This week we're helping Lauren, who wants to find her signature fragrance. She'd like something that smells great, fits her perfectly, and isn't worn by everyone else. She's willing to invest up to $200. Here is what we know about Lauren:
She's in her mid-teens and in the process of creating her own lipstick company.
She's also a photographer.
Her style is a mix of vintage (clothes from the 50's and 60's) and classic (well-fitting jeans, blazers, things that are simple but fit well).
She has pale skin, brown hair, and blue eyes, and she wears natural makeup (besides lipstick.)
Lauren doesn't know what notes she loves or hates, but here are some of the fragrances she has tried:
Frederic Malle Iris Poudre: She loved it, but it disappears within an hour.
Frederic Malle Une Rose: Cloyingly sweet.
Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady: Smelled like cheap incense.
Guerlain Shalimar: She wishes it worked on her, but smelled like strong baby powder.
Chantecaille Kalimantan: She loved it — like a warm, soothing fire — but too strong for her everyday signature fragrance.
Chantecaille Frangipane: Smelled like bathroom cleaner.
Bottega Veneta: She did like it, but it was missing something.
Marc Jacobs Lola: Artificial, gross, and mass market smelling.
Marc Jacobs Daisy: YAWWWWWN.
Flora by Gucci: Cloying amber.
Jimmy Choo: Smelled sugary and awful.
What say you?
Note: top image courtesy of Victoria of Bois de Jasmin.
Don’t give up on Frederic Malles without trying Lipstick Rose!
Prelude to Love fro By Kilian.
Is that the tuberose, almost soliflore?
(Why not just apply a very tiny amount of Kalimantan?)
Or try the very reasonably-priced Sonoma Scent STudio Incense Pure (samples at Perfumed Court, Posh Peasant, or Surrender to Chance as well as the SSS website). Maybe Annick Goutal Ambre Fetiche, or Parfum d’Empire Aziyade.
Lauren; if you like white florals that are not too sweet, try Carnal Flower by Frederic Malle, Tubereuse Couture by Parfumerie Generale and Tubereuse by Mona di Orio. I also suggest Ormonde Jayne Woman, which is a warm woody scent. Another one is Serge Luten’s De Profundis; a gorgeous earthy floral.
How about Chanel #19 Poudre, Prada Infusion d’Iris, L’eau de Chloe for somme mainstrean offerings.
Chanel No. 19 is a lovely, wearable iris – and perfect for a young entrepreneur. Also, if you’re sampling Chanel, please do sniff Les Exclusifs, Coromandel and 28 La Pausa. (Chanel No. 18 is my favorite of the line but, I’m not especially into iris.)
Parfumerie General Iris Oriental. The MFK line is worth consideration, particularly Lumiere Noir Pour Femme.
PG Iris Oriental (formerly Iris Taizo, I think?) is quite nice!
And I love Lumiere NOire pour femme, but it’s pretty similar in structure to Portrait of a Lady, so that I think Lauren might not find it sufficiently different.
Agreed, but I’m hoping LNPF will be sufficiently different to not smell like incense. However I love them both!
Hi Lauren, I am not familiar with Kalimantan but it seems you like iris and woody notes. If you could name more fragrances you have liked before, that would help.
I second Prelude to Love by Kilian and recommend Coromandel and Sycomore (both Chanel Exclusifs), and Bulgari Back to Black for a smoky vanilla.
oh sorry, I meant Cruel Intentions By Kilian and not Prelude to Love! I always mix up the names of this line…
here a review of Cruel Intentions
http://olfactoriastravels.com/2012/01/03/review-by-kilian-cruel-intentions-tempt-me/
Maybe Serge Lutens Bas de Soie for an iris perfume. It’s delicate, but holds up pretty well.
I recommend checking out the Heeley range. There is something extremely modern about his scents, but with a nod to the classics, that would go very well with your mix of vintage/modern minimalism dress sense. He has something to suit most tastes – Cuir Pleine Fleurs for a lovely soft, suede take on leather. Esprit du Tigre is a twist on tiger balm’s freshness and spiciness. Sel Marin is so cool! There’s a citrus, an amazing iris, a verveine, a girly floral, a rose etc etc. And he does a wonderful extrait called L’Amandiere which is highly unsual.
I recommend reading NST’s reviews of L’Artisan Parfumeur and Le Labo fragrances – perhaps a few will jump out at you. I’m thinking maybe Patchouli, Santal, Iris from Le Labo. Timbuktu, Dzongkha, Dzing!, Mon Numero 8 from L’Artisan…….
Keep us posted! And wishing you good luck with your entrepreneurial lipstick venture!
I have to admire a teen-age entrepeneur! And I would normally think that Ormonde Jayne Woman would be underappreciated by this age group, but Lauren’s tastes seem sophisticated, so by all means try this amazing scent. Also explore Sonoma Scent Studio’s line, which has a number of things I think you’d like. And Yves Rocher has an iris scent that’s supposed to be quite nice – I’m not partial to iris myself, so I’m gong on reviews, but YR has the additional advantage of being affordable as well.
Agree with everyone who has suggested the SSS line, and I’ll add that Lauren might also like some of Dawn Spencer Hurwitz’s mostly natural fragrances. The DSH line is pretty vast, which can be both a good thing (variety) and a little intimidating, but there are a lot of great scents in there.
How about Cuir d’Iris by Parfumerie Generale? It has amber, woods, leather, chocolate, Vetiver, and black Iris and is a soft suede fragrance.
Since Lauren likes 50’s and 60’s vintage and has sophisticated taste, I’d recommend she try some classics. The Guerlains almost always have jasmine and iris in them.
If she likes Bottega Veneta, she might like Daim Blond. BV always struck me as a lighter, more sparkling version of Daim Blond. THis doesn’t date back to the 50’s and 60’s but feels like vintage glamour.
Daim Blond was my first thought – as you say, it’s similar to Bottega Veneta, and Lauren might find it has what the BV was missing for her.
Another one that I love in the same ‘modern leather chypre’ genre is Cuir de Lancôme. Cuir to me is leather, while Bottega Veneta is suede.
Absolutely agree with Daim Blond suggestion. It has a classic elegance that I think will fit with Lauren’s style. I’ve told this story before and I’ll tell it again, once when I wore it a younger fellow commented that I smelled like a million bucks.
If you really want to smell different, check out the Nasomato line-particularly China White, Black Afghano and Narcotic Venus.
The iris scent that just went on my “to buy” list is Parfum d’Empire’s Equistrius. They have a great sample pack of all of their fragrances on their website at a very reasonable price, so that might be an option as well.
Thirding or fourthing the SSS recommendations, especially Forest Walk and Champagne de Bois.
Also, I’d recommend checking out indiescents.com as they carry not only the SSS line, but several other very talented indie perfumers. From my reading of your bio, I think some of these might suit you very well.
Good luck!
Try Guerlain Shalimar Initial – supremly updated vintage. It might be exactly what you are looking for.
Oooh! A fellow Kalimantan lover! I have a tip. I adore this stuff and keep a vial in my purse, and I wear it often, several times a week – but *only* using the rollerball, and I touch it to my pulse points usually just once and that’s it. No “rolling” the rollerball. That is a gentle enough application that you will get the scent but much more gently than you can with even one spray, and it lasts and lasts. I had thought that $68 was a lot for the rollerball when ‘santa’ (read: me) put it in my stocking last Christmas, but this thing is going to last me years at this rate even using it regularly.
Roller ball is still available on the Bloomingdales website.
Other than that, I would recommend my ultimate favorite ever powder that almost nobody ever wears. It’s spendy, but worth it and within your budget. Tann Rokka Aki. If you go by the notes you wouldn’t think it would be powdery, but it is – it isn’t too sweet but it is sweet enough, lots of powder and a little spice. I adore it, and I am the only person I know who wears it regularly. But since you love the Kalimantan, and also powdery iris, I am betting this is right up your alley. Available at Luckyscent website.
Heure Exquise Annick Goutal.
Hmmm … smells great, fits perfectly and not worn by anyone else … looks like a customized fragrance, but for a $200 budget that’s not an option is it …
You may want to try the following three fragrances. Can’t guarantee no one else wears them but they are not crowd pleasers.
1. From the mass of mass fragrances – Narciso Rodriguez Essence. It’s soft, non-sweet, and quite interesting. You may even want to check out Essence Eau de Musc.
2. Yves Saint Laurent Nu. It’s been recently reformulated and presented in what passes for niche packaging at YSL. It’s a clean metallic incense with sensual undertones I feel you might like, and it’s soft enough to wear during the day.
3. Tom Ford White Suede – it may have the “je ne sais quoi” missing from Bottega Veneta.
Good luck!
Some vintage suggestions-
Guerlain Jicky, since you almost liked Shalimar.
Chanel no. 19 (the original) – green and leather. It just struck me after reading your personality description.
Newer creations-
L’artisan Passage d’Enfer, incense and lily, but it still feels young.
Hermes Eau des merveilles, the original-wood, orange and ambergris. Really different, especially in your age group.
Hermes Kelly Caleche, floral and leather.
Second (third?) the Daim Blonde suggestion.
Please try all the suggested scents on your skin and give them a chance to bloom with your chemistry. I would also recommend trying everything more than once.
She’s tried FM, but only wants to spend $200? Hmm
She could splurge and sample the ? Cassie and Therese and def the MUSC RAVENGER!!!! Beware, it might grab hold of you.
Montale’s
Wild pears
Mukhalaat.
Vintage (seriously vintage) Diorella. Amazing stuff.
Vintage Shalimar – otherwise smells like furniture polish.
White flowers – Diorissimo, but vintage. Otherwise pass.
POTL Luctor et Emergo – quirky and lots of incense but the cherry/ marshmallow is memorable. $180 +/-
Interesting green/chypre: Parfums MDCI Paladin Chypre. Not long lasting on me, but try a sample for $4.
Second SL Daim Blond. Don’t spray with abandon or others will protest.
LOVE Amouage Opus 1. Sample for $5 then buy a split.