Today we're helping Shermeen, who is looking for a new everyday fall / winter fragrance. It should be warm and appropriate for the cold Canadian weather, but it shouldn't scream patchouli or incense or be too dramatic a fragrance. It should also have excellent lasting power and good sillage. She can pay up to $100, and she has easy access to the Bay, Sears and Sephora, although she's also willing to shop online if she can get a sample. Here is what we know about Shermeen:
She's in her mid 20s, and is a classically trained singer and law student.
She's an avid reader (preferring thought-provoking books), a relatively lefty feminist, and she's almost completely blind and travels with a guide dog.
She likes writing, swimming, and being near water.
She says that although she is very outgoing, talkative and witty, she has few close friends, and needs a lot of "recharging time" if she's with people too often.
Shermeen likes fresh green florals paired with citrus notes, and white, clean, warm musk scents, as well as aquatic fragrances. Random smells she likes include cinnamon, swimming pool areas, real maple syrup, nail polish (but not nail polish remover), leather (as in new leather coats and bags), warm apple cider, the smell of wood (like pine or cedar), and the smell of Christmas trees and the insides of new expensive cars. She loves the smell of creamy sandalwood. Perfumes she likes include the original Coach, Chanel Chance Eau Tendre (the only Chanel she likes), Gucci Flora, Burberry by Burberry, Bath & Body Works Moonlight Path (she doesn't usually like powder, but here it is very soft), Lancome Miracle (has a spicy Christmas tree note or something in it that she really likes), Estee Lauder Pleasures, Pleasures Intense, Bronze Goddess Soleil, Guerlain Herba Fresca, The Body Shop White Musk, American Eagle Real and DKNY Be Delicious.
She doesn't like most of the Chanel mainstream fragrance line, patchouli or incense, amber top notes, vanilla/cupcake notes (Coach Poppy, Britney Spears Fantasy), tropical beach fragrances (Escada limited editions), Love, Chloé, the Clinique line (especially Aromatics Elixir), Jimmy Choo, Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb, or any men's fragrances.
What say you?
Note: image is post_te by fedewild at flickr; some rights reserved.
Some of my suggestions are a little out of the budget range, but she could certainly start with decants to see what works…
For the maple syrup note, she might want to look at “Like This” and “Jeux de Peau.”
For Christmas tress and the like, “Fille en Aiguilles” and “Merchant Loup.”
A lovely creamy sandalwood is Parfumerie Generale’s “Cadjmere.” Jeux de Peau is said to have sandalwood as well.
I completely second Like This (isn’t there cinnamon in there too?) and Filles en Aiguilles! Two of my favorites! (But Like This doesn’t seem to be available in Canada… I had to order it from Luckyscent, which almost doubled the price because of the customs and taxes!!! What wouldn’t we do for love…)
I’m not sure what a creamy sandlwood is, but since you suggest Cadjmeré, I’d suggest Tam Dao by Dyptique. It has a citrusy opening and then becomes a really nice (in my opinion) sandalwood. Holt Renfrew in Montreal sells them, so maybe Shermeen could find it where she lives?
Also, maybe L’Artisan Traversée du Bosphore? A leathery gourmand, at first it smells right like the inside of a purse!
I was thinking about Traversee, too. But to me, it seems like a summer scent.
Really? I first smelled it at the end of the summer and felt it was more of a fall scent (my decant should arrive any day now!!) I have to expand what I consider to be summer scents!
Oh, yes. To me this is a very light-hearted scent. It lasts for hours, but it’s not deep and rich. It’s complex and yet a veil of scent. I’ll certainly try it out when it gets cold, but I really love it in warm weather…
I was thinking Traversée du Bosphore as well! It’s got the crisp apples, and the smooth, smooth leather
I think it’s great for any season, and decants can be had within the price range!
Yes, it’s so smooth! I also can detect the apples through the leather, but nevertheless all I can think of when I smell it is chocolate… Am I the only one? Maybe it’s just the smoothness, actually… Aw, please, decant, be here already!
Just want to add, if you want to consider a floral for winter, I think Andy Tauer’s Carillon pour une Ange works very well in cool weather.
For a beautiful warm musk, I’ll suggest Musc Nomade by Annick Goutal.
I second the Musc Nomade for a warm musk. If you like Maple Syrup you ought to try Sables from the same house.
My suggestion for a green floral is L’Ombre Dans L’Eau that has indeed great lasting power, and the combination of blackcurrant leaves with roses acts like walking in a dark garden. Initial sharp top notes give way to a gorgeous combination of green leaves and earthy rose.
I’m thinking about YSL’s “in Love Again”. It’s nice in cool weather, and it isn’t something you smell often on anyone else, so it’s rather distinctive. It has a pleasant sillage and a good lasting power too.
The only other one that comes to mind is “Vol de Nuit” by Guerlain.
Nice suggestion. I love the bottle, too!
Maybe try Gucci Envy for a green floral. Personally I am not that fond of it but it is generally considered a masterpiece.
I love Prescriptives Calyx which is another green floral with lots of citrus in the top. It has quite a strong presence though, so you might not like it.
I happen to love Aromatics Elixir so I guess I don’t mind a stronger smell. I am not saying that AE and Calyx smell similar just that they both have quite a strong character. There is a wonderful review of Calyx on this site.
Envy was my first thought, too – it’s not a winter scent to me, but anyone who loves green florals should give it a try.
I was wondering if you would like L’Artisan Premier Figeur. It’s green and figgy-very nice.
For leather-Piguet Bandit
Serge Lutens Rousse for cinnamon
Chanel Bel Respiro from the Les Exclusifs (Sycomore would be worthy of a sniff).
Feminite du Bois by Serge Lutens
Second this. I get a lot of cinnamon from it.
yes, it contains cedar, cinnamon and sandelwood among other notes. Transparent woody, spicy and warm, not cloying.
Shermeen, for your love of clean musc look into the Narciso Rodriguez line and also Kiehls Musc if you are not familiar with it yet. A very beautiful and light floral leather is Heeley Cuir Pleine Fleur but this one is an unisex.
For sandalwood, Chanel Bois des Iles is always worth a try!
Hmm…. Shermeen sounds like a fascinating young woman (you had me at classically trained singer), although we are polar opposites in perfume. Still, I’d recommend trying the Sonoma Scent Studio musk scents (there are several) as they are well done and reasonably priced. From the same house I’d also recommend Champagne de Bois, which has a beautiful sandalwood note. My only leather rec is Chanel’s Cuir de Russie. The bottle, which is huge, is outside of the budget, but decants are reasonable. And finally, Parfume d’Empire’s Wazamba is my favorite warm Christmas tree scent. Good luck!
Champagne de Bois would be perfect for Fall and Winter!!
I think you would like Clinique Wrappings — it doesn’t smell like the other offerings in the Clinique line-up, don’t worry. It’s light and clean in the same powdery/musky/aldehydic way as Pleasures, but with a piney note that makes it good for winter too.
Oh, and I also recommend Bulgari Black: leather and vanilla. It’s edgy but not overly dramatic or sweet.
I was going to say Bvlgari Black too.
I was going to suggest Wrappings, too. I don’t find it like any other Clinique and I think it would be worth a try.
I thought Clinique Wrappings was discontinued…
Clinique sells a gift set of it every year for the holidays. I think it hits the stores in October and it’s usually sold out in a few days. Last year I signed the waiting list and was able to buy one. I think it’s silly for EL to handle it like this, but it is worth the effort.
Thanks! At least it’s still being produced…
Hmmm. I think she should pick up a few samples from Lucky Scent-
ELO Like This and Les Nez Let Me Play The Lion. And if her sephora has Hermes- Jardin Apres Mousson.
Since I haven’t actually sniffed this, it isn’t exactly a recommendation, but the new Bottega Venetta is supposed to have a nice leather note, as well as some of the other notes you like. And moving on to things I actually HAVE tried, for a warm spicy scent,. I love Rochas Absolu, which is easily available online.
I wouldn’t peg this as a warm or wintery scent, but the original Estee Lauder Private Collection is a terrific (and tenacious) green floral with a nice piney/woodsy aspect. I would suggest Cristalle EDT for greens plus citrus, but it sounds like Chanels aren’t Shermeen’s thing.
Hermes Eau des Merveilles has oranges and wood (and is reminiscent of saltwater without being typically “aquatic”), but it may lack the sillage that Shermeen is after. Maybe Elixir des Merveilles would be a possibility? I don’t know it as well, but I think it’s richer and has a more substantive presence.
I second Cristalle EDT
If Chanel Cristalle isn’t an option i would give Peace, Love, and Juicy Couture a sniff. I think it smells very green and a bit similar to Cristalle but it seems softer to me.
Eau des Merveilles is a great suggestion!
I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest L’Artisan’s Nuit de Tubereuse. It’s electrically green, wonderfully original, and darn it, it smells good
If you can find it, Chloe Capucine ~limited edition from the Eau de Fleurs Collection 2010.
Thanks, everyone! Robin did a great job at making me sound far more intriguing than I actually am–she definitely has a way with words. These suggestions all sound amazing, and so my hunt begins! the boyfriend will be not at all pleased, but I couldn’t be more delighted! Thank you!
Parfums d’Empire is a leather-amber-sandalwood perfume that’s just delicious. Enjoy the hunt!
It’s a pitty you don’t like men’s frags. Fahrenheit has the smell of a new expensive car.
Maybe Kelly Calèche?
Oooh! That’s a good one – lovely leather floral.
Hello Shermeen, Ok this my first time to recommend a perfume to anyone but have you tried Guerlain’s Samsara?… It has a lt of sandalwood and jasmine, it has the white musk you like and excellent staying power. I live in Egypt so I can only wear it un winter here but in Canada, I think it would be so appropriate… Happy sniffing…
I also suggest Clinique Wrappings – you can find it online. Just Me by Montana is a really nice, leathery/woodsy musk that I think deserves more attention.
Oh, I would indicate Montana Parfum D’Peau, but I’ve alredy indicated it so many times that I was ashamedness about doing it again. Good to see I’m not the only one to know Montana.
It just occurred to me that Fou d’Absinthe might work – to me it’s basically a spicy Christmas tree scent.
I second Jeux de Peau and Sables for maple syrup; Féminité du Bois for spices and cedar; Fille en Aguilles for pine; and Sonoma Scent Studio Sienna Musk for spicy musk. I also recommend Tuscan Leather as it smells exactly like the inside of a new car.