Another open thread poll...talk about anything you like — the perfume you’re wearing today, the perfect perfume for spring that you're still looking for, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: image is back of daffodil [doubled] by shaferlens at flickr; some rights reserved.
How about a mini-poll? What fragrance do you think Houdini wore or would have worn?
Olde Spice!… just kidding. I dunno. Perhaps Penhaligon’s Elixir. Words such as magic and hypnotic are used to describe the fragrance and it actually sounds nice.
Something with a ton of musk that would have seemed to disappear because he, and most everyone else, were anosmic to it. 😉
So Omnia then? 😀
LOL! Excellent.
Haha!
This is a challenging question. Houdini was born in Hungary in 1874, so I’d suggest Hungary Water – he’d certainly need a restorative and cure-all before and after those strenuous performances!
Anything from Strange Invisible Perfumes. 🙂
Good one!
😀
I’m wearing my new pure amber oil that my friend in UAE sent me. It stinks to high heaven and I love it. Not at all in keeping with the lovely spring day we are having here in MN, but like all new perfumes I can’t help wearing it for a few days, even if it doesn’t fit the weather. It’s thick, bright yellow and a stainer! Apply sparingly and walk around like I’m in a desert souk. She also sent me powdered agerwood that you burn like incense. About a cups worth in a fancy glass jar that is perfuming my office as I type this.
Sounds lovely!
What fun!
Sometimes it’s quite enjoyable to stink to high heaven. I bet that amber oil smells great.
That’s what weekends are for, isn’t it? 😉
I’m wearing AG Songes today. It’s such a lovely day in London. Sunny and warm. Spring has finally arrived. I bought hyacinths this week and the whole living room smells wonderful. I am happily waiting for the jasmine and honeysuckle in the garden to bloom. Hopefully won’t have to wait long if this good weather continues.
We have had beautiful weather lately, but this whole weekend is to be dark & rainy. Oh well. Enjoy your Songes!
Do you live in the NW by any chance? I went to high school and college in Seattle and it rained a lot there. It was a bit like Scotland.
No, mid-Atlantic.
Cool, humid weather is good for sniffing perfume, at least!
I’ve actually never smelled Songes but almost bought it unsniffed the other day. Everyone on here always has great things to say about it and the price was right. I may still go back and see if I can still get it.
Songes is a happy-scent for me. You should definitely try it before you buy it.
Songes is most beautiful. I finally decided to get a FB. The more I smell and wear it, the deeper I fall in love with it. And the house AG in general. Happy Spring to all from the rainy Mid-Atlantic!
I finally successfully layered 2 perfumes ! Malmaison over By Kilian Love–Love gives fullness to Malmaison and Malmaison cuts the sweetness of Love. Yay!
That does sound nice!
The funniest thing happened last night. I spritzed my arm with Jo Malone’s Honeycomb then decided it was cold so I threw on a polar fleece hoodie. I sat down to enjoy my after dinner coffee and a snuggle with my husband and dog. My dog caught a whiff of that perfume and went crazy — I could not get him to stop licking my jacket sleeve, trying to get to that wonderfully sweet smell. I had to banish him to the other side of the sofa!
Amazingly, I can still smell the Honeycomb perfume on my arm this morning. This is the 9ml perfume, one of the three limited edition fragrances that comes in the Rose Chronicles. I really like it’s natural honey scent-I’m hoping they’ll actually release it as a perfume in its own right some day–it would be great for layering.
Interesting — wonder what got him so interested?
Me too. I can understand why dogs would be interested in the smell of perfume, but certainly the perfume itself can’t taste good.
SL’s Bois de Miel notoriously smells like urine to many people. There is a particular molecule in it that smells like honey to some people and urine to others. I don’t know if that one is used by Jo Malone, but if it is, dogs might enjoy it from either angle! 😉
Aha! That must be it.
I agree with your dog! I love that little Honeycomb mini. In fact I am in love with the entire “Red Roses” storybook. To think, I nearly put that up for sale on Ebay last year …. Mid-February or so, I got a sudden mad hankering for roses, and since then it’s gotten more arm – time than just about anything else in my collection (except Bottega Veneta). Of the three, that’s the one in the set that will be running out first. Soooo sultry and cuddly! I also hope JM makes it again in a larger size.
Hello everyone! The weather here is absolutely beautiful and my SOTD is Tubéreuse Criminelle.
I’m having a little compare-and-contrast fun with tuberose this week. On Weds I wore Beyond Love, Thurs – Fracas, Fri – Carnal Flower and TC today. I’ve never worn them in succession like that so it was great. It also confirmed that TC is definitely the tuberose for me, I’m just completely smitten with it at the moment.
I can’t abide Fracas, but I love me some tubey otherwise. Criminelle is amazing, but Carnal Flower is still my fave.
Carnal Flower is my second favourite after TC. It’s a scent that I only wear a couple of times a year but it can really hit the spot at times and it’s a wonderful variation on the tuberose theme with those green and coconut accords.
Also – and this might be a bit odd – but I really like the colour of the CF juice. The buttery golden liquid looks so luscious and appealing in the vial, like some kind of magic potion.
Until recently I hadn’t met a tuberose I could abide…then someone sent me a drop of Carnal Flower. Oh dear. What’s next, Rose fragrances?? Indolic jasmines? You read about people discovering notes in a new light that they hated before…but you never think it will happen to you.
Yes to new notes!
My hell-would-freeze-over-before-I-like-it note is grapefruit (the sweaty kind) 😀 I’m yet to meet one which doesn’t make me want to go and shower straight away.
I don’t dislike tuberose at all; I actually think it is beautiful. BUT… after about 1/2 hour on my skin, it is totally overwhelming and I’m ready to scrub. It’s like being locked in a florist’s cooler.
I have that problem with gardenia. I’ve heard that it’s very difficult to reconstruct a true gardenia note in perfume, so I wonder if my problems have less to do with the flower (which I do find beautiful) and more to do with how it’s rendered in perfumery? (If that even matters, given that I’m unlikely to swan about wearing real gardenias!)
I find gardenia fragrances far more problematic than tuberose. They inevitably turn out loud, harsh and generally jarring.
Yes, gardenia is a difficult one. I have tried several and bought a few but none of them truly replicate the scent of the flower. They are all interpretations of it. Frederic Malle has a gardenia candle, which really smells like gardenia.
🙂
I used up the last of my L’AP Nuit de Tubereuse decant this week and decided I need a bottle. Also love Kilian Beyond Love for summer.
Oooh, thank you for reminding me about NdT! It’s been a while since I tried it so I’m going to dig out my sample and re-visit it tomorrow. I didn’t get much tuberose from it but it should be lovely in the current sunshine nonetheless.
I love the idea of wearing different frags that feature the same note on a different day through the week! I recently did the same working through an iris sampler I purchased through tpc. It really helped me understand the many facets of iris and narrow down what I like the most, which was apres l’ondee btw.
It’s a great way to get a feel for a particular note in different settings, isn’t it? I did it with iris a while ago because I had trouble pinpointing it in compositions and it really helped with that and, as a result, also let me appreciate some scents more fully.
Abyss, have you tried Vamp a NY? I love that one, too.
Vamp NY happens to be my favorite tuberose! I wore it just yesterday.
Yes, I’ve smelled that one and remember quite liking it. I don’t have any at home, though, so I couldn’t include it in my Tuberose Week. Same with EL PC Tuberose Gardenia and TF Black Orchid Voile de Fleur.
Wearing Etat Libre d’Orange Rien today. I came to this line late (like a couple of months ago, LOL) but already have found two which truly speak to me: Jasmin et Ciagrette and Rien. It’s always a pleasant surprise to find a line with quality scents and rather good prices for niche.
It’s overcast and cooler here in the Midwest, but the rain is pushing my hostas, Virginia bluebells, and lily of the valley along. Which reminds me: I need to put the hummingbird feeder out. Hope everyone else is having a great day!
I just tried one of their scents, Like This, and I really like it. I’m going to check out a few of their other scents too. Actually Jasmin et Cigarettes is on my to try list.
I’m also on an ELdO kick right now. I’ve been wearing Like This a lot lately, and I appreciate it more each time I put it on. Unfortunately Jasmin et Cigarette didn’t really do it for me (I wanted more Cigarette!) but I’m dying to try Bijou Romantique and Fils de Dieu. And I have a sample of Charogne that I need to test-drive.
I am also dying to try Fils de Dieu! I thought I would skip Romantique, but Jessica’s review has me thinking otherwise.
Same here!
I thought I’d mention that ELDO sell a discovery set of all their 24 fragrances on their website in case anyone was interested in exploring the entire line.
Ooooo that might be a fun anniversary gift to me from the kids ( aka dogs and birds).
Your comment has made me realize how unforgivably lax my cat has been in her gift-giving. I think she needs to rectify this immediately, starting with my Luckyscent wish list.
I went through a long-is ELdO phase but now-adays I find most of their scents too heavy. Not too strong, I like strong, but I like a certain amount of airiness built in. The ELdO’s feel a bit limp to me now?
Ah Rien, my favourite ELdO and probably one of my all time favourites! It is just gorgeous and comforting and great and wonderful. Another ELdO I really like is Rossy de Palma, a beautiful dirty rose. It’s a good line, affordable, fun and I just pay no attention to the ad copy.
Today I’m wearing Histoires de Parfum 1725 Casanova – thank you Dominika for this small gift! It’s definitely a comforting scent for me.
The weather is getting warmer here too, so I decided to pull out some lighter clothes. I’m also planning to give myself a try for colours, I always acted very safely with them.
This week was tought and next will be tougher (but the next week I’ll have more free time), at least I had some fun doing my university 1st degree perfume analysis.
Spring is a great time for new colors, Lucasai. How exciting to be studying perfume analysis! What sort of analysis are you doing now?
I was always afraid of wearing vivid colors, but maybe this spring is a time for a change.
I’m analysing how much limonene perfumed products (EdC,EdT,EdP, Parfum) contain.
You’re welcome 🙂 Glad you’re enjoying it.
I don’t use much color either. I tend to buy a lot of black because when I’m getting ready for work there is no thought required to match anything. It’s easy. Not to mention the supposed slimming effects of black pants. I am now going to the gym and dieting because it’s been a long cold winter and I didn’t burn off many calories because we didn’t have as much snow to shovel. I do love color though and I love when men wear something other than navy blue and browns. I got my hubby to buy a purple shirt this week. Now let’s see if he ever wears it…
Not wearing any perfume today because I have a cold that won’t quit… possibly because until yesterday we were experiencing the most intense push of winter in my part of the pacific northwest so far this year.
I do have a question though: Perfume for meeting a new partner’s family? I’m terrified to report that I will probably meet my new man’s family over Easter weekend, and because I think of perfume/outfit pairings like some people think about food and wine, I am trying to decide what will best accompany a tea length, robin egg blue eyelet dress for dinner. I’m sort of wishing I owned some of the preppier channels right now, as Coromendel seems a bit on the sensual side for the occasion and N.5 doesn’t seem right either. Perhaps Si Lolita? A violet frag? What’s a good go-to crowd pleaser?
What do you think about Prada Infusion d’Iris EdP for this occasion? Elegant, non-offensive perfume. I would also suggest Channel No.19 Poudre, but this might be too strong powder for this kind of meeting. What say you?
Oo… infusion d’iris would be perfect, I think. Unfortunately I have finished off my decant–but you’ve reminded me that I have some Prada L’eau Ambree, which might walk the right line of “presence but unoffensive”.
I think Prada L’eau Ambree could be perfect for this scenario. And your dress sounds lovely- perfect for spring and for the occasion.
If Infusion d’Iris would be perfect, just swing by a Sephora and ask for a sample. Sephora sales associates are always happy to make some up. I usually limit myself to asking for 2 or 3 different fragrances at any given time. Come to think of it, I might need to get some myself…..
How I love Sephora for their sample-happy policies! It really is the only way to go. Sadly I live more than a four hour drive from my nearest one!
L’Eau Ambree should also do the trick, Infusion d’Iris would’ve been better anyway 😉
Ormonde Woman is my go to for that kind of thing, as it’s elegant yet comforting. Maybe Bottega Veneta would be good as well?
I don’t have either of these on hand but “elegant yet comforting” is reaffirming how very urgent it is that I sample Ormonde Woman asap.
Hmm… maybe something innocent and pleasant, like L’Eau d’Hiver? I combine it with the equivalent body lotion for longer strength.
Good luck!
innocent yet pleasant is definitely a good fumey aim for this occasion. I’ll ponder if I have an l’eau d’hiver sounding equivalents. Thank you!
Hmmm, do you have Parfums de Nicolai’s Odalisque? For some reason that popped into my head as being appropriate for both the occasion and the outfit (which sounds lovely, BTW).
I havne’t tried/don’t own any Odalisque. Perhaps some of my other PdN’s, Violette in Love and Un temps de Fete, are worth considering though. and thank you! It’s Ports International second hand dress I was amazingly lucky to find for twenty-something bucks.
Good luck with your meeting! I akways try to wear something that won’t compete with food when going out to dinner, so I like your idea of Prada Ambree or Iris. I love Ormonde Woman – it makes me feel strong and confidant – but I’d probably think twice about it for a first meeting/dinner.
Oh heck, I’d wear it anyway!
I definitely think of Bulgari Eau The Vert as a go-to crowd pleaser. I also think L’Artisan’s La Chasse Aux Papillons would do well on such an occasion and it’s such a happy fragrance.
hi Meg
I always hated the idea of those first moments with the new families : )
if I had to face it now I would chose Chanel 28 La Pausa, and L’eau d’hiver is another excellent suggestion. try to find something that is silent and comforting for you, it will surely work. good luck 🙂 and let us know what you picked finally : )
To a perfume lover, picking out the right scent for an occassion is analogous to picking the right wine for dinner. Your dress sounds lovely. I agree with Prada L’eau Ambree, it has a nice comforting warmth from the amber, but it isn’t overly fluffy or too sweet. It is perfect for making a good impression without making a statement. It’s there w/o being obvious. I also think Bottega Veneta has the same qualities, it has a subdued comfortable with myself elegance about it w/o being standoffish. Lastly, Chanel Allure works in this situation too. It doesn’t get much love, but when you want an understated, but good impression background scent it fits the bill.
All the best!
Thank you all for all the wonderful suggestions! You’ve given me lots of great ideas.
Just yesterday I received a package with my latest eBay score–one of the vintage Lucien Lelong perfume music boxes, still in perfect working order, and still with most of the perfume inside. Somehow, I didn’t read the listing carefully, as this thing is way bigger than I expected. The label states that it contains 8 ounces (!) of Tailspin cologne, and I estimate that at least 5 or 6 ounces remain. I have tried the juice, and don’t think I particularly care for it, but I really didn’t buy it for the perfume. The inner 8-year-old in me is just delighted with the spectacle of a pair of music box figures dancing around inside a bottle of perfume.
What a treasure to find!
Sounds lovely!
Sounds beautiful!
Score, lucky you!
I had “lelong perfume music box” set as a saved search for about a year now. When I got an email that there was an item matching the search, and I saw that it had a “Buy It Now” price within what I was willing to pay, I jumped on it.
I love saved searches…I keep tons of them.
Hugs to your inner eight-year-old! Congratulations!
Is it just me or do Ambre Sultan and Obsession smell the same? I was really looking forward to trying AS but was slightly disappointed when it smelled exactly like Obsession to me. Side-by-side, Obsession seems to be slightly smokier while AS lasts longer.
Obsession for Women? If so, this is good news. I like OfW and if it smells extremely similar to Ambre Sultan I can stop feeling so bad for not having smelled that yet and go with the cheaper variant.
Yes, I’m talking about the original Obsession.
I liked Obsession when it first came out but then everyone, and I mean everyone, was wearing it so I got sick of it. Maybe it’s time to revisit. I can’t remember the last time I smelled it.
I really like Obsession too but I’m kind of scared to wear it because I keep on thinking that people will recognize it since it was so popular 😛
Funnily enough, what I most remember/associate Obsession with is Niles confessing to knowing Daphne’s perfume, which was Obsession, on Frasier.
I haven’t smelled Obsession for aaaaaages, but from what I remember it was very musky (not white-musky, more animalic I suppose). At the time I didn’t like it that much. I am more familiar with A.S. which is deep sweet amber with a slightly bitter herbal undertone. At first I didn’t like this one as it seemed far too cloying, but then I began to notice the herbal aspect more and more and now its one of my favourite Serge’s.
I compared them again and AS does seem a bit more herbal/bitter than Obsession. They’ve both got amazing lasting power & sillage though. I was giving my cousin a ride yesterday while wearing Obsession and she asked what the delicious smell was!
Ambre Sultan seems pretty different from Obsession to me, but Guerlain Cuir Beluga is pretty darned close (sort of irritating to realize this after dropping the bucks on the Guerlain. I console myself that CB may have some je ne sais quoi that Obsession may lack. If not, then will get Obsession next time!
I guess skin chemistry makes a big difference. I haven’t smelled Cuir Beluga but it certainly seems much classier than Obsession!
SF BAY AREA PERFUMISTAS!
Here is my twice-yearly announcement about the next SF Sniff, which will be held on April 21st in downtown San Francisco. If you are not already on my email list, you can email me by clicking on my name above – the address is on my profile. I think this is Sniff #6 already! We go around to all the counters, sometimes have a presentation by a perfumer or two, have some food, swap stuff, etc. It’s a full day of perfume fun!
Sounds terrific! I’m emailing you now 🙂
Got it!
Have you got this listed online somewhere, or on FB? If so, will send out a link on Twitter/FB for you…
Thanks, Robin! I just created a facebook event for it:
http://www.facebook.com/events/376580479040840/
Great, thanks!
Thank you!
Well I woke up to thunderstorms and dark gloomy skies, but after a cooling rain it cleared up and is a bright sunny afternoon with clear blue skies and gentle breezes through my cherry blossoms…so I got out my last inch of Brilliant White Diamonds. It is the only WD I really like–do they make this stuff anymore? What’s in it anyway? Smells to me like lilly of the valley and some lemony-citrus, a clean sweet floral. Spring-time.
I’m not positive, but don’t think they still make it.
I can’t stand the original White Diamonds but Brilliant WD and Sparkling WD are both my cup of perfumed tea. Brilliant White Diamonds is often seen in Winners in Canada. Perhaps Ross in the US might stock it sometimes.
Ok, please tell me someone else saw the extra-creepy episode of ‘Fringe’ last night! I only caught the last half hour but it involved stolen castoreum, and a killer who was distilling the essence of people in love, making his own waxy perfume absolutes (the castoreum blended with the steam distilled people essence) and dabbing it behind his ears, hoping the aroma of his concoction would make women (or one particular woman) fall in love with him. Crazy!!!
Wow. If that’s available on Hulu, I’m watching it for sure.
Me too!
The episode is entitled “A Short Story About Love”.
Sounds like they ‘borrowed’ a good chunk of that plot from Patrick Süskind’s Perfume.
Not surprising…nothing new under the sun and all….but still risky for a network series, I think.
Yes, I saw it and had the same thought about the writer “borrowing” the idea from Susskind.
Yes! I saw it and immediately starting telling my husband all about castoreum (probably a lot more than he wanted to know ……)
Last week I had a dream that my house was broken into and my perfume collection was stolen! It was quite terrifying. The next morning I had to get up and check it was all there. I don’t have a catalog of what I own, I might have to photograph it, just in case.
Oh, I never thought about that, but I should probably photograph mine too. If I had to file an insurance claim, that would make it a lot easier.
SOTD is Lab On Fire What We Do In Paris is Secret. I am so loving it I wore it all week eventhough the weather here in the Northeast was ungodly hot/warm for March! I have found it to be more versatile than Prada Candy (which I love as well) with the warmer weather.
The book I am currently reading is fragrance-themed — The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. Rose. I am enjoying it!
Also, I was in the mood for “collecting” clip art and chanced upon “The Art of Perfume” — CD-ROM & Book in the Dover Electroic Clip Art series. I have not yet looked in the CD-ROM but the images presented in the accompanying book were colorful and interesting!
… And now I’m off to do my tax return.
Have a great weekend, everyone.
Ugh, taxes. Thanks for the reminder, though — I need to take care of that this weekend. Wish I could figure out a justification for deducting the year’s perfume purchases!
Maybe under medical expenses? We need our ‘fumes for general well-being, right?
Aromatherapy.
Professional wardrobe?
It’s cold, gray, and drizzly in my part of the Bay Area today, so I’m thinking about putting on Tolu after my shower (and yes, I know it’s almost 2 p.m. out here). Trying to decide if I want my London-going scent-mule friend to bring me back a bottle next month.
My replacement vial of Orris Noir arrived early this week, though, so maybe I should try that one today instead. I’m sad to report that I can’t really smell much of OJ Woman, and while I liked Ta’if okay, I don’t think it’s FB-worthy for me.
With the help of a Nordies reward certificate, I picked up a bottle of No. 19 last Friday (my spring scent, whenever spring decides to show up in earnest). For some reason, one of the SAs kept pushing the new Vince Camuto fragrance, even after I’d made the No. 19 purchase. I politely pointed out that I’d just bought something, whereupon she offered to help me exchange No. 19 for a bottle of Vince Camuto. Yeah … no.
A scent mule friend–lucky you! Have fun deciding. Very odd about the SA. I live so far away from a perfume counter I almost forget how strange/pushy/snobby some of them can be. I mean, trying to exchange something you just bought for something you haven’t showed interest in–what the hell??
I’ve had a few weird experiences in the perfume department at that Nordies, which is strange given the store’s rep for good/knowledgeable service. The SAs in other departments are terrific, though, and I do enjoy availing myself of the DIY perfume samples. I got the impression that the perfume SAs had been told to push the Vince Camuto that week (last time I stopped by, it was Givenchy Dahlia Noir).
I just want to say that my Saks SA is fabulous–she reps By Kilian, believes that I need a handful of samples every other time I visit, offered to mail me a sample of Amber Oud as soon as she got them, and just gave me a 7 or 8 Bond No 9 samples this week. One of the Neiman SAs has flat out told me that she doesn’t thinkI’d like certain scents because they’re not my usual taste and I’ve never even purchased anything there!!! That saleswoman you had sounds like she was not a Chanel rep although it’s pretty outrageous that she wanted you to exchange something you’d just bought!!!
The Chanel rep at Nordies was the one who actually sold me the No. 19, though she kept trying to steer me toward Chance and its spawn. And this was after we’d chatted for a bit and I told her that I already knew I wanted No. 19; that my favorite Chanel is Cuir de Russie; and that I was interested in trying the original Coco. I wish somebody there had been as helpful and savvy as your Saks SA!
There is a wonderful Miller Harris that is only available in the UK, Fleurs de Sel, that might be great for San Francisco weather, too. Here’s how The Perfumed Court describes it: “Earthy top notes of red thyme oil, rosemary and clary sage are bound with wild flowers – iris nobilis, narcisse flowers and rose. A hint of ambrette seed gives the salty note, with a base of woods, vetiver grass and moss. Lynn Harris created this to remind her of the salt marshes at Batz sur Mer. This is one seriously gorgeous, salt fragrance.”
It’s tough to choose – let us know what you decide!
Thanks, Nozknoz. Fleurs de Sel is on my to-sample list, but I didn’t realize it was only available in the UK! It looks like I can get a sample through TPC, so I might have to arrange that before my friend leaves.
I’ve just completed a fragrance profile on Penhaligon’s site. It would be interesting to find out what they come back with.
Fun — do they email you recommendations?
Yes. They’re supposed to email me in about 10 days. The questionnaire’s quite detialed. It asks about everyday smells you like, your style, perfumes you like wearing and why, etc.
Coolest thing happened this last week. Think I posted here awhile back about my search for a beautiful but elusive Annette Neuffer fragrance called Madagascar, last seen about 6 years ago. Had just a tee-tiny bit left in a sample sent by a friend. Well, corresponded with Annette Neuffer herself (didn’t expect that she would reply!), bought the last 2 ounces that she had in stock (didn’t expect that she would still have some!), and it arrived from Germany this last week (didn’t expect it to be the same juice!) Amazing, no? I purely love the Internet.
Internet + Amazing Perfume People = Dreams Come True
That’s so true!
I love it! That was so nice of her. I had something similar happen a while back when I sent an enquiry via Tauer’s site and got an email back from Andy himself. Was not expecting that at all.
Andy is wonderful!
I e mailed A. Tauer about my URC – the nozzle wasn’t working. He immediately posted me 2 replacement tops AND 4 samples in his special discovery box! When I e mailed to say thanks, it had arrived he e mailed me back within 2 hours to say thanks for letting him know – he had been worrying about it! Conclusion: The man has super-human powers – how else does he have the energy!!!
congrats 🙂 really great experience
Wow! That really was “kismet”! 🙂
Oslo is bathing in sun, and we have got suprisingly high temperatures this March. I am wearing FM Le Parfume de Thérèse.
LPdT is a great transitional perfumed!
We’ve had an exceptionally warm weather and early spring here in the Washington, DC, area, Lise. I really never got to wear my cold weather favorites. But Europe had an usually cold winter, I think – was that true where you are?
In Scandinavia, we have had an unusual short and warm winter. But southern and eastern parts of Europe have been very cold, yes. Today is loveley, almost like if it was May. Cant complain about that!
Wearing En Passant now.
We’ve had strange, weirdly warm weather. All the spring flowers are blooming, the trees are starting to green, Last night I got a sudden craving for vintage My Sin, which seems an odd choice for spring but was so perfect. I’ve been wearing spring scents since January, so I was in the mood for something deeper.
Today, it’s cool, misty and rainy, so I pulled out vintage Lucien Lelong Sirocco – its warm amber-leather and aldehydes, with a raspy touch of dessert wind were just right.
I’ve also got some viburnum blossoms – they smell wonderfully of vintage Caron Bellodgia with indoles instead of sandalwood.
I love viburnum! They’re blooming here now too – about a month early!
Yes – Whatever happened to “March winds, April showers bring forth May flowers”? We’ve got the May flowers here already!
I’m reading that Vivienne Westwood Boudoir is supposed to have a viburnum note. Have you ever tried that one?
No, I’ve never tried it – a viburnum note would be nice.
Hi All! I’m sort of writing this on a whim, but I’m looking for a gift for a friend who is turning 23. The only perfume that she’s used is Un Amour De Patou. She’s used this all though out high school and college. I don’t really remember what it smells like and I was hoping that someone at NST could make some suggestions. How do you all give gifts to people who aren’t really interested in perfumes? Is this a good idea? She’s one of my closest friends so I want her to share something that I’ve been interested in. Any suggestions or advice?
It would be risky to buy a FB for someone whose tastes you don’t know. I do understand wanting to share your interest. If you want to give her perfume, why not give her a bunch of samples or small decants? That way, there would almost certainly be something that she would like, rather than risking giving her a FB of something she might not care for. Ormonde Jayne offers a discovery set that is very nicely packaged and covers the entire line, and shipping is included in the price. Sonoma Scent Studio also offers gift sets of either 1 ml or 2.5 ml samples, and it would come nicely gift wrapped. I know other houses offer discovery sets or sample sets as well.
thanks for the suggestion. I actually think a discovery set would be a good idea! I was also actually worried about getting her full bottle…but I didn’t want to get her samples from lucky scent or perfume court because the packaging isn’t too suitable for a birthday gift! But a discovery set sounds really great. Other than OJ, which could be a little out of my friends budget for a full bottle perfume do you have any other suggestions of really nice discovery sets that would make a nice gift? Thank you again for the quick response!
I know Andy Tauer offers a discovery set, but that might also be out of your friend’s budget for a FB. I would really suggest a sample set from SSS. There are pictures on her website showing how it would be packaged. You can choose from either 1 ml dabber vials (10 or 12 of them) or a box of 5 2.5-ml spray samples. They would come nicely boxed with descriptive cards with notes and scent descriptions. Best of all, the prices are really nice, around $40 for a 17 ml bottle. The SSS scents are extrait strength, so 17 ml is a good amount.
I just posted this as a response to another post above but ELDO sell a set of all their 24 fragrances on their website.
I think EDLO might be a bit much for someone who is not experienced with perfume, though. I think of it as more for “advanced” perfumistas.
Another one that would be a great discovery set would be the Ineke discovery set. It’s reasonably priced, and it comes with a voucher for the price of the set toward a FB of any of the fragrances.
How about a fragrance sampler set from Sephora? A set usually comes with small spray vials of 10 perfumes, a refillable purse spray or rollerball or make-up case AND a coupon to get a FB of one of the 10 perfumes. Or how about a set of 8 Gorilla Perfume (Lush) samples — although I just peeked at the LUSH website and I don’t see the sampler sets anymore.
Seconding the SSS sample set, and also suggesting Parfum d”empire’s set – all of their scents for about $20!
Where do you get that Pd’E set? That really is a great price, and their FB prices are not bad either.
From their website:
http://www.parfumdempire.fr/en/home.html
A while back someone on here mentioned it and I jumped on it.
Ineke has a beautifully packaged sample set for $25, which includes shipping. And you can use the $25 as a credit if she wants to buy a full bottle!
http://ineke.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=23&products_id=37
Thank you guys all for all your suggestions! I am checking out all of the different sites that you guys recommended and they are great!
It’s a warm and delightful spring day here, and I’m thoroughly enjoying Body Shop’s White Musk Libertine, which I was “meh” about when I tried it first, but just hit the spot today (great sale BTW – buy two get two free, Nice!)
TBS sales are amazing, but now it’s one of those stores where I would never pay full price for anything.
Tried on Central Park West a couple of days ago and it’s exactly what I was hoping from the notes–a big GARDENIA (in caps because it’s loud) which has the richness of real gardenias. Not cleaned up, a little skank. Not quite as strong as JARdenia (which I could drown in that scent by just inhaling it) but I’m pretty sure it’s what I’ll be spending next year’s tax refund on. In the meantime I’ll just have to visit it frequently and live off samples.
Also fell for AG’s Le Mimosa–big, tenacious and gorgeous and would love some more mimosa suggestions other than Poeme (on the eventual full-bottle list) and Fleur de Cassie
The third thing I fell for was Cologne Pour Soir which I’m also going to be visiting frequently. My skin likes sweet and this is just so lovely–almost a golden skin scent on me.
glad to hear you liked cpw, I’m going in on a split for it and figured I would chance it based on the notes.
L’Eau d”Hiver is wonderful and the most realistic mimosa I’ve ever tried. I was just surveying my almost empty sample and thinking that it might have to go on FB List *sigh*
happy weekend! I am wearing a sample of mary greenwell plum today…like it a lot! The opening immediately reminds me of elie saab, does anyone else get that if you’ve tried these two? I will have to try one on each arm tomorrow and investigate.
Yum, I love both Elie Saab and Plum. Perhaps you are noticing the orange blossom in both of them? Or just that they are both rather elegant compositions with floral and fruit components? I think of them as very different – Elie Saab smells more linear to me, less complex, simultaneously more “airy” and more heavy-handed, and Plum smells to me very classic, very rich, and very blended – but I can certainly see finding some relationship between them.
Im shocked there was no recognition of National Fragrance Day this week, which occurred on March 21st.
Sounds like a good excuse to buy a bottle of something to celebrate.
Seconding this!
LOL — I did not know about it until late in the day. And really, we don’t need a National Fragrance Day, do we? Everyday is national fragrance day here 🙂
True. Very true.
I’ve got a question: Last summer, I started buying the 1.5ml sprays instead of 1ml vials from TPC – I prefer spraying to get a real sense of a perfume. I’ve noticed that many of those first samples I ordered are suspiciously low, as if some of the contents have evaporated.
Has anyone else ever had this happen? Is there a way to prevent it, like using electrical tape, or do I just go back to vials? (upside: more samples/month!)
I too, prefer spraying versus dabbing, for EdT or EdP, and I also like a larger sample to allow me to test the fragrance more thoroughly. A ml vial never seems to be enough. I have noticed this problem of disappearing perfume with some sample vials. If they are the snap-on type of sprayers, about the only thing you can do is try wrapping tape around on the outside. Electrical tape should do. If they are screw-on sprayers, you could try putting Teflon tape on the threads. It will make the sprayer screw on more snugly and help prevent any leaks or evaporation. You can get usually find Teflon tape in the plumbing supply section of the home improvement store for a dollar or two. Also make sure that you keep the vials capped, in case evaporation is taking place through the sprayer nozzle itself.
Thanks, 50_Roses, I will definitely try that. I’ve got samples of the CDG Incense series and some of the PdN line that I don’t want to lose.
Hey Dionne, I don’t have an answer to your question, I just wanted to say you were totally right about it being the Ava Luxe Cafe Noir. I think I just wanted it to be the DSH one so bad I convinced myself that’s what I saw. I get it soon… here’s hoping for the best!
Funny you should mention it, that’s what I am trying today–DSH Cafe Noir which I got in a recent sample set. I’m afraid I sprayed too much on, and it’s a very strong scent. About to take a shower…
I’m hoping you like it too, Meg. Let me know if it works out, because I’m curious.
Oh, and definitely play around with layering it, it’s great for that.
Will do!!
I’m enjoying my sample of SSS’s new release Nostalgie. I find it lasts ages but stays fairly close to the skin. To me it does not seem to have the sillage of other SSS fragrances. Does anyone else find that? I’m interested to hear how other people are perceiving this one.
You’re right – not as much sillage and stays closer to the skin. She’s using more naturals now (in this and other current ones) than she did in her older scents. But I agree – it’s beautiful!
I find Spring the most confusing season, scentually speaking! I am not a fan of most florals – the only ones I own seem to be saffron-rose-combos and orange flowers, with a rogue weirdo thrown in (Tubereuse Criminelle!)
I’ve tried some ‘greens’ for Spring, and the only ones I’ve liked so far have been Tommy Girl (BIG surprise!) and the Chanels…….Cristalle/No19/No21. I still have yet to try Le Temps de Fete on my skin.
Can anyone make any recommendations for more ‘spring like’ scents to try?!? I am open to florals too!
Chanel Bel Respiro is very much spring-like. and Byredo Tulip. I just cannot find my sample : )
Guerlain’s Chamade is a classic for spring. And Diorella perhaps?
Am I the only one who thinks Tubereuse Criminelle is not a weirdo? Anyway, have you tried Marc Jacobs Woman? It’s a green floral. I had a negative reaction to it first because it smelt too synthetic to me, but it’s very nice on dry down. It’s floral but not too sweet
Thanks so much everyone – I’ll look ’em up!
where is my Tulip sample? where-where-where?
That sounds like a classic March question, Ami! 🙂
Hiding w/ all my missing samples!
Yesterday’s SOTD was the new Prada Infusion d’Iris Absolue – generically pretty and very sweet. I got more orange blossom, benzoin and vanilla than iris. Le sigh…. I’m *still* looking for an iris without a musk base (I hate musk and my skin blows up most synth. aroma-chemicals). Perhaps it doesn’t exist.
Not sure what SOTD will be today to first vacuum (UGH!) and then watch my beloved U. K. Wildcats in the NCAA tourny. Have a great day all!
Aha. So sweeter? That might not work for me either. Still want to try it.
It was too sweet for me, and keep in mind that I love Iris Ganache!
Oh my.
Hello everyone! I’m wearing CB’s Black March because I have too much of a cold to actually want to go outside. Now I can enjoy the scent on my arm and the sights outside my window.
Oh dear, get better soon!
Last night I tried Tom Ford’s Purple Patchouli (it had been included in a sample set I got recently) and I found it almost sickening. It had a very strong fruity but sour note that I couldn’t stand. I’ve looked over the notes and can’t figure out what it could have been. I was so glad when it finally wore off. Not a must-buy for me, fortunately. I still have not found a single Tom Ford that I like.
I am not a fan of PP either, although I do like a few Tom Fords.
Life’s not good these days and while I feel silly and vain to even think about perfume, I’m thinking about wearing Lann-Ael this afternoon. A real comfort scent.
Oh no–sorry to hear that. Comforting thoughts your way. Lann-Eel is probably a good start.
heh… eel. Would be a terrible name for a scent.
Thanks, Meg. Lann-Eel would indeed be *slightly* less interesting! (The French word for it, “anguille,” is pretty, though.)
*And* I just learned that I likely have mail thieves, since an envelope full of samples, marked as delivered, never got to me. It’s just stuff, but some people are really disappointing.
Has it been a while since the envelope was “delivered”? I have had trouble with the postman delivering my mail to the wrong address. Sometimes I get stuff a few days late, having been opened and resealed. I figure the postman delivered it to the wrong address, and the other person opened it, saw that it wasn’t his/hers, and sealed it again and sent it on.
I’m crossing fingers. It was delivered on March 14, almost two weeks ago…
Btw isn’t it weird that the person would have opened it, given how it was the wrong address?
Ugh, sorry you’re having a rough time. It sounds like a comfort scent is definitely in order! (And FWIW, I don’t think it’s silly to think about perfume even in the face of larger crises — you need to take care of yourself, after all.)
Thanks a lot, Emily.
Hi, just wanted to second and third all comments about how we esPECially need little luxuries and such to love ourselves and be human, all the more when things are rough. I hope that life will start to pick up for you and that your mail will show up. I put a birthday card in my box for my nephew and waited three days for it to get picked up. Even that minor a thing kind of rocked my world, like why is no mail going to and fro’ my house? Anyway.
Thanks liz. And all of you are right. 🙂
Sorry to hear things aren’t going well right now. Here’s to better days being on the horizon soon, very soon! SL Un Bois Vanille always comforts me while also helping me to feel a little better.
Thanks, Addicted2Pretty. Un Bois Vanille is indeed wonderful as well, thanks for giving me an idea for my SOTN…
Adding more pleasure to your life, even in small ways is never silly. It helps you be centered rather than overwhelmed. Lann-Ael is my comfort scent too. I have a perfume black hole too–I’ve had two Luckyscent orders not show up, though the reships did just fine and my Nov order appeared in my mailbox, undamaged, in Feb. I now make sure my Luckyscent orders are signature required upon delivery. My Beautyhabit order had also disappeared even though they said it was delivered but the reship did just fine. Never had a problem with TPC or Aedes or individual perfumers though
Does anybody else get a hint of peanut butter in L’Heure Bleue?
I notice something different in L’Heure Bleue every time I wear it, but no peanut butter yet! Maybe next time 🙂
I read somewhere that there’s an almond butter accord in there, so maybe that’s what I’m smelling 😀
Yes, I’ve definitely gotten an almond-paste smell before! I think it’s part of the dessert-like aspect that some of the classic Guerlains have.
Okay, quick update on yesterday’s sniffing: I like OJ Orris Noir, but not enough to spring for a FB. Its dry, peppery aspect is really lovely, though. So it looks like it’s going to be Tolu or nothing, as far as the OJ line is concerned. I’m also thinking I should follow Nozknoz’s lead and think of other UK-only possibilities for my friend to bring back.
Also tried ELdO Charogne, which is WEIRD. It really did conjure up an embalmed corpse and a bunch of decaying lilies. And it started with a persistent plasticky note that almost drove me to bust out the Tide, except that I was intrigued and repulsed in equal measure. I don’t think I’ll be wearing it again any time soon (I also contrived to spill almost half my sample) but I’m glad to have tried it, and I’m glad someone is making bizarre and unsettling perfumes.
Hi Emily, may I suggest trying Ruth de Mastenbroek? They have it at Les Senteurs, and I’m still kicking myself for not buying a bottle when I was there last summer. It’s a pretty, floral chypre, and although it’s a contemporary composition, it has a very classic vibe to it. She also has a website of her own: http://www.ruthmastenbroek.com/Ruth-Mastenbroek-Eau-de-Parfum.aspx. Prices are lower, but shipping is only within UK, so if your friend has an address you could send it to, you’re in luck!
Thanks for the suggestion! My friend will actually be in London, so she could stop into Les Senteurs (she apparently gets a kick out of running around fulfilling her Stateside friends’ requests; she’s British and has lived most of her life in London, so she knows her way around). How prominent is the pineapple in this perfume? The other notes sound lovely, but pineapple and I do not get along very well.
kind of random question. I am currently LOVING my sample of l’AP’s Safran Troublant. After my first thought of “but why would I want to smell like rice pudding, even if the rice was cooked in rosewater?” but I’m loving it to the point of craving it now. I’m just a bit baffled as to how something with notes of rose, vanilla and sandalwood could be so ephemeral and fleeting. I want this fragrance, but with a touch more oomph and maybe a little spice to mimic my other lemming-a-fb-fragrance which is Uncle Serge’s Feminite du Bois. I’m wondering if Montale’s White Aoud might fit this wish-profile or if it would just be too medicinal and masculine? I have not yet sampled it. Whew. Wordy question, thanks if you’ve read this far. 🙂
Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Cimabue sounds like exactly what you’re looking for (there is a great review on NST, which tells the story of how it was inspired by ST). It lasts longer on my skin than ST. I also get a fair amount of saffron from OJ Ta’if, though there’s other stuff going on there. The Montales are worth trying too. Unfortunately I have found from trying a bunch that they don’t work for me, but the notes always sound lovely.
oooh, thanks for reminding me about that one, poshnerd. I’ve read a bit about it here and there but have not yet tried it.
Has anyone smelled any scents from the new Dolce & Gabbana fragrance series?
I tried Velvet Love–it’s a peppery carnation with the most ridiculous tenacity–it stopped wafting after about 30 hrs and was still detectable at almost 3 days. I have scent glue skin but this sets the record for me. Velvet Desire is a nice floral with a strong gardenia presence. I didn’t try it on but whichever the patchouli one is , is almost straight patchouli, not cleaned up at all
Thanks for the input TheGoddessrena. The Velvet Love sounds nice and long lasting. The Velvet Sublime is the one that got my attention. I will have to get out to Saks and give them a sniff!
We are enjoying a beautiful spring in South Texas with a bumber crop of bluebonnets abloom 🙂 It will only last a few more weeks and the heat will be here to stay. Today I am wearing Vega, already dried down to gorgeous in honor of the new epidsode of Mad Men.
Also, I am getting married in six weeks and have narrowed down my perfume contenders to Chamade parfum, FM Iris Poudre and ELPC tuberose gardenia. Chime in if you want to share what you wore former brides and grooms.
…and vintage Chanel no. 19 parfum.
Oooh congrats, helenviolette, you’re going to smell so yummy for sure!
We got married around the same time of year back in the dark ages. Err, I mean 80’s! 😉 I wore Diorissimo and the hubs wore Grey Flannel.
Back when Diorissimo smelled wonderful!
It really was magical! My fave was the 30 ml esprit d’ parfum in the wavy cylindrical glass bottle with the silver top and gold strip in the middle. I swear my toes would curl with pleasure every time I’d put it on, lol. It’s profoundly depressing now. jmo!
you did smell wonderful! thanks for chiming 🙂
What a great topic! I have nothing to contribute, but I nonetheless think it would be fun to do a poll on this topic some weekend – in June, perhaps?
I don’t think I wore any scent to my wedding – but just wanted to say, you’ve got some really lovely scents to choose from. I am particularly fond of Iris Poudre and Chamade. I love No. 19, especially in vintage edt, but, oddly, not in parfum; it seems too… angular? for my taste. Vega would probably make my shortlist as well.
If I had just discovered Vega, it would probably be on the short list too. Chamade had been in the lead so far, but I tried on the tuberose gardenia a few days ago and it seemed to sing the wedding march in the crook of my arm.
Tuberose Gardenia is seamlessly blended…kind of a nice way to strive for a married couple to be…it is beautiful, feels very balanced with no off notes at all! kind of perfect! Love chamade too!
I don’t know if Mille Fleurs is reading this weekend, but a couple weeks ago she asked where to locate L’AP Orchidee Blanche. I haven’t seen that, but I was trawling the internet in search of magnolia perfumes and chanced upon a review of MPG Magnolia Pourpre that compared it to Orchidee Blanche. It might be worth testing Magnolia Pourpre, if you haven’t already.
Anyone try the Wood Mystique from Lauder yet? Thoughts? Any good?
Not I, sorry!
Just thought I would share a bit of a turn-around: up to now I have disliked almost everything by Mugler on my skin but today I tried the men’s Amen and quite liked this one!
Also, now that I have some idea of how Iris smells I have tried Dior Homme (while I’m on the men’s side of the aisle) and am quite impressed by this one too. It’s got that deep unusual elegance to it which I enjoyed.
I have found with certain lines I like the men’s stuff better than the women’s. I like Lolita Lempicka but I love Lolita Lempicka Au Masculine.
I’m not sure I loved Amen, but I didn’t go running off for soap as I did for Womanity!
Today I planted a couple of six-packs of Alyssum – one of my favorite scents in the world. If there was an Alyssum perfume I would wear it a lot.
Is there a perfume with prominant dirt+aniseed notes?
Or maybe even prominent?
Have you tried SL Iris Silver Mist? It shouldn’t smell like that, but somehow it does, to me.
I have not tried it, but I will certainly try to find it! I don’t think I’ve ever smelled an iris perfume. In fact, I haven’t smelled many perfumes at all. I have much to discover.
Dirt by Demeter and Black March by CB I hate Perfume. Well, both hit the dirt button, but not too sure about the aniseed one…….
I have, and enjoy, Demeter Earthworm, and it was actually when I smelled CB Black March (lovely, fresh water and dirt) on my arm and smellbent dead of winter (sweet aniseed) from my hair at the same time that I realized those two notes create beautiful music in my nose.
I celebrated my birthday yesterday with Après l’Ondée. The dogs and cats are ordering Avignon for me.
I tried Infusion d’Iris at Sephora. I can’ t smell the EDT at all. The EDP is beautiful for about 30 seconds, then vanishes. Am I anosmic to iris or is Infusion just very faint?
Of the incense series I never really liked either Jassalmar (sp?) or Zagorsk. Of the other 3 I liked Avignon the least – until – I all of a sudden found it on sale, liked it and have found myself wearing it far more than the other two. So yay! Your pets have excellent taste.
When I first tried IdI I could hardly smell it at all. Then, in another 180 degree swing, I later tried it and found it both vaporous and wonderfully tenacious, and somehow addictively sharp as well.
My guess is that you’re anosmic to one of the musk aromachemicals they’re using.