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Today we're helping Caroline, who wants to find her perfect everyday scent, something she will be comfortable with and attracted to. Something suited to cooler weather would be best, as she is in the process of relocating to a colder city. She is happy to shop online, and can spend up to about $150.
Caroline is a writer in her early 30s. She lives in Australia.
She is quiet, but passionate about many things, and a bit of a gypsy — she has moved around a fair bit, and loves discovering new places and stories.
She's a big fan of travel, mystery/spy novels, good conversation, rainy days and too much coffee.
Caroline likes balmy, resinous, and soft oriental notes — ambergris, musks and vanilla. She also likes oakmoss, warm leather, the scent of old books and/or tobacco (she quite likes vintage Caron Tabac Blond), sandalwood, ylang ylang, and spices, particularly cinnamon. She has always been particularly drawn to woody orientals, like Guerlain Samsara or Mitsouko. Her perfect fragrance will be warm and comforting, and a bit mysterious, but perhaps not too heavy on the smoke/amber side of things.
Caroline doesn't like strong floral bouquets (Dior Poison, Giorgio Beverly Hills), sweet gourmand or very fruity scents, light candy notes (Thierry Mugler Angel), light citrus or simple oceanic fragrances (Annick Goutal Eau D'Hadrien). She also doesn't care for sharp spicy orientals (Chanel Coco) or very sweet orientals (Estee Lauder Youth Dew) — she prefers soft orientals with vanilla undertones, maybe a bit of dirt in them.
Here are some of the perfumes she has tried:
Shiseido Féminité du Bois: The fruit and spice marriage is too sweet (same with Dior Dolce Vita).
Chanel Bois des Iles: Close to what she is looking for, but too much sandalwood.
Caron Tabac Blond: she loves the vintage, but it's difficult to obtain. The new version is too sharp at the beginning, and the vanilla/tobacco softness in the base doesn't last.
Guerlain Shalimar: she appreciates it, but Mitsouko seems to have more mystery about it - she gets what Luca Turin meant when he said Shalimar was very plush and refined. She wants something a bit different.
Caron En Avion: She loves the leather, but the orange blossom dominates too much.
Dolce and Gabbana Original (Woman): Beautiful muskiness, but white flowers are too dominant.
Several Serge Lutens (Chergui, Filles En Aiguilles): Too syrupy and sweet.
Serge Lutens Fumerie Turque: Too much smoke, too heavy.
Dior Dune: She liked it moderately, but it gave her a headache.
L'Artisan Parfumeur Patchouli Patch: The patchouli was too strong, smelled very 'grassy'. Patchouli on its own is too much of one thing.
What say you?
Note: top image is Postbriefkasten [cropped] by ganesha.isis at flickr; some rights reserved.
This makes me think of Tea for Two, if you can find it (sadly a tough one), or Spicebomb as a good alternative. (I suppose it might cross over into the “sharp spicy”, but also maybe not–I much prefer it to Coco.)
The various Narciso Rodriguez are probably worth trying for warm musks–I find it impossible to keep them straight but maybe someone has a particular rec. Or SJP Lovely.
I also think of Atelier Vanille Insensée.
Good luck! Will be curious to hear where you land.
I definitely second Atelier Cologne’s Vanille Insensée. You can purchase samples on their website, and sample the entire line for a reasonable price.
Hello– new here at NST, though I’ve read the blog for years. I second Tea for Two! It’s spicy but not sweet and layers well with Desert Essence Vanilla Chai lotion if you find it too sharp or need a little more vanilla in the base (mind you, that will sweeten it considerably). It is still available online…
Seconding the Spicebomb.
Eau des Baux is a nice woody vanilla.
I’m thinking of all three of Neela Vermeire’s perfumes; Trayee, Bombay Bling and Mohur. All of them I find to be exotic yet relatable. Absolutely gorgeous spicy scents with the perfect balance of floral.
Femme (Rochas) might be a good one to try; it does blow up on some people, but it behaves nicely on me and is very inexpensive, so you won’t go broke trying it. It reminds me of Mitsouko.
A decant of Fille D Eve ( Nina Ricci) might be a good idea, too. One of my favorites, but spendy.
Also, a good inexpensive oakmoss to try is Y (St Laurent) It’s not an oriental, just oakmoss and aldehydes.
Lastly, since you seem to like Caron, give Yatigan a whirl! 😛 It’s another one that can blow up and horrify people, but it’s quite soft and warm and cozy on me. And very inexpensive, I got a honkin’ big bottle for 25 USD on Amazon.
I should add I don’t think any of these has any vanilla, but other than Y, they are warm and orientalish on my skin.
I was just going to say Rochas Femme! How about Madame Rochas as well. And I’ll throw in Caron French Can Can….
Seconding Y.
Habanita might be too strong, but it’s very cheap and absolutely classic.
I’m sampling (again) Caron Poivre this morning, and I’m wondering if it might be a good fit. It’s spicy (cloves, pepper) and warm with some presence but not in your face. Not overly sweet, quite unisex, actually.
And whenever I see someone recommend Tea for Two (as above), I always suggest they try Jacomo #8 as well–it’s a spicy, musky tea without any of the smoke of TfT. I find it less long-lasting, but beautiful and comforting.
My final thought, in a different vein, is Traversee du Bosphore. It might be too candied, although I don’t find it overpoweringly sweet (not a fan of Candy or Angel, either). It has leather which seems to cut the orange of the Turkish delight well for me. I find it friendly and a bit unusual, without being controversial.
I think Francis Kurkdjian’s Amyris is a sophisticated, but easy-to-wear, sheer ambery-floral-oriental.
Ditto
Third!
Parfum d’Empire Eau de Gloire is a lovely blend of lavender, star anise, maquis and some oakmoss. It smells lovely on warm and cold days. Ah, and it has some tobacco.
Diptyque Volutes is another lovely, sweeter tobacco scent.
I think Caroline should try Herod by Parfums de Marly. Notes include vanilla bean, cedarwood, vetiver, patchouly, nagarmotha, musk, osmanthus, tobacco leaves, frankincense, labdanum, cinnamon and bay laurel. It’s a soft and woody scent with prominent notes of tobacco and vanilla. It’s pricey but worth it and one could always go for a decant.
What about Aesop Marrakech or Mystra? It has been awhile since I smelled it, but I remember Donna Karan Signature as being a drier version of Femininite du Bois.
how about Parfums de Nicolai Sacrebleu? Warm, soft, vanillic oriental.
Sacrebleu was my first thought as well!
Other ideas: Tabac Aurea from Sonoma Scent Studio (my fave tobacco ever) or Donna Karan Chaos.
For soft vanilla musk, I’d recommend trying Ava Luxe’s Nude Musk – it’s lemony bergamot, sandalwood, and a slightly powdery vanilla musk – but no worries, you won’t smell like a cupcake. It’s oil based [a little dab will do] …. but somehow diffusive and wonderfully cozy.
Warm cinnamon & vanilla- Musc Rav Frederic Malle
Others:
Tabac Blond- Caron
Field Notes From Paris-Ineke (tobacco, oriental)
And of course, lol:), Paper Passion(the smell of books)
Seconding Musc Rav & Field Notes!
Omega beat me to it. I was going to suggest Musc Ravageur. Also perhaps Sonoma Scent Studio Tabac Aurea.
Warm and cuddly and not too sweet: Dzing! by L’Artisan Parfumeur. a cheaper alternative would be to try and find Cuir by Lancôme. It is discontinued but still often pops up online.
Bvlgari Black is a great not too sweet oriental with rubber and tar mixed in.
While I personally love Sacrebleu by De Nicolaï I think you will find it too sweet. From that line you might like New York, Maharadjah, Vie de Chateau and maybe even Maharanih.
I second the recommendation of Eau de Gloire and would also suggest Cuir Ottoman and Fougère Bengale from the same line. Parfum d’Empire’s Wazamba is similar to Fille en Aiguilles but less indigestible so might be worth a shot as well. Have fun hunting!
I second Dzing! I was just coming down here to post that: interesting, unusual scent with a beautiful vanilla drydown.
It was the first fragrance I thought of reading about Caroline’s preferences.
Hi Caroline, reading about you made me immediately think of Chanel Cuir de Russie. For more spice try Frederic Malle Noir Epice and Donna Karan Chaos, and you might enjoy Comme des Garcons White. I really like Youth Dew Amber Nude (very different from original Youth Dew) but it might be already too sweet for your taste. It is discontinued but still easy to find. Good luck!
Seconding Volutes, Cuir Ottoman and Musc Ravageur. Adding two from Etat Libre de Orange–Like This and Fils de Dieu. Also, Donna Karan Black Cashmere–it starts off pretty spicy but quiets down and is not sweet. It’s been a while since I sampled it, but you might also try Chaos from Donna Karan as well
Hi Caroline,
My go to, cool weather scent is Cannabis Santal, by Fresh. It has enough sweetness (vanilla and cacao) to smooth out the patchouli (at least on my skin), but doesn’t veer into gourmand territory. I also definitely get a dirt note, further leading me to not want to eat it. 🙂
Best of luck!
Seconding Volutes (I prefer the EDP over the EDT, but try both cuz they are different), Tabac Aurea and Black Cashmere. Also, try Bvlgari Omnia (the original one in the brown and silver bottle)–discontinued but easy to find online, smells like chai tea, but not so much as to be foody. Estee Lauder Private collection Amber Ylang-Ylang is nice and cuddly after it dries (a little sweet to start).
I’m not a fan of heavy-hitter orientals either. For a soft orientaly – what about the new Marni fragrance? Notes are: bergamot, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, pink pepper, rose, incense, vetiver, cedar and patchouli.
I also thought of Guerlain Un Ville, Un Parfum New York, but it’s pricey. Notes: bergamot, cinnamon, cardamom, cedar, vanilla.
Prada L’Eau Ambree is great for ambergris, and it’s easy to find bottles relatively cheap at online discounters.
“orientaly”? Ha. Of course, I mean “oriental”! 🙂
Though I haven’t tried it, I’m also wondering if the new Adam Levine fragrance would be a good one for you. Sounds like it’s another soft, woody oriental fragrance. Notes: spice, jasmine, sandalwood, rose and vanilla.
Oh wait! Found a better list of notes for the Adam Levine over on Fragrantica: top notes are saffron, citruses, marigold and spices; middle notes are indian jasmine, australian sandalwood and rose petals; base notes are benzoin and vanila.
Oh, and Diptyque Eau Duelle. It’s similar to Vanille Insensee, but I like the drydown better (I am not a vetiver fan, and there is a lot of it in VI’s drydown). OH—–and how could I forget? Givency Organza Indecence is spicy with woods, cinnamon. The original is best, but pricey on ebay, but the re-release is pretty decent, too.
Being from Australia, you may have already tried Tommi Sooni I, which I think ticks a lot of your boxes. It opens with citrus, but is more lime than lemon and is definitely not sweet. The notes that follow are cigar tobacco, sandalwood, oakmoss, and a touch of rose. I found this to be quite unisex, in spite of it being marketed as a feminine fragrance. Good luck, and have fun sampling!
Oooh, a girl after my own heart! We have similar taste! I have several I’d love for you to try!
Ormonde Jayne Ormonde Woman
L’artisan Parfumeur Passage d’Enfer
Tommi Sooni Tarantella
Balmain Ambre Gris
at Anthropologie: A Rather Novel Collection–5 O’Clock At Belvoir Castle by Stephen Nilsen
I agree that you must try Spicebomb. Maybe Givency Pi which has a gorgeous benzoin base. I layer Bvlgari Black with Pacifica Tahitian Vanilla body lotion to enhance the vanilla aspect. Happy sniffing!
Oh, I love Pi!
Oops! It is Pacifica Island Vanilla body butter!
A woman after my own heart!
I second Chaos, Black Cashmere and Bulgari Black- I have back ups of them all. (I got caught out on the first Chaos discontinuation – never again!) Also, Wenge from DK’s Essences line is a lovely warm vanillary wood.
Also, second Organza Indecence and would suggest another in the same vein, Kenzo Amour, what Robin has called a ‘spicy wood pudding’. Both are great.
Kerosene’s Copper Skies is gorgeous amber with tobacco and leather but has the potential to skew sweet so definitely try a decant first.
Ormonde Jayne Woman is always wonderful – do try it!
Costume National 21 is fab as well, warm cinnamony spiced incense.
You should try Chêne from SL as well as well as L’air du Desert Marocain from Andy Tauer, on the same lines as Chergui but without the cherry sweetness.
Happy sniffing!
Wow, someone else likes Costume National 21 ! This is so underrated; it’s just warm, musky, skin-like goodness.
Musk, woods and resins are some of my favourite notes too. Adding also some others I love:
The Parfumerie Generale line has some good woody orientals: Cadjmere (gorgeous woody oriental with bit of vanilla, very nice comfort scent); Bois de Copaiba and L’Ombre Fauve are some I like.
Frapin’s Caravelle Epicee too – woods and spices, quite exotic.
I don’t know how Serge Luten’s Cuir Mauresque (you might need to search for a source for this one, unfortunately, unless Mecca Cosmetica still has some stock left over) has fared with ingredient restrictions over the years, but it struck me as being somewhat close to Tabac Blond, with a little more sweetness in the base.
Have you tried Dzing! ? Leather, vanilla, old books, a bit dirt….? Ticks a few of your boxes there, and is an amazing comforting smell, that I find lovely in the scandinavian weather that I live in.
Ok, now I see that E. Lime and austefan have allready suggested Dzing!
Perfumes Caroline should try:
Narciso Rodriguez EDP/EDT
Etsee Lauder Sensuous
Etsee Lauder Sensuous Noir
Bvlgari Black
Bvlgari Jasmin Noir
Kenzo Amour
Christian Dior Hypnotic Poison
Lolita Lempicka EDP
L de Lolita Lempicka
Givenchy Organza Indecence
Hermes Eau des Merveilles
Hermes L’Ambre des Merveilles
Since you named two of my favorites – Samsara and Mitsouko, I’m going to recommend a few other Guerlains for you to try (if you haven’t already): Vol de Nuit (get the older version on ebay), and Bois d’Armenie. I love L’Heure Bleue as well, but that one may be too gourmand for you.
I’d also susggest Sonoma Scent Studio Champagne de Bois and Amber Noir, Chanel Cuir de Russie, Solange Cosmic, and La Via del Profumo Mecca Balsam. And finally, you may like Goutal’s Myrrhe Ardente.
Fifth or whatever the number is D’zing. How about SL Daim Blond? Lovely smooth leather (pale suede in the SL copy), sweet and enveloping. One or two sprays is sufficient. Beware, it’s strong: we were at a Bonnie Raitt concert sitting behind a woman who’d doused herself in Daim Blond, really difficult even though I love the scent.
Fifth Eau Duelle, lovely sweet vanilla but a bit young.
Or Ann Gerard’s Discovery trio, which all have a leather reference and are really well done.
Sweetest in my experience: Donna Karan Cashmere Mist, not well thought of in many perfumista circles, and vintage Shalimar. Shalimar holds a special place in my heart. Don’t settle for reformulations, just awful, smells like furniture polish.
I quadruple Bulgari Black and Dzing!
Balmy and resinous ambre and vanilla – TOLU from Ormonde Jayne absolutely would fit the bill here. Perhaps ANIMA DULCIS could be interesting for you – a chocolate and chili gourmand – but it’s not overly sweet at all. I know lots of people who categorically state their hatred of gourmands and then fell in love with this.
For a warm leather, how about trying Heeley’s CUIR PLEINE FLEURS? It’s a soft, warm suede-y scent with a mossy drydown. And I also reckon ESPRIT DU TIGRE could be interesting for you – it’s spicy and warm, woody, slightly green with its eucalyptus opening but its dry down is quite different, so stick with it for a while and see how it develops on you. And of course, the prior suggestions of NOIR EPICES are bang on, so I double-quadruple those as well.
Slumberhouse Rume is a mysterious, resinous woody oriental which you may like.
Cristina by Hilde Soliani- it’s a nice ambery and spicy glowy thing, very comfortable, quite sexy.
Since Bois des Iles is close, I’d suggest that you try Chanel No. 22.
I was also going to suggest Guerlain Liu, but I see it’s $270 in the huge 4.2-ounce Les Parisiennes bee bottle. Nonetheless, if you do have a chance to sample it and like it, you can find smaller bottles for less on ebay.
Esther P is a new niche line, and Queen of Persia may be right up your alley – I’d call it a warm, comforting oriental, and it’s lovely. And I second Ormonde Woman, because it’s just plain beautiful.
The first one I thought of when she described ambergris, leather, oriental etc. was:
-Creed’s Vanisia
I also think these might be up caroline’s alley:
-passage de enefer
-botega veneta
-afternoon of a faun
-ysl elle intense
-prada ambre
– Dzing
-Tom Ford’s Violet Blonde
-Dior Collection’s Ambre nuit