Today we're helping OJ. She's a perfume neophyte looking for a signature scent that matches her retro tastes — but one that will fit into the modern world (she loves vintage perfumes, but has to tone it down for her conservative office). Her perfect perfume won't give her swing dancing partner a headache, but will smell nice at about two feet, and have long staying power closer to the body. It should be young but not bratty, and she'd like to keep it under $150. Ideally, it should be something that won't be reformulated or discontinued in the near future. Here is what we know about OJ:
She's a classically trained dancer and musician in her late 20s.
She's "working a fiercely boring day job that could use some glamour".
OJ loves the fashion and music of the forties; her husband describes her as "the good girl in a film noir movie."
OJ likes natural, non-dessert vanilla, neroli, jasmine, carnation, nutmeg, bergamot, tonka bean. Her favorite olfactory memory is a perfect orange infused creme brûlée. In the past she has worn Guerlain Shalimar, Caron Narcisse Noir, Chanel Coco Mademoiselle and Jean Paul Gaultier Classique. Oh, and she's a sucker for a fun, feminine bottle.
OJ dislikes aldehydes, overly sweet cupcake and candy gourmands. She finds woody, marine, and ozone notes a bit masculine.
Here is what OJ has tried so far:
Chloé (modern version): Nice staying power, but a little bland in the long run.
Nina Ricci L'air du Temps: Too powdery and sweet.
Coach Poppy: She wore it to work for awhile. It's not bad, but not a classic.
Guerlain Shalimar: She loves it for special occasions. It overpowers her though.
Beyoncé Heat: "Sticky old Jolly Rancher and nail polish" and the opposite of what she is after.
Chanel No. 5: "Reminds me of the drag queen that taught me to walk in heels. A fond memory, but I don't want to smell like it."
Tokyo Milk Waltz: She likes it although it's not her normal taste.
Lolita Lempicka Si Lolita: would be perfect if it had better staying power.
What say you?
Note: image is Post box [cropped] by eGuide Travel at flickr; some rights reserved.
I’d give Balenciaga Paris a try.
Jo Malone Vanilla & anise. or Diptyque Eau duelle.
Second the Eau Duelle – nice non-sweet vanilla.
L’Artisan Dzing! might fit the bill…
The first thing that jumped into my mind as I read was either Guerlain’s Samsara or their Terracotta Voile D’Ete. Both are easily available on ebay for less than half of what you want to spend. With Samsara, try to get the clear (not red) bottle in the red and *black* box. This would be vintage and it is a beautiful jasmine and sandalwood scent. Terracotta is a gorgeous carnation.
I think you will love Terracotta!
Second Terracotta Voile d’Ete and Samsara. You also might try to find Piguet’s Futur and/or Calypso. Both are classy, subtle, and not splashed all over every third person on the street.
Anne Pliska has some great orange, vanilla, and spice, and is a terrific bargain for something so well done. I also can’t stand cupcake gourmands, and I don’t find AP too sweet.
(P.S. There’s a review of Anne Pliska by Robin on this site — I agree with her assessment of the scent, though I’d happily own a bottle.)
Seconding Anne Pliska—it’s the first thing I thought of when I ready about OJ! 🙂
I think Terracotta and Anne Pliska are both excellent recommendations!
Mona di Orio’s Vanille is a green, bright, spicy vanilla that is not dessert-like at all. She has gorgeous bottles!
Since you like jasmine and want to keep it young and glamorous, how about trying Ormonde Jayne’s Sampaquita? It’s very feminine, would suit a day job environment as well as swing dancing! And it has awesome staying power! In the same vein, how about Le Labo’s Tubereuse and Jasmine? Both are pretty white florals, but they also have neroli/bergamot elements that give them zing and freshness.
Ah, I also wonder if you would like Felanilla from Parfumerie Generale? It feels like a modern, lighter ‘take’ on Shalimar. Since you find the original Shalimar overpowering, this might be a nice, contemporary, more edgy equivalent?
Also form PG, Cadjmere is a gorgeous, sensuous, smooth woody fragrance with a slightly sweet vanilla undertone.
I will throw in Mona di Orio Lux and Botega Venetta.
How about Habanita? Retro (from the 20s) and good noir, non-dessert vanilla + Lalique bottle.
Alternatively, Chanel Coco makes a great signature (be sure to try it in all concentrations).
Hi OJ! What about the new Shalimar Parfum Initial? Not as heavy as the original, yet still has that vanilla base. You may want also want to try L’Instant, also by Guerlain. Another idea – Dior’s Hypnotic Poison.
I second the Shalimar Parfum Initial.
Maybe even Idylle from Guerlain (I’m only suggesting this because I love it and a lot of men love the smell of it too!)
I second Shalimar Parfum Initial! Not only for the scent – the bottle is absolutely gorgeous! Eau de Shalimar or the discontinued Shalimar Eau Legere/Shalimar Light might also be worth checking out.
It might be too aldehydic, but if you are interested in perfumes with a vintage vibe I think you should give Miss Dior a sniff for educational reasons :).
Hi! Have you tried Kesu by Tsi-La? It’s jasmine, lime, spices, incense, and some vanilla/amber – and it’s organic!
I’ve never heard of this, but it’s one I want to try! It pays to read other people’s mail. 😉
I think you would love Guerlain Tonka Imperiale — but it’s on the expensive side.
Teo Cabanel Alahine is a great rosy, citrusy amber/floriental.
Parfums di Nicolai Vanille Tonka is mostly carnation/clove — very spicy and not too dessert-like.
These latter two are definitely in your price range.
For an innocent office scent, perhaps Orange Sanguine by Atelier Cologne. the small bottle is not too expensive. Is Piguet’s Fracas the orangey one? I can’t remember.
I think the new Visa is the orangey one, though I haven’t smelled it yet. (By process of elimination, I can say for sure that it isn’t Fracas, Futur, or Bandit, and I got such an aldehyde overdose from Baghari that I couldn’t smell much of anything else.)
(and Calypso has a bit of mandarin, but it didn’t strike me as markedly orangey.)
Hmm… Sacrebleu Parfums de Nicolai? Feminine, romantic, fruity floral (there is also the intense version). Or from the same house Vanille Tonka.
But I have another suggestion. It would be very interesting to let us know in the end which perfume each person who asks for help chose. It would be great feedback!
Lexy, Robin posts a feedback posting every now and again for just that purpose! It’s fun to see where people went with the suggestions.
Yes, we do a feedback post quarterly…next one will probably be in early January.
Oh, and should have said — you can find links to all the feedback posts here:
https://nstperfume.com/the-monday-mail/
Thanks!!
I second Diptyque’s Eau Duelle and TC’s Alahine. I’d also experiment with the Ormonde Jayne scents Woman is delightful and you may like it even if woody notes aren’t always your thing, and yes, Sampaquita is lovely as well. And from the sublime to the…well, a bit down-market, try Jennifer Aniston’s new scent. it’s got jasmine and vanilla and sandalwood and is feminine and pretty. Not great longevity, but it is inexpensive, widely available, and a great office scent. Have fun sniffing!
Second Ormond Jayne-especially Woman
cinema by yves saint laurent
I vote for Gardenia in the Chanel Exclusifs. Very retro, but restrained for the office. Very feminine and classy and you won’t be smelling it on a lot of other people. (ignore Turin and Sanchez on this one, they’re just plain wrong!)
Oh, forgot to mention Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Jasminora (Jasmina?) well you get the idea. Beautiful jasmine soliflore. If I didn’t already own Joy, I’d have bought it for sure, very, very good.
Something about your self-description, the dance, the forties, the film noir, even if you are the good girl, reminded me of a review by Angela that memorably referred to “ravished ballerina.” It’s about Vero Profumo Rubj-mind you, I have not tried it. https://nstperfume.com/2010/11/22/vero-profumo-rubj-fragrance-review/
Rubj is stunning. Very, very, very strong though. I get a lot of neroli, naughty (very naughty) cumin and ultimately a beautiful musk in the far drydown approx. 14hrs. later. I think any woman who wore this to work would be offered a raise and then fired if not forthcoming. Best saved for romance!
The aldehydes may ultimately deter OJ but Etat Libre d’Orange’s Vraie Blonde sounds absolutely right for her! Another vintage homage (though with a rather boring name) is Chanel’s Beige from their Exclusifs collection – a floral, honey concoction that reminded me so much of a truly elegant French dessert! Lastly, there is, of course, Guerlain Vega. Probably way outside OJ’s budget, but do try and smell it somewhere, somehow!
Some PdNs have already been suggested above. They are classic without being old-fashioned, well-balanced and incredible bargains. I’d suggest Maharanih for the orange, and Kiss Me Tender for the good girl in the film noir. Le Temps d’une Fete is the favorite of many here.
Thanks for all the help! I feel I’m in very good hands. I’m very intrigued by the Anne Pliska, Mona di Orio’s Vanille, and Parfums di Nicolai Vanille Tonka. Off to read reviews…
It’s interesting how many Chanel and Guerlain fragrances are on the list. I really must be a classic gal! I’m curious to sniff a vintage bottle of Samsara, as the current formulation didn’t grab me as much as I thought the listed notes would. Someday I hope to track down a bit of Vega to see if it smells like my imagination. I rather like Chanel Coco but I smell it everywhere. You’ve all pointed me in more unique directions, so thanks again! I will definitely follow up as I try new things.
PS: “Ravished Ballerina” is probably more accurate than I should admit!
OJ – Email me at rappleyea11 at yahoo dot com and I’ll happily send you a sample of vintage Samsara. ~Donna
Have you tried Chanel No 5 Eau Premiere? It trades most of the aldehydes for a big dose of candied orange peel, keeps the soft jasmine-rose, and finishes with a warm, dry vanillic sandalwood that’s far from foody. On me it definitely comes within the sphere of an orange-infused creme brûlée, garnished with sugar-dusted flower petals.
How about
Apres L’Ondee or Jicky (Guerlain)
Eau D’Hermes
Fracas
Queleque Fleurs
I am really loving the Bottega Veneta- it opens with a lot of citrus and dries down a suede/apricot on me. It’s soft and warm without being too sweet. You might really like it.
Baghari.
Mmmmmmm…..love Baghari!
What about Tocade? It’s well within the price mark, it has a lovely vanilla, and it definitely has that ‘good girl’ vibe.
Another vanilla to add to the list: Atelier Vanille Insensee. Happy sniffing!
I know I’m late, but for orange-scented creme brulee, try Givenchy ‘Organza Indecence’ and Ormonde Jayne ‘Tolu’. Both have a classic vibe – romantic, but sophisticated rather than foody.
Vintage-lover should go for vintage I guess. Try to find vintage Guerlain L’heure bleue in cologne or edt concentration. It’s just gorgeous, modern version is too gourmand.
Third (?) Guerlain’s Terracotta it’s quite nice ylang-carnation-vanilla, but discontinued, available on eBay though.
And Caron Parfum Sacre might work for you too, give it a try.
How could I forget?! Chanel Les Exclusifs Bois Des Iles woulf fit perfectly, I think. It’s oriental-woody perfume, not too overwhelming, it won’t bother anyone in your office, but you will feel gorgeous!
I would go for Elie Saab: orange blossom, jasmin and honey rose. Although I suggest to spray it no more than twice
My last suggestion, I promise ;): Donna Karan Signature.