Same old open thread: talk about anything you like — the perfume you’re wearing today, the perfume you you recently rediscovered, the perfume you're planning to buy this fall, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: image is Vista de bicho / A bug's view by pasotraspaso at flickr; some rights reserved.
Wearing Un Jardin En Medsiterraneè. Rediscovered Eau de Cartier. Planning to buy Kyoto.
All nice picks 🙂
Learning with NSTPERFUME!!! Part of the credit is yours!!! 😉
Hi, can’t wait to try Miller Harris Un Petit Rien flanker of Air de Rien ( which I actually don’t really enjoy, too stuffy); also very curious about the new 19. Any opinions about these two?
Will finally purchase Outrageous F. Malle.
I’m really looking forward to the new no. 19; every time I get an email from Chanel, I’m holding my breath… and still nothing. I’m getting impatient! 🙂
I was at Nordstrom today and the SA told me that it wouldn’t be there until October. I’m sure the Chanel boutiques have it, but it will be awhile for the rest of us.
I like it quite a bit and have trouble liking iris scents. I decided I need some when I can get it.
The new No 19 is out in UK already. I quite liked the opening, it reminded me a little of their Bel Respiro but with a generous sprinkle of powder. That was my favourite part. Unfortunately the drydown is mostly just dull white musk. On my skin it found it quite fleeting but then nothing lasts on my skin. I want to try it sprayed on fabric next.
I compared it with the original No19 on paper only and there was almost no resemblance between the two.
Nooooooooo!
Oh, you might end up loving it or at least liking it better than I did. Or it could be money saved? Which is another thing, 50ml bottle is priced at £61 here which somehow seems quite expensive.
Guess it’s more in the mold of Cristalle Eau Verte than No. 5 Eau Premiere. I found Eau Verte so wan and forgettable. 🙁
I can’t comment since I’ve no recollection what Cristalle Eau Verte is like, lol 😀
I didn’t hate No19 Poudre, it just didn’t blow me away. It’s still arguably more interesting than an average mainstream release (at least the top and perhaps the middle notes) which probably says a lot about my expectations for average mainstream releases. I just wish they finished what they started and put more effort into the base.
Can somebody describe me Habit Rouge???
Sweet, dusty leather.
VERY sweet.
I’ll third the sweet dusty description. I haven’t worn it in a while, so I just squirted some and I’m getting more citrus top than I remember, and whoa, the tiniest bit of indole/skank? Both burn off in 3-5 min and what is left seems to me not a million miles from Shalimar. Or orig Lagerfeld for men, only without the “chewable vitamin” accord
Thank you all!!!!!!
I’d like to follow up on this post from last May: https://nstperfume.com/2011/05/11/lartisan-iris-pallida-fleur-doranger-reissued-fragrances/
Is it possible to find L’Artisan Fleur d’Oranger either in Canada or online? It’s not on the L’Artisan website (at least from my location) and from what I understand, three months ago, it couldn’t be found in North American stores. Has it changed?
This one isn’t out yet. Every time I go to Barney’s it’s my first question. I believe it will be out in August.
Oh, I thought it was a special spring-summer edition? Good, it means I haven’t missed it! Thanks, I’ll keep my eyes open!
Alnysie….I have some of the Fleur d’Oranger and can share a split with you, if you think a split would satisfy the craving until you can acquire an FB somewhere ? Daisyloo82 AT gmail DOT com
Try Noor in Toronto http://noorboutique.com/. I think they had bottles from this or the previous release.
I just bought a set of the Patou Ma Collection and have been trying them out, as I had heard of these perfumes for years but had never yet had a chance to sniff any of them. So far, none have really worked well for me. I was really looking forward to Colony, but was disappointed. The initial pineapple note is wonderful and unusual, but it only lasts about 10 minutes on me, after which it becomes a very nice, but unremarkable, scent. Most of them seem to follow a similar pattern on my skin. It seems that the top and heart notes burn off within a half hour, leaving nothing but the drydowns, which, while generally nice, are not nearly distinctive enough to justify tracking down a FB of any of them. Several of them actually become unpleasant on my skin (Caline, Moment Supreme, and Vacances). I guess I am just not a Patou girl.
I’m not a Patou girl either. I do love Joy, but so far, that’s it.
Hi 50_Roses, no, you are not the only one. I got a sample of Colony and had the same reaction as you. Pineapple was lovely but fleeting, and after that the fragrance faded to some kind of vague, perfumey hum. I also have a mini of Ma Liberte. After a nice opening, that too faded to something bland that reminds me of a watery version of the dry down of Chanel’s Coco.
They are reformulations of old classics, but to me at least, it seems that Patou (or whoever owned Patou at the time) must not have put much effort and money into them. They seem to think that all they need do is reconstruct the opening, as a gesture to the classic version, after which their work is done. Cynical.
I stick with Joy.
I have the larger bottles of Chaldee and Que Sais-Je? and enjoy them a lot. Have not done a careful comparison with the smaller bottles to see if they are different.
Piping up to say that I wear and love Colony. I also was lucky enough to receive three more Patou decants in Swapmania – Normandie, Que Sais Je and L’Heure Attendue, and I really like all three of them. They seem to have a similar base, and I think it may be a case of whether or not a house’s base works or not for an individual. I can think of any number of scents that were fine for me on the opening and part way through the heart, only to disappoint in the base. Maybe this is the case with you and the Patous?
Actually, you named two of the Patous that I liked the best (L’Heure Attendue and Normandie). It wasn’t that I didn’t like them, or the bases; I know what you mean about the similar base, and I did like it; it was just that several of the Patous reached that nearly identical base in such a short time. In fact, in a side-by-side comparison (I think it was L’Heure Attendue, Normandie, and Divine Folie) I was almost unable to tell them apart within a half-hour or so. I guess I was disappointed that they didn’t retain individual identities a little longer.
Que-Sais-Je? followed a somewhat unusual trajectory in that I liked it better the longer I had it on. The top notes had an element of burnt plastic/hot electronics that I found off-putting, but the drydown was nice. I really did like Colony, and the base is a very nice floral chypre, which I would gladly wear if I had a bottle, but I wish the pineapple lasted more than 10 minutes. I guess the bottom line is that I didn’t think any of them lived up to the expectations I had built up from some of the glowing reviews I had read.
I must be a Patou girl….Joy, Vacances, Colony, Attendue….all good! They do have a similarity of base…so if it works for you, then it’s great….if it does not then it can ruin an entire line for you. Such are those Cartier Heures thingies…can’t abide a single one…and it’s all the base.
I haven’t tried either Vacances or Chaldee – I’m askeered to! 😉
I have disliked just about every Patou I’ve ever tried, with the exception of Vacances, which I LOVE. If you ever decide to ditch that one, please let me know and I’ll make grateful Paypal arrangements ASAP… 🙂
I haven’t tried them all, but I liked (didn’t love) Colony and Ma Liberte. I really do like my bottle of Cocktail, however.
I just ordered a bottle of Ma Liberte, untried, but at what seemed a decent price and according to some good reviews.
I’ve been wearing Shalimar Parfumerie Initial over the past few days, and have been really happy with it. I love the original, and I liked the Ode a la Vanille too. PI has surprised me, I guess maybe because my expectations were on the low-side? I’d snap up a bottle, if I wasn’t holding my budget for the new Chanel no. 19 Poude!
I wish they would give a specific release date! All this mystery is really annoying. 🙁
My friend and I just decanted a 65-year old sealed bottle of Shalimar eau de parfum that had been her grandmother’s and it was MAGICAL. Then today, I scored a mini of contemporary Shalimar EdT for comparison– and though I’m tempted to say there is none, the newer Shalimar seemed appealing to me in its own way. 🙂
I think getting to open a 65-year-old sealed bottle of any perfume would be magical!
Seconding that though!!
Oh, yes.
It is magical. I have a couple of very old bottles of Shalimar extrait that are still sealed – a rosebud bottle and a flacon in a special presentation leather box.
My expectations of Parfum Initial are extremely low, which is a step up from my initial hostility, so maybe I will be pleasantly surprised when I finally sniff it. I’m glad to hear that “real” Shalimar fans like it. 😉
I have several vintages and various concentration, and I find that I love them all! Each speaks with it’s own voice, but sings the same beautiful song 😉
beautifully said and I agree! I also love Shalimar and Ode a la Vanille- and quite liked the new pink rendition.
What a beautiful way to describe it. I love the original in all its forms and also like Eau Legere and Ode a la Vanille. I’m not so crazy about the reformulated Light (the blue one) but maybe I’ll like the pink one. Is it EdP?
Julia, I think it is an EDP: the lasting power is stellar, and the sillage is about mid-range (two-foot radius?). There have been quite a few people to hate it, but I think if you approach it with low expectations, you’ll be pleasantly surprised! 🙂
So far none of the Shalimar ilk are good for me (as in “I cannot bear them”) ….until Parfum Initial. And I love it….I’ve been wearing it almost everyday for almost 2 weeks! (keeping in mind that I change fragrances a couple times throughout the day…even so, applying the same thing each morning is virtually unheard of!)
I tested Shalimar Initial last weekend and can’t wait until I can get a FB! I got lots of iris and the drydown brought out patchouli. It was just wonderful!
Wow! I feel like I sniffed a totally different scent than you did! I’m going to have to try it again, because I felt like I got almost no dry down at all! It starts really bright, with a touch of candied sweetness and quickly fades to sort of dusty, vaguely vanilla “perfume” on me. It is this lack of dry-down that I found most disappointing! (Although I am beginning to wonder if I’m anosmic to iris, since I rarely feel like I’m wearing much scent at all if iris is a major note!)
Marjorie, you might have an iris anosmia! I’m hyper-sensitive to it, so I found it to be a huge (almost overwhelming) blast, followed by a nice—and very long lasting—amber/vanilla dry-down.
Ok. I just did a little experiment. I sprayed Shalimar Initial on my left wrist and Prada Infusion d’Iris on the right. Yup. Almost nothin’! The SI has that brightness I noted before, but otherwise, there’s little else. I still can’t smell much of anything of the Prada Id’I. Weird how noses work, huh?
In a way, that is really cool! I mean, PI probably won’t do it for you, but it’s fun to learn what we can/can’t smell. Victoria told me once that we can learn to smell things we are anosmic to (I’m anosmic to some synthetic moss notes), though I haven’t proven the theory 🙂
Interesting. . .Did she suggest how we improve our sense of smell?
Yes! By sniffing the known aromachemical in different fragrances—one of my “training” scents was EL Jasmine & White Moss, which was supposed to (if I remember correctly) help me to be able to smell the synthetic moss in Gucci Rush.
Marjorie Rose, my impression was similar to yours. The opening was by far the best part IMO, bright and effervescent and iris-y, but the drydown seemed meek and a bit sour. Didn’t like it on fabric either. Made me wonder if Thierry Wasser wasn’t forced to wear his creation around for a full day instead of playing with it on paper blotters. I wish they could bottle just the opening …
An interesting point, Bonbori! Now I am wondering how often they *do* bother to wear a scent to see what it is like over several hours!? It seems like such an essential measure of the long-term enjoyment of a scent, although I have noticed that many folk (including my pre-perfumista self) don’t know how much a scent can change over time, and only buy based on the top notes!
The other observation I had watching those BBC docs was HOW MUCH they would spray on an arm to sell it/test it! The ladies seemed totally DAMP with perfume as they gave it a sniff! Seems strange since I wouldn’t dream of 3-4 sprays on one spot for most fragrances!
LOL they did spray an unsettling amount on their arms!
I’m sure the houses test how the scent changes over time but it’s so variable in terms of whether it’s skin or fabric, or body chem, or climate and I just can’t picture Wasser or Elena or whoever walking around running errands with some ladies’ scent on their forearms, checking in on it over and again — i.e. not sure the auteur gets to smell his perfume *lived in.* (The best is when a fragrance surprises you and comes back after a few hours, in a new shape and more lovely than before.)
Oooh, yes! I love that “sneak attack” of some of the more complex fragrances! It seems like they vary enough that my nose doesn’t get used to it and completely phase it out.
Well, I can sort of imagine Elena wandering about his forest cabin wearing a fragrance all day to get a feel for it, but the more commercial folk, not so much!
Yes, I think maybe Elena detects scent the way dogs can hear sounds humans can’t.
🙂
Isn’t that blast of iris wonderful? It surprised me, and over the delicious base, it’s a winner in my book 🙂
People seem to be pleasantly surprised by Shalimar PI.
As for Chanel, they do it deliberately dee, to maintain the lemmings. Mystery is part of the attraction. Sigh.
I guess that is part of the appeal 😉
BTW, I wore Diorella today! And it’s wonderful! I was afraid that would happen… but I won’t get a bottle until after the move when I acquire a bigger cabinet! 🙂
Ah Diorella! *Sighs with pleasure.* (Hey, that rhymes. Clever me.)
I’ve been wearing my Shalimar Eau Legere for consecutive days now and I am loving it. For my next purchase, I am planning for three FM and one Guerlain: Le Parfum de Therese, Iris Poudre, Dans Te Bras, and Tonka Imperiale. For FM, I hope I can get them here in Riyadh each in 10 ml x 3 set. *fingers crossed*
Happy Saturday! I havent picked my scent for the day yet. I recently purchased FB of SL Feminite du Bois and Fan di Fendi. For the Fall I’m planning to buy SSS Dream, Bond No 9 Brooklyn and Le Labo Rose 31. Hmmm, guess I need to keep working to support my habit 🙂
You and me both!
I just ordered samples of SSS Tabac Aurea and Champagne de Bois, so my fall list may be growing longer…. :-0
At least the SSS scents are reasonably priced. I love that she offers the option of small bottles for all her scents too.
Yes the smaller sizes definitely help to save me from myself!
I agree – wonderful things at SSS, and reasonably priced.
mmmm …excellent choices! Champagne de Bois is one of my all time favorite fragrances and Tabac Aurea is the best tobacco leaf scent you’ll ever find! *you have done well* 🙂
Thanks! I’m very excited and can’t wait until my samples arrive 🙂
Fem du Bois is great!
It is a beautiful scent. I never smelled the original, so I am happily satisfied with the reformulation 🙂
My rediscovery also became my SOTD, Chloe Eau de Fleurs Capucine. I pulled it from the back of my vanity. I wasnt sure I was in the mood for something so green, but it’s turned out to be perfect!
I have been sort of disenchanted with my entire collection lately, and have been neglected it. Sounds like I need a new frag, right? I have an (un-sniffed!) bottle of Bvlgari Black coming my from a swap I am excited about, and I plan to finally buy “Like This” in time for fall, a bottle which I have been saving for for a long time.
Bvlgari Black is wonderful. It worked on my skin better than Dzing!, which I wish I could pull off but haven’t been able to so far. But Black is wonderfully strange and pretty all at once.
Frag ennui hits me now and then, too, and I’ll just stand in front of my cabinet and shake my head, imagining someone with a massive wardrobe must fall victim to the ‘nothing to wear’ mood, too, though I have so many decants, samples and bottles I don’t know how it can be possible. 🙂
I am very excited to smell it! I have heard so many rave reviews. The fragrance boredom always seems like it can be cured with a new scent but I know it is really a symptom of having too many already.
Great minds think alike. I tried curing my fragrance boredom with a bottle of Black this week too. I like it a lot. It’s not as strange as I thought it would be. Works well on me.
I second that — Bulgari Black is wonderful. Original and wearable too, and great smelling. And the bottle!
ooh, the bottle is good too??!? extra excited now
Black was my first love, obsession and have-to-have when I started this journey. I’v just tried it again, and remember why! It gives me this image of a large exotic purple flower at midnight. It’s growing just off the road, thus the smell of sweet tyre. Somehow it makes me feel like I am in the middle of a very exciting adventure….
Well that is an enticing description! I hope I’ll be able to get a similiar vibe from it.
You’ve not seen the bottle? it’s cool, you’re gonna love it. 🙂
however, it is nearly IMPOSSIBLE to decant from….
I just looked it up, it is very cool, very understated. You would be restrained by the practicalities of decanting tho, lol!
LOL –Bulgari Black was my first scrubber years ago….now I love it and have a bottle and a back up bottle!! oh, how things change!
My first scrubber was Dzongkha! Maybe one day that will change too…
Off! Active is my current scent as I divide some bearded iris.
Am enjoying a box of samples from Aedes de Venustas, especially Femininite du Bois.
Thinking of the vintage Ma Griffe: any current scent recommendations?
Re scrubbers: I discovered that Goop waterless hancleaner will get rid of just about anything – checked their website and found that you can now get packets of it. Perfect for a day of field testing on skin…
Interesting, I’ll have to look for the Goop!
Me too! Thanks for the recommendation NancyG. I have scent glue skin and so far nothing I have tried has worked except time, and lots of it!
holy cow! Goop? my dad used to keep this in the tractor shed to get oil and yucky tractor stuff off his hands….little did I know how valuable it was…..must get some…
Today I’m wearing dabs from a sample of Aftelier’s Honey Blossom (got it from a swap and it’s labeled ‘Linden Blossom edp’ but I think it’s the HB) and it is beautiful. Nothing fancy or unusual, but more a beautiful floral that hits all the right notes in all the right places. It is sweet without being cloying, delicate enough for the heat and just very well made. I’m now considering a mini since a full bottle (50ml for around $150) is a bit spendy for me at the moment.
A recent re-discovered perfume that pleases my gourmand heart is Sensuous Noir. I got a sample when it first came out and recall liking it as much as the original, but forgot about it over the months. After recently getting a decant, I was reminded of how much I enjoy it and can’t wait to wear it on snuggly fall evenings and think just a drop under some of the more dry incense frags would be really pretty. If it hits the discount sites, I’m snapping up a bottle.
Things I’m saving up to buy this fall would be SDV, a bottle of Like This as well since that is just wonderful and a decant of Farnesiana since I’m in a pretty persistent almond/heliotrope phase and it seems to get a lot of love on MUA.
My only bit of frustration comes from finding a bottle of Guerlain AA Mandarine-Basilic for a fantastic price on Ebay, but finding that the seller won’t ship overseas. 🙁 I suppose the shipping amount from there to here would make up a bit for the price difference, but how frustrating! 🙂
I’m in an almond/heliotrope phase too; Farnesiana is gorgeous. I have samples on the way of Bourbon French Anastasia and Heliotrope, Sonoma Scent Studio Lieu de Reves, and Parfum de Nicolai Kiss Me Tender. Does anyone have any other recommendations for heliotrope perfumes?
Soivohle’s Lilacs and Heliotrope demi-absolute by Liz Zorn is quite nice. Liz has smaller sizes, too, and a great sample program. [Unfortunately heliotrope and I just don’t get along; wanted to find the magic so many others do in L’Heure Bleue, and never could.]
There’s also the Etro Heliotrope, very pretty but a little to sweet for my tastes 🙂
Belle en Rykiel has a beautiful heliotrope note, though there’s a lot else going on too….
Am I remembering right that FM L’Eau D’Hiver has heliotrope? Lovely in any case, of course!
L’Eau de L’Hermine by Lostmarc’h has listed heliotrope in it’s ingredients. This is one I’ve recently sampled (recommended by Vanessa aka ‘Bonkers’). Really nice fragrance and perfect for summer!
I think I’m in an almond/heliotropin phase, too. I had a small decant of Bois Farine sitting around for three years and I decided to give it one more chance before swapping it away and I fell in love. I know a lot of people get peanut butter but to me it is rich almond with hot, dry spices that mellow down to a gentle, a non-musky skin scent that I adore.
It is also nice layered with Hypnotic Poison which is an almondy, non-edible vanilla. I accidentally discovered the layering potential of Hypnotic Poison when I tested it while wearing VC&A Bois d’Iris. I found the combination lovely and received several compliments on it.
I am blanking on SDV? and I agree….must…have…Like This!!
Yum to both… want Like This, have some Spiritueuse Double Vanille.
has anyone tried Attrape Coeur?
It captured my heart! I’d ordered a bunch of samples of Hermes, Guerlain an a few obscure Chanel’s (obscure to me; all I wore was 19 for nearly 25 years!) and Attrape Couer is the only one I keep going back to…lovely, and I’d consider a purchase.
Like everyone, I can’t wait to try the new 19…
I have a FB of Attrape Coeur that I picked up about a year ago. I was on one of my rare outings to NM and they still had a few bottles. I had never even sniffed it before, but I tried it then and there and ended up buying a bottle on the spot. I don’t usually buy perfume on impulse like that, especially anything at the price level of the more limited distribution Guerlains, but I knew if I let it go I would regret it. It seems to be very difficult to find now; there are bottles on eBay, but they are going for truly outrageous prices.
Same here and I’m really glad I did. I had a little accident while decanting some for my daughter. Luckily I didn’t lose very much and I was able to get most of it with a cotton pad to use as a (very expensive) sachet.
Yes, unfortunately, it’s discontinued now. I only discovered it early last year, and it has become my most favorite and treasured scent. If I wanted a signature, this would be it.
I think its still part of the Parisienne series.
True – it still displays on the Guerlain website, and there may still be a few bottles out there in retail stores…but it is a fact that the scent has been discontinued…unfortunately! It’s tragic IMO!
It is nearly gone from the universe—If you like it and you come across a bottle for sale (current Parisienne cost $255) –my recommendation is : SNAP IT UP. Attrape is pretty thin on the ground these days.
Attrape Coeur is my “rediscovered scent” for this poll. I loved my sample, ordered a decant, and then wondered what had I been thinking since I’m not a big violet fan. I passed my decant on but a year or so later the person I sent it to sent it back to me and now I love it – so much so that I bought a partial bottle.
Ooooh, how lucky that that decant came back to you for a second chance! I’ll be nursing my 2 little decants forever! Luckily, AC is a big-sillaged and long-lasting scent on me, so a tiny spritz goes a long way.
🙂
I’ll be happy to go back-up shopping anytime you decide you need more. 😉
Yes, it’s stunning! 🙂
Yes, got a sample from an SA, took it home, fell in love, heard it was going away, and went to buy it posthaste. Yum. I feel very female when I wear that one.
Odd weather in Wa. has made me want my fall/winters but yet I am loathe to give in just yet! I just rubbed on some Pacifica Mediterranean Fig body cream (love their body creams!!) and then applied Ninfeo Mio .
It’s gorgeous topgether. 😀
I sure wish it was a sunny day instead of rainy and then it would make it perfect! I’ll go running in it soon…
Last night I wore Sonoma Scent Studio’s Lieu de Reves and am in love with how perfect of a bedtime scent it is. TY Ann! I love my kitty Kinky Boy as he sleeps on my lap right now and his head smells like a mix of samples from my arms. I am awaiting splits of Shalimar Parfum Initial, Montale Roses Elixir , Creeds Rose Bulgare,SMN Melograno,LL Iris 39 and Labdanum 18.*crossing fingers it happens!* Kink just sneezed! 😉 ha
I got Agent Provocateur from Charlotte ( TY C!) and love it along with Miller Harris Fleur Oriental parfum with that pretty crystal stopper from evilbay -making me want cold weather which also makes me want to slap myself! ha.
Love the sound of your fig mix! I want a bottle of Ninfeo Mio.
Nice combo!
I love how KinkyBoy smells like your perfumes…..Maxie smells like Fleur d’Oranger today! 🙂
You’re welcome! Glad you (and Kittah) are enjoying it!
Today I’m wearing CdG Hinoki for a Harry Potter matinee (the end of an era!). Carmageddon can’t stop me! (carmageddon = closure of major LA freeways for renovation; cue traffic chaos).
As for future perfume acquisitions, my 30th birthday is looming–August 29th will be here before I know it–and I think it calls for at least one full bottle purchase. I’m contemplating a couple Ormonde Jaynes (Champaca or Ta’if), Frederic Malle’s Portrait of a Lady, Serge Lutens Chergui, or maybe SSS Tabac Aurea. Or I could sample something entirely new and that list could change, but for now that’s how it stands.
Lucky you! I won’t see it until mid-week. Hinoki is perfect for it, too.
You’re in for a treat, Robin. I really enjoyed the final HP. Though I have to say I was hoping for a little more enthusiasm from the crowd. Half the fun is watching the movie with people who are as equally excited as you are to see it. But there wasn’t a whole lot of cheering or wild clapping during moments of triumph. More like polite applause, which was disappointing.
Of course–what’s the point of having a birthday if you can’t indulge yourself a little? I know what you mean about that 30th birthday “looming”. For me, that was the most difficult one to deal with so far. Strangely enough, 40 wasn’t nearly as bad.
Yeah, I feel like 30 officially sounds grown-up, and yet I still feel like I’m 16 sometimes. And alternately 80. 🙂
That’s about how I felt when I turned 30. It seemed like irrevocable adulthood, the end of youth. After that, I was dreading 40, but when it actually got here, it really was not that big of a deal.
You hit 30 a month and a day after I hit 40. Yikes. Obviously, a perfume purchase is required… I just haven’t started thinking about which one.
Hey Roses and Boo – I’d be HAPPY to see 40 again!!
I’m actually good with it. It’s more “yikes” as in “how did I get here already?”. 30 didn’t bother me at all either.
I feel the same way! Time has gone from simply flying to using the space shuttle!
Or warp speed!
Happy early birthday! Are you doing anything special to celebrate turning 40?
I wore OJ Woman to the midnight showing. I felt perfectly witchy! 🙂
OJ Woman is perfect for the HP midnight show! I wish I had sat next to you instead of the girl loudly munching away on her popcorn during key intense moments of the film. :-/
That’s a great excuse. Maybe I should make such a wishlist for my 50th…
A perfume wish list is definitely in order for your 50th! 🙂
SOTD: Diptyque’s l’Ombre dans l’eau – perfect for the beautiful, hot summer day we’re having here.
I’ve got a question: Lately I’ve been ordering samples in the 1.5 ml spray size, and now I’ve got some great little empty spray bottles that I’d like to reuse. How exactly do you go clean something like that so there’s no cross-perfume-contamination?
I asked this recently myself because I wanted to reuse a BK atomizer for a different scent. I think the general consensus was that cleaning is more feasible with glass containers, as you can boil them but that with plastic it was more difficult because the was like leeched by the scent at a molecular level. Someone said that they had cleaned out an atomizer and container several times with rubbing alcohol, and let it dry, and then used a heavier/strong scent then the one that had been in there previously with good results.
Thanks, Meg!
Hi Dionne!
Unless it’s the same scent, I wouldn’t recommend it; in my experience it’s impossible to completely clean them, and you don’t want to contaminate anything new—rubbing alcohol has a very distinct smell too, and that will stay behind in the atomizer along with traces of the original scent. Speaking from experience 😉
I agree with Dee on this one. I once received a sample in a swap of a perfume I had a manufacturer sample of – over the course of about 5 days to a week, the perfume in the swap sample no longer smelled like it should. The swapper had told me she reuses her bottles and in this case I could actually smell the original perfume that first lived in the sample bottle coming through.
I have read that one is supposed to be able to soak them in vodka and run the vodka through the sprayer and reuse them. I even bought the vodka but I haven’t tried it yet because so far it’s been easier to find a new bottle. But if you intend to re-use bottles I’d try this method. I believe the vodka leaves less residue than rubbing alcohol?
Ethanol, which is the alcohol in vodka (and all other alcoholic beverages) simply has a far less intense odor than isopropyl alcohol, which is what most rubbing alcohol is. In my experience, though, it is just very hard to remove the residual scent from plastic, no matter how long you let it soak.
I wouldn’t recommend reusing an atomizer for a different scent. Maybe you could do it….but I ‘d be too concerned about adulterating the new scent……You could try visiting Accessories for Fragrances or SKS bottles and pick up some inexpensive glass atomizers for a really reasonable price and have your own supply…never have to worry about reusing again! 🙂
Wearing Chanel 28 la Pausa. It was Bear’s comment that he considered it a vetiver fragrance encouraged me to try it. I usually find Chanel (aside from vintage No. 5) overly refined, but vetiver keeps 28 more natural.
I’ve rediscovered an old fav, Joop! Rococo, and the next frag I want to buy is FM Le Parfum de Therese.
Wearing Le Troisieme Homme by Caron and frankly, not digging it as much as I’d hoped to. I may need a do-over.
A “do-over.” LOL!
I’m wearing Andy Tauer’s Carrion pour un ange often these days- it’s very nice. =)
For the coming Fall, I’m thinking of buying Une rose chypree.
Both excellent choices!
Une Rose Chypree will be perfect for fall! go for it!
Wearing dabs from a sample of Keiki Mercheri Jasmine. We’re in our 3rd week of 100+ days and I can’t wait for Fall! On a newly restrictive budget so just buying a few samples here and there. Will probably ask for Jasminora for my Oct. b-day tho I’d really like Boadica the Victorious Divine! Heading out for a conference for three days and planning scents and wardrobe right now. Have a good weekend all!!
Ouch, that’s too hot even for me, and I love summer.
Hallo!
I also love L’Ombre Dans L’Eau- my signature scent, and I have read that Keiko Mecheri’s Damascena smells quite the same only fresher and lighter. Does anybody know about it?
I did not remember the KM being that green or sharp — hope somebody else will chime in since it’s been so long since I’ve smelled it.
Thanks Robin! I love L’Ombre, so, if this is quite similar I might risk buying it unsniffed 🙂
Perfume in Morocco. I’m going to Morocco soon…is there anything that I should not miss in the perfume field? I am going to Fes, Meknes and Tangiers…are there any great perfume sellers that you know? Thanks.
No ideas regarding perfume, but green with envy over your trip to Morocco. Hope you have a wonderful time.
It is a miserable cloudy, humid day in central florida. Bronze Goddess is terrific for bringing a bit of cheer.
Once we recover from our upcoming vacation I want a bottle of Shalimar Initial.
I desperately want to try Xerjoff Damascena after reading Marina’s review.
Dixie, I didn’t know you were in my neck of the woods. Yes, it’s been ghastly humid lately, hasn’t it? BG sounds like a good solution. 🙂
Recently moved over here. Any good perfume shopping around this neck of the woods? I’ve only lived here about 3 months.
Saks Fifth Avenue & Nordstrom at Florida Mall, Chanel at Mall of Millenia (though selection was limited last time I was there). Sadly, I haven’t found any shop that carries any niche lines in the area.
Hello, I’m also a Central Floridian! Neiman Marcus is also at Mall of Millenia, they carry some brands Saks doesnt. I’m not aware of any shops with niche lines, though never explored Winter Park area. There is a Guerlain boutique at Disney in Epcot, but that requires price of theme park admission :-0 I do a lot of online fragrance shopping.
Xerjoff Damascene is a nice enough soft rose scent….but for the cost—you could do a lot better. Not to say I wouldn’t wear it if a bottle dropped into my lap….
Parfum Initial —oh yes! you definitely NEED a bottle…great stuff…..try the Lait Delicat pour le Corps as well —it’s perfectly lovely!
Any suggestions on the best type of atomizer? I have acquired probably five or six full splash bottles of perfume that I would like to pour into spray bottles. I seem to get different results when I spray and spraying is certainly faster. If I were really lucky, there would be some kind of universal sprayer that I could simply screw into the top of the splash bottle, but I haven’t run across such a thing. Several of the perfumes were rather pricey, for me, so I don’t want to chance losing the perfume in a poorly-functioning sprayer. Thank you for any suggestions.
There are many options out there: I buy atomizers in bulk from Best Bottles (not affiliated!), and have always had a good experience with them. However, if you don’t need 100 bottles, you may do well to look on eBay! There are quite a few people who are selling atomizers in small quantities (1-5, etc).
Good luck! 🙂
Whatever you do, do NOT use a bulb atomizer. They are terrible! TPC sells decanting supplies, although they don’t have all sizes available all the time. Right now, they only seem to have the 8 ml size in stock in the spray vials. They are reasonably priced and good quality. They are metal spray nozzles with screw fittings, so they can be refillled. You can also get a 2.5 ml size from SSS. I’m sure there are other sources as well.
If you have a Nordstrom, they carry nice travel sprayers for about $5. I use them to decant from my Guerlain bee bottles. I have a few pipettes that I grab the perfume with, rather than pour.
Thank you so much for your responses. I just KNEW there were “insider” tips that would save me! I had wondered about the bulb atomizers and am thankful to have avoided disaster. I’ll check out TPC as I don’t need a ton and the closest Nordstroms is Orlando, I think-which requires traveling on our I-4, which is a near-death experience for me every time. You guys are the best! Again, thanks.
Accessories for Fragrance is a seller on eBay – their prices are a little high for some things, but you can buy in any amount (some places will only do bulk orders) and they are always shipped quickly.
yep—if you only want a few atomizers Accessories for Fragrances is probably the way to go—most of the bottle suppliers have a $40 or $50 minimum order or places like SKS the smallest package is , I think, 3 dozen?…..maybe a few more than you need. 🙂
I’m not sure if ExoticFragrances has a minimum order or not–they also have a variety to choose from.
I’ve been happy with the disposable pipettes, sprayer and vials from TPC. Luckyscent also has small travel sprayers. I haven’t systematically searched for the best brand because I don’t decant a lot and it’s so convenient to add these to a perfume order.
One disappointment was the attractive but dysfunctional alumininum and plastic Travalo sprayer. It sounded useful because it’s designed to be filled directly from spray bottles, but it didn’t work with the one I tried. Now I’m left with a $20 travel spray that I can’t use, since it’s contaminated with a scent that I can’t fill it with and there doesn’t seem to be any way to unscrew the top and fill it the usual way.
Another tip, originally from Joe, is that those small plastic cocktail straws work well as pipettes, especially for smaller amounts or bottles with narrow necks, and they are cheap, of course.
The traviatas are really pretty if you only want one or two as they are expensive. I also had a bad experience with mine as someone gave me bad advice and I changed the fragrance I was using in it. I did not, however, have any problem with getting the perfume inside – I just twisted off the outside nozzle of the perfume and inserted the inside stalk into the bottom of the traviata and pumped. Perhaps you should send yours back if its dysfunctional?
Sorry, I meant the Travalo – must have opera on the brain!
Merlin, you are right – I was doing it incorrectly. It actually works perfectly. GREAT! There are less expensive simple sprayers, but I like that this one is protected by aluminum.
I’m so glad you got it working! I had them demonstrate to me how to do it in the shop when I bought it as I know I am technically challenged. 🙂
For fall, I will likely buy Aesop Marrakech. This was one of the most unusual perfumes I have tried recently, and I drained my sample very quickly. My only concern is that it wasn’t very long-lasting at all. I was thinking perhaps the parfum concentration would have more staying power; can anyone comment on this?
I remember that I liked the parfum more, because it was more round, richer, but can’t recall its lasting power… It’s really a unique perfume. Another fragrance in the same family- and maybe deeper, is L’Air du desert Marocain by Andy Tauer- with great longevity and sillage! Good luck!
SOTD is Cuir Ottoman, which I love in the heat. Rediscovered scent is Chene. I got a decant of it awhile ago, and never wore it much. But wearing it now in the heat – yowsa! It’s beautiful. I think I like smoky, woody scents better in the heat. I also love both Chergui, Lonestar Memories, and Fireside Intense in the summer.
Agree with Chene…it’s a sleeper!
Wearing CSP’s Vanille Abricot. Thought I’d rescue it from the swap box and try to rediscover it, but I’m afraid it may be going back into that swap box.
Scent I want for fall – Traversee du Bosphore. And I’m really liking the new Cartier Baiser Vole.
Karin, I’m looking forward to trying that new Cartier. L’Heure Fougueuse is divine but that’s then only Cartier I’ve fallen for so far.
I love Fougueuse! I smell like the State Fair. Lots of animals.
I want to try the new Cartier Baiser Vole and the new Chanel No. 19. And…anything new Betrand Duchaufour cooks up.
I got a sample of Martin Margiela Untitled in a swap. I need more.
Today I tested a few things, got tired of that and sprayed myself silly with Nuit de Tubereuse. Ah, that’s more like it.
I sniffed Basier Volé at Nordstrom on Friday, and quite liked it even though it’s not my usual kind of thing. I made myself a little sample, which I’m planning to test-drive this week (I’d just immersed myself in a bunch o’ Guerlains at Nordies, and was rapidly approaching nose-fatigue).
I recently had an experience that I would like to share with like-minded souls:
My sister wasn’t feeling well, to the point where she decided she needed to go to Urgent Care, where she was diagnosed with a kidney infection and then she got some meds and all was well again after a few days. However, keep in mind that two of her symptoms were nausea and vomiting. While we were in the waiting room, this woman walked by, emitting a mushroom cloud of cotton candy fragrance. My poor sister went very pale and started chanting her mantra for the day, namely “I will not vomit, I will not vomit”, as I started fanning the area around her, trying to disperse the evil miasma that still lingered long after the woman had left. Granted, in my sister’s case it wouldn’t have mattered if that lady had bathed in Joy or showered in Shalimar, but… yikes. I have been forced to rethink my stance on perfume in public places.
How about just not wearing it to Urgent Care, hospitals and the like?
Yes, in hospitals and doctors’ surgeries, perfume is probably a no-no. Was this cotton-candy scented lady a member of the public, or medical staff?
Hope your sister is feeling better.
Oh, that does sound awful – hope your sister is feeling much better now. My doctor’s office has a sign on the door requesting that people entering the office do not wear “perfume or perfumed lotions.” That seems reasonable to me.
The key is not to create a mushroom cloud.
Exactly! And that applies anywhere you go, not just a medical office. I have always heard that the rule of thumb is that no one should be able to smell your perfume unless they are within an arm’s length of you, which is about 3 feet.
Hey, it’s good to see how others see when we use perfumes: I’ve always used perfumes, strong or weak ones, when assisting patients. And I know a lot of frieds that uses strong perfumes for doing the same function. But it depends on the situation: on you sister’s case it really was not appropriate using that kind of fragrance… Best wishes to her.
When I go to a medical office, I wear Nautica My Voyage because it is pretty but benign. If I have to listen to music in these offices, then they will have to smell my fragrance. It all comes down to consideration for others. My doctor complains that a prevalent ethinic group in the area wears very heavy fragrances, and he is very interested in perfumes! I have to bear nerve-fraying music at the dentist when it is not my choice to have ANY on.
But, as the music can be lower, the perfume can be lighter… Agree?
Yes, Moore, my fragrance is subtle and my dentist’s music is reasonably half-decent in choice but I still prefer silence. If I absolutely was forbidden to wear fragrance to medical offices then I would expect them to comply and shut off the music that I choose not to hear. It’s the principle! I do commiserate with those who have a reaction to perfume. I have a reaction to music.
Yeah, self tastes… It’s no good to discuss them.
Since I myself was nauseous recently I must chime in in defense of perfume. When I felt sick my favorite fragrances turned my stomach which was a first for me. My poor husband thought he’d help me out by picking up something for dinner on his way home from work and when he got home the smell of the food was just as revolting to me as the smell of perfume was. I worked in a medical facility and wore perfume but nothing strong and overpowering. I think when you’re sick to your stomach any strong odor will make you feel worse. I am feeling better and back to spritzing with careless abandon. I hope your sister is feeling better too.
Careful! That’s the word!
My main counter argument is simple. It is called URGENT care, or EMERGENCY room for a reason. If your loved one blows a few fingers off in a fireworks accident, i dont think the response will be, “Wait, let me take a quick shower while you bleed out on the living room floor so i dont offend someone in the waiting room with the perfume im wearing.”
Secondly, an atomizer is not the only way to have a scent attach itself to a person. Perhaps this woman was actually around cotton candy.
I usually wear perfumes to feel better with myself. It’s like an necessary piece of clothing for me. It’s not a question of vanity or futtility, than, that will never affect my job. But sometimes, some types of fragrances are not for the ocasion…
Has anyone tried the new Elie Saab? I know it’s out in UK but when is it coming to US?
There is a scent strip of it in this month’s Elle (with Emma Stone on the cover), if that counts! All I remember thinking was… “kind of interesting.” I think it was musky/woody?
Cybele asked about Miller Harris Un Petit Rien. I bought this perfume from MiN in NYC while at Sniffapalooza a few months ago. I like to wear L’Air de Rien when the weather is warm, but am limited where to wear it because of how intensely ‘dirty’ it can smell(not work appropriate). On me, UPR is a little sweeter, less dirty and I’m able to wear it anytime, anywhere-and I do!
Pivoine asked about the new Elie Saab release. My boss was in Lebanon last month, visiting relatives and she brought me a spray sample vial of this fragrance. To me it smelled faintly of orange blossom at first and the drydown was quite musky. It was pleasant, but not overly interesting and I’m not planning on purchasing any.
thank you for the description
Like This really seems to be in the zeitgeist. I’m wearing it today, and really enjoying it. It’s one of those something-smell-good-what-is-it?-oh-it’s-me fragrances (a little offbeat, but supremely wearable). I’ll probably end up buying a decant from a friend who has a bottle.
Just couldn’t like Like This, try as I might. I might not like immortelle.
I’m with you Tama. I also tried to like “Like This”, but it didn’t do anything for me either.
yeah everybody’s talking about wanting it all at the same time! I did a lengthy trial when I went on holiday, it is really nice but I think the 1.5ml sample i have is enough for me. A little goes a long way
Like This is on my short list for fall. Like everyone else’s.
Anyone try M/Mink? The last three times I’ve ordered from a *certain* retailer, the SA promised to get or to make up a sample and every time the box came with no M/Mink.
Yes, it is very odd, metallic and inky. I liked it, not sure it was ME.
I tried it on a scent strip and found it repulsive. The kind of smell that I literally backed off from…
I think its a polarising scent – those that love it, really love it and those who hate it really hate it!
Thanks for the input 🙂
Sure, but I’m a newbie, so take it from where it comes!
I am wearing Aftelier’s Cepes and Tuberose on one wrist and Shiso on the other. I am enjoying, sniffing them one after the other…I am considering a mini of either of these or Tango..
Also looking forward to SL Tuberose Criminelle – will it be priced at 200$ like some of the other limited editions. If so, the bell jars seem cheaper per ml, aren’t they?
Good evening everyone. Although I have read the NST articles and comments for over a year, I have never actually commented myself. I do consider myself a Perfumista who enjoys fragrances from the mall and fragrances you can’t get from the mall. 🙂
Today I wore Baby Grace from Philosophy. I needed to be surrounded by innocence and expectation, if you will. My next purchases will be Balenciaga Paris, Worth Courtesan and another bottle of Chanel No. 5.
I love Inner Grace to relax me. I’ve been thinking about Paris too, but only because everyone on here keeps talking about it. I need to dig up my sample and try it again. I recall it as lovely.
welcome to commenting, by the way!
Welcome! I have Paris on my short-list, too. It was a sneaky one.
Tama, Balenciaga’s Paris is lovely–a go to fragrance.
All of the positive comments led me to buy a mini of Paris, and I am glad it was just a mini. I don’t care for the opening, and while I like it after some time passes, it is only pleasant, not great, on me. Not very memorable, so to speak. On to the next purchase! Charge! (*literally*)
Loving your literal “Charge!” – LOL!
This is my second day wearing Diorella. I hadn’t worn it at all last summer, and I can’t imagine why since it’s wonderful. I’ve purchased almost no new perfume since retiring, but I’ve discovered a lot of lovely things in the backs of drawers like Diorella. That’s been fun!
My birthday is this week, so I feel entitled to buy a little something and I’m thinking forward to what I might want for fall. I’m think about a largish decant of Musc Ravageur.
A very happy birthday to you! We’re fellow Cancers – mine is today (gulp!).
Oh, happy birthday!
😀
HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAPPLE DEAR!!! <3 <3 <3
Wishing a very happy birthday to you both!
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday to you both from yet another cancerian (mine was a couple of weeks ago)!
Well then, a very happy if belated birthday to you too! But I feel it’s not “late” if still in the same month. 😉
Thanks, Rapple! 😀
Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday! Mine was yesterday. I treated myself to some perfume minis, and a couple of books from bookdepository.com: Roja Dove’s book, and Justine Picardie’s biography of Chanel. Cosy reading.
And back atcha Annemarie! 😀 Great choices for your present btw. My perfume present to myself was some Roja Dove Unspoken extrait. It’s beyond gorgeous!
Thanks. Glad you love the Dove. I’ve ofgten been curious about his perfumes.
Old Dior’s. I DO need to try them…
Happy Birthday, mine was on the first week of July, and I treated myself with a fb of Shalimar Initial..and some Andy Tauer sample sets. I really am happy with the SI it’s cool and refreshing, of course I had to layer it with the original first until I got used to it. I sampled the new Fendi at Saks today and I really liked it I think it would be a lovely fall fragrance..I’m wearing about five big sprays of AT Zeta 104 degrees here in Austin Tx. no rain for 31days.
My sample of L’ Du Desert Marocain is running out that makes me very sad, so that will be my next fb purchase.
Wow! Lots of fragrant Cancerians on here! Happy Birthday, Ajuarez!
I wonder–if we did a poll (one where the responses are actually tallied and counted), is there any pattern to the birthdays? That is, are any particular birth months predominant in the perfumista world? My birthday is in mid-May, so I am a Taurus. And for what it’s worth, in the Chinese Zodiac system, I am a dragon.
Great idea for a poll! I’m also a dragon.
Happy birthdays to fragrant Cancerians Aparatchick, Rapple and Abyss!
YES!! MORE HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!!! I know! Let’s all buy perfume in celebration! 😉
Great idea!!!
Aha – treating ourselves to perfume in honor of our perfume pals – I LIKE this idea!
Cancerians, I’m dedicating the discontinued Joop! Rococo that I finally broke down and bought to YOU! 🙂
I had no idea we had so many July birthdays around here! Happy birthday, all.
Well – Happy Birthday to all of you! Mine was in June so I’m a Gemini….
Happy birthday! Mine was a week ago. Lots of fellow July babies here I see.
Happy Birthday to all you lovely-smelling July babies!
ditto, ditto and ditto!
Happy weekend all!
On a whim, a couple days ago I retried my little splash bottle of Bill Blass Nude, which I strongly disliked at first sniff. Weirdly, I really enjoyed it this time around! I didn’t mind the aldehydes (they don’t last long), and the apple seemed fresh rather than sticky, if that makes any sense? Anyway, it was a big surprise to me how much my tastes could change, and relatively quickly, since I think I first tried it 6 months ago!
It’s inspired me to consider going back through my many early samples to see what else I may like better now that my nose is a little more educated!
Don’t forget, the weather was different 6 months ago! There are some fragrances that seem to hold up just fine no matter what’s happening outside, but others seem to be really effected by it.
Glad you rediscovered a treasure in your collection! 😉
Oh that sounds fun!
That is one of my bedtime scents – nice, and super-cheap.
Thanks to your comment, I’m going to dig out my bottle of Nude today. It’s a little warmer out in the Bay Area than it’s been the rest of the week, so a cologne seems in order.
I agree about the fruit — I get more of a pear scent than an apple scent, but it’s very green and fresh and not at all cloying.
I’m actually testing today – the last of the three above mentioned Patous – L’Heure Attendue. I really like it. It seems like a cousin to L’Heure Bleue, soft and powdery, but without LHB’s medicinal anise/cough syrup note (which I personally love anyway).
No purchases planned for Fall, but I realize I just jinxed myself. Every time I say I’m not going to buy any more perfume, something (i.e. a sample) shows up that I fall in love with **coughDaisycough**.
I’m sure her enabler Spidey-sense is tingling!
Absolutely!
*tingle*
LOL! I knew it!! 😀
Perfect! 🙂
SOTD is EL Sensuous. Its cooled down a bit here so the spicy aspect is coming out. I haven’t worn this one in awhile so it was nice to dig it out.
Has anyone tried Feerie by Van Cleef & Arpels? Considering it as a possibility for next purchase. 🙂
I’ve card and skin tested Feerie several times. It is a jammy kind of violet. Pretty. I prefer the edp over the edt. It is deeper and richer and lasted longer on my skin. I know you can get Feerie on the fragrance discount sites at very reasonable prices.
Thank you! That does sound really nice. Your assessment of the EDP over the EDT agrees with a lot of the other impresssions I have found about it. I have to confess I am really hoping I like the juice because the bottle is just awesome 🙂
I haven’t tried Faerie, but a while back I tried EL’s Sensuous In Nordies, but never did anything about it. However, recently I was in there to buy a present for someone else and tried both Sensuous and Senuous Noir and bought a small bottle of each. Now I anxiously waiting for the Sensuous Nude to come out. The SA told me it was beautiful but not at all like the other two.
Robin, just wanted to mention it looks like Part 3 of the BBC doc on perfume is posted on youtube, same channel as Parts 1 and 2.
LOL they did spray an unsettling amount on their arms!
I’m sure the houses test how the scent changes over time but it’s so variable in terms of whether it’s skin or fabric, or body chem, or climate and I just can’t picture Wasser or Elena or whoever walking around running errands with some ladies’ scent on their forearms, checking in on it over and again.
The best is when a fragrance surprises you and comes back after a few hours, in a new shape and more lovely than before. Those are for keeps.
And I did it again! Response in the wrong box! Disregard!
Interesting observations, in any case, Bonbori!
It has been cool here recently, and I just accidentally tried a layering combo that worked so nicely I thought I’d mention it: PdN Le Temps d’Une Fete, with a teeny splodge of SSS Tabac Aurea. They play nicely together. I don’t usually layer, but as I say, it was an accident! I love both of them, but for different reasons, so I was surprised that they seemed to dovetail so well.
Two of my favorites! I’ll have to try that this fall, mals.
SOTD- Apres L’Ondee- so beautiful and yet so fleeting! Was then refreshed by Esprit d’Oscar- I recommend everyone go out and buy some so they will keep making it! And an exciting find- I was looking through samples to throw into a swap and came across a samp of Turtle Vetiver! (which I have been wanting to sample- and even sent off for the Les Nez sample set- which was supposed to include it and it didn’t)…it was like finding money in my jacket pockets! Gorgeous Vetiver. As for the sample set- Let me Play the Lion is a pretty nice light smokey incense for summer- like a summer campfire.
Stumbled upon Zen Eau de Cologne in Macy’s this evening. I sprayed it on my hand and instantly purchased a bottle…it’s the most interesting thing I’ve smelled in a long time. I’ve never been so moved by a scent that I purchased it on the spot…it helped that it was super cheap. Of course my friends all liked the more recent versions of Zen, but my nose of course sought out the oldie that packs a punch…what an animalic drydown too!
So when you say “oldie”, was it the black bottle with the gold flowers on it? That is the version of Zen that I have, and I love it, although I only wear it in cool weather. To me, it smells like sitting in front of a crackling fire.
I always love the images Robin finds for these weekend posts!
I do too!
SOTD: Un Jardin Sur Le Toit. I don’t love it as much as Sur de Nil, but I’m blessed and lucky that my body chemistry seems to always find a slight damp leathery note in the Hermes fragrances. Sur Le Toit reminds me of being in a very, very, very clean barn.
I just found a shop in my California Central Valley wasteland of a town that sells Lollia and TokyoMilk. I couldn’t get samples but sniffed all of the available fragrances. I liked French Kiss and Sencha Bleu, but didn’t try them on skin — it was a covert operation, I was supposed to be getting dog food. As for Lollia, I really liked Calm and Breathe. They didn’t have the .13 oz bottles in either, though so I skipped it. Can anyone comment on the sillage/lasting power for any of these frags?
So, I’ll be adding the minis to the list along with what feels like the entire Hermes perfume collection.
“cover operation” – I love it! 🙂
I haven’t sampled those specific Tokyo Milks, but I have several others from the line. Sillage is moderate, lasting power between 3-5 hours on me.
You gotta admire a person who can turn a dog food run into perfume shopping….now that’s some mad shopping SKILL!
SOTD : Thierry Mugler Cologne
Planning to head out next weekend to track down some of the new No.19.
Currently stuck in a very small airport in Norway, waiting for two flights back to Glasgow (via Denmark)…with no perfume shops open !!
Not a happy bunny!
So unfair that the perfume shops are closed! Let us know how you like the new 19 when you find it, Kizzers.
I was outside today while the sun made a brief appearance between rain showers and I smelled something fabulous! I kept wondering where the smell was coming from, but then I realized it was ME! I had spritzed on Une Jardin Sur Le Nil today, but my cardigan still smelled of the Amouage Epic Woman I was wearing yesterday. So now I’ll have to try layering these two on purpose. It feels like sacrilege, but if it results in the same wondrous aroma, I’ll be in heaven. Of course, each of these scents is beautiful on its own, but unless it was just a freak smell sensation, layering them will result in something truly exceptional. I know it sounds crazy, but I’ll try it.
Wow, those are two that I never would have put together! What a wonderful, surprising world we live in. 🙂
Very very hot here is Prague … and fool of pesky tourists 🙂
Am finally over … Bronze Goddess, they seem to have chemically changed Tom Ford’s formula beyond respectability.
Am wearing … alternating Herba Fresca and Eau des Merveilles.
Ordered … a sample of Laura Biagiotti Mistero di Roma – will report if FBW.
Am wondering … why nothing seems to please me any more and can’t get out of the rut of Herba Fresca, EdM, un Jardin sur le Nil and other golden oldies. Everything that’s new smells just plain awful like a chemical drugstore fragrance – but overpriced, mind you.
Am considering … a FB of “Cologne du 68” for the fall. Also, considering going to the Hermes store to test Vetiver Tonka, seems like the right one for me, also for early fall.
Sorry, shouuld have written “full of pesky tourists” 🙂
Fooled by the heat 😀
I thought it was brilliant actually – like a murder of crows or a pride of lions. A fool of tourists!
you said what i was thinkin!
Visiting European cities is one of my favorite things to do, but I do feel sympathy for the citizens who are overrun by tourists and can’t enjoy their own cities. I try to leave a light imprint and travel off-season, but I apologize for adding to the hordes!
I live in the Washington, DC, area, so I suffer the same. DC isn’t nearly as interesting as the great European cities, but every high school class makes a pilgrimage here, plus there are many large events around the Capitol, so it can get quite intense.
I know what you mean about the Eau des Merveilles jag. It’s been one of my go-to scents this year … I feel like I should be bored with it, but it’s just so perfect for pretty much any situation/weather/mood.
I had a question for fans of Dzing! I’v finished my sample of it and like it; also my boyfriend loves it on me. Problem: its so fleeting! My sample was a 2ml spray though so I was not very free with it, and now, after a couple of months its finished. With a full bottle I could spray to my heart’s content and douse my clothes as well. Would this work?
Merlin,
Some fragrances stain clothes, so be sure to test on your different garments first in an unobtrusive part (inside of a hem, for example).
You might want to check out this interview with Roja Dove. His advice is to post-menopausal women on how to make scents last longer, but I think it would apply to everyone.
http://www.thewomensroomblog.com/2010/09/06/more-perfume-stuff-roja-dove-talks-to-twr/
Thanks for the link! I have heard it said that dry skin might be the problem but haven’t found that moisturiser makes much of a difference. Then again I have never applied moisturiser OVER a perfume so that might help.
lol! I am a “woman of a certain age” and my skin is very dry and I thought that that was why my scents lasted so long! Kind of like on a scent strip. I can’t get rid of them by any means in under 24 hours, and longer with some scents.
My skin is very oily, and fragrances usually don’t last long on me. If I can get 3 to 4 hours from an EdT or EdP, I am OK with that. I draw the line at about 2 hours. If I don’t get at least that much, I probably won’t buy it. The only thing I have ever had last 24 hours is my tiny bottle of vintage Secret de Venus oil perfume, which lasts forever. It isn’t really strong, and I don’t think it has much sillage–it is more of a skin scent–but I can put it on at night, after my shower, and still smell it the following evening.
Yeah, I think the theory has problems! I’m 32 with a normal to dry skin.
I think the 2 hour rule is probably a good one. But how do you measure? I mean, after 2 hours, if I put my nose right to my skin I can sometimes smell something very very subtle. It doesn’t smell like my skin naturally smells…
There is the faintest air of something animal warm and candy-like, but I need to smell something unscented, like a jacket I was wearing and smell it straight afterwards in order to detect it at all!
It probably would work. Some perfumes just need a good bit of heft before they really do their job. I fouind Dzing! very fleeting from a sample too, but have never gone for a FB. As a compromise you could order yourself a nice big decant – 8 mls is my favourite amount – but of course the cost per ml is very high. Maybe you would just prefer to got he while way with a FB.
I have a query about perfume websites. Why is it that the three little photos at the end of an article (You Might Also Like…) change when you get back to them after scrolling down to the bottom of the page or come back to the same page later?
I tried Vol de Nuit EDT at Nordstrom the other day, and while it was delightful for the hour or so that it lasted, I was disappointed by its lack of longevity. How do people feel about the current VdN parfum? (This is a very important question, as I’m trying to compile viable birthday-gift demands — er, suggestions — for my fiancé. I know I should probably direct him to eBay to troll for vintage, but he’s a law student and doesn’t have that much leisure — I’m at least trying to be considerate of his time budget!)
Also, I have a small bottle of Rochas Mystere on the way (blind buy, bad bad bad, I know). Been on a bit of a Rochas jag lately.
Sorry, I meant to reply to this. My comment is below, but doesn’t answer your question about VdN…
I love the slightly less than current VdN parfum last pretty good on me even though I have scent eating skin ….don’t turn your nose up at those little square 30ml tester bottles…..now I’m off to ebay to see if they have any available….wish we could send him those ebay notices…you know the ones that say ” I saw this on ebay and thought you might like it” etc etc.
egad! even the testers are incredibly spendy. yikes!
Haha! I must admit that I’m coveting the fabulous smoky glass bottle, but in the end that’s a secondary consideration. I have a feeling that my dude would actually enjoy eBay searching and bidding wars, but he has finals in a couple of weeks, so now wouldn’t be the time (speaking as one whose preferred method of procrastination in grad school was bidding on Bakelite jewelry).
Aside from lasting power, are there any other substantial differences between the VdN EDT and parfum (if you’ve tried the EDT)?
my preference is the vintage edt. I spray myself down with edt and then add a bit of the extrait on my wrists to intensify the scent for my continual huffing . In General I prefer edt or edp to extraits….because extraits stay closer to the skin and I like sillage!
and since I”m having fun telling what “I” like—if it was me looking for some VdN —I’d look for one of those black recharge cans. 200ml and there isn’t a better way to keep vintage fragrance than in one of those cans (you can always make your own purse size sprays)
That’s how I got my Jicky, back when those cans were affordable. I’ve had it for years and used to spray liberally from it.
Huh, I’m not sure that I’ve ever seen one of those black recharge cans, but I’ll keep an eye out. That kind of packaging would seem ideal for preserving the older stuff. Thanks for the tip.
I bought a used spray cologne bottle of Fabrege Babe on evilbay a couple of weeks ago. I had a small bottle in the ’70s and loved it. This bottle must have been from a late batch. Although I know memories tend to change over time, it wasn’t exactly what I remembered and more synth-smelling. It does have a lovely spicy accord that was very much a unique aspect of Babe.
Sorry, I don’t know Vol de Nuit, but I am having very much the same dilemma. My boyfriend is going to get my birthday present from first-in-fragrance while in Germany. We both like Dzing but it fades so fast…
They sell Andy Tauer which has better lasting power. I like L’air desert d’Maroc and it lasts better, but, no one else likes it on me. Incense rose lasts amazingly well and some like it on me but it has a faint, cold metallic note that jars me. I’m thinking of Un Rose Chypre as a blind buy but so many perfumes have great reviews but don’t work on me…
I’ve been curious about trying the Tauers, so your comment was very helpful! I haven’t smelled any of them yet, but L’Air du Désert Marocain is the one I’m most interested in checking out. Why did people object to it on you, if you don’t mind my asking?
I really like the quality, complexity and longevity of the Tauers I have tried. About three people I asked didn’t like it. One didn’t give a definite reason why and two thought it was too sweet. It opens up very smoky, incensy and pure. Strong too. On my skin though this stage is over within 15 minutes. To me, it then smells like what I imagine Peruvian balsam to smell like (I dont know what Peruvian balsam really smells like). It is very soft – little sillage – warm and sweet.
On the other hand, I got some on my scarf yesterday and I think it still smells wonderful. (And someone who didn’t like it on my skin did like it on my scarf.)
Hope that helps.
Yes, thanks, that does help. From what you’ve described, it sounds like I’d love it, as long as it didn’t exceed my sweetness tolerance. However, I have much less of a problem with sweet, spicy, balsam-y scents than I do with sweet, floral, fruity ones.
Does anyone know who is the perfumer behind Versace The Dreamer?
Google says Jean-Pierre Bethouart.
Here’s a list of what he’s created: https://nstperfume.com/perfumers-a-to-e/jean-pierre-bethouart/
Sorry to hear the negative comments about Chanel No. 19 Poudre. I was looking forward to it and will still sample it, but not with as high expectations.
I am late the game this weekend! Just showered (post pool day) with Philosophy Beach shower gel that was mixed with a little Body Shop Vanilla Incense (from xmas time). I want to wrap this up in a spray bottle and spritz! It’s tangy tropical pineapple with a coconut and vanilla incense undertow. Does anyone know of a scent that might mimic this? I need it!!!
Hi CM!
I recently stumbled across Lollia’s “Wish” which has vanilla and a definite “tropical” vibe, though I would desribe the fruit as more banana than coconut. As a bonus it has a citrus-y opening! Sounds odd, but I find it to be an irresitible combo. I could wear it all summer but unfortunately I only have a little mini for now.
I recently rediscovered viva la juicy from juicy couture. I accidentally sprayed them on my skin when I was working and they smells like vanilla on me. I don’t like them at first because of the girly pink bow and girly bottle.
I also have disdain for the couture brand, with it’s obvious target market of teenagers and it’s girly-girly packaging… but I tried my roommate’s Viva la juicy, and I am ashamed to admit I need some now.