A repeat of a poll we did in 2011: tell us about your most-hated perfume, your most recent scrubber, nasty layering combinations you've discovered, perfumes you'd prefer to never smell again, or anything like.
Please, DO NOT read the comments if you're at all sensitive about your own perfume loves. Someone else is bound to hate them! If you do read, be gracious about other people's choices. This is meant to be lighthearted.
Note: image is Scented Soap [cropped] by Chris. P at flickr; some rights reserved.
Good afternoon Now Smell This!
On Monday afternoon I returned from my scented voyage to Milan. Esxence was beyond amazing. So many fascinating people and perfumes in one place is like a paradise.
The latest scrubber that I can remember include Masque Fragranze Montecristo and SL Laine de Verre.
On the other hand, today I’m wearing Corsica Furiosa, the upcoming release from Parfum d’Empire which I truly like. Too bad they’re changing the packaging, raising prices and giving up on 50ml size.
Always sorry to hear when a perfume house reduces bottle options! I don’t own any PdE, but I admire several of their scents! Much less likely to buy a big bottle these days–unless I am in total swoon!
Yes, and I find the new packaging to be more “modern” but less pretty. I liked those crown-like caps of Pd’E and now they’re changing them to some simple and bland ones…
I have 3 PdE in my collection, probably won’t have more. It kind of doesn’t feel right to have two different versions of bottles. That ruins the aesthetics…
Good to hear you enjoyed Milan 😀 Too bad about the new PdE bottles and prices. Now I regret not getting some Aziyade a couple months back, when I had access to it.
Dominika, and you don’t have access to it anymore?
Quality Missala in Warsaw still have 50ml in stock, until they’re taken by the brand.
Yay for scrubbers! Love how this topic got folks so animated last time. 🙂 (And for the record, if anyone thinks I’m crazy for disliking something, I’m not sensitive–go ahead and tell me so! 😀 )
Latest scrubber on me was earlier this week, and it’s a bit of a mystery! While in Vegas (so sad to be back in the cold and rain now), I tried several light, summer fragrances, including Ninfeo Mio, which had seemed pretty enough. But in Vegas, mixed with sunscreen, etc., I got this overwhelming dill pickle/vinegar note! Horrible!
Now, though, back in Oregon, I’ve just put another dab on my hand and we’re right back to pretty, light fig and citrus!? Very odd. Of course, it does me no good to find a nice summer scent that does horrible things in the heat! Only reassurance that I didn’t just have sunstroke or something is that I notice the old review mentions a “urinous” note mentioned by some!
I’ve never tried Ninfeo Mio, but do you think it was reacting to the heat or to the sunscreen? Was the sunscreen chemical? I’ve given up on chemical sunscreens because they all seemed to have a smell that drove me nuts.
Good question–I have no idea!
I am exceptionally fair skinned–freckle more than I tan–so without sunscreen I’d be a lobster in less than an hour in the desert! I’m not a big sun-bather, but I *do* like to heat up now and again. Thankfully, the Nutrogena sunscreen I use doesn’t have much of a smell at all.
Now I want to give Ninfeo Mio a more thorough testing–I have a vague recollection of that thinking it smelled sour on paper is why I didn’t put it on skin!
Ha, that’s what I thought too about Ninfeo Mio! I pretty much never test on skin in store and trying this several times never moved me to even seek out a sample.
It’s clearly a shape-shifter of a scent! It really surprised me HOW different the two experiences are, though! Hopefully you’ll get green fig and citrus and NOT dill pickle and urine!
I just flat-out hated Ninfeo Mio (got a decant in a swap and tried it several times,) so I’d be happy to encourage you to just leave it alone!
Yeah. It’s probably gonna head into my sample storage to be ignored for a while.
I do think it’s that boxwood note. Sometimes I notice it more than others.
Odd how overwhelming it can be!
Oh dear. Boxwood is one of my favourite scent memories from childhood, and Ninfeo Mio is on my wish list of infinity. That note is definitely not common. Geez, does this indicate I like the smell of urine?
Ha! Being a Ninfeo Mio fan I now have to wonder the same thing.
I’ve not worn it in hot hot heat, so my feelings towards it may wane come this summer. With the lavender note I find it to be a very relaxing scent for me.
I haven’t tried it yet, but I appreciate your input. My childhood boxwood scent memory includes a wet standard poodle and a chlorinated pool, so I’m apparently not a reliable advocate for anything.
I don’t know, but I love NM too 🙂
So it will remain on the STC wish list of infinity. Thanks, Robin.
M Rose its great to hear that not everyone loves N.M. I just find it bitter. End of story.
Fico de Amalfi by Aqua di Parma smelled strongly like sweat after a short while of freshness on me. Your experience with Ninfeo Mio sounds somewhat similar.
Interesting! I own and enjoy Fico di Amalfi, and that is partly why I thought I’d like Ninfeo Mio. I wonder if it’s the dreaded grapefruit=sweat thing that some people talk about?
Wait. Grapefruit = sweat? My self-esteem is rapidly going downhill.
I got dill pickle from AG Mandragore. Horrible. Now I am very reluctant to get close to any AG fragrance…
On me it was citrusy and I found it to be a waste of a really good perfume name.
I remember disliking Mandragore, but I can’t recall why. . . maybe it was the dill pickle! And yes, a great name.
Need to put in a good word for poor Ninfeo Mio after this pile-up! It’s certainly tart, but I’ve never noticed a dill pickle effect. I don’t doubt the sunscreen had something to do with it.
Off topic but hoping for some advice…
Hermes Doblis… who’s tried it? Is it truly a must-try-before-you-die scent for lovers for CdR? I haven’t really found any other leathers that I love, so I’m not sure it’s worth the $$$$ to try Doblis. Also, if I try it, should I get the parfum? edc? I see that STC sells it by the quarter ml. I’m thinking that if it’s worth sniffing, that’s probably the best route to go, right? Or can anyone rec a reliable source for a smidge sample?
Go to Perfume Posse and ask the Fairy Godmother :-). I’m now curious about this one!
This has totally piqued my curiosity now too! Do report back if you get a chance to smell it!
An unopened bottle of Doblis fetched about £5,000 in an auction in London a few years ago. I have tried it and adore it! It’s not for those who love a pretty and office-friendly fragrance, that’s for certain.
Yes it is terribly expensive, that is for sure. Can you describe your jmpressions? Did you try the edc or parfum?
I have the parfum. Mine is quite old, so the top notes have gone. I mostly detect the leather, coriander and oakmoss and rose notes. It packs quite a punch at first, but the dry down is smooth and almost powdery. I always liken it to buttery soft, chypre infused napa leather gloves.
And ps- I am definitely only in the market for the smallest sample so I am not sure which would be worse: if I was to appreciate its beauty or hate it. I think I will be sad is doblis turns out to be a scrubber… in my mind, I have turned it into the ultimate perfume to covet, a beauty beyond all others. If it is not the most beautiful perfume ever, something will have been lost.
I have a sample of Doblis. It is a truly wonderful leather. OTOH, it is basically unattainable (aside from these tiny samples), so you have to balance curiosity against how much you can stand to be tantalized. Then again, you might not care for it – one never knows!
You might get lucky on one of the Facebook groups.
Vagabond Price Enchanted Forest. Sprayed at Bendel’s on the way to meet friends for a drink, and it was juicy fun at the top, but by the time I arrived at my destination, I actually had to apologize for how aggressively bad I smelled. I know lots of folks love it though, so I am glad it works better on others!
It wasn’t a quiet scent, that’s for sure!
Don’t like this one either!
/ scent-twin high-five! /
Ugh. That one. Like the cat peed on my arm.
I reviewed Profumum’s Confetto back in January… and I’m about to take my watch to the jeweler for a new watchband, because I got some Confetto on it and it still stinks so badly of cheap vanilla-musk that I can’t wear the watch without feeling nauseated.
Hahahaha, I think you are in the lead for best/worst scrubber! Wow, months later!
I had clumsily spilled part of a vial on my wrist, shirt cuff, and the edge of the table. I did literally have to scrub the table!! and wash the shirt. Wow, this stuff is tenacious…
Spilled a sample vial of OJ Woman in the powder room. Not only did I have to toss the kleenex box it touched, but the affected countertop & floor reeked for weeks. Finally had to set out saucers of baking soda to get rid of the tenacious “drydown”. It was a long, long time before I could face violet again.
I can relate. When I had my store, I dropped an entire 2 oz bottle of pure Cinnamon essential oil on the carpet. It never went away.
lol. I adore it though.
And on the topic of scrubbers: I’m a total Chanel fan girl, and maybe I just tried it on the wrong day, but Chanel 18 was a total scrubber on me.
Strangely, I often to feel the need to try scrubbers again and again and again. There’s often something that REALLY works for me in them, paired with something that is TOTALLY OFF. That strange combo is often the difference between a scrubber and just a meh scent. Meh scents are 100% not for me. Scrubbers are often things that should work, or almost work, but then fail with epic proportions.
I also disliked 18.
That’s a good point – *I* retry scrubbers because I feel that if others love them so, I should figure out what’s lovable about them! Sometimes, though, I just can’t.
It’s easy to think maybe you’re just not *getting* a scent, isn’t it? And then, since once in a while, our perceptions change, we are rewarded for our tenacious retesting of horrible things!
Absolutely true
Yes, very true!
I retry scrubbers, too. My tastes change and my nose has developed over time and now I adore things I previously didn’t like. The biggest, weirdest change is that after chemo I began to appreciate and even like aldehydes. I can wear No.5 now! I’m still not down with indolic jasmine but maybe someday….
Oh I do that too. I think that perhaps my nose is “wrong” as everyone else gets this or that so why don’t I? Even though I might hate it, I keep grimly trying hoping something will change!
I’ve got an OT advice request as well: does anyone have recs for fragrances similar to the Marchesa?
A friend is looking to move on from her college-era bottle of Issey Miyake, and the Marchesa was her favorite in the sample grab bag I sent her, so I wanted to send her another round of things in that general ballpark. I see Angela’s review mentions NR Essence (thanks Angela!) and I thought of Cartier La Panthere as well, and perhaps some of the Toccas? On the higher end I also thought of Mimosa Pour Moi and L’Eau d’Hiver. Would love hear any other ideas you guys have!
Marchesa reminds me of old fashioned cosmetics (in a good way) so the first things I thought of were Love Chloe which has that face powder feel and Putain de Palaces.
Oh perfect–you know I’d vaguely thought of the Chloes but couldn’t remember which one. Thanks Poodle!
Hope this isn’t too late…it reminds me of Après L’Ondee. I think it’s the violet in a really light scent. Another one is Atelier Cologne’s Sous le Toit Paris, but it’s a bit heavier. It has pretty good longevity though. Jo Malone French Lime Blossom seems to be along the same theme even though the notes don’t exactly line up. (Love, love, love that one for springtime.)
Haha. I don’t mind if someone thinks one of my frags is a scrubber. Differences make the world more interesting. The only scrubber I have ever come across is Carons Muguet de Bonheur. Starts out ok, but after a few minutes I smell like I’ve soiled myself. I would be embarrassed to wear this one in public!
Hahaha also hilarious. LOTV, so hit or miss!
Isn’t that the truth. I adore the flower, but have yet to find a frag that does it justice.
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Diorissimo. I wore it a few days ago to compare it with Muguet de Bois. It was an evil, cloudy, nauseating jasmine bomb. I had a terrible headache afterward. It’s EDT, purchased new from Saks in 2012. I’m so disappointed.
Ay, this is such a tough one because there are def people who really like the contemporary version (and they should maybe stop reading here!) but I totally can’t wear it either…and by contrast, I find the vintage version a total dream, I sort of can’t shut up about it 🙂
I can’t believe it either 😯
On the other hand, have not tried a new bottle in years, and don’t intend to.
I heard the new formulation was pretty nasty. I still vote for the Van Cleef and Arpels for the all-time most horrid LTOV. That was a scrubber from my to NYC.
Thank you for the offer. I already ordered one online.
Sorry, that should have been a response to Sally below.
Ugh I agree with you. I found the new version to be a hideous thing. I have 2 bottles of vintage and they are a totally different story. I’d be happy to send you a sample if that’s not out of order here.
Martin Margiela’s Flower Market! I was really hoping for that freah flower shop smell, but ended up with eau d’old lady… and a migraine from the peony/rose onslaught. Worse thing was, it lingered on after repeated scrubbings!
It was back to Sephora within 24 hours of receiving it. The search for a wearable floral continues…
Oh dear! At least the returns are easy.
Oh no! Sorry that didn’t work out. Money saved though:)
Oh Merlin! Speaking of MMM–I just added a little note amending my rec for Jazz Club on the Gold Leather thread. I tried it on skin today, and it’s a lot less boozy than it was on paper, a development I found rather disappointing. It’s more like Eau de Baux or Spicebomb, I think–not what I’m in the market for, but then, others may feel differently. Anyway just want to make sure you had the latest! 🙂
Thanks for the update CH! It does sound a little less exciting now, (though i do like Eau de Baux). I don’t think I’m currently in the market for anything of that tone!
Same–I think Eau des Baux smells great, but the fact is, I wouldn’t wear it regularly enough to justify a bottle, so I definitely don’t need a second version!
Even more money saved, then, as I was originally quite interested in Jazz Club!
It’s SO close to Spicebomb. And more expensive! Yikes.
One “SCRUBBER” I can think of is, BURBERRY WEEKEND FOR MEN, YUCK!
This is an antiseptic, mixed with powdery scent; not even near elegant, or wearable to me…not even for casual wear.
Lol! Its definitely not a winner brand for me – but I did recently come across their London for men and was quite taken (as if I need another man’s fragrance in my collection!)
Burberry sucks all around to me!
Yeah that Burberry Weekend men’s one IS a Yucky face label one for sure ! Starts out like the appley opening of Cool Water men’s then it turns on you and you smells like you went to use the restroom while in flight — and then hit Turbulence .
Jeux de Peau – it was heinous. Smelling it from my sample vial, I’m not opposed, but when it was on skin, I hated it. My husband liked it on me, which was odd, because we usually agree. I want to try it again, but I’m scared!
Haha, more for me!! Or, maybe we should try it together? Because it just smells deliciously salty to me, which I -know- is not how it smells so everyone, so I’m a little scared that I’m anosmic to some very strong facet of it?? Could use a second opinion! 🙂
I really liked the sample of Jeux de Peau I tried, but boy do I relate to hating something that others adore. Me? I can not stand the smell of the classic Chanel #5. As in no way, no formula, on myself OR on others. I hate it. I keep telling myself I should like it, it’s a classic for a reason, but time after time I just can’t. So now that I’ve actually posted for all to read that I HATE #5, will I be shunned on NST?
I used to hate it too. Now I like it for some reason. I think there are just as many people who hate it as there are those who love it.
I’m not a big fan of #5 either (I get a wasp spray vibe), but I actually like Eau Premiere.
Not a fan of Jeux de Peau, either. Too sweet, and that odd, buttery quality–makes me think I need to scour my nostrils out to keep the grease from clogging them!
Haha, to me Jeux de Peau = buttery popcorn in the beginning stages… I didn’t hate it exactly, I was more intrigued, but it’s not really something I feel the need to own and wear on a regular basis.
Buttery popcorn? Must investigate…
I’ve often thought that movie popcorn smell resembles the smell of urine. . . Bleck!
I don’t like the movie theater stuff either but I do like the smell when I make it at home with real butter.
I had never tried any SL’s and when I saw them at Sephora, in my zeal I sprayed it on my wrist. Huge. Mistake. It was like someone had distilled and then aged the “stale popcorn/rancid butter” aroma of a Cineplex and then showered me with it! Even the SA remarked on it, lol. My first scrubber, but it sounds really nice on others, I’m jealous!
Wait! Sephora has Serge Lutens? Where have I been?
Not in the US. I saw them in France. If you look at the bottom of their website you will find a link to go to international locations. It might make you cry though. In addition to brands they don’t sell here they carry a much better selection of the ones we’re used to. They have Après L’Ondee, Mitsouko, Diorissimo, etc.
I was surprised too! Here in Toronto, Sephora received about 10 of them around Christmas, but they are almost all gone now! (Except for the L’aine de verre and a couple other ones, lol) As far as I know, they aren’t available anywhere else in the city, so I’m thinking maybe Sephora did an little regional experiment to see how well they might do?
JdeP makes me a little queasy. The buttery scent is just too heavy for me. I am however starting to like Santal Majuscal which initially I found too close to J de P…
So funny, I just put on Majascule for the first time tonight (received some in the swap). Reads very similar to JdP. It’s not a scrubber, not a winner, but…interesting…
Yep, another Serge I don’t like, I dislike several of his actually.
I got walking into the Karmel Korn end of the mall. Ugh!
Thanks, Rappleyea. Any mention of a mall is enough for me. I seriously haven’t been in one for years. Something happens to me in them: I become like one of those squirrels in the road who SHOULD be used to traffic but nonetheless pauses in the middle of the street twitching and seemingly wondering where to go.
Me too!! I can’t even remember the last time I went to a mall. Seriously, at least ten or more years!
ha, not sensitive if others hate my faves. The new La Panthere was a scrubber–found it unpleasantly dried-fruity, without any chypre facet (it’s listed as a chypre floral on Fragrantica). Didn’t get any woody notes either.
Love the soap photo.
A scrubber for me too, but for different reasons… it immediately turned to straight musk on me. No woody notes or dried-fruitiness on this wrist!
L’Artisan Vanille Absolument- It was a blind buy as I am a lover of all things vanilla. But not THIS vanilla! Lesson learned. Hopefully, I can find someone to take it off my hands because just looking at the bottle makes me heave =(
I’m on your side. I loved their previous (now of course discontinued) vanilla, Vanilia, and still wear it regularly, but Vanille Absolument is just a nightmare: huge and thick and suffocating.
Isn’t that the new name for Havana Vanille? I was so excited when it came out and put myself on a waitlist for a FB. Luckily a friend gave me a couple of samples and I hated it. I’m not sure exactly what I dislike about it and I’ve tested it several more times and I just don’t like it.
If that’s the one I’m thinking of (used to be Havana Vanille?), I didn’t like that one either. It went all weird and plasticky on me, like Eau de Doll Head. I was not pleased.
So, definitely no blind buying. Thanks all–I’d only heard great things.
Ha, love that one!
If I’m remembering correctly you don’t usually care for vanillas, do you? I think we are evil scent twins!
I like a few — this one, the Guerlain Double whateveritscalled. But it’s not my favorite scent category!
SL Miel for me….total cat pee!!!! And Secretions of course…made me gaggy
I love JdPeau though! I love it when the rose shows up I. The dry down
There’s rose in there? I love rose! Hmm, maybe I will have to try it again. Gulp…
I don’t get the cat pee from Miel de Bois so of course I love it in a completely unhinged way. I also love the sandalwood bakery smell of Jeux de Peau. The one thing about most Lutenses: you can tell they’re his because nobody else is so strange.
I hate this one, smells like rodent cage, no joke, it’s like I am at Petsmart.
I love it, but also admit it’s cat pee, for a time.
I’m with you on both hating Miel de Bois and loving Jeux de Peau.
My worst scrubbers are La Vie est Belle, Candy and others of that ilk. I know some people find them pretty, but they make me feel quite queasy. And does anyone else have the feeling that longevity is directly proportional to hatred? I couldn’t shake off those sickly stinks.
By the way, I’m not a bit sensitive to criticisms of my favourite perfumes – and that goes for just about everything!
I tried La Vie est Belle on my skin a few days ago — I figured, well, Lancôme, how bad can it be? VERY BAD is the answer. Hideous. Unspeakable. Just another fruity floral among thousands, and still somehow worse than most of them.
Gosh, I HATE Le Vie..yes, there is actual disdain for this one.
Oh, exactly. It’s kind of fascinating, because it’s so much like everything else, and yet just terrible.
It was weird.. when I tried La Vie est Belle, it actually kind of made me angry. Not sure why, I guess it was just that aggressively boring that I felt provoked. lol
I have the same reaction to LVEB. I think it’s because I am repelled by Julia Roberts, and also because of the way it smells.
It made me sad. Manifesto was so interesting, & bombed, & LVeB is so not interesting… and it’s a huge success.
Manifesto, as in Yves St Laurent?
SO sorry…brain freeze. I meant Lancome Magnifique!
Yes. Me too. I also have this reaction to Marchesa’s Parfum d’Extase, and Isaac Mizrahi’s Fabulous.
“Longevity seems directly proportional to hatred” It does!! I’ve often wondered when something is hideous why is takes almost a dermal abrasion to even begin to get rid of it. I’m beginning to think that companies know the frag is evil so they make it last longer in the vain hope that after time we’ll give in and think its not so bad after all.
Sonoma Scent Studio’s Rose Musc produces a very strange and persistent ‘raw onion’ smell on me. This has happened not once, but twice. My husband swears he only smells rose, but to me the onion is immediate and very strong. I have generally positive experiences with SSS fragrances, and I am at a loss to explain Rose Musc’s bizarre transformation on my skin, which sends me running toward the soapdish.
Ack! Raw onion is NOT a good fragrance–I love eating onions!
Eating vs. wearing onions = the winner is undisputed! 🙂
I adore several SSS scents but Fireside Intense smells like an electrical burn-out to me:)
Eeep! Eau de Blown Fuse! 🙂
I’d forgotten that I had to scrub this one. Your electrical burn-out translated to meat cooking on a barbeque to me. And I’m a vegetarian! 😛
Lonestar Memories smells that way to me. And makes me WANT to be a vegetarian. I can’t imagine wearing it as a perfume. But I know lots of people looooooove wearing it!
Yeah, and combined with the sweetness of his base, that one left me a bit queasy! I generally keep that to myself as like you say, it has a lot of fans.
Chetoes and nail polisher remover on me.
What offended my vegetarian sensibilities was Voice of Reason! Hideous. On the other hand I quite like the barbecue feel of Lonestar Memories:)
Oh thanks for the anti-rec. See above for LM comment. 😉
I enjoy a little smoke and barbeque, like in the original Fireside. But the Intense version went beyond smokey; I felt like I had my nose stuck into a big ole slab of ribs!
Tried Hard Leather this week. I know everyone is swooning over the animalic qualities of this one. I wanted to smell that part of it. Sadly, all I got was a hot chemical mess. It was sharp and smelled a lot like rubbing alcohol or disinfectants. I’m guessing it’s the norlimbanol which was mentioned in a review of it. Totally nasty. Nothing sexy about it on me. I had to scrub because it was stinging the nostrils.
On a side note I was in TJ Maxx yesterday and saw a gift set on clearance. Someone had obviously stolen the purse spray in it but the big bottle was there. Estée Lauder Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia 30ml for $20. The big white floral lover in me is very happy.
Score! On Hard Leather – I’m now afraid to try it 😉
I’m not really interested in trying it. LM Parfums usually don’t work for me.
You haven’t tried it? I’ll send you a bit. Maybe you’ll love it. Of course I’ll try it again because I’m a glutton for punishment and I always think something will change and I’ll love it. Not likely but I always think it will work.
I have a decant of it 😉
Yeah, I’ve seen a few bottles of Tuberose Gardenia at Marshall’s, too. I’m guessing it’s not my thing, since Tuberose is not my favorite note, but I nearly bought one just for the swapping/sharing.
It’s really more of a gardenia than a tuberose. I love it. It comes closer to a Billie Holliday gardenia than anything I’ve smelled.
Sigh, America is the promised land – Tuberose Gardenia for $20? What a score! MRose, Tuberose Gardenia is as much about gardenia as tuberose – and very pretty. I would offer to buy it from you if you didn’t like it – but with the cost and complications of postage it would not make any sense!
That is a score! Not big on tuberose or gardenia..but this one has a spiciness I really like.
Merlin, I don’t usually get that lucky in there. Now if I wanted a Paris Hilton scent I could buy enough to fill the tub. I go in to scan the shelves somewhat regularly since it’s right next to the grocery store. Once in a great while I score. Usually I walk out empty handed.
All worth if for the occasional jackpot:))
No waayyy. Which TJ Maxx was that?
Northboro. It was the only one I saw.
I saw two boxes at the Roth’s (or was it Marshall’s?) on the Vegas strip earlier this week.
That was meant to say Ross of course. . .
I need to go to Marshall’s and see what they’ve got. Not that I need anything else…
Any Paco Robanne, especially 1 million, nasty, loud, screechy and man does that stuff last.
Bottega Venetta pour homme, to much pine and fir. Don’t really need to smell like a Christmas tree in March. Shame really as I was looking forward to this one as the ladies was so lovely.
Lady Million is dreadful. Oddly I don’t mind 1 Million, but I like loud, obnoxious (or should I say noxious) scents sometimes. I like it on me but I don’t think I’d want my hubband to smell like it.
I love the Bottega Veneta for women (it’s at the top of my FB wish list) but haven’t smelled the men’s version. How does it differ? Most of the listed notes are fairly similar if I recall correctly.
Btw though, I love the smell of pine trees/ sap (reminds me of camping) so maybe I’d like it.
Extatic by Pierre Balmain! I hate it.
I tried it recently from the sample bottle I received from my purchase of Elie Saab’s L’eau Couture (which I absolutely adore btw :))
Oh my gosh, the cheap plastic-eggy-over the top sweetness. I just could not deal. Worse part of all, like all scrubbers, it tends to have the most amazing sillage and staying power.
Sorry. No can do.
Gosh. Pine and fir sound good to me! Might have to give that one a try. . .
Scrubbers galore… I’ve had so many lately. Anything and everything by Ayala Moriel and Opus Oils. They’ve put me off trying other natural, “organic” fragrances. Somehow they all ended up smelling the same in the dry down. The ones I’ve tried had rave reviews from others, so I know it’s just me and my off-key tastes 😛
I forgot to add SL SL Laine de Verre! It’s Lemon Pledge!!! Nooooo! I’m a huge SL fan and have many in my collection, so it was alarming.
I have an embarrassing number of Lutenses in my collection, too (thirteen, I think?), but he CANNOT do fresh. I mean, he shouldn’t anyway, but he can’t. Interesting florals, mysterious woods, and Orientalia, yes, but not fresh. The first two Eaux were utterly worthless (I know not everybody agrees with me on that), and I doubt I’ll ever even smell Verre de Laine because I know it won’t be any better.
It’s pointless in my opinion. I got the free sample from SL, and no matter how much I’ve tried to pass it on to someone, no one has come forward.
I seem to be the only fume head who loves the first Eau. It is a subtle mixture of magnolia mint and waterlilly. Unlike most sheer scents, it evolves over time. Perhaps one hot August day, you will stop hating your samples.
As for the Verre du Laine, I have not tried it, but the name basically means building insulation, a substance which I am trained to think of as toxic and should never be breathed in, or even be breathed around, without a mask. Not a good association for a perfume
thegoddessrena and I made it to Barneys before it closed. The SL SA pushed a sample of Laine de Verre on me. I’ll try it when I have skin time which is probably a few years away since a I have a ton of other samples to try 🙂
Well … no, it’s not just you. It’s at least you + 1 concerning the Ayala Moriel perfumes. I don’t think I ever even got to a dry down as the longevity and sillage on me are minimal. As in nonexistent. I have a couple, Film Noir and Espionage that last longer as they have more base notes, but unfortunately I don’t like them. I have seriously debated just taking all my itty bitty samples and creating my own scrubber. 🙂
Or a stink bomb lol
Or just a dreary stink dud 🙂
Hello Perfume Friends! Long time, no see – life keeps getting in my way.
I’ve been scrubbing Kenzo Jungle l’Elephant for a few years now. I have a FB that I won in an auction for an animal rescue group. It was sealed and unsniffed but the listed notes looked like everything I like and it was for a good cause. I tried it again this week to see if maybe I can learn to appreciate it and again the nostril burning blast of rough patchouli and a thousand pounds of prunes sent me running for the Tide. I think fruitchoulis and I just don’t get along.
Jungle was a scrubber on me, too–I get this stomach turning banana note from it. I keep trying it as well, as the notes sound like it should be just my thing.
I always think that one would be something I’d like and I’ve almost gone so far as to blind buy it. Then I read things like this and I’m glad I didn’t do that.
I have always wanted to try that one because I love cardamom and keep hearing it listed as one of the ultimate cardamom/spicy scents. What did you think of the spices in it? Were they too much?
I love spice (I’m wearing Un Crime Exotique today) but I did not find the spices prominent in JE. I get a sweet, rotting banana smell on a base of patch and scrub it off before it devours me.
Has Crime Exotique been discontinued? I have a couple of samples from lucky but I can’t find a bottle anywhere.
Yes. It’s killing me that I didn’t buy it when I discovered it, last fall at the Scent Bar. Whyyyyy? Aus Liebe Zum Duft in Germany has it, for twice its original retail price; and The Perfume Shoppe has it listed online as for sale, but it is a lie.
An ingredient must have become inaccessible or something, because PG is a huge line, and that is NOT the first one anyone would have cut.
I don’t get cardamom which is a note I like quite a bit. My favorite cardamom scents are Nanadebary (original pink) and Fifi Chachinil which has the cutest bottle ever. When I was a little girl I wanted desperately to live inside I Dream of Jeannie’s bottle but the closest I got was a bottle dollhouse. Fifi’s bottle reminds me of that.
OMG! One of my favorites! If I died while wearing this, I would not be unhappy about it. On me, it a huge spicy, sweet, languorous cloud of exotic day tripping, nighttime fantasizing festival of swirling colors and moods. I think it makes me high 😉
Deva, if your comments are about Jungle Elephant, I second them. This is one of my favorite fragrances, but is definitely not for everyone. It is a powerhouse and should be sprayed judiciously or you can clear a city block! To me, it’s very spicy and exciting and reminds me of Christmas smells. I don’t get any banana. It is a perfume that lifts my spirits — definitely happy juice. I get lots of compliments, too, when I wear it. I smell cardamom, ginger, more spices and stewed fruits. It’s very rich and very boozy, like a spiced cognac.
Great to see you back here, Julia! I hope you’re doing well.
Seconded!
Thank you!
I just tried it this week, and it wasn’t a scrubber, but wasn’t what I expected at all. Very fruity/raisin-y, not very spicy.
I am actually wearing Jungle l’Elephant today, probably for the last time until next winter. It is both fruity and spicy and I love it, but only in cold weather. In warm weather it is a it of a scrubber, since I simply can’t wear heavy scents in warm weather. Time to break out the aromatics and citruses.
Hi Julia,
glad to see you back here. Is everything OK with your health?
Donna Karan Cashmere Mist. Horrible!!! Overwhelming sickly funeral flowers. My first scrubber! So repulsive.
I do think it’s interesting how much a person’s body chemistry affects the scent. I bought a sample of Comme des Garçons Play Black for my boyfriend. It smells amazing him but on me it smells like a spice drawer. Not a scrubber, and not unpleasant, but none of the tea, violet or incense that shows up on him!
Totally agree to Cashmere Mist! It’s very unpleasant.
I think it’s horrid as well. Very chemical.
Joining the club disliking CM. I blind bought and then swapped my bottle away several years ago. Yuck.
It wasn’t quite a scrubber on me, but it wasn’t the be-all, end-all that I’d been told about. The dry down was nice, pity about the rest of it.
I love Black Cashmere, but not Cashmere Mist. I thought I had made a big score by buying Black Cashmere for a modest price on line, but when I received the package it was just Cashmere Mist. Since the price was modest, rather than going through the hassle of returning it, I am saving it for a “Toys for Tots” donation next holdiay season. (Not all of the kids whose folks are having a hard time, are tots after all. I assume some families include young teenagers, who might appreciate an “adult” gift)
Bad surprise but a happy ending! I bought Jungle l’Elephant as an auction item to benefit an animal shelter and many organizations need premiums for donors during fundraising season such as your local college radio station.
Oh so many scrubbers in my attempts to smell as much as possible. What’s interesting to me is that they are all over the map–it’s not just one or two notes I hate, or entire genres, but particular scents. It makes blind-buying a bad idea for me, even if the notes sound enticing. The most recent scrubbers:
Prada Candy-it smelled so synthetic, and too young for me.
Chanel Coromandel-could not deal with that white chocolate note.
Heure Exquise-turns out I hate the galbanum in this and I don’t smell enough iris to offset it.
What We Do In Paris Is Secret-couldn’t wash it off fast enough!
House of Matriarch Blackbird-asphalt through and through
I loved Candy at first but then it went all synthetic on my skin too. I’m glad I’m not the only one.
Hi Foxbins! Maybe we are perfect evil scent twins!!! I like everything you listed as scrubbers (except for Blackbird which I have never tried).
It certainly seems like it, doesn’t it, given our exchanges in the swapmeets! I can send you the remainder of my Blackbird if you’d like to try some.
Emailing you Foxbins!
Right there with you on Candy and Coromandel! This may be TMI, but when I wear Candy, I keep thinking I’ve gone too long without a shower – you could say it’s a “skin scent” on me, but not in a good way.
And Coromandel was a scrubber I didn’t scrub off, and the next morning, I awoke to the most beautiful patch base. But not good enough to struggle through the top & middle again!
Still trying to decide on Heure Exquise. It wasn’t what I thought it would be, that’s for sure.
1. Poison
2. Eternity
3. With Love…Hilary Duff
4. J’Adore in its most recent configuration
5. Oscar de la Renta
6. Obsession
7. Versace Blonde
8. Womanity
9. Michael Michael Kors
10. L’Air Nina Ricci
11. L de Lolita
12. Amarige
13. Estee
These are certainly not the worst perfumes of all time. Perfumistas will recognize a theme here. I can’t stand big white flower scents or tons of vanilla. Some of the above are urinous.
I detested the original Poison. Taking leave of my senses for some reason, I bought a 100ml bottle unsniffed and had to give it away to my very grateful sister-in -law.
Lucky sis n law!
Wasn’t she? Of course, if forums like this had existed then (early 80s), I would have swapped it and and the whole episode would have been less tragic (and costly) 🙂
These will have to go on my to-be-smelled list. I love big white florals and tons of vanilla!
Hilary Duff’s was awful to me too.
No scrubber has yet to match Lys Mediteranee–it is the only one to ever make me nauseous and panicky and want to saw my arm off (a major big deal since I’m a massage therapist)
My most recent scrubber was Omnia Indian Garnet–I simply despised the blatantly synthetic opening, which lasted more than an hour on me until I could get home and thoroughly scrub it off. Next time that I’m in that mall, I’ll swing by Hermes if I need to randomly spray something on skin
I think it’s impossible to find a scrubber in the Hermes collection – although somebody will probably pop up and prove me wrong.
In fact, my most recent scrubber was Kelly Caleche. I love Caleche so much, and I was curious to try Kelly. Ugh, awful. I sprayed it on skin at an airport duty-free shop, so I washed it off in the airport as best I could, but I still smelled like it the entire plane ride. Horrible.
Totally with you on the Kelly Caleche. On me it gets screechily chalky. Very offputting. It is present in Jour d’Hermes as well.
I should have known better…
Goddess: I was considering adding Lys to my list but decided that it’s not a bad perfume just extremely strong and lasting, and not at all the seaside aquatic that I long for. I would, however, like to add:
14. White Diamonds
15. Beautiful
16. Poeme
Please send all Beautiful and Poemes to moi:). White Diamonds you can keep lol.
I hate White Diamonds, Angel, Coco, and Coco Noir. There are other perfumes that only annoy me, but the fragrances listed above are repulsive.
I like Lys Med at first, but the aquatic note keeps growing and growing and growing until I have to get it off!
SL Fleurs d’Oranger. On me it smells like that moment in the Dollar Tree when you realize that all the merchandise might have been stored somewhere that heavy insecticides were necessary and deployed with abandon, and perhaps the overly scented potpourri, candles, vinyl dolls and cleaning products are a type of scent camouflage. To overcome this discomfort, and annihilate all previous memories of this having happened each time you go to the store, you open a bag of assorted candies and eat a sugar-free generic orange gummy something.
And Cape Heartache. I guess I was envisioning a picnic on the set of The Sound of Music. Why I imagined that evergreens would somehow brighten the strawberry note is beyond me.
Oh, Fleurs d’Oranger! I didn’t scrub it, but on me it smelled like a taco (from the cumin) sitting next to a glass of Tang. So disappointing.
Oh, thank goodness there’s one person I haven’t offended! Lol, I love your image. Perhaps there could be a luncheonette in the Dollar Tree serving tacos and Tang. And yes, disappointed was how I felt as I had great expectations. I’m one of the few people who adore orange blossom and don’t associate it with laundry products.
Oh, Holly! You really need to submit your Fd’O description to the Prix Eau Faux contest! You have me ROTFL!! Thank you!!
2nd this! Had to read it aloud to the DH. 🙂
Aw, thanks. I suspect I would be disqualified and deleted immediately if I were to submit anything. I noticed there were a couple of comments stating “smelled like I soiled myself” and I would never have come up with something that appropriate. Eau Soiled Myself! doesn’t have the same oomph! as Eau (something else.)
Most recently, the closest to a scrubber that I have tried is Tauer Eau d’Epices. The notes sounded amazing, but then it did pretty much what Tauer Orange Star did on my skin-I got mostly artificial orange bathroom cleaner trying to cover up something I probably did not care to investigate too much further 🙁 It makes me wonder if all Tauer perfumes will do this on my skin, which makes me very sad!
Don’t despair yukiej! I haven’t tried Eau d’Epices, but it sounds like we had a similar experience with Orange Star, it was a sudsy orange cleaner mess on me too. But I loved Un Rose Chypree, have you tried that one yet? No cleaner soap problem with it at all, just beautiful. Don’t give up on him yet 🙂
I have not tried any other Tauer perfumes, but the ones I am most tempted by are Un Rose Chypree and Phi un Rose de Kandaher, so I am glad that there might still be hope 🙂 Thanks!
After Une Rose Chypre, I also really want to try Phi un Rose de Kandahar, in fact all his roses!
You mention two of my three Tauers, (Zeta being #3) and I don’t like L’eau d’Epices, either! And Andy has several scents that are fascinating to me, but I don’t want to wear them.
Oh, now I liked Eau d’Epices but couldn’ tSTAND Orange Star.
I got a sample of this in a Tauer sample pack- sounded right up my alley as I love me some spice and I figured it would have a little of the trademark incense as well. I spritzed once, ’cause you know you need to start slowly with Tauer’s scents, and I got …NOTHING! I waited 15 minutes and added a second spritz and again, I got NOTHING! I eventually used the entire sampler and never got a thing. So ODD! His PHI Un Rose de Kandahar is in my top 5. I just finished the sample and have a FB waiting…but I find I cannot, just cannot, break the seal! So ODD!
That is quite odd! I can’t believe you got nothing from Eau d’epices 🙂 I probably would have preferred nothing, to be honest. I will have to definitely try Phi un Rose de Kandahar.
Do try it while its available! Un Rose Chypre, as mentioned above, is wonderful as well and I would buy a FB in heartbeat if I had the wherewithal. I used to HATE rose fragrances…until Tauer.
I can’t wear any Tauer scents either. They can smell good on a scent strip, but the moment they touch my skin is a disaster!
I haven’t actually had that many that were outright scrubbers. However, these were notable failures:
1. SL Arabie – I’m generally a fan, but this one made me feel like I had spilled Indian food on myself.
2. Secretions Magnifiques – a dab on the back of my hand started out rancid aromachemicals, then segued to “some perv molested my hand”. Gross and uncomfortable, and that was probably the point.
3. FM Noir Epices – drydown smelled like burning electrical equipment. I was driving away from the Galleria, and it made me think something was wrong with my car until I realized that smell was me.
4. FM Dans Tes Bras – cucumbers and wood varnish. Ick.
5. AG Folavril – green beans with a hint of wet dog.
Just laughing. Thanks!
Didn’t like Epices either.
(Cracking up!)
These scrubber stories are actually quite fun to read.
Jo Malone’s next fragrance: Green Bean and Wet Dog!
hahahahahaha!! That was a tea spitter …
Hilarious list. I’d say I’d agree with you about the SM – I was expecting it to smell vile, but not so – well – realistic…
Molecule #1 smells dull and evil on me, definitely don’t want this scent to be around…likewise Cashmere Mist (only dull) as already said above.
Longtime ago scrubbers to me were Roma (degrading bodies) and Lancaster in the black box (rancid vanilla-butter).
Molecule 01 is basically straight-up Iso E Super, which is in so many perfumes these days. For example, there is a lot of it in all the Ormonde Jaynes. Have you tried any of those?
I just did not get the famous sexiness about Iso W Super. Maybe Molecule would work on a guy but I just found it so lifeless. I am glad because I can’t stand that bottle either! I have tried only few Ormond Jaynes and so far and find them alright but I am sure not a fan. Ormond Woman doesn’t work for me because of the weired combi of grass/hay and amber. I prefer the men’s version and I sometime wear Frangipani.
I don’t actively dislike Iso E Super, but the large amount of it in the OJs detracts from my enjoyment, partly because it makes them all smell the same, partly because it’s not as interesting as the kinds of things it’s standing in for. The reputed sexiness seems to be PR hype.
Oh yeah, there was another one.. It was an obscure Irish brand that I saw in a shop that sells UK imports. I believe the name was Inis Ór. I’m not sure what was in that stuff, but it smelled like I had soiled myself and tried to mask the urine smell with powder.
Recent scrubbers I’ve tried:
– Tocca Cleopatra. I expected a musky fruity floral, but it was pure musk + patchouli for hours. I am a rabid hater of patchouli. And wouldn’t you know it, that ish was TENACIOUS. I couldn’t pick up on any fruit until at least 4-5 hours later.
– Dior Hypnotic Poison. It was chemical-y root beer on me. I hate root beer.
– L de Lolita Lempicka. That burnt maple syrup-y vibe from the immortelle…not for me.
– Laura Mercier Eau Gourmande Almond Coconut. This + my chemistry is truly an awful combination, lol. It had a synthetic, plasticky funk to it. And it was milky, as the name would suggest. Noooot good.
– Jo Malone White Jasmine & Mint. Something in it made me straight-up nauseous.
I don’t think Creed citruses work for me, either. I tried Sublime Vanille and Virgin Island Water, and they had definite notes of Pledge to my nose. I am a shameless lover of Prada Candy, though 😛
Oh noes! We might be evil scent twins – love Hypnotic Poison, White Jasmine & Mint is a favorite for summer, and Tocca Cleopatra is my favorite cucumber scent.
Still don’t want to try the Laura Mercier but you may tip me over the edge towards L de Lolita Lempika. I’ve heard lots of good things about it from others whose perfume tastes are nothing like mine. You’re tipping me the other way… 🙂
Lol! I’m jealous you got cucumber (or any freshness, for that matter) out of Cleopatra. I really wanted to love L de Lolita Lempicka. I heard SO many great things about it, and based on the rest of the notes, it would theoretically have been right up my alley. I hope it works for you 🙂
My latest FB purchase was Si Lolita by Lolita Lempicka, and color me impressed 🙂 If you’re looking for something less gourmand than L you might want to give it a sniff. It’s still sweet, but the pepper and citrus tone it down and I don’t find it sickly sweet at all.
Have always hated Burberry Brit and Dior Addict..they make my stomach turn.
Gorilla Perfumes at Lush Voice of Reason. Barbecue sauce extravaganza! And that note never went away! But it did mix well with the smell of fried chicken from a nearby restaurant when I was walking into the grocery store. 😛
It also has the potential to layer well with Sikkim Girls, but I probably wouldn’t buy it just for that.
Yip, sounded great – but made me nauseous!
My last scrubber was Gorilla/Lush as well — Furze, the coconut once. Smelled like rancid movie theater popcorn and cheap shampoo. NO THANKS
Ha, another of my favorites!
One recently where I actually really did head to the sink numerous times to scrub it off is Marni. The combo of the rose and incense is just hideous to my nose; made me nauseous.
Oh, and two others that had me scrubbing: Winter 1972 by CB I hate perfume and Demeter Snow — if you are a worm, or maybe just love the smell of dirt, these are for you!
Kind of late to the discussion here, looking at new office space and shipping off some perfumes to eBay buyers..
Most recent scrubber was L’erbolario Meharees. I spent an arm and a leg on getting bottle shipped from Greece and when I sprayed it on, agghh gag gak! Something about that soapy fig note reminded me of a suave and super pervey older gentleman in a fitted shirt lightly resting his hand on my thigh… Did not walk, RAN to the sink.
I meant date note not fig!
I smelled something very nice on a coat I haven’t worn in awhile and can’t identify what it is. It’s driving me nuts! Anyone else have this problem?
This is the most fun I’ve had in days. Soapey figs, older gentleman … what a visual. Eeeuuww!
I know, right? I’ve been laughing my guts out at people’s comments. I turned right around and sold the Meharees again on eBay. So happy to get it out of my house, wasn’t even a bit disappointed that I lost a few bucks on it.
2nd this! This is hysterical!! 😀
The only perfume I’ve ever washed off was A La Nuit.
When I was first getting into this hobby, I’d read Robin’s list of 100 fragrances every perfumista should try and I would order batches of samples. A La Nuit was in the first batch I ever ordered, and I think I sprayed too much on and it felt like someone had shoved soap up my nose and I couldn’t escape 😀 I consoled myself with the paper bag the samples had been wrapped in. Some Ambre Sultan had spilled onto it and I kept that bag for weeks because for some odd reason it reminded me of home, even though my childhood home probably smelled nothing like it.
I couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t pull of jasmine perfumes, though. It’s not like I didn’t like the flower. It grew on bushes at the bottom of a hill at my local park, and when it was in bloom I’d go there in the evenings with a plastic bag to snip off some branches when nobody was looking. Then I’d trim them and put them into glasses all around my house, and I couldn’t get enough. When it was humid, I’d just sit on a bench right by that bush, amid the empty beer bottles, and read. I never took any book that was too heavy or intellectual, because it was hard to concentrate when that smell would drift over towards me.
I smelled A La Nuit again recently from the bottle and didn’t mind it, but still didn’t love it… If a bottle fell into my lap though I’d dab some on happily. Which I could say about most of SL.
Since then I’ve smelt quite a few horrid and foul perfumes, but I never really wash them off because I’m always trying to find out what the funky smell could be or why exactly it smells so bad 😀
My most recent disaster was La Vie Est Belle, which turned sour and synthetic on me after some promising top-notes. One of my friends said it smelled like rubber.
Maybe since you’ve spent so much time around the actual flower, the synthetic aroma-chemicals used in the perfumes smell ‘off’ to your nose?
I loathed A La Nuit at first. It took me about three years before trying it again, and what do you know? I’m in love with it! The opposite happened with Zelda. I loved it first and bought a FB, but now I can’t stand it.
So, so minty!
Just wrote below about La Vie est Belle. The name somehow depresses me, and the too literal commercial with Julia Roberts didn’t prompt me to smell it, but still, I was surprised last week at how cheap and just plain bad it is. Urgh!
Last year year was a big year for scrubbers:
Kurkdjian Eau de Soir = Eau d’Urine
PdE Musc Tonkin = Locked in the Mouldy Attic
Neela Vermeire’s first three: i) scrub; ii) scrub; and iii) where is it?
Ot, but since pee has been a common theme here, has anyone actually done the O’driu Peety experiment?
I was so excited to try Le Labo Ylang 49—a new chypre that was getting great reviews! But when I sprayed it on, it was like the Emperor’s New Clothes. It didn’t even smell like perfume, just a bunch of nasty chemicals. Really awful. I know I’m hyper sensitive to some synthetics and I’ve had the experience before of smelling something that is supposed to be “rose jam” or whatever and it smells just like chemicals to me, so I asked my perfumista companion to smell me. I said, “Is it just my nose?” She grimaced and said, “No. It’s terrible!” Recently I heard it one some award in France for best niche perfume of the year or whatever. Maybe it’s my skin? Anyway, it’s baffling to me. Like I said, it feels like Emperor’s New Clothes to me.
one = won, of course. very weird error.
That’s totally wild! I haven’t smelled it so I don’t know if it’s just one of those ‘fumes that can vary massively (Dans Tes Bras is like that for me), but do you (still) have a sample? If so, I would be so curious to know if it smells any better on paper/a scarf/vel sim.
Ylang 49 was so SO horrible on me, I couldn’t even stick it out to write a proper review. Twice I tried, and didn’t make it past 25 minutes. Where I spilled a drop of it on my wooden desk, that smelled wonderful. On me? URK. Pondwater.
Interesting, Mals! I do know I’m not alone on this one.
My most recent scrubber as well! There was some sharp, chemical note that Would. Not. Go. Away! I was very disappointed.
agree, chypre is one of my favorite categories, but Ylang 49 was nothing but a log, dreary patchouli fest on me.
Actually, galbanumgal, you’ve give me a hint. I do really badly with that new cleaned up patchouli that they are using to fake some of the chypres. Portrait of a Lady smells gorgeous on me at first, and then it turned into that sharp, sour chemical smell that I think is that synthetic patchouli note. In that case, I know it wasn’t my skin because it lingered on my coat sleeve for a week (and that was the only coat I had to wear). And yet, again, there are many people who PoAL. What I don’t understand, is aren’t there some noses out there–they are supposedly so sensitive–who have the same issues?
Oh, Portrait of a Lady – repulsive! A friend wanted to try it and the Frederic Malle SA virtually showered her in it. We went to dinner several hours later, and I spent the entire meal fighting nausea. Powerful stuff, it filled the entire room and killed the food. And I’m normally a fan of the FM fragrances.
I buy a lot of fragrances unsniffed from online discounters. (An average of 15 FB per year for the past 10 years) It’s a bad habit, I know! But so far, I’ve been very lucky. While I don’t L-O-V-E everything that I have bought, at least I like them enough to wear them from time to time.
So far, my only real get-that-thing-off-me-quick has been YSL pour homme Haute Concentration. The dry down is ok, but the first hour, on me, is pure pickled lemon in a gaz station urinal. I just can’t stand it!
I buy a lot unsniffed too. Sometimes I think I have better luck with my unsniffed purchases than the ones I’ve sampled which makes no sense at all.
Me too. I think that it’s because I have lower expectations when it comes to fragrances bought unsniffed. When ordering, I do understand that it could be a complete mess. When I am able to sample first, my expectations are higher.
The one I really remember is Amouage Ubar. There is a note in it that I just cannot bear.
I don’t know what that ingredient is, but it’s also very prominent in one of the Joop! scents (maybe Berlin), which I bought after a quick test in a duty free shop. I don’t know why it smelled OK at first, but, when I got it home, I hated it so much that I had to double-bag the bottle and stow it on the top shelf of a remote closet until I could dispose of it. I must be really hyperosmic to whatever that is.
I also can’t abide the smoky note in Amouage Tribute Attar. Two Amouage scrubbers – money saved, right? 😉
Frederic Malle Dries Van Noten was a scrubber on me. I had high hopes…really really high hopes given all the positive reviews and talk of it smelling like speculoos, a gourmand perfume after my own heart. The moment I spritzed it on me, I felt like the air went out of the room and I was being suffocated. No go for me.
I also had high hopes, based on the brand and positive reviews, and found I did not care for it at all.
Same for me! I just got spiced plastic…
^^^Yeah, I got spiced plastic too, very disappointing – I had such high hopes for Dries van Noten. I was not a scrubber, exactly, but my daughter told me: you smell weird, mom!
They always know best!
Spicebomb and Dahlia Noir. There’s apparently a tipping point for me after which pink pepper becomes a smothering nightmare.
I haven’t been sampling lately, so no scrubbers. But this – “Please, DO NOT read the comments if you’re at all sensitive about your own perfume loves” – made me laugh. I remember March over at Perfume Posse calling my beloved-beyond-reason Ambre Russe “Rasputin’s Armpit.” Which admittedly, is pretty funny.
I am a true Estee Lauder fan, but they have a perfume that I could never come to like: Youth Dew. That scent is something I can’t describe. But, most people I know either really love it or hate it.
I can’t stand it!
Hi, thought I would stop lurking and comment for once…. I can deal with most scents, even if I dislike them, but SL Iris Silver Mist was one that other people wanted scrubbed off me. Apparently Iris and my skin chemistry make a smell like rotting compost, especially one as metallic as Silver Mist. Even when hidden under powder or other combinations there is an unsettling edge.
The same goes for most leathers – they always smell like toilet freshener to me, for which I blame Australia and the tendency to scent those things with leather. In the bottle they are good, but on my skin it becomes like a (admittedly cleanish) public urinal rather than leather.
I am so with you on Iris Silver Mist. That’s one foul smelling perfume on me too. I cannot fathom why anyone would want to smell the way it smells to me. Obviously they get something different out of it.
It smells divine (even to me) on my best friend – almost as if it were a completely different perfume. Less rotting vegetables and silver, more fresh garden flower. She is the one who banned me from even trying to wear it (or other iris perfumes) because I was spoiling it for her!
If you’re interested, a really great perfume with a light leather if the original Bottega Veneta for women. It’s impressive. I don’t find it a main note, it’s like a talented backup singer.
I’m very new to perfume appreciation, so I’m a novice. I was very surprised when I tested some sandalwood perfumes, as I love the essential oil.
CDG’s Santal Blue smelled like pine on me, like a cheap pine car scent. I enjoyed the perfume on the cardboard strip, though.
And Le Labo’s Santal 33 smelled awful at first, and yet later smelled divine.
Perfume is such a mystery!
If you have sandalwood e.o., you’re smelling the real thing. No perfumes, except maybe a very few, tiny indie, natural brands, use the real thing as it is so over-sourced. So it depends on which aroma-chemicals, or combination of aroma-chemicals, perfumers use to replicate or approximate sandalwood as to whether they work for you.
Thanks, that’s helpful. I’ll keep it in mind.
That’s easy: Lancome la Vie est Belle. Bland anfd forgettable? That thing made me sick!
Some perfume from Mont Blanc which I must have received a sample of as part of a gift with perfect.
Recent scrubbers: Gorilla perfume Ginger. I’m a real ginger lover and have a few (thanks to NST posts, I am now on my second bottle of Origins Ginger Essence, which I wish were available in a stronger concentration).
Reading raves here also prompted me to buy Lush Rose Jam shower gel, with which I have a love/hate relationship, so I also bought the Rose Jam perfume, which I truly hate!
All time biggest scrubbers for me (I’ve posted about them before) are Frederic Malle Une Rose (urine, but then really bad like a stinky men’s bathroom) and Clinique Aromatics Elixer, which smells wonderful on everyone else but makes me literally sick for several days if it touches my skin!
Something really strange happened. I love my bottle of Arquiste Anima Dulcis, but last month, I thought it had gone off. I was really upset because I keep it with my other perfumes in a cool, closed closet and the bottle is only a year old. I tried it a second time, and it just wasn’t love anymore. I figured some of the notes had disappeared. I was going to write about it now, but sprayed it on so I could describe what’s wrong, and now it smells great again!
My illness flared up badly last month, so maybe that affected my sense of smell? Anyway, it’s in no way a scrubber. I’m in love again.
Jonette, have you tried Roger and (et?) Gallet Eau de Gingembre? It’s crisp and fresh, lovely for summer, though not terribly strong.
Take care, hope you’re feeling better.
Thanks for the tip. That’s another one to try. I also haven’t yet tried the one from Montale (I have three Montale fragrances). I also have the Serge Lutens Five O’Clock Gingembre, which is not very special.
Thank you for your get well wishes.
Have you tried YSL L’Homme Cologne Gingembre? After the first ten or fifteen minutes, on me at least, the more “masculine” aspect disappears and it’s just a nice fresh ginger. Hope you feel better.
Oh, I’ve also heard some people have different reactions to some notes depending on the time of the month, might that be an issue with Anima Dulcis? I didn’t like it all that much myself, but maybe I need to try my sample again.
I ordered Ninfeo Mio un sniffed because I’m such an AG fan girl and it got such glowing reviews and all I got was a cat pee smell. I was sooo disappointed. I guess that’s the box tree smell. But it was horrid.
My last scrubber was Candied Citron by Love and Toast. It smelled like vomit. I’m guessing that it was the oak note? Lots of scrubbing followed by dousing with tea tree oil.
My latest scrubbers were Chanel Cristalle (EDP) and Yves Saint Laurent Paris. I wanted to like both of them and, based on the notes, I should like them. As a general rule, I love bergamot, orange blossom, and so many of the other notes in both fragrances, but they just didn’t work this time. The Cristalle smells like soapy smoke, ugh, and Paris is just soap, soap, soap. I’ve tried both several times now hoping for a different result, but I guess they are just not for me.
I’m with Nozknoz on finding the smoke in Amouage’s Tribute unbearable. It was my most recent scrubber and was nothing more than cigarette ash and burning tyres on me. Others from the last few months include:
– Neela Vermeire Ashoka (too much blarey green woody fig) and Bombay Bling (gorgeous for the first half hour, then nauseating)
– Sonoma Scent Studio Cocoa Sandalwood (rancid butter)
– Roja Dove Nuwa (curry and lime pickle)
– Oriza L Legrand Relique d’Amour (lovely at first, then turns into old sweat on me) and Deja le Printemps (not sure why this didn’t work as I usually love green ‘fumes, but I started feeling sick)
– Atelier Cologne Oolang Infini (photocopier fluid)
– Le Labo Vanille 44 and Gaiac 10 (some chemical attacking the inside of my nose)
Goodness. I could go on, but I’ll stop. Apparently I’ve become quite the perfume grouch 🙂
Sorry, I can’t help giggling over your description of Gaiac 10 attacking the inside of your nose. Some of those woody ambers will do that. It’s a horseradish effect to me, and some find them actually painful. I don’t understand why perfumers use them; I guess they don’t smell that strong to everyone. Or are they getting back at us for being such Philistines and standing by while IFRA bans all the good stuff?
Some people clearly like the smell, I guess, or nobody would buy. Unless they’re all masochists 😉 At least the chemical monsters tend to announce themselves as scrub-worthy almost immediately. Somehow I prefer that to the ones that fool me into thinking they are wonderful until I’ve gone out somewhere and find myself stuck wearing something I can’t stand!
That’s a good point!
I scrubbed Ashoka off and immediately sent the decant away. It smelled to me like stale bread *shudder*
Hilarious thread – I’ve had a great time reading. I’ve had a number of scrubbers recently as I decided to grimly work through my ever-growing sample collection before it became totally out of control. These are the most recent:
Parfums de Nic – Fig Tea – no tea, no fig, but bug spray overlaid with half chewed gummy bears
SL – Fille en Aiguilles – an upmarket Pine Sol. I didn’t dislike it per se, but don’t want smell like a Christmas candle or a basin of Christmas pudding which this reminded me of.
Miss Dior – modern version – absolutely vile. There are no words.
Tabac Blond – modern version – compared to the vintage this is a travesty. First out of the bottle came alcohol mixed with gasoline – I don’t know what was going on. That smooth almost buttery leather and warm, rich tobacco was nowhere to be found – after 10 minutes I couldn’t take it anymore and out came the Irish Spring…
I appologize, I know a lot of you love Rubj from Vero Profumo. I really wanted to love it too, but this was true horror to my nose. I am not afraid of a little skank, but this was too much for me. Dirty in a very, very bad way.
Slumberhouse Sova. Imagine an old man who hasnt brushed for years(because he has no teeth left) and has been chewing on a wad of long expired tobacco. Smelled like the inside of his spit cup.
Bad combo …Fresh Index Pink Jasmine and Rodger & Gallet Vetiver=hair perm solution . ugh!
Azzura by Azzaro was nearly impossible to get off once applied more a meh than foul scent though.
Ellen Tracy Peony Rose zips hyper fast past the top notes on me and flattens on the jasmine. Passed on to my Mom on whom the top notes linger and sparkle.
Kouros scrubber bleah!
Gap something or other supposed to be incense and Narciso Rodriguez Essence eau musc both go too pencil shavings and rubbing alcohol on me as does D&G Lt. Blue.
My scrubbers aren’t quite as exotic as many posted here, but STANKY non the less.
Remember in high school or college, that drunk girl who wobbled around on high heels at the party, spilling beer all over herself? Well, that is what Philosophy’s Amazing Grace smells like on me. Straight up stale beer with with a bit of ‘dance your ass off’ stank. I passed it off to my Mom, which smelled lovely on her.
D&G Light Blue. So pretty in the bottle, nice on everyone else who wears it. On me, strait up bug spray. Turned on me instantly.
Now that my daughter is old enough to appreciate fragrances, I drag her around and ‘test’ things on her. No need for me to be stinky!