Today subject is Isabelle, who owns three perfumes and wants to find a fourth to join her collection. She says she wears perfume for her own pleasure, but discusses her sampling experiences with her husband, who has a great nose. She has a hard time finding perfumes that please her because she doesn't like the mainstream French-European style.
Isabelle wants to find an iris, rose or tea scent, but is willing to entertain other ideas as well, and will happily try men's fragrances as well as women's. Her new perfume should be discreet, with good lasting power, and it should cost no more than $150 for 50 ml. Here is what we know about Isabelle:
She is in her mid 50's and works as a librarian.
She enjoys jazz music, modern painting, photography and nature paths.
Isabelle dresses 'comfortably classic' with an emphasis on beautiful colors and soft textures.
Isabelle owns Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan (she loves the herbal start and dry, enveloping smoothness), Serge Lutens Fille en Aiguilles (it enchants her with its woody incense) and L'Artisan Parfumeur Verte Violette (she enjoys the soft greenness over the smooth leather base). She likes notes of sandalwood, woods and incense.
Isabelle doesn't like big florals, white flowers in general, bergamot, lavender,yang ylang, patchouli, citrus fragrances or marine fragrances.
Here are some of the fragrances she has tested:
Bvlgari Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert: nice but not earthy enough.
L'Artisan Parfumeur Iris Pallida: too much patchouli, otherwise perfect.
L'Artisan Tea for Two: she likes the tea opening, but it vanishes too quickly into a honeyed base.
L'Artisan Traversée du Bosphore: she loves the rosewater over smooth leather, but it is too foody and sweet.
Eau d'Italie Paestum Rose: not bad but too sweet.
Guerlain Nahema: wonderful opulent rose, but it is too strong and too dense for her.
Heeley Iris de Nuit: too clean, too fresh laundry scent.
Prada Infusion d'Iris: traditional in a bad way.
Hermès Hiris: too stiff, almost severe.
Parfumerie Générale Iris Oriental: too "traditional perfumery".
CB I Hate Perfume Wild Hunt: she really liked it even though it stretched her definition of perfume, but it doesn't last more than 30 minutes in either oil or water form.
What say you?
Note: image is Post box [cropped] by eGuide Travel at flickr; some rights reserved.
Samsara, absolutely. I have to suggest something that you really need to find in an old version, but I just found some vintage EDP online, and it is absolutely lovely. It is both bright and dimensional, and is interesting without being invasive or evocative of something else which is scented (which might be an issue for her, as she mentions laundry and food as being references she does not want on her person). I also love Corso Como in its prior version. Lovely stuff. However, I would love for her to try Neela Vermeir Trayee. It is gorgeous, although it might be too foody (cardamom and , clove and saffron) but wow, for sandalwood and general beauty of evolution and the harmony of ingredients, it really is remarkable. It is not within her price range, but there is a nice sample set. (infatuated but not affiliated)
Thanks Mijita! I’ll try to find the vintage Samsara. I smelled the current one and it felt just OK. The Corso Como I sampled and it was too big and sweet for me. I’ll put Trayee on my to-smell list!
How about Miller Harris La Fumée? It’s a really pleasant incense and sandalwood blend which, despite the name, is more crisp than smoky.
And, of course, The Different Company Bois d’Iris which is a woody iris with a tiny whiff of whiskey smokiness.
Both on my list thought I am not a fan of Ellena’s work. Thanks!
I second the Bois d’Iris – it’s one of the first things that popped into my mind.
We seem to have a lot of librarians and book fanatics around here. I love it! VC&A Bois d’Iris is $185 for 75ml so I guess that’s technically under $150 for 50ml. 😉 I really love it but it is sweeter than many of the other iris fragrances I’ve tried, but the woods give it a drier side.
My other suggestion is Parfums del Rae Mythique. It is a beautiful soft iris.
Harder to find but worth it is Guerlain Apres L’Ondee. It is available in a 100ml EdT and I think I payed less than $150 for it. I just dug it out of the perfume closet and it is even more beautiful than I remember. It might be a little bit too much of a classic French perfumery scent but definitely worth a sniff. I called Neiman Marcus and they transferred a bottle to the store in my town. I see it described as achingly beautiful more than any other fragrance.
I’ve recommended three iris scents but I’m sort of stumped by a rose fragrance to suggest. I like my roses very dark and resinous with plenty of incense, patchouli, oud, and spices and I’m not sure if that’s what you’re after. I’m happy to help you out with samples if you like.
I’m interested in what other people suggest, and in the meantime, I’m going to rummage through my collection again and see if anything else fits the bill.
Seconding the VC&A Bois d’Iris.
Third!
VC&A Bois d’Iris I sampled last year and it left me with a «too chic for me » impression. I will give it another try right now!
Thanks!
Please do and drop me a line for some samples. I’m julia941 at yahoo dot com and also on Makeup Alley. It is chic, but also imminently wearable like my favourite cashmere sweater. Perfume is my main accessory and I adore wearing VC&A Bois d’Iris as much with jeans and a crisp white shirt as with an LBD on New Year’s Eve.
Also, I think this is the most replies I’ve seen to Monday Mail in a long time. I’m taking some notes of my own.
Second Delrae’s Mythique: Iris and a touch of rose over a soft suede leather, I would be very surprised if you didn’t love that one! Also make sure to try Chanel’s La Pausa, a beautiful buttery iris.
Thirding Mythique and suggesting Ormonde Jayne Ta’if for an interesting rose as well as Orris Noir as another iris
I second Ta’if. I wonder, too, if Isa might like a rose oud. Micallef makes a wonderful one.
Fourthing Mythique, seconding La Plausa, adding Chanel 19, and throwing in Frederic Malle’s Lipstick Rose.
Seconding Chanel No19 and what about Rive Gauche?
Throwing myself in as a fifth for Parfums Delrae Mythique. : )
Del Rae Mythique sure is on my list!
Thanks !
Tea scents:
Champaca from Ormonde Jayne. This has green tea and is mixed with light floral and basmati rice notes. It manages to be fresh, crisp and soft and creamy all at the same time. The lasting power of this one differs from skin to skin, so obviously a good spray sample is needed!
Another lovely tea scent is L’eau rare Matale form Parfumerie Generale, and they now have an ‘intense’ version called Hyperessence Matale.
Rose:
A gorgeous, soft rose from Le Labo is Rose 31 (or whatever number, I can’t remember exactly!) It’s slightly spicy, with a peppery note, which gives it interest.
Woods/Incense/Iris/Milky tea: Dzongkha from L’Artisan Perfumeur. In my opinion, this is a modern classic.
Thanks Blimunda!
I feel I should explore the Ormonde Jayne line: Champaca and Ta’if
are on top of my list!
Second Dzongkha … was just glancing through the comments in hopes that someone had recommended that!
third dzongka
ecume de rosine
i have not samples iris silver mist…but maybe u should, i think it may be the iris of irises?
sa majeste la rose
iris nobile
iris poudre or gianfranco ferre
Yes, CHampaca is lovely, i think its worth trying
To get something similar to Ambre Sultan’s enveloping smoothness, Isabelle should try L’instant de Guerlain Extrème pour homme. Not particularly masculin, but warm, rich and enveloping.
Noted! I will gladly give it a try! Thanks!
Second Dzongkha.
I, too, am reluctant to suggest an older version of something, but, for rose, you might try the later versions of pre-reformulation Magie Noire edt. [The earliest versions are probably too strong and dense; the current version (gold cap; 2.5 oz) is too pallid and lacks the lovely incense drydown.] Look for the clear bottles with a black top and a mushroom-shaped cap.
Thanks Liza! I’ll try to find the right one !
For a woody rose, try Tauer Perfumes Incense Rose or Clarins Par Amour.
For iris, try Tom Ford Violet Blonde (the name is misleading).
Oh! One more: Chanel Egoiste (the original men’s fragrance) is a beautiful spicy rosy sandalwood.
Thanks Eggabert! Tauer is on my list for a long time but I did not know which one to sample!
Madness (discontinued and available on line at very steep discounts) is a wonderful Rose Sandlewood with some pepper.
Bond No. 9 Andy Warhol Silver Factory is a nice iris/incense fragrance that falls well outside of “traditional perfumery.” It’s also one of the few Bond fragrances with some subtlety and restrained sillage which makes it easy to wear and even appropriate for daytime/work wear.
I also want to give a shout out to by Killian Incense Oud. It is a beautiful rose/incense that isn’t too heavy on the oud. All of the Killian fragrances are expensive and the Arabian Nights even more so, but the refills and travel vials are more reasonable and easy to split.
I would also check out the Hermessences. They are available in 15ml travel sizes which are sold in sets of four so you can have a nice wardrobe of fragrances.
Bond’s Warhol I will surely try for the name is too esquisite! I hope the perfume is too! The Hermessence line I will sample as soon as I visit a place that carries it. But I must confess that I am not a big fan of Ellena’s work though I admire it a lot. It is too intellectual, and too much in the confines of traditional perfumery for me. Thanks for all
your exellent suggestions, Julia!
You’re welcome! Most of the Bond fragrances are available as solids in the form of an NYC subway token and also in travel sizes that are more economical. The Silver Factory bottle is fun, though, and once a year Saks has a refill event. Their generous samples are fun, too- wrapped up like a roll of candy. This one is definitely worth the juice inside.
The Le Labo Iris!
Sure! Thanks!
For a beautiful woody/sandalwood scent I’d recommend SSS Champagne de Bois. Check out her rose scents as well. She has several and they are well-made and reasonably priced.
Seconding Sonoma Scent Studio: the line is small enough that you could easily sample all of them— I’d recommend a sample set! 🙂
I sampled Champagne de bois in the middle of a heatwave last summer and I feel I should give it a «cold weather» try now.
Thanks!
Frederic Malle L’Eau d’Hiver, which is an elegant and slightly unusual powdery iris, and,
Ormonde Jayne Orris Noir, which is an oriental take, but not as “perfumey” as the PG is;
Juliette Has a Gun Calamity J: a stunning iris with a touch of rose on an amber base. This one is much less feminine than the two above, and incredibly easy and addictive to wear.
Good luck with your sampling! 🙂
Thank you Dee! what you say of the Juliette has a gun appeals a lot to me, I’ll try it for sure!
Hi isabelle! Here are my suggestions:
Rose – By Kilian Liaisons Dangereuses, Guerlain Rose Barbare, Delrae Coup de Foudre, or try some of the Rosines.
Tea – This is a difficult one. I’ve been searching for a good tea scent as well. Have you tried the CB I Hate Perfume tea scents? I’ve also heard that Speziali Fiorentini Black Tea (Te Nero) is excellent.
Iris – What about Chanel #19? Also, Chanel La Pausa or 31 Rue Cambon.
Thanks Karin! The Rosines I want to try for a while now but I don’t know which ones to begin with. Do you know them enough to suggest me some? As of CB I hate perfume, I am a little worried about lasting power as the one I have tried did not last 30 minutes….
Cartier’s So Pretty, in eau de parfum. It is very like Guerlain’s Nahema, but without that thick pot-pourri effect. It has rose and iris in it, and dries down to a sort of peachy sandalwood. It really is pretty.
Second thegoddessrena’s suggestion of Ormonde Jayne’s Ta’if for a lovely spicy, woody, comforting rose.
Thanks Jillie! They are now both on my list!
So Pretty is another excellent recommendation. That one doesn’t get enough attention.
For tea, I would suggest AG Duel. It is a nice long-lasting smoky tea. And as a bonus, it can be found at discounters for cheap!
For rose, I would suggest Kelly Caleche. I usually like lighter roses (Rose Ikebana!) but the Kelly Caleche has a bit of leather to toughen it up. And this one is also easily found at discounters. I got my very cute purse size travel spray on ebay.
Thanks Odonata9! Kelly Calèche I sampled years ago and I can’t remember a thing about it. Iwill sure give it a serious sniff. AG Duel is added on my list too!
I’m a fan of Tom Ford’s original Black Orchid, which has incense-like features and some atypical floral notes. Like Isabelle, I am in my 50s, studios, and like sensuous classics. This scent definitely works for me and lingers well. I like it much better than the new Violet Blonde which, in my test, came across as very powdery and grandmotherly.
Thank you Suzil! I would never have smelled this one without your suggestion! It now is on my list!
rose+iris+sandalwood= Annick Goutal Heure Exquise : )
as simple as that : )
Great call! I second this.
Noted! Thanks Ami!
I agree with the suggestion of VC&A Bois d’Iris. I also wanted to recommend several DSH fragrances:
For iris, I think Dawn’s L’eau d’Iris is one of the loveliest iris scents I’ve ever worn.
For rose, I love her American Beauty and June Bride (Pink and ivory roses). My cousin wears Dawn’s Beach Roses as her every day scent, but I have not tried this one.
And I forgot to mention that I also like the Bourbon French rose fragrances: Cameo Rose, Rose, and Tea Rose.
DSH I wanted to sample for quite a while now, be sure I will sample all your suggestions!
Dee from the Black Phoenix alchemy lab!
DEE
John Dee: master of science, alchemy and magic, Hermetic philosopher in the schools of Rosicrucian Christian Mysticism and Platonic-Pythagorean doctrine, and Queen Elizabeth’s astrologer, advisor, cryptologist and spy. With Edward Kelly, he created a field of study and work in Angelic Evocation, and isolated the Angelic language: Enochian. His scent is soft English leather, rosewood and tonka with a hint of incense, parchment and soft woods.
17.50$ for 5ml bottle
I discovered the Black Phoenix alchemy lab web site recently and am eager to sample their work as it seems both creative and unusual! Thanks for the suggestion Megan!
A big thank you to every one for all the marvellous suggestions!
Be sure I will sample all these in the comiing weeks.
VC&A Bois d’Iris I sampled last year and it left me with a « Too chic for me » impression. I’ll give it another try though.
A suggestion to Robin and the Monday Mail friends:
It would be nice to have a Monday Mail review once or twice a year: that would be a place and time where me and all the other participants have the opportunity to give some feedback on our main discoveries and to tell everyone which perfume we chose.
We do feedback polls quarterly, and I contact everyone who participated — so we’ll catch up with you eventually!
I will be very happy to keep you posted on my discoveries!
Thirding Sonoma Scent Studio. And suggesting Tauer Une Rose Chypree.
Isa, if lemony top notes aren’t too objectionable to you, I’d recommend trying Etro Shaal Nur. It’s a beautiful, understated, and complex incense rose. It’s unique and one of my top favorites.
As long as the lemon is not to sharp, it will be Ok for me. I will give it a try! Thanks!
A classic incense rose is Parfum Sacre by Caron. I just love this. You can get vintage versions of the EDT and EDP relatively inexpensively on ebay. But I hear the current “intense” version is very good as well.
I was also going to recommend Ormonde Jayne’s Orris Noir and Ta’if for different takes on iris and rose, respectively, but I can see those have already come up.
Ooh, second Parfum Sacre. I’ve only tried the vintage EDP, and it’s wonderful.
I never explored the Caron line, I thought they would be to traditional for me but I am eager to give Parfum Sacré a try. Thanks!
Before I saw it was commented on a dozen times, I was thinking Mythique and also Parfums Del Rae’s rose, Coup de Foudre. Le Labo’s Iris 39 also?
Seeing the same perfumes popping in the comments confirms their interest for me. Thank you for taking the time to approve this suggestion, and adding yours, Bonbori!
second Le Labo Rose 31 its an earthy, spicy rose and not floral at all
actually my current favourite. In my opinion it smells different (even nicer) when sprayed.
Be sure I’ll try it! Thanks!
By all means try the Ormonde Jayne line: Woman is a wonderful scent, as is Champaca (your tea) and Ta-if (the rose). But definitely try Woman – it’s amazing!
My suggestions are 1) Miller et Bertaux Shanti Shanti. The notes: Bulgarian rose, iris, cardamom, patchouli and Indian sandalwood. 2) Perfumerie Generale Brulure de Rose. Some find it sweet, I do not. It has a dryness similar to Ambre Sultan. 3) L’Artisan Perfumerie Safran Troublant – quite a bit of sandalwood in this one.
Miller et Bertaux is a line I never heard of, I’ll sure search for more about them. Thanks!
Shanti Shanti is gorgeous! Great idea.
hi isa
i like rose & incense too and tauer incense rose is one of my favorite intersections.. tauer has quite a number of rose and likes doing incense so i guess some others in the line are worth trying for you..
portrait of a lady is also a favorite rose scent of mine (although not sure about the price, it may be way over the budget as it’s one the most expensive in the malle line).. IMHO it’s worth my money
iris silver mist is very good.. i cant myself to wear it regularly though as i find it a bit too feminine for my taste.. but it’s a classy not too rigid scent and i can easily imagine a classy mid 50s librarian wearing it 🙂
iris nobile EDT is a favorite of mine and my big bottle has run out
(the EDP is too sweet for me and totally different from the EDT)
and recently ive been wearing a lot of estee lauder white linen EDP (im a guy btw, hehe) im not sure how much it differs from its original version but unexpectedly, i like it very much.. on me it turns to something that resembles what i like in iris silver mist mixed with an airy peppery incense
good luck !!
and yes, l’artisan Dzongkha.. indeed one of the modern classics, as some mentioned here.. a milky tea incense thats not too ‘milky’.. a favorite 🙂
Iris silver Mist I have to sample soon as it seems to be considered the mother of all iris scents. Iris Nobile tempts me a lot. I’ll follow your advice and a sample of the EDT instead of the EDP. Thanks Lilyboy.
Did anyone say Bois de Iles yet?
Isabelle and I are scent twins! Accordingly, I am taking the liberty of suggesting some of my faves: Chanel Bois de Iles (I know, pricey but to die for with the sandalwood), Hermes Kelly Caleche, Rosine Rose Poussiere (rose, incense, sandalwood); Chanel No. 5 Eau Premiere formulation (iris, no ylang ylang, lovely soft drydown), Tom Ford’s Violet Blonde (surprisingly wearable for daytime).
I am happy to know that I have a scent twin somewhere in the world!
As for Bois des Iles, i wonder if there has been a reformulation: I tried it at the Chanel counter lately and waited for the fabulous drydown it is known for and got… a short lived deceiving finale. Is the vintage worth seeking ?
I got the industrial-sized (ha) bottle when the Les Exclusif line first came out – so mine is not the vintage. I’d give it one more try – maybe their bottle is off? On me that drydown lasts the better part of a day. My other love in that line is Sycomore but simply cannot drop another $200 right now.
“L’Artisan Traversée du Bosphore: she loves the rosewater over smooth leather, but it is too foody and sweet”…
Leather makes me think of Cuir de Russie by Chanel Exclusifs. Really worth the money. The Bois de Isle mention is also lovely.
Bvlgari Black? A great smoky tea scent for a naughty librarian 🙂
I’ll try to find it, why on earth has it been discontinued ?
Thanks Aleta!
I second Bvlgari Black.
I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest LesNez The Unicorn Spell. On second thought, maybe it’s not such an outré idea – I see Robin’s review detects iris and tea notes. So there! Anyway, it’s a terrific spring scent.
Another brand that I know nothing of… But be sure I’ll find out about them, after all I am a librarian! Thanks Elizabeth!
I suggest Tauer’s Lonestar Memories.
Tauer I will explore for sure, I already have three on my list, I’ll add this one. Thanks Madhatter!
If you love green over a soft powdery leather base, I highly suggest Shiseido Murasaki-now discontinued but you can still find bottles on ebay within your price range. It’s heartbreakingly beautiful. There’s a review on the Vintage Perfume Vault that captures it perfectly. (I’m not that eloquent in describing perfumes)
If you purchase, be sure it comes from the dark plum colored bottle, the new clear with purple top isn’t the same. I found mine for 28 dollars.
I will go read this review right now!
Thanks, SmokeyToes!
JC Brosseau’s Thé Brun is a lovely smokey tea fragrance with a hint of iris.
I also suggest Donna Karan’s muted and earthy Iris (think water colour!) and Keiko Mecheri’s very soft Bois de Santal.
JC Brosseau I never heard of but i’ll find it,
I have smelled some lovely things from Keiko Meicheri
I’ll sample this Santal for sure!
Thanks Petronella!
If you are interested in a beautiful, cheerful, woody rose I would recommend Cabaret, which has a nice review at this blog. It is also very inexpensive and easily found at online discounters. It’s only caveat is that the bottle is not beautiful.
Hi Stinker-Kit, I do not care much for bottles, mine are well hidden from light so well hidden from sight too! I’ll go read that review of Cabaret right now!