Our standard issue open thread: talk about anything you like — the perfume you’re wearing today, the perfumes on your buy list, the perfume you wish you had never bought, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: image is Lime by Sharon Mollerus at flickr; some rights reserved.
Happy Friday everyone!
I’ve been sampling a few fragrances, including Oil Fiction by Juliette has a Gun, Lys 41 by Le Labo and a few by Frau Tonis and I have more on their way. Also, the news of a new release from Serge Lutens in September has got me very excited. Another lily scent to look forward to!
SOTD is Jasmin et Cigarette.
How is Oil Fiction??
Robin, I got a strong whiff of the tuberose note in the opening, but it quickly melted away, and I was left with a warm and well-blended scent. Projection is rather good. My husband could smell it from 6ft away and I only spritzed once. It’s different from the other JHG fragrances, so it’s worth trying. It did not make my buy list though.
Thanks so much! And hey, that’s some serious sillage.
I need the new TF lily. Haven’t smelled it but I need it.
That is also on my list to try, Lys. I’ve also been waiting for Ormonde Jayne’s Casablanca… when is that ever going to be released, I wonder?!
Soon, I hope! A lily scent from Ormonde Jayne is one I absolutely have to try!
I had misread your comment and thought you were talking about Shanghai Lily and not the Lutens. But yeah that Lutens is on my list. Unfortunately Lutens are really hit or miss with my skin type. But I love Un Lys and I love a green metallic so this one sounds like a Must Buy, even to someone who has more than she needs already.
I didn’t know about the OJ – thanks for the heads up X)
I have been away from work all week. Nice break!
I am wearing Fleur de Louis today. It is so feminine and reminds me of older scents; Laura Ashley’s Emma specifically. The temp will get to 118 today, so this should help me feel fresh and fem. Yeah, right!
118!!! My.
I need to try more of the Arquiste line, everybody loves it.
I stayed away from them for awhile. The twee bottles at a price that could choke a horse. Anima Dulcis didn’t charm me like it did some. I do appreciate their narratives as inspiration and marketing, however.
Happy Friday, everyone!
Has this happened to anybody? You order a slew of samples, only to later discover that not one of them have charmed you? That is my most recent sampling experience. It’s sort of disappointing and comforting at the same time; I realize that I already own full bottles of quite a few fabulous fragrances, most of which are better than similar versions that are out there. Why do I need a pale, watery imitation of the fabulous vanilla I already own, L’artisan’s Vanille Absolument? And the peppery rose I recently sampled doesn’t touch the QUEEN of peppery rose that I’ve had on my to-buy list for quite awhile now, OJ Ta’if (I really need to bite the bullet and just buy it already!).
When it comes to plunking down cash and committing to full bottles/decants, I feel like I’m tolerating fewer and fewer fragrances. I must be getting cranky in my old perfumista age!
Happens to me so often that I feel like it’s the expectation for me at this point. Agree with disappointing AND comforting.
BG, sounds like you are just culling the herd. A friend once told me that it is better to know what you don’t like, than what you do like so that you can get rid of it.
I have gotten to blahs with some of my decants. I tend to go back to my old stand-bys or newer versions of my tried and trues. I will be a chypre gal to the grave! Not cranky and old, darling, discerning and with a point of view.
Huge reason why I’ve learned NOT to purchase bottles or even decants unsniffed! So much better to sample first…
I can completely relate. In fact, a few of those experiences have led me to a period of not-bothering-to-sample, for perhaps the last half year or so. I’m enjoying the sense of more-or-less contentment. (Although I think I’m with you on Ta’if, too–might be the next new FB purchase, unless it’s just a momentary fancy!)
At least for the moment I’m where you are, enjoying my collection instead of chasing after samples that always let me down.
I’m actually going to get a box and pack up the scents that just don’t do it for me anymore. I have some that I used to love but now the thrill is gone. Time to rehome them I think. I’ve tried some samples recently and had a few that I want to test again but overall nothing made me say wow.
Just a word of caution about samples. I hang onto mine now longer than I used to. Some that I thought were meh or even scrubbers ended up being favorites after I tried them again. And vice versa – ones I had in my “to buy” box were tried again later only to find them much less compelling. The latter doesn’t happen as often as the former but sampling has definitely become a much more complicated process for me. 😛
Oh, I second that, LaMaroc. I’ve been so glad that I kept some of my samples that went into the “scrubber box of shame” under my bathroom sink. On one hand, I sometimes rediscover a gem. On the other hand, sometimes I’m grateful to be reminded that a particular scent or house (*ahem* Chanel) just does NOT work for me. It’s saved me some serious money just with a trip to the sample box!
I think discerning is the right word. Yes, sometimes I’m disappointed with my samples, but I do tend to keep them to retry later. And it’s nice to just enjoy the ones you have for a while and save for that FB of the one you know you just can’t live without!
Yes, a million times yes! The glorious reviews and articles seem to always set the bar too high for me. I do appreciate, however, that all of those samples combined with the reviews help broaden my nose skills plus they help to relate to others on boards like this. So, all is not wasted. I recently ordered a sample of FM L’eau d’Hiver and En Passant only to find Hiver to be way too similar to my Lutens Claire de Musc and having Un Lys and A La Nuit in my arsenal, I couldn’t justify another solifloral. At least now I know that have some great options for when I run out .
Oh, you find a kinship between Clair de Musc and L’eau d’Hiver? I *love* LdH, but it is not easy to come by–an alternative might be worth seeking out some time! I admit, I haven’t loved the musk-oriented scents of Serge’s that I’ve tried, but I’m always happy to give him another go!
I do find find them to be quite similar although most people compare LdH with Apres l’Ondee. I actually layered CdM with AO and it was rather nice. Truth be told though, if I had tried LdH before buying CdM then I would have gone with LdH but Claire is very beautiful and easy to wear. Do give it a go! 🙂
I generally think of the vast sums of money I have just saved by not loving any of the samples, and yes, I do get a bit of the shop-my-closet reaction.
Amen.
SOTD is Gorilla Perfumes Lust. I never wear Jasmine scents, but I am enjoying this one, and it really works with my skin. I’ve already gotten compliments. Can anyone recommend some other inexpensive jasmines that I should try?
Demeter’s jasmine is a very nice “true” jasmine…not very long-lasting, but so very cheap and not overly heady!
Ineke’s Poet’s Jasmine is a lovely, lighter jasmine with a soft tea note and was available at Anthropologie is a travel size. L’Occitane’s Bergamote et Jasmin is also quite nice. I love jasmine but found Lust a bit strong for me (though I enjoy the soap and Flying Fox Shower gel!)
Jasmine and tea sounds lovely…what’s the staying power like? Is it anything like Bulgari Green Tea?
Staying power is not good, but any Poet’s Jasmine that you can still find (it will be on clearance at Anthropolgie stores) will be very cheap (like, $14 cheap).
Good to know! I’ll have a look next time I drop into Anthropologie!
Lush Silky Underwear! If they’re still making it in a fragrance, I am sure they still make the powder in any case.
Ooh, Lust is so metallic, almost raunchy. I don’t wear it often but when I do I love it. Maybe I’ll break it out tonight.
It’s not as sweet/honeyed, but you might try MCMC Noble. It’s a natural smelling jasmine soliflore you can get in a 9 ml size.
Good afternoon Now Smell This!
Today I’ve been wearing Juliette Has a Gun Oil Fiction. It arrived yesterday with a DPD.
Past weekend I was in Warsaw at the perfume workshop about citrus and exotic fruit in perfume. I loved smelling natural and synthetic essences and I had so much fun trying many different perfumes. Few of them were total hits for me and I might eventually end up with a decant or a bottle.
I just read Victoria’s review of Parfums de Nicolai Eau Soleil at Bois de Jasmine and it gave me a lemming, I want to try it!
I’m preparing for a celebration as well. This Monday, the 1st day of July, Chemist in the Bottle will be havings its first anniversary!
Lucas, congrats on your anniversary and that workshop must have been fun – any fave exotic synthetics?
Thank you Lys!
I didn’t like the essentials of banana or mango, but I loved lemon, lime and grapefruit essences.
I’d imagine banana would be a hard one to work with.
Hard – yes, and not very popular in perfumes.
Congratulations, Lucas! I’m looking forward to the online celebration!
I hope you’ll enjoy the blog birthday.
I am currently yearning after a bottle of Annick Goutal’s Grand Amour and hoping to find a nice, non-syrupy, non-musty violet scent to add to my collection as well…but I’ve decided to put off buying anything until I’ve met my fitness goals and treat the new perfumes as a reward!
Perfume is a great way to celebrate meeting fitness goals! Of course, clothes are a classic, but I feel so well-treated with a new bottle of perfume, I think it makes an excellent change of pace!
What violets have you tried? The only straight violet I own is B. Paris, but I don’t adore it. It is powdery and friendly and non-offensive, which serves a purpose, but doesn’t inspire me. I tried a few SSS violets, too, and there are some good ones there, especially if you like your violet greener.
I have lots of clothes that I am eager to fit into again…but somehow a new bottle of perfume can mark a milestone so much more effectively for me!
Thanks for the violet recommendations…I’m curious about the SSS fragrances. The only perfume I’ve tried with a violet note so far has been Lolita Lempicka (I get more violet/ivy than anise, albeit candied violet…) but while I was in Rome this summer I found a violet hand creme from Sabon that smells very much like the classic lipstick scent and a violet bath oil from Ai Monasteri that had the perfect blend of green notes and sweetness…these finds made me anxious to explore violet notes further!
I have a huge, over-the-moon weakness for violet + rose scents, if you’re interested in violet sharing the star quality. Lipstick Rose, Attrape Coeur (a sadly discontinued beauty!), and SSS Nostagie (violet leaf rather than flower) are all beautiful.
I LOVE SSS Voile de Violette. It’s my favorite violet scent.
Guerlain Apres l’Ondee (violet and orange flower) and SSS Lieu de Réves (violet , rose, heliotrope) are both sweet, soft, dewy scents that are both romantic, but also good for a relective mood, I think
And forgot to include Voile de Violette, that I really like, too, so soft and pretty.
Via persona, Atelier Cologne Sous le toit de Paris is a violet absolue cologne. The notes per the Atelier Cologne website is as follows:
Top notes :
Moroccan neroli, Sicilian bergamot, bigarade from Africa
Heart notes :
French violet leaves, geranium from South Africa, Haitian vetiver
Base notes :
tonka bean from Brazil, musc, white leather
All of the suggestions sound so wonderful! Violet and rose and violet and orange blossom would be right up my alley…but neroli, violet, and leather sounds like a divine combination too. I can’t wait to try some of these!
Although it seemed a bit counterintuitive to wear on a hot NYC day, the SOTD is Bois des Iles. I felt like sandalwood and gentle spice and that certainly fits the bill. I initially thought it would be too much in the heat but it has settled very nicely!
Oh, I love BdI in the heat! I find that the otherwise a bit-too-tame sillage blooms so beautifully!
I agree – the heat makes BdI Bloom in a nice way!
SOTD is Bandit, forgot how brutally beautiful this perfume is.
Oooo, thanks for the reminder that I need to sample Bandit soon. I’ve heard too many great things about it not to know (nose?) about it firsthand!
Angel EDT for me today.
On my buy list? New Look 1947, Good Girl Gone Bad, Cuir de Nacre, Ophelia.
Perfumes I should have never bought – all of those bottles that I purchased unsniffed! Not easy to learn this lesson! (See my comment above.)
It really is hard to give it up.
Happy Friday! I’ve rediscovered my sample of JM Vanilla & Anise. I remember not being that crazy about it when I originally tried it, but I caught a whiff of something in the air the other day that reminded me of something, and I realized it was this. So I’ve been wearing it and am enjoying it, actually. And my boyfriend likes it, so that’s a plus (though he likes almost everything!).
Oh, I like that one..even if there is a hint of tuberose, a floral that doesn’t agree with me!
I woke up today and thought it was Saturday. Sad.
After being quite unmoved by Serge Lutens’s first Eau, I find myself quite infatuated with L’Eau Froide. The 50ml is so nearly inexpensive, too….
Sorry! We almost tricked you into staying in bed 🙂
Was wondering –what is considered good longetivity for natural perfumes? Any brands particularly known for their longetivity? I see lots of independent perfumers on etsy (natural and not)–does anyone have any recommendations for ones to try–I’ve ordered samples from Roxana Illuminated Perfumes and Providence Perfume Co–who else is doing interesting work?
I know very little about all-natural perfumes, but I was at the FRAGments event last week for natural and artisan perfumers and felt that the most polished scents I tried were by Sweet Anthem and DSH (Dawn Spencer Hurwitz). Not sure if they are completely all-natural or mixed-media.
DSH does both all-natural and mixed media scents. If it is all-natural, it will say so somewhere in the item description. She also gives the percentage of naturals in some of her other scents, particularly if it is very high. Pandora, for example, is stated to be 97.5% natural.
I also like DSH and would also recommend La Via del Profumo.
Sonoma Scent Studio does two all natural perfumes, Spice Citrus Vetiver and Cocoa Sandalwood. I have only tried Cocoa Sandalwood, in fact I am wearing it this peaceful, tranquil early morning, which it enhances with its soft, but distinctive veil of sweet sandalwood interspersed with a little cocoa and a little peach. I have worn this scent before and I am always surprised by the reminders of the scent, that keeps appearing, sometimes more cocoa, sometimes just a lovely sweetness.. Longevity is very good for an all natural, I get whiffs of the scent from two dabs on my wrists for 4-5 hours, and after that I can still smell it on my wrists. One of my favorites at the moment, and had Laurie Erickson still shipped to Europe I would definitely have bought a FB. Olympic Orcids does some all natural perfumes, too, not of the actual orchid themed scents, that are the ones I know (for instance Red Cattleye, which I find beautiful), but they do for instance all natural Arizona with notes of pine, juniper, sagebrush and a hint of high desert wildflowers and also all natural Kyphi, resins and essential oils, notes include frankinscense, myrrh, labdanum and spices.
Another DSH fan piping up. In general, I have no complaints about the longevity of the DSH scents — spicy numbers like Jitterbug last a full day on me, though some of the lighter florals fade after 4-5 hours. But I have scent-glue skin, so your mileage may vary.
SOTD: Lily Pulitzer Squeeze. It is hot and humid here and I just needed something to mentally make myself cool. Not a great frag and it sure doesn’t last long on me, but the repeated spraying cools me down. 🙂
I don’t make many buying mistakes anymore, thanks to you guys I now know about samples and decants. But I do keep a very expensive bottle of Vega to remind me of that fact. I thought it sounded like I would love it, and frankly I’m a huge Guerlain fan, love almost everything. Plus I just coveted that deco bottle. I hate it! It just stinks on my skin and gives me a headache. I keep it around though to drive home the fact I need to not get carried away. An expensive perfume lesson. (I still LOVE the bottle). I really should decant out all the juice to those of you who would appreciate it. Maybe Robins next swap day.
Oh you should, shame for it to go to waste.
Yes, you should! Keep the gorgeous bottle for yourself, but let others have the juice. I have a FB of Vega, and I loooove it, but even still the bottle was a factor is my buying decision. I might well have bought it anyway, but the bottle settled the matter! You should be able to make some really good swaps for it. I know there are a lot of Vega fans around here who would be willing to trade some nice things for it.
So, you know when you go through a long dry spell, nothing really inspiring you? And then in a short time period, you find a couple things that really intrigue you? There are qualities you like about both of them, but you’re not sure either one is worth the big commitment? Maybe each is best just with a long sampling, but you’re feeling like you should settle on one?
Yeah, that’s my dating life right now! Too bad I’m not much for “decant” relationships! 🙂
That sounds like a nice quandary! 🙂
I can’t decide how I feel about it! I’m traditional enough that I feel a bit uncomfortable dating/pursuing two men at the same time, and YET, I’m not feeling certain if there’s one I strongly prefer over the other! They’re very different and have different positive qualities!
Are we still talking about fragrance here? Cause if you are not then the whole “dry spell” thing has a totally new meaning for me! LOL
I wish you can decide soon! Uncertainty sucks, whether it is about a new FB or a new BF 😉
Hahahaha!
Dry spell. 😀
Thank you for your well-wishes! I’ve definitely got a strong preference for certainty over uncertainty (who doesn’t?!). I’m trying to strike that balance between gathering the information I need and not being unfair to either fella. Totally new territory for me!
Just wanted to say that I love the idea of a “decant relationship.” Good luck, MR! It’ll all sort itself out.
It is rather evocative, isn’t it? 😀 There are certainly those relationships that you think will be FBW but end up only being sample-lust! I think the decant relationship allows you to enjoy the moments, but not totally bathe yourself with abandon in the person! HA! Now *there’s* an image! 🙂
Indeed! (And, to extend the metaphor, I guess a “blind buy” would be marrying someone you just met at a bar in Vegas? Via the drive-thru wedding chapel?)
Ahahahaha! Thank goodness I haven’t had *that* analogous experience, yet! But then again, my only blind buys have been at discounters or minis off of ebay–maybe that’s more like a one night stand?
And if I go and sleep with a long-standing friend, is that like sniffing a scent several times over the years and suddenly you *get* it?
Yes! This analogy is working so well, it’s a bit uncanny.
I live in an area where it’s rarely above 85 degrees even at noon in the summer, and temperatures hover around 50-60 in summer mornings and evenings. This week it’s been exceptionally warm, and I finally found myself reaching for my discard pile of “fresh and light” perfume samples! I never quite understood the appeal of crisp, simple perfumes until I spent a day in a tank top and shorts and still feeling like I was wearing too much, lol. It’s interesting how the way I perceived a perfume can change so dramatically just because of the temperature.
Last night I made a diluted mixture of rosewater and orange blossom water, then threw that in the fridge to chill. I then put it in a sprayer bottle and sprayed myself whenever I needed to cool down. Any good tips for staying cool?
Yep, it’s hot!!!!!!!!!! Going to be 100+ here. How did you make that rose and orange blossom water? Interested!
Lemon-aide, always is a good one. Or fill an ice cube try with different juices(like lemon-aide) put in toothpicks, freeze. Cheapo little popsicles that are yummy and cold. Put them in cold lemon-aide as well. All I can think of!
I do find myself craving lemonade! (And gin+tonics, haha.) The spray is really quite simple: I have rosewater and orange blossom water lying around for cooking, so I put maybe about a tablespoon of rosewater and a dash of the orange blossom (to tone down the sweetness) into a 4oz spray bottle, then filled it to the top with water. The scent doesn’t last more than a minute, but considering how lavishly I’ve been spraying that’s actually a good thing 🙂
I found rosewater and orange blossom water at the Arabic grocery store today for $2 per bottle and am going to try out your spray idea…it sounds like a pleasant fragrant way to stay cool!
Spritzing yourself with water while sitting in front of a fan helps.
It gets hot here really only a few days a year, so I even forgot I had a fan! Thanks for reminding me!
Try cutting up lemons/limes and cucumber in a pitcher of water and add ice or chill overnight…it is very refreshing and smells pleasant too. Or try some iced tea with mint or lemon…in Alabama where I live, people would literally broil without iced tea and lemonade!
Are you in the Bay Area, by any chance? Because that’s a pretty good description of the weather around here right now.
I am! I can’t remember the last time it’s been so hot for so long in June! Maybe you’ll spot me on the beach this week 😉
Just got Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Pampelune in the mail. This is my second Aqua Allegoria. My sister brought Herba Fresca home from Paris for me, and I loved it. I decided that I wanted to try another one and decided on Pamplelune because I have so few citrus in my collection. I got a really good deal for it at Lily Direct.
Priscillae , those two are my favourites from the original line-up. Try mandarine-basilic if you can find it! 😉
Ditto, that’s probably my favorite citrus AA.
Herba Fresca and Pampelune are my favourites. Mandarin Basilica just disappears too fast from my skin…
Apparently H.F. and Pamp layer nicely but I don’t yet own Pamp so I haven’t, personally, tried it.
Heat wave here! I like a bit of orange/orange blossom for heat waves!
On my buy list? Too many, most I can’t get for a good while! Several on the Chanel Exclusifs line, Guerlain’s Rose Barbare, Kilian’s Amber Oud & Love and Tears, why oh why do I like the pricey ones? I can’t get any of those, lol!
Has anyone bought the atomizers sold by Nordstrom and Sephora (online)? Wondering why the Sephora one is $10 more (and I wish it didn’t say “Sephora” on it).
No, I haven’t. Don’t wanna pay too much for atomisers, agree, esp when they say stuff like ‘Sephora’ on there.
I purchased a dozen or so of the small ones at Nordstrom and every single one of them leaks. I think they were about $5 apiece, so it is probably a lesson in ‘you get what you pay for.’
I’ve had the best luck with the plastic ones that you have to push the atomizer into, the top does not screw on. However, I always wonder what that plastic does to the fragrance, although the tube for the atomizer is always plastic.
The answer is that the Sephora one is one of those that “automatically” sucks the juice out of your full size spray bottle. Which make them completely useless if you are like me and your primary use of travel atomizers is to transfer from stoppered full bottles that lack spray caps.
The Nordstrom atomizers are standard ‘decant into a glass vial, then screw on the sprayer top’ type. As far as I know, Sephora discontinued this style in favor of the self-fill type that both literally and IMO figuratively sucks.
thanks relleric & Lys. I need to transfer from both stoppered and spray bottles. May check Travalo atomizers…someone on BDJ recommended them.
I bought my decant atomizers on eBay from a seller called Seattle_4 (Ebay store name is Accessories for Fragrance). They were about $1.70 apiece for 5 ml vials and a little over $2 for 10 ml vials. The vials are glass, with plastic screw-on sprayers and I have had very good luck with them. So far, I have not had one definitely leak, and I throw them in my purse and tote them around, so it is not that I have been ultra-careful in handling and storing them. If you are concerned, you can try putting some Teflon tape (from the plumbing supply section of the home improvement store) on the threads before you screw on the sprayer. I really do not like the all plastic atomizers. In my experience, they are flimsy and break easily, and the plastic does distort the scent over time. Yes, I know, the tube in a glass atomizer is plastic, but it may be a question of quantity. That little tube represents far less plastic than the entire atomizer body. It may be a different type of plastic as well. There are hundreds of different plastic resins, and they do not all behave the same.
Have also had good experiences with this seller:)
Also recommend this seller.
I have many of the Nordstrom ones and not a one had leaked. I prefer this to using the glass atomizers “naked” (the ones from Accessories for Fragrance or from SKS Bottle & Packaging) when I travel as the metal outer layer of the travel sprays from Nordstrom acts as a protective layer. PLUS, my Nordstrom SA fills the atomizers with any fragrance of my choosing 🙂
Had today off because I have to work tomorrow. blergh. SOTD is Tauer Vetiver Dance. It’s supposed to get almost to 100 today, with a heat index of 102.
I got some samples from STC yesterday. Finally tried SL Iris Silver Mist and Tubereuse Criminelle. And I liked both. The opening of TC made me a little nauseous right at first, but I got over it after about five minutes, and the rest was worth powering through that initial bit. ISM might make an iris lover of me yet.
Loved TC right off the bat, strange opening and all. Liked ISM, need to give it more skin time. Just got a sample of Xerjoff Iriss, which I find similar to ISM, but with a bit more tenacity. Those ladies at STC are killing me…they have another flash sale going on today.
Another one today?? I bought the samples I just got in a flash sale too. I haven’t even received all of them yet. But I might be powerless to resist.. lol. Always something I want to try and STC is really good at parting me from my money. 😛
Boo hoo…I got home too late for the Flash Sale. I missed 2 of 3 (I think there were 3) due to the limited hours.
I didn’t know there had been three. I ended up missing today’s after all. Always next time, I guess.
SOTD is Ineke Chemical Bonding. I have no idea why it’s called that. To me it’s just a superb tea-citrus-vetiver scent. I’m so into this sample set she sells of all her frags for about $25 that people on this site probably think I’m shilling for her. Some are too masculine for me but at least 4 of them I’m obsessed with, and one (After my Own Heart – divine lilac blend) I bought a FB on the spot.
Ineke’s sample set is pretty great. I have the A-G set. Her packaging is gorgeous. I loved Evening Edged in Gold and Gilded Lily but I need to revisit some of the other ones. I want to try Hothouse Flower too.
Has anyone tried the Oscar de la Renta Essential Luxuries series? Several have piqued my interest but I haven’t found any way of sampling them at this point (without a three hour drive).
I was so distracted by the el-cheapo plastic caps, one of which broke when I tried to test it, that I walked on. So I can only offer that the presentation is lacking 🙁
Yikes, that is bad! (And at that price point!)
SOTD: Perles de Lalique. It can always pick me up on a rainy day.
In my 30 yrs of wearing/buying/collecting fragrances, I have bought many, many FBs without trying the scent first. I must be very lucky because I have had very few bad surprises.
However, I sincerely regret buying:
YSL pour homme Haute Concetration. On me, it’s as attractive as a highway service station restroom in July, with some lemon pledge.
VC&A Muguet Blanc: like dirty, green, vase water.
Jacomo de Jacomo Rouge: and yet I love it on my SO.
Chopard Noble Vetiver: meh. About as noble as a drugstore bodyspray.
Platinum, I wish you wouldn’t hold back like that! Seriously, how do you *really* feel?! 😀 (Love your analyses–very descriptive!)
Reading the comments on the lazy weekend poll are always a weekend highlight for me. 🙂
I’m wearing a few spritzes from my newly arrived sample of reformulated Tabac Blond (Texas heat be darned) and really enjoying it. It reminds me a lot of Dzing!, which is strange because I don’t actually like Dzing! Maybe it’s that Tabac Blond is everything I wanted Dzing! to smell like — the leather purse that is being used to carry cotton candy, cigarettes, and caramel corn. Weird, but I like it!
Question: Any other Mad Men watchers out there notice the reference on the season finale that Peggy Olson “only wears Chanel No. 5”? It’s not the perfume I would have picked for her, but I appreciate the perfume shout-out regardless!
Wishing everyone a lovely, fragrant weekend.
Yep, I noticed the No.5 reference too. Now I’m curious.. what perfume would you have picked for Peggy? 🙂
Hmmm, that’s a tough one! (Apologies in advance for overthinking everything related to Mad Men LOL)
I can see how Chanel No. 5 represents money and the “perfect” life Peggy imagines women like Trudy and Betty/Megan have. So it might be an aspirational perfume for her. But I wish she’d go the other direction and choose something like Bandit or Tabac Blond to express her individuality and kick-keister career woman power. Maybe in a few years she’ll switch to Chanel No. 19?
What did you think about it?
Just chiming in to say that I agree that No. 19 seems more like her kind of Chanel–although it may not be quite youthful enough, it’s strong and independent, which seems right!
Those are good ideas.. I hadn’t thought of Tabac Blond. I was thinking something along the lines of the 1947 Miss Dior, or Cabochard, but I think we’re more or less on the same page since we both went in the leather direction. 🙂 No. 5 does seem more like a Betty fragrance to me.
I’ve always thought that Jolie Madame would suit Peggy.
Oooo, Miss Dior, Cabochard, and Jolie Madame are all great ideas! Just by reading the names, I can tell that I’ll be doing some major stocking up at the next STC flash sale. 🙂
Wearing Musc Ravenger it’s beautiful but very sensual. I don’t think I chose correctly for my child’s birthday my husband is already giving me the look. You know. THE LOOK? I wish I had another bottle of LL’s LABDANUM and the Lys and the other one Robin reviewed. Didn’t watch all of Franco as OZ. spent my day getting anxious for my diamond to come only to have this feeling that I paid for this and I don’t think it meets my expectations. The jeweler is a mad hatter. He will give me whatever I want for the right price think tiny used car sales lot. I wish I had bought two bottles of CdG Daphne because I’m almost out and I love it. I also love Balmain’s Amber Gris.
Does anyone know when Heely Coccobello is out? I love Heeley Sel Marin. Can anyone recommend some good salty ocean scents?
Miller Harris Fleurs de Sel is great. I’m also eager to try that new Heeley; don’t know when it will be out.
Tokyo Milk Sea and Sky is worth a try (and $28, last I checked).
Try The Different Company’s Sel de Vetivier!
Tokyo Milk Marine Sel is a good one too. The initial opening is pretty sweet, almost to the point of being kind of weird, but it settles within a minute or two into a nice salty/earthy/green beach scent with just a bit of sweetness. I’ve kind of neglected my bottle amongst a bunch of samples, so I decided to wear it today.
I was VERY sad to see today that Octavian Coifan has closed his blog, 1000 Fragrances. I’m happy for him, since the cause seems to be a new job. It’s hard to believe that wonderful resource is gone.
Yes, I was saddened by that too. It looks as if he is going to take the whole blog down. That will mean the loss of that large and valuable resource, not to mention Octavian’s independent commentary and vast knowledge. A pity.
I’m sad too – Octavian offered such a different angle on perfume, its history and background, along with his philosophical insights. I hope he realises how much we appreciated his sharing of his great talents, and that we hope we’ll hear from him again!
I will miss him too. His was one of the best, he is so incredibly knowledgeable about fragrance. We shared some preferences regarding some perfume houses, Goutal and De Nicolaï in particular.
SOTD = Bombay Bling. While I love the perfume, it barely lasted 4 hours on me despite 5 sprays! I’ll try it in cooler weather next time to see if will last longer.
I think Bombay Bling is my favorite of the 3 but I’m with you about trying it in cooler weather. I hope it to be a great pick-me-up during the winter. I actually sprayed it on my clothes and found the scent to still be there the next morning.
So, last week I had the fragrance find of my life: a gift set of Mitsouko extrait and cologne at the flea market for $10. I think it’s from the 60’s or 70’s as the cologne is one of those flattish round bottles and the extrait is in an umbrella bottle. I will never be so lucky again. This stuff is INCREDIBLE. For the first time I smell the kinship between Rochas Femme and Mitsouko – the vintage Mitsy has that same languid, fleshy quality but it’s creamier and just so smooth and lush. I have the modern edp as well and I still think it’s an ornate and interesting perfume, but it doesn’t glow on my skin the way the vintage does. There’s something chalky about the drydown that always puts me off a little. Treemoss, maybe?
Charlie Chaplin must have smelled great, is what I’m saying.
WOW! Glad you rescued that treasure. LOL – it’s weird to think of Charlie Chaplin smelling like vintage Mitsouko.
Lots of different ingredients were available in the past. To me, older perfumes usually smell much deeper; the newer ones are flatter or sharper by comparison. It’s better to avoid wearing the the older ones out in the sun, though. I find I sometimes get skin reactions when I do.
Wow, that really *is* a treasure! And I’m pleased to hear that it went to someone who’d really appreciate it and not a bottle collector or someone who just sees it as a collectible. I have some older Mitsouko, although not quite that old I suspect, and it’s one of those keep-trying-it-to-see-if-I-get-it scents. I *do* now appreciate Femme, so maybe when the weather cools again, I will give it another go!
What a great find! I have one of those vintage bottles of the cologne, and it’s just so perfect. Excellent lasting power, too.
Holy toledo, what a great find! Congrats.
Yes, congrats! Well worth celebrating.
I’ve never found the way to appreciate vintage Mitsouko, but I love the idea of it glowing on your skin.
My pre-shower SOTD is Louve. It seems to be quite a polarizing scent amongst perfumista/os but I’m laying low today after some minor surgery and for some reason cherry/almond was the mood I found myself in. It’s happy and comfy. Not sure what my post shower SOTD will be. Maybe my good ol’ standby, Fracas. I’m so thankful to have a perfume wardrobe to have fun with!
I was thinking about the concept of a “fragrance wardrobe” just the other day. I think it is such a perfect metaphor for how I use scent!
“Collector” might imply that I’m merely keeping them, curating beautiful things to preserve for some future event, which isn’t nearly *active* enough an idea for how I interact with my many bottles!
Whereas “wardrobe” suggests much more clearly the idea of having different scents for different moods, different times of day, different occasions. I change my scent throughout the day, just as I adjust my clothes, shoes, accessories depending on what I’m up to and how I’m feeling. *And* it provides a good argument (i.e. justification for excess!) for having such a variety of scents available!
Yes, “collector” implies that you accumulate things merely to admire them, not use them. Generally, one uses the term with regard to things such as artwork, which are not intended for any other purpose than to be looked at, or for things like rare stamps or coins–they once had a utilitarian purpose, but it would be foolhardy to use them for their original intended purpose, so they are carefully curated and only looked at, not used. “Wardrobe”, on the other hand, implies things that are actively used. Your clothing wardrobe consists of the clothes that you actually wear. You may wear some of them more often than others, but all of them get used sometime or other.
Sounds like we’re on the same page! And yet, I find that I use the term “collection” more often with SAs and other folks who don’t know me too well. I wonder if it seems more “normal” or “acceptable” somehow?
It may also imply a larger number of perfumes. A fragrance wardrobe could be just 3 or 4 or 5 scents, and many articles I have seen about fragrance wardrobes seem to imply that. The word collection, on the other hand, also carries a subtle implication of a significantly larger number. I have often told SAs that I “collect” perfume to send the message that I have more than 4 or 5 of them, although I hesitate to state exactly how many I do have. I don’t even know exactly how many I have, but I think it is probably about 50 FBs, several dozen minis and decants of scents for which I do not have a FB, and a couple hundred sample vials.
Yes, well some people have only 6 pairs of shoes in their shoe wardrobe, and then there’s Imelda Marcos! 🙂 My wardrobe is in the 30-ish bottle range, with a similar number of minis and samples as you describe. And I *do* mean to suggest that I’m familiar with fragrances at a level that may be uncommon to the general public. Perhaps “wardrobe” doesn’t necessarily imply that, as you suggest.
I, too, like the concept of a fragrance wardrobe as it implies variety and action.
On the other hand, I really think the word “curate” is overused. No offense to anyone using the word, it is just a pet peeve of mine ever since I saw it being used in the context of job applicants (i.e Recruiters curate candidates – really???). My eyes perk up whenever I see the word as in this article (and its links and the comments in the linked articles) in the NYT earlier this year
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/13/fashion/graphic-design-what-a-trip-possessed.html
Curate was one of the 2012 Worst Words (compiled by dictionary.com) and to me it artificially elevates an activity to something high falutin’ and this just annoys me.
I can see your point about the overuse of the word curate. I’m generally quite precise in my language, and it *does* annoy me when words are frequently overused or used inaccurately. In this case, at least for me, I meant it quite literally–I feel that the use of the word collector suggests a management of beautiful things, maintained and carefully preserved, which describes curation accurately enough. And so in describing myself as a “perfume collector,” I recognize it suggests a hands-off approach that isn’t true to my experiences of my perfume “collection.” 🙂
I once read a quip that said wealthy people tend to be curators of their own possessions. Rather than elevate the activity this quote reveals it (in some cases) to involve a pointless, self-centered and somehow passive busyness. Interesting idea!
“involve a pointless, self-centered and somehow passive busyness” is ironic considering the etymology of curate is “cura” which is Latin for care. Mind you, I don’t know Latin…the article I linked to mentioned this 🙂
So, you wouldn’t say that folks can curate their beanie babies? 😉
I think collectors fall into two main categories in my mind–the wealthy who may fill their lives with a hobby and the poor who see it as a sort of investment or security, almost a kind of frugality. Culturally, I belong in the latter category, but based on my current income and choices, I suspect the perfume makes me more of the former, huh?
I wasn’t aware of the etymology, lol! Still, I think the point stands even if restated with the word ‘care’. The wealthy have so many valuable possessions that taking care, or looking after, their own possessions is often a full time job. The fact that it is their own ‘things’ that are being cared for, as a kind of full time work is what makes the entire business an exercise in futility.
This is such an interesting discussion. I’ve also noticed the proliferation of “curate” in dubious contexts, but hadn’t really thought about it much.
I also hadn’t thought about making a distinction between a fragrance wardrobe and a fragrance collection. While my use of perfumes is very much in line with the “wardrobe” model, I suppose I tend to describe myself as a “perfume collector” to non-perfumaniacs, just because people collect all kinds of things and it seems to make the activity a little more understandable. (And I was always that kid who obsessively collected rocks, or matchbooks, or rubber bands, or what-have-you, so I suppose using the idea of collection also makes my behavior more understandable to myself.) Also, I have some perfumes (mostly minis) that I keep around for reference or for my own education, even though I hardly ever wear them — so “collection” seems like the right word for that aspect of this activity, though I do interact with those perfumes to *some* extent.
Ah, your point about reference perfumes is a good one! Those *aren’t* part of my wardrobe, but I do keep them and consider them from time to time. So perhaps we are both collectors *and* wardrobe-wearers?
Yep, I agree with using the term collect in regard to my samples which then help me in determining what makes it into my wardrobe or a FB purchase. Kind of like an interior designer uses swatches and samples to put a room together. I could also see using the term collect for vintage perfumes since they’re probably used sparingly.
Though i’v been agreeing with all of this I also think that some collectors do use their collections. A trivial example is a friend who ‘collects’ cups from all the major cities, does actually drink from these cups. Once I ‘collected’ key-rings, but I also used them. Perhaps the point is that I had more keyrings than I had use for and he has more cups than he needs to drink from!
Also, I would imagine that the idea of a fragrance wardrobe with the concomitant idea of seasonal scents might have originated as a marketing tool!
I hate when store owners describe their merchandise as curated! I love cheese, but I sure as heck don’t curate it…
But if you don’t care for your cheese, can you really say you love it? 😉
Sorry, that was pretty bad but its past my bedtime…
Oh I get to feel smug because I really AM a curator (in a social history museum). I had not noticed the overuse of the word ‘curate’, so maybe it’s not so bad in my part of the world. ‘Curate’ to me implies not only care, but discernment – based on your knowledge and research, you collect THIS, reject THAT, dispose of duplicates or less good examples, take just a representative selection of something else, etc. In those ways you shape your collection along particular lines. This is quite different from just randomly sucking up stuff like a vacuum cleaner.
That is my approach to my perfume collecting too. But for perfume I actually do prefer the term ‘perfume wardrobe’ because it implies daily use of the collection, and that includes the idea that, like clothes, it will be ‘used up’ or ‘worn out’.
Interesting! Do you think a ‘collector’ is that different though? Although someone did once tell me that he knew someone who collected those bags provided on planes for those who ahem, throw up! I’m not sure if he kept multiple bags from the same airline though…
I’m particularly interested in this because I do go from collecting one type of thing to another and tend to worry a lot about the consumerism that is usually inherent in this. (I don’t collect air-bags:) )
I guess I had in mind a continuum which goes: random acquisition of stuff – collecting – curating. Just differences of degree I guess. In a social history context, a collector may collect teddy bears because he/she likes them, and he/she may specialise in a particular manufacturer and always be on the lookout for fine examples of types of bears and small and/or rare variants. But it may just stop at that. A collector with a deeper curatorial intent may undertake further research into the social history of childhood and the nature of play, also of the toy industry and the materials used. He/she may make detailed notes as to when and where they acquire their bears, and from whom, and if possible who had previously owned the bears. They may acquire examples in poor condition because they have an interesting history that is known and which our collector documents and preserves. And so on. Just my thoughts, others may disagree.
I once saw an exhibition of aircraft sick bags, the work of one collector. His interest was especially in the graphic design on the bags, as airlines mostly print their logos on the bags. He also had a broader interest in the aviation industry too, I think. Amazing collection, once you get your head around the ‘yuck!’ factor.
Thanks, Annemarie. I enjoyed learning the distinctions from a pro. 🙂
I object to the current overuse of the word “curate” because it seems to replace with a professional activity (“to curate”) what is actually an intellectual one (exercising judgement, making decisions). I feel like it is a sign of the anti-intellectualism that is so on the rise these days.
Also it’s just a fashion. Most of us stop using trendy catchphrases after a while. 🙂
I know this is terribly late but time has a totally different complexion as one ages. (Or at least that’s my excuse!) One of the American morning shows had a segment on just his topic. Usher is to curate the Fourth of July fireworks today. He issued a statement to justify the use of the word “curate”. While I support the evolution of the English language, this is just wrong!
SOTD is Outremer Fleurs Blanches. I blind-bought it at Anthropologie yesterday because a 0.5oz bottle was $10. I don’t normally blind buy, but I figured I wouldn’t be out much if I didn’t like it. The verdict: it’s nice. It’s basically just a nice little lily soliflore. Not particularly complex or anything, but good for summer.
I also sampled Fragonard Fleurs d’Oranger yesterday while I was there. It was nice, but it just made me want to try Seville a L’Aube again.
I wish it was easier to find testers at Anthropologie — they seem to get moved around the store or something.
I may venture out early today w/ my SOTD being Montale’s Steam Aoud. I am kind of addicted to it in this heat. It keeps me calm.
It will be at least 117 today. Yesterday was so bad I made a mud puddle under the bush outside my backdoor and two enemy feral cats had a lie-down just to stay cool. Now that is hot!
Wondering if anyone prefers perfum extraits exclusively. I seem to be heading this way as decants can seem like FBs and I love the depth and richness. Perhaps this heat has made me feel more important than I am.
I am now on vacation for nearly two weeks, and am thinking about fragrances to pack for my upcoming trip to Chicago and Milwaukee. I was just in southern PA on a business trip, for which I packed a comical amount of fragrance. Volutes EDT became my standby, and YSL Y was a nice refresher in the afternoons. I’m thinking I might take some heftier scents to Chicago, since I won’t have to worry about being/smelling professional — am hoping to pick out some that will bloom nicely in the heat.
Does anyone have any experience with Jean d’Albret Casaque? I bought an inexpensive quarter-ounce of vintage parfum on The Money-Sucking Auction Site That Shall Not Be Named, and it’s just gorgeous. I’m not usually intrigued by straight-up pretty florals, but there’s something about this one.
Hmmm, I’ve also been thinking about this “bloom in the heat” perfume stuff and with NY/NJ being in the throes of a heat wave this week and a few weeks back, I had the opportunity to experiment. The perfumes I thought worked well fell mostly in the non-floral category: Chanel Exclusifs Bois des Iles EDT, MDCI Chypre Palatin, Dior Mitzah. For floral, Puredistance Opardu was superb (this actually cooled me down somewhat). On the other hand, the one that I thought would bloom really wilted — NV Bombay Bling — love it but it lasted an anemic 4 hours on my skin which is more often than not a scent glue.
Have fun in Chicago and Milwaukee. I’ve been to Chicago in all sorts of weather for business and pleasure…way before I was a perfumista. As for Milwaukee…I loved the Milwaukee Art Museum…I think I may still have time lapse pictures of the butterfly canopy (there’s probably a better name for it) and I bought one of my favorite jewelry pieces there — a necklace made of comic book paper beads!
Thanks for the suggestions! I am still dithering about what to pack, but am leaning toward a mix of spicy/woody stuff and florals. And some cologne to stick in the mini-fridge.
I used to live in Chicago, but haven’t been back in years (and wasn’t a perfumista the first time around). Am visiting a friend in Milwaukee — the art museum sounds great; will have to see if she’s been.
I forgot one more bloom in the heat floral and a BIG one at that — Carnal Flower! Gorgeous in the heat!
I don’t own that one, but might have to pop into Barneys for a spritz. I think I’ll pack Manoumalia — at the least, it might guarantee me a private car on the El 🙂
I’ve been curious about Casaque and have even on occasion added some bottles to my wish list on The Money-Sucking Auction Site That Shall Not Be Named, but haven’t tried it yet. You are making me even more curious!
Sometimes inexpensive bottles of parfum pop up — worth keeping an eye out! I don’t get the impression that Casaque has a lot of name recognition, so some sellers may not realize what they have.
Amazon (US) has the large 3.4 oz size of Amouage Gold for $271.30. Just saying in case anyone else has been harboring a lemming for the symphonic classical perfume equivalent to Beethoven’s Ode to Joy.
That is a very good deal.
I’ve already got my large bottle of Gold, and I don’t think I need a back-up bottle. One of the best fragrances I own and have tried. It’s truly beautiful.
It’s so rich, it’s hard to imagine needing a backup bottle.
If I wanted to demonstrate to someone what real perfume is in one sniff, I’d choose Gold.
You’re tempting me. I already got my FB of Dia, and my minis of Ubar and Jub 25 should be enough to last me, but I have been thinking that I really like Gold too. I do have a mini, but they may not last as long as I would like.
I wanted one of the big bottles because a) there is so little price difference between the large and small bottles – might as well get the big one and be able to share samples and decants and b) I feel like I’m ready for the next apocalypse knowing that I have that much Gold on hand.
Just back from a trip to England. Didn’t go quite as crazy shopping as I thought I would, but did buy Patchouli 24 and Fleurs de Sel. Made my Yorkshire cousin laugh by accidentally referring to the local delicacy as a Fat Bastard instead of a Fat Rascal…
SOTD is 1932. Makes me feel like putting on pearls. There is an almost certainty that my husband is going to get a permanent position working for Walmart corporate in Bentonville, Arkansas. Closest other big town is Fayetteville. Does anyone know anything about perfume-shopping there?
I know nothing about Arkansas but when I had a sample of Heure Exquise I did, quite literally wear pearls every time I wore it. I love it, though its so not me!
Congratulations to your hubby on landing the job with Walmart! At a conference focusing on recruiting a few years back, one of the Walmart corporate executive recruiters described the extra care they took in introducing Bentonville to candidates as it is “remote”. This was prior to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art opened so I imagine that Bentonville is now more of a destination than it used to be. In any case, I can imagine you asking the person conducting the Bentonville orientation about perfume-shopping :-).
SOTD is 1932. Makes me feel like putting on pearls. There is an almost certainty that my husband is going to get a permanent position working for Walmart corporate in Bentonville, Arkansas. Closest other big town is Fayetteville. Does anyone know anything about perfume-shopping there?
I don’t, sorry!
I’ve just enjoyed a rare hour perfume sniffing in Melbourne – much greater choice than Canberra where I live. Would have loved to have bought a bottle of Carnal Flower but at over $400 I couldn’t justify it. Snapped up a bottle of Avignon at a quarter of the price. Also managed to sample Seville L’Aube (yummy) and was given samples of Geranium pour Monsieur and Dans tes Bras. Free samples are a rare treat in Australia where stores do not offer samples as readily as they seem to in other parts of the world.
I’ve fallen head over heels for Mona D’Orio’s line Les nombres d’or. The whole line! And the stuff is EXPENSIVE…. It’s like in the old days, when I discovered Guerlain and what I found difficult and troubling turned out to be exactly what entranced me and got me hooked for ever and ever. In love with a perfume line… O boy…
SOTD is Le Labo Ylang 49 and like I guessed from reading the reviews this one really suits me. It’s the first scent from Le Labo that I’ve tried, and I see on their webbpage that they offer 15 ml bottles- perfect for a perfumista!