Before we start with today's subject, Sam, I wanted to mention that the waiting list for the Monday Mail is as short as it's ever been. If you were considering joining the list, now would be a really good time! Instructions can be found here.
So, Sam. She's looking for a fresh and pretty — but interesting! — fragrance for day, and she wouldn't mind a new fragrance for night, either. That one should be interesting and sexy, but not something "so niche-y that [she] will smell like a damp basement floor and send the boys running". Sam lives in Los Angeles and has good access to perfume stores, and she can pay up to $120 per fragrance. Here is what we know about Sam:
She's a college student in her early 20s.
She's majoring in film and French.
She says she is outgoing, fun, and affectionate, but also dramatic and intense.
She loves old movies, books, fashion, traveling, and has just recently become interested in perfume.
Sam loves orange blossom and incense. Fragrances she likes include Narciso Rodriguez for Her Eau de Toilette and several by Jo Malone (although she doesn't like the short staying power): Orange Blossom, Black Vetyver Cafe, Pomegranate Noir.
Sam doesn't like anything too foody or sweet. She also dislikes gardenia and heavy florals, many vanilla scents and many powdery scents. Particular dislikes include Kai, Pink Sugar, Comptoir Sud Pacifique Vanille Abricot, Angel-clones like Flowerbomb and Lolita Lempicka, and Kenzo Flower.
Some of the fragrances Sam has tried include:
Byredo Gyspy Water is too lemony, and Byredo Pulp is "a bit too...off".
Serge Lutens Fleur D'Oranger has too much tuberose and is too mature.
L'Artisan Tea for Two is too harsh.
Her sister wears Annick Goutal Matin D'Orage and Songes, but they don't smell as good on Sam. She has also tried Petite Cherie, but she doesn't like the pear in the top notes.
She likes Marc Jacobs Daisy, but it's too widely worn and she thinks there is something "quite generic about it".
She liked Kenzo Amour but it wasn't interesting enough.
She likes Hermès Eau d'Orange Verte, but she used the soap as a teen and wants to move on.
What say you?
Note: top image is Kildale Post Box by deargdoom57 at flickr; some rights reserved.
I’m afraid our tastes are pretty different, but I wonder if Lorenzo Villoresi Musk would be a good night scent for you? It’s mostly floral on my skin with a touch of depth from the musk and sandalwood, without being heavy or gloomy.
Caveat: I’m pretty new at this, so not sure I’ve *earned* rights to recommendations, yet! Anyway, there’s a review on NST so you can read about it and see what you think. I’m sure the helpful folks here will offer a plethora of good suggestions!
For light incense and florals, you might want to try LAP Passage d’Enfer; the Diptyque line sounds right up your alley too — Philosykos is the only one I really know (gorgeous green, sap-y fig), but perhaps others can chime in with more suggestions from the line. Have fun!
Passage D’Enfer is an excellent choice!
I think Sam should try JV Artisan, AG Le Chevrefeuille, and maybe some of the Prada Infusions.
Oh, and floral incense…can’t let that pass without mentioning Etro Shaal Nur.
Yes!
Ditto this!
How about Andy Tauer L’eau d’Epices. No incense, but a gorgeous orange blossom
I remember Ineke – Field Notes from Paris got a lot of love for its orange blossom.
Several scents immediately came to my mind for Sam.
First, flirty, light, chypre/incense roses like Fifi de Chachnil and Agent Provocateur Diamond Dust. Both have citrus vibe up top, and deepen. Fifi’s just so playful and sexy; the coriander note is interesting atop rose and tobacco. Not for everyone, so sample first. The Agent Provocateur DD is lemony, mossy rose to my nose. I did not like the original AP, as it seemed more astringent, but APDD was so much better to me.
Vero Profumo’s Rubj EdP also immediately came to mind as well–orange blossom, passionfruit, tuberose, jasmine, and cumin for a bit of bite. Last odd thought, and more sheer would be Le Labo’s Fleur d’Oranger. Both of these are a bit out of the range of $120, but so lovely. Happy sniffing!
Yes, Rubj came to my mind as well.
Some of the L’Artisans might match the spirit of what you’re going for – I’m thinking La Haie Fleurie and Mimosa Pour Moi would both be worth trying out.
How about L’Artisan Parfumeur’s Timbuktu?
It’s arid, yet substantial— and, while unusual enough that you won’t be smelling it all over the place, it’s not weird.
Yes. Thumbs up on this for a more transparent incense. And don’t give up on the first try–it’s an acquired taste for some.
And while I’m here, a longshot for the sexy side–Nuit de Tubereuse. In spite of it’s name it is not a big floral, and hardly a tuberose at all. Much more a peppery, floral incense. Delicious if you love it and I’ve gotten lots of compliments and “mmmm’s” wearing it…
I think this a great suggestion! It’s got the incense!
If you liked Kenzo Amour, a grown up sister would be Chanel Bois de Iles! I’m also going to recommend Sarah Horowitz Love…spicy sweet. Have you tried the new “The Boyfriend”? It is quite interesting! and for incense I love Gucci Pour Homme!
Paestum Rose is a nice floral incense. You can find it at Luckyscent’s Scent Bar and at the Santa Maria Novella store. They’re both near Beverly Center. Actually, I’d recommend just spending some time at the Scent Bar. They’ve got a great selection, and the SAs are knowledgeable and helpful.
i second AG’s Chevrefeuille. And here’s along shot: Frederic Fekkai did a scent called Sensuelle which I found for $15 at TJ Maxx a couple of weeks ago. It’s a lovely incense-y orange blossom that for some reason didn’t catch on. And the lovely folks over at Bois de Jasmin just did a review of Sonoma Scent Studio’s Incense Pure that made it sound deligthful…
Yes! Fekkai is a very very nice orange blossom! Bourbon French is worth a sniff is you are looking for an OB soliflore!
I suggest that Sam try Eau de Cartier and the new orange version; I find the original has incense notes on my skin even though there’s none listed. Martin Margiela Untitled is an odd, beautiful, gauzy-but-tenacious bitter orange (though I get more of the blossom), lentisque, incense, galbanum thing; KenzoAmour L’Eau (new), KA La Cologne, + their Beneficial Rice Water MMM (don’t ask about the name~) might also suit.
What about Eau D’Italie’s Baume du Doge? Search for NST’s write-up.
It’s got sweet citrus and exotic spices,incense, and resin. It’s inspired by Venice during the spice trade era, and the superstition that little sachets of spice-embued animal fat worn around the neck could ward off disease. I loved the concept so much, and these are some of my favorite notes. Unfortunately on me the spice is really subtle, the citrus is reminiscent of an orange dreamsicle. Everyone else I know who has tried it smells INCREDIBLE.
Hermes Eau de Merveilles, for day. A relative newbie myself, I only venture to suggest this bec your tastes coincide with my sister-in-law, who loves my recommendation (she also likes the NR!). She has gone through two bottles in half a year. It is a pretty orange blossom (to me anyway) without being too pretty or saccherine. Sort of if you walked by the beach with orange blossoms in your hair. If that makes sense. 🙂
Yes! this one would be perfect!
Oh good, was just about to add this to my list! I don’t get a ton of orange *blossom* per se–more about the salty fruit, and warm salty skin. And something naughty that only I seem to smell, so will let you figure out if it appears to you, too… Wonderful perfume. (And widely available at the discounters!)
I’ll fourth EdM… it’s quite easy to like!
And try the new Eau Claire des Merveilles, too. Lovely!
Hey there, Sam. I’d give at least one more Goutal a try–their Neroli is a gorgeous sparkling citrus/orange blossom. First the green leaves and some of the peel, then a beautiful transparent veil of the flowers. Very, very nice for daytime. Such a great way to wake up. And more sophisticated/longer lasting than the Jo Malone, which I also enjoy.
Might also be worth trying Hermes Pamplemousse Rose–have a feeling you’d like that tart rhubarb note and the pretty drydown.
Second Paestum Rose for the incense. Might be worth trying some of the Comme des Garcons line, too–Sequoia (fresh wood with a drizzle of rum, not complex but nicely daring on a young woman for day), Palisander (inside of a wooden spice box, not gourmand at all), and Ourzazate (spicy incense, but not overwhelming).
Will think a bit on the sexy side of things with those parameters…
I 3rd Paestum Rose!
day time, light and interesting – En Passant from Frederic Malle. It’s white lilac, wheat and cucumber!! It’s gorgeously feminine and airy, but really complex and unusual as well. Tauer’s Incense Extreme is a bright, airy woody incense. I third the suggestion of Passage D’enfer as well. Bois de Paradis from Parfums Delrae is a gorgeous, light fruity/woody/floral.
Night time – Dzongkha is a gorgeous incense frag, really unique and quite magical. I think this’d make a great evening perfume and turn heads!
Andy Tauer L’Air du Desert Maurocain-a very interesting amber and spice. In fact, you should just try all of Andy’s fragrances if you can.
Sublime Balkiss by the Different Company-citrus and patch-definitely interesting.
Check out Feminite du Bois and Musc Ravageur.
I had to read kind of quickly. Did I miss the most obvious? ORANGE STAR. Andy Tauer. Lots of orange, lots of incense. LOVE it! It’s a little harsh right off the bat, but the incense and orange are just so wonderful in the drydown. Might be too pricey…If you’d like a sample, though, let me know and I can hook you up. I’m mough in MUA.
If you have bit of money left over from your main purchase, check out Pacifica Neroli and Orange Blossom. I think it’s very lovely and it’s very inexpensive.
And definitely go to Lucky Scent! They’ll help you focus, and send you home with samples.
SuddenlyInexplitcably has made an excellent suggestion—luckyscent folks are excellent at guiding your sampling experience!
As I read your likes–the first thing that came to mind was SL Fleurs d’Oranger–but then you thought that was too mature…hmm….so for orange blossom that’s not tooooo soapy (Prada Infusion d’Oranger for example = soapy orange blossom) but “younger” and “bouncier” than SL Fd’O, I’d recommend Le Labo Fleur d’Oranger 27 LAYERED with SL Clair de Musc…. for the Masculine end of orange blossom you could try John Varvatos Artisan. In the middle there’s: 88 Orange Scent Blossom is pretty good too and well within budget at around $55 (b-glowing dot com) –in fact this orange blossom layers well with a nice musk for added sexiness too. L’Artisan Nuit de Tubereuse was mentioned–that is some fabulous stuff! A couple others that are not really orange blossom but seem that they might be a good fit are Balenciaga Paris , Natori Edp, Delrae Mythique and Barbara Bui.
Anyhoodles…..if anything I’ve mentioned sounds good to you–just drop me a note at Daisyloo82 AT gmail.com and I can set you up with some yummy samples.
Good luck in your search 🙂
Also, I don’t think Luckyscent/Scent Bar has this line, but try Dilmun by Lorenzo Villoresi, if you get a chance. It’s a gorgeous and interesting orange blossom fragrance with a touch of incense in the base notes.
That’s been on my list to try as well—hmm, I know that the perfume shoppe carries it….maybe luscious cargo? and there’s another place stateside….gah! , drawing a blank now….will have to google it.
Lafcony.com sells the line. I’ve been wanting a bottle of Dilmun ever since I sampled!
Lafco!! that’s the place! thanks Haunani. (I’m still sniffling over the loss of Ticky….barely able to think about perfume)
So Dilmun is good stuff eh? Should we be thinking about splitting a bottle?
I really like it, Daisy. Maybe!
whose ticky?
In that case, you might find it in LA at the Santa Maria Novella store just off Melrose, near La Cienega.
they have a website?
It’s the LA store for Lafco NY, so lafcony.com is the website. They kept referring me to the website for items they didn’t have in stock.
Oh! I get it….sorry, it’s late, I’m a little slow….or asleep…it’s a tough call 😉
How about SSS Jour Ensoleille? It is a very nice orange-blossom scent and the SSS scents tend to have good staying power.
The best fit, if you can still find it, would be Kenzo UFO (Unidentified Fragrance Object) which is incense + orange blossom. If not, try either APOM for her or for him by Maison Francis Kurkdjian. They don’t really have the incense but are more than just orange blossom soliflores
Wow, thank you SO much everyone! I am at school in NY right now but when I go home from spring break next month I am going to go CRAZY trying all these perfumes! Thank you so much, and I of course will try any thing else you suggest.
Also, any white musk suggestions? AG Musc Nomade was perfect on paper but smelled like moth balls on my skin.
I think the best white musk EVAH is SL Clair de Musc…..but Il Profumo has Musc Bleu, Micallef Royal Muska, Les Nereides Musc de Samarkand and Sarah Horowitz Perfect Veil —all very nice white musks.
ps -the only one I do not have is Musc Bleu. Others= plenty to share.
Narcisco for Her–if you can smell the white musk in it, which some cannot–is a well-done white musk+orange blossom.
fresh and pretty but interesting I’m thinking some roses
Gres Cabret- rosewater with a puff of woodsmoke & incense
Ecume de Rose- delicate dewy realistic roses and fresh salty ocean air
and for orange blossom
88 orange scent blossom- beautiful, heavenly lilac/ orange blossom, combo- citronella, tangerine, orange blossom, water lily, lilac, neroli
Victoria Secret Lace Orange Flower-orange flower, osmanthus, grapefruit
I can’t believe I neglected to mention a favorite scent of mine–Hilde Soliani Il Tuo Tulipano….a soft, creamy floral type with orange blossom….but dont’ worry, it’s not a hit you over the head with flowers kind of floral. Also within the budget at (usually) around $90/ 50ml .
I have not read all of the comments so not sure whether this has been suggested to Sam but my vote fgoes to Fleurs d”Oranger by Serge Lutens 🙂
I was going to suggest Pacifica’s Tahitian Gardenia; I bought it because I myself am a big gardenia fan, but there’s some Serious orange notes in there as well. And I’m not an orange fan, so I’m not sure I’ll buy it again. But you may like it, Sam. And it’s a bit tropical-ly, which suits a SoCal climate pretty well. And non-expensive.
Good luck!
Oops, and I almost forgot Armani Code; the strongest note in that is orange blossom but it’s mixed real nicely with the other notes, so even I, an orange non-fan, can like it.
Sam, your perfume / scent likes & dislikes are similar to mine. For a time, I only wore the Airs incense oils such as kashmir and ocean. But one day I was feeling particularly down and wanted to do something different for myself. So I went to the mall perfume counter and tried to find a nice scent – I tried so many and they were almost all very nice, but only one stood out hands down above the rest.
Dolce & Gabana’s “La Lune 18”. There are about 5 in the set, named after tarot cards, however it’s “La Lune” that is so nice. Certainly not generic (It is my new favorite, in fact).
“La Lune 18 includes aromas of lily, tuberose, sandalwood, musk, iris root and leather.” Have fun exploring!
day and night:
Maison Francis Kurkdjian line
at Scent Bar in L.A. (Lucky Scent)
night: 1000 Patou, Jaisalmer Comme des Garcons
day: Comme des Garcons 3
for the oranges try Prada infusion d’orange
and incense try Tom Ford black orchid- might be too expnesive though
while I’m here can I please argue Flowerbomb’s case. the only similarity it has to Angel is the intoxicating strength, do they call it sillage? so it cant be called a clone, Flowerbomb is unique, unrivaled and also has it’s imposters= YSL parisienne, Jimmy Choo etc.
Flowerbomb smells classy and whimsical, like a fairytale.
Angel smells sweet and dirty and sometimes nausiating.
but also fair enough if you don’t like it, I understand it can be too sweet for some people.
first thing that came to mind was also fleur de oranger…but i can see that being too mature or even heady. L’erbelario have a great neroli, but very short lasting…and then there is the different company d’allieurs et fleurs lovely!! never tried annick goutal neroli, but I have a sense that might be good for you. I LOVE orange blossom
For muscs clair de musc is ethereal
MKK is to me like clair de musc with skank…nice
kiehls musc is great, a little more animalic
The 7 Virtues Afghanistan Orange Blossom Eau de Parfum is extremely pretty, and this from someone who generally dislikes orange blossom. Website:
http://www.the7virtues.com/
since you’re probably not in a large Canadian city where there’s a Bay store.
A pretty good cheap thrill orange blossom is Lust Orange Blossom — it’s not at all sweet. I like to layer it with NR for Her. And speaking of cheap thrills I actually like CK Be for white musk.
For stronger, richer OB do try the Tauer line (lots of incense there too) or Histoire de Parfums 1873 for a citrusy, summery OB/jasmine with a little sweetness from vanilla.