Name that scent!
1. The packaging is way better than the juice?
2. You'd buy it just for the bottle?
3. The juice is way better than the packaging?
4. The bottle is so hideous you wouldn't buy it under any circumstances?
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definitely lolitta’s scents as an answer for questions 1 & 2. I don’t have much time when I go to the mall to sniff all fragrances but when I do, I try to choose fresh & clean ones. My signature is vera wang if that helps.
The bottles for the women’s scents are great — but Lolita Lempicka pour Masculin is my pick for UGLIEST BOTTLE EVER. It’s really hilariously bad.
What you don’t have a thing for tree stumps? I thought everyone loved tree stumps!
Especially purple tree stumps that look like frozen plastic.
What about the new (Minuit) version? In addition to being log-shaped, it also kind of looks like a Brut bottle that got in a terrible accident. But it’s not purple.
That’s hilarious!
question 3 = I noticed all simple bottles hold a great fragrances but not all the time & I don’t recall an ugly bottle really. I’m a bottle collector & I don’t see my life without fragrances ♥
You are a *nice* bottle collector if you really can’t think of an ugly bottle 🙂
I’ve seen some pretty darn tacky bottles out of Betsy Johnson. This particular one is cute, but childish. All of hers really, to me, look like they are focused on 8 yr olds.
1. Sadly, there are way too many scents in this category. Two of my most bitter disappointments here are Coco Noir and Ilemasqua Freak.
2. Nothing – which is why Coco Noir and Freak were such disappointments. Couldn’t justify buying even for the beautiful bottles. (Maybe I should look for them empty on ebay?) I do have to note that I love everything about Andy Tauer’s packaging, and that adds to the considerable joy I get from his scents. I love the shape of the bottles, the way he varies the color of the bottles per line, the hand-signed insert put into the tin cases that enclose the bottles, the labels, everything! He’s been writing on his blog about changing the packaging a bit, and I’m eager to see what the new packages look like.
3. Anything by Parfums de Nicolai.
4. Can’t think of anything off the top of my head. Maybe that Marc Jacob thing – Lola? – that looked like it had a flower made out of neon duct tape.
3.
Totally agree with #3, although I don’t hate her bottles as much as some people do. And totally appreciate the reasonable price of the 30 ml bottles — would hate to see her go upscale!
I think her 30 ml bottles aren’t that bad as far as design goes either… I have 30 ml of Le Temps d’une Fête, and it’s a very simple bottle, but not especially ugly and entirely functional. I think maybe it’s the 100 ml bottles that have an odder shape?
The bottles are fine – simple – I have a couple of her 30ML and one 50ML…I do wish that they would upscale the label, though. It looks like a homemade sticker made with a typewriter. Same bottle with a luxe label would make a huge difference in presentation with little added cost.
I hated that Lola bottle SOOO much.
I think the Dot bottle is even worse (and I dislike Lola too). I seem to be in a minority on the awfulness of the Dot bottle.
I agree with you on the Dot bottle -too ladybugish ! And since the time I had a absolute Swarm of the little red stinky bugs all I want to do when I see one is to smush it.
Yes I did test Dot to see if the juice could make up for the bottle and it was a generic musky fruityfloral mess .Bleh!
I haven’t yet succumbed to the urge to smash the store’s tester …yet.
Oh my life – just stopping by to say that I agree with every single word in this repy! (how wonderful is that little Illamasqua snail?)
Good afternoon Robin, good afternoon all!
A themed poll, yay, here come my answers (I typed them after needing a while to think about what to write)
1. Bottles of Lubin Akkad, Galaad & Korrigan are better than their content, that’s for sure.
2. Prada Candy & Annick Goutal Nuit Etoilee (both are great scents, so not a loss)
3. Oh, many, many. As Carine mentioned above, good scents often come in simple bottles. This way money goes to the juice instead of the lovely packing.
4. Heck I wouldn’t buy A Rebours by Friendly Fur. The bottle is disgusting! Looks like fox’s tail!
By the way this week I tested Veni, Vidi & Vici, latest trio from Histoires de Parfums. I will review them shortly.
Scent of Saturday is Amouage Opus V.
Lubin has not yet managed to best Idole. It’s hard to start out with such a great scent!
Couldn’t agree more, they didn’t do anything better than Idole yet.
Teaser for your reviews?: any of the V-V-V any good? I’m getting samples next week.
Veni is particularly interesting and my fave out of the three.
Good to hear!
Hope you’ll enjoy my reviews when they’re published.
I agree with your pick for number 4. That fur thing is awful.
I haven’t seen it in real life but I don’t want to! I’m sure it would give me nightmares.
Oh yes, I should have mentioned the fur thing in mine too. That’s one case where even if the juice was amazing, I would try to get a decant and not the bottle. But I don’t plan to try the juice.
I’m not keen on doing so either.
Yaay! I just won some perfume at Ca Fleure Bon. It’s 5ml mini of One Seed Company Devotion, natural perfume.
ooh lucky lucky! I think One Seed was my choice in that draw too – I’d have to go back and double-check but I’m too lazy to right now. 🙂
I’m looking forward to try it. Hope it’s nice.
Very many congrats!!!!
x
Thanks Jillie!
Lucas, I’m glad you are testing so many of these new scents. I was intrigued by the new Lubins, but it sounds like I should focus on Idole if I want one of Lubin’s cool bottles. I’m also WAY behind on HdP, and that’s a line worth being informed about. I need to stop by Chemist in the Bottle!
Hi Nozknoz!
If you want to read about those new Lubins you can check out my blog, there’s a review of all three together. But they’re nothing special. Idole is much better than them.
Speaking of Histoires de Parfums – I try to keep up with all their news because it’s one of my favourite niche perfume houses these days. And I made friends with the brand so they happily supply me with samples of new scents.
Hey, my sotd is also Opus V, but one day later (Sunday).
Fun poll!
Name that scent!
1. The packaging better than the juice?
Coco Noir! And Donna Karen Woman (I don’t necessarily like the Woman bottle, but it’s definitely more interesting to me than the scent.)
2. You’d buy it just for the bottle?
I’ve always loved the Tresor bottle, hate the juice. Same with almost all the Thierry Muglers (Alien & Womanity have such silly fun bottles)
3. The juice is way better than the packaging?
The Smell Bent line, but perhaps the temporary “garage band” -ness is part of the appeal. I dont mean this in a snarky way, because I think Brent is really talented.
4. The bottle is so hideous you wouldn’t buy it under any circumstances?
Nikki Minaj for the win!
So agree on Nicki Minaj — and it’s so much worse in person than in pics.
Definitely yes on Coco Noir’s bottle being better than its contents. And definitely yes on the Nicki Minaj being the most truly hideous thing I have ever, ever seen… and my grandmother collected those Avon figural bottles, too!
I love that you used a photo of TooToo for this post. Every time I pass a display, I re-test, hoping I’ll like the scent enough to buy the whimsical bottle. So far—no dice.
1. Too Too! (and so many others)
2. Fragile (edp in the glass snow globe): indeed I bought it!
3. Michael Storer (Winter Star or Stephanie): even though usually I appreciate elegant, simple bottles as much as the over-the-top conversation pieces.
4. If I love the fragrance, I won’t let the bottle get in the way!
Oh, I loved that Fragile snow globe bottle! It was out before I fell down the perfume rabbit hole, but I remember trying it once in a while at the mall, trying to talk myself into liking it so I could own that bottle. It smelled so bad on me I could never justify it. That bottle’s a classic.
It smells pretty dreadful on me, too, but I must confess: I have the larger glass globe and the smaller snow dome as well, and no regrets!
But generally, I don’t make this sort of purchase just for the bottle. It’s a snow-globe thing.
Fragile was my choice too! I keep toying with a blind buy.
Ooo, I love the Fragile bottle – I love the scent too, actually. I have the edt, with the snow globe top.
Maybe I need to give the fragrance another chance. I’m going to wear it tomorrow!
Oh, I am SUCH a bottle ho, this is a perfect post for me!
1. Half of everything I have I bought for the bottle, Llamasqua (sp?) Freak being the biggest disappointment, but I adore the bottle and bought it unsniffed and have no regrets. Had the copy not made the notes sound so fantastic, I wouldn’t even have been disappointed in the juice, but the name and the copy made it sound so unique and it was just meh. Not bad, just so similar to everything else. The Vera Wang Princesses are all very meh, but I do have several. I’d also add Feerie; it’s not a bad scent, just too sweet for me.
And for the record, I passed on Too Too. Not near as cute in person. I was so bummed.
2. If it’s under $75, I’ll buy it for the bottle. To my credit, I have gotten very good about waiting til it hits the discounters.
3. Frederic Malle, I’m lookin’ right at you. For that kind of money, I need more than a drab little bottle. It doesn’t have to reach my preferred level of tackiness, but come on.
4. There is no bottle so hideous I wouldn’t buy it under any circumstances. ( As anyone would know who saw my collection!)
You know, I think I agree on FM. I’m not against simple or inexpensive packaging (I’m pretty content with the Serge bottles, for instance), but simplicity can have a coherent style. Especially since FM says the inspiration is the Gallimard covers, which do have such a distinct aesthetic–a very particular look and texture, just not an extravagant one. Even if the FM labels were done simply in a matte finish (a la Le Labo, e.g.) to invoke the idea of a series of books more explicitly, I think that’d be more appealing to me.
Agree. As tacky as my taste can be, I do appreciate beautiful simplicity, but as someone mentioned upthread, even a more luxe label would be enough! The current ones remind me of the labels on generic brands in grocery stores.
I have a bottle of the original Princess and think the bottle is adorable. Pink, hearts, with a removable ‘crown’ ring brings out the princess wannabe in me. Very girly and cute.
I totally agree on the Frederic Malle bottles! I wish they were a bit more wonderful.
I have the original, the purple one (Flowers, maybe?) and Rock Princess. The ring in Rock Princess is very cool! Not a crown, just a round black band with small faux crystals. I wear it on my thumb all the time. My husband, who is rapidly approaching Grump Old Man status, even commented that it looked good!
His are actually some of my favourite bottles. And I can fully see the link with Gallimard. Understated, not gaudy, all focus on the scent. Plus the box insulates the bottle somewhat from differences in temperature.
1. The packaging is way better than the juice?
I agree with the Lolita Lempicka suggestion above–I like the little apples, especially. But there are so many BAAAAaaaad scents, I don’t think you’d have to raise the bar very high for the packaging to be better than the juice.
2. You’d buy it just for the bottle?
I don’t think I’d ever be moved to buy something that expensive just to look at it–but I recognize that this is hypocrisy, since I buy original artwork on a semi-regular basis!
3. The juice is way better than the packaging?
Similar to question 1, there are some seriously ugly bottles, so it wouldn’t be hard to improve on the juice for some of them! Pretty much anything with a vinyl flower fits here–all those ridiculous Marc Jacobs bottles, anything Disney or princessed.
4. The bottle is so hideous you wouldn’t buy it under any circumstances?
Not sure there’s any specific scent here, either. HOWEVER, I can imagine putting together the funds to buy a FB of a scent if the travel size is boring or I don’t feel like a nondescript decant. (Not in love with Ormonde Jaynes black travel sprays, for example.)
I was pleasantly surprised by OJ’s travel sprays when I finally saw them in person. Each about a size of a mascara tube, sleek and with quite a substantial feel (can’t quite figure out if they are glass or not though).
I love the OJ travel sprays ,too, but am not crazy about he regular bottles in person. They photograph well, though, on the website.
Just wanted to say that I enjoyed the use of “princess” as a verb 🙂
Thanks!
It seemed appropriately evocative! 😀
1. AG Nuit Etoilee. The bottle is stunning, but the juice just doesn’t work on me at all.
2. Considering only current scents, perhaps Feerie. The juice is totally unremarkable, but I love the bottle. If I am allowed to consider discontinued vintage scents, I did actually buy one of the Lelong music box perfume bottles. I didn’t care one way or another about the juice; in fact, I was hoping I would like it too much so I wouldn’t be tempted to use it up. It is so fun to see the little figures dancing around inside all that perfume.
3. The Parfums de Nicolar 100 ml (round) bottles. I have no problem with simple, plain bottles, but these are just plain ugly. The 30 ml square bottles are OK.
4. If I really love the juice, the bottle would not keep my from buying it. I can always decant into another bottle if the original is really an eyesore!
Oh. I forgot about Feerie. Another one I tried to love for the bottle. But way too sweet for me.
Agree on the PdNs. The small bottles are nicely shaped and fit so comfortably in the hand, while the big ones are just… dull. And oddly proportioned.
Let’s see:
1. Anything by Killian. Great presentation but way too much $$ for the scent (to be fair, I’ve only had a sample of a couple of them.)
2. Fendi Pazlazzo, and I did buy it, then swapped it, then had swappers remorse. That’s a gorgeous bottle.
3. Parfums de Nicolai, although I also appreciate fabulous quality at a low price and the bottle is probably part of the reason why that’s so.
4. That horrible scary Nicki Minaj bottle would give me nightmares!
Fun poll, thanks! Happy weekend, everyone 🙂
So agree about Palazzo! I wish they’d reuse the bottle for something else. Ditto on Florabotanica. Shame to let them go to waste.
1. Vicky Tiel Originale – loved the bas relief. On me? More blah than bas.
2. Dior Dolce Vita – love at first sight, and forever.
3. The SL display at Barneys. They fall like dominos.
4. Nicki Minaj Pink Friday. No TGIF here.
“Fall like dominoes” indeed. I always get nervous around trays of Serge.
I have a couple of mini bottles of Dolce Vita parfum that I won’t ditch ever, even when they’re empty. Too pretty. (Gorgeous juice, too.)
Dolce Vita is perfection – both the bottle and the juice. Love.
1) Marc Jacobs Lola Love the little daisy topper even if a bit teeny bopper for me. Hate the juice, it just goes bad on me.
2) Shanghai from many years ago. Lovely lovely clear glass orb w/ a red topper pierced by a glass rod. Very ancient Chinese jar-like appeal. The scent is again horrid on me. This was my “lesson” bottle. I spent WAAAY too much because I loved the bottle without trying the scent. A big money mistake.
3)Anything by Serge Luten. One of my favorite brands and I own several, but the bottles are boring. Now the Bee bottles are interesting, but I’m talking the basic rectangular ones.
4) I will never buy anything just for the bottle. But I love JolieFleurs answer, if you’ve got a theme going it can make a big statement. I do love that 😀
That Shanghai bottle was really cool — wonder who the original maker was.
This is fun!
1. I’d have to say Coco Noir. I’m a huge Coco fan and love the Noir bottle, so was terribly disappointed with the meh fragrance inside of it. I also hoped to like Nuit Etoilee more than I did because of the beautiful bottle.
2. I bought a large vintage bottle of Caron Narcisse Noir solely because I had to have that gorgeous bottle with the black flower top. I trolled eBay for about a year before I finally got my treasure, and no, I haven’t looked back. I don’t even like the juice.
3. As others have said, the Parfums de Nicolai bottles are plainer than they need to be. How much money would it cost to at least come up with some decent typefaces on the labels?
4. Spicebomb. The hand grenade bottle is not only ugly, it’s offensive. I have a small decant of this nice fragrance, and it’s going to stay at that. No FB in my future.
Ha, send me the Narcisse Noir 😉
I totally agree about Spicebomb–I got a large decant too because I just couldn’t bring myself to buy the bottle.
Hi Quixoticcynic, I’m glad I’m not the only one who hates that bottle. It was even worse in person than in pictures!
1. Nuit Etoilée. *sigh* Such gorgeous bottles, just disappointing juice.
2. Erm….none right now but, if I were to win the lottery, then it’d be that Lalique thing with the dragonfly stopper.
3. I always hated those refillable metal canister things that Guerlain do for many of their scents. Habit De fête, I think they call them. Give Jicky EDT a decent bottle!
4. I’m yet to see anything so hideous that it would stop me from buying if I really loved the juice.
Oh, if you win the lottery, get me a dragonfly bottle too 🙂
1. The Eau de Merveilles scents have pretty bottle but the juice on me is awful.
2. I love the bottles for Faerie by VC&A. I will buy one someday just for the bottle.
3. There’s a lot of perfumes where the juice is better than the packaging. I think a lot of the Commes de Garçon bottles are pretty boring.
4. Nicki Minaj. That thing looks like something from a horror movie that comes alive at night and kills people. Creepy, very creepy.
That Pink Friday (?) bottle is terrible!
Packaging better than the juice: most Nasomatto and Bond No.9 Fragrances.
Buy it just for the bottle: Lolita Lempicka Eau de Minuit (and I have!); also Loverdose, Florabotanica, LouLou parfum, Encre Noir inkwell edition (drool!) and Killian’s Garden of Good and Evil
Juice way better than the packaging: the relaunched Donna Karan signatures and the Tom Ford Private Collection line. And now Diptyque. And anything you need man-hands to spray.
Hideous!: Selena Gomez. Yuck yuck yuck! Less obvious runners up: A Dozen Roses and Trish McEvoy.
Yes to the “man hands”reference – I even have a hard time gripping & spraying the Merveilles bottles safely.
Yes, THIS. I was trying to decant some Tauer bottles (which I love the design of), and my palm was spasming with the effort of gripping the entire bottle and using that sprayer). (Also the way you put it made me crack up, so thank you for that 🙂
That inkwell bottle is stunning, but even the regular Encre Noire bottle is no slouch. I’ve almost blind-bought it a couple of times, thinking that at least I’d enjoy the bottle design if the perfume didn’t work out.
Off topic, but SOTD is Marni. It’s too early for naming Best of 2013s, but this will be one.
Ooh, do tell more, please. I love Marni’s aesthetic so I’m really hoping the perfume won’t be a disappointment.
Ha! It’s like you read my mind! This is the greatest news; you made my day. Yes, please tell us what the Marni’s like! (And lucky you that you have it already! Is it at Saks now or do you have a back channel?)
LOL I should wear it some more before I make such tantalizing statements, but I can tell you:
it’s a woody scent with the wood occillating between cedar and ginger to produce a pine-y effect that reminds me of Fille en Aiguilles but brighter. There’s rose that comes through in the heart and there’s vetiver, to me very prominent in the opening. It’s just really great, warm but luminous, never falling into a woody cliché. Again, preliminary impression but a really good one.
Yeah, I had a back channel for my sample but I think it’s out really soon.
Yay to all! I will take under advisement that this is a first-go round with it, but I am still really excited. Pine + rose makes me want to do a little dance! (I have a special one just for good perfume news.)
I saw Persolaise reviewed it yesterday, too. I hope it comes to Austin. He said it’s kinda fruity too?
1. Lots–including many I’m sure others will be horrified to hear I don’t like! I’m so charmed by the Diptyque Eau Rose bottle and the Annick Goutal girly-girl, ribbon-tag bottles, but the juice just doesn’t work for me. (So far, at least–I do have more AGs to try.) I have a very old Shalimar parfum bottle and visually it’s a jewel, but even the few remaining drops are so suffocatingly diffusive, I have to keep it in essentially a biohazard box and never get to look at it. I like the glitzy Gucci Guilty and Premiere bottles but the juice is just too overpriced. (Or, so I feel about Guilty; Premiere doesn’t work for me at all.)
2. Ah, to have the money for that! Not going to happen anytime soon, so, let’s just say, I’m really hoping that I like the juice in those Marni bottles.
3. Hm! I know I’ve had this feeling but I can’t recall for which.
4. Hm, I don’t think the bottle would stop me from getting something I truly loved. (I’m slowly descending into an Ahab/whale situation, so at this point I could care less what my whale looks like.) But in terms of perfume I like ok enough to pick up on a whim, if the conditions were right, the vinyl (is that what they’re made of?) ornaments on several of the Marc Jacobs bottles might be holding me back. I realize it’s strange to be picky about that since they’re not so out of line with the juice (cute! fun! uncomplicated!) but evidently I’m more ok with that aesthetic in my fragrances than in my decorative arts.
We’re opposites…I’m frequently charmed by tacky and/or kitsch bottles, but pickier about the juice.
Yeah, I am def still working on kitsch appreciation. One of these days something will come along to hook me!
1) By Kilian. Beautiful bottles, juice of the 4 or 5 I have tried I liked but at the price point expected to have my socks blown off.
2) Never
3) I can see why everyone keeps mentioning De Nicolaï. I do not agree though. I love those bottles because their look is so closely linked in my mind to the lovely juice in it.
4) Cannot think of any bottle just yet. Maybe any number of the overly girly ones. Vera Wang Princess and the like.
Austenfan, I do love Liaisons Dangereuses, Back to Black, Rose Oud and Pure Oud, fortunately. I like Calice Becker’s deft and airy take on rich accords, but I guess one might be led to expect something heavier/richer from the packaging. I wish I loved one of the scents in the new white packaging!
I just find them rather dull to be honest. And I love plenty of Ellena’s (and Giacobetti’s creations) who are neither of them known for their heavy hitters.
I have smelled the Jasmine one ( Love and Tears), Beyond Love, the Lavender and Back to Black.
It’s funny though how different everyone’s taste in fragrance is.
1. Harajuku Lovers. Adorable bottles, the scents are just meh. Though I do enjoy G.
2. Katy Perry Purr (cat lover that I am). Actually, it was given to me as a gift but I’d probably have bought it for the bottle.
3. Have to agree on Frederic Malle. The bottles are boring, though I’m not bothered by them.
4. That awful Nicki Minaj bottle. I’d be terrified to have that thing in my home.
The Harajuku Lovers are adorable.
Oh no. I just realized my Harajuku Lovers Wicked Style Love bottle is lonely and needs another friend.
My TJ Maxx has them for 10 bucks
I don’t think I would ever buy a fragrance just for the bottle if I didn’t like the fragrance itself.
For question #3, I guess I think of my bottle of Bvlgari Omnia (the original, in the brown bottle). I really like the fragrance, but I can’t manage to get the bottle to spray well; the juice comes out sort of as a squirt.
In general I guess I’m not super picky about how the bottle looks, as long as it works well (and isn’t covered with fur or something hideous, ha). I don’t mind simpler bottles; sometimes I think it’s nice when a house picks a certain aesthetic to stick with. For example, I like L’Artisan’s packaging. Of course, if l like the fragrance a lot, a nice bottle certainly doesn’t hurt though. 😉
I agree, I can’t bring myself to buy something for the bottle if I hate the scent. On the other hand, wonderful bottles have pushed me over the edge of indecision. 😉
1. The packaging is way better than the juice?
Coco Noir.
2. You’d buy it just for the bottle?
Rive Gauche.
3. The juice is way better than the packaging?
Tocade.
4. The bottle is so hideous you wouldn’t buy it under any circumstances?
Again, Tocade. Yay for swapping ;).
Oh, that Tocade bottle is hideous. I typically hide it!
1. Florabotanica.
2. If it cost something like 15 dollars, I would probably cave in and buy Coco Noir. And if I was very, very rich, I might buy one of the arty Agonist bottles. Or six.
3. I haven’t tried many so don’t know if the juice is always better, but Xerjoff bottles are so pretentious they irritate me. And I’d like to defend both Lutens and Malle – I like their simple aesthetic a lot, SL rectangular bottles are among my absolute favourites.
4. I read very bad fantasy books in public, so I’m not going to be scared off by a bottle, no matter how ugly 🙂
SOTE is Arquiste Aleksandr from a brand new sample and I love it.
You had me laughing at reading bad books in public. I love that. I occasionally “forget” to brush my hair when I go shopping. I love the stares I get.
I share your opinion on the Malle and Lutens bottles. The Lutens’ are not as well sealed though. I have the impression that my Chergui, Ambre Sultan and Douce Amère are slowly evaporating.
I agree with you on the FM bottles. I love the proportions and the red box they come in. I like simple, elegant bottles and nice boxes.
I tried not to cheat by reading any other posts before I posted my ideas!
1. The packaging is way better than the juice?
By Kilian in the Garden of Evil Series (I don’t really care about the black bottles, but dang I wanted to like one of those white ones).
2. You’d buy it just for the bottle?
Jean Paul Gaultier Fragile. Or those Grossmiths in the Baccarat bottles.
3. The juice is way better than the packaging?
Any of the Maître Parfumeur et Gantiers. I really like that brand, and the bottles aren’t HORRIBLE, but I really despise the cheap-looking jewels on the top.
4. The bottle is so hideous you wouldn’t buy it under any circumstances?
Nicki Minaj Pink Friday. OK, I wouldn’t buy that anyway even if the bottle were fabulous. Something I might buy but wouldn’t because of the packaging? Honestly, I get the Le Labo branding and all that, but their bottles are fugly. I want something that expensive to feel like a real luxury, not a decanter bottle. It puts me off from trying the brand. I liked the bottles they used for their Anthropologie collab – why couldn’t they do something like that?
What I find ironic is that the Le Labo bottles are presumably supposed to look like lab bottles (as per their name), yet I work in a lab and we don’t use anything that looks remotely like the Le Labo bottles. I have seen one or two very old reagent bottles that looked something like them; I think they were left over from the 1950s or thereabouts.
interesting – I was curious how well they actually resembled lab bottles. they didn’t seem to look like what I remember from senior year of high school when I was chem lab assistant and made all the solutions for the school’s chem classes. Granted that was 11 years ago!
Le Labo reminds me of Williamsburg brand oil paints. Florabotanica reminds me of a centrifuge flask x electrophoretic gel.
(I think the Le Labo bottles are better looking that the fragrances, but I may be in the minority here.)
I actually considered Le Labo for my nr 1 – I like the bottles and their visual style in general. Unfortunately I have been underwhelmed by the fragrances I have tried so far. But it seemed unfair to nominate them as I have no access to the city exclusives which seem to be among the best in the line.
I haven’t tried any of the “real” Le Labos… In part because the packaging/branding doesn’t move me. I did like a few of the ones they did for Anthropologie, but not enough that I HAD to buy them, even on clearance for $30. I’m hoping to get to Dallas sometime in 2013 and try the line… especially Aldehyde 44, the Dallas exclusive, which sounds up my alley.
It’s sort of like the Chanel bottles. Though I can intellectually appreciate the innovation of those, and understand why many people adore them, they don’t really tug my own heartstrings that much. I just like more ornate bottles.
I tried Aldehyde 44 when I was in Dallas last summer, and frankly, I was surprised and disappointed. I normally love aldehylic scents, but this one was very bitter and unpleasant. I am wondering if I had something else on my skin that reacted badly with it. I had made a point of not putting on any perfume or lotion that day because I was planning to try this perfume, but you never know. I will make it a point to try it again the next time I am in Dallas, just to make sure.
Oh, too bad! I love aldehydes as a genre too. We’ll see.
I liked Aldehyde 44, but once my decant’s gone I’m not replacing it. It’s ridiculously spendy for what it is. I would SO SO SO much rather have Iris Poudre that it would be stupid for me to waste any $ on more A44.
I actually like the Le Labo packaging. It’s simple, the lid is pretty solid/heavy and the label has your name on it, where bought/compounded and an “expiration dae”. The size is also perfect for my somewhat small hand to hold and spray comfortably.
I can see how someone would like it – I guess I just tend more toward the more decorative/frou-frou in my perfume bottle tastes.
Oh, those Baccarat Grossmiths! They are STUNNING. I only wish I could afford them.
Oh, if I won the lottery, I’d totally buy one of those, no matter how the perfumes smell – I still haven’t tried the perfumes.
I purchased the travel set of Amouage Dia and was really disappointed in the sprayer. I guess I was expecting a glass atomizer and it’s some frosted lucite plastic thing. It’s not awful, but for the price, I was expecting something a bit more upscale.
Oh, dear – they look so pretty in the photos!
1. Packaging way better than the juice? Balenciaga Paris Florabotanica, hands down.
2. You’d buy it just for the bottle? Estee Lauder Jay Strongwater for perfume solids. I don’t ever use solids but if the holder is nice, I’m always tempted (ah…and have succumbed) to acquiring them.
3. The juice is way better than the packaging? Hmmm, if I had to pick one, I would say most of the L’Occitane bottles are ugly but the juice is decent.
4. The bottle is so hideous you wouldn’t buy it under any circumstances? Nikki Minaj
SOTD is Guerlain Gourmand Coquin – yummy gorgeousness personified! The Saks SA was sooooo stingy (or maybe I shouldn’t complain because I DID get a sample)
SOTD yesterday was Diptyque Volutes EDP which I got from a swap (thank you swap buddy!) and my crystal ball is seeing a bottle in my future 🙂 to join his ETD sister.
Got to have one of those Volutes, as soon as I can decide between EdT and EdP.
Nozknoz – methinks you should buy both 🙂
Second that 😉
1. Cartier De Lune. Love the Bottle, Love the NAME, But the Juice is Just only a trace above, MEH!
2. Kokorico By Jean Paul Gaultier! INSANELY Artistic and Unique!
3. White Diamonds. Just Recently Re-Discovered this Scent and Love how Warm and Feminine and Pretty it is, Just the only available bottle now is just that Pillar Bottle with the Bling around the neck… No matter how good this scent is that bottle is just Plain…. PLAIN!
4. Easiest of all… Justin Beiber Girlfriend…. OHMIGOD THAT HIDEOUS ATROCIOUS “SPROING” Bottle is An Absolute DISGUSTING Nightmare! and those Icky Colours together are enough to induce Vomitting!
Runner-Up… Mariah Carey’s “Fortress Of Solitude” Bottle for her Forever Fragrance… WHAT THE F?!?!?!? Just Terrifyingly Terrible!
Hey: get White Diamonds in parfum. It’s the bow cap with one crystal set in, atop a teardrop shape bottle – not much fancier, but a little more tasteful. And the parfum is really lovely, if you like the EdP. Very smooth.
Agree with you about the Bieber bottle. I don’t even want to say what it makes me think of
Reading everyone’s responses has made my afternoon, thanks!! 🙂
For me,
1. Any Guerlain Muguet bottle–I can’t do lily, so it’s a bit of a non-starter for me to begin with, but those bottles tend to be stunning
2. NEST’s new perfumes–I bought a rollerball of Midnight Fleur unsniffed because I couldn’t hold out against those beautiful bottles any more. Luckily for me I enjoy the scent, though it’s nothing spectacular.
3. Amouage Opus VI–I just can’t get behind the Opus bottle designs (which is excellent for my bank account since it means I wouldn’t even consider buying a FB)
4. I’m going to put in another vote for Nicki Minaj’s perfume–freaking terrifying! Though the fur bottle is up there too (for some reason I can never remember it’s name), as is Justin Beiber’s Girlfriend (it looks like a toddler’s toy…which is either impressively perverse or surprisingly straightforward marketing 😉
Oh, I’m a muguet lover, so those Guerlains are always tempting, but out of my price range! I tend to obsess about them all of May, and then forget they exist until the next year.
At least you forget about it most of the year–every time I see one crop up for some inordinate price on ebay, my brain switches off and I’m just ‘ohhhhh, pretty, I want it!!’
Love your screen name and observation on Girl Friend!
Thanks so much! Girlfriend is just too weird, conceptually to me. And I love your avatar! I keep thinking about buying a copy of that Lanvin to frame (in honor of my own black kitty) 🙂
You guys the thing about the Nicki Minaj bottle is that it’s so much better than the juice, which is more generic than I thought was possible for a generic-smelling perfume. It really has nothing going for it, it doesn’t even smell awful in any memorable way. The bottle is stupid but fun, the box is actually pretty cool, but the perfume – !!!
It would be really interesting if someone made a true rap perfume – it wouldn’t be quiet or generic, would it?
True – and Nicki is so unique and much more fun and than the fragrance wound up smelling.
(typo, “fun than”)
1. The Parfums de Rosine’s bottle is beautiful but the fragrances don’t work for me.
2. Marni edp, Stephen Jones (Comme des Garcons)
3. Vintage Magie Noire extrait (the black bottle with brown and orange stripes)
4. Angel edp refillable spray
Oh, I love that Magie Noire bottle!
Totally agree with the Magie Noire bottle, and the perfume is equal, which is a bit rare.
1. The packaging is way better than the juice?
I see Coco Noir and Florabotanica have already gotten a lot of, er, love in this category. I’d also throw in Baiser Volé, though I’ve only tried the first concentration that was released (EDP?). Also, the Bond No. 9 line.
2. You’d buy it just for the bottle?
At either end of the highbrow-lowbrow spectrum: Baiser Volé parfum and Katy Perry Purr.
3. The juice is way better than the packaging?
Cabaret! (Though the bottle is kind of awesome in its own way.)
4. The bottle is so hideous you wouldn’t buy it under any circumstances?
This would never happen, though that Selena Gomez thing comes darn close.
The Baiser Volé extrait is SUPERB in my opinion. But, you’d probably have to at least appreciate the original EDT to like it. It’s quite similar to the original, just has a warmer/more dirty-skin-like drydown, while the EDT just sort of disappears into clean musk in the late stages. I’ve heard good things about the EDP too, but haven’t tried that formulation
Ah, I think the EDT was the concentration I’ve tried. I could barely smell anything aside from a bit of that clean musk. I have heard good things about the extrait and would like to try it — but if I had the money, I would buy it blind just for that bottle.
Cabaret is a delightful scent in a beyond-tacky bottle! It smells so awesome on my husband that I decanted it into a plain bottle and told him it was for guys.
1. Shalimar, my mom just sent me her bottle from the ’60s (unopened!) and it is so lovely. The presentation is glorious!
2. Chantecaille fragrances, that frilly/lace crystal bottle is SO beautiful. I’ve hardly made a dent in the rollerball (which was more affordable), so I doubt I will be buying a bottle.
3. Bond No. 9 and Heeley
4. Nicki Minaj, no matter what. I would have nightmares, but I doubt I am their intended audience…
I saw some young girls laughing about it in Macy’s, so I guess even the target market finds it hideous 🙂
1. Good bottle, bad juice: I was disappointed in Florabotanica, A Scent By Issey Miyake, and… well, too many things.
2. I bought Kenzo Amour Indian Holi because it had Hindi script on the bottle. Turned out to like the juice, too! And I have bought Fragile for the bottle, too.
3. Montales. As one of my friends said, “At this price point it shouldn’t look like something you’d toss in your gym bag.”
4. Oh, Nicki Minaj, you’re winning this category, aren’t you? I will also admit to being too much of a snob to want most celubuscents in my perfume case.
That really sums up the Montale packaging! I like the Fragile bottle more and more.
1- Serge Lutens Chergui Bell Jar
2- Attar Al Kaaba Al Haramain Perfumes for women and men
3- Voyage D’Hermès, although the box is wonderful!
4- I don’t have this problem. LOL.
Moore, I love your 2. Every time I google Middle Eastern perfume brands, I’m tempted to order some of them unsniffed just for the over-the-top presentations.
There’s one bell jar that’s to die for but I believe it’s no longer available.
Oh these Middle Eastern perfumes!!! *sigh* If you find a source lmk please Nozknoz! 🙂
Daisy is the one with the Middle Eastern contacts. You could try contacting her. Always happy to enable! 😉
Oh, and the ad copy is great, too, like this for Maze:
“Finally a perfume symbolic of the mystery of the Middle East! Every bit as enigmatic as the land that draws thousands into its fold every day, the aroma of Maze is as promising and exciting as the race for survival staged here. In this labyrinth of emotions & feelings, struggles & endeavors, only a few will achieve what they set out for, and it is with these privileged few that Al Haramain’s Maze will be found. Get yourself a driving force. Get the Maze advantage!”
Hard to resist!
*sigh* x1,000000000!
Oh, that lovely brown Chergui in the Bell Jar, yes. Fortunately I love the scent ,too. Your post reminds me that I almost bough Hermes Voyage just for the bottle.
Chergui has become my favourite scent ever – and it’s so sad that at least two important friends don’t like it on me (I don’t think they like the scent, period), and they both have such good taste: /
I wear it anyway…
Actually I like Chergui, just don’t find it groundbreaking. I would accept as gift. It would be welcome. lol.
I believe the 35 ml bottle of Voyage D’Hermès is way more beautiful than the 100 ml one, that’s also not ergonomic.
My nose is too blunt for Terre and Voyage! But I do like Voyage’s bottle design.
There are actually quite a lot of bottles that look better in smaller sizes: the Hermes Jardins are also better proportioned, and people complaining about the Nicholai’s seem to agree that the small sizes are better (I’v never seen these); and even Cartier’s BdV looks better smaller…
In general originality is not that important to me in so far as I often find the small modifications in some of the spawn to be more to my taste:) With frag, the small modifications can make me do a 360 degree turn!
But of course I’m also a very definite amateur, so I rarely know what is and isn’t groundbreaking in the first place.
1-has to be Chanel noir, really, reallywanted that bottle…
2-love the Chloe bottle, the way the metal has discoloured like real silver, very classy. Also love the sheer heft of the elie Saab bottle (as well as its contents!)
3-agree that Smell Bent is let down by frankly cheap and unattractive packaging
4-i suppose the contents must matter more than the packaging but a classy bottle can tip the scales.
I find the Smell Bents to be rather fun in a tacky sort of way. If they were priced higher, I’d hate them, but as it is I don’t mind the quirkiness.
For 1 and 2, I can enthusiastically vote for the 3.3oz size of Roberto Cavelli’s Serpentine. Fortunately it’s dirt cheap, so I felt fine about ordering it just for the lovely bottle entwined with snakes. For 3, I would say that my favorites from Sonoma Scent Studio qualify. Not that there is anything wrong with the packaging, it’s just simple, which is fine with me. I would also add that I don’t care for the fake-laboratory bottles from Le Labo. Again, there’s nothing wrong with them objectively, I just find them unattractive. 4? Well, probably any bottle wearing clothes. That TooToo thing at the top of the post is the most wonderfully horrible thing I ever saw. If it had one of my special favorite scents inside, I still probably couldn’t bring myself to buy it.
LOL with you on “bottles wearing clothes”! Anat Fritz Tzora is just puzzling!
1. The packaging is way better than the juice?
The round moon bottle for Songes is beautiful, but I hate the scent. Fill it with Eau de Ciel or Heure Exquise and I’ll consider it.
Others in this category: Lagerfeld Sun Moon Stars, EL Beyond Paradise
2. You’d buy it just for the bottle?
I admit that although I like Daisy Eau So Fresh well enough, the bottle was my main motivation for buying.
3. The juice is way better than the packaging?
I like Moschino Cheap and Chic but the bottle is bizarre. Gucci Rush – it looks like one of those old plastic videocassette holders.
4. The bottle is so hideous you wouldn’t buy it under any circumstances?
Has anyone mentioned Nicki Minaj or Justin Bieber yet? 😉 Others I think are extremely ugly: Lady Million, Dolly Girl, Skulls & Roses (actually, all of the Ed Hardy scents), most Diesel scents, Katy Perry Meow.
This got me thinking of all those crazy bottles Avon used to sell…
Another one for the first category: although Niki de Saint Phalle wasn’t really my cup of tea, I absolutely love this bottle!
http://www.facticeworld.com/page14/Niki%20de%20Saint-Phalle%20%282%29.jpg
All of the Niki de Saint Phalle packaging is gorgeous. The fragrance is well done, too, but I also found it hard to wear (and I love dry green chypres).
Oh yes – I don’t even really want to try the perfume, but I so love the bottle!
Oh, that pretty Songes moon bottle… sigh. I didn’t love Songes myself, but it’s such a beautiful bottle.
OH, yes! How could I forget that one. Love the scent as a scent, but it isn’t the sort of thing I wear well.Can’t do the big florals.
Gucci Rush is definitely on the top of my “love-the-juice, hate-the-bottle” list. I genuinely love it, enough that I’m on my third bottle, but I keep it in a drawer, not on display.
LOL for me, Gucci Rush = love the bottle, can’t abide by the juice.
The Gucci Rush bottle was cool back in the day. I love the scent, too, but am kind of afraid to wear it in public, LOL.
1. Coco noir (hors concours!)
2. No way. I’m in it for the juice.
3. How could I compare the beauty of a Lutens or Nicolai creation with the simple bottles they come inside? But as many said above, we don’t care much, do we?
4. No way. Unless I loved the Nicky Minaj juice, which I’ll never know because that bottle just scares the hell out of me.
I wish the PdN bottles were just a little simpler, like the SSS bottles and early Tauers. The awkward shape of the rounded bottles and the shiny gold on the glossy labels really irritate me, although I’m always happy after I spray them on and put the bottle back in the box! 😉
Yep, the shiny gold looks pretty cheap! 🙂
I would buy anything by Frederic Malle only to own those bottles — masterful design. Other fab packaging: Honore des Pres, Comme des Garcons (consistently beautiful), Diptyque but only the old bottles.
I would never consider buying anything by Lolita Lempicka as all that confusion and fakery is difficult to look at.
I really like the HdP packaging and CdG flasks. I’ve also come very close to ordering that melted bottle and am weirdly attracted to the bizarre scent, though not enough to justify a FB.
Glad you like CdG and HdP packaging! I must confess that in addition to the tactile aspects of their bottles, I also appreciate the wrapping inside the box. My Odeur 53 bottle was wrapped in that shiny paper whose sound goes so well with the juice. And whenever I open my I Love Les Carottes box, the feel and color of the orange raffia strips cheer me up.
1. Bottle better than juice- so many I am sure…off the top of my head- If I am honest I love the Nuit de Noel and narcisse noir parfum bottles more than the juice (but the juice is good!)
2. I would almost say none- but those Alice and Peter cupcake bottles are pretty darn sweet (but I would only go for the sticky toffee or blood orange- since it is possible I would like the juice!)
3. Juice better than packaging- Piquet? I don’t hat the packaging at all, but wouldn’t it be great if he did some sassy limited editions of Fracas???
4. Bottle so hideous? These are a dime a dozen- most celebrity fragrances…that one with the floating lips on top? I kind of hate those Bvlgari bottles that are hard to spray…ultimately, if I love the juice I can withstand an ugly bottle!
Just ordered a decant of jour d’Hermes- lookin forward to sniffing it!
Doggone it, I had forgotten about those Alice & Peter cupcakes. Blood Orange sounded good to me, too, but I know if I succumb, I will buy the Berry and the Cherry ones as well, and then probably decide I need to entire set.
Which I most emphatically DO NOT.
But the very reasonable price point makes them so hard to resist….
If I had a very young daughter…I’d be tempted to buy em all too…
The Nuit de Noel packaging is so great that only the most delicious and stylish perfume would live up to it, and NdN isn’t quite that. I do think vintage Narcisse Noir is as good as its bottle. Another superb Guerlain presentation is Liu. I’ve never smelled the vintage parfum, but the reissue is not in the same league as the presentation. The perfect match of presentation and perfume is Guet-Apens (later Attrape-Coeurs). Beautiful-beautiful win-win! It’s so sad that they’ve discontinued it.
The Guet Apens bottle is stunning in pics (never have seen the real deal)….and the juice does it justice. Shalimar too. I have re-formulated Narcisse Noir, and it is a very good perfume, but I think it must be paler and thinner in comparison to the vintage raved about.
I have the original Guet-Apens in the beautful 4 oz. bottle and also the original Amouage “Cristal” bottle (now known as Gold). The bottles are the most beautiful in my collection and the juice in each is great. I also love my Lubin Idole ETP bottle and the juice.
1. Florabotanica, Couture Couture, Jimmy Choo, Burberry Body, the Lola’s, and I’m sure there’s plenty more.
2. Florabotanica, Couture Couture, Jimmy Choo, Burberry Body, the Lola’s, and I’m sure there’s plenty more. Haha! : )
CONFESSION: I bought the Couture Couture just for the bottle! The juice is a bit of a disaster. But I love the bottle! I’m terrible! : )
3. Angel 3.4 oz Rising Star Refillable Spray is UGLY in my book but I LOVE me some Angel! : )
4. The Selena Gomez bottle is hideous in my book! Even if it was filled with my beloved Flowerbomb, I wouldn’t be able to do it. Haha!
P.S. I’m going to say this even though I am TERRIFIED of all of you that actually have taste! Ok, here it goes, I’m probably the only person on the planet that actually likes and wants it, but I like the Nicki Minaj bottle! Please, no one destroy me! LOL! : )
I have all the Juicy bottles except the flowery one. So we’re both terrible. The new one is very pretty.
Pretty is probably not the right word.
Couture Couture reminds me of the Vivienne Westwood bottles, which I also love. The various juices are not exactly my thing, but I think they’re distinctive. Agent Provocateur, same thing (though I do wear Emotionelle a lot)
I almost like the NM bottle in photos. It really suits her, too, except that they lost their nerve on the tatas.
ROTFL!! So many people have commented here on the Nicki Minaj bottle that I had to Google it. You go girl! It’s what makes the world go round. 🙂
Ha…you know we never destroy anybody for having their own tastes!
1. Packaging better than juice: Florabotanica, Coco Noir, Lancome La Vies est Belle, Kenzo Flower, JPG Classique, Donna Karan Woman, and many others… I wish I loved Clinique Aromatics Elixir because I like the smooth frosted glass bottle.
2. Buy just for bottle: I have to love the juice – the whole package is important!
3. Juice better than packaging: Nicolai, of course. One of my favorites is Truth by Calvin Klein, but the bottle doesn’t seem to fit it. Also Lauder’s Private Collection (original). Totally non-nondescript bottle, doesn’t fit the lovely scent inside.
4. Bottle so hideous it doesn’t matter:
Ugliest bottles (interestingly, I don’t care for the juice inside of any of them): Nicky Manaj, Too Too, Selena Gomez, Justin Beiber (is it just me, or does the flower one look a little…well…like lady parts?, Kat Von D, Taylor Swift, Ed Hardy
My favorite bottles off hand:
Hermes L’Ambre de Merv, Womanity, The Guerlain refillable brass (metal) filigree bottle I found on eBay (from circa 1989?) – I filled it with Chamade. Chamade Parfum is gorgeous. I also love the Sonoma Scent Studio bottles – they seem old-world and stately in the substantial glass. Chanel does a good job. I loved the bottle for the long discontinued Elysium by Clarins – I’m a sucker for frosted glass. I love the bottle (and juice, tho it’s much maligned) for the original Lalique (1992). Shalimar – gorgeous. Herve Leger’s bottle is great too.
You’re right, the SSS bottles are surprisingly nice. I wish PdN was using those!
1. Packaging better than juice:
Chanel Coco Noir
2. Buy just for bottle:
It depends how cheap I can get it for 😉
3. Juice better than packaging:
Estee Lauder Sensuous, and Knowing
4. Bottle so hideous is does not matter:
Any celebrity, and Ed Hardy “perfume”
A lot of the EL bottles are nondescript I’ve often thought. (Gold painted plastic caps do nothing for me.) Except for perhaps the Private Collection flankers, it seems like EL is not interested in fancy bottles, mainly just the juice. Of course EL does do a lot of LE novelty packaging and perfume jewellery. And I have a heavy, gold-tone metal canister into which you can slide 15 ml bottles of Beautiful. That’s quite pleasant, in that elegant-if-conservative, Lauder-ish style.
I like that EL spent more on the juice than the packaging, but also made luxe editions for those who wanted to spend more on the packaging. I’ve always wanted one of the Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia gem bottles (based on photos) but haven’t encountered them to inspect and test.
Totally agree — like that EL puts the money in the juice.
BUT, the Sensuous bottle could have been a leeetle tiny bit more sensuous?
1. The majority of perfumes look better than they smell – very annoying!
2. Lolita Lempicka is pretty good, but I would never have bought it if I didn’t adore the bottle. I’ve patiently tracked down some vintage perfumes in classic bottles, and have bought a handful of empty vintage bottles (like Arpege boule bottles), but only if it’s basically impossible to find the bottles with juice anymore.
3. and 4. I love two of the Eau d’italie perfumes, Paestum Rose and Sienne L’Hiver, but have only acquired decants of because I can’t stand the packaging.
WELL, I feel better now that I’ve gotten all that grumpiness off my shoulders!
What is it about those bottles, anyway? I find them off-putting and can’t quite decide why. The best I can come up with is that they don’t really look like proper perfume bottles; they look as though they should be pump-action lotion dispensers or something.
You’re right, the bottles look like functional products rather than perfumes (and actually a lot of lotion and shampoo bottles are much more attractive nowadays). Someone commented once that the problem was the type face, which feels unbalanced. Between the bright colors and jarring type face, you can’t just ignore this bottle, either, which makes it a definite no-buy.
Exactly! Although the unbalanced-ness of the typeface doesn’t bother me, it does bother me that it’s so huge, and the colors are way too jarring to me. It may be they look better in person, but the white bottle looks like plastic to me and adds to the functional product look. And it would just stick out like a sore thumb among all my other bottles, even the super tacky ones.
Those Eau d’italie perfume bottles will look right at home in a kitchen. Maybe they’re meant to be reused for handsoap / dish detergent?
1 I have not actually sniffed the Armani Onde Mystere series but the reviews make the bottles sound like the best thing about them.
2 Sonia Rykiel for Women and Pino Sylvestre – have minis of both and that’s all I need. Love the Eau de Rochas bottle, too and Eau d’Orange Verte.
3 Mitsouko – don’t like the ornateness. May get one of the refills for the brass thingie someone mentioned above. I see a lot of them on eBay.
4 Womanity
SOTD was Poet’s Jasmine – a reward I gave myself for getting through a big week at work. Got the travel size one in the book-like box and had the darnedest time getting the thing out.
Difficult to open packaging is really annoying! Sometimes I’m even afraid I’ll drop the bottle getting it in and out. Conversely, I occasionally come across cleverly functional packaging and mentally applaud the designers and company that cared enough to make it work.
I have smelled the Armani Onde series and the bottles *were* the best thing about them. Also they felt SO good in the hand too, had a good weight. But the scents! And one of them went from a delicate floral to a man’s cologne in under 30 minutes. If only they just sold the bottles.
I, Am going to, And probably get Lambasted for doing so (Gucci Guilty for Men, Anyone remember! LOL) But I LIKE THAT DAMN SILLY ANIMATRONIC LOOKING PINK FRIDAY BOTTLE! THERE! I have Admitted it and have come out the Nicki Minaj Pink Friday Closet! 😀 Ahhhh…. feels much better! I also, DON’T SHOOT ME, Like the scent a lot… In the sense that it succeeds in the way Nicki wanted it to EXACTLY! it’s very PINK Smelling, If a Colour could ever have a SMELL! and it’s not offensive nor really Cheap smelling Either (Someday… Girlfriend…. Anyone!?!? ANYONE?!?!?) It’s Not going to Create any kind of Ripples or Frissons of Ecstasy, But for what it is, it’s Damn Nice! Just My Opinion!
I’ll confess, too: I haven’t seen the bottle in person, but I almost like it in pictures. It totally suits her style, so it should be right for her fans, which I assume is the point of a celebrity scent. On the other hand, they lost their nerve on the tatas, didn’t they? Hers are much more exuberant.
About seeing the bottle in person–I’ve had some huge surprises. Coco noir and the ultra expensive Quand vient la pluie were both so photogenic. Huge disappointments in person and in the hand.
Thanks – I’m glad I can stop mourning Coco Noir! 😉
I had to Google the young lady, and once I did, I understood it more. Of course, I have a high-tolerance for kitsch! But I think it suits her, and it’s kind of fun.
1. The packaging is way better than the juice?
To me, Givenchy Pi’s bottle is a work of art, but I don’t like the perfume at all.
2. You’d buy it just for the bottle?
I love Burberry London for man bottle, wrapped in their iconic tartan!
3. The juice is way better than the packaging?
* I really like Montale (esp. Boise Vanille), but the packaging looks like cheap drugstore’s bottles.
* Coriolan! Part of the failure should also be accounted to the way too girly bottle (this perfume is heaven to me).
4. The bottle is so hideous you wouldn’t buy it under any circumstances?
I’m sorry, but I can’t imagine to have any Bond No 9 star-shaped bottle in my collection.
I agree, Fabio – I don’t find the Bond No. 9 bottle at all attractive. I do kind of like their samples rolled in colored mylar like candy.
Fabio and nancyg: I would love to buy Hamptons but the price point and the boring Bond No. 9 bottle are really putting me off. If I am going to spend that much money, I want a bottle that I love too, but then that’s my Holy Grail!
1. The packaging is way better than the juice?
Florabotanica for sure. The bottle is neat, but the juice did nothing for me at all. Also Kenzo Amour Indian Holi. I like regular Amour, and I liked the bottle for Indian Holi, but the juice just smelled like plastic on my skin. Alien could be in here too. I do kinda dig the bottle, but the juice has never worked for me.
2. You’d buy it just for the bottle?
If I had tons of money, maybe one of those Agonist bottles. Since you’re paying so much just for the bottle anyway, the juice becomes nearly irrelevant, imo. More realistically (sort of), Niki de Saint Phalle in extrait, in the squarish bottle with the snakes on top. And it doesn’t hurt that I love the juice too (though I’ve only actually tried it in edt).
3. The juice is way better than the packaging?
I really don’t like the Annick Goutal girly bottles. If I ever buy an AG I want the guy bottle.
4. The bottle is so hideous you wouldn’t buy it under any circumstances?
If I really loved the juice the bottle wouldn’t stop me. But I admit I would probably would be less likely to give ones like Nicki Minaj or the Betsey Johnson one above a try because I’d look at the bottle and just assume it’ll be some fruity mess I’ll hate anyway.
Hi, Sweetgrass! You probably know it already, but just in case – Agonist fragrances now come in plain bottles as well, more or less reasonably priced. And they have a stylish little sample set, but if you are based in US, the shipping is probably going to be more expensive than the set itself.
Actually I didn’t know that until I went and looked back at the Agonist reviews after I posted. Good thing you can get the juice without having to shell out for the bottle. Those bottles are beautiful but I don’t think that’s happening unless something drastic and awesome happens to my financial situation.
Totally agree with you on the AG bottles. Worse yet, the larger size is also really hard to hold and spray: the curve doesn’t fit the hand, and it’s slippery. Good thing AG makes the square bottles, too!
I like the AG guy bottles much better, too…
I do not mind a nice looking bottle, but really, what’s the point if I hardly ever see take them out of darkness. Usually I decant from them into 5ml spraying bottles for daily use.
1. The packaging is way better than the juice?
I think 95% of last year’s new releases
2. You’d buy it just for the bottle?
I like to use what I buy, so no, I simply wouldn’t
3. The juice is way better than the packaging?
I think that applies to Parfums de Nicolai range, still I love her creations
4. The bottle is so hideous you wouldn’t buy it under any circumstances?
I do not think there is something like that in our age of promotion and design
I know, I often think it does seem silly to care about the bottle when I always keep them in the boxes or a dark place, but I do enjoy the glamour of a nice bottle when I put on the perfume or when I think about the perfume.
1. The packaging is way better than the juice?
Some of the Carons in peppercorn bottles. I adore those bottles, but don’t like a lot of Carons.
2. You’d buy it just for the bottle?
Would never do that. Perfume is meant to be used. I’m not a collector.
3. The juice is way better than the packaging?
Can’t think of any.
4. The bottle is so hideous you wouldn’t buy it under any circumstances?
Valentina. It is *the* most hideous bottle I have ever seen,
You are so right about the Caron peppercorn and Valentina bottles.
Those Caron bottles are gorgeous — esp. loved the little ones that lay on their sides (used to see them in the Caron boutique, they filled them from the urns, & there’s probably a name for them).
1) Packaging better than the juice: a) those DKNY sets with mini apples in different sizes. But, I’m not a big fan of the juice. b)Those limited edition Stella bottles – white with art-deco type flowers designs. All Stella-juice is meh, to me. c) I used to like Pure Poison but its not my thing anymore: still the opalescent bottle is gorgeous. d) I like the Hermes jardin series, especially Sur le Toit, bit I adore the bottles, especially the deep coloured one for Apres la Mousson. This. is. my. favourite. perfume. bottle. (and I like the juice but don’t adore it). e) The whole Petite Prince series. They are so cute. Oh, and f) although its kitch, I do like the bottle of Wonderstruck but find the juice unbearably dull.
b) I’m not sure: why not just get a Lalique ornament then? Admittedly, the agonist bottles are something…
c) I have one of those EDT refill bottles of L’heure Blue. The bottle is, seriously, so sad.
d) I do wear leather shoes and belts but I don’t think I’d buy a perfume that came with leather or fur trimmings…Also, I know they are stylish and work well but the Byredo bottles give me the hibbie jeebies. They remind me of that part of Moby Dick where the narrator talks about white being the true colour of fear. Otherwise, I don’t care about the bottle all that much, if I love the frag.
You know, I never thought about it, but I never quite get around to testing the Byredos, and it may be the bottles. Agree with your other observations, too.
Well glad its not an entirely peculiar reaction then! I think it was exacerbated by the M/INK bottle. To me that brought a whole lot of nasty fur-trade associations.
There’s something so cold about the whole Byredo aesthetic. Give me a Nicki Minaj any day – to me its more schlock horror than genuinely terrifying –
Have to think about the other questions, but to #3, I can say without hesitation: Anne Pliska. Gorgeous scent, horrible cheap-looking bottle. Actually, the parfum bottle is quite lovely, but the EDP is really bad. Also Lady Stetson, but being a cheapie drugstore fragrance anyway, I suppose I wouldn’t have really high expectations about the bottle design to begin with.
You’re right, I’ve thought about getting Anne Pliska, but the pink bottle seems completely at odds with the lovely orange-tea scent!
If I ever win the lottery (which would be odd, since I don’t buy tickets), I’m buying Xerjoff Irisss and Damarose in the semiprecious stone and Murano glass bottles, and will decorate my bathroom with a collection of giant Guerlain and Chanel factices like the ones in Herve Pierre’s: http://theselby.com/galleries/herve-pierre/
Ha…if you win, spot me one of those Irisss too, yah?
My answers are only for #2. I’m a sucker for really colorful glass bottles. I have them sitting on a small vanity table and let them catch the light. If I hate the juice I won’t buy them but I don’t actually love any of these, which is good because then I’m not that concerned if they go off from the sunlight. They are the brilliant red Delice de Cartier, Valentino V (the one that’s true red), the amethyst faceted flacon for McQueen My Queen, and the deep cobalt of Hanae Mori Mystical Moon. I think these are all almost art glass worthy. Now I need a beautiful deep emerald green one…
That sounds beautiful, Calypso! Those Hermes Jardin bottles are beautiful shades of green and blue-green, and Eau d’Orange Verte is green (and delicious).
And Amouage Epic comes in a beautiful emerald green bottle – but you wouldn’t want to put that one in the sun until it was empty!
I don’t know how I skipped over your post, Calypso. I’m with you on the colored glass bottles. I may eventually put used ones on a windowsill (at the unseen back of the house — not to show off my collection to neighbors) to catch the light. You’ve named some I haven’t seen and will have to google.
I bought Jessica Simpson’s Fancy Nights just for the emerald green bottle, but it’s not elegant enough to keep company with yours! (Gorgeous shade of green, though, with gold details and I got it for 18 dollars)
1. The packaging is way better than the juice?
I’ll probably be stoned for this blasphemy, but Amouage – I love those jewel-colored bottles, but the juice just doesn’t work for me. They give me a massive headache (the only brand to do so).
2. You’d buy it just for the bottle? Nope, I’m all about the juice. But… for the juice AND the bottle my favorites are: the Chamade perfume bottle (which I’m lucky enough to own), the Guet Apens cobalt lantern bottle, the Djedi re-issue (Wow! I wish I could have afforded that one), and finally, the 100 Anniversary cobalt blue L’Heure Bleue bottle. Hmm… do you sense a pattern here?!? lol!
3. The juice is way better than the packaging?
Le Labo
4. The bottle is so hideous you wouldn’t buy it under any circumstances?
If I loved the juice, the packaging wouldn’t put me off.
Oh! And for #3, the juice way better than the packaging – I loathe those MDCI bottles with the busts on top, but I really like many of the MDCI fragrances.
I actually love MDCI bottles with bust stopper, only wish they could be cheaper!
I miss the old Amuoage bottles, that were all different. Out of my price range, but I did love them.
Jub 25 is the only one of their frgarances that I can tolerate, and I do love it, bit the rest kind of overwhelm me.
Totally agree — the original bottles were lovely, much nicer than the new “standard” bottle. With the exception of the bottle for Ubar, which I really didn’t care for.
Amouage bottles are gorgeous!
The Chamade parfum bottle is SO gorgeous. I bought one empty off ebay and filled it up with PdT, just so I could look at it. SIgh.
I should do it too cos I love the vintage Chamade parfum bottle!
Great idea! That’s one I wouldn’t mind buying empty to fill with colored water for display.
I have no personal feelings about 1 or 4.
2. You’d buy it just for the bottle? Niki de Saint Phalle (in a heartbeat!) It doesn’t smell nice on me, so I keep putting off buying it just for the bottle. I’m a big fan of her artwork, but her bottles (that snake!) really send me!
3. The juice is way better than the packaging? Montale. I’ve got several Montales, and wish they had nicer bottles, although I also keep everything in a dark closet.
When I visited the perfume museum here in Holland, the curator had a large collection of original Lalique bottles. SWOON! ( I wear some Lalique fragrances, but can only ever afford the regular bottles. She also had some large Nikki de Saint Phalle bottles.) I love that original Shalimar bottle from Guerlain and have no idea if that’s what’s currently available or if they changed the design.
I’m very fond of my Amouage Epic Woman green glass bottle, and the scent is one of my favorites. I haven’t yet tried that new one in blue but I am craving that bottle. I’m also fond of my Lorenzo Villeresi red glass Alamut bottles — so much so, that I still have the empty first one. Unfortunately, the scent and I have a love-hate relationship and I can only wear it sometimes.
Last, but not least, I have a few over-the-top perfume bottles from Kuwait and India (traveling friends) and I love how decorative they are.
Hi Jonette. Please tell us exactly where the perfume museum is in Holland! Thanks!
1. The packaging is way better than the juice? Jo Malone. There are JMs which smell is just “meh” but the black ribbon against cream/pale yellow (?) box is something I really dig.
2. You’d buy it just for the bottle? Frederic Malle (it is simple yet very exquisite, even the box)
3. The juice is way better than the packaging? Gres Cabaret and Montale.
4. The bottle is so hideous you wouldn’t buy it under any circumstances? None.
Usually I am not into packaging but sometimes I do wish some of my beloved scents could come with a better packaging. For example, Ormande Jayne bottles are quite hard to hold, which is to do with usability rather than appearance.
I am surprised that many people don’t like Parfums de Nicolai bigger size bottles. I love them! Their shape is interesting and it feels good to hold in hand.
The only perfume I bought because of package is Arabian Oud Hamra Midnight. I love the black and white floral patterned metal bottle so much. The scent is way too sweet to me.
I don’t like many celebrity bottles. They are as trashy as their content.
Some of you mentioned Marc Jacobs Daisy. I find it actually OK, better than Lora and Dot!
Oh, another I forgot: I never liked the Issey Miyake frags at all but I LOVE those cone shaped bottles!
I collect Lolita Lempicka bottles because I love the juice AND the bottles! However, L de Lolita I can’t stand but I love the bottle. I liked Si Lolita juice but hated the bottle.
I really like Boss Woman but the blah bottle prevents me from buying it.
What a shame that FM bottles are so boring and unattractive for such a decent line. They do not befit the creations of his perfumeurs. Chanel and Serge Lutens are equally boring with great quality juices. It would be difficult to buy any of the above.
I also collect the Escada summer L.E.’s so I would buy even though the juices are just merely okay. Stop with the fruity florals already!