It is not the first time I've forgotten to post the Monday Mail on Monday, and it probably won't be the last. So here it is, a day late but better late than never.
Today we're helping Mariclare, who is on a stricter budget than most of our participants: she wants to find her perfect casual, everyday scent for $40 or under. Can it be done? Her dream fragrance would be unusual, unconventional and not easily recognizable, but she'd also like it to be pleasant and not overbearing (no major sillage). A perfume she can find at Macy's is a big plus, but she's willing to shop online if need be. Here is what we know about Mariclare:
She's in her late 20s. She works full time, and goes to school (to study painting) part time.
She lives with her boyfriend, and she says they're both "a little eccentric".
Mariclare says her personality is bright — "people are always telling me i have the best and most infectious laugh".
Her style is eclectic: she enjoys combining colors and styles (floral skirts with motorcycle boots, vintage baby doll dresses with moccasins & thrift-store earrings).
Mariclare usually wears perfume oils because they're inexpensive. She likes powdery, floral-oriental scents, as well as green, fresh, airy scents.
She doesn't like overly sweet or aquatic fragrances.
Here are some of the perfumes Mariclare has tried, or has worn regularly:
Kenzo Flower Le Parfum: she wore it every day until she decided she wanted to wear something more casual.
Pacifica Mediterranean Fig: carefree and light, she wore it until she ran out.
Body Time Green Fig Oil: she loves it.
Body Time Egyptian Musk: she loves this too, but it's too "immediately identifiable" and popular.
Stella McCartney Stella: she likes the rose fragrance.
Thierry Mugler Angel: she likes it, but it's too univerally worn.
Thierry Mugler Womanity: too salty and too sweet.
Christian Dior Miss Dior Cherie, Burberry Brit, Lolita Lempicka: too sweet.
Donna Karan Cashmere Mist: too boring.
Yves Saint Laurent Elle: too conventional.
Guerlain Shalimar: too mature.
Jean Patou Joy: she loves it, but it might be too fancy for her.
Ilari perfume oil: another one she loves, but it's $65 and she can't afford it.
What say you?
Note: image is Melaka, Malaysia by yeowatzup at flickr; some rights reserved.
Hmmm… For light but with a little unusualness going on, Tommy Dreaming came to mind. It gets compared to laundry soap a lot, but on my skin it’s all peppery peaches and a bit of clean musk. Also, one of my latest loves, Cabaret, is a wonderful leather/rose/patch/spices blend that has mild to moderate sillage, lasts forever and is ridiculously inexpensive for the amount you can get. I’d also suggest, being a fellow Body Time addict, their Black Poppy. It’s complex, sexy and as is the case with many perfume oils, lasts really well on my skin. Another inexpensive perfume that isn’t terribly sweet but very well made is called Black Widow and is available online only, I believe. It is really gorgeous and smells much more expensive than it actually is.
Good luck, Mariclaire, and let us know what you find.
Cabaret is terrific! It does have a warm musky aspect that may appeal, since Mariclaire likes Egyptian Musk.
You read my mind! As soon as I saw her description of things she likes, I thought, “Gres Cabaret”. And lots of online retailers have it: the best price I found was Perfume.com, $25 for a 100-mL bottle.
Cabaret is a great idea!
More a strategy than a specific scent. Discontinued fragrances often show up at discounts on internet sites. So when you go to department stores, or read reviews, keep a list (or at least a mental list of what you like), then wait for Valentine/Mothers day etc., free mailing sales and troll for the bargains.
Good points. If you are on a budget, buying over the counter is not necessarily the way to go, although of course you can always be lucky.
How about Victoria’s Secret Sexy little things noir? or Philosophy Amazing grace?
I would suggest Unconditional Love out of all of the Philosophy fragrances. Mariclare if your Macy’s carries Philosophy, give it a sniff. A full size bottle is 40.00, but you can order the 0.5 size bottle from many places for 15.00.
Also take a look at the old school fragrances Macy’s carries. (aka bottles you have seen forever and might not have given a sniff) You might find a gem that many are not wearing.
Mariclare should try samples of Kiehl’s musk oil and the newer edt. The original oil wears closer the skin and is just a little earthy, floral and a touch ‘dirty’; the edt has a little more lift (but it still won’t enter a room before she does) and is more floral – one can definitely get the bergamot, orange blossom and rose as it dries down to reveal tonka bean and musk on the finish Cheap, cheerful and both under $40.
Hi Mariclare! For unusual and unconventional, not sure I’d recommend Macy’s…unless you select a scent that’s more mature than the typical fruity floral. Check out the vintage Estee Lauder scents, maybe Private Collection?
Possets has an amazing oil called Venus Black – only $10 for a bottle. Some of their other scents may appeal to you, too. You can purchase samples on their website.
I second the Possets recomendation!
http://www.possets.com/
Fabienne always includes free samples with every order and you can sample most of her offerings pretty cheaply. Bottles of perfume are $10, $20 for her naturals line
Word of warning – a lot of them are very sweet and/or foody, so read the descriptions if that is something you don’t enjoy.
Kenzo’s Le Monde Est Beau. She’ll have to go online, but it can be had for under $40 and it’s delightful.
These might be a little out of her comfort zone, but are distinctive and beautiful enough to be worth a shot — Rochas Femme and Jacomo Silences.
I like the Kiehl’s idea too, and Dilana’s strategizing!
Victoria’s Secret Dream Angels Halo
The Crazylibellule and the Poppies line–I know I tried a powdery one from them, I just can’t remember the name now!
The Tokyo Milk line is also good, if she can get to an Anthropologie to try them.
It’s not Macy’s, but for inexpensive, how about the Secrets d’Essences line at Yves Rocher? The Rose Absolute is lovely.
I immediately thought of Benefit Crescent Row collection for Mariclaire. Adorable packaging, quirky names, affordable scents and quite lovely in their simplicity – they’re all worth a sniff IMO
This is definitely only online, but for something inexpensive and not everyone is wearing, what about the Tokyo Milk line from Indie Scent or BeautyHabit?
Anthropologie stores carry Tokyo Milk, too.
I suggest Jolie Madame- violets and leather and plenty of powder. Also Habanita and I second the Rochas Femme. Green fresh and spicy: Balmain de Balmain. Check out parfum1- great deals, coupons, etc. Also- if you can find a place to sample Red Flower perfume oils- they are all beautiful (especially the Guiac) and I think they cost around $40. From Macy’s I suggest sampling Maby Baby and Something About Sophia(Benefit) and Chanel No. 5 Eau Premier (which is out of budget but I bet you could score a good size decant for $40 or get into a split- if it rocked your universe) Happy sniffin!
I think Jolie Madame and Habanita are great ideas!
Seconding what many have already noted:
-Kiehl’s musk edt
-Philosophy (I like either Falling in Love or Unconditional Love)
-Tokyo Milk (Anthropologie usually has these and some other interesting things)
-Pacifica
One of the fragrances from The Thymes might do the trick – Wild Ginger or Olive Leaf or GoldLeaf. I love Filigree, but that’s discontinued, sadly.
Good idea! I have my eye on a bottle of their Agave Nectar.
How about mix and match? Our friend could try a few Yves Rocher and/or Body Shop and try to layer. A friend of mine mixes the Body Shop Neroli Jasmine with the Yves Rocher Vanille Noire, and the male version of Body Shop White Musk with some rose scent Yves Rocher (I think Rose Absolue…), and the result was really interesting in both cases
Hi Mariclare! I was actually thinking of 3 choices for you:
The new Jennifer Aniston perfume is really nice, nothing overbearing, and just the slightest hint of a salty musk in the drydown that you may enjoy, that retails for 39.00 for 30 mL…
Also, Estee Lauder White Linen is a wonderful fresh fragrance that you may enjoy as well.. I prefer the original fragrance, but if you’re looking for something a little more fruity and juicy, the flankers are nice as well! I know the purse spray (15 mL) of the original White Linen is 30.00, and I’m not sure about the flankers!
Another wonderful fragrance is Sarah Jessica Parker’s Lovely.. Its a clean, beautiful, sensual musk that you may enjoy! 30mL retails for 36.00 at Sears, but at the pharmacy you may be able to get the 50 and 100 mL for a comparable price!
Happy Shopping!
Seconding the Lovely.
Thirding the lovely, which means you should also try narciso rodriguez for her as well
Hey Mariclare!
What if you tried shopping around on Etsy.com? Many of the perfumes there are very inexpensive and a lot are in oil form. Everything there is handmade so you’re bound to find something that doesn’t smell like everyone else!
Hesperides from Fresh: I’ve really come to like this one, especially the $32 price tag.
Clinique Happy: Maybe a tad too mainstream for Mariclare, but it’s a nice scent.
She may also want to give try out some scents by Tocca and Lavanila.
I have picked up a bottle of Agent Provocateur Strip on Ebay etc for about $30, and it has that powdery, floral oriental vibe I would have said. Not too sweet, a bit eclectic – highly rated in Perfumes: The Guide!
Strip is very nice – a little bit of spice, some powdery iris. I looked for it online recently, and couldn’t find it for under $64 – FS, do you mind revealing your source?
Ah, looks like the only places that have it online now for less than $80 are in the UK and ship only within the EU. Sucks.
I second checking out the Yves Rocher website. I like Voile d’Ambre & Vanille Noire the best and they are both powdery on me and you cannot beat the price.
I would also recommend the Sonoma Scent Studio website. Lots of great stuff there and you can get generous samples for a small cost.
Estee Lauder has the most affordable perfumes in Macy’s as far as I can tell. If you hit them at the right time – not busy time – they will package up some samples for you. Although, I found Nordstroms was better than Macy’s for this request.
I would also recommend going to Sephora if you have one near you. You can go in there and sample a lot and no one will bother you – wear a sleeveless top and load up!
While there, I would start w/ the Bvlgari line…they have a lot of powdery scents.
You may also want to haunt your local Marhsalls and TJ Maxx and thrift stores to see if you can score there. Patience and preservance pays off.
I would suggest getting some samples first online and then seeing if you can find the ones you like the most on perfumed discount sites like the ones advertised here and also on the dreaded “E-vil Bay”.
Good luck!
I second the Sonoma Scent Studio idea (online). Try the Rose Musc and the Egyptian Musk!
Two words: Rochas Tocade
Second this. It’s a great scent that can be had for a song. Especially from online retailers.
I’ll second (and in some case 3rd and 4th) the recommendations for the Tokyo Milk and Pacifica Lines (try Lotus Garden) and I’ll add Ava Luxe, who has some very nice florientals in both oil and EDP.
Yup I agree too! Tokyo Milk Dark perfumes are great!
And Pacifica is awesome – I love the body butters the best but those are scented beautifully , the smell lingers and they moisturize really well! Good luck!
One ounce bottles for $34! My favorites are Crushed ( Earth + Moss, Crushed Herbs, Wild Grass, Jasmine ) and Arsenic (Absinthe, Vanilla Salt, Cut Greens, Crushed Fennel)
Plus they look cool on your dresser.
Ava Luxe is a wonderful ,addictive line too, you’ll start growing a collection.
I second the SJP lovely, or maybe garden of stars angel la rose. I just picked up a 25 ml. for ten dollars on clearance at on of my local Walgreens.
I would suggest Marc Jacobs for Men Cologne. As a woman, I’ve been wearing it for over a year, and I love it. it’s a great balance of fig, cardamom, and may rose among others. It’s definitely unisex- warm, a little sweet, earthy but not masculine, and you can find it online for about $35.99. I’d also suggest Nag Champa Oil from Whole Foods- it’s a rich, sandalwood based oil with a very complex floriental scent.
I’d suggest some oil samples from Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, you can get six for $22, maybe some of these…
Alice-milk honey rose carnation bergamot,
Delight-Frangipani, with rose, tuberose, and jasmine.
Persephone-pomegranate rose
Dorian- A Victorian fougere with three pale musks and dark, sugared vanilla tea.
Carnal-Bold, bright mandarin paired with the sweet, sensual earthiness of fig.
Eden-fig leaf, fig fruit, honeyed almond milk, toasted coconut and sandalwood.
Snake Oil-A blend of exotic Indonesian oils sugared with vanilla.
I’d also recommend a look at Arcana oils: Queen Crossbones has egyptian musk.
I think BBW Japanese Cherry Blossom is a good choice. Also recommend Calvin Klein Euphoria EDT – lighter version than the edp and is good for summer. A 30 ml sells at Ulta for $45. Kiehls Original Musk is another good one. Lastly VCA Oriens can be found online at fragrance discounters for around $45-$50 for 50ml. Good fragrance finding luck!
How about Casmir by Chopard? It’s an oriental valilla, and the orange notes make it delicious and still sexy. The drydown is exotic and seductive, and therefore, it gets many compliments! I found it on amazon for less than 30 pounds, the 100 ml bottle!
Y’all beat me to it with your suggestions! i second (third?) anything from Philosophy, Pacifica, Tokyo Milk (often found in gift shops rather than Sears but pretty widely available). i enthusiastically endorse Possets – you’d love their oils, and they’re very affordable (try “Josephine” – rose and musk!). I also thought of Sarah Jessica Parker’s Lovely, which is often available at discount stores like Marshall’s, Ross, and TJ Maxx. The body lotion is wonderful, with the scent lasting almost as long as the coogne does. Good luck!
Bvlgari Black, because as Robin puts it in her review ” it’s a masterpiece of weird” . It’s also plain gorgeous and very wearable. It’s sweet but not overly so, and it is eccentric.
Perhaps Estee Lauder’ s original Azuree? You might find it too “mature”, but it is full of character and is very cheap, especially in the US.
Yes, Bulgari Black! You can’t go wrong with this one—a must try
B Black is indeed “weird but wearable.” Terrific thing.
Have you tried the EDP version of Flower by Kenzo? It’s the first thing I thought of as I was reading, before I got to the list of things you’ve worn/tried. It might be different enough from the parfum to suit you — I think it’s definitely a nice everyday choice, but maybe a little too recognizable.
More recs:
Calvin Klein Truth: A very fresh, easy floral oriental, not too popular, and very affordable online.
Donna Karan Gold: A beautiful lily fragrance with an amber base. Discontinued, cheap online.
Kenzo Parfum d’Ete: Fresh green floral, similar to Acqua di Gio but not as fruity.
Another idea for you, check at places like T.J. Maxx. You can find nice fragrances and giftsets there at more affordable prices than dept. stores. Another good idea is Anthropologie, I think this was mentioned already. Good luck and Happy Shopping.
Rochas Tocade is divine and can be had very resonably with the online discounters. I also really like Kate Walsh’s Boyfriend. (Sephora)
I think this is a clear case for Ava Luxe, as I see several other folks have recommended. The oils are elegant and for the price usually very well blended, beautiful, and interesting creations.
Since the “I’ve tried” is all over the map (and the Ava Luxe site is down – again), I’ll take a guess at what to recommend (I have MANY Ava Luxes) and recommend Love’s True Bluish Light and Hong Kong Garden. I think you will love both of these, but certainly at least one of them.
I think the recommendation for an Etsy shop is also good. I have purchased perfume in oil formulation from both Sweet Anthem and Wiggle. I think you might like Sweet Anthem better, as they may better match the very fresh, feminine profile you’re mentioning.
Good luck!
Caron Bellodgia! Stunningly spicy carnation (and rose to my nose) balanced with creamy vanilla and a darkly sensual base… all for about $40! I am currently head-over heels for this one
Two great, and affordable, lines worth testing are Sonoma Scent Studio and Olympic Orchids—they’re independent, but you can get sample sets from each. I very highly recommend SSS Champagne de Bois to EVERYONE (it’s that good).
Good luck!!
Wow! I agree with everyone! Ava Luxe (Oppoponax Intense!), Etsy (scentsbythesea … you will love them!), Bellodgia…and maybe sample Strange Invisibles (like Jasmine de Nuit) tho more expense, Tokyo Milk Dark (Arsenic and Bittersweet), and maybe stop by and hit up a few Jo Malones just for fun! Let us know what you try and like!
1. Punono by Saffron James. $38 at Beauty Habit for 9 ml of roll-on EDP perfume oil. It’s long-lasting and a little goes a long way. Notes: Ylang Ylang, Pikake, Carnation, Vanilla and Tunisian Opium. It’s warm, spicy, tropical, and different, and great, in my opinion. A fun review of it is available at http://www.eaumg.net/saffron-james-parfums-punono-fragrance-review/.
2. Leila Lou by Rosie Jane. Its notes of fresh cut grass and nectarine remind me of Petite Cherie by Annick Goutal. It’s a perfume oil. $38 at Beauty Habit.
3. I agree with the suggestions of Tokyo Milk and Pacifica.
4. I’ve found some nice fragrances at small health food stores and at Whole Foods.
Happy sniffing!!!
What about Smell Bent? Great LA line, certainly unique smelling all of them…. And the oils can be about $20, same with the smaller edp. Also they are having a ‘garage sale’ right now, with a lot of their large sized bottles on sale for $20. I just got a few. And you can get a sample collection of all of one collection or another for $15
http://smellbent.typepad.com/blog/2011/05/the-smell-bent-interwebs-garage-sale.html
Speaking of Pacifica, if you have a Drug Emporum near you they may carry this. Mine does. Also they have a great fragrance collection and you can pick up many perfumes that are unboxed for a song! And mine has a really good selection of minis for a really good price.
How about Gorilla Perfumes at Lush? Imogen Rose, Orange Blossom for floral and Breath of God, Spirit of Freedom for unusual or unconvential… worth a try at least!
I’m a little late, but what about some of the Parfums de Nicolai scents? Sacre Bleu? Maybe some of the others. They are reasonably priced and unusual. I also second (or third) Rochas Femme. I purchased a large bottle of the EDP from Amazon for $35. Also, check out Meidy/Perfume Depot on ebay. He has great prices.
Hope this helps.