A repeat of a poll we did last year:
Can this group of shameless enablers help each other not buy perfume? Let's find out.
Name a perfume you've been itching to buy but don't need, and tell us why you think it might not really be a good use of your money. Maybe everyone will talk you out of it.
If you participated in this poll last year, tell us if you ended up buying the fragrance anyway!
Note: image is Crater Lake [cropped] by aspearing at flickr; some rights reserved.
In all honesty, I will never NEED another bottle of perfume since I’m pretty sure that between bottles and samples I have a lifetime supply but I could have used some discouragement last week when I bought a vintage mini of Enchanting Menace simply because the name was cool and it came in a heart shaped bottle. Hasn’t arrived yet so I don’t know if it was a waste of money.
That’s a really great name, but I’m not a fan of heart shaped bottles. You?
Sorry we are too late to help you, but hope you love it when it gets there!
No matter what happens, it won’t be a waste of money — it’s an adventure!
I have to say, I wore White Shoulders once upon a time, and I’ve been wondering what Enchanting Menace smells like. I hope you’ll report back when it does arrive!
OT, but was taken aback to see a commercial for the new Liam Neeson airplane disaster movie, and noticed one of the costars is Michelle Dockery. So bizarre to see her as anyone but Lady Mary.
I think I’ve mentioned this before, and it’s still on my mind:
own Vero Profumo Mito, but have fallen hard for the voile d’extrait version. What to do??
Oh interesting. I have no advice offer as I haven’t smelled either, but I’d be very curious to hear how they compare–and maybe that would clarify the pros/cons?
The voile d’extrait features an additional tuberose facet that I quite enjoy. Thinking about getting it & putting my edp on ebay. Probably been spritzed all of 5 times….
The con is it’s an expensive proposition (not that that’s stopped me before.)
Well this is quite against the purpose of today’s exercise 🙂 but, given that it sounds like there’s a definite reason you prefer the voile d’extrait, I almost think the expense is a reason to go for it. For that kind of money, I think it makes sense to get the thing you really love. Especially if you can defray the cost by selling the EDP, I say go for it. In for a penny, etc.
That is a conundrum! I actually have the same issue–love the Mito voile d’extrait better, and I own the FB original. If you can sell your original, I think it is reasonable to get the one you like better. My Mito is languishing, mostly unloved, poor dear. I tried to tell myself the new voile has a Breck shampoo vibe up top, but I don’t care, it is lovely and more rounded, less angular. If I had any skill at EBay, I’d follow my own advice here 😀
ha, yeah same here, I’m more of a buyer than a seller. Breck shampoo vibe, hmm, maybe that’ll rein me in!
Why don’t the two of you buy a bottle and split it?
And, then, send me a sample for my clever idea!
Ha, yes I have since bought the perfume I was dithering on last year–After My Own Heart. I don’t wear it remotely often enough to justify having a whole bottle, but it was on sale, it has sentimental value, etc. etc., so I feel fine about it.
What I’m eying this year: the Sephora Atelier minis. It’s obviously a wildly good deal, but the fact is that I really only want Orange Sanguine, and would buy with the idea of swapping away the Vanille Insensee. Is that silly to create more work that way? Since presumably I could just swap for an Orange Sanguine decant with any of the numerous things already in my possession that I’d be glad to rehome…
Just sent you an email about the Orange Sanguine! I have some & it is not getting much love here.
Wow, you are surely in the lead for most effective purchase-deterrer of the day! 🙂 Thanks so much, just wrote you back.
I adore After My Own Heart, a true lilac when the real flower has such a tragically short life. It Made me interested in the rest of Ineke’s line, so I got the collection of minis she offers. Even though her juice is comparatively affordable, I’m still waffling on An Evening Edged In Gold. Oh and then there’s Hothouse Flower. And Chemical Bonding…none of which I need. Talk me down, someone – or at least tell me which one of the 3 is the best choice.
Ooh those are beautiful. What about the upcoming swapmeet? I bet there are folks who would be glad to share decants of at least some of those. Then you can give a fuller assessment to which ones you might really use a bottle of (i.e. which decants do you finish?)
I’ll never need another bottle of perfume or decant as long as I live with the 30 bottles and 100 plus decants that I’ve already got. I’m toying with getting a bottle of Jicky in EDP form.
That’s funny…I am always hankering after Jicky extrait, which I’d probably never really wear.
The vintage versions of Jicky are so much better than the current versions, it would be a waste of time to buy the new EDP. 😉
Meanwhile, thanks to my splitmeet partner for deflecting my purchase of Lubin Idole (the current edp). Wearing it now with great relish–so much relish, in fact, that I think if I just had a bitty sample, I’d have been quite tempted to go in for the full 100ml. But realistically, 10ml should hold me for quite sometime (especially as I’m not inclined to wear more than one spritz of it at a time–and by Kevin’s calculations, there are some 150 sprays in 10ml!) My bank account salutes you!
Well done! You inspire me to NOT go looking for a backup bottle!
Well done you!
Hummm… I have a few!
TF Tobacco Vanille has been on my waiting list for a while, so have Amouage Jubilation for men and Amouage silver. They WILL be purchased, at some point, but I can’t take the plunge yet.
My real hesitation is with Guerlain Vega! I love it! But would I wear it often enough?
Should I?
Well, this isn’t totally talking you out of it, but I found that Dyptique Volutes took care of my Tobacco Vanille hankering at a fraction of the price. If you choose to sample be sure to try both EDP and EDT. They wear differently. The EDP was too much for me.
The EDT is also stronger on tobacco with the Edp being a bit more stewed fruit, I think…
That sounds right. I didn’t spend much time on the EDP. It gave me a headache so I kept my wrist away from my nose until an hour had passed.
I tried Vega once and someone told me it smelled like really old powder make-up. That help,lol? And the others you seem certain about:)
Isn’t that a case for a decant? I have so many decants I wear so seldom… I’m glad I didn’t spring for full bottles but also that I don’t have to do without them.
Last time I was at Neiman Marcus, I saw a bottle of Vega out on the counter. I was surprised to see it, so I tried it out on a blotter.
The thought kept nagging at me that it smelled similar to something I’d tried before, and after a while it hit me: it was reminding me of Andy Tauer’s Noontide Petals. Have you tried that one? I haven’t done a side-by-side comparison to know exactly how similar they are, but maybe it would be worth it to try and see if it might be a less-expensive alternative for you.
Pssst! Phaedon Tabac Rouge is embarrassingly close to Tobacco Vanille, for $100 less. Great taste, by the way- men’s Jubilation is my favorite Amouage.
I have been contemplating making a purchase simply because my collection is lacking Tauer, Frederic Malle, Ormonde Jayne, etc.
I’m looking closely at the En Passant travel refills or sample sets of the other two, even though I’ve only sampled EP once and can’t remember what it smells like. I just really like Lilacs and bread. The kicker is that I’ve barely been able to wear perfume since before Thanksgiving due to morning sickness. Why am I craving something new when I don’t even know when/if I’ll be able to wear it?
Treat yourself to the En Passant after you have the baby, if you still like it. Maybe satisfy your current purchase impulse with a nice shower gel.
That’s a great idea. I’m the kind of person who would have treated myself to a well deserved new baby scent anyway. Plus it will give me plenty of time to get downtown to Barney’s and sample it again.
I spent over an hour yesterday reading up on Lush’s Rose Jam shower gel. It’s too late for that one, but it’s like you read my mind. A standout shower gel is definitely in order.
Fourthing En passant if you still want it after you have the baby – lovely, lovely fragrance that you will never regret! I have in the travel set and it was one of my first “I think I’m really into this perfume thing” purchases, so I can’t possibly talk you out of it.
Agree with treating yourself to En Passant. It is really lovely and great for spring. The travel refill set is actually a really good deal (I got it myself). It’s cheaper by the ml than the FBs. Hope the morning sickness doesn’t last long.
Thanks, I just entered the second trimester and was assured by many so-called experts that the nausea would go away. So far I think they’re all liars.
Thirding the endorsement of En Passant (really it is second only to new baby for best emblem of spring–so having new baby, EP and spring come all together would really be the trifecta!)
Will add also my recommendation to leave Tauer ’til morning sickness is firmly behind you. Those puppies are beautiful in not small part for how potent they are–I think they’d be real hard to appreciate if one were feeling even the slightest bit queasy.
Congrats on the bebe, very exciting 🙂
Thanks for the advice on the Tauer’s. I knew they are very high quality and would have more oil in them than what I’m used to…but somehow I didn’t finish the thought process. Their potency didn’t occur to me. I will put that brand back onto the “someday, in the future” list.
Being pregnant totally changes your sense of smell. And even after having the baby, it’s nice to avoid wearing perfume for a while so you and the baby can enjoy each others naturally scents. So don’t buy ANYTHING now. Maybe when the baby is around 1 year old. 😉
I heartily second Suddenlyinexplicably. My sense of smell was crazily changed during my 2 pregnancies, and it has been shown that babies can smell their moms and vice versa with truly remarkable accuracy (eg, give a baby 6 shirts worn by 6 different women and they’ll pick mom’s) so I wanted baby to smell me, not perfume. It also seemed like wearing perfume would be overpowering to a newborn who spent so much time nestled right up to me. Baby #2 is 9 months old now and I still don’t wear perfume nearly as much as I used to.
Agree — during pregnancy, I became super sensitive to most odors, and felt repelled by many that I’d found very attractive before. I became hyper selective with food scents, and any fabric near me that had a musty or chemical scent to it had to be banished. I started using a lot of ‘unscented’ products.
After baby girl arrived, I became really attracted to sweet florals and light aldehydes — the scents they use for most baby related products.
Wait till after baby, then take a ‘day off’ mothering to go shopping and perfume sniffing — you might find that you will enjoy really different fragrances than before.
Thank you all so much for your input. I pulled the trigger on the Rose Jam shower gel. I found a small bottle on eBay for just a dollar or two over retail. The baby is not due until August so I will save my pennies now for a Spring 2015 purchase of En Passant. I’m so pleased that you all think that one’s such a winner!
Hi everyone!
I don’t have any perfume that I’m itching to buy at the same time knowing I don’t need it.
My birthday is pretty close and I haven’t even decided what will be my perfumed birthday treat. Now, that’s a dilemma.
SotD is Parfums de Nicolai Amber Oud
Happy early birthday!
I’m way too new to perfume to participate in this poll 😉
Satisfied 4 itches this week alone!
SOTD: Creed’s Vanille Sublime, gorgeous citrus vanille
You’ll join us eventually!
…so what were the itches?!
Yeah, tell!
If you must know…
I purchased another bottle of Bottega Veneta (flying thru this), a decant of Tauer’s PHI (a rose I can finally love), a decant of 31 Rue Cambon (apparently nothing else like it out there) a sample of Neela Vermiere Creations Ashoka (for the fig lover in me) and took a chance on a bunch of samples of 06130 Yuzu Rouge on Ebay (eh, so-so).
Thanks for egging me on!
Oh, so sensible! For some reason I assumed you’d bought four BOTTLES this week! What you describe is downright economical by comparison 🙂 And more to the point, such good stuff! Well done.
Hmm… sensible, yes, thats exactly how I need to explain this to my husband. I could have bought FBs of all these, but I’m much more sensible 😉
Absolutely. Just tot up what the cost of the bottles would have been, and then tell him how much you -saved-! 🙂
Lovely choices! Bottega Veneta is such a great recent scent.
arrrrrrpph arrrrrph (playful dolphin noises) Translation: Tell! Tell!
Neiman Marcus is about to have their spring beauty event. I am really tempted to get Atelier Cologne Silver Iris. They only have the gift set, which costs more than the bottle alone. Probably won’t buy anything else for a long time after (except maybe a decant of Volutes EDP and some samples). Can’t decide if it is a little too sweet (especially at first), but it does dry down nicely to a kind of nice LBD type scent. I have a really hard time resisting a gift with purchase. Has anyone else tried it? I know Lucas likes it.
I admit I did not love it, although if they had the Sous Le Toit de Paris, I’d be tempted myself.
What’s the deal with the event, do you get any % off?
I only know that it goes Feb 19-Mar 2 and is a GWP, tote bag with beauty/fragrance samples. The website hasn’t put up any pictures yet of the bag/samples and I haven’t gotten a card in the mail yet, though I expect to on Tuesday (Monday being a holiday). I did get an email from an SA.
Thanks!
Atelier soaps are pretty nice, and if it’s a full size the extra $20 will already make the GWP worth it. Oh, dear, something tells me I am not doing so well at dissuasion.
Good to know about the soaps!
I actually purchased one yesterday. I got the deal early because I am considered a “loyal”, preferred customer. When you spend $125 in fragrances and / or cosmetics, you get a choice of a colored tote (pink, yellow, or orange). I chose yellow because it was so bright and springy. In the bag you get; a sample of Tory Burch’s new fragrance, a sample of Jean Patou’s “Joy Forever” fragrance, a sample of Molton Brown’s Orange & Bergamot Body Wash (smells amazing!), and then an assortment of serums, shampoos, and creams. I always take advantage of their Beauty Event because I am always introduced to a product or fragrance that I might not have ever even looked twice at. Oh, and I truly like Tory Burch’s fragrance.
Do you know yet what the GWP is? And can you only get it if you buy the Silver Iris in stores? The NM website does seem to have the bottle alone, if that helps…
As for the scent–have you tried many other irises? Silver Iris is sweeter than I would choose for myself, but that’s in part a matter of the other irises I enjoy more (Hiris, 28 La Pausa)–if you know this is your favorite of what’s out there, then, godspeed! 🙂
NM hasn’t posted pics of the GWP yet, and I haven’t gotten my card in the mail yet. I just got an email from an SA that said it was 2/19-3/2/14. It usually is online as well as in stores. I do like 28 La Pausa and No. 19 Poudre as well, so am trying to decide. La Pausa seems a little fresher and No. 19 Poudre seems softer, which I kind of prefer. Atelier is softer and sweeter still. Minimum purchase is $125, but can include cosmetics, and there is some Lancome eyeshadow I have my eye on. I wouldn’t object to the gift set. It is only $20 more, though the main thing it includes is a bar of soap, and I don’t know whether that is worth it, but maybe they could order just the bottle to be sent from another store.
Have you tried Hiris? On the sweetness scale in particular, I find it a nice middle ground between Silver Iris and both 28 La Pausa & 19 Poudré, and Neiman’s has that one too. But definitely worth testing on your own skin if you haven’t already; I know reactions to it vary widely, to say the least!
I haven’t tried Hiris, but will try to do it before I really decide. Thanks!
I have the flyer with the GWP info. In addition to a big bright-colored tote (pink, yellow, orange) there are some hair and skin samples. The scented products include samples of Tory Burch EDP, Patou Joy Forever EDP, and Molton Brown Orange & Bergamot Body Wash. This is what comes with a $125 purchase. Usually the individual lines have their own GWP’s as well and their own price purchase requirements.
I like Silver Iris and Atelier is affordable, but it sounds as thoughit really is tricking you as too sweet. I wouldn’t pull the trigger on that just for the gwp (though I know how alluring those are!)
Probably will have to get the DH to take a sniff, though he thinks I own waaaaay to much perfume as it is. I am looking forward to the next swap meet!
Lord. That was supposed to be striking you as too sweet, of course.
“Too much” is not a concept I love. But I do support not settling, especially once you’ve amassed a number of great options.
I need to be talked out of buying this cape. It’s on sale for $90. Did I mention it’s a cape? http://store.americanapparel.net/the-wool-cape_rsawn301
I say no. The girl wearing is seems really unhappy to have it on. 🙂
Sorry, “it.”
Hahaha variations on a theme. I think she is unhappy that American Apparel is run by a jerk. Clearly no one could be unhappy about that cape 🙂
Ha! The cape is totally cute and if I thought I could pull it off, I would. Unfortunately, only Ari knows if she can rock that look or not. But Ari, if you can then go for it. It looks comfy too.
American Apparel’s gross CEO is especially frustrating because I want to support their great labor practices.
Yup, my sentiments exactly. (Well I mean, sexual harassment is not a great labor practice but the other things, esp re: immigration.)
Not even going to try to talk you down. Get it girl. I think you will have so much fun in that cape.
Oh dear…I am torn. I have a cape but I never wear it. It’s black and ankle-length and just gives too much of a Count Dracula feel. This one, in that cheerful red and the shorter length, looks much more wearable. I say get it, though if you don’t, capes come in and out of fashion regularly so if you pass it by now, another time will come around in a few years.
Personally, i don’t see the point of a cape that doesn’t look gothic! This one is going in a red riding-hood direction…
Perhaps I’m demotivated by a double-breasted red jacket I gave away after never wearing, lol!
Ha yes we should probably all confess the ways in which we’re projecting here–for Christmas I was given a red checked peacoat that I thought I’d wear twice max (https://s7.jcrew.com/is/image/jcrew/07089_WP5216_m?$pdp_fs418$), but it has become my most-complimented piece of clothing and now I don’t want to wear anything else! I mostly just want that to happen to Ari too 🙂
CH that looks lovely! Nope – the one I bought was definitely odd…
To be honest I can’t really quite see whats going on with that cape though. I don’t think the picture shows exactly how it fits. But then again I have never sewed or anything – people that know more about patterns can probably get a more accurate idea from the pic.
So cute!! My mom never wore perfume, but she made sure to teach me the power of a red coat.
Thanks you two! And Ari, your mom sounds awesome. Great lesson, that one.
Hmmm…I think capes look cool but aren’t really very practical. I have one in gray that I really like the look of but hardly ever wear. It only fastens at the neck, so if the wind is blowing, it tends to blow the cape open so it does little to keep me warm. It also has no sleeves, just slits for the hands like the one in the picture, so it doesn’t really keep my arms warm enough. Coats are much more practical than capes. If you live in a cold climate, practicality should win out, as keeping warm outranks fashion. If you live in a warm climate, you don’t need a cape anyway.
This!
After reading the reviews, would say be sure you try it on first! Sounds like some shorter people did not like the fit & some people found the neck too tight.
Ari, you don’t need a cape…it is impractical in New York City…you wouldn’t want to swish around while in the bowels of the NYC subway. The Lands End Polartec Peacoats are on sale, warm, very practical and machine wash and dry.
http://www.landsend.com/products/womens-polartec-aircore-200-pea-coat/id_258749
2nd this. And with the cape being short and red, well, someone already mentioned the “little red riding hood” effect. Get ready for the comments!
Yes to the cape! I wanted one in h.s. and my mother had one made for me (different times).
I wore it for a few years and always got compliments. Cross – body purse worn inside; good to go. Cute w/ tights. Cute w/ a hat.
I loved mine and wish I knew what became of it.
I still have the cape my great-grandmother made for me to match my Samantha doll’s when I was a little girl. It fits — just differently of course — and I do wear it every now and then, usually with a costume. I can’t even really tell whether it looks silly, or how much, because it’s tied up with so many sweet memories.
Bingo! It is almost impossible to look silly these days. Someone else will always beat you to it and do it better.
Rock the memories, rock the cape!
I LOVED my Samantha doll!!!
I dunno.. I can picture it, and I think it would be super adorable on you. But it would be best if there is a store near you that is carrying it so you can try it on and see if you like how it fits. I hesitate with buying clothing online for that reason. I have had enough things fit weirdly that I don’t like not being able to try it on first.
Capes tend to be more decorative than warm, and they take up a disproportionate amount of closet space. Also awkward with purses, etc.
Capes can be really uncomfortable. I had one when I lived in England and the wind used to blow it around a lot, making it hard to walk. It was very annoying. 😉
I love capes — but this one just looks about 18 inches too short. You really must have a little more dramatic sweep, don’t you think?
It looks like you should be ringing a bell for the Salvation Army. If it was longer, or a more fun color, it would be a different kind of statement.
I’m dying for a pb or fb of TF Shanghai Lily. Talk me out of it! If I was just going to wear a signature scent, this would be just about perfect (it’s pretty and sunny and complex). I could get a 5ml decant (75 sprays by Kevin’s calculation) which would last a long, long while. But I’ve emptied my 1ml sample quickly, and a decant will end up being 20% the cost of buying a fb on evilbay. Thoughts? I’m even thinking of selling one of my unloved bottles to get the money to do it.
Thing is, I seem to never wear my FBs. Anyone else do this? I wear my decants more often, even though I prefer the look of a FB…
Not that I want a signature scent, btw. I love switching perfumes all the time.
Wait, me too with the decants! What is up with that??
I know, right? I much, much prefer the idea of buying the pretty bottle, but man, I normally reach for the things that I have decants of. And I use my travel sprays more, too!
Same. As I think about it, I suspect for me it has to do with feeling like decants and travel sprays are more disposable, necessarily impermanent items. Need to cultivate that feeling about my bottles!
Me, too!!
I tend to use the decants because I’m afraid the liquid won’t last as long after being exposed to air. Could be all in my head, but that is the reason I savor the pretty bottles and use the decants with reckless abandon.
Agree with this! I worry about decants turning for sure.
The other thing is that the perfumes that aren’t quite me, that aren’t quite right, that are pretty but too-something (too light, too simple, too linear, too blended) are often the ones that I go back to a lot, and wear again and again. Like Chanel Beige. It doesn’t rock my world, but man, I reach for it a lot for work. Know what I mean?
Oh interesting. Yes I can totally see that, the category of stuff that’s not amazing enough to feel like it merits a bottle… but in fact it’s regularly useful. I hear that!
Though the decant will be 20% of the cost of a full bottle, if the full bottle isn’t used up you will end up wasting 80% of your money. I suggest getting the decant (maybe 10 ml rather than five, so you’re not as afraid of running out?) and if you run through that in a short amount of time, then consider a FB. They are pretty, but take up a lot of space on the dresser/shelf/drawer.
Yes, this! I’m a big fan of decants. It’s amazing how long 5ml lasts even if it’s something I really like.
I’m the opposite, I wear decants and samples much less cos im worried about having none left, even if it’s not something I love!
IF you sell an unloved bottle AND that would make it the same price as a decant the buy the FB. (*Really* not doing well with the dissuasion…)
I worry that decants will evaporate. I’ve had it happen. That said, if you get the bottle, help fund it by selling me a split!! Though really I support Foxbins’ plan.
Decants are really expensive compared to fb’s, ml:$. Surely someone would go in for a split? (I would if I wasn’t on the other side of the world!)
Yes, but given the state of the collection, saving per ml on perfume I don’t have enough time in this lifetime to wear is not a savings. Smaller up front outlays are more desirable!
Definitely get the decant. If you drain it, you can get a bottle. That’s a really good rule. You may have moved on to something else by then.
I like that rule!
Mini’s are nice too. Sometimes I can find them on Ebay for a decent price AND you still get the bottle to enjoy (just smaller, obviously).
Just bought a small FB of TF Black Orchid. I loved the samples but have trouble controlling the sprayer on the larger bottle, with the end result that I don’t wear it much. Maybe a decant is in order.
anngd, just buy some decant vials or else a perfume atomizer and decant from your own bottle:)
Oh, dear readers, help. I need another 50mL bottle like more lard on my hips 😀
I’ve been dithering over Penhaligon’s Sartorial. There is something on it that makes me go back to it again and again–the beeswax? The moss? It’s clean and a little mussed at the same time. The one thing that holds me back is that–gasp–it may be a hair on the too masculine side for me! I don’t want something that repels dates, or another weird thing that I only wear when I’m at home alone. I wear Sartorial to work, where it seems to work fairly well, but who knows? No one ever comments. What say ye? Thanks. Be well.
Something too masculine could make you grow hair on your chest, a date repellent for sure, best not to buy.
That sounded bad! Lol, like you are going to show your chest on your first date! Sorry. Oops. I was more thinking of long hairs, so long they come out the top of your shirt..like those hairs from the low cut polyester stuff guys used to wear..hair like that one dude..Tom Cellic or whatever that dude’s name was..lol. Goofy today..I am.
But wise you are, errrgh! (Nerdy Yoda voice ;D)
Husband is a huge Star Wars fan, forgive me, lol.
Oh I needed that laugh!
I’v realized that if I like a scent but have a tinge of uncertainty, that uncertainty does not go away once I have a full bottle. I always expect it to be resolved once I own a full bottle, but actually most times I wear it I end up having that faint discomfort…. If you have some ambivalence, save the cash for something you adore with all your heart:)
So wise, this is so true for sure, thank you. I know this stuff but need to hear it..thanks.
Yeah, one would think the principle would stick after this happening once, but I have bought multiple bottles with the same expectation, and its always the same!
You are right. I’ve gone through 3 samples, and still am fascinated, which is my rule for considering FB. Perhaps with this one a bigger decant, 10ml or so would hold me. Like others, I just have fears about it altering or oxidizing before I use it, then it was not a good choice! Here’s where I applaud the makers of small bottles!!!
And your rules are tailored just for you, so if this principle has always worked…
Have you used up a 5ml decant yet? I’m starting to think that this should be my purchasing test. Because I’ll sometimes drain a sample but never, ever, ever touch it again. But 5mls is commitment.
(and btw, your description– beeswax and moss– sounds a little weird but very compelling. now I have to try it, LOL)
As the Fragrance Bros say, it has a colongney bologna thing–a classic fougere in there as well, which may be what is reading masculine to my nose. YMMV. Hey, I’m not trying to create lemmings here. Yuck, you’ll probably hate it 😉
Don’t do it! I had the same thoughts dithering over an expensive Sous Le Vent decant purchase. I liked it, and it was a classic Guerlain that I didn’t own, but it has aromatic notes. Well, now I do own it, and yep, that slightly masculine fougere element keeps me from reaching for it time and time again. Money would have been much better spent on something that I LOVE unreservedly!
Slightly off-topic, but I am glad to hear you say that about aromatic fragrances, as I run into the same problem. They always sound like something I should like, but in practice…
You’re right! And I do “like” them, but then reach for something that I love!
Yes, good point–the tricky bit is that I do like them, overall. But in picking something to wear on any given day, they’re rarely what I most want to wear.
What if instead you bought yourself a couple of new samples with the beeswax and moss notes or clean-dirty theme you find appealing in the Sartorial? It would cost less, plus research and analysis time….
There is no reason to buy a full bottle of anything if you have any ambivalence about it. You’ll just be sorry later. Keep looking for something that you totally adore.
I’m intrigued by this one, too, but I know a decant will be enough. In general, I have decants of almost all the weird Duchaufours, and bottles of most of the pretty or less odd ones. Given how prolific he is, I should have stuck to decants entirely!
These polls usually end up with me buying one or more FBs perfumes people want to be talked out of. Sartorial will probably be IT. I have some Saks gift cards which I converted from points and I may just spend them on a bottle. Saks is also having its gift event from Feb 20 to Mar 1 (or thereabouts). Maybe we can split it if you are in the US 🙂
Lol! A true contrarian:)
I have been tempted, of all things to blind buy a bit, as ordering samples is a bit pricy with shipping and have not wanted to deal it. I have been impatient lately. One blind buy was great, another I sold cause ya, didn’t like cause of one note that was too strong in it. Blind buying is kinda dumb generally..but some are hard to obtain samples of..idk. Some are vintage, what to do. What is with me and blind buying? Perhaps someone could talk me out of more. The last one I lost 15 bucks on..cause I sold it for less than what I paid. With the 15 bucks I lost, I could have gotten more samples. I know better. What’s up with my brain? Should I be more patient and just order samples for a while? Or should I give up perfumes..and just eat ice cream?
Don’t do it! Blind buying often sticks you with things you hate. You can save your shekels for samples or pool them for a really expensive FB treat one day. I have too many bottles that were cheap ($10-30), and early on did not know how to get samples, so I’d purchase them. Yuck! Better to use a decant service, truly 🙂
I agree with this sentiment, especially when samples can be bought for a steal (like at Aedes– 7 for $15 has saved me so much $$$ so many times, plus sampling is quite fun).
I’ve been especially burned by blind buys that were cheap (under $40) because they sound like such a good deal, but two of those would buy me a nice pb of something that I really love.
In general, I’m against blind buys and even buys where I haven’t totally used up my samples.
Very good points, always good to have logic filtering through my brain again:).
Yes, I’ve found those $40 type purchases mount up and too often I wish I’d saved them for a more expensive FB.
Am I overlooking the 7-for-$15 offer or has it changed? All I can find on their website at present is 7-for-$27.50? (well, minus the $5 rebate)
No, it’s definitely gone up. It was $21 just a few months ago, and I was peeved I hadn’t ordered samples then. Parfumerie Nazreen and Parfums Raffy also have good prices on samples of expensive perfumes (and Nazreen has free shipping in the US). For cheaper perfumes, My Perfume Samples often has good prices. I just have my own personal cost-per-sample-including-shipping limit, so I won’t order until I want enough samples from somewhere to make it seem reasonable. As for blind buys, nowadays I won’t go over $20, and my success rate is well over 50%; lowered expectations probably help.
Oh, thanks for these recs, I will have to check out these places. Yes, it’s frustrating to buy pricey samples when most of them likely won’t work. (Better than blind bottle buys, but still…) It’s smart of you to have a personal limit on price-per-sample, just to minimize heartbreak.
I know, I have been impatient to deal with luckyscent, surrender to chance, blah blah, like I just want a bottle, lol. Blind buying is pretty lame, I know. After that dud, it woke me up a bit..like blind buying was what I did when I was newer to fumes. I sold the dud, thinking I get my money back but shipping was 10 bucks already. Is it me or are shipping costs more pricey these days?
Exactly. Don’t buy unless you KNOW you’ll keep it. Shipping is expensive and a pita.
I have the same problem. I think a blind buy stimulates the part of the brain that responds to things like opiates. The other day I blind bought a bottle of I profumi di firenze Caterine de medici and I don’t even like floral fumes. “Winning” bids on eBay makes me feel like such a winner (until the buyer’s remorse sets in). It’s scary to add up all the money spent on those bargain bottles. I could have had two or three full bottles of Tauer or Fred Malle for what I spent on blind buys. In any case, I have some things for the upcoming swapmeet that others might love and appreciate.
Totally agree on the realization that I could save my money on blind buys (and flat out BAD BUYS– buying a bottle before I’m really in love with it and have worn it enough) and buy a lovely fb of something niche instead.
But man oh man, I’m different about ebay. I feel SUCH regret/fear-that-I-won’t-love-it when I win sometimes… Thankfully, I don’t buy very often.
I agree about the opiate analogy! Like a drug! I stood staring at a bottle of D & G Intense in a discount shop… it was a 10 ml flask marked “not for resale” being sold for $25. I had never sniffed it before, am not a big fan of the few D & Gs I’ve sniffed… but there I was, willing myself not to buy this pretty tube of fragrance in the velvet box… it was so cheap, I thought, why not…? Thankfully a salesclerk took pity on me (or thought it was weird that I was looking at the same item for so long) and let me open the flask and yes, spray it. BORING. Cured. I walked out of there with a skip in my stride. But oh the magic of imagining what it might smell like had been so irresistible! Such a happy place 🙂 Like when you project onto another person a whole fabulous personality… and once you spend time with the person you cannot for the life of you figure out why you had been so enamored!
When I get the itch for some instant gratification I go to Sephora or Nordstrom to test and ask for samples, or someplace like Lush or The Body Shop to test things and maybe buy some scented shower gel or lotion. It won’t work if you’re looking at any particular blind buys, but it can be wonderfully satisfying to “shop” for a couple of hours, come home with some new goodies, and not actually spend any money.
Blind buying is not a good idea, unless it is some vintage thing that you get for an amazing price and can resell if it doesn’t work out. You need to look into swapping! That’s a great way to try new things (and meet new people).
I blind buy a lot. I can be of no help persuading you to stop.
I am feeling mostly satisfied with my collection at the moment–a sentiment I know won’t last! I’ve been working my way through my enormous bowl of samples and found a few things worth further enjoyment but haven’t been totally bowled over, yet, thank goodness! My collection is up to about 50 fbs, and that certainly must be enough to be getting on with for a while!
I think last year I was Jonesing for the Malle Coffret, and I have yet to purchase it. I think I would enjoy playing with it, but not enough to justify the cost when I could sample the ones I haven’t yet tried more affordably over time. So, for now, I’ve managed to keep myself away from that cliff! OTOH, I have a trip to Vegas planned for March, and I know Barney’s carries a full Malle selection. . . might find myself “needing” a vacation scent!
Oooh! I love vacation scents. I like to pick things I can’t get at home. My mom & I tried scents in London together one day, did not buy anything. Two days later we both went back and bought fragrance–she bought Shalimar Ode a la Vanille and I picked up L’Air de Rien. We both still love the scents, and our memory together. Bought my first bell jar in Paris that way, too! Have a ball in Vegas 😀
I love vacation scents too but am starting to wonder… is there a way to take a bottle that I already own (but have no emotional or place attachment to) and TRANSFORM it into a vacation scent, by wearing it a lot on vacation?
Yes, that is possible. I went to a work thing in Maui. (I know, poor, me) I took a bag of decants that might work in the tropics. Now whenever I wear Manoumalia or Intense Tiare, I think of Maui.
I don’t know if this answers your question but: I took a sample of Prada Amber camping, once, and now if I spray it I just wish it had the campfire accord built in.
That’s too funny! I hope you find the right smoky scent to layer it with someday.
SSS Fireside Intense! Definitely has a campfire accord.
Not to temp you, but Barneys is having their beauty event now- ends today. By far the best gwp bag of goodies. Cost of entry us high, but if you’re looking at that coffet, might be worth it.
Hi Marjorie Rose! I’m in a similar place, enjoying my collection. And I’m revisiting my sample collection. It’s fun but whoops–I fell in love with Bois des Isles again and had to talk myself out of ordering a FB. I’m getting a decant for now. Disaster averted. Conscience clean!
I’m ready to not-enable! Loving what I’ve got, not finding anything new I like as well.
Excellent Timing! I’m trying to save money, but I’m quietly craving Cuir de Lancome. I have a decant, but I feel the urge to get the FB even though I haven’t finished the decant for fear it will disappear and I won’t be able to find it.
I’ve also been resisting pulling the trigger on the explorer set of Tauer perfumes – they look so cute!
Any help is appreciated!
I can help you with your fear of Cuir de Lancome disappearing – five or six years ago now, there was a lot of chatter about it on the blogs (maybe even longer now) and I almost bought a bottle for the same reason. And here you are, several years later, and it’s *still* available.
Save your money. It will be there in the future when you’re in a better position to buy it.
This is pure enabler evilness: You can get a FB of Cuir Lancome at Beauty Encounter for $63. (maybe you’ve already seen this deal and it’s what is tempting you) I’ve been looking at it too.
So sorry. I should check before I post. The CdL is actually 74.95 at Beauty Encounter, it was $63 for a while but I guess the price went up. I guess I would discourage you from getting it at that price because I’ve seen it for less and it may get reduced again.
Thank you – actually that helps me at least hold out till I can find it at a better price!
I’ve seen it for less than that on Amazon. I almost bought one that was $59 but ultimately didn’t do it because it would have been a blind buy at the time.
I’m not helping I know, but I got mine for $44 about 2 years ago and now the prices seem to be climbing steadily. If you love it $74 is less than if you love a lovely $250 niche bottle…
Honestly, I would go for it. The fact that the price is rising (I got mine for $35 two years ago) suggests to me that it must be becoming more scarce. And it’s very, very beautiful.
I agree with Ari. Prices have been rising steadily in the last few years. I got mine for $50 about 6 months ago. Although there is still some of CdL around, it will never get any cheaper. And it really is very, very beautiful. The only leather I own or plan to own.
You can still get it for ~$59 at fragrancenet with a coupon (which they will email you once you search for a fragrance on the site). Good luck!
You all may not have talked me out of it, but you did find me a good price on it. Thank you all!
I had a realization recently as I was testing Equistrius for the umpteenth time: I like a fragrance + I’m in the mood to buy something does NOT equal I *love* a fragrance + it’s something I need and/or would wear a lot.
Hope this helps.
Wise observation, Rapple!
Well, you know, it’s one of the perks of being “a woman of a certain age”! I’ve made the mistakes!! 😉
You know this has been on my mind this week too. If there’s one thing I wish I’d had a firmer grasp on starting out, it’s that liking something, even liking it a LOT, really does not always translate into wanting to wear it regularly. That’s a tricky one!
I think that’s why conventional wisdom here says to go through a sample or two, and then a decant. *IF* (and it’s a big IF) you drain the decant, then it’s probably FB worthy.
You’ll either find that repeated wearings make you realize that you don’t like a scent as much as you thought you did, or you like it fine just intermittently, OR you realize you totally love it and need more!
It’s really the right path. I’m afraid to count up how many decants are already languishing unused in just 18 months of perfumania. Sure am glad they aren’t bottles!!
Oh, I love that! Will try to remember that, too.
I don’t need talking down, this is more an after-the-fact post. lol
I almost got a vintage bottle of Rochas Femme on ebay the other day. It said it was unopened, but I’m always a little leery about buying vintage without being able to smell it to know how the juice has held up. This is why I like coming across stuff in antique shops, rare as it is to find something this good.
Anyway, there was a little less than 24 hours left on that item, but I decided to wear my vintage sample again to make sure I really wanted it before I did anything. I also have a small decant of the modern version EDP (maybe not the most current, but definitely the newer version with the cumin), which I love but is almost empty. So later that day I decided to wear a little of that one too and decide which I would rather have.
And you know what? I decided I actually like the modern version better! So I decided to let the vintage bottle go. I think I can get the modern version cheaper anyway, at least in EDT.
I’ve always enjoyed the modern version of Femme more than vintage, or at least more than the vintage EDC that I have. I lovely perfume pen pal sent me a sample of the parfum and it is wonderful. But not worth chasing when the modern EDT pleases me so much and is so cheap and easy to obtain.
Do I need another bottle of perfume? NO. Do I want another bottle of perfume? Why, of course! I shall keep expanding my collection for as long as I want and no one, not even the Pope, is going to stop me lol
A woman who knows what she wants! I respect that. 🙂
Like Whitman! “Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes.”
This is a time I wish we had a Like thing on comments.
Yes. like!
So, there was a really positive review of Cacherel’s Amor Amor recently and I tested it again and surprised myself by really enjoying it. After a few more testings though, I am no longer sure it makes my heart sing. But, I have somehow convinced myself a fruity-floral refreshing fragrance that is not too pricey and is a no-brainer would be really nice to have – and this one is a good price.
There is something about it that strikes me as a bit ordinary – but then I think that that same aspect may stop me from becoming tired of it. Does this make any sense. I might well be rationalizing a perfume I really don’t need…
I read the same review and I think you are being overly swayed by it. It sounds to me that you don’t love it, so that means you shouldn’t buy it, no matter whether it seems like a good deal. Save your money for something you love, not just something you like.
‘Something you love not something you like’. Thank you – exactly what I need reminding of! And you are right – this reviewer does have very different favorites from my own – i.e. not a scent twin, though I very much respect her opinion.
And, if in a couple of months, the liking has morphed into loving – I can act on it then:)
Yes, Amor Amor is not going to go away. I tried it after Victoria’s review and didn’t find it special at all. However, I do have perfumes in my collection that I don’t love completely but reach for quite often. EL’s Sensuous is one, and Cacharel’s Noa is another. They are both versatile, low key, quiet fragrances for wearing around the house in the evening or runninig errands. For a long time now I’ve realised that a fragrance wardrobe full of stellar masterpieces can leave you with ‘nothing to wear’. As with clothes, you need plenty of plain shirts and blue jeans!
I know what you mean by ‘stellar masterpieces’ but nothing to wear, lol!
Montale’s Crystal Flowers has been my most expensive regret. They did not have a tester, so I drove far off to someone who had it in order to test and tested a lot of others at the same time. For some reason though, when I went back to the shop and actually bought it it smelled nothing like I thought it did:/
There is something easy and refreshing about it – only there is some note I’m not crazy about – and it neither diffuses nor lasts very well. Though Amor Amor is similar mainly in having orange – it has the same refreshing, lighthearted nature that Crystal Flowers has – without the disquieting note, and with much better longevity and silage…
Got on L’ombra dans L’eau now and realized that this is my perfect summer refresher. Nope, I don’t need Amor. Lol!
Great advice, Annemarie!
It’s good to have a few easy perfumes in your collection. I like a perfume that just smells good and doesn’t need to be understood or analyzed to be appreciated. It’s good to have things like that in one’s wardrobe and recipe box too. Simple but good. That being said I would buy Amor unless you find it for a really good price. I’m sure you could pick up something else for less that serves the same purpose. Fruity florals are a dime a dozen.
Best price here is $34 for 30ml or $40 for 50ml. Prices don’t go as low as they seem to in the states! Easy scents can go wrong when ones nose starts picking up something that seems overly synthetic. This happened to me with Sensuous, though I did work through most of the 30ml bottle. Or, as with Kenzos Amour, the blandness which I originally found comforting eventually became outright depressing! Getting it quite right, even with a more or less standard fruity floral may not be that easy:)
Thanks for your help everyone – after examining all the factors I think I can step back from the ledge:)
I’v realised I actually have several fruity florals that have more character than this one does; and that I also have jeans and white-shirter scents (Terre de hermes, for the most casual).
Congrats on the rescue!
Oh well done! Money saved.
And you are right about Sensuous and Kenzo Amour. I can actually smell a roughness in Sensuous and half-regret buying my 30ms, bargain though it was. I do use it though. And a mini of KA is all I need for the occasional evening dab.
I have a list of perfumes I want but oddly enough I often buy things I haven’t even sniffed because the price is right. I am addicted to blind buys and I haven’t had enough bad ones to sway me away from doing it. I bought two this week. I keep saying I’m going to enjoy the ones I have but then I get a discount code in my inbox and I just can’t resist a sale. It’s maddening. I’m hopeless.
There is something really exciting about blind buys – and I think for some people it makes a lot more sense than others. I read somewhere that a tendency to like and one not to like is actually a fixed personality trait. If you are of the former group then the probability of the blind-buy being a success is higher. If one has an innate tendency not to like, then blind-buying is a very bad idea!
Poodle I blind buy for the same reason, and I very rarely regret my purchases- many of them I love! I also know which reviewers in which blogs are my scent twins so I’m easily led in right direction 🙂
I have no plan to stop either- perfume is my collection.
Me too. I do my homework and know when certain people like it I will probably like it too.
Possibly. Even if I can buy a sample though I tend towards the whole bottle because I figure out the cost of the sample which is sometimes high and think if I love it I’ve just wasted money on a 1/2 ml that I now want more of.
There is a thrill to it too and I haven’t bought a scrubber yet. I haven’t swooned over every one but I have been happy with them.
The annoying paradox of the sample: either one likes it and it’s not enough, or one doesn’t and it was a waste of money anyway!
I don’t know–I must be a really negative person because I so enjoyed saying lots of negative things today in the hopes of “dis-abling” perfume buys. Actually some of my perfume friends tell me I’m a great person to go perfume shopping with because I will say, “No, don’t do it,” unless I think it is a remarkable find of some sort.
It feels kind of liberating, I think, like decluttering.
Cautious does not equal negative:) And Nozknoz is right: for me it can actually be a relief because I”v somehow persuaded myself I should buy it, even though I know I shouldn’t!
I have serious lemmings for a full bottle of Au Lac from Eau D’Italie. It is so perrrdy. And expensive. Help me!
The Eau d’Italie bottles are so unattractive. Decants are definitely the way to go for this line.
Agreed and seconded! I think Au Lac is charming, and really love Jardin du Poete, but not that EdI bottles. Srsly, I like the Parfums de Nicolai bottles better, and everyone blasts those. Grab a nice decant 😀
I`ll try to get my hands on a decant then. Thank you, nozkoz and HemlockSillage 🙂
I am going to buy one bottle…I just need to be dissuaded from buying two! I should have at least one fragrance from Chanel, Yes? I have recently tested Coco, no. 19 and Cristalle. Since it’s almost my birthday AND almost spring time, I am leaning towards no. 19 and Cristalle. They are so different so can almost rationalize both, but…do I really need both at once? Hmmm….maybe.
Methinks you should wait until AFTER the swapmeet before considering buying a FB of anything. I got a decent-sized decant of Cristalle from the the first swapmeet.
Hajusuuri, that is a very reasonable suggestion…and just the kind of advise I needed to hear!
A question: do you love those perfumes, or do you just feel that your collection needs a Chanel? If the latter, you might give some thought to what is important to you about your collection: how it looks on display, having something from many different categories, having something for every occasion, etc. I’m still pretty new to this, and was formerly a serial perfume monogamist, but my most regretted purchases are of the “I need something like this, and this one’s pretty nice” variety. If you love all three, obviously my advice does not apply, and I apologize for blathering.
Laurels, at least some of my regrets come from the kind of thinking. I don’t feel at all obliged to have something from a particular house, but I often mislead myself by thinking I need a perfume representing a specific note. Like, I must have a good woods, or a good lily of the valley or chypre. Totally nonsensical. Especially lily of the valley which I do not particularly like anyway!
I bought both Coco and No. 5 Eau Premiere a few weeks ago, when Sephora was doing triple points, and dare I say with Chanel the best thing to do is wait for a buying opportunity like that — a store benefit, a gift card, someone asking you what you want for your birthday or a holiday. I can’t imagine (CANNOT) that you’d regret your Chanel purchases, but they’re easy enough to find and understand that they just make good strategic purchases.
I love all your comments! Here’s my own blathering…
The first time I tried Coco, I’m ashamed to say, it was a scrubber. Well, a year older and wiser and with many more fragrances sniffed under my belt, I understand it so much better. I have total respect for Coco and cannot believe that it was a scrubber! I can definitely see myself wearing it in the fall and early winter (before I’m anxious for spring to arrive). I find no. 19 such an beautiful and elegant fragrance. I have drained my sample vile, yet it’s still on my dresser and I uncap it daily to sniff it. As for Cristalle, I find it somewhat of an odd fragrance, yet can’t stop sniffing my wrist when I sample it. There you have it, probably more than anyone cares no know about my musings. And like I said, my birthday is coming up soon!
Oh goodness if you’re keeping an empty sample in close reach, that’s true love!
Ha – you are so right! It was never a question of buying at least one. I think I’ll put no. 19 at the top of my list!
Did you try the No. 19 Poudre? It’s beautiful, and has a different spritz thingie that mists instead of straight spraying. I’m always reaching for it, even when the original No. 19 is there.
I have not tried it – I was so focused on the original. I will give it a go at the next opportunity. Thanks for the suggestion!
Regarding Cuir de Lancome, it is available for $63.06 at Fragrancenet.
I need help – talk me out of buying a FB of Amouage Opus 1. I’ve bought so many samples I’ve almost used a FB anyway. But do I need it? Self-control is not my strong suit.
Well if you KNOW you like it and use it often…
Perhaps you can go on a no-buy for a few months and then buy it with the money saved? Or, if you haven’t been binging (like yours truly) perhaps you ought to just go for it?
Excellent suggestion – go on a three-month no-buy and save the money. That way I’ll feel better when I buy it. Now to avoid binging…
Scarcity of will power in my corner, so can’t help you there, lol!
The conversation above about Cuir de Lancome does remind me that I often talk myself away from the ledge on the issue of back-up bottles. Cuir is one of a handful of discontinued/hard to find scents that I repeatedly consider buying a back-up of. I try to tell myself that unless I’ve drained the first bottle, there’s no need for a second, but knowing that they can become increasingly expensive and hard to find makes me feel like the frugal thing to do is buy it! Also on the short list: Traversee du Bosphore and Omnia.
So, do you buy the back-up bottle or do you refrain and show restraint?
And you are someone who actually depletes whole bottles, so I can see how it is a dilemma!
Yes! It is realistic to assume I will want another bottle some day, but is that good enough justification for hoarding them now?! Very hard to judge.
I have backup bottles of a few vintage and discontinued perfumes, but I have yet to use up a primary bottle. The longer you are a perfumista and the more bottles, decants and samples you acquire, the less likely that becomes.
Current battles are with Ylang 49. I have a sample that I LOVE! I’ve been looking for a gardenia… and although it is hardly a soliflore, it has a distinct gardenia facet. . . and, basically, I really like it… but we’ve got to somehow cover summer camps for the boys and so splurging on a FB right now is a bad idea! My other battle is blind buy… Acqua di Parma’s Magnolia Nobile. I really enjoy my Iris Nobile, and our magnolia tree out front is in full bloom… with some of the petals just starting to drop… and so I keep thinking that maybe the Magnolia Nobile will make it up to me once the bloom is off the tree… same problem. I need to stay away from FBs!
Can’t help with the Magnolia Nobile (their soliflores ARE pretty), but can you split a travel bottle of the Ylang 49? (I am thing of doing the same thing. Love the Ylang 49.)
No idea where to go to do a split on this, and have no talent for pouring and sealing perfume properly myself… But it may be a solution 🙂
They sell 3-packs of 10 ml travel bottles from their website. Hidden under “travel” just to make it harder to find, I’m convinced.
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…. found it. Hmmm… meet me at the splitmeet! Can’t split anything myself to save my life, but this I can master!
Oops. Missed the deadline. If you are really interested in a Le Labo travel size and want to work out a split, I’m at ann dot eisenberg at comcast dot net
This must be the worst talking out of buying ever!!! 🙂
Don’t blind buy Magnolia Nobile – reviews were mixed – check the NST review, for example. Also, there are two new magnolias from Grandiflora at Luckyscent – you’d want to sample those first. As for gardenia, don’t miss testing Parfums MDCI Nuit Andalouse, SL Une Voix Noire, Manoumalia, Jovoy Guardez-Moi and Aftelier Cuir Gardenia before you decide. (I guess there is a risk that further sampling will engender more lemmings, but I find it also leads to indecision and procrastination.)
I am totally lusting after Cuir gardenia, less as to fulfill that happy gardenia place in my heart than as a really exquisite leather… But it is even more expensive. I got a sample and managed to use up the entire thing in one sitting. The 2 ml mini at $55 scares me that it will be gone in a flash.
But you are right. I saw the launch of the two Grandifloras, and knew I should check them out. I have the magnolia fragrance in my mind, and it is a perfect, wet, sheer, a little stemmy, a little earthy, but mostly a knee-weakening white and purple magnolia…
I can help with the AdP–doesn’t their magnolia come in two slightly different iterations? Probably worth finding out which one you like better before you commit! Intelligence & Fantasy from A Beautiful Mind (Aedes has it) is a really nice magnolia, also.
Have you tried the magnolia Nobile?
Yes– I believe the one I tried is Magnolia Nobile edp (as opposed, I think, to the Acqua Nobile Magnolia edt), and I like it a lot–I’d say it’s really lovely even if there wasn’t necessarily a big “wow” factor? I think Nozknoz is right to point out that reviews were mixed, though–I got the impression that lots of people who loved the Iris Nobile were disappointed by the magnolia. Meanwhile I actually didn’t love the Iris Nobile, and preferred both the Magnolia Nobile and the recent Iris Nobile Sublime… Sort of hard to decode what that might mean for how you like the magnolia (or which of the magnolia options!), which is why it struck me as maybe worth tracking down samples.
I will not buy a full bottle. I will track down samples. I will look for both the EDP and EDT (I didn’t realize there were both!). That is my solemn promise. For now.
Thank you for your help. I really appreciate it!
Google “snowy owl bonanza” to find the Washington Post article that describes how feasting on a boom in the Arctic lemming population gave rise to what the largest snowy-owl irruption in at least a half-century.
Gosh, the story reads like an allegory about climate change politics in Congress… For now the owls are fat, but for how long as the snow grows soggier and soggier…especially liked the image of the owls feeding on the dolphin carcass. That can’t be a good thing in the long run..
But what are you thinking? Are we perfume-rabid victim lemmings, or adapting, fat, fluffy (ewe not fat, ewe fluffy?) snowy owls?