I am finding I also like white chocolate. Although, I am a traditionalist and beleive that chocolate should be brown, I can be flexible if the right smell somes along.
Dawn Spencer Hurwitz has one called Winter White–I think it was a limited edition holiday scent a few years ago–that has white chocolate and a raspberry note.
Great rec – it’s a nice fragrance. Not sure about the LE designation – it’s definitely still available and now also comes in a solid (I’m not affiliated, but her studio is not far from me and I drop in now and then). In fact, she once told me that most of her fragrances are available even if not on the website, so just contact her if you ever have a favorite of hers that you can’t find.
I’ve tried Winter White in the solid and I don’t get much white chocolate out of it on skin — it’s more of a heliotrope/almond scent. Soft and powdery.
Oh I love white chocolate. But I said that to someone who, alas, turned out to be a chocolate ponce. He turned to me and said, ‘Anne-Marie, there is no such THING as white chocolate’. Rightio.
“Chocolate ponce” — I love it! My father says the exact same thing about white chocolate, and I’m going to call him that next time.
It’s okay Bear! I am starting to like white chocolate as well. I feel like a traitor, but thanks for posting the white choc scent ?
Bear – “they” say that MPG Secrete Datura is supposed to have a chocolate accord. I don’t get it, but that doesnt’ mean it’s not there. It has a remarkably gorgeous “white” powdery tonka ish type dry down that could be chocolately. Strangely enough, the other evening my husband told me that he thought I smelled like chocolate. Huh? I was wearing AG Vanille Exquise. For the masses out there – I would never ever in a million years say there was any chocolate in VE, but, it does have a very dry vanilla gourmand thing going on that I suppose could be mistaken for white chocolate.
Bear, I think Bvlgari Omnia is supposed to have a white chocolate accord in it. It’s a great scent even if you can’t find the chocolate – you won’t regret wearing it, anyway 🙂
I sure can’t find it in Omnia!
Technically white chocolate is made from dark chocolate cocobeans with some of the cocoa removed and replaced with other fats to give it a milder taste. So any chocolate scent in which chocolate is more in the background, or which has a vanilla note, should do to give you the sense of white chocolate (or you could save money and eat a superior white candy bar).
You might try Iris Ganache.
Thanks for the recommendations everyone! I’m writing them down and will try to test them throughout the year.
OK, I’m trying this using the “Reply to this comment” feature …
Bear, have you tried http://www.fragrantica.com? In the upper right corner, enter “white chocolate,” and click “Notes.” On the next screen, type in “white chocolate,” hit “enter,” and at the next screen, scroll down to the “Sweets” heading and click on “white chocolate.” A long list of perfumes appears there, but getting advice straight from the real, live perfumistas at NST is much better 🙂
Thanks, I always forget about Fragrantica and its a great resource.
On a side note, while researching white chocolate on that site the ingredient ‘goat hair’ popped up.
Apparently, Anya’s Garden Pan has a note of, and I kid 🙂 you not,
“billy goat hair tincture.” It was created in 2006, anyone smell it?
This perfume hobby is very edumakational 😉
Hey Bear! Olympic Orchids Javanica (it’s a type of orchid) has a creamy vanilla-cocoa butter note that reads white-chocolate—and it’s an indie house with affordable samples!
(I’m not affiliated, just a fan :))
Hello! Any New Year fragrance resolutions, anyone?
Mine? I’ve been thinking that I should really look into a way to start swapping samples.
My resolution was to spend less money on perfume, but I don’t think I will have the will power to follow through.
Good luck with that!
I’ve like to finally buy the remaining few things on my wish list and then be done with any major spending… at least for a while 😀
I am new to all this – so my resolution is to get collecting samples! I had my first success the other day when I brazenly asked the assistant if she had any perfumes samples and I was given a small atomiser vial of ricci ricci! Now I just need to pluck up the courage to keep asking! And try some bigger stores! I am in the UK – any tips?
I have little shame these days when it comes to asking for samples and it’s something that I regularly do.
In stores, it seems that higher end stores are more generous than High St ones. For example, I’ve had more success in Selfridges, Chanel and Hermes than in Debenhams 😀
Also, I find that contacting the company directly via email and asking nicely for some samples works quite well. Diptyque were extremely generous as were Piguet and quite a few others.
Yes, lol, I have no pride when it comes to perfume and always ask (politely) for samples. They can say no, but they often say yes!
Debenham’s near ‘me is fairly good about samples, John Lewis depends on the assistant and House of Fraser generally acts as if samples is a dirty word. I am finding a polite email works often and the best source of all are gorgeous generous fellow perfumistas! 🙂
Yes. Buy more.
You can swap samples with people all over the world at: http://makeupalley.com/
To get samples for swapping:
1. After trying on a fragrance, always ask for a sample of it. In some high-end stores, they’ll make you a sample if they don’t already have one to give you.
2. Make samples from your own bottles for swapping, by decanting into containers.
3. Certain lines, usually high end, are more generous with samples than others, for example, Bond No. 9, Jo Malone, Diptypque, L’Artisan, etc. Maybe someone else can chime in with other lines.
4. You can buy samples online and then swap away the ones you don’t like.
Thank you for the great tips! I am going to be busy! 🙂
Oh yeah! I actually have many New Year’s resolutions related to fragrance.
1) To record all expenses (bottle purchases, sample purchases, decanting supplies, postal expenses associated with swapping).
2) To record SOTDs with brief impressions, even if it means just saying “yuckola” (yes, I got this idea here at NST!).
3) To try to move quicker through samples. I can always get another one if I need to revisit, but the space for storing and time for locating just what you need is precious.
Record ALL expenses? That’s a brave move 😀
Yep, but you know, I actually don’t feel scared about it, just interested in how sending a sample here, buying my vials there will look like in the end of the year.
… and I might be scared then — big time!! 🙂
Yes, I started recording last year and it was quite eye-opening. I was both worse and better than I thought I would be, but it’s not an inexpensive habit, is it? It also really helped to write a few words about each scent tried, though that’s been harder to keep up with. The reference list really helps though!
I keep a spreadsheet with all the perfumes I have sampled. I have columns for the brand, perfume name, comments, my rating (0 to 5 stars) and any key words or prominent notes I associate with it. I add each one to the spreadsheet when I receive it,–that way, when I actually try it out, I don’t have to bother with adding in all the info, just the comments section.
I’ve created a small database where I track everything I can think of: perfumes information, purchases, usage. I’m still developing it as new ideas come to mind while collecting the information (not sure how exactly I’ll use it but I’ll think of something).
I do the same, but also have columns for season, perfumer, fragrance type, and whether I “need” some or not. Thought that would help to start looking for patterns in what I like…but it does get to be rather cumbersome.
50 Roses: that is exactly what I was planning to do. It is like doing your one perfume profiling. I was so lucky to have that experience at the http://www.perfumelounge.nl in Amsterdam. What a present that was.! After hours of smelling I left with Bois Blond of PG!
50-Roses,
What are your criteria for 1-5 stars?
I’d like to see Robin let you write a brief article with a demo for the rest of us. What fun!
Dixie–my criterion for 1 to 5 stars is simply how much I liked the perfume and how well it suited me. It is entirely personal and subjective and I make no claims to have any special qualifications as a perfume critic. 5 means that I absolutely loved it and couldn’t take my nose away from my wrist because I just wanted to keep smelling it. 4 means I liked it quite well, but perhaps it was not quit earth-shaking enough to get a 5. 3 is OK, I neither love nor hate it, but could easily wear it. 2 means I didn’t like it much, and may not even use up the sample vial. 1 means that I did not care for it at all and likely wouldn’t wear it even if a bottle fell from the sky. Very occasionally, I have given a 0 rating, which means that I absolutely detested it and/or that it actually made my feel ill (OK, if you are curious, two perfumes I have rated as 0 are Iris Silver Mist (nausea inducing) and Dzing! (animal dung)). My ratings are undoubtedly far different from what others would assign, and I am sure I could start more than a few arguments if I posted them all here. For example, I recently tried Joy extrait, one of the great classics and highly regarded by many, many perfumistas. I only gave it a 3 because it just does not suit me. It is very pretty, and no doubt of very high quality, but it just smells a little too cloying to my nose and I get tired of it after a while. I have this trouble with a lot of florals unless they either have a good dose of powder to offset the sweetness or a lot of deep base notes to offset the high-pitched or the florals. In constrast, I assigned Amouage Gold Woman a 5. It is also a rich, high-quality, huge floral, but it strikes me as being pitched about an octave lower, to use a musical analogy. (Any Joy fans out there, please do not hold this against me. ) My main reason for assigning ratings is just to help me keep track of how well I liked something. Having gone through over a hundred samples within the last year, it does get a little muddled unless I keep good notes.
50 Roses, I’d be very interested to know how fragrances fared if you ever went back to re-sample some of the, say, 2’s and 3’s. Did any come up, or did they plunge even lower upon re-testing?
oh you guys totally rock. I haven’t done a spreadsheet yet and I am a complete excel fan. I’ve got nail polish catalogued but for some reason, not fragrance! Oh, this is on my “to do” list for sure.
Rapple–I have not actually retested very many perfumes yet, just because I have gone through so many samples, I haven’t had time to test everything multiple times, but yes–sometimes I have changed a rating. A case in point is SSS Champagne de Bois. I believe I initially gave it a 3 or 3.5 (yes, there are half-points). I liked it well enough, but didn’t think it was earth-shaking, and I set it aside. That was in June, when it was 95+ F. I find that rich, warm scents just don’t do well for me in summer heat, even indoors in the AC. I tested it again in October, when the weather was cooler (which is to say, merely warm rather than broiling hot), and it knocked my socks off! It is a definite 5 for me now and my favorite SSS scent. I also retested Cameo, which I originally assigned a 2. I now have it as a 3.5, meaning I do rather like it. I rechecked it because even though I didn’t like it on me, I thought it might be suitable as a gift for my niece (who will be 12) next Christmas. I still don’t love it for myself, but I think I already have one Christmas gift picked out 11 months ahead of time.
50 Roses – Thanks! I know what you mean about the time to re-test – not enough time to test the first time around! I think I’m one of the very few people who loves CdB in the heat!
Warum, I started a scent diary (spiral notebook) about six months ago. I also record the high temperature in it because I’m curious to discover weather-related scent trends. It’s been helpful to have one place to record my impressions. Good luck with yours!
Suzy Q,
I am recording in a spreadsheet, but never record temperature, since the climate where I live is very mild, never gets colder that 30 (not even that) and never warmer than 80 — well, one day a year maybe!
Can I just use the open thread to say that I’m looking for someone in the UK to swap samples with, so let me know if you’re interested. Thanks!
BTW Just tried a sample of Frapin 1270 – this stuff is great!
I wish I was in Tortola, BVI right now. It’s about 25 degrees farhenheit and just snowed…UGH..
Are you in Tortola?
Hi Tara,
Unfortunately I am on the out-skirts of London, England not BVI and it’s going to be freezing tonight here too.. Funnily enough I picked Tortola as my username here because I had a wonderful holiday there and my real name, Tara, was already taken!
Ah, now perhaps you have read my post above! Am new to all this – in the UK and wanting to start collecting samples – I only have 1 so far, so not enough to swap just yet! 🙁 any suggestions on where is good to collect samples from? Thanks!!
Hi!
Getting free samples from stores is pretty hard. You can get free samples of By Kilians at Harvey Nichols if you ask and they are a pretty decent size with a spray. Mostly I pay for samples from Suze R on Scent Spilts who I can highly recommend –
http://scentsplits.wikidot.com/current-splits
Or the Perfumed Court and LuckyScent in US if not available here.
Hope you find lots to love 🙂
In UK there’s Les Senteurs. You can order samples online (£3 each) or, if you are lucky enough to live in London and can pop into the store then I believe that they’ll make you free samples of anything you fancy.
Oh thank you so much ladies! I am really excited to try this out! I actually got my first sample from superdrug of all places! I will try selfridges and the online places. Happy swapping! 🙂
Suze_r is great. I’ve ordered from her a number of times and cannot fault her.
hi Jen,
Suze R is great, I highly recommend her : )
Jen5arah, I’d be happy to send you a few samples to help you kick-start your collection 🙂
Hi Tortola, thank you so much! My email address is jshunt80@googlemail – drop me a line and we can sort something out! Yay! 🙂
Sorry! That’s – jshunt80@googlemail.com
Opps …sorry about taking “Tara” first, but Tortola is an awesome name and a beautiful place. I was in the BVI once and it was one of the best trips of my life…
Tara, no probs! I use Tortola a lot anyway and you’re right it’s a beautiful place with lovely people.
I’d settle for wherever you are… it’s -15* F here today. Not counting the windchill.
-15 F…Holy Crapola…That’s cold!!!! Where are you? The Arctic Circle?
I’m in a northern suburb of NYC…more snow is forcast for Tuesday of next week too…
MN…close enough. 🙂
Frostbite Falls?
LOL right state, anyway! I think that was based on International Falls, which checked in at a balmy -46* today, if I heard correctly.
YES – I read that International Falls hit -46 degrees F! I cannot imagine what that would be like. I’d think it would be accompanied by extreme dryness that would be hard on the nose, too. Stay warm, Boojum!
*waves* I’m in UK and – as I just mentioned above – I’d like to start swapping samples. I’ve no idea how folks usually go about it, though!
Hi Abyss,
Me neither but how about exchanging email addresses and listing what we have and take it from there? If you don’t want to post your email address here you can contact me via MakeUpAlley, I’m Tortola there too. Or on Ebay I’m Tortola73 🙂
This website will enable you to meet others who like to swap perfume samples, decants and bottles (as well as other stuff): http://www.makeupalley.com.
Ah, yes, MUA! I’ve been registered for years and I occasionally read product reviews there but I always forget about swapping. I think that I’m going to do a sample inventory this weekend and finally give swapping a go.
Forgot to mention that my email is loonypumpkin@hotmail.com I’ll have to check what my MUA username is, I *think* it’s LoonyPumpkin
Will drop you an email Abyss 🙂
Tara
Looking forward to it 😀
Abyss,
Come see me on MUA! I’m “givemesomescents”. I have no problems swapping overseas. You to Tortola!
Many thanks Dixie!
Hi! See my reply to Tortola below…
It’s UK day- whoo hoo! I have only a small collection (still getting started! ) but would love to get swapping and decanting. I am about 35 miles west of London btw – witchypurple@yahoo.co.uk
Hi Fragrant Witch,
Will send you an email!
Tara
Hi Tortola,
I live in Scotland and loving the idea of swapping unloved samples;
here is my email address :azzurro lolita(no space required)at hotmail dot com
Hi there up in Scotland!
Have made a note of your email address, it may take me a little time to get you as I’m trying to organise one swap at a time to prevent confusion but will drop you a line at some point 🙂
Wearing AG Ambre Fetiche this morning, and just decided to apply ELDO Like This. They don’t play well together, not sure what possessed me to combine them (on different parts of my arm, mind you).
Sometimes you just never know what will transition OK or work for layering. Just the other day I’d applied Lancome Magie Noir in the am for the entire day. In the evening I put on L”AP Drole de Rose. You can’t believe how good a mere remnant of MN smelled with Drole de Rose – it was a really beautiful combo.
Since it’s Nat’l Hug Day – a big SQUEEEEEEZE out to everyone!
SOTD(s) – Guerlain Sous le Vent (mostly) and a spritz of Kelly Caleche on one wrist.
Love the Sous le Vent (sample courtesy of a lovely Guerlain SA) and wish it was more affordable. It’s like wearing Jicky w/o the vanilla and chivet.
Don’t know what to make of the Kelly Caleche. The opening does smell like a new handbag, but I get a lot of plastic mixed in with the soft leather. The florals that came through in the heart and drydown remind me of Rose Poivree and is lovely, but I fear the top notes may be headache-inducing on a bad day.
Is it the edt or edp of the KC?
Edt in a Hermes sample spray vial. I got it in a swap.
You should try the edp. Based on what you said, I think you’d like it better, as the rosy note comes out much more. It’s softer and rounder vs the sharper edt.
Guess I’ll need to seek some out!
I woreJKelly Caleche today–I used to wear it often, but now I suppose because I have so many others, I forget about it. I spritzed on the EDP in the morning and brought a small vial of the EDT for refreshing. On another note, there was something on the Internet this afternoon regarding 75 items in your cupboard or medicine cabinet that last longer than you might think. With regard to perfume, they said it only lasts 1-2 years! At that rate, 90% of what I own is past its prime. Even my Kelly Caleche is over 2 years old and to me it still smells the same.
Oh, I have heard that for years and I don’t believe it anymore. I think it was made up by industry people who want to sell more bottles. It has been repeated over and over as fact without anyone really bothering to verify it. If it were really true, there would be no such thing as vintage perfume–it would all be spoiled. Perfume will change over time, but if it is stored properly it should still smell good and most of the changes seem to be subtle anyway unless the bottle has been exposed to a great deal of heat, strong light, or been contaminated by foreign material. There are a few specific fragrances (AG Petite Cherie comes to mind) that are reported to go “off” rather quickly, but they are the minority. I have bottles 30 years old that still smell the same to me as they did when they were new.
Hi 50_Roses!
I agree with you 100%. Everytime I see the bs assertion that perfume spoils in mere months I want to write a rebuttal but just let the statement be. Thanks for doing the work for me.
Seconding that. I’ve been collecting vintage fragrance for a couple of years now and have only encountered one bottle (a mini of Habit Rouge) that I think was completely off. After a while you get to recognise that while the top notes might have turned, that nail varnish-y effect disappears after only a couple of minutes. It’s wonderful when it happens, actually. You can smell the true fragrance emerging almost second by second, and you know you have rescued something beautiful.
I have heard it said that what can happen after a long time in the bottle is that everything blends together more so that it can be harder to distinguish individual notes. That is not a bad thing though. Top notes are the most prone to deteriorating or evaporating. I have a bottle of 1960’s vintage Arpege that seems to be missing most of the aldehydes in the opening, but the heart and base are still just as beautiful as I remember.
I love Kelly Caleche. I have a bottle of the EDP; also like the EDT. It does have a weirdness about it, but it’s really grown on me!
As to the Guerlain…I am becoming a Guerlain ho! Anything that has the Guerlain name on it, I WANT IT! Ack!!! Except for that Shalimar. Haven’t tried Sous le Vent. Would love to. Just hosted a split of Vetiver Pour Elle. Neiman’s also have the Sous le Vent. Maybe we could get a split going???
Sous Le Vent is $305 a bottle for edt…. *sigh*
Seriously? That’s ridiculous! Guess we won’t be splitting a bottle anytime soon…
Karin, how does one get ‘in’ on a split of something that sounds so delicious as Vetiver Pour Elle?
And, where did you even find it??
I’d love to know how one goes about ‘splitting’ a bottle?
Thanks
I hosted the split – bought the bottle, and found some folks to go in on it with me! Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman both have it on their website.
SotD is Amouage Epic Woman because it’s become my newest ‘comfort scent’.
In other news, I’ve been on a perfume buying frenzy lately. Luckily nothing too exteme. I’ve been buying what are essentially ‘cheap thrills’. A bottle of Fresh Sake — which somehow on me smells like Ballenciaga Paris on me sans the metallic opening, it’s simple but I think will be nice on a really hot summer day — and I’m eagering anticipating my bottle of Tokyo Milk La Vie La Mort which I’m hopeful it might arrive today. I also have a few bids going on eBay — by a few I mean … six. I think someone needs to stage an intervention. Like I said, frenzy.
I’ve been sitting on my hands to keep from clicking the “buy” or “checkout” buttons. Now you’re making me wanting to pull my hands out, and I’ve been so good lately! Can’t wait to find out what you’ll win!
Epic is back on my radar after being ignored in the back of my sample basket for over a year… I think I may need a bottle.
I also think it’s neat that you called it a comfort scent, because to me it smells of my idea of “home.” Home in this case is a person, who smells Epic!
Ugh! Today has been so irritating! Annoy seems to be the catch phrase of the day. Thanks for the big squeeze Opera Fan. I’m feeling it.
I am thinking of vintage fragrances today, but then when am I not?
Once again combing the thrift stores and coming up with zilch-May have to relocate because of it. Can’t wait until the weather warms up-garage,estate sales,church rummage sales,etc.
Took a whiff of my vintage Samsara. Ahhh. So desperate to find some vintage Belladogia.
I really, really need to try Samsara. A fairly inexpensive and easily obtainable Guerlain that seems to be a good one! Can’t believe I’ve never tried it!
Karin- The vintage Samsara is the only Samsara I have smelt and when I received it, I immediately fell in love. Oodles of sandalwood wafted out of the padded envelope and I was a goner. I have yet to drag myself to Macy’s and compare it with the current version.
I keep hearing the new version is inferior because the original actually used Mysore Sandalwood. However, I think it was Victoria at BdJ who recently conducted a comparison and said it wasn’t too bad.
I think this might be the one I sniffed in passing not long ago. I can’t speak to vintage vs current, but I *can* say I liked it… which is shocking in itself, as Guerlain and I do not play nice. 😀
Boo – at this rate of overlapping, I’m beginning to think that we are scent twins, or at least sisters – NOT est’s! 😀
Happy Hug Day and Happy Friday! SOTD is Bulgari Femme, but my bottle of SL Bas de Sois came yesterday, and it’s wonderful – I love the iris. I’ve been wearing Kelly Caleche alot this winter, and I mix the EDP (to me more rosy) and the EDT (the stronger scent of the two to my nose, with more leather too). The top notes don’t bother me in cold air, but I think they would be overwhelming in summertime.
My thought for the day: does anyone think that ISM will ever make it to the export line? It must be one of the most-hankered-after scents among perfumistas.
I can’t figure out the Kelly Caleche EdP. It is definitely different, but I can’t tell if it’s stronger. I might like the EdT better.
Oh, and yeesh. It’s never ISM, or Tubereuse, or Rahat. Never, never never.
SOTD is 24, Faubourg from sample — the first classic I’m actually liking, not just appreciating… but it’s still not FB worthy to me.
In the next couple days, I’ll probably sample Un Jardin sur le Nil and the original Caleche because I’ll be traveling and those are the only samples I’ve got that come in plastic vials,so I can take them on the plane.
I’ll be in NY for a few days soon visiting my siblings. My brother lives blocks away from the CB I Hate Perfume boutique, so I’ll be dragging him and sis there to sample some of the scents there that I was told really smell like the oceanside 😀 I used to live in Cali, and was just visiting San Diego recently, and I really miss the beach sometimes. Would be nice to have a perfume that reminds me of those places.
I bought a few FBs recently because I’m visiting my parents in the states and some things are cheaper here than in Europe 😉 So I got Kelly Caleche and Les Nuits d’Hadrien both at a discount, and with a ‘buy one get one free deal.’ Also picked up Ambre 114 — I didn’t think I liked amber because a few I tried were a bit too dry for my tastes, but 114 is really warm and spicy.
Wow…that’s three mentions of Kelly Caleche. Maybe I need to dig mine out and wear it tomorrow. 🙂
Thanks for the open thread, Robin! I’ve been wanting to ask about storage systems. I know these have been discussed before, but lately I keep seeing the term “perfume cabinet.” To all of you who have a “perfume cabinet,” what exactly do you mean? What does it look like? How do I get one? 😉
SOTD: Shalimar Eau Legere courtesy of a generous swapper. I am NOT a Shalimar convert. I love most all Guerlains, and Shalimar is my least favorite of the beloved classics. But I admit the Eau Legere is more likable…
I *think* they just mean something that closes to shut out the light, but I may be underestimating my fellow perfumistas — perhaps they all have ornate, gilded rococo affairs lined in red velvet that play a trumpet fanfare when opened. Hey, now I want one of those!
ooooo….trumpet fanfare….**imagining**
Oh, I want one too!
My “perfume” cabinet is an small old washstand I inherited when my grandmother died – and I mean, OLD. Waterstained, knobs broken, closes with a jury-rigged toggle sort of thingy. It sits by the bed, and inside are samples in craft boxes, off-season decants and minis and bottles in plastic boxes. (Current season things are stored in hatboxes on my dresser for easy access.)
I think other people have nicer cabinets than I do. Not that I’m complaining…
Ha ha! Love the trumpet fanfare idea. That’s hysterical!
Oh, and I have a dab of Cartier’s new de Lune on the back of my hand that Dawn graciously sent me (thanks, Dawn!). Oh wow. It’s one of those extra clean scents. Like the smell of fresh laundry. I don’t own a scent like this, so it’s sorta new to me. Not sure I like it or not? I’ll have to give it a full wearing.
Which reminds me – did anyone participate in that Fragrance Advisory Board test of a new fragrance? They apparently sent different versions of a scent to the testers. The one I received was gag inducing. Harsh laundry soap! Couldn’t stand to test it more than once. ‘orrible! BUT then I received samples of some of the Rosines. I tried the Zephyr one, and wouldn’t you know it? That same awful detergent smell!? What the heck IS that thing? Is it some sort of harsh rose??? The Rose Praline was nice, though!
Karin, about Eau Leger – I like to layer mine over Jicky edt!
Interesting! Guess I’ll have to get me some Jicky EDT. 🙂
I don’t know about others but I have a tall writing bureau (English 1920s flame mahogany; I picked it up for a song). It’s ideal because of all the little nooks, shelves, drawers and I quite like the fold down bench for when I’m sorting things, though I wouldn’t decant on there for fear of damaging the leather and wood samples go in the drawers, large bottles on the shelves and miniatures in the compartments. It also has the space to sort things for seasons, sale/swap etc. And there’s lots of space for collection growth.
No idea what others use but I can’t imagine using anything else after acquiring this beauty.
Wow, your cabinet sounds wonderful!
That sounds so perfect, lilybug – you must want to stay there all day – I know I would!
That sounds amazing! now I want to see a picture…..
Yes! We want a pic!!!!
Maybe something like this? Only $4,500. Yikes.
http://cgi.ebay.com/18th-CENTURY-ENGLISH-WALNUT-WRITING-BUREAU-/320640270230?pt=Antiques_Furniture&hash=item4aa7a63f96
Agreed – this sounds amazing! Now I’m thinking I need to scout out antique shops and find something like this!
Hello open thread! Hugs on Hug Day!
My question: I recently saw that SIP is now offering Black Rosette EdP (squee!- well, sort of- it is still very exshpensive- but not in the same “you will nevah have this lifestyles of the rich and fay-mous way”) Has anyone had the pleasure of sniffing it? Is it also lovely?
I want to know this too!! I do love the BR parfum.
Thanks to the umpteenth snow day this year, I’m really, really not in the mood for hugs — I’m going insane here, people — but thanks for letting me know! SOTD is CdG2, aka “the inky one,” according to my 5-year-old son when he’s not driving me bananas.
Question for jasmine aficionados: What jasmine scents do you recommend? I’ve tried Jasmine Full by Montale and really liked it (no indoles on me, just lush flowers), but I’d like to see what else is out there. It doesn’t have to be a soliflore, but jasmine should be the star of the show. Thank you!
I am by no means a Jasmine aficionado but I tried J’adore L’or recently ( how behind am I??) and the Jasmine nearly blew ‘me down. Not for me but if you are a jasmine lover it is worth a sniff!
I like Futur which is a nice green, non scary jasmine.
There’s SL La Nuit, of course, a Killian (Love & Tears?), Jo Malone White Jasmine & Mint, Miller Harris Jasmin Vert.
Oh, Natalie, Jasmin? You’re really asking for a flood of suggestions like someone asking for rose scents!
Here’s a few:
1. Joy – I’ve edp from the ’90s and extrait from the ’60-70s, and both are exquisite!
2. La Haie Fleurie – I wore it one to work one day and it caught the nose of a colleague from India
3. SSS Jour Ensoleille – stunning mix with tuberose and orange blossoms, but the jasmin is front and center. Laurie herself likes SL’s A La Nuit, btw…
Oops, right, MH’s Jasmin Vert – very expensive though. If you want to sample it, I can send you a “sniffer” decant. (I’m mollyseb at hotmail)
Oh, yes, I used to own a bottle of Joy extrait up until a couple of years ago (modern formulation) and it was all jasmine on me. I’m no hardcore jasmine lover and I never *loved* it so it has a new owner now.
Kilian Love and Tears!!!! GORGEOUS!!!
I hear that Norma Kamali’s Jazmin is truly death by Jasmin.. I have been trying for forever to get a sample, but it is not that easy to come by.
It’s incredible. Another strong one is the Bruno Acampora.
One of the most expensive Jasmins out there, I believe. Even too expensive to just buy a sniff…. *sniff*
The Bruno Acampora sounds really interesting. Does it have big sillage? I thought oils tended to stay close to the body. I am considering a sample from Luckyscent.
Opera, that’s true, it is spendy.
Tara, that’s also a good point. It might not carry the way alcohol-based perfumes do. But trust me that’s just as well.
A super jasmine with little indoles and easy to get is the Badgley Mischka Fleurs de Nuit. It is very pretty and classic – easy to wear. If you are looking for something a little richer, still with few indoles, the Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Gelsomino is very beautiful. And then getting into indole territory, I really like AG Songes. Montale’s Jasmine Full is really super pretty.
Well, I guess the most jasmine smell I have encountered would be Sung by Alfred Sung. It seemed to be the only note in there!
I’ve been craving jasmine lately! Jo Malone’s (now discontinued but you can find it easily) Honeysuckle and jasmine is pretty, as is Jennifer Aniston’s new “Debut” scent (only in the UK right now but decants are available from The Posh peasant. Badgley Mischka’s Fleurs de Nuit is a lovely scent, jasmine front and center but not a soliflore. Have fun sniffing!
Nobody ever listens to me, but I recommend Opus Oils Jitterbug as a nice jasmine. They make an edp, too, but I haven’t smelled it yet – they have a decent sample program, too.
I’m very fond of Diptyque Olene, especially for summer. Also, for a completely different approach, Samsara is jasmine-sandalwood.
Thanks, all, for further fueling my jasmine kick! Great suggestions…
Also, someone mentioned ELdO Jasmine et Cigarette on Perfume Posse. I only tried it once and kind of liked it – it’s really weird, of course!
That’s a great one — thanks for reminding me to dig out my sample! — but you definitely have to be in the mood for it…
When I just try this on my wrist my chest gets tight! I dont know if there really is something in it that is in cigarettes or whether it is associative!
Mono di Oiro Nuit Noir is fantastic! Bruno Acamporo is quite nice as well.
SOTD: La Baiser du Dragon-spicy incense, yum! Can anyone suggest some other scents in a similar vein? I’d love to find something that smells like Opium and Avignon had a love- child! TIA for any replies!
Maybe you should layer Opium and Avignon! Go big or go home.
LOL!!!!
Maybe but I think they might duke it out. The sillage from the battle could be devastating! :d
Maybe DSH Cardamom and Khyphi? It has a big, spicy top note and and incensy base. I don’t know if DSH ships to the UK though.
In The Guide, LT notes avers that Agent Provocateur Strip is a better/cheaper version of BdD, and also that it smells exactly like 1972 Old Spice. I haven’t tried either Strip or BdD, but vintage Old Spice is certainly a pleasant nice oriental. 🙂
Thanks for the tip- I’ll have to sniff Strip when I am next in a department store!
Strip is rather pretty but I didn’t find it all that spicy. And not much in the way of big resins, which is all Opium ever screams in MY ear…
Which is probably why I liked Strip. 🙂
Does anyone know if Gucci’s Envy has been discontinued? It seems to be disappearing from shops in my area, and is no longer on the Gucci website.
I dont think so. I know Kohls is still carrying it, and Sephora is still carrying it.
Second SL A La Nuit, Robin’s review says “your basic death by jasmine”, and she is right on! It’s great.
I almost bought a bottle of Caleche at Sephora, but the boxed bottles were so warm I was afraid they were chemically toasted.
That’s a big gripe I have with retailers in general. They have to make the products look attractive, so they display them in these over-heated, lighted cases/shelves, and I’m worried about the formulas altering as I’m staring at them. I think that if the store’s turnover is good, then you shouldn’t have to worry, but if there’s a lot of dust gathered on the top of the box, you may need to think twice.
I have a bottle of Amor Amor and someone asked me for a sample of it. To my horror, I realize that the sprayer quit working!! Anyone knows what to do with that other than breaking a bottle? (yikes!)
If you are lucky, the sprayer is just clogged. This can happen if you have not used it is a while and the residual perfume in the mechanism has evaporated, leaving the oily/solid residue behind. Try to pull the sprayer top off and soak it in some warm water or some alcohol and try it again. You can also try running a very fine wire through it to help push out any clogs.
If it really is out of commission, you are in for a challenge. I had this happen to a bottle of Violettes de Toulouse, and I ended up cutting the top of the sprayer mechanism off.
Good Lord!
I don’t even think this sprayer is plastic — looks pretty metal to me.
YIiiiiiKES!!
I used wire cutters of different sizes to solve this problem effectively. First, I cut through the part of the sprayer that rose above the glass with a plier size metal cutter. I was then able to decant the perfume. I wanted to save the glass bottle, which was decorative, so I used a small metal cutter designed for beading and jewelry (almost like the heavy duty toenail clippers) to cut and pry the metal capping the bottle. It was nerve-wracking but extremely satisfying – good luck with your bottle, warum!
Many thanks! I will try that.
What does everyone think will be the most overused note in new perfumes for 2011?
Seriously, I think it’s going to be oud again.
I know at least one perfumer working on one now. I am sworn to secrecy, though. When a friend mentioned it, I said, doesn’t he know we’re all freakin’ sick of hearing about oud???
Like so many of you, I’m thinking about summer. I’ve been wanting to get an inexpensive vetiver of some sort with which to spray my sheets. I wear Annick Goutal’s Vetiver and love it, but I don’t want my bedding to smell like seaweed. And when I finally get my coveted Vetiver Pour Elle, that will be for skin only. Any ideas for a cheap but good “straight up” vetiver for this purpose?
Guerlain’s Vetiver (the “men’s” version) is much more affordable than the Vetiver Pour Elle, and widely available. You could possibly try buying a bottle of vetiver essential oil and making a dilution of it in a spray bottle. I use Everclear for things like that, but if you can’t buy it in your area (it is not legal everywhere) get some high proof vodka. If you use vodka, it will likely tend to separate and you will have to shake it each time before you spray it.
Not only is Guerlain Vétiver pour Homme more affordable, etc., it is much more interesting – and lots of French women wear it. The women’s version is an afterthought. It’s like Cristalle: the EDT is the original version and the one to wear.
Totally agree.
Thanks Bela and 50_Roses! I tried the regular men’s Guerlain Vetiver just once in a store and thought I didn’t care for it, but I really should give it a full wearing before deciding. The essential oil is something to consider, too.
H – essential oil of vetiver is very dark and thick (think molasses), so make sure you dilute it quite a bit and then shake well. I’d be careful about spraying on light colored sheets as well.
H – At the risk of sounding too lavish, I think that current (discounted) Chanel No 19 would be great on the sheets! Wow. Cheap vetiver? Why don’t you just get some of the vetiver essential oil from an oil shop or standard auracacia display, etc, and then do the following (which is what I do to make room sprays myself): Get a like 4 or 5 oz. aluminum spray bottle and fill it with water and about one half teaspoon of regular rubbing alcohol. Then put in as many drops of the EO that you want to get the intensity you desire. Shake and spray away. I do this all the time and it totally works and is very inexpensive. It would be a good way to get the vetiver you want. And you can mix it with other EO. I do a great lemongrass and neroli spray for “post meat or fish” cooking. And a rose and lavender one for my girl’s room for “post diaper” ,etc.
Ann, I love the idea of your homemade sprays. That would be a fun summer project for me. Thanks!
I use a lavender, lemon and tea tree e.o. spray as Ann has described in the kitchen and bath. That combination is extremely anti-bacterial and anti-viral. Smells great too!
Sounds great! I love tea tree oil.
I think Diptyque’s Vetyverio would be lovely for this purpose. It’s a very light vetiver – not deep and rooty, but more suited to relaxation and sleep because of that, I would think.
Hi! I have a sample of that, and I didn’t find it very interesting on my skin. So I will try the rest on my pillow! Could be a good one, though not cheap. Thanks!
Oops – you’re right, not cheap! I actually like this one a lot for warmer weather. Not complex, yet “clean-smelling” in the best sense.
I believe Eau Sauvage may also be a nice candidate for your purpose. It’s supposed to be a blend, but I find the green vetiver to be quite prominent.
I got Lalique Encre Noir for a song ($30). I have been wearing it the last two days and wondering why I ignored it for so long. it’s pretty much straight up vetiver and lasts all day on me.
Happy Snow Day everyone!! We got 6 inches of pure powder. Just enough to get a day off from work, not enough to break my back.
Here is my question: What’s everyone planning to obtain or give to themselves or someone they love for their Valentine’s Day gift fragrance?
I haven’t made up my mind yet…..
I’m ready to cry. Woke up to -16, but apparently it has now warmed up…just enough to snow. Yes, I’m whining today!!!
I saw on the news that you’re getting all the way up to single digits today though! 😉
We don’t really do much for Valentine’s Day, partly because my husband’s birthday is just a few days before, so we celebrate that. I may give him the bottle of Derby I picked up a couple months ago.
Oh, and BTW, our low last night was 34, and it got up close to 50. We haven’t had an actual freeze yet this winter (perfumista ducks quickly to avoid the avalanche of snowballs being hefted in her direction by angry fellow NSTers).
Just expect retaliation next summer when your temp is 110*. 😀
I feel for you Boo – but we are at about 4 degrees with -8 windchill…. ugh. At least I am trapped in the house with the blogs and my perfumes to keep me amused.
Hi Ann! I haven’t made up my mind yet, but my husband knows that “he” is getting me a bottle of something! I still don’t have a FB of Amaranthine – I’m leaning toward that one.
I ordered the LE travel spray of BK Liaisons Dangereuses, one of my fav scents. 🙂
No Valleytines’ Day gifties here… saving up for our trip to Malta in early March. (Can you tell how excited I am? Squeeee!)
I’d love to find something for the vacation early on, maybe at the Rome airport duty free… but WHAT?
I would be excited too!!!
What a lovely trip that will be. Please give us a full report after your return!
For the first time ever, I’m wearing something from Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab: a plum-and-immortelle scent called Lysander. I’ve known about BPAL for years but never once tried any of their perfume oils until I got some this week in a friendly swap. Interesting stuff– a bit outside of my usual realm of experience, but pleasant enough.
I have tried a handful. None of them were marvelous, but hard to know if I tried the best or the worst or the in between — there are just so many of them.
VERY true. Their output is overwhelming. I don’t have enough time to wade through their vast website or fan forum, let alone sample every one of their fragrances in order to form a properly comparative opinion. Maybe that’s the point: oversaturation prevents true objectivity.
BPAL is actually what got me into fragrance as a 16 year old: I had little money, but loads of free time. It takes minimal investment to try zillions of different oils because the swapping/selling community is extremely friendly and active. I’ve tried at least 300 scents, but I stopped keeping track in my spreadsheet, so who really knows? I have a handful of their scents that I *love* to bits and pieces and never want to run out of (including a scent I’d love to buy by the liter for my boyfriend, lol), but at this point I’m more or less finished that leg of my olfactory journey.
They’re a fun brand with some unique offerings, but now that I feel like I’ve “tried everything”, the nail in the coffin for me is batch variation. Since they produce SO many different scents and use a lot of natural components that might vary seasonally/annually, a few times I ended up with a bottle of scent that smelled fundamentally different from what I had in sample form. Not so fun. 🙁
Oh, but that can happen with more mainstream scents as well. I think the department stores must keep a tester out until it is empty, whereas the perfume may have been reformulated since that tester bottle was made. Consequently, what you sniff from the tester may not be the same as what is in the bottle you buy. I am sure this is what happened to me with Mitsouko. I liked what I tried from the tester in the store (and had liked it several times in the past when I had tried it), so I finally sprung for a FB. It is NOT the same as what I had sniffed in the store, I am sure of it.
Ugh, yes… silently instated reformulations scare me, but I haven’t been affected by those directly… yet. I wish companies would always announce their formula changes and make the year of manufacture obvious on the box or bottle. I’m glad my bottle of Mitsouko smells exactly like the decant I tried. I haven’t tried any “vintage” Mitsouko, though, so I’m blissfully unaware of what I may or may not be missing!
Findaghost, you had me at the word “spreadsheet”. I keep one too — in Excel, and color coded! 😀 I would seriously love to hear about your method of keeping track of everything you sample.
Olenska- *high five for spreadsheets*
My system includes columns for brand or perfume house, name of the perfume, the official notes, a two or three word summary of how I’d describe it, its percieved “temperature” (hot/warm/cool/cold/other), what occasions it would be appropriate to wear (casual, formal, professional, only in the privacy of my own home), and then another column for where I write down additional notes if need be. Each row with a fragrance is color coded on a 5 tier love-hate scheme, and the bolded ones are ones that I want to acquire more of. I have additional sheets for fragrances I own, want to swap, or are on my wishlist, of course. It’s a little crazy, which might be why I sometimes get lax in keeping it updated. I also keep a “scent of the day” journal on paper, though, so it’s easy for me to go fill in info on my spreadsheet when the mood inevitably strikes.
Enjoying air conditioning here in southern California, and loving the new By Kilian, love and tears…got a sample..
Wish *I* was enjoying air conditioning in Southern CA!!!
I’d rather be enjoying the *need* for a/c in So Cal.
I got a split of Shalimar Light (Eau Legere) today. I sprayed myself down then ran errands. I kept thinking I was wearing No. 5 Eau Premiere. Does anyone else make that association?
Tomorrow I’ll do a side by side test. Maybe I’m just crazy!
I just checked the notes for both. I’m not TOO crazy. There’s some definite overlap.
Seriously? Huh.
Love Shal Light, enjoy No5 EP… wouldn’t have said they were similar, but could be due to my familiarity with the SL. Curious, though – is it the pale yellow stuff or the blue? I have decants of the pale yellow but wear the blue quite frequently.
Mals, it’s the pale yellow. I did a wrist-by-wrist test of EP and SL to compare them. They sure to smell like their respective houses! I can smell a little of the Guerlain base in SL only when I compare it the the Chanel. The sandalwood in EP sets it apart from SL in the drydown. It was a fun experiment!
How does the yellow differ in smell from the blue?
Angry at Lush UK today. 🙁
Not their fault, though, right?
Did anyone else see the Huffington Post article about Isabella Blow? It said something about how she used to clean her desk with Perrier water and Chanel perfume. Which scent do do you think she used?
Crikey, cleaning desk with Chanel!
I remember reading an article about her (around the time when she passed away) and it mentioned something along the lines of her always being surrounded by a cloud of Fracas. That’s what made me want to try it. Seems like a very fitting choice.
I just read a biography of her by her husband (terribly written and edited, unfortunately), and she claimed that when she worked at American Vogue, they had so much money they cleaned the desks with Perrier — no mention of Chanel. And yes, Fracas was her favorite perfume.
I just wanted to report in about the scary Untitled #8, created by Brent Leonesio of Smell Bent. With civet as the second listed note, you know it’s going to be, well, stinky. It comes in a beautiful, classic stoppered bottle. I was brave and put some on my wrists and just took it in. Yes, it was fecal, and animalic, and weird. I couldn’t stop smelling it, though – it is very visceral. Something about it is beautiful – I consider it more an artwork than a wearable perfume. I’m not sure where I *could* wear it, but I keep thinking about layering it under things that could use a little skank. People who are afraid of jasmine, or cumin, or anything remotely associated with body odors, stay away from this. If you like the skanky part of Shalimar, you might be okay. I’m glad I have it – a risk well-taken.
I am seriously thinking I “need” samples of the latest 3 Untitled scents. They all sound worth a sniff. Even if #8 is not wearable in public, I am curious. Besides, if I fall hopelessly in love with one of them, it won’t bankrupt me to buy it, as they range from $60 to $80 per bottle. I presume, being perfume oil, it is very concentrated?
#8 is quite vivid for a while but dries down fairly close to the skin. I didn’t mind spending the $60, because I knew I would probably still have most of it when I die.
My SOTD is SSS Incense Pure – it was a gift and I’m still in the “dating – not sure if I want to commit stage” – I love incense and this is lovely – but perhaps not on me…but a snowy day here & its a great cold weather frag.
OOh, I really like Incense Pure. Have you tried their Winter Woods? It’s in a similar vein, and I actually prefer that one 🙂
WW has much more musk than IP, which didn’t work for me, but may be just what you need, Kim.
R., I must me anosmic to that musk! I have a hard time with the ones I can smell… but what I can smell in WW is lovely.
lol! Unfortunately I’m not anosmic to ANY musk and I’m just not a fan. I love skank and indoles, but find musk too sweet and cloying.
I have WW and love it. I’m a big SSS fan and I liked IP when I tried a sample – but now that I have a bottle, I’m not sure it’s quite right for me.
I just bought By Kilian’s Liaisons Dangereuses! I was dumb enough to try a sample, and of course I loved it to bits and pieces. I was a cheapskate (well, as cheap as you can be when buying By Kilian) and got the travel refill kit… it didn’t seem worth it to pay an additional $65 for the travel spray atomizer, despite how beautiful it is.
I tested DL for the Perfume Posse seven-day signature scent challenge and fell in love with it, too. Congratulations!
I’d cry if I needed to commit to a single signature scent for much more than a week, but if I had to do it… LD would be my choice, I think. 🙂 The funny thing is, I normally don’t go for rose scents, but this one sends me into paroxysms of delight.
Me, too, findaghost – a lot of rose scents are just too much, one way or another, for my nose, but DL is wonderful.
To be honest, I only managed to wear the signature scent for three days. By the fourth day, I was starting to get anosmic to it and just couldn’t face putting on the same thing again, so I fasted for the remaining days, then put on something COMPLETELY different – Timbuktu, I think, which smelled wonderful (none of the sweaty effect I sometimes get from it). The challenge was a fascinating experience!
Smart move! That’s what I plan to do, should I find a Killian to love 😉
I kept saying I was going to stay away from the Kilians, and then what did I find but a secondhand travel bottle of Beyond Love… which is great. So I continue to say to myself, No more Kilians, no more Kilians. Even though I think I’d love Dangereuse Liaisons.
BL is the first BK I had to have, Mals. Be ware – it IS a slippery slope!
But you can also find the single travel set refill vials on ebay, which are really affordable.
I *looooove* Beyond Love. Would never buy it unless I somehow came into a bottle on deep, deep discount though…
I adore DL! I was able to buy a used bottle from someone on basenotes which was amazing! I hope you enjoy it.
Hello All, my SOTD is Patou’s 1000. Finding it different from when I bought it (the bottle is 10 years old), but not in a bad way. 10 yrs ago it was entirely sparkly to me – with a pleasant aldehyde tinkle to the nose. Now it is just rich and elegant and very feminine, with great lasting power. Great to be commenting again, after a long break, when I was literally months, then weeks, then – finally – days behind on NST. I have daily e-mail deluges (work-related), but have been deliciously working away at clearing my NST backlog reads! I’m up to date now, and thrilled about it!
What an adorable gravatar Ida – glad you are back! It is very telling about the state of modern perfumery or shifts in taste that scents that seemed sparkly a decade ago seem rich now, isn’t it?
Jean Patou 1000 Puts Joy to ABSOLUTE SHAME! it’s perhaps the BEST Patou scent created! Just so INDULGENTLY Rich and Overstated! one of those Elevator Fillers for sure!
Hey! No dissin’ my Joy! They are different creatures in the pantheon.
I’ve been testing a decant of Dior New Look 1947 and really loving it. If this keeps up, I’ll be lining up for a FB.
Has anyone tried Jovoy Chypre? I got a decant in a swap (thank you, Jolie Fleur!) and enjoyed it.
yes, and tks, nozkoz, I guess it’s because of the oversupply of sparklies without depth we have now! 1000 has depth.
Wore Jo Malone Dark Amber And Ginger Lily today, perhaps my FAVORITE Scent of all time! Just SO AMAZING! love the sweet complexity of it and wish i had scooped up another bottle when it was available on the JM Website. 🙁 but will just have to stretch this bottle out! hoping soon to sample Gucci Guilty For Men! CAN’T WAIT to smell It! otherwise, been wearing a lot of Bleu De Chanel, Marc Jacobs Bang and Lovingly… Bvlgari Man!
By The Way on the Subject Of Bvlgari Man… It has Quickly moved into the forefront of the fragrances i wear the most! it is So Clean and Fresh and Sensually Subtle that I just love smelling myself wearing it and have had multiple compliments when i do wear it…
it’s a very, and i do mean VERY Clean scent, almost to point of abstruse transparency! It starts off REFRESHINGLY FRESH, but amazingly not Aquatic or Watery… it is very FLUID, but not in that Cool Water/Nautica overdone Marine/Ozonic way! It is neither, to my nose, Citrus-y or Green-y either. it’s not as abstractly linear as say, Calvin Klein Beauty which all seems like a hazy Lotion-y Blur, and the Violet and Slight Spice of Lotus are apparent in the opening, but even though fragrance is usually quite strong on me in the top notes, this is almost Imperceptible on me to begin with! for those who don’t like their fragrance to SHOUT out loud, this is the one for you!
After the Clean/Fresh/Breezy opening the mid notes bring a little more punch to the table, in the press notes, Bvlgari said they where trying to extract the palest almost “WHITE” sensation from the Vetiver and that is what one is immediately aware of is Vetiver but such a Sly, Cool, Unassuming Vetiver that one might not know this welcome friend upon first smell… anything Sharp or Tart or Strident about the Vetiver is Stripped totally Clean here as is the Sandalwood which creeps in alongside the Vetiver. for those Vetiver/Sandalwood Purists who want those notes more Militant in a fragrance then this is going to disappoint, I happen to find it thrillingly exhilirating to realize all of a sudden that what i am smelling is Vetiver in this new Ostensibly… “TRANSPARENT” form! as well as the Sandalwood… anything Loud or abrasive usually about these notes have been pared back to something so Noble and Sinewy that it brings a Sterling Masculinity to the fragrance without the old tricks of Mens Perfumery! there is some very Smooth and pale notes here, Almost like Watery Pear or even a clear Pamplemousse feeling, that might be the Cypriol, and one can also feel the creamy rush underneath all this of the Cashmere Wood and slightly resinous/salty Amber, again though the amber feels like it’s been put through the wash and is a shadow of it’s former self, however in this fragrance that works to it’s advantage!
The Drydown/Base Notes take the fragrance to the now more rugged side of these elements and while the Hazy Freshness remains, the more earthy notes fulfill their heretofore unfulfilled promise! although still somewhat abstracted (and honestly i’ll be damned if i can smell the Tonka Bean that they say is in it!) but the Benzoin is radiantly apparent giving off an almost Prada Infusion D’Iris Feeling… the musk is there tickling at the periphery but nothing sultry or steamy, mostly again hazy, but in a very good way! In the end, the fragrance for all it’s blanched out spareness is Quite Noble and Expensive feeling in that kind of Young, Slick, New Money Kinda way! it starts of unassuming enough with almost the sense of no smell at all, but the moment the skin begins to warm it, something rather Hypnotic and Magical happens, the fragrance reels you in with a Masculine Allure that is easy to get addicted to, And i must say, I Am Hooked!
Thanks for this interesting review! I enjoy Bulgari pour Femme in the summer – is is perfectly light and crisp, also Guerlain Vetiver, which is like a blast of AC. If you are familiar with that one, I wonder how you’d compare it with Bulgari Man?
Thanks for the info – I just picked up a sample of it for my husband and am trying to figure how to get him to just test the darn thing. I’m heartily sick of his Acqua di Gio. (I mean, it smells fine. It’s just getting to be boring…)
Tortola, I’m in London and very much in need of someone to swap samples with as well! I’m actually based in Oxford, but I’m in London several days a week.
Dilana: I’m both a singer and opera-goer, and my advice to you would be to wear something you enjoy, but not at a volume that will distract other people – or yourself! On the other hand, I’ve been in situations where the piece is SO dull that I have to keep sniffing my wrist for amusement; after all, as Luca Turin says, fragrance is the best kind of portable intelligence…
Technically, if you’re going to the opera in the evening, the dress code is black tie (cocktail dress or above), but few people really observe that any more – and at a matinee, you’re best served by smart casual. Avoid jeans at all costs, however. It’s a special occasion, and smelling and looking pretty can only make it more memorable!
For UK swaps, I’m at brazile@gmail.com – do get in touch! My collection isn’t huge, but I’ve got some good ones.
Hi Brazile!
I’ll make a note of your email address and will get in touch. More than happy to send you some stuff in the post.
Fantastic! I’m Esther, by the way – looking forward to hearing from you, Tortola!
Does anyone know what is happening with Rei Rien? I love that shop but suddenly the site went off line. I hope they are not going out of business…
Oh yikes! Hope that’s just temporary…
Oh dear, so they did. Hope whoever it is is ok.
I bought Pucci’s Vivara EDP, vintage on ebay. I compared it with a sample I bought off TPC, but it’s differennt and mine has a distinct note that I just can’t pin down but I certainly do not like. Since it’s vintage, I’m not sure whether it’s gone bad or it’s okay but just doesn’t agree with me. Would maybe someone be interested in a sample to try it? I’m willing to send!
Zara, I have some vintage Vivara and as well as the re-issue. I could send you a couple of samples to compare it you want.
I’d love to compare them. Please mail your address either via MUA (nickname ‘machula’) or at ula dot rakusova at gmail dot com.thanks!
SOTM (moment!) Wearing: Timbuktu on inner left elbow; Dzing on right forearm and Traversee Bosphorous on right wrist. All sample vials unfortunately. I could throw out my entire perfume collection and live on 3 bottles of these! I have definitely found my favourite fragrance brand. I have one other sample from them, dzongkha which doesn’t smell too good on me though.
Hi Merlin, how great that L’Artisan is working for you – especially as Timbuktu and Dzing! aren’t for everyone (as great as they are). I’ve been eager to try Dzongkha, do you know what it was about it that didn’t work for you?
Sorry – I meant to reply to this!
Tortola, i think I am too much of an amateur to say! It comes onto my skin REALLY bitter, and though it softens a little it remains unpleasant – the bitter undertone never disappears. Perhaps it is the cypriol (papyrus), perhaps it is that in conjunction with the vetiver. In mimifrou’s review she uses the word green quite often, green iris, green cardamon etc. Green fragrances don’t work with my skin chemistry – chanel 19, for instance, is awful on me. (Though envy is nice – is that a green?) She also calls it a chypre of sorts – and though I love the concept of a sophisticated chypre, they tend to smell sour and unpleasant on me.
Sorry, I am a compulsive after-thoughter.
Dzongkha, on me, is just slightly less nasty, but very similar to, the great magie noire. I LOVE all the pagan, black magic references but on me it is just a seriously evil smelling brew. The kind of punishment that could cure me from sin forever!
Merlin, many thanks for your thoughts on Dzongkha.
I too am not good with green scents such No.19 and Magie Noir or even Ormonde Woman – just too bitter green/witchy for my nose.
I wore Gucci Envy non-stop for several years in my early 20s and see it more as a green tea scent than a green galbanum type scent.
Your reaction makes Dzongkha less of a lemming for me which can only be a good thing!
( :
Happy hug day (yesterday) everyone!
Like many of you, it seems, I am mentally fast-forwarding 6 months to summer and imagining what I will be wearing then. Where I live it is HOT and DRY as hell in the summer. Last summer I was imagining how joyous it would be to wear something that evokes coldness/iciness. I figure if I start my search now I may actually be able to find something in time for my real need in July. The top notes of CB’s winter 1972 almost fit the bill for me, but it turns too quickly to the ground/dirt-y phase (which is lovely in its own way, but not going to satisfy this particular urge). Does anyone have a recommendation for something that literally smells cold?
TDC De Bachmakov is supposed to be a scent that “literally smells cold”. I haven’t tried it yet but it’s at the top of my wish list.
There’s also FM L’Eau d’Hiver although to me it smells like a lovely, soft mimosa. Makes me think of early spring rather than winter.
To me CdG Zagorsk smells like frozen Russia. Also I find Eau d’Italie’s Sienne de Hiver (so something like that) smells like cold dirt.
BTW…I have never been to Russia so what would I know, but Zagorsk definitely smells cold.
lol. The idea of what it smells like to you is more intriguing now. Thank you! Many samples to order now
I’v heard the Hermes Jardin series described as a range of air conditioners! I didn’t get to try the mediterranean one; and wasn’t that taken with eau de nil (the Egyptian one) but the one that translates to ‘garden after the monsoon’ really felt like that for me! I’m not crazy about cool fragrances in general but when I had to drive around a lot in a car that had no air conditioning this Elllena potion was a little miracle!
LesNez Unicorn Spell.
Oooo Thank you. Looks very intriguing
It cracks me up when I spray any kind of fragrance or body spray, or basically any kind of spray near my cat(not in her face just in the same general area where she happens to be laying) she squints her eyes and sticks her nose in the air smelling whatever I just sprayed.
I went into BBW today and they have a new smell coming called Carried Away. I got the travel size, because I smelled it in the store and was struck by how similar it was to some perfume that I could not name. I was so stumped I bought the bottle, even though I really didn’t even want it, just to keep smelling so I can figure what the heck it smells like. I know that it’s probably a generic fragrance that smells like some other generic fragrance, but I’m still stumped.
HA! I got it! Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom and Honey is almost exactly what it smells like. Well it probably smells like alot of fruity of florals, but the JM thing just hit me. I loved my sample of the JM, but it’s long gone.
When I have Dzing on my wrist, one of my neighbour’s dog’s cannot detach her nose from the spot I have sprayed! When I once tried DKNY night, she smelled it and then violently backed away. The other dogs, my own included are not as reactive…
Lol, Merlin. My pup tries to lick my wrists after I put on perfume. I never let him, so he ends up licking the air. It’s hysterical. If he doesn’t like the smell, he starts squirming around in the covers trying to get away from it – as he’s usually on the bed while I’m getting ready in the mornings. It’s not like I put a ton on – 4 sprays usually, less for super strong stuff like Reminissence Patchouli (1/2 spray lasts for days) or SSS CdB (1.5 spritz max).
I tried ninfeo mia yesterday and he seemed to like (licky lick lick) it more than I did. I love green, love sparkly citrus, just on the fence about this one.
Is that the aqua allegoria one? I remember liking it, but most of the range did not have a long enough stick on my skin…
I’m not sure what perfume you’re referring to. This has green citrus opening and boxwood (I.e. cat urine). Doesn’t really smell skanky, but does have that alkaline edge underneath. Interesting scent. Love the opening citrus though.
U guys rock!! Big hug to all of you!!To share my excitement…I finally got a super special perfume cabinet today!!!!!What a CEO I have!
WOOO HOOOO!!! Congrats HKMom! My perfume cabinet is a big, white box in the kitchen, aka the refrigerator! 😉
Ooooh!!! Fun!!!! Happy for you, hongkongmom. 🙂
Note Question: I’m in love with Havana Vanille by L’artisan right now. I’ve noticed that some websites mention that “balsamic notes” are a basenote of HV. I’m familiar with the grape mustiness of balsamic vinegar but is that the same kind of smell that “balsamic notes” smell like?
Thea – the term “balsamic” refers to the notes from tree resins, i.e. balsam, oppoponax, benzoin, etc.
Most of the balsams used in perfumery typically have warm, sweet fragrances, often described as “vanilla-like”.
Advice please.
I am looking for a birthday frag for a dear friend. Her current favourites are L. Lempicka, Burberry Brit Red & Prairie Nymph. I was considering ordering a bottle of V,C&A Feerie (purely because I know she will squeal over the bottle). But could anyone tell me if this is a suitable pick, or recommend something else she would fall head over heels for?
Many thanks!
Hi Budgie, I have no idea, but hope she likes whatever you get!