Another Saturday, another open thread poll. Talk about anything you like — the perfume you’re wearing today, the perfume you suspect might have been discontinued, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: image is echoes by OliBac at flickr; some rights reserved.
I didn’t show much love to my samples lately, so bottles get a free weekend this time. I dug through my samples box and picked up Chanel Pour Monsieur. It’s quite warm, but rainy today, so Chanel’s lemon will boost my moods instantly. Ah, I almost forgot how nice is this perfume. I might actually end up buying a bottle of this or Chanel Allure Blanche.
How are you doing this week Marjorie, Poodle, Rappleyea?
Morning, Lucas! (or, I suppose–good afternoon!?) I like Pour Monsieur, too. It’s too masculine for me to wear, but I do like the smell of it! Samples seem like a good idea for today. I have several yet to try from my swap last month. 🙂
Hello, Marjorie! You’re correct, it’s afternoon/evening here already. I just discovered not so long ago that I like lemony perfume, and Chanel Pour Monsieur or Blanche fit in perfectly.
I also got few samples from Dominika last week, my first niche stuff.
Hi there Lucasai!
Just got back from visiting dad ( and mom). He’s been in the hospital and now he’s in rehab because he can’t go home until he can walk again so he’s there getting physical therapy, etc. It’s been a tough few weeks because of that. Plus I don’t live too close so I can’t really go and visit as much as I should. Oh well, we do the best we can I guess.
I like that Chanel too although I don’t have any. Hubby has Bleu though which is great because it is different from his usual scent choices which I think smell like window cleaner sometimes.
Thar really sounds like a tough week. Wishing all the best for your dad. hope he’ll get better soon.
Bleu de Chanel doesn’t work for me, but I quite like it on others. I prefere Pour Monsieur or Blanche, I’m considering buiyng one of thest two.
I haven’t smelled Blanche so I can’t give you any opinion on that one. I’m saving my pennies for my next full bottle of something. Got some samples I’m in the process of trying. Not sure what tonight’s choice will be yet.
Do you have any specific bottle in mind?
Oh, and as far as dad goes, he was pretty grumpy today so that’s usual for him. He wants to go home and he’s mad he can’t. It’s tough when they’re elderly and they want what they want when they want it. He was pretty sick and we thought we were gonna lose him a few weeks ago so he should be happy he’s still here.
Sending him my wishes of good health
Joinig Lucas to wish you and all your familly best wishes! And hey, what a huge poodle!!!
Thanks for thinking of us. 🙂
Hi Lucas! Great weekend so far – thanks for asking! I’m living and breathing college basketball. A couple of years ago we had one of your countrymen on our team – Lukasz Obrzut, and he was (and still is) a fan favorite. I hope you’re having a great weekend too!
Glad to hear you’re having a lot of fun, you’re a fan after all. I’m enjoying my weekend, too. The weather is getting more spring-y everyday, maybe I’ll be able to wear my new jacket and shoes soon. As I wrote I’m having fun digging through my samples this week.
Lazy and weekend go together like jasmine and ylang ylang… 🙂 Anyway, I’m wearing Narciso Rodriguez For Her Musc Collection Eau De Parfum Intense (what a mouthful that is) and I was wondering if anyone knew what the status on this one is – I know it came out in the US as a limited edition in 2009 but we just got it in Finland were I live (we only got NR last fall over here). I just bought a 50ml bottle and I’m going to get a 100ml one but I’m hoping it sold so well it’s permanent now. Pretty please? (BTW, first post!!! I’ve been reading for ages though, I love this site.)
Welcome, Annika! I can’t answer your question, but wanted to say hi!
I love that Narciso too!! It was a limited edition and due to succes the brought it back as regular catalogue ( SA told me)
Thank you Marjorie Rose and Racine! I did some sleuthing and I did find it on both the Sephora and Nordstrom websites! I’m very happy it did so well, it was love at first sniff for me – I don’t even care it’s so expensive.
Hi Annika, can you describe the bottle of this one, please?
Hi Merlin, it’s the pinky-bronze reflective one with a black cap, and the bottle is the same rectangular shape as all the other NR For Hers. The notes are jasmine, ylang ylang, orange blossom and musc. HTH, and thanks everybody for welcoming me!
I think I know the one you mean. It doesn’t say ‘intense’ on the bottle though, right? It just says Narcisus Rodriguez For Her; and has that pink/bronze reflective finish? I tried that today and it smelled a little like liquorice on me which i really liked!
Hello and welcome!
Welcome Annika!
Welcome, Annika! 🙂
Hi and welcome!
Glad to be decluttering some fragrances I don’t love (or have too much of) and getting them into more appreciative hands!
Online perfume sale for charity at Scents of Self opens today: http://tinyurl.com/7azq6rk (Hope it’s okay to mention.)
SOTD is DelRae Amoureuse, all greeny and white flowers and honey.
Thanks for your donations! As a buyer, I’m very happy!
Hm, I just read your review of Amoureuse and then Robin’s… This goes on my sample wishlist! 🙂
You smell great!
I adore this one. Now that the weather is warmer, I really need to show it some love. Thanks for reminding me 🙂
Mals86, thanks for reminding me about that sale. I do want to check it out.
My pregnancy is messing with my nose!
Yeah, it will do that, sorry.
Congrats! How far along are you? I just hit 15 weeks and just started wearing perfume again in teeny quantities. Dry incense or citrus frags smell good in tiny quantities. Everything else doesn’t work with my stmach. I’m lemmin a pb of jardin sur le nil, which sounds perfect to my belly.
What are you able to wear?
so happy for you girls 🙂
even if scents do not seem to work now, it is such a special period of life
what i (or the baby…)hated most was jasmine 🙂
Thank you! This baby seems to hate everything. 🙂 Any day now, and then I get to rediscover all my fragrances.
Congrats on your pregnancy!
The only scent that doesn’t annoy me is DKNY Be Delicious, which surprises me because before I got pregnant I thought it was sweet and generic. I’m curious to see if I like it after the baby comes!
I have so many unusual scents that I keep wanting to swap away, but so far I’ve resisted the temptation because I’m due any day. 🙂
HA! I just snatched a bottle of pre-reformulation Caron Violette Précieuse on Ari’s Smell Good, Do Good sale! (Some of you might remember that just last week I requested suggestions for fragrances similar to it!) I’m really hopeful, can’t wait to receive it!
Good for you!
Oh, good luck!
I’m so incredibly pleased that you’re so incredibly pleased to have this! That one was from me. I actually didn’t intend to buy the pre-reformulation when I bought it – just assumed the sample I was going off of was pre-reformulation, when it wasn’t. And I still have a bottle – and the money went for a good cause. So yay all round! I hope it makes you very happy!
Thank *you*!!! I honestly couldn’t believe it when I saw it there! (Maybe I’m a little overexcited, but I’ve been lemming that bottle since the first day I smelled it!) You certainly made my weekend! 🙂
SOTD is Le Labo Patchouli 24. I’ve been really curious about it for some time so finally ordered a sample. It’s a little off-beat, strangely addictive (I wore it several times last week) and really quite wonderful. Oh and miss-labelled 😀
I’d love it if they made it in a candle too.
I have been curious about that one, too. What does it actually smell like to you, if not like patchouli? I think I’ve heard that it’s leathery, though I could be confusing it with something else (need to go make morning tea).
Yes, I’ve seen it described as leathery too. Some people also mention the similarity between this and Black (both done by Ménardo) but I haven’t tried Black so can’t comment on that.
I guess the leather comments are to due to the birch tar although to my nose it reads closer to rubber than leather. That’s what I get in the opening – smoky rubber with a touch of something bitter, almost medicinal. As it settles, the smokyness slowly fades away and it becomes mostly about that ever so slightly musty vanilla scent of old books. I also pick up something like a hint of musk which is neither skanky nor laundry-like, just an extra layer of softness and warmth.
That certainly sounds offbeat and addictive! Seems like something I should sample — I’ve yet to try a Ménardo creation that I didn’t like.
That’s a great mini-review. Many thanks – I’m encouraged. I spritzed this on to strip during a smellathon to my nearest large city last year. I was smelling so many things at the time I could not get much of an impression of P24 except that it smelled like beautiful dirt. I liked it, but wondered if I myself really want to smell like beautiful dirt. But from your description, I’d say it is worth ordering a sample!
Off-beat and addictive is a perfect description! I too wore this this week, and this morning kept thinking I was smelling it but I haven’t put scent on yet. I finally realized that I was smelling my tea, a keemun hao ya.
Okay, now I want some of that tea …
Emily:
You know I’ll be happy to send you a sample if you’d like. Or if you want more than just a sample, I ordered this from arbortea.com.
Let me know….
🙂
Oh gosh, Rapple, you’re too kind! It looks like I’ll have NO trouble putting together a robust order from Arbor Teas, but thanks so much for the offer. Does your enabler pin have a tea-related section?
Emily and annemarie, it’s definitely, definitely worth sampling, imo!
Rapple, wow, I’m still trying to decide if I’d want to DRINK something that smells like Patchouli 24 😀 I’m massively unadventurous with tea, though, and probably should try to widening my horizons a bit and learning to appreciate quirkier beverages as well perfumes.
lol! I understand. But it’s not *exactly* like Patch 24, just that similar smokiness. Try it fairly weak at first and see how it goes. I drink mine very strong but with milk and sugar (I know, I know the real tea drinkers just had apoplexy!).
Has anyone tried the new EL Bronze Goddess (I really do hate that name) flanker, Capri? Last year’s Soleil was okay, but have heard that this one might be better.
I haven’t tried it yet and want to, but Victoria at Bois de Jasmin reviewed it recently – you might check out her review.
I will. Thanks.
I didn’t like it. It reminded me of one of the clinique hay flankers. But that’s just me. Maybe you’ll love it
That should say happy, not hay.
I’m a big fan of the original bronze goddess. It smells so good when I smell it on other ppl.
For a brief second I was happy to hear about a hay flanker! Rather have some hay than some Clinique Happy 😉
LOL! 🙂
It’s OK, but nothing special. Soleil is better, to me. I am starting to crave BG. Must be that time of year. I also just got Azuree and am really enjoying it. I picked an unwashed t-shirt to do some housework and kept sniffing the Azuree remnants and very much enjoying it. Now I really want to try the Azuree Soleil Eau Fraiche that preceeded the BG. There are some on ebay, but I don’t know how to gauge if they are real or not. For the prices asked, I would hope they are. Any one have any ideas how to find out?
Darn. I was hoping Capri would be more like Azuree. I don’t know about eBay, but there’s some at Fragrance.net if you want to compare prices.
I just tried it today! (ps its gwp bonus time at the EL counter at macys) I did not care for capri and I adore the original. It has a nice zesty opening but veered too oriental for me.
Nice gravatar!!! 🙂
Thanks! It’s from a shot I took last Friday. Yours is lovely — Wheat Field with Crows?
A photographer photo; congrats; very testeful.
Here we call this painting as “Trigal com corvos”. It’s one of my favourite paintings.
Nice choice. (I think name sounds prettier in Portuguese.) I’ve always loved Van Gogh. He was my father’s favorite.
I just returned from the Estee Lauder counter at my supremely crappy local Macy’s (thanks for the GWP tip, dilettante perfumista!). I have Capri on my left hand, and it’s okay — on me, it’s a super-light quasi-oriental with lots of vanilla and something that smells kind of like the woods in Sensuous. I really didn’t get much citrus at all. Like a lot of people here, I much prefer the original.
I’d probably wear Capri if someone gave me a bottle, but I went with some makeup for my $35 purchase today.
Rediscovering LL Fleur de Corail this past week and loving it. Such a cozy, powdery, slightly incensy scent but lighter than the other LL’s so it’s not such a huge personal space invader.
Love Fleur de Corail! I have a big bottle of it that I found for about $25 at a discounter, but for whatever reason I haven’t worked it into my regular rotation. It’s a great spring/summer scent for the Bay Area — it evokes summery climates, but is still warm and cozy (as befits 60-degree June days!).
I actually had not worn it in ages when I suddenly had a craving for it last week. I agree, it’s got a spring/summery vibe yet also manages to be warm and cozy, so it works now too (I’m in Chicago and it is still quite chilly here).
Now, where is that bottle of mine? I’ll have to retry this because I’ve notice that, particularly this year, I’m really liking ones that I used to be just so-so about .
Do try it again! It’s such a nice one for spring weather.
I love LL Coral Flower; delicious. It’s so underrated! Bring me some great memories! I got some similarities to Chinatown.
Oh, interesting! Maybe that’s why I like it so much — I adore Chinatown!
And so do I. I’m crazy after a bottle or decant of it.
Ladies & Gentlemen: I’m a gal who really suffers in the heat, and look to perfume to give me a helping hand. As a result, I have several dependable loves for cool weather and what seems like hundreds of options for warm weather, nothing a “love.” Although last summer I decided for give in and just go tropical and discovered several scents that worked for me, I still want something a little more quiet and perhaps even cooling.
I recently fell for Mac’s Naked Honey and feel may be just what I need, but as you know it’s discontinued. So, I’m calling on your collective wisdom for advice. If I can’t have Mac Naked Honey, __________ is almost just as good.
Many thanks!
If you have a chance, try Provence Santé EdT Linden. No specific honey scent, but the Mac is also a light floral.
Thanks so much for the suggestion. The board on MUA suggested this one as well – I just have to figure out how to get my greedy mitts on it for a sniff 🙂
I first saw it at Whole Foods. I’m not sure they still carry it, but that would be one place to look. The line is better known for its soaps, I believe, so you could investigate places that carry fancy scented soaps more than perfumes.
I too have been someone who could not find a good warm weather scent – but Sel Marin from Heeley hit the mark for me. Give it a go!
I’m afraid I’m going nuts. I always liked sweet scents, and now? I still love my Joop Le Bain and Kenzo Amour, but other sweet scents, no…. I do like now more fresh and clean scents. Is that normal, or is my nose going crazy???
I’ve been having a similar experience — I had always been into woods and spicy/ambery orientals, but lately my nose wants GREEN. And not just a little bit of green, but Chanel No. 19 green and Jacomo Silences green. I still enjoy my old loves, though, so I like to think of this new development as widening my comfort zone.
No. 19 and Silences are such wonderful green scents! They’re some of my favorites.
Silences was a blind buy — a cheap ‘n’ successful one. The chatter a couple of weeks ago about reformulation freaked me out, so I tracked down a bottle of the parfum de toilette. Good stuff; hope they don’t mess with it too much.
I think it’s normal for tastes to shift. It might be the weather, too.
I’m blaming the weather! That’s my story and I’m sticking to it, 😉
🙂
One of the things that surprised me over the last year was realizing that sometimes really enjoying a scent is a matter of discovering the right season for it.
So true!
I think it’s normal too. My tastes change every now and then too. I’ve actually ended up liking things I used to hate and hating things I loved. I also go through phases where I seek out certain notes. I just was in a tea phase and now I think I might be heading towards roses. Or maybe green…
Another one losing the plot over here…my collection is largely vanilla/amber/oriental/incense. But which makes me happiest? Herba Fresca. In fact all the warm ones lately make me feel a little morose. The problem is that I cant get myself to actually invest in fresh greens or light florals as I just dont believe I will really like them for long. So far all I have, of this type, is Infusion d’ Iris and H.Fresca.
And, more weird, notes that used to drive me away, like lily, now attract me???
Thanks. I am happy to hear I am not the only one 😀
Lots of friends in the nuthouse!
HA! Merlin, you crack me up.
My Ormonde Jayne discovery set arrived yesterday! Sadly, the Orris Noir vial was broken, but I’ve contacted OJ and they’re sending a replacement. The parcel smelled delightful, though.
I’m not sure which OJ I’m going to try first — Woman, Tolu, and Champaca are the ones that most interest me, so probably one of those.
I also received some Smell Bent travel sprays this week (5 for $20, plus they threw in a sixth for free). I had high hopes for Monaco-Dependent and Sunshine Tea, but neither of them did that much for me (and Tea was verging on scrubber territory). I love Smell Bent in the abstract, but I’ve now tried about a dozen of their scents on skin and, with a couple of exceptions (Prairie Nymph and Incensed) they just don’t seem to work for me. Bummer.
Ooooo. You’re going to have SO MUCH FUN. I’ve been working my way through my OJ discovery set for a few weeks now — I’m about 1/2 way though — and already too many are FB worthy!
I’ll look forward to reading your thoughts.
Last night, I was this close to frantically dabbing myself with the Orris Noir–soaked cardboard. I just re-read Robin’s OJ reviews, and I think I’ll go with Champaca after I take a shower.
The best part (or worst part, from my wallet’s perspective) is that a friend is going to London in a few weeks, and has kindly volunteered to be my scent mule.
D’oh, I meant to ask — what are your favorites so far?
With such a great opportunity I’m guessing you’ll have to work fast. 😉
Right now, as I’ve finally caught the spring fever that’s been going around, I’m torn between Frangipani and Champaca. (I will likely end up with both at some point, it’s more as to which will be first.)
I am already budgeting for a end-of-summer FB purchase of Ta’if to have for fall.
Oh, I forgot. Ormonde Woman would fit on the list somewhere as well.
Yes, please let us know what you think of them! So far I’ve only tried Tolu, Woman, Champaca and Orris Noir. I immediately fell in love with Tolu. Woman was harder at first (I don’t know why I expected a bright green scent) but given all the extremely positive comments I kept trying and the last times I wore it I felt I understood what the hype was about! I’m still waiting before putting it on my FB wishlist, but I’m pretty sure it’ll end up there. As for Champaca and Orris Noir, I tried them for the first time a few weeks ago. I still need to test them… they both weren’t hits, but already the second wear ON was growing on me. I like this discovery stage!
Okay — for the past four hours or so, I’ve had Osmanthus on one arm and Champaca on the other, and I’m sorry to report that A) I can barely smell them; and B) I think they might be triggering my allergies, though I’m not certain that the two phenomena are related. I applied two generous spritzes to each arm, and even a few minutes after application, I had to have my nose ON my arm to smell anything.
The scents kind of got stronger after half an hour, but I feel like I’m just not picking up on everything that’s supposed to be in there. Osmanthus just smelled like, well, osmanthus (and has almost vanished now); Champaca smelled vaguely floral with a bit of woods, which are still kind of hanging around. And about two hours ago, the allergies started acting up.
Has anyone else had trouble smelling the OJ scents? I think I’ve heard that they use a lot of Iso E Super — if I’m anosmic to it, might that be the problem?
Yes, that can happen, and if so, it can almost “block” the other components as well so that you smell nothing or nearly nothing. So sorry! Might be worth trying them separately later to see if one works better for you on its own, although it doesn’t seem likely.
Thanks, Robin — that’s good to know about Iso E Super. Since OJ’s sample vials are so generously sized, I definitely have enough for a second (and third, and probably fourth) testing. Not really optimistic, though.
Yeah, if it is the iso e super, the line as a whole is going to be problematic.
Hi Emily, I had the same problem. I liked Woman very much, and could smell, and like, Tolu and Taif. I think Iris Noir was also nice. The others seemed like watery shadows of perfumes. I put the box away and decided to try them again in a few months. I may be anosmic to Iso-super, or I may just have a really blunt nose.
“Watery shadows” is an excellent description of what I was smelling (or not) yesterday. I think I might try Tolu or Woman today. Ta’if also sounds gorgeous, and based on the shipping accident, I know that I have no trouble smelling Orris Noir!
I’m like Alice’s White Rabbit – I’m always late! But just wanted to say that I have had absolutely the same problem with OJ’s Champaca and Osmanthus. But I adore Ta’if – which I can still smell on my car seatbelt weeks later! I find Woman powerful and long-lasting, but it has an unfortunate habit of smelling like babies’ diapers (used) to me. Still can’t make my mind up about Tiare – I seem to like that better the next morning, when the rubberiness has gone and what’s left is sort of woody. Ta’if rocks for me!
For what it’s worth, lately I’ve been revisiting Champaca along with other scents in the sampler set that aren’t in my regular rotation (haven’t gotten to Osmanthus yet). It didn’t make much of an impression the first time I tried it a couple of years ago. Now I like it a lot, but after two hours I can barely smell it. Frangipani lasts at least four or five hours on me, Ta’if even longer, and a small spritz of Tolu will stick around tenaciously (but beautifully) until the next time I shower. I hope you have better luck with some of the other OJs; they’re such lovely scents that it would be a pity if you were anosmic and/or allergic to all of them.
Well, I did have better luck with Tolu today. Hopefully I’ll be able to identify a FB-worthy OJ within the next few weeks, before my scent mule takes off for London!
Yay! Tolu was an immediate love for me. The pink pepper in Ta’if put me off at first, but it became my favorite once I “got” the opening. I mostly prefer OJ’s (fl)oriental/woody scents to the lighter florals, but that’s true for perfumes in general.
OJ Discovery Set Update #3: I’m really liking Tolu. It’s somehow fresher than I expected it to be, but that’s not at all a bad thing (I think the sage and whatnot in it might have that effect?). After a couple of hours, it became more conventionally “oriental” and started to remind me of a smoother, more contemporary Youth Dew. And Mr. Emily liked it, which never hurts (it did not elicit the dreaded “it smells perfumey” reaction). I’m trying to proceed cautiously, but it might be a FB candidate.
SOTD: Amouage Library Collection Opus VI, for the third day in a row! Still getting to know it…
🙂
My Saturdays have been changed dramatically by an early (for Saturday) Chen Taiji class. I loathe getting up early but love the class, so I put on some LesNez Turtle Vetiver 2 “Front” to get going. There is something both energizing and calming about vetiver that makes it perfect for Tai Chi, and this one is very nice.
The rest of the weekend, I plan to try out one of the Neela Vermeire Duchaufours, Mohur. I’ve had the exploration set for a while, and Jessica’s review yesterday has moved Mohur to the top of the queue for skin time.
I’m just crazy about Turtle Front Vetiver. It’s so solid and intense. I put some on a cotton ball and it scents my dressing table. I love noticing it, yet not instantly thinking of it as a “perfume”.
Ikat, I missed the first Turtle Vetiver, so I jumped on this one as soon as it showed up on LuckyScent, and very glad that I did.
I sometimes spritz a kleenex with perfumes I find interesting but not too wearable for one reason or other: weird or too much sillage, or I just want to experience them from a distance. “Front” is very wearable, but I will try this approach, too.
Ikat & Noznoz: If you don’t mind my asking, as TVF is limited a limited edition, I’m curious if you got to sample first, or did you go-for-it with a FB un-sniffed? (You may have guessed, I’m tempted on this one for fear of missing out if I don’t.)
Went to a hockey game last night and wore Bulgari Black. Had the guy sitting next to me say how nice I smelled. Thanked him. Later when he left to get a drink his wife asked what I was wearing. She laughed and said “I didn’t think he ever noticed stuff like that, maybe I should get some.” For once I was happy to tell her the name and that it wasn’t so niche she could find it. Today I’m wearing samples from Aedus: Amber Oud on the left wrist and Rose Oud on the right, both By Killian.
Haha, Bvlgari Black seems so perfect for a hockey game! Good choice.
Emily your comment made me LOL since Black looks and feels like a hockey puck.
Wish it came with instructions for SAs to place two testers, one in men’s and one in women’s fragrances — it would be so much more popular!
No kidding — that would be a good idea. And then maybe we could worry less about it being discontinued!
Great choice for hockey. I’m a big fan of Black.
What’s the best way to get rid of perfume that just doesn’t suit me? I don’t really post anywhere else on perfume blogs so have no reputation online. I have about 5-6 almost full bottles of stuff that were unsniffed mistakes! Does NST have a perfume exchange or swap page I dont see? If I posted my addy and the perfumes here would that be a violation of rules? I really just want to give them away, I hate looking at those bottles and seeing the waste 🙁
Kelly, swapping (or giving away) is fun and easy on Makeup Ally! It’s easy to sign up for, and will open up a whole new world of perfume exploration! 🙂
Let me know what they are and maybe I will buy the
We don’t, sorry — try Basenotes or MakeupAlley, or Scent Splits wiki:
http://scentsplits.wikidot.com/
But we should, right?? 😉
I keep going back & forth on the issue…perhaps we will, perhaps we won’t, LOL…
If we did it like the Posse swap, you really wouldn’t have to do anything. It’s more like an open poll…. (have I helped to sway you yet?)
It never works out that way though…most things turn out to be more trouble than you expect, LOL…
But also, the Posse is doing it regularly, right? So part of my hesitation is I don’t want to duplicate what they’re doing.
Kelly, there have been two swaps on the Perfume Posse board – if you can hold on to them till next winter, you can look for that – or the Scents for Self blog is holding a sale for charity right now (you might be too late to donate but you can ask). I remember there was also a “Secret Santa” swap held by some perfumistas two years ago. If you keep reading perfume boards and keep your eyes open you will find a way to move those bottles along. Your unwanted mistake is someone else’s gold, of course.
I know there’s some perfumistas who also sell their “mistakes” on eBay, because I’ve bought quite a few “barely used – do you want these?” bottles there from people with suspiciously good offerings! Just be sure not to be overambitious for the prices – people expect to pay well below retail for a used bottle of perfume unless it’s very rare. Research the prices for a while.
Just some ideas.
I will spending quite a bit of time in Washington DC during the next month. Any good perfume shopping I should check out?
March of Perfume Posse recommends a shop at Tysons Galleria in McClean called Art with Flowers. It’s a posh florist shop that also has some niche perfumes and other scented products. There are many department stores and boutiques at Tysons.
The Metro accessible Friendship Heights/Chevy Chase shopping area has a Saks Fifth Avenue with an extensive perfume department, a Neimans and a Santa Maria Novella shop. At Dupont Circle, there is a Blue Mercury and a candle shop with a large selection of ambient scent products, including Agraria (I think – haven’t stopped by in a few years). Enjoy!
I was just at that BlueMercury this week – they didn’t have a ton of fragrance but a decent collection. They still had a bottle of Tea for Two, for instance. 🙂
Nozknoz & Unseencenser; Thanks so much for the info! I’d never heard of Blue Mercery until this group, so it will be fun to finally be able to check one out.
Happy Saturday everyone..don’t forget to “Spring Forward” tonight!
Right now I’m wearing L de Lolita Lempicka after wearing Chanel no. 5 for the past few days. However…I just rec’d a new bottle of Fairchild by Anya`s Garden in the mail and as soon as I shower, I’m going to try it out. Thank you NST for the heads up on the leap-day coupon code that made it possible for me to try it!
Am I the only one who hates springing forward? Losing that hour of sleep is just awful. Why can’t we do it in the middle of a workday? I think that would be so much better. I love the fall back and gain an hour in the fall though. That is wonderful although my dogs tummies don’t get the memo and when it’s breakfast time to them, it’s breakfast time.
Oh, you are SO not alone on this. Though I do love the idea of springing forward on a weekday afternoon!
On the bright side, the cat has been waking us up at 7 every morning, so now that will happen at a more reasonable, weekend-friendly hour. Hopefully she’ll knock it off by fall.
I don’t mind the springing forward, but over the last few years I feel that the time change comes WAY too early in the season. It will be dark in the morning when we get up tomorrow, and of course we’ll have LIGHTS ON, which sort of defeats the purpose of Daylight Savings Time…
yes, my dog always has a 2 week period of adjustment when we change the clocks! Her stomach knows exactly when its breakfast and dinner time, and will tell you too!
Oh, the pain of losing that hour of sleep! I love your idea – Friday afternoon would be the ideal time to make the switch, wouldn’t it? 🙂
Oh my gosh–I’d never considered a plan to make the change on a Friday afternoon. That is BRILLIANT. Absolutely brilliant.
Ohhh, L de Lolita and N. 5, two of my favourites! Possible scent twins?!
I’m wearing Donna Karan Chaos, which I don’t see mentioned a lot. Anyone else in love with fragrance? I never had the chance to sample the pre-discontinued version.
I am forever recommending Chaos to people! It is what led me down the rabbit hole…..and to my nose smells like the original or near as dammit. Enjoy!
Valentine, My Chaos obsession got me into this mess. I have four of the origials still in the bullpen. Also, lucky enough to get both sizes of the edp. There was nothing else like it when it came out. Still love it!
Hi Everyone,
Happy weekend! Does anyone know if the re-issue (re-edition) of PG Bois Naufrage has been reformulated? It seems to be less “figgy” to me. I’m wearing Bulgari “Petits et Maman” today.
I don’t know, sorry!
I went to Les Senteurs today for the Vintage Scent Session. Today’s session was about the 30’s and we tried quite a few fragrances. Some of them were overwhelming and I’ve now got a headache… perhaps from the perfumes or champers or both! I am wearing Gardenia Passion today.
Oh, lucky you! Vintage sniffery… ah.
Sounds so fun (except the headache) — what did you smell?
We tried Guerlain’s Sous Le Vent, Colony, Caron’s Fleurs de Rochaille and Pour un Homme, Schiaparelli’s Shocking to name a few. Some of the scents are discontinued, as you probably know. I found most of them quite overwhelming and some headache inducing, except Sous Le Vent, which is a very wearable and pleasant scent but does not last very long. My favourite was Shocking.
Nice mix — thanks for sharing!
KRL
I have a bottle of MAC’s Naked Honey, I rarely if ever use. When I want honey, I reach for Killian Back to Black. I would be happy to send you a big sample, as in a Sephora travel size spray if you are interested.
You can reach me at my business email dc9nini@me.com and I’ll send you a pic of the bottle with my cat Peanut, who kept trying to run away. I will pay for shipping – part of my Lenten discipline is to give things away and I’d like to give this to you.
Neens7 – Thank you so much for your kind and generous offer. I just sent you an email!
Seconding Back to Black as a go-to honey source.
I love B2B as well, but want something light and lovely for warm weather. B2B is a cool weather scent for me. (Yes, I’m one of those freaks who cannot do heavy scents in the heat).
I’ve found Zeta to be similar to Mac Naked Honey, but that Tauer base…I can’t take it anymore.
I just got a bottle of Miel & Vanille. It’s definitely lighter than BtB and maybe not so honey-focused but worth checking out if you can find it around. It has a citrus-y thing going on to… I find it to be quite orange-y but lemon seems to be the popular opinion.
I finally got my 3 SSS’s from sweet Laurie. I’m putting here on the Christmas card list. Also found some new unopened JICKY, snatched it right up for a steal. 3.4 for $95. Steal!! Happy smelling. Got
Musc Ravenger from Malle, blind buy, but this is really well made perfume. A new favorite. Looking for some Vero!!
Which SSS scents did you get? Let us know what you think. I, too, am a big fan of Laurie’s.
happy weekend everyone! I stopped at the mall today and sniffed a few things…I did not care for the new BG capri, but I did kinda like the omnia coral. Lord & Taylor has a combo set of coral and crystalline which was really tempting but I’m not sure if I love either. Btw, I have actually never sniffed the original omnia because I never see it when I’m out for some reason (L&T had all the colors of omnia but no original!) Anyone know where they would definitely have it?
I saw some at a Fragrance Outlet (at a Tanger Outlet mall). If you can’t find one locally please let me know and I’ll email you the phone number. The SA said they would ship for $7 — free if the order is over $100.
I see Omnia at Marshall’s and Nordstrom Rack all the time; it seems to be priced around $30 for the largest bottle. No testers, though (unless someone’s busted open one of the boxes).
Thanks for the tip, Emily. I was at The Rack today and picked up a bottle of Omnia – no testers, but I’ve tried Crystalle and liked it, so bought unsniffed. I definately like this more than the Crystalle version. I also picked up a backup bottle of Black for cheap. Need to tuck this away somewhere. I’ll bring it out in 5 years or so when everyone is lamenting the loss and spritz with abandon.
At another sotre, I picked up a bottle of Oscar de la Renta ETD that was on sale and it’s horrid. Nothing at all like the vintage. To my nose, this version is sharp and edgy with none of the lushness that the vintage formula had. My grandmother and mother wore this back in the day, and I had wore this or Ruffles when I was younger, too. Actually, as I was checking out trying to decide to get it, I mentioned to the sales clerk that I used to wear this as a kid and she laughed. “You wore Oscar de la Renta as a kid?” she asked incredulously. She told me she wore juicy fruit. Anyway, I spritzed a bit when I got home and almost had to go scrubbing. I want a vintage bottle, please!!!
Congrats on the Omnia! Glad it’s working out.
thanks knit and emily! I will check out those stores, and I do have a tanger outlet not too far!
Wore Back to Black today–nothing new there–to help get me through my Friday. Sometimes I feel like I should wear something on the weekend specifically for more interesting lazy poll fodder!! So ridiculous, this perfume thing.
I have done some sampling recently though and someone (Hardlyworking? I think?) asked me to report back with my thoughts on De Profundis. Report: I found it reminded me of En Passant in “feel.” Something about it conveys the velvety soft texture of a petal, to the point it convinces you the spot on your hand you’re sniffing is somehow softer than the rest of your skin. It definitely reminded me much more of lillies than violets…although I am not familiar with the smell of chrysanthemums, so perhaps I missing that link. Very pretty, in any case. Doesn’t seem very long-lived.
Also: made some impulse unsniffed purchases today, eep! DSH Cafe Noir and Plume Perfume’s Coffee and Cedar. Has anyone tried these? I thought I was over unsniffed purchases!! Oh well, wsa for a good cause, and hopefully I’ll love them.
Great mini-review of De Profundis. I too have been wondering about this one.
Never say never to unsniffed purchases. 🙂
I’ve sniffed Cafe Noir, Meg (in fact, I would’ve picked it up if you hadn’t) although I tried it in the oil formulation. It was part of a group of Ava Luxe samples I won from Ida. It’s a sweet coffee, I remember getting a pancake syrup feel from it, very yummy. It’s even better layered over something else, AL’s Ambre Foncé was especially good, as it got deeper and richer.
Wait, Ava Luxe? Is that a different scent from the DSH one? Or is it the same scent marketed under a different brand? I’m confused. Hmm… pancake syrup is slightly disconcerting but I am excited nonetheless! Thanks for the info!
I thought that was an Ava Luxe bottle pictured on Scents of Self, so I guess I didn’t read closely. Ava Luxe has a Cafe Noir as well, and is a different perfumer than DSH. Good luck with the bottle, Meg.
Hi all. Beautiful photo, Robin. We’ve been toying with beautiful Spring weather here in Santa Barbara but I wish it was as warm all weekend as it was on Friday (mid 70s). I know, no sympathy.
Anyway, I’m excited to be trying a decant of Isabelle Doyenne’s Turtle Vetiver Front today and I love it. Very unadorned, wonderful, rooty vetiver. Delicious. I almost want a bottle. I’m not sensing any coconut.
Also tried Lostmarch Iroaz today — another one of those nice marine/beachy scents that’s done well. I wouldn’t mind a bit of this… but I may not need it, because I was excited this week to have nabbed a sale bottle of the similiar MH Fleurs de Sel for half price, $70. Happy happy!
Hope everyone enjoys the weekend!
Joe – that description sounds like the first Turtle Vetiver. Have you tried that one to compare?
Hi D! No I haven’t tried the first Turtle. I’ve heard this one is a bit more “wearable”… would be fun to compare.
Isn’t that gorgeous?? I really need to work on my own photography skills.
Been Trying to Source a Bottle of the New Alberta Ferretti Eponymous Scent and Failing Miserably… Anyone know where i can buy this? other than some far flung Alberta Ferretti Boutique? Harrods used to have it on it’s website, but they don’t carry it anymore… any help would be IMMENSELY Appreciated!
Did you try writing to customer service at Elizabeth Arden?
No, I did not even think of that… let alone remember that Elizabeth Arden was Behind the new scent… THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH! 🙂
I have a question. I’ll smell a perfume and really like it and I’ll read the notes. Then I’ll smell essential oils of those same notes and they all smell pungent and raw and dirty, even the fruit ones. Why is that? Am I smelling the carrier oil?
in perfume essential oils are being diluted, less concentrated, that’s probably why. Essential oils is just a raw stuff, it’s a perfumer tool, not something to put immediately on your skin
Most (although not all) perfumes use aroma-chemical replicas of essential oils, not essential oils, which are very expensive. Added to that, some perfumers play with those chemicals so in the end, they’re not recognizable as something you’d smell in nature.
Raw materials, even natural ones, don’t always smell like the “live” flowers they are from. It really depends on the flower in question.
Thanks everyone!
Last friday I bought 100 ml bath oil Douceline from Guy Laroche on the local fleemarket. Price: 1 euro. Turns out it is part of the discontinued line of bath products accompanying Fidji perfume. You can either put it in your bath (which I did) or onto your skin (which I did too). The top is a little deteriorated, after that everything turns out fine. Green, tart, chypre-ish, sophisticated, discrete whilst suggesting some rather titillating secrets.
A kind of buy I always read & dream about. But now I did one myself 🙂
Congrats on your purchase. I’m still waiting to stumble across something good at a flea market or antique store. I did score a 1/3 full 750ml bottle of Shalimar eau de cologne from my godmother a few months ago and I was pretty happy about that.
so would I be! That’s a lot of Shalimar, and vintage too!
I was wondering if anyone knows when the new Annick Goutal, Nuit Etoilee, is supposed to be released in the U.S. I’m hoping it won’t be like the last several Goutals–released at a much later date and very difficult to get hold of (even now, the only retailer I’ve found with Mon Parfum Cherie is Bergdorf Goodman).
Also, I would love to find, if anyone has seen it in the U.S., a bottle of Le Mimosa with the yellow organza ribbon (not the black and yellow dotted ribbon). I saw the Goutal website has it, but it would be less cost/hassle to find it here.
And, one final shot in the dark, does anyone have any suggestions as how to locate a bottle of L’artisan Orchidee Blanche? Thanks!
Selfridges (UK) got the Le Mimosa, but Saks & NM only got the other 3, no idea why.
But looks like the new soliflores are the same cost as the Mimosa w/ the fancier ribbon — $120 for 100 ml.
No idea on the Nuite Etoilee, sorry.
hi there…quick for another one day and 22hours you can find a small decant on ebay of the l’artisan orchide blanc!!!
Could anyone recommend some more-or-less mainstream fragrances that have lilly as a dominant note? I’v just started becoming familiar with it. I quite like Donna Karen Gold, the EDT more than the EDP. Perhaps i don’t like lilly against woods and amber because I prefer the brightness of the EDT.
Diorissimo, I don’t like at all. I have only smelled the current formulation though.
Issey Miyake is absolutely awful on me and though I like the Van Cleef & Arpel (Carmine Lys) it is a) too pricey and b) it somehow just smells too expensive also!
I’v heard Passage Enfer has it, but though I have smelled it in the past, no one here carries L’Artisan anymore, so I cant retest.
Any further suggestions. (I’m not really wanting to buy a lilly fragrance so much as to familiarise myself with the note.)
There are very few mainstream lily fragrances. Gold was a rare one, and there’s also the newer Cartier Baiser. For niche, Serge Lutens Un Lys is gorgeous.
Lily of the valley (Diorissimo) is a different flower & note altogether…if you like lily of the valley, Stella McCartney L.I.L.Y is a recent one, although not coming to US until fall.
Merlin, Lys Mediterranee by Frederic Malle is also wonderful.
LM is my tip too, one of my summer scents (but now that you’ve mentioned it I might pull it out tomorrow), vanille galante (Hermès) is also more about lilies than vanilla, in my opinion, it’s expensive, of course, but they do have the small travel vials, affordable-ish
Thanks for the feedback everyone! No one here stocks Un Lys (not export line?), or Lys Mediterrane (or any other Malle, as far as I know).
But I really do need to smell the Cartier. Its extremely strange but Basier Vole STILL hasn’t turned up at any of the department stores that stock the usual cartier frags. I have however found that they do have it at a distant ‘pharmacy’. It looks like tomorrow I may need to take a road trip!
do try it when you can, I really love it!
A lovely warm spring day was to be had in London, and Le Labo’s Vetiver was the scent du jour. It works surprisingly well in warmer weather, as I have only warn it previously in very cold climes. The heat somehow made it evaporate and soften more quickly, it was rather lovely for it too!
Hope everyone had a lovely weekend.
Does Shea butter smell like dried apricots to anyone else? This is an incredibly lovely and appealing scent to me right now. Is there a perfume out there in the great fragrance universe that has apricot as a note? I am counting on you, my mavens of scent, to have an answer for me!
I think Bottega Veneta has an apricot note, but I could be wrong. I do get something kind of apricot-y or peachy from it.
Daim Blonde is suede + apricot; and, if it helps osmanthus has an apricot aspect and there are a few frags with osmanthus. Also Comptoir Sud Pacifique have a Vanille Abricot which is very popular.
Thank you, Emily and Merlin. I will eagerly give your suggestions a try.