Our usual open thread poll: talk about anything you like — the perfume you’re wearing today, the perfume you're stalking on eBay, the perfume you'd like to get rid of, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: image is Think pink [cropped] by Steve-h at flickr; some rights reserved.
Hope everyone has a happy Easter!
Looking for L’Arte di Gucci, which has been discontinued. My sample is of the EdP, but all I’m able to find available is the EdT. Can anyone tell me what the differences are, if any between the two strengths? Thanks.
I can’t help, but you have a happy Easter too!
Hi Tatiana,
I have both the Eau de Parfum and Eau de Toilette. To me, the edp is deeper and richer and more of a floral/oriental, I only ever wear one spritz of the stuff, it’s potent. Whereas the edt feels more like a green/dry chypre with a touch of leather (it’s reminiscent of Gucci III, another Gucci masterpiece now discontinued) and it’s a bit more elegant. Both are lovely.
Thanks SmokeyToes! I think I will try to hold out until I find a bottle of the EdP.
I don’t know what your budget is, but you can get decants of the edp here: https://eiderdownpress.com/Perfume_Catalog___Prices.html
(I don’t know if this is a trustworthy venue — just happened to be googling today while ordering a sample of the edt from Surrender to Chance.)
Just bought Cuir de Lancome blind – best $27 I’ve spent on a bottle of perfume. I feel like I could just roll around in vats of it. <3 The deep, succulent orange fruit and delightfully strong saffron charmed me from the first spritz, and then the supple, creamy leather has me smiling whenever I catch a whiff. It lasts a full work day, and then some, so that's lots of smiling.
I can't believe it's discontinued.
I will be extremely sad if I run out and can't replace it easily. I can only hope my tastes will have changed by then, or that leather will become the new trendy note and the market will be swamped with leathery perfumes.
I was given a bottle of Cuir de Lancome by a perfume fairy, and I immediately liked it as well! I have found, after my initial total enthusiasm, however, that now I have to be in the mood for it. I often think it’s lovely, but I don’t always want to smell like it. Good buy, in any case!
Hehe, when I’m still in the love-at-first-sight, “I want to wear this all the time” phase, I find it hard to remember that the obsessive madness usually settles down into something a little more reasonable. ;D
Yes of course! I love that initial enthusiasm phase, though! Enjoy it!
I love that phase, too!
I LOVE a good leather note in a perfume and hadn’t tried Cuir de Lancome. Went searching for it a few weeks ago and, of course, it cannot be found in stores. So… I just blind ordered a bottle online. Crossing my fingers that it won’t be $30 wasted. It sounds so delightful, though, I cannot imagine not loving it.
Hi CM,
If you can find it, Gucci III or L’ Arti di Gucci edt are beautiful. Both have leather notes in them.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, Shiseido’s original Murasaki (in the burgundy bottle) is an ethereal iris with leather over an incense base. It’s an amazing perfume if you can get your hands on some.
SmokeyToes:
I’m so happy that there’s someone else who remembers the original Murasaki! It was my mom’s signature scent for many, many years, and I remember loving it.
Hi Jirish-I LOVE Murasaki, it has always been one of my favorites, it’s so beautiful, ethereal, delicate and restrained. The combination of Iris, leather and incense brings to mind the genius of Chanel no 22 or 19 (in their original formulations).
I brought some of my vintage Shiseido bottles of Murasaki, Zen and Feminite du Bois extrait to a Shiseido SA and she was so excited. She didn’t know these existed and she had lots of fun trying them on.
Thanks SmokeyToes – I’ll have to track those down
Definitely one of my favorite perfumes of all time. I have a backup bottle. You should buy one too while it’s still cheap!
Oh lucky you! I’m looking for this fragrance for months now, but it’s really hard to get it in the Netherlands where I am. Yes, I can buy it online in te US, but shipping will be more expensive than the bottle….. I will watch ebay like a hawk if ever someone’s trying to get rid of a bottle (yeah right, like that’s gonna happen, given the rave reviews). Enjoy your Cuir!
Take a look at TopParfumerie. They advertise in Germany, but have their company in the Netherlands. (50 ml EdP for Eur 49,95)
Thanks for that link, Tulp. I only knew about Parfumerie.nl, but the more, the merrier.
I’ve been thinking of blind-buying a full bottle myself since the price always seems to be right on Overstock and other online retailers… Also, some recent reviews have me curious about others from that re-release, like Climat…
I purchased this solely upon your post and it arrived today. I am in awe! I can’t stop smelling it. It is everything you said it would be. It is my new favorite.
Thank you for sharing.
Wishing everyone a blessed Easter. I’ll be wearing Donna Karan Gold, that lily extravaganza.
I was thinking Gold would be perfect for Easter.
Funny that you should mention lily since I was just thinking of digging out my sample of Vanille Galante.
Perfect choice!
Good call! Maybe I’ll wear that too.
Test driving a couple of Guerlains this morning–on my right wrist, Plus Que Jamais, and on my left wrist, vintage Djedi extrait. Both of them are pretty hard to find and expensive, especially Djedi, so the good news is that neither one is inspiring a lemming, although both of them are beautiful.
PQJ is sweeter than I expected. LT described it as having “an autumnal chic”, but to my nose it is more spring than summer. A very sweet, very pretty floral, but nothing I can’t live without, although I would certainly wear it if a bottle appeared on my doorstep or something (as if!)
Djedi has been described as both beautiful and strange, and that is a pretty accurate description. Fragrantica lists the notes as “rose, civet, patchouli, oak moss, vetiver, musk, and leather”. This sounds right, although it is hard to pick out individual notes. This is a *very* dense and earthy scent, quite unlike anything else I have smelled. It is definitely not for anyone who likes clean or fresh scents–Djedi is about as far away from that genre as you can get. At the same time, although it is “dirty”, it is not dirty in a repellant way. It does not smell like a bathroom or a portable toilet (that would be Untitled no. 8) or bodily secretions. I think if Djedi were a place, it would be a secret cave in an enchanted forest in some fairy tale world populated by dragons and unicorns and other mysterious creatures. Ultimately, though, it might be hard to wear. I think if I were actually wearing it, rather than just having dabbed a tiny drop on one wrist, I would find it hard to pay attention to anything else, and it might easily become just too overwhelming.
I don’t know how that emoticon got in there. That should read “Untitled no. 8”
LOL! I want to know how to make a sunglasses emoticon!
8) ?
Got it! It’s an 8 and an end parenthesis ).
8 )
8(
8P
8p
8-/
I guess none of those worked! Ha! 8)
Did you use the number sign # and 8??
I think it’s an 8 and an end parenthesis, with no space in between.
8)
Yep, that’s it! 8)
Hooray! I don’t think I’ve ever seen this here before, only the regular smile and the wink. Now I wonder if there’s another undiscovered emoticon…
How was lasting power for you with PQJ? Even on my scent glue skin that one was fleeting, which was the reason I never bought any. I loved it though.
It doesn’t seem to have lasted very long, but I have perfume eating skin, so a lot of things don’t last long on me.
Sometimes I think it would be fun to be able to change perfumes a couple of times a day, but all in all, with prices being what they are, I think I’m glad that perfumes last 12 to 36 hours on me depending on the perfume.
PQJ only lasted a couple of hours though.
Whoa, I think your description of Djedi has just inspired a lemming (one that’s oblivious to concepts like “hard to find” and “expensive”).
Does it help if you substitute “nearly impossible” for “hard” and take note that by “expensive” what is really meant is that you’ll need to sell all your functioning organs and the first-born child of the next 10 generations of your family?
Ain’t it the truth!
Well, “nearly” impossible means there’s hope, and I’m sure I can get along fine with one lung and one kidney. That’s why we have two, right?
Your description of Djedi is intriguing. I’m going to have to hunt it down for a sniff!
I ordered an embarrassingly large package of samples and decants from TPC at the end of March, and so far I’ve got 2 winners from the 5 I’ve tried (the other 3 were fine but not exciting).
Winner #1: Lorenzo Villoresi Teint de Neige. (recommended to me as a less expensive L’eau D’hiver, which is fair enough, although there are of course, differences)
Winner #2: Guerlain Attrape Coeur–another lovely rose violet scent! And I WANT a bottle of this! Makes me sad I will have to probably settle for a decant from TPC or their new business when it gets up and running.
On a related note, anyone else having trouble with recent TPC purchases? My third package has yet to arrive and they aren’t answering emails due to the “transition.” Any suggestions? (I emailed the post office, and I just got a message last night that the tracking number they gave me isn’t valid . . . not sure what that means for me?)
I love and adore Attrape Coeur, although initially it was too sweet and violet for me. Our beloved Daisy sent me a decant and I now am hooked.
I have an order sitting in my cart at TPC, but because of the transition, I haven’t hit the ‘Buy’ button. I’m sure you’ll get your order eventually. Good luck!
I hope you’re right about my order! The situation is complicated by the fact that it was supposed to be delivered while I was on vacation. I put my mail on hold, but when everything was delivered, it wasn’t there. In any case, it means I’ve been a little slow to worry, so I hope that hasn’t reduced my chances of it turning up!
I do understand the Attrape Coeur adoration! It is so lovely! Not my usual since it is a little more subtle than I usually choose, but it’s complex enough that I still catch surprising, lovely whiffs–which I love!
Can you explain what “the transition” is? I am so bewildered by these new Surrender to Chance emails I’ve been getting and would love to know what is going on and how this all shakes out.
Patty explained it at Perfume Posse a couple of days ago but essentially 2 of the 3 founders of The perfumed court are splitting off and forming their own company while the 3rd maintains TPC
Vol de Nuit Evasion, which was sold at certain duty-free stores, is the EDT version of Attrape-Coeur.
Unfortunately it’s pretty hard to find too, though I got an (expensive) bottle through TPC a while back, thinking that was likely to be my best bet, since both are discontinued, I’m pretty sure.
I bet you’d have better luck finding either one in Europe.
Oh, thank you for the info! I’m not as much of a traveler as I wish I were, but should I run across Vol de Nuit Evasion, I will snatch it up!
Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates it!
Right now I’m stalking ebay for a well-priced bottle of Diorella. Needn’t be vintage but I’m hoping for earlier formulations since the current one is not quite doing it for me, particularly the top notes.
Good luck — would guess that’s harder to find than Diorissimo or Miss Dior?
Thanks, Robin! I’m not sure if it’s harder to find than those two or if it’s because I really want to get a good deal. I’m still kicking myself for forgetting to bid on a bottle a while ago which ended up selling for something like £15.
Ha…I’m kicking myself over so many lost bottles, it’s surprising I can still walk.
I haven’t explored the perfume world of Dior, and now I think I need a translator to figure out the difference between vintage, old reformulated and the renamed new bottles. Is there a reference guide with pictures of bottles for us newbies?
I need the same ‘guide’ for Guerlain, too.
Enjoy your scents!
If you are looking for the older (pre-reformulation) or vintage versions of the Dior scents look for “Christian Dior” on the label rather than just “Dior”. And the “houndstooth” packaging is also vintage.
The musical chairs re-naming of the current Miss Dior Cherie into just Miss Dior makes steam come out of my ears so you’ll have to seek advice elsewhere if you’re trying to track down a particular version of Miss Dior Cherie.
For info on Guerlain, you might want to look at the blog monsieurguerlain.com. Also you could check out some bottle collecting sites — they’re not so interested in the juice, but they’re likely to have good info on dates.
And, you’d be surprised what might be tucked away at local thrift shops or rummage sales. I don’t yet own any Shalimar perfume –of any era — but I’m sure enjoying the Shalimar shower gel and lotion (75ml each) that I picked up for $8.00 at a tiny thrift shop. You can bet I rushed right back the next day and bought the second set they had.
Have fun in your explorations.
Easter has come quickly this year! I’m visiting my relatives at the seaside. I baked my widely appreciated apple & cinnamon cupcakes and also made a salad. I’ve decided to wear some elegant perfume, so Prada Infusion d’Homme will be in use.
At the moment I feel the need for new perfume, so I’m thinking about hunting for Voyage d’Hermes Parfum or maybe something else.
Sending big warm hugs to all of you and wishing great family atmosphere and delicious food!
The Voyage is very tempting! Looks so nice in black, too.
I think I’m torn between Voyage Parfum and Chanel Monsieur. I recently discovered my liking of botter, lemony notes. And I want to get something from this category for spring. The bottle of Voyage is stunning, very elegant, really. But I get the feeling it’s a little bit overpriced, That’s a tough decision to make. At least for as long as some new perfume will blow me away. Good that I don’t know what’s coming to the market soon…
I would go for Voyage. It’s on my must-buy list and I think it’s worth it.
Ladymurasaki, that Voyage from your must-buy list, is it regular EdT or this new EdP? I’ve found many nice EdT offers online but I really got into EdP. It’s quite pricey though (as for 35ml), but I’m sure it’ll be a shining star of my collection. So you say it’s worth this price?
I already have the EDT and like it a lot, but I am referring to the Voyage Parfum. It is simply wonderful.
Yes, it is wonderful. I think I’ll be going that Voyage road soon.
Happy Easter and hugs to you too! Enjoy those cupcakes too. I can’t wait to see what scent you pick. I haven’t smelled Voyage so I can’t help you.
Thanks Poodle! Sure I’m enjoying them. By the way, did you happen to try the recipe for that cinnamon-lemon icing I gave you?
I’ll definitely let you know about my choice.
Not yet but I think I’m going to make some muffins this week for the hubby and I’ll try it on them. I was politely informed that I have not baked him muffins or cupcakes in quite a while just the other day.
Let me know when you try my icing on your cupcakes. Of course your and your hubby’s taste opinion on it is also requested. I’m curious if you’ll like it.
Happy Easter, friends. I hope you all have a lovely family and freind filled day. I went to get goodies for the kiddos baskets last night: Peeps, Russel Stover milk chocolate covered marshmallow eggs and Lindt chocolate bunnies will be in the mix. I think a few spritzes of En Passant will make for a nice Easter scent or maybe some Un Lys. I am leaning toward Un Lys as I write this 8) (trying for the sunglasses!
I just finished the Fed Taxes (whew) and am about to start on the Easter basket! Have been hiding candy, now I just have to find it all. I know I got chocolate covered peeps, can’t remember what else.
Envious. Haven’t been able to start mine yet, other than a quick glance to see it isn’t going to be pretty. Can’t wait to be single again so I have complete control over my finances. :O
Good luck then!
I’m laughing at how 50_Roses inadvertently has us all using the sunglasses emoticon now. I wonder what other ones are lurking….
Oh- and I was prompted by Patty’s review (hehe) of Parfum du Therese to pull out my sample and I am loving it…lemming for a few people to go in on the travel set 8)
I won assorted samples from Musette on the Posse. The first one I tried was a winner! And I’m wearing it right now because it’s so perfect for spring: Hilde Soliani Il Tuo Tulipano. It’s a fruity floral–gasp–that actually smells complex and sophisticated. There’s a green note that travels through the whole thing, which is probably what keeps it from ever becoming cloying. Highly recommended.
That sounds so nice, and congrats on winning!
Happy Easter! I am testing Van Cleef & Arpels Gardenia Petale today. Loving it so far. It smells quite complex on dry down and very wearable.
Happy Easter to you too!
I need to get a sample of this so I can test it against Central Park West but they’re both expensive so I’ll probably only buy one with next year’s tax refund (see damage poll as to what happened to this year’s refund). I remember liking Gardenia Petale.
I’m bummed out because I went to the mall last night and the shop that was carrying Caron in Austin (with URNS!!!!) is suddenly closed – and it looks like they closed in a hurry. Plus, I woke up this morning and my cold seems worse.
But it is a gorgeous Austin day, so there’s that.
Try this for your cold:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/12/15/Baking-Soda-Used-to-Treat-Swine-Flu-85-Years-Ago.aspx
It’s a miracle and I swear by it! Hope you feel better soon.
interesting remedy – I’ll have to try!
Let me know if it works for you – I hope so!
Probably couldn’t hurt to try for most people, but being a doctor, I can’t help but jump in. There is a lot of sodium in baking soda, and people who have hypertension, kidney problems, or heart problems probably should hold off. The thing that helps me the most (when my nose is plugged up) is to take Afrin nasal spray for 3 nights so I can get a good night’s sleep (I can’t sleep at all when I’m plugged up). You can maybe use a 4th night’s dose, but more than that risks your nose getting hooked on the stuff. But for 3-4 nights, it’s your best friend. I usually use Sudafed during the day (the kind you have to get from the pharmacist here in TX where it’s controlled–it can be made into crystal meth, unfortunately). Hope that helps.
OK, I have to chime in here. I am an expert in nasal sprays. I KNOW my oxymetazalines and my phenyledrine HCLs. My mother was addicted to Neo Synephrine; I have letters from when she was 20 (1940s) asking her mother to send her more nasal spray. When I was born, my mother, in 1960, was drunk on scotch, smoking Camels and was a solid nasal spray addict. I almost died during birth, having “breathing issues.” So, I was born drunk, vaso-constricted, and wanting a cigarette. By a stroke of grace, I never drank much at all, ever smoked, but, I am the longest living nasal spray addict in history. I defy someone to outdo me. I’ve been hooked, well, since birth. (There was that overdose when I was 4, in a hotel room that Hemingway used in Idaho, I kind of went into a coma-like state with hallucinations, but I learned to sneak into mom’s room to get my fix. My point: My favorite brand, 4-Way, which I find superior to Afrin, has been mysteriously pulled. Any questions about its disappearance taken off Yahoo Answers. Very very interesting. I ran around like a crack addict buying up all the generics. But by GOD, on the 4th of April, the end of Mercury in Retrograde, I decided to follow the technique of a wise and practical former addict, to slowly go off the stuff, 2% at a time, by diluting it with saline, and with God’s help, will be free of “What the hell am I going to do in a nursing home when they take it away from me??” fear. (I had a very nervous Jewish friend sneak 10 bottles into Yemen, in case I got kidnapped while there) I, proclaim, here, in a perfume, nose-related blog, that I’m taking CHARGE. By the way, all those years of nasal spray use, NO EFFECT on my ability to smell. (In case you have any extra bottles of 4-Way lying around, I’d love to buy them from you. He he he.)
Good luck, Mough.
I have found hypertonic saline nose sprays helpful. So far there doesn’t seem to be any down side, but I’m NOT a physician.
A lot of people swear by neti pots. If you don’t know what it is, it looks like a small teapot. You fill it with saline solution and pour it through your nose to wash out the nasal passages. I can’t say if it helps to prevent colds or not, but It does help to clear congestion. I don’t think it can do any harm, in any case.
Good grief, Mough! There’s the making of a novel in there, or the inspiration for a fascinating fictional character.
I wish you all the best with your detox.
Afrin is a great friend of mine too : )))
but must not be used for a long time, my boyfriend used it for weeks and could not smell scents for half a year : (((
Wow. I’m gonna print that out and save it. If that works you will totally be my new hero. I hate colds but I hate a husband with a cold more. He’s a whiny baby when he’s sick. Definitely trying this next time we catch something.
I usually get a cold or two every winter, but the two times that I started to come down with one (in the last THREE years!), I used this and didn’t even get a sniffle! I swear by it.
I swear by neti pots, echinacea and oscilloccocinum. Especially the last one named — miracle cure if you’re coming down with a doozy of a cold or flu. Nukes it in two days flat!I use it with low dose echinacea just to be sure I’m getting all the bad stuff. Oscilloccocinum is supposed to only work for flu. I have a chronic auto-immune disorder and can’t take chances on getting sick(er).
The FB page for Atelier 1105 says that they are going to be at an antique show in Warrenton March 30 to April 7, so maybe the store is just closed while they are busy with that. There is no other indication either from their FB page or their website that they are closed for good.
The entire store is stripped – like nothing in the windows, nothing in the store, totally bare and looking like things were pull down in a hurry. I can’t imagine what’s going on if they’re not closed. Perhaps they are moving to a new location. You’re right, though – the website/facebook/twitter give no indication of their having closed.
You were only there like two or three weekends ago, right?
I was there on March 11, so four weekends ago. That is really strange if they would close like that and not even have a going-out-of-business sale or something.
Yeah. I hadn’t personally been in the store since right before Valentine’s Day, but I knew you’d been there more recently. Doubtful they had time to do a store closing sale between March 11 and April 5. I decided to post something on their facebook wall, we’ll see if I get a response. The whole thing is weird.
Someone send Angela *another* stone for her enabler’s pin as, after her review (and several years of abstinence), I stalked and won a very small bottle of Je Reviens extrait!
I’m still looking for a nice iris *without* musk if anyone knows of such a thing. I find even ones like the Odori iris with no musk listed in the notes has a big dollop in the base. My skin really amps those aroma-chemicals.
In the category of scent that needs to be swapped or sold is a half bottle of the L’Artisan Iris 2007 for that very reason – way too much musk. But it is too beautiful of a scent to sit in my refrigerator! 8)
Happy holidays all!
You mean Iris Pallida, right? I bought a sample of that, and liked it quite well, even though I don’t like a lot of iris scents. I didn’t like it quite well enough to buy a FB, but a swap is different. I have several bottles I don’t need, and can make decants of other things. Email me if you are interested. In case you don’t still have it, my email is Roses_50 atsign yahoo period com.
Her pin must be too heavy to wear by now
Yeah… I’m thinking she’s moved into the tiara category by now!
The Malle iris is lovely, and I don’t recall any musk, which I am also very sensitive to.
Iris Poudre, I think itis called?
That’s one I haven’t tried. Thanks for the suggestion!
Oh, and have you tried the Delrae iris? Mythique?
Rapple, to me, iris itself is sort of musky. I’ve read that it functions as a fixative and base note in perfumery, as does musk. Is it possible that iris itself reads as musk to you?
It’s possible, but to my nose there is a distinct difference in iris, which I love, and the sweet, deodorant smell of the commercial musk aroma chemicals.
Do you like SL Iris Silver Mist?
I know it’s an expensive option but perhaps you should commission one so you can get exactly what you want. I think Neil Morrris offers custom work for about $400 (last I checked)
I know it’s a rather off-kilter iris, but have you tried Dzongkha? I wear it all the time and have never smelled anything remotely musky.
Thanks all for the great suggestions! I’ve now lengthened my sample list, and have taken names to blame/award with a stone for her enabler’s pin the appropriate enabler.
Hi Rappleyea.
I know it’s stupid expensive but Xerjoff Irisss reads to me as completely without musk. Have you tested it?
Also, Bas de Soie is a clean (too clean?) iris altho I can’t wear any SL with amber in the base, which this one has.
I have tried both, and both were meh… Great suggestions, though. Thanks.
I’m beginning to think this may be a bespoke project for Laurie of SSS.
Iris is so wonderful – it would be worth it to find one that works for you.
Hi Everyone – I’d really appreciate all of your help! I’m looking for a killer, stonkingly good tobacco scent to buy someone as a present. I’m happy to buy samples for them to try first! They aren’t too impressed with Tabac Vanille from Tom Ford. Nor are they too wild about Tabac Blond. I am thinking of taking them Miller Harris Fueilles de Tabac and La Fumee……but if anyone can suggest other really great ones, please help me out!
Happy Easter! Scent for the day is Ta’if by ormonde jayne. Absolutely gorgeous!
xxx
Chergui, Back to Black and Tabac Aurea instantly come to mind. Or how about Jasmin et Cigarette?
I had a quick flick through The Guide and Tabac by La Via del Profumo and Tabacco by Profumo de Firenze both get 4 stars from LT.
I second the Tabac Aurea suggestion.
I get a great tobacco note in Mecca Balsam. And thirding Taback Aurea.
Seconding La Via del Profumo Tabac and BK Back to Black. Also, Mecca Balsam has tobacco, I believe, and it’s wonderful.
Then, there is SL Fumerie Turque, which could be the MKK of tobacco scents. I’ve never actually smelled it, though, so I can’t confirm.
Happy Easter & Happy Spring to everyone! I’m wearing Esprit d’Oscar b/c it’s so light and happy! But tomorrow I think I’m going to break out the Carnal Flower for a special occasion.
Both nice picks. I should break out my CF.
Having one sucessful blind buy (gucci homme) led me to two. Should have taught me a lesson but am contemplating another, ha ha. In the meantime, thinking if should put up the two dismal fails that are Jacomo no.8 and Ferre Bergamatto(?) marino for swap.
Craving a sweet vanilla frag that does not smell plasticky – any recs? Sweet as in amber narguille, angel and bk back to black, that sweet. Or a true vanilla bean scent? thanks
The vanilla to end all vanillas in my book is Guerlain’s Spiritueuse Double Vanille.
Is that still available? I had the impression it was a limited edition – really trying not to test anything that would be hard to get. Trying to be good.
It started out as a limited edition, but I’m pretty sure it’s in the regular line-up now.
(delurking …)
Agree, Spiriteuse Double Vanille has been moved into the regular L’Art et la Matiere line and should be easy to find. Personally I don’t think it belongs in that lineup but I’m glad they’re continuing to sell it. Also, it’s now dressed in the L’Art et la Matiere bottle which makes me sad. So sad
Thanks guys. Will definitely test it now.
And hello Lys! Delurking is hard – but this is such a great crowd.
The one scent where you are NOT my EST.
I am always considering blind buys. It’s a bad habit and it’s impossible for me to break it seems.
Some of my failures have changed to likes when I tried them in different seasons. Maybe you might like them in warmer or cooler weather? I’ve learned to like some scents that way.
You are right – I should wait and try again.
Have you tried SL Un Bois Vanille? That’s pretty sweet.
I haven’t – thanks! It’s going on the list.
I don’t know if it was reformulated from what it was originally, but the 2011 Cuir Beluga seems very vanilla-y, almost like vanilla bean.
With a name like that I thought – caviar. Salty, that sort of thing, ha ha. Goes to show. But reviews show different, sounds real nice. Thanks.
Happy easter!
I’m also wearing Espri d’Oscar in all it’s cozyness. But I’m possessed by the thought of getting Profumum Roma Confetto. It’s been haunting me for months and I try to resist – because it’s so freakin expensive and I have a lot of lovely scents to use – you know the story. And now I think it’s not the right kind of scent to get for summer. Too sweet etc. But still, I dont know… Thoughts?
Ha, ha, what I’m thinking now is that I have to try that Profumum!
If it’s expensive, why not get a decant first to if you really love it before taking the plunge on a FB.
SOTD: Anne Pliska because I’ve got a first date in a couple of hours and it’s so flat out pretty
Am trying not to buy any more perfume until after I move in Aug but Centennial has its hooks in me. Must…resist (for now)
Hope you have a nice time on your date.
Wow. No purchases until August? That’s some impressive willpower if you do it.
Well, there is a thing known as first, last and security to consider….Also, I’ve already promised myself L’Heure Convoitee to commemorate the move. Still, I keep wanting to purchase samples/decants so we’ll see how well I do…..
Anné Pliska is a great choice. Hope you enjoy the date!
Scent of the day for me is Eau de Swiffer, layered with Parfum du Chlorox Ready Wipes. Having a spring cleaning weekend, obviously. Once I fully declutter though, I am going to treat myself to some miniatures from Aftelier. There was a new perfume up when I buzzed by the site yesterday!
Good for you! I end up with Vinegar edp when I clean!
I used to like just using vinegar and salt to clean with, but the smell became a migraine trigger, so I can’t anymore. Swiffer wet cloths smell like next to nothing, and the chlorox wipes have a rather fleeting odor, so it’s back to chemicals for now.
Good for you — I *should* be doing that.
Enh. You did your taxes Robin, that’s far and away enough aggravation for one weekend!
This is just too funny!
Today I went to Ulta because I have some gift cards I need to use. I sampled Givenchy Organza, Organza Indecence, and Prada Amber. Oh and Shalimar Parfum Initial.
Shalimar PI was awful on me. Smelled like the locker room at the gym. I like skank but that went too skanky for me. Organza was nice but not sure if I need another big floral, but it does last on me which is shocking. Indecence seemed very vanilla on my skin but nice. I was hoping for more wood or spice. Not sure if I like it enough to drop $95 on it. And the Prada Amber was what I had hope the Shalimar PI would be if that makes sense. I did like it and it had a nice bit of spice on me that was not sweet or foody. I’ll probably have to go in and try them again.
I was wondering if there are certain lines that are known for their tenacity and sillage. I know most Thierry Mugler scents last on me and have some projection but other fragrance lines no matter which scent I try disappear in an hour. I’ve heard that Anick Goutal scents are mild mannered and short lived. So are there lines that are kinda known for packing a punch? My skin eats fragrance and I’m trying to find some lines to try that might not be a complete waste of time and money for me. Any thoughts?
I have perfume-eating skin as well, so I know how frustrating it can be. Yes, some lines have a reputation for being longer-lasting than others. Besides AG, the Jo Malones are known for being rather fleeting, so you might want to avoid that line. Demeter scents are known for being short-lived as well, although they are cheap enough for it not to matter much. I have not had good luck with all-natural perfumes, either, such as Anya’s Garden and Aftelier.
On the other end of the scale, Amouage perfumes seem to pack quite a punch, and have good longevity and sillage. They are expensive, but it is one line with which I feel that the price actually has a relation to the cost and quality of the ingredients. SSS scents seem to have good staying power as well, and are very reasonably priced.
In general, extrait will last longer than EdT or EdP, and perfume oils seem to have the best longevity of all. Not everyone likes the texture of oils, but they are worth trying if you have problems with disappearing perfume. Yosh makes scents in the perfume oil format, as does CB:IHP. I don’t know if you want to go down the vintage rabbit hole, but I find most vintage perfumes to have better longevity than most modern frags. I think they tended to use more base notes, which are also fixatives. The modern trend for “clean, fresh, just-washed” scents necessitates smaller doses of the heavier, and longer-lasting, notes.
Seconding the Amouage and SSS for lasting power. Also, I just tested the Neela Vermeire scents, and WOW! Pulsing, throbbing, neon! No amount of scrubbing removed them either, so you might have good luck with them lasting. They actually smell very nice, but very strong and long lasting.
If they are cheap I don’t mind spraying frequently if I really like them but the pricier ones are not something I want to do that with. I think I’ll get some Amouage samples. I have some SSS ones in my cart ready and waiting. I don’t really mind saving my pennies and spending more for quality either. I have been trying to avoid the vintage stuff because if I really love something vintage then finding more of it becomes a huge quest but I may have to take the plunge.
And she kept going further and further down the rabbit hole…
I find that SSS and Parfumerie Generale are the only scents I can count on to last several hours. I have friends who can spritz twice and I smell them all day. I have to use more, much more even spraying the frag on my clothes before I can even smell it. But when I buy a new frag I can smell it easier than an old favorite. DS & Durga is an example. The Jasmal and Tuberosa scents from Creed also last. Serge fades away instantly. Which for me is sad because I own 10 Serges. Any other brands besides these that you all have had luck with lasting please share.
Nothing ever lasts on my skin so I just save myself the hassle, spray on fabric and wear whatever I like
I do that too. It does help sometimes.
I tell you what, the Agent Provocateur scents last for dayyyyyysss on me. Unfortunately!
Seriously, though, I always wonder how they manage that.
I’ll have to check them out. I think I’ve smelled them in the past and I remember liking one but then I couldn’t find it again and now I’ve forgotten which one it was.
If you don’t mind waiting a month or so, I can hook you up with samples of most of them! tlschuster AT msn DOT com
That would be very nice. I’ll send you an email in the next few days. Thanks!
The fragrances of Andy Tauer are known for their longevity, although curiously there are a couple that I have always had trouble smelling at all – Zeta, and Vetiver Dance. But the rest – wow! I have moderately scent eating skin and I get day from them, no trouble.
Many of the Guerlains last a day on me.
Adding: that sounds like I have a whole wardrobe of Guerlains doesn’t it! I mean Mitsouko, L’HB, Chamade and Shalimar.
And I’ll warrant Insolence lasts many a long hour, especially if you hate it!
That seems to be the rule, the ones you hate you can’t wash off. It’s amazing really.
Everything I’ve tried from Lolita Lempicka has had epic staying power (except for Si Lolita, which I didn’t really care for anyway once the peppery top notes were over). Fleur de Corail is a good one for spring/summer.
What has become of Daisy??
And while I’m asking, how has Julia been doing?
Someone else asked this recently too and I was wondering about them as well. I hope they are both okay.
Me.
Daisy is absolutely fine! Just as passionate, funny and generous as ever. She just got very distracted by Facebook. I believe the perfume group there called Facebook Fragrance Friends is open to the public.
Oh good. I was seriously just about to ask about her too. I miss her.
I’m glad to hear that she’s okay and I hope she comes back!
DID YOU HEAR THAT, DAISY? :p
I miss her wit and wisdom, but am probably saving money!
I did try to find the Facebook group once, but I didn’t get a response. I don’t know if I did it wrong or if it’s because I have my privacy settings at the max. And, to be honest, Facebook sort of freaks me out…I don’t like the idea of that a future employer could see it. I prefer to don my cartoon gravatar and screen name when I’m goofing around in the perfumiverse.
That’s one of the reasons I have no account on facebook.
Is there a scent out there that smells like Easter lilies? Would love to find one. I’ll probably end up in either Vanille Galante or Shaal Nur tomorrow. Something about Shaal Nur says Easter to me.
Donna Karan Gold is a big dose of lily (true lily, not lily-of-the-valley). It is discontinued, but can still be found online.
Of COURSE it’s been discontinued. Off I go to hunt up a sample…
That’s a really nice lily… but to my nose, at least, there is a difference between regular lilies and the white Easter variety… a little more green/floral, a little less salty, or something. Yosh Stargazer is a nice one for the regular type of lily, too.
It would also be worth sampling FM Lys Mediterranee, Boojum.
Oh, thanks! I think I have a sample of that one somewhere, too, still untouched (judging by my spreadsheet, anyway). Now, to dig it out of the heaps…
FM Lys Mediterranee smells exactly like Easter lilies to me.
Fingers crossed… I have a sample of that somewhere, but haven’t tested it yet, thinking it was the regular kind of lily. Thanks for the note!
I just found, at the back of a, dark, cupboard, a bottle of Christos Woman by Christopher Chronis Parfums. Its in a dark blue glass, cross shaped, bottle ( appropriate for easter). I remember buying absolutely years and years ago and the perfume has not altered at all-it is a citrus floral. Has anyone else ever heard of it-or am I the sole owner of this, now, vintage perfume?
Debbie, I’d never heard of it, but googling “Christopher Chronis perfume” pulls up a fond review of both the scent and the bottle on the Sorcery of Scent blog, January 26, 2011. It ends with, “the Christos scents have not been in commercial distribution for over 10 years, and are next to impossible to source. Whilst a small amount of Christos Woman continues to be found here and there, Christos Man has sold out on a national and international scale.” So you are indeed very fortunate to have your bottle!
Thank-you. I have owned it for more like 20 years-I am amazed that it still smells exactly the same.
The review notes that a bottle shaped like that is hard to make, too, so that in itself makes it a collector’s item. And you’re right: it’s so wonderful to find a favorite scent unchanged after all those years.
Just wanted to wish you all a Happy Easter. Many hugs to Robin and friends !
I tried out Truth or Dare by Madonna at Macy’s today. It’s actually very likeable especially if you love fracas -it’s Fracas Lite to me. I don’t particularly like that bottle- it’s so much like a coffin . My husband just think as it looks like a purse flacon though. Maybe I’ll eventually get a bottle.It’s good stuff.
If it’s any consolation, the bottle has the same unusual shape as vintage Crepe de Chine bottles (and some other Millot scents from the same time period). It’s probably a coincidence of random bottle copying, but I can’t help wondering if that’s what Madonna’s mother wore (which she said inspired her love of perfume).
Hugs back, and so glad you liked Madonna’s ToD! Shame about the bottle.
The bottle looks like an homage to the coffin pod Lady Gaga crawls out of in Bad Romance. The Madonna-Gaga-Madonna circle is complete.
Sorry -as many spelling mistakes.
Gosh really – I can’t type anymore… many apologies !
Sorry we don’t have a comment editing function after all these years.
SOTD (well, SOTE at this point) is Mahora. I can spritz Rappleyea’s generous sample with abandon now that my FB is on the way. I also ordered a purse spray of Rochas Byzance, which seems to have gotten alarmingly scarce online since the last time I looked. (I know it’s discontinued, but it seems like reasonably priced bottles used to be easier to come by.) So, yeah, at this rate I’ll be taking the Fifth in next quarter’s damage poll.
I seem to have skipped directly from winter comfort scents to beachy summer scents — sorry, spring! I’d been wearing Bronze Goddess on Wednesday during the day, but in the evening I wanted more tropical white floral action. So I dug out my sample of EL Tuberose Gardenia and layered a couple of spritzes over the Bronze Goddess, and it worked so well that I’m now considering at least a decant of Tuberose Gardenia (which I hadn’t previously been that into).
Interesting … will have to try those 2 together!
I was reading Octavian’s post at 1000 Fragrances about Denyse Beaulieu’s book, The Perfume Lover. He mentions a Myrurgia fragrance, Embrujo de Sevilla, and I remembered that I had some of the sixties or seventies cologne version that I hadn’t tried yet. I believe it has real sandalwood – very nice!
How cool — real sandalwood is nearly just a memory now.
Lily must be theme of the day – I’m wearing Kai which is all lily on me
I tested Kai the other day and love it. It lasts nearly all day too. My SOTD is Tubereuse Criminelle.
I’m at the coast in cape town this week. It’s quite chilly and I’m wearing eau de beaux today. At times I have found this a little too sweet and have preferred to combine it, today though it is absolutely perfect! I’ve also been wearing a lot of my l’heure blue lately. I love the way it is distinctive, elegant and comforting. I have used almost half of my 93ml bottle which is gratifying in light of my many barely used bottles. And I may have found another guerlainto love in l’instant pour homme, which someone recommended last week!
I keep forgetting that summer has just ended where you are, Merlin. L’Heure Bleue sounds perfect for what must be a gorgeous if chilly setting. Thanks for reminding me that I need to try L’Instant pour Homme!
My SOTD is Hermes Un Jardin Sur Le Toit. I love its brightness and on me, it lasts the whole day. Yesterday’s SOTD was 25:43 in the morning / afternoon (errands, lunch at favorite diner) and for a casual dinner engagement, since the 25:43 was barely there, I spritzed on L’Occitane The Vert.
Happy Easter for those of you who celebrate!
Hi all!
Happy Easter and Chag Sameach (Passover greetings to those who celebrate).
Does anyone know where to find Narcisco Rodriguez Musc Oil for her? It was discontinued over a year ago, and I can’t even find it at the online discounters.
Many thanks.
Not sure if this helps (don’t know where you are) but it’s on at boots (UK). http://www.boots.com/en/narciso-rodriguez-for-her-musc-collection-eau-de-parfum-intense-50ml_1124290/?CAWELAID=554767408&cm_mmc=Shopping%20Engines-_-Google%20Base-_—_-narciso%20rodriguez%20for%20her%20musc%20collection%20eau%20de%20parfum%20intense%2050ml
(Robin, if linking that is inappropriate, please remove. And sorry.)
You might want to read boisdejasmin’s article:
http://boisdejasmin.typepad.com/_/2012/03/narciso-rodriguez-musc-for-her-oil-long-lost-favorite.html
Links are fine!
Thank you FumeMad! I’ll check it out!
Ugh, nothing to do with the poll….just went to the Sephora website and everything’s changed and I can’t log in. WAAAAAAHHHHHH (but good for my wallet)
I’m part of the beta testing pool, were you looking for anything in particular?
Thier new sheer balms, the ones like the Three Custom Color Lightbrites? NICE! I now feel I should get one of the 3CC balms to compare. That nice.
I KNOW I posted a question on this conversation but I cannot find it. Anybody, have you smelled Atelier’s Grand Neroli? I’m thinking of making that I’m going to make that my everyday scent. Any thoughts ?? Will this be acceptable ?
Sorry but I can’t remember what it smells like or what I thought of it, even though I tried it a couple of weeks ago at Liberty London (I tried several others as well). Why do you care what others think if it’s acceptable or not, so as long as you think it is and enjoy it.
Happy Easter to those celebrating! I decided on Chanel Beige for a casual potluck brunch with friends. Yumminess!
Has anyone smelled GRAND NEUROLI from Atelier? Please tell me if it’s appropriate for everyday. I cannot do light and sweet. I like heavy and deep. Please oh Please Help?????
I got a response from Penhaligon’s Fragramce Profiling Service. They came back with four scent suggestions. Amaranthine, Gardenia, Night Scented Stock and Esprit du Roi. The way they described them sound wonderful and I can’t wait to try them.
My SOTD is Habit Rouge edp and I love it! I promised to tell about my perfume shopping day at the beginning of March. I haven’t had a chance before. It was a big success and I came home with a lot and still didn’t spend as much as I was prepared to spend. (haha!) Some bad stuff has been going on in my life, so I needed to treat myself to lots of fragrant goodies and I did.
I bought my big bottle of Amouage Epic Woman (this was my third in as many years, I think) and tested about six fragrances. I also bought the Habit Rouge edp, Etro Paisley (which I tested there and it was instant love — now also a favorite scent for sleeping), Old Spice Classic cologne and some Old Spice Original stick deodorant. I was prepared to buy samples of some Amouage scents, but spending that much entitled me to many samples. I got all the Opus samples and Honor Man and Woman, an Epic Woman (for my purse), Memoir Man and maybe others (too lazy to look now) and about four different Etro scents. I’m considering buying a fb of Etro Etro, which I might actually like more than Paisley. It was a good experience. Oh, and one of the scents I tested on my skin was Mitsouko — I’m still anosmic for it!
I recently ordered some scents from Smell Bent. I haven’t tried them all yet, but nothing I’ve sniffed so far has been a disappointment. My favorites so far are Ho x 3 and Bollywood or Bust. The only problem is that I’ve become spoiled since I’ve learned so much here at NST! The scents from Smell Bent are nice, but not complex enough for my developing perfumista palette.I have become acquainted with Amouage and Montale and some other really good fragrances, and now I prefer full-bodied scents or those with distinctive layers.
It’s just like becoming a wine aficionado — once you can taste the difference, you prefer the better wines. Sigh. NST has created a monster, I fear, with expensive tastes.
Today I ordered about $ 100 worth of little decants/samples from Surrender to Chance and took advantage of their 15% discount and free shipping.
So many fragrances — so little time!
I did not realise that Surrender to Chance had already opened for business. I’m with you on having become a monster with expensive tastes!