Today we're helping Lizzie. Six months ago she gave birth to a son, and she wants to celebrate this new chapter in her life with a new perfume. She hasn't worn perfume since she became pregnant, and she says her body chemistry may have changed because some of her old favorites don't smell quite right. She wears perfume for her own pleasure and applies lightly. Her new perfume should be beautiful but also intellectually stimulating. It should also have some "space" to it — she doesn't like to feel crowded by her fragrance — but she doesn't want anything "fresh". She can spend up to $200, but is also happy to buy decants so don't worry about the price. Here is what we know about Lizzie:
She lives in Australia, and shares her time between country and city living.
She's a single mom in her early 30s.
She studied art at school, and now she works in "student wellbeing" at a high school.
She says she is calm, positive, creative and a homebody; her style is "comfortable and simple but with bohemian and quirky handmade touches".
Lizzie likes most floral notes (mimosa, carnation, violet and white flowers), herbaceous notes, iris, spices (especially nutmeg), subtle incense, woods (particularly pine/cypress and creamy sandalwood), smokey tea, eucalyptus, vanilla, almond, saltiness, subtle warm leather and powdery notes. Perfumes currently in her cabinet: Frédéric Malle En Passant, L'Artisan Tea For Two, Dior Escale a Portofino, Kenzo Summer, Chanel Bel Respiro and Prada Infusion d'Iris. Others she has worn in the past include Comme des Garçons Carnation & Zagorsk, Kenzo Flower, L'Artisan Dzing! and Estee Lauder Private Collectino Tuberose Gardenia.
Lizzie doesn't like green tea scents, dominant rose or patchouli, big orientals or very sweet gourmands. Too much citrus, especially grapefruit, doesn't always work for her.
Here are some of the fragrances Lizzie has tried:
L'Artisan Havana Vanille: "I really liked this but some aspect of it weirdly and unnervingly smells a bit like what I smell like naturally".
L'Artisan Navegar: "I liked this a lot but it smelt even better on my friend."
L'Artisan Mimosa Por Moi: "pretty but not interesting."
Hermes Terre de Hermes and Eau des Merveilles: "both have an underlying smell that I associate with orange flavored cough mixture."
Hermes Un Jardin Sur Le Nil: "I loved the opening but disliked the dry down."
Hermes Kelly Caleche: "meh (but I'm not sure why)."
Hermes Hiris: "too thin and weedy."
Guerlain Après l'ondee: "very very beautiful but too fleeting on my skin."
Vintage Lancome Tresor: "I really liked it's lush jammy-ness but after a week it was just too much and I felt crowded by it."
Annick Goutal Ninfeo Mio: "....horrible....bitter and like nasty hairy plant stems."
Serge Lutens Fille en Aiguilles: "love the pine but the perfume as a whole is too syrupy and dense."
Note: image is Melaka, Malaysia by yeowatzup at flickr; some rights reserved.
Horrible name aside, one of my first thoughts for you was Etat Libre d’Orange’s Putain des Palaces—which is a very pretty, elegant, and interesting and modern violet/rose scent.
PdP *is* nice. (I prefer Juliet Has a Gun Citizen Queen, which is quite similar, but it has a small hint of aldehydes which not everyone likes. CQ’s suede note is a little deeper, too, I thought.)
I just googled PdP to confirm it meant what I thought it did… Am now imagining the conversation where someone asks ‘what are you wearing….’! They do both sound lovely. I’ve tried Chanel no. 22 and enjoyed it so I think I’m fine with aldehydes.
Mals, I agree, CQ is similar, and I actually personally prefer it! At least, as a perfume oil in the purse bullet. That is about perfect!
Lizzie, it might be a good idea to test both! LOL
“It should also have some “space” to it — she doesn’t like to feel crowded by her fragrance — but she doesn’t want anything “fresh”.”
Ormonde Jayne Woman! It’s like stepping into the woods and filling your lungs with air that’s pure and crisp yet filled with all the nature’s scents of greenery, sap, mosses, earth, etc.
Woman is a very good choice!
In fact, I say go ahead and buy the Discovery set—you’ll find something there for sure!
Woman is alwys a good choice! You might like OJ Champanca!
I second the OJ Woman, a beautiful scent! Also, you might want to try the new Hermes, Un jardin sur le toit, which sounds like it might share a common ground with Chanel’s Bel Respiro with some fruity accents added.
And compost!!!!
That sounds incredible. Exactly the kind of perfume experience I’m looking for.
I think I just need to just beat this horse a little more, OJ Woman is gorgeous. I am partial to Frangipani but I think someone with your tastes would like Woman better. I also am very jealous that your natural scent is like HV- I had to pay $115 for what you get for free! Haha, I said “had to pay” and meant it!
It really was a case of hmmmmm something about this perfume smells really familiar…. And I promise it’s not because I drink copious amounts of rum
Van Cleef & Arpels, First. It might be too much for you. I happen to prefer the edp but perhaps you micht like the edt better.
Van Cleef & Arpels, Gardénia Pétale and Bois d’Iris.
The Different Company, Bois d’Iris.
Diptyque, Do Son, or Philosykos. It shares the fig with Ninfeo Mio but is not at all bitter. Most of the Diptyque scents are easy to wear and not too heavy.
Good Luck!
They all sound lovely, thank you!
From your list of dislikes above it seems you’re not a big fan of JC Ellena (not shame in that, I’m not either). He did First, but it’s nothing like his other scents you’ve tried.
I also thought of OJ Woman for you. Also Sonoma Scent Studio Voile de Violette (a very pretty, fresh, green violet) and Bulgari Black (vanilla and rubbery leather, some get smoky tea).
I love Black, but I am finding that it can be a little “crowded” I think in the way Lizzie might not like. . .it seems to leave a long-lasting cloud of sweet rubber-eraser scent on me these days. . .maybe it’s just me?
Oh they do sound great thank you!
Cartier L’Heure Fougueuse. It’s beautiful, soft and unique. Never crowding and there is nothing else like it.
Notes: Magnolia, bergamot, horsehair accord (!!), vetiver, yerba maté, musk, lavender, coumarin, oakmoss
Hope you find one or two that you love Lizzie.
~D
Wow that is an intriguing list of notes. Horse
Hair accord (!!) indeed. Will definitely have to sample it, thank you!!
PdE Wazamba is one to try although it has heft . It has fir and smoky apple notes, delicious. Something soft to celebrate spring and your new bebe could be PdN’ Le Temps d une Fete or Vanilla Tonka.
They aren’t fresh but delicate and present…
Congrats on your new life!
PdE Aziyade is also nice!…and PdE Eau Suave (a hit you in the face floral!) is a fav. of mine…
Wazamba is a great name and those notes sound delicious! It sounds like PdE is a house I need to explore…. thank you for the suggestions!!
Hmmm- Lizzie and I have a lot of similar perfume taste (am wearing En Passant today) so I will recommend some things I love/like a lot and see if she hasn’t tried them: CdG Stephen Jones and Daphne; Guerlain Vega/Shamilar/Vanilla imperial; Cartier Les Trezieme Heure; and the new Fougheuse (sic?); Chanel Bois des Iles. I will second the Putain des Palaces and OJ discovery set mainly for Tiare, Frangipane and OJ Woman. Happy sniffing Lizzie and a squeeze to the little one
And one more: Sonoma Scent Studio Champagne du Bois.
I’m heartily seconding this one! It was my immediate hit for you when you said, “space”. The light aldehydes keep it from being dense and heavy. An extremely beautiful scent. You might like others in the Sonoma Scent Studio line as well as they are all beautiful and extremely well made.
I’m another fan of SSS fragrances, Champagne de Bois being a favorite of mine. My other favorites from that line are Velvet Rose and Tabac Aurea, neither of which seem to line up with Lizzie’s preferences – but I recently tried Voile de Violette and found it very lovely, an airy green violet with a deep-breathing attitude.
Mals I’m so glad you like VdV, it has been a fav. violet of mine for a year. I love it’s jammy , herbal elixir, wonderful for spring<3
Oh good, you tried it! I thought you’d like that one.
Yep, thanks for pushing VdV, you fumeheads. I seriously appreciate it!
SSS fangirls unite! Adding my voice to the Champagne de Bois recommendation
correction: Guerlain Tonka Imperiale (I have renamed it Vanilla Imperial in my head….and its hard to revert to the correct name)
En Passant is beautiful isn’t it!! I will definitely try those. Champagne du bois sounds like a must try.
Yes- I adore it. It is beautiful and interesting (looking at your hopes in a new perfume)- I think Champagne du Bois has that in spades (and you may never wear anything else again for New Year’s!) For sure try the Stephen Jones if you haven’t- one of the bloggers called it Violet Space Rocks and that is spot on! Love it.
The Stephan Jones is definitely on the ‘to try’ list. Violet space rocks sound great. Thank you!!
PS The little one (Teddy) gives you a big smile back
Have you tried anything for Soivohle? Liz Zorn’s fumes are very interesting and unique. Acoustic Flowers comes to mind. Or Sarah Horowitz’s “Love” is a nice clove-y scent.
I haven’t heard of either of these two lines! I will have to do some investigating – thank you for suggesting them!!
Lalique White, nominally a masculine, has many of the notes that you like and is a lovely Christine Nagel composition.
That does sound like something I might like – thankyou!!
Hi everyone, Lizzie here. Thankyou so much for all your wonderful suggestions. I have my notebook open and my pen at the ready to write them all down. After this long break from wearing any I’m so excited about exploring some new perfumes.
Incense pure is another great one that might work from that line. It feels quite outdoorsy, and softens down a lot in the dry down.
Oh, sorry, just realized I posted this in the wrong place – that was meant to be in the thread about Sonoma Scent Studio..
Sounds like I will definitely be putting in an order at Sonoma Scent Studio – thanks for the suggestion Kate!
For ‘space’ I’d recommend Kenzo’s eau de Fleur de Magnolia. To get more depth, just give it a second spritz. I’ll also chime in on the OJ Sampler Set recommendations (Sampaquita and Tiare for starters!)
Good luck!
I’ll seek that one out – Kenzo usually works well on me.
It can be hard to find in North America now because the Kenzo Eaux de Fleurs collection scents are meant to be Limited Edition. I just found a bottle at the Duty Free store, if that helps (I know you might not be jetting around with a new little guy, though – congratulations, by the way!)
Hi Lizzie: Congrats on the baby! My nose changed a lot a few years ago when I gave birth too. I notice that each year since, my nose has changed (or rebounded?) even more. I suggest that you don’t get rid of anything you really liked, because you may end up liking it again! My suggestions for you – space, interesting, florals, etc:
Annick Goutal Eau de Ciel – it is a lovely, warm linden blossom and hay fragrance. Very beautiful, especially in warm weather. It’s very light, but it does seem to last for a few good hours on my skin.
Caron Aimez Moi – a wonderful, warm violet oriental fragrance that is soft and still interesting. It is delightful.
Chanel No 19 edt – you can take a step up in richness and vetiver from Bel Respiro with No 19, current or vintage. It is very intelligent fragrance for sure and very beautiful to wear. It is the perfect vetiver.
Frederic Malle Parfum de Therese – gorgeous white flowers – one of the greatest fragrances in this style. Interesting in spades.
Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier – Secrete Datura – one of the most gorgeous powdery white flowers fragrances ever. Some say it has a whiff of white chocolate in the base but I don’t get that. It is not too sweet or gourmad, but just perfectly lovely. Since you like/liked Flower by Kenzo, this type of powdery floral should be compatible.
Good luck!
You know, No. 19 really is mostly about iris & vetiver, with just an overlay of galbanum. It is so effortlessly empowering.
And Aimez-Moi is so friendly, without being ditzy in the slightest.
I don’t wear Eau du Ciel often, as it reminds me as nothing else so much as sun-dried sheets. A beautiful, happy smell, though.
(I should always try your recommendations, though, Ann – except for Coco, we tend to like the same things!)
That’s very true! I suppose we are like fraternal scent twins – almost the same.
Thanks Ann!! That is a lovely sounding list of suggestions and I’m looking forward to sampling them. I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one who has experienced a post-pregnancy body chemistry/sense of smell change. The body is a mysterious and amazing thing!!!
Hi Lizzie! I see that Dee has already recommended a Etat Libre d’Orange, but I was going to suggest “Like This” rather than Putain; the seemed to jump out at me after seeing th words “comfortable” and “intellectual.” I don’t think it would be too dense-it’s light, warm, and cozy.
On a different note, I’m so glad to see someone agrees with me about Ninfeo Mio- how does everyone love that stuff???
I don’t like it either. Cat piss and freezer burn.
Would you like a burst of pissy lemon with your astringent toilet cleaner?
Oh, these are funny! I don’t get on well with fig leaf, so I’ve avoided Ninfeo Mio on purpose. Looks like I was right to do so…
maybe it will work for you! But I am definitely not a fan. There’s something in the base that I just can’t stand, and I can detect a tiny quality of it in Un Matin d’Orage as well, but it’s in unbearable quantities in NM.
Is it bad that I can imagine that scent *immediately*?
ahaha! It’s because you own Ninfeo Mio, isn’t it!
Thanks Meg I’ll add Like This to my sample order (hmmmm that shopping cart is starting to bulge) I very stupidly sprayed Ninfeo Mio ON MY SKIN as I dashed past a perfume counter and then had to hurry home without a chance to wash it off. Akkk it was a very unpleasant drive I must say!
I suggest VCA Bois d’Iris. It is a beautifully subtle and relaxed scent, but it isnt boring. The interplay of the powdery iris and the salty ocean weathered wood smell is perfection. It has a casual elegance to it. I also suggest Serge Lutens Daim Blond, the initial spray is little strong, but the drydown of soft suede and apricot is lovely. Happy scenting!
Thanks Adicted2Pretty I love the sound of subtle and relaxed. Daim Blond sounds beautiful too thankyou!!
Vetiver Extraordinnaire to fulfill your intellectual and ‘spatial’ cravings! There is something very wide and open about it, and stimulating. I like to wear it when I need to concentrate on work and be creative.
The soft leather requirement made me think of Heeley’s Cuir Pleine Fleur. It’s more suede rather than leather, but has a soft feel to it and is very understated and interesting. Heeley also does a very nice Iris de Nuit, which elegant and minimalist.
Thanks Blimunda, I’ll have to give those all a try – you make them sound very appealing! It’s great because I might look at a line like Heeley on Luckyscent and there are just so many perfumes it’s overwhelming and these suggestions give me a place to start!
Hi, Lizzie! It appears that we have a lot of shared taste, too. I second the recommendations for The Different Company Bois d’Iris, Ormonde Jayne Woman, and Comme des Garcons Stephen Jones. They are all wonderful!
Another that popped into my mind is YSL Nu. It’s a subtle incense blend with beautiful floral notes. I think it’s the sort of fragrance that would fulfill your desire for space and intellectual value. Check out these reviews:
https://nstperfume.com/2007/04/16/yves-saint-laurent-nu-perfume-review/
http://thenonblonde.blogspot.com/2009/04/ysl-nu-edp-lost-perfumes-series.html
Hi Haunani, now this is why I decided to do the Monday mail! So many interesting suggestions.
Nu isn’t something I would have thought to try but now I am really curious. Thank you!
Hi, Lizzie! I have the same situation here – my daughter has 10 months now, so not long ago I rearranged all my perfume wardrobe. First suggestion Chanel n. 5, Bois des Iles and n. 22 in perfume. It will be gorgeous, sophisticated and relaxing in the same time. I see, that you like L’Artisan line, give a try Chasse Aux Papillions Extreme, it is more floral, that original version – tuberose, orange blossom and jasmine. If you love florals it will be great for spring/summer season
Thanks Lina_Des for your lovely suggestions. Who would have thought having a baby would have such a big impact on one’s sense of smell!!
Hi Lizzie,
If you like spices, and want a reasonably sheer fragrance, then why not try Lempicka Si Lolita. I sampled it in Nordstrom this past weekend, and It has a prominent nutmeg note. Another great scent is Hermes Un Jardin Apres La Mousson, which is all about ginger.
Ohhhhh VERY excited to hear about a prominent nutmeg note thank you!
Yet another vote here for OJ Woman; also the Philosykos mentioned above. From LAP, you might want to try Passage d’Enfer — white flowers and subtle incense — and from Serge Lutens, perhaps Un Lys, which is a beautifully creamy, vanilla-ish lily. Oh, and a huge round of applause from a fellow single mom!
Thanks Lilydale aka Natalie! I am loving being a Mom. So challenging and humbling and amazing. Your suggestions sound delicious!!
Hi Lizzie. This will sound all wrong on the face of it, but I’d give Eau d’Italie’s Paestum Rose a sniff. It is nearly all crisp incense–the rose comes in very dusky and just serves to round out the heart. Really not a big rose perfume at all. It’s a perfume that gives me that “space” you’re talking about, and it has a cerebral, meditative quality.
Another dry, spacious incense you might enjoy is Les Nez’s Let Me Play the Lion, which smells to me like sun-warmed old wood. It’s quite wonderful. I also adore their green violet, The Unicorn Spell, which is far better than it’s name. Last time I checked Les Nex offered an excellent deal on their sampler set if you order from them directly. Worth checking out.
Writing down those three thank you Sweetlife! I’m loving hearing about which perfumes people find meditive and spacious and I can’t wait to try them.
I love carnation and vanilla. There is something in Bellodgia (strong carnation note) that is off and dank and musty to me (so that is an example of a carnation-centered perfume that doesn’t quite work for me). I’m half-asleep and rambling, so let me get to my humble suggestions:
1. For canation: Carnation EDT from Laboissiere Parfums Paris. All carnation!
2. Also for carnation: Flower Market by Lush. Notes include: carnation , ylang ylang, violet leaf, elemi, and galbanum. Spicy goodness.
3. Another carnation: Potion by Lush. It has been available in lotion and solid perfume, but over the years, this fragrance seems to come and go from their catalog.
4. For vanilla: Vaniglia del Madagascar by i Profumi di Firenze. I heard about it here https://nstperfume.com/2005/08/26/vaniglia-del-madagascar-and-zenzero-by-i-profumi-di-firenze/.
On a side note, my husband and I visited your country (Queensland and New South Wales) in 2009 on a birding/nature tour. The wildlife was spectacular!!!!
Thank you Kindcrow. Carnation is such a lovely spicy smell hey?! I will definitely be tracking them down. I don’t mind a bit of sweet with my vanilla. And I am currently in QLD staying on my family’s farm and I love the wildlife here. I’m so glad you found our wildlife spectacular! I hope you enjoyed your time here!!
I should add that the vanilla fragrance that I mentioned is fairly sweet, but it is so good!
Hi Lizzie!
I’m moving and late to the show! Congratulations on your son!
Le Base is beautiful-in the vein of Apres L’Ondee and maybe it will have better lasting power for you.
Just try all the Ormonde Jayne scents-the are so much fun.
Serge Lutens Bois de Violette and Feminite du Bois. Bois et Musc is very soft as well.
The SSS line is lovely-I have found some keepers there.
In a different vein, Divine L’Aime Soeur is lovely. Daisy and some of the gals here turned me on to it.
Mecca Balsam and Bazar for spices from profumo.it.
Enjoy!
Hi Dixie, thanks for those suggestions they all sound great. I’m looking forward to trying all of them. I would love to find something with a similar feeling to Après that doesn’t dissappear in five minutes. Good luck with moving !!!!!
Plants, landscapes, animals, rainforest, Sydney — it was all so beautiful and interesting. We saw things that we have been dreaming of since we were kids. The people were super kind, as well. I’m such a nature nerd, that I forgot to mention my fellow humans
It was a trip of a lifetime. I hope that we get to return and explore the rest of the country. Uh, back to perfume: Happy sniffing!
Obviously, I didn’t post this where I meant to. :-0
Lizzie — I am very late to the comments, and so hope that you manage to see them.
We actually share a number of similarities, so maybe some of my suggestions will click.
First let me say that I too experienced a change in smell after having a baby; turned out, I was severely anemic and had seriously low levels of various vitamins and minerals (Vitamin D, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus…). Once I sorted all that out, I could smell again! So maybe have your doctor run a blood test to check.
But back to perfume…
The most beautiful carnation is Mona di Orio’s Carnation. Gorgeous! (check the review on The Non-Blonde)
I too hate gourmand scents, as well as sweet, heavy cloying scents (vanilla is problematic for me), but amazingly, I LOVE Andy Tauer’s Une Rose Vermeille. It is not predominantly a rose scent, so don’t avoid it for that reason. You might just like it too!
Other than that, I would direct you to LezNez’s Let Me Play the Lion, which is much MUCH better than Terre d’Hermes. It is warm, dry cedar-based scent.
You might try Field Notes from Paris (the beeswax is just lovely), as well as the Eau d’Italie line, and more of Etat Libre d’Orange. Personally, I love Divin’ Enfant, but you might find some of the notes too similar to Dzing! (although the effect is totally different). Also DSH perfumes.
Have you tried Mitsouko EDP? Do try it; it is lovely, and maybe will work longer on your skin. Also, have you tried Malle’s Carnal Flower or Une Fleur de Cassie? Have you tried Andrée Putnam’s Préparation Parfumée? It is also by Olivia Giacobetti (En Passent). Oh! you might love the CBIHatePerfume line! Worth checking, definitely.
I should add that my “secret” scent is LesNez’s L’Antimatière. Some people can’t smell it, but I do. It is essentially a fragrance with no top notes or middle notes; just a base. I find that it is warm and rather naturally sexy, albeit different from your current favourites. (although most of the ones I am listing challenge your stated preferences a bit).
Good luck and good sniffing!
Hi Tallulahrose, that’s very interesting – I”m vegetarian so it’s probably time I got a blood test anyway to check for iron levels…. Thank you for passing that on!!! And back to perfume
your suggestions sound really interesting – I’ll definitely be adding them to my ‘to sample’ list. Thank you!
Vanille Galante, Hermesse (not like vanilla)
Fleur de Cassie, Frederic Malle
enjoy!