Today we're helping Parul. Parul has found her holy grail in Chanel Coco Mademoiselle; now she's looking for the perfect scent for hot weather. Ideally, her new perfume would cost less than $90. She has good access to mainstream perfume stores and she is willing to buy online. Here is what we know about Parul:
She's a graduate student in her mid 20's.
She loves shopping, literature, rainy days, American history, peppermint tea, and movies with Jimmy Stewart or Bette Davis.
Parul likes gourmand notes if they aren't loud and screechy. She also likes white florals, ylang ylang, blood orange, mango, jasmine, magnolia, and honeysuckle, and she says a soliflore would be ok. Perfumes she likes include Jessica Simpson Fancy and Dior Pure Poison.
She hates big powerhouse 80's perfumes.
Here are her feelings about some of the fragrances she has tried:
Britney Spears Curious: she likes the magnolia top note but not the dry down.
Dior Hypnotic Poison: root beer, and everyone around her begged her not to wear it.
Dior J'adore and Miss Dior Cherie: boring.
Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne: the berry note is too loud and screechy.
Paris Hilton Siren: she likes it, but it might be a little too heavy for everyday use.
What say you?
Note: image is Melaka, Malaysia by yeowatzup at flickr; some rights reserved.
Un Jardin Sur le Nil by Hermes
Fragonard Fleur d’Oranger
Voyage by Hermes
Chanel Cristalle
DKNY Be Delicious-just a fun fragrance
Calvin Klein Beauty
Guerlain Idylle
second Guerlain Idylle
Hermes Kelly Caleche!
The perfect pretty floral leather, easy to find, yet still original
although I hate that your friends banned you from Hypnotic Poison …
I gotta say the UK Hypnotic Poison Eau Sensuelle is more floral – less root beer and really REALLY lovely. I think you could find a bottle on eBay for around $90.
Is this “root beer” note/accord part of a reformulation? I have a bottle from the year it was released (1998) and don’t get that at all. AG Myrrhe Ardente gives me strong root beer though. Just curious.
Here are a few of my summer faves that fit into your likes and price range:
– Jo Malone White Jasmine & Mint (there is also a Jasmine & Honeysuckle that is discontinued, but can still be found online sometimes)
– Annick Goutal Chevrefeuille or Eau de Camille (both are honeysuckle based)
– L’Artisan The Pour un Ete (this is a little over the price range – 50 ml is $95!)
-Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic and Herba Fresca (2 of my summer standbys – both super refreshing)
– Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess
– Hermes Un Jardin Sur le Nil (can be found at discunters online or Pacifica Lotus Garden is very close and very inexpensive at Sephora or Whole Foods)
And I just thought of one more – Atelier Orange Sanguine. The most realistic orange I’ve found and they have 30 ml bottles for only $55.
Ditto the Jo Malone picks and AG;’s Chevrefeuille – all lovely scents. Diptyque’s Olene is also pretty, ostly jasmine, and Badgley Mischka’s Felurs de Nuit is also very pretty ( a tiny bit loud to start but dries down quickly and beautifully).
Fleurs. Fleurs de Nuit. Apparently typing with just my thumbs today…
You’re “like” for magnolia and jasmine immediately made me think of Avon’s In Bloom (the Reese Witherspoon one). It also has peach and tea. I’ve never tried it myself, but the notes sound right for you. Maybe someone else can comment on whether or not it’s any good…?
I also second the Jo Malone White Jasmine & Mint. Actually I like almost all JMs for summer. They are simple enough for the heat, but not so linear as to be boring.
Good luck!
Sorry – I meant your, not you’re. I blame autocorrect.
Jimmy Choo
Thierry Mugler Angel Sunessence 2011
L’Artisan Mure et Musc Extreme
Annik Goutal Folavril
Bvlgari Mon Jasmin Noir
I definitely agree with Un Jardin sur le Nil and Voyage d’Hermes–give them a try!
And for something unexpected, you should consider Artisan by John Varvatos. Even though it is marketed as a men’s fragrance, it’s a lovely orange blossom edt that smells like a summer breeze!
I’m going to have to try jardin sur le nil so many people have recommended it! Looking back at the email I sent I’m a little embarrassed at the plethora of celebrity scents, haha……but they are really all I could use to pinpoint what I like or don’t like. I havent had too much experience ):
If you like white florals, then Estee Lauder Private Collection Tuberose and Gardenia.
Mon Jasmin noir- Bulgari but I got my 50ml for about $95!
And there’s Rochas- Fluer d’eau for is also a sweet and refreshing summer scent, one of my personal summer favorites, notes include Blackcurrant, Apricot, MelonYlang-Ylang, Lily of the valley, and freesia
with base notes of Sandal, and vetiver. I think you could get it online.
Two perfumes with jasmine and honeysuckle that you might like to try are Diptyque’s Olene and L’Artisan’s La Haie Fleurie (not sure if the latter is available in a size smaller than 100 ml, which is above the price range, at about $135).
I recommend Badgley Mishcka. A soft floral with fruity top notes and a gourmand-leaning woody base.
I second the Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic and Herba Fresca and the Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess. Great choices! Very light and refreshing.
I would also recommend Estee Lauder Beautiful’s summer flankers & Pleasure’s summer flankers too -both which usually contain some combo of – jasmine, tuberose, orange Blossom, Lily of the Valley & Ylang-Ylang. They are both very well done and are in your price range.
And now the best for last = the re-issue of Givenchy Eau de Givenchy – Les Parfums Mythiques. Top notes – grapefruit and bergamot; middle notes – honeysuckle and jasmine; Base notes – cedar and musk. It’s the perfect scent for summer. When people smell it on me, they always move in even closer for another sniff and ask me what it is. When I tell them, the women are usually shocked and the men usually write it down. It’s not an 80’s power house but it it does have good sillage. So try applying lightly at first and I think you may really like it. It’s sophisticated but approachable.
Good luck!
The new L’occitane Peony EDP is very lovely with heart notes of peony and magnolia and a soft warm dry down of vanilla, cedar and musk. It comes in a pretty little bottle and is around $60. I do not usually like the L’occitane fragrances because they have become very boring over the past few years, plus they almost always have absolutely no longevity. There is a Peony EDT also and it is not nearly as nice as the new EDP concentration.
For fun, how about some of the LUSH perfumes? kinda on the strong side for me, but I liked Imogen Rose and their jasmine (is it called Lust?); I think the parfums de Nicolai line is wonderful as well! Vanille Tonka and Vie de Chateau are favorites!
Have to second PdN – few perfumes are so good and not expensive!
I’ve been lurking around this site for a while, but decided to finally take the plunge and comment. If Parul likes jasmine, Guerlain’s new Aqua Allegoria Jasminora might be worth checking out. I got a bottle from Sephora last week, and it’s quite nice and well within Parul’s price range — not particularly complex or long-lasting, but depending on how hot Parul’s summers are, those attributes may not be negatives. (I live in the Bay Area but have family in Houston, and as much as I like this AA, I’m sure I’d reach for it much more in the latter location.)
I’m not sure how Parul feels about green scents, but my current warm-weather favorite is the original Estée Lauder Private Collection. It’s affordable, a classic, and (to my nose) contains a few of the notes she mentioned.
(I’m sorry I can’t help much with gourmand recommendations, but those really aren’t my bag … )
I’m so glad you commented!!! (:
.I live in the south and it gets really really hot down here so those sound like good suggestions (:
Good luck! It can be so hard to find perfumes that work in Southern summer weather.
Gourmande and white flower? How about Parfumerie Generale’s Tubereuse Couture? It ticks those boxes, and it quite creamy and discreet once the camphorous top notes die down. It’s a truly gorgeous, unusual, distinctive gourmande white flower fragrance. I adore it!
And as for Magnolia, try Magnolia Romana from Eau D’Italie. It’s quite a fresh, green scent.
And for the Ylang Ylang……..have a try of Parfumerie General’s Ylang Ivohibe and Heeley;s “St Clement’s” cologne which mixes it with fruits and earl grey notes. Perfect summer scents, both of them.
what great suggestions!! thank you guys!!! mayk I agree, I loved hypnotic poison dearly and was so sad they wouldnt let me ): i only wear it alone now.
if you’re interested i could send you a sample of HP Sensuelle – I picked it up at a duty free shop a couple months ago.
fellow HP lovers unite!
thats so sweet of you! how do i pay you can i send you a check?
email me ssm247@gmail.com !!!
The new Lancome O de L’Orangerie is absolutely lovely, one sniff and I was hooked on this summery floral citrus. Well within budget at 55 bucks, should be in US soon.
A couple of recommendations:
Jo Malone Vanilla & Anise – Despite the name, it’s mostly a lovely sheer floral mix, with an emphasis on white flowers. The anise is subtle. Check out the reviews!
En Voyage Perfumes Nectars des Iles and Vents Ardents (samples available online) – Nectars is a gorgeous tropical floral mix, and Vents has an amazing mango note. These are both wonderful alone and also great worn together!
Parul, I often see positive reviews and comments on the Lolita Lempicka line. It’s well within your limit and often described as having gourmand notes. Si Lolita was reviewed recently on NST, and the original Lolita Lempicka got 5 stars in The Guide. I’ve been meaning to try them forever just for the adorable bottles.
Given Parul’s love of old movies, wondering about the Harlowesque Vraie Blonde from Etat Libre d’Orange – champagne, rose, peach etc over suede. I think perhaps some of the lighter Ormonde Jaynes, Osmanthus, Sampaquita, could appeal and on a headier note, perhaps also Tiare and Frangiapani (the Ormonde Jayne sample kit available from their website is terrific value).
… and oh, Histoires de Parfums library of scents seem perfect for a literary type and their beautiful gourmand 1969 comes to mind (peach, rose, coffee, chocolate) as does 1873 Collette (white flowers, mandarin, grapefruit which Robin called a light, carefree, gourmand citrus and a happy summery scent) and 1804 George Sand (amber floral).
+1 on the Jo Malone colognes, I’m sure you can have fun mixing and matching quite a few of them. How about Eau de Rochas pour Femme? Reasonably priced, fresh and classy. Or perhaps check the L’Occitane Voyage en Mediterranee collection: they have a lovely Neroli EDP, the Jasmine one is very pretty as well, and they are incredibly fresh and long lasting. Have fun sampling!
I thought I was through with gourmands Marc Jacobs Biscotti splash reeled me back in. This is the best of most worlds for me – gourmand, floral and a bit spicy but perfect for summer (although I wear it year round). It’s light but this one doesn’t disappear nearly as fast as most of the MJ Splashes on me. And the giant bottle means you’re really supposed to apply generously. Original price I think is $65-$75 but as his new “cocktails” line is out, this should start showing up at the discounters for $20-30. (Mine was still available at the local dept store counter last time I checked.)
Btw, here are the notes as listed on Fragrantica.com:
spicy refreshing fragrance composed of freesia, bergamot, orange blossom, pistachio blossom and vanilla.
And, as if the discount gods heard my call, I found not only MJ Biscotti, but also Apple and Pomegranate at my local Marshall’s for $22.99 ea.
I’m late, as usual, but just thought I’d chime in with my one recommendation for Agent Provocateur Maitresse. It’s quite a warm floral, but powdery, and to my nose, dry, if you get my meaning, so it doesn’t overpower in the heat. it’s got ylang ylang, jasmine sambac and some leather in there somewhere. It’s a medium sillage, and has great lasting power.
1. Taj Sunset by Escada has mango and blood orange notes, and it does not smell artifical.
2. Island Song Coco Mango perfume oil. The listed notes are “juicy mango and creamy coconut, plus fresh pineapple, orange and jasmine,” but I think the focus is on the white florals with just a touch of fruit. http://www.storeterranovabody.com/Coco-Mango-Perfume-p/po-085-93-b.htm