Today we're helping Ashley, who worked in a scent-free office for 5 years and is "out of the perfume loop". She wants to find a new everyday scent that’s unique without being too weird. She'd love something spicy, fragrant yet creamy, and sweet but not too sweet. She can pay up to $200 or so. Here is what we know about Ashley:
She's in her late 20s, and describes herself as a laid back wannabe hippie.
She does the 9-5 grind to fund trips to sunny beaches and fix up her house.
She coordinates an articling program and conferences & databases for legal professionals. At work she wears business casual.
She likes Birkenstocks, bright colors and eclectic design.
Ashley likes woody orientals and some gourmand notes. She tends towards softer spicy scents that melt into your skin instead of creating a barrier around you. Favorite notes and smells include cinnamon, pepper, vanilla, coconut, cedar, citrus, bergmont, tea, cloves, bbq sauce, basil, garlic and roses. In her current rotation: Kenzo Amour (she is torn on this one, sometimes she loves it and sometimes she doesn't), Lolita Lempicka Si Lolita and Bvlgari Black (she'd like something like this but with more oomph).
Ashley dislikes heavily powdery florals, aquatics, shrill fragrances, very fresh fragrances, Aveda, cilantro, lemongrass, white florals, lilies, grass, lavender, tomato vines, mint, anise, honey and jasmine. Scents that don't work for her include Dior Hypnotic Poison (too heavy and not interesting), Yves Saint Laurent Babydoll, Thierry Mugler Alien, Bvlgari Omnia (smelled like dill pickles), Estee Lauder Beyond Paradise, Escada Magnetism, Dior J’adore, Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne (smelled fake).
Here are some of the fragrances Ashley has tried:
Hugo Boss Deep Red: too sweet.
Lolita Lempicka: sort of earthy but not grungy, a bit young.
Anna Sui Sui Dreams: also too sweet.
Hilary Duff With Love: she liked it for a while, but also too sweet, and similar to other things she owns.
Givenchy Pi: she bought it for her boyfriend so she could wear it.
Ralph Lauren Hot: smells like a girly sauna, she likes this one a lot.
What say you?
Note: top image is pink post [cropped] by jenny downing at flickr; some rights reserved.
Bulgari Black + more oomph = Le Labo Patchouli 24.
This! It was the very first thing that came to into my mind.
Also, for a lighter take on an everyday spicy fragrance I would recommend trying the new Marni. It’s very pleasant and wearable so unlikely to scare anyone off but it’s still interesting enough to keep your attention throughout the day.
Other things that might be worth trying are Jo Malone Dark Amber and Ginger Lily (a creamy, woody, spicy scent) and Bottega Veneta (a warm leather and patchouli)
Mm, Marni and Dark Amber, def cosigning. (BV is less my thing but I am clearly in the VAST minority on that point!)
100% agree with the Marni recommendation. It is light enough to wear during the day but is interesting enough to go into evening with an extra spritz before leaving the office. My very late note in the Marni review thread included a comment along this line:
If FM Portrait of a Lady and Amouage Jubilation XXV got married and had a baby, Marni would be their beautiful baby.
Second the Jo Malone ginger thing!
Ooh, you’ve made me want to try Patch 24 too!
Whilest at the Le Labo counter, why not try Rose 24, also, for rose + spice.
Rose 31, that is!
I like that the Le Labos have really strong reviews, so I will love it or hate it. That’s what I am going for. A head turner, and also, another scent or two… or three.
Try a few, Labdanum and the citrus.
Dear Ashely, have you tried Code by Armani? It may not have many spices, but it is filled with freshness of the orange and orange blossom, warmth of jasmine and honey and gently touch of sandalwood.
If you have chance, try also (something completely different) Woman by Ormonde Jayne. Fresh, daring, full of spices with woods and jasmine.
Good luck!
ups, I’ve mistaken likes for dislikes, sorry.
But still, Code could be good choice. 
For daily wear. And Coco Noir for evening. 
From OJ, Ta’if, also, for rose and spice!
Kenzo Jungle Elephant or Tiger!
I think elephant might be a good one for me to try. if I smell like a gingersnap I am okay with that.
A few suggestions:
Donna Karan’s Black Cashmere
Tauer’s L’Air du Desert Marocain
Caron’s Bellodgia
Lancome’s Magie Noire
Malle’s Bigarade Concentree
and, just for fun, try checking out Caron’s Yatagan
Heartily second the “black Cashmere.” It’s a beautiful scent and seems perfect for this young woman given her tastes and likes.
Ambre Sultan, Serge Lutens. Fire and Cream by Strange Invisible.
The Fire and Cream sounds really appealing! One thing I didn’t mention is that I used to wear the orange Satsuma perfume by the body shop way back when I was a tween, I forgot how much I liked it and all these suggestions with orange and orange blossom reminded me that I should give an adult incarnation a try. Thanks.
What’s funny is I was also thinking of Sushi Imperiale and Black Cashmere, which is a cool-weather go-to frag for me. It’s a classic if you like spicy. Amouage Opus IV is Christmassy-spicy, but I’m quite mad for Opus V (but will have to go a bit more mad than I already am to pay $320 for 100ml). Arabie by Serge Lutens is pretty gourmand-y. And, although I didn’t go to the bottom of the entire thread, Spicebomb really is delightful, esp. for the price you can get it for! If you have warm feelings for Amber, you might try Dior Ambre Nuit (I just bought a bottle in Paris). If you like Sandalwood, I’m a big fan of Tam Dao by Diptyque. Now I’m just riffing — it’s late and I have a cat driving me crazy.
Bois 1920 Sushi Imperiale (soft spicy). Second DK Black Cashmere, although it is getting hard to find again. Another woody-spicy-vanilla favorite, and one that is super-cheap, is Smell Bent One. Penhaligon’s Malabah is a nice tea oriental with soft spice.
soft and creamy: Safran Troublant, Santal Massoia Hermessence, Comme des Garcons White
oomph: Donna Karan Signiture or Dzing!
Nice, Safran Troublant, Dzing, and Santal Massoia all come to mind for me too.
I third those. Troublant is a fav
L’AP Safran Troublant was my second choice (after Marni) for Ashley except it does not last very long at all.
Perhaps the new Marni?
For the pepper tip, and since she is fine wearing men’s fragrances, Marc Jacobs Bang!. For another masculine that trips certain spicy-woodsy wires, V&R Spicebomb.
For a feminine vanilla woodsy thing, how about Givenchy Organza Indecence?
Some of the Tauers might work. I see some were suggested above. I wonder how she’d like Lonestar Memories.
Something also makes me suggest Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Piment et Chocolate.
Def agree Spicebomb is worth a test.
I almost wonder about Musc Ravageur also… Ashley, you don’t mention musk one way or the other but for spicy and creamy, it could be worth a shot.
I think I have never given musk much thought as it’s not a dealbreaker for me. I wouldn’t say no to musk, as long as it wasn’t say, lemongrass musk hehe
Ha, no I don’t know that lemongrass has anything to do with either of these, so you should be safe! And MR is a true musk but such a nice one. The name probably overstates it a little–it’s a lot more cozy than aggressive, to my nose.
Breathsgelatin mentioned the Tauers, and I too think they are very worth trying. You can go directly to the site and order a samples set, they come directly from Switzerland in a nice case, you get to choose the ones you want, and it is not expensive.
I was going to recommend Spicebomb too. Spicy, smooth, and sweet but not too sweet.
Also: Feminite du Bois.
Diptyque Eau Duelle: Spicy vanilla, nice and creamy but not too sweet.
Ohh yes this is a great call.
Maybe also Tokyo Milk Tainted Love? I don’t usually wear vanilla so I can’t speak to this especially confidently but in terms of warm and creamy, vanilla but not too sweet–perhaps?
C. H.
This is a great one. So inexpensive too, $36/Barney’s. or sephora. Usually not my thing and I got it whilst ill but love it.
Hi Guys, it’s the ashley in question here. Thank you for the suggestions, I’ll be looking into them. So far I am leaning towards L`Air du Desert Marocain and the Dark Amber and Ginger Lily. I think I may like the Yatagan if I don’t get the ‘celery’ as I am not a fan of the smell.
When I’m in the mood for a creamy, spicy woody oriental, I tend to reach for PG Cadjmere. It’s not exactly soft – it definitely has presence, but somehow it floats like a soft veil of woods and sweet spices around me.
Sorry, that’s Parfumerie Generale’s Cadjmere.
Second Cadjmere. Another nice woody oriental from the same line is Brulure de Rose.
PG, INDOCHINE is one of my top ten. Get a sample u will love it.
Since the hippie side hasn’t been addressed yet, how about ELdO’s Nombril Immense? A wearable patchouli…
I instantly thought of ELd’O Fils de Dieu. It has notes of citrus, coconut, spices, vanilla and rice. It’s interesting and melts into your skin beautifully.
Esscentual Alchemy’s Melange- Super spicy gourmand perfume oil- Sandalwood, Benzoin, Patchouli, Tincture of Coffee Beans, White Lotus, Clove, Ginger Lily, Litsea Cubea, Nutmeg. Inspired by Frank Herbet’s “Dune” novels.
Miller et Bertaux Om- a sheer, dry, smoky, spicy incense.
Diptque Volutes- powdery iris with soft tobacco and incense.
Guerlain Papier d’Armenie-Softly sweet and sophisticated incense w/ vanilla.
Yes to Volutes! The EDP and the EDT are quite different, so Ashley should be sure to try both.
Yeah I favored the EDT much more.
Thank you for the tip.
I second Volutes and also second the idea of trying both the EDT and EDP. I bought the latter in Paris in December, too, and now am kind of wondering if I should have gone for the EDT instead.
Estee Lauder’s Youth Dew sounds ideal for you. It’s a woody oriental and, in its relative absence on anyone else these days, is kind of hippie-chic to me. I love it. I think it’s the old Coca-Cola-style bottle with the older-sister’s-room gold elastic bow, but something in it puts me in mind of a soft-drink back when we didn’t concern ourselves with corn syrup…they were infrequent, refreshing, and effervescent! So is this perfume.
(Sorry, I was amused by the idea of nobody wearing Youth Dew these days… it’s probably a locality issue, but the two fragrances I smell most frequently in my neck of the woods are Youth Dew and Liz Taylor’s White Diamonds – followed by Coco Mlle and Clinique Happy. Allllll the retired ladies at my grocery store are rocking the Youth Dew with their perms and sensible shoes. But again, it may depend on where you live.)
My mum used to wear this back in the 80’s and I have exactly the same memories of the coca cola bottle.
Jacomo Art Collection #08 was the first thing that came to mind — a chai-tea scent with cardamom, warm spices, and an interesting milky aspect. I find that it lasts a long time, but I have scent-glue skin so others’ mileage may vary. I believe Indiescents still carries it.
Second/third/fourth/whatever Le Labo Patchouli 24, Spicebomb, L’Air du Desert Marocain, and Safran Troublant. Tauer’s Incense Rose might be worth trying, too. Modern carnation scents could also be a good choice — Comme des Garcons Carnation (from the Red series) or DSH Oeillets Rouges. A couple other good spicy DSH scents are Poivre and Jitterbug.
Jacomo #08 is what came to my mind as well, but I’ve also got scent-glue skin like Emily, so longevity’s not an issue for me. I’d also recommend Olfactive Studio’s Lumière Blanche, a subtle milky-spicy scent that’s very wearable.
It’s worth checking out the Sonoma Scent Studio line, as Laurie does fabulous things with woodsy notes, especially cedar. Give Volupté Rose, Champagne de Bois, Wood Violet and Winter Woods a try. She does them in parfum concentration, so you’ll want to dab to get a lighter scent.
Dionne,
I second trying SSS! The ones mentioned are the ones I owned +Tabac Aurea, if you like heavy that could be a staple for you.
I think Etat libre d’Orange’s Like This really could be something! It’s my very much loved everyday-scent, and I think we got pretty similar taste. I’d describe Like This as a soft-spicy scent with a gourmand touch, it’s a lot of ginger, cinnamon, pumpkin (!), a nice soft citrus, heliotrope….and more. It’s both original and very comfortable and easy to wear.
I second Like This. It’s a gorgeous everyday scent. It’s in my current rotation with Voleur de Rose and Corso Como 10. Happy sniffing!!
The more I look into all the suggestions it seems that I am leaning towards the spice and gourmand. I do like citrus as well, but I keep wanting to smell delicious, for lack of a better word.
I’d also suggest Safran Troublant. Or for a similar but somewhat stronger and spicier alternative (an extra dose of cinnamon and clove over the saffron), there is Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Cimabue. Cimabue has good lasting power too.
and of course, i second Musc Ravageur as more of an evening perfume
The queen of tea scents, as far as I am concerned is The Vert Extreme by BVULGARI.
I am a bit perplexed that you like Lotte Lempke but dislike Anise, which to me is the key and distinguishing note for that fragrance. I’d suggest you keep sniffing to sort this out. You might want to sniff A Taste of Heaven, By Killian.
Hmm I do believe that I failed to catch an autocorrect from Anais Anais to anise (removing the duplicate) in my email to Robin. My mom wore Anais Anais and I was never a fan, but a black licorice smell is okay in my books.
Serge Lutens Chergui might be nice for you. I’ll also suggest Like This by ELDO although you might find it too sweet. Some people do.
I was thinking Chergui for Ashley too! Actually, the Serge Lutens line has many great spicy, sweet bot not overly so perfumes. Someone above mentioned Ambre Sultan, which also seems to fit the bill. This line is worth exploring.
I think we have very similar taste, and I am reading the responses closely to get ideas for new things to try out.
My suggestions (some of these are repeats of those above):
Pacifica Tibetan Mountain Temple (cheap but really good)
Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Cimabue, Cafe Noir, and probably most things from the spice section of her website (I am working my way through a bunch of samples right now)
Chanel Coco
Fendi Theorema, if you can find it, and if the fact that it is discontinued will not make you too sad.
Frederic Malle Noir Epices
Ormonde Jayne Ta’if, Tolu, and Orris Noir, maybe Champaca?
Caron Parfum Sacre
I immediately thought of Diptyque Tam Dao. Also, L’Artisan Patchouli Patch, Passage d’Enfer, or Timbuktu. Donna Karan Essence Labdanum. +1 for Ormonde Jayne Ormonde Woman.
Donna Karan Chaos has a lovely cedar presence and soft aura. Thought also of SL Feminite du Bois but maybe that’s too edgy – and too expensive.
Ashley, it sounds like you and I are (almost!!) scent buddies (I like honey and prefer sweet over spicy, but I still think I “get” what you’re looking for. I think you’d LOVE Nanadebary Pink–spicy w a vanilla drydown. I like that it’s both sexy and easy to wear. I find it more feminine and soft than Patchouli 24. Another favorite you can give a try in the closest dept store is the original Prada EDP, in a clear square bottle with light green juice–amber and patchouli and vanilla and loveliness.
Perfumes Ashley should try:
Thierry Mugler Angel
Chanel Coco
Prada L’Eau Ambree
Estee Lauder Sensuous Noir
Guerlain Shalimar
Hanae Mori Butterfly
Calvin Klein Euphoria
L de Lolita Lempicka
From 1 gourmand love to another please try Hanae Mori! YumO!
You’ve gotten some great suggestions. Scents I’d add:
Chanel Cuir de Russie
Perhaps some of the Guerlains – Mitsouko, L’Heure Bleue or Spiritueuse Double Vanille (only at the Guerlain boutiques, but decants can be found)
Sonoma Scent Studio – Champagne de Bois
Good luck!
Greetings and salutations,
Here are my recommendations:
– Terracotta Voile d’Ete by Guerlain — a wonderful combination of carnation and vanilla. It’s no longer being manufactured, but I got some from The Perfumed Court.
– For your inner hippie, try a perfume oil from Saffron James called Pūnono. Its notes include ylang ylang, pikake, carnation, vanilla and Tunisian opium. Just a dab will do ‘ya.
– Eau de Baux by L’Occitane for vanilla and cedar.
– Royall Spyce by Royall Lyme (Bermuda) Limited for clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pepper.
– A bay rum cologne or after shave — there are numerous brands, and some are relatively inexpensive.
– I agree with the Spicebomb recommendations — I wear it along with Island Vanilla by Pacifica, and the results are yummy.
– Mexican Cocoa by Pacifica — I like it after the almond wears off. It pairs well with their Island Vanilla.
– Seconding/thirding the Jacomo #08
– The Noble Rose of Afghanistan by The 7 Virtues — a spicy rose.
Happy sniffing!
Wow guys, thanks for all the suggestions. I’ve been googling up a storm and it looks like I will have lots of options to find some new scents. I really appreciate this opportunity to get some ideas. And a big thanks to Robin for having this feature.
Sorry to be late, but had to throw in Serge Lutens Feminite du Bois for cinnamon and cedar.
Another good Lutens suggestion!
Im very late-sorry-but as I adore creamy spicy perfume I had to comment. My favorite is Chanel Allure Sensuelle, it is slightly sweet, spicy and creamy. Perfect for winter but I have also been wearing it this summer.
I am also late to the party – but we appear to like similar notes so I really wanted to add a few suggestions!
I would absolutely agree with the recommendations for LAP Safran Troublant, PG Cadjmere and SL Chergui, these were the ones that first leapt to mind. Can I then just recommend a few from the Sonoma Scent Studio line (Siena Musc and Tabac Aurea might be worth a try) and Estee Lauder’s Sensuous and Sensuous Nude?
Yes, Sensuous plus flankers (Noir and Nude) all seem worth a sniff, good idea!
Thirding Sensuous! It sounds like it’d be right up Ashley’s alley–a creamy, warm, wearable gourmet oriental. It’s a really likeable scent.
Le Maroc Pour Elle by Andy Tauer is a perfect choice.
Prada Candy, or the new Diesel Fuel for Life?