Our usual open thread routine: talk about anything you like — the perfume you’re wearing today, the last perfume you purchased or that went on your buy list, any fun holiday plans you have for this weekend (or the rest of the summer), whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: image is Lost in Field [cropped] by Rudolf Getel at flickr; some rights reserved.
Had a really busy week so no SOTD yet, as my lazy butt is still sitting in bed after 10 am. I’m thinking it will be Jo Malone French Lime Blossom though. I saw linden mentioned a few times yesterday and it ignited a craving.
Happy Memorial Weekend everyone!
Gosh–was there a linden thing going on yesterday?! I was part of the trend, too, I guess! Wore/wearing Zeta. . . maybe I should go back to the previous poll and see what folks were recommending. I’d love another linden scent! Perfect for this time of year.
Happy long weekend! Can anyone comment about the differences between Chamade concentrations–have the edp, which was perfect the other day, but seemed too much when I wore it once over the winter (may have inadvertently overapplied).
Wore Terracotta to the Memorial Day weekend opening dinner last night. It was perfect, even though it was too chilly to wear sandals.
I’m wearing Chamade edp right now! Unfortunately, can’t comment on the differences between concentrations… the Guerlain counter near me did not have the extrait.
I have older bottles of extrait and eau de toilette. Personally, I prefer the EdT, but many love the extrait. They are different enough that I’d recommend testing both, if possible. Rapple would know more, too, I think.
Love Terracotta Voile d’Ete! It’s warm enough to wear in cooler weather, too. Personally, I use it more in spring and fall than in summer.
The edp is the only one I haven’t tried! I have an older bottle of EdT, maybe 1970s (not sure, it’s a funky bottle with a tortoiseshell-look plastic top). The aldehydes have gone a little weird, but other than the first five minutes it’s wonderful, very cold galbanum sliding into hyacinth and jasmine, some rose and muguet, and then it makes its little turn into creamy-powdery vanilla and vetiver/woods. So lovely. Used to have a sample of modern EdT and it was great too.
I have some parfum de toilette (and I know for sure that’s 80s), and it’s more rose, lots more powder, maybe more sandalwood. The small decant of extrait I have seems more heavy on the basenotes, less “chilly” up top, more creamy. Don’t know how old it is, though.
I love them all and haven’t found a version that wasn’t wonderful.
Now I’m even more curious to try all incarnations!
SOTD: Blackbird MOTO OUD Eau de Parfum roll-on
UPDATE: This fragrance has been growing on me; I am appreciating it more, the more I wear it…the best part of the scent is the dry down. Moto Oud is very vintage leather-y and woody [I feel the wood character is Vetiver]. The dry down smells of a classic vintage leather hand bag that has been sitting on a shelf waiting to be discovered; it smells of used tanned-leather, hand lotions of years past and of everyday usage with a vetiver overlay…I am REALLY LOVING THIS SCENT MORE AND MORE.
Robin, you may want to try this now…disregard my comment yesterday…give this a try if willing…
Oh good, thanks for the update!
Good afternoon perfume folks! My scent of the day is Arquiste L’Etrog Acqua – it oficially launches in one week, no long to go now before everyone will be able to try it. To me it’s a softer and a bit more floral L’Etrog alternative. I like this new version better.
My graduation ceremony was last week and in around 2 weeks from now I will be taking my master exam. I’m already trying to make up my mind with which new perfume I should celebrate getting my title. So far Jul et Mad Aqua Sextius is the winner.
Have a good weekend!
Congratulations! We have followed your progress, and now graduation. Good for you!
Thank you so much! You indeed assisted me through my school years
Oh, these are exciting times!!! I’ve had a lot of graduations over the years, but I admit, my master’s was the one that really felt meaningful! Congratulations and enjoy this time! (And good luck with your studies! Any fragrances to help you focus and stay alert?)
Here in Poland the only true graduation ceremony we get is the one after finishing university studies.
Thanks for the kind words!
Congratulations! And good luck on your exam! Aqua Sextius sounds heavenly, can’t wait to try it.
Thank you! Being this far makes the master exam impossible to fail
Congratulations on your graduation, Lucas! That’s exciting!
I’m excited too!
I’ve been wanting to try Arquiste’s offerings, especially L’Etrog, L’Etrog Acqua and Boutonnière no.7…nice to have someone write about them or at least try them…good to know, thanks.
Is the brand not available where you live?
And I have to say that Boutonniere no. 7 is my least favourite Arquiste. Just sayin’.
Congratulations! You deserve to celebrate! XO – J
I recently purchased the Ineke Floral Curiosities Scent Library and I am liking all of the perfumes included in it. The packaging is so pretty, too. I think Angel’s Trumpet could be my favorite.
Hey, reminds me it’s been awhile since we’ve had a new scent from Ineke!
I love Angel’s Trumpet. I think it may be similar to the old Jovan perfume called “VSP,” which a dear friend wore in college 100 years ago. Happy to see AT mentioned!
No scent of the day yet. I’m debating whether or not I feel like going out and planting a bunch of hosta plants I took from my brother. Its cold and damp out so if I do my SOTD will be a good spritzing of Deep Woods Off because I’m sure the bugs are out. I’m hoping for a quiet Memorial Day weekend. So far we have no plans so I may actually get my wish.
We’re going to be mostly quiet this year too. My son is marching in his HS band for the Memorial Day parade on Monday and they’re going to do a ceremony in the cemetery — that’s about it for us.
I have been wearing Gentiane Blanche to bed for the past few nights and I don’t recall much after the spritz. Must have a narcotic effect.
I think I will dust off an old bottle/puck of Nu that I unearthed to wear today. I remember finding it at TJMaxx when they were selling them for a song. I like it, but never remember it.
Have a nice holiday, everyone!
Hey, then I need a bottle!
Have you seen the new style of bottles for Nu? I saw them in Sephoras in France. They look like this: http://fimgs.net/images/secundar/o.16517.jpg
Clean look. I wonder how they compare. I stopped by The Perfume Shoppe today and tested March XIX and Ramon Monegal Musk Aoud.
Once again, forgot about the Nu. It was almost gone in the heat of the afternoon, but if I can’t remember which fragrance I put on that morning I am in bad shape. Thanks for the photo.
Unfortunately, I’m going to be exceptionally busy for the next few weeks, so no big plans. Bah, humbug! I’m resolved to never again make heavy work commitments during the limited times of the year with nice weather here in DC!
Wearing Caleche because it came up in the SOtD polls; planning to wear Olene later, for the same reason. I like these mini-polls because they prompt me to reflect more on what I’m wearing and remind me of scents that I’ve been neglecting or need to try.
I also like the plans for next Friday’s coordinated / community scent of the day poll. I especially appreciate when a topic is announced in advance. It takes some thought to choose a favorite fragrance note, decide which fragrance to wear that exemplifies it and works with the weather, and think about what’s worth saying about it. Looking forward to everyone’s choices and reflections!
Me too…dusted off Ananas Fizz today for the same reason — someone mentioned it.
And will keep announcing in advance, I promise!
“Like” nozkoz and Robin’s comments above
SOTD: Prada L’eau Ambree
With my husband all day today so need an easy and agreeable to his nose scent so he doesn’t complain all day
Happy Memorial Day weekend!
And thank you to all the men and women that have served our great country and given of their lives for the freedoms we can enjoy today.
Nice, it’s so easy to forget what the holiday is all about.
SOTD is Montale Intense Tiare. I am moving sometime this summer and so clearing out belongings that won’t be making the trip, painting, repairing, gardening, and in general sprucing up the house so that it will show well when it goes on the market. I needed something glamourous to offset the dust and grime.
Happy Memorial Day to everyone for whom this is a holiday!
I’m hoping to do a big “clearing out” this year too. So far, not getting much of it done!
Greetings from Bend, Oregon! Mr. Spicebomb and I played hooky yesterday and drove to Bend for a concert last night. (I am writing this from our hotel room.) The headliner was The National, with the Tuneyards as opener. Didn’t especially enjoy Tuneyards, but I can see why Mr. S. goes to see The National whenever they’re near by–it was a good show!
SOTE last night and again this morning (packed a little vial to keep going) was/is Tauer’s Zeta. It’s pretty lovely with the scent of Junipers and sage that permeates the air in the high desert!
This afternoon, we drive a few hours to attend his sort-of-nephew’s–3 year-old twin boys of his best friend–birthday party. I imagine Zeta will be just as appropriate as any other scent for such an occasion.
Although rumor has it, mother of the best friend is likely to grill me to ensure that I’m good enough for Mr. S–apparently it’s a rite of passage all the previous girlfriends have had to endure. Mr. S’s friends have warned and prepped me, which seems awful considerate of them! (And, since I’m so awesome, I’ve got little to worry about, right?!)
I’m sure Zeta will win over mother-of-the-best-friend as well!
It will soften her up at least, helping her appreciate your awesomeness. (That is a pretty funny rite of passage, btw. Best friend or family member I can sort of understand, but mother-of-the-best-friend? 
)
Oh lordy. Yes you have nothing to worry about–particularly as compared with a woman who grills people she’s meeting for the first time at casual social events, you are basically Emily Post
(Meanwhile, jealous of your National/tUnE-yArDs show! That sounds so fun… have you guys seen Mistaken for Strangers yet? I missed it when it played here but I hear it’s terrific, looking forward to getting it on Netflix.)
Tuneyards has a incredible and creepy lullaby called “Wooly Wolly Gong”.
Probably the MotBF is an interesting person in her own right, like Mr. S. and his friends, so it will be fun to talk with her and learn more about her interests and perspectives.
What do you think of Bend? Could you imagine living there, for example, or is it too small?
Not the only lollygager Lucy! 11:20 here and I’m still in my jams too! I gotta get busy and do some cleaning and errands done before work this afternoon (3-8pm) . Nu sounds good so does Caleche or Kelly C come to think of it. I might do a citrus today as the A/C s frizzing at work (Orange Sapphire byBBW or Orange Ambre by Lanvin).
I just blind bought some Paco Rabbane Ultraviolet and La Nuit ( opinions and experiences with both of these would be read with interest)I’m hoping they’ll work well on me and not have gone off but time will tell. I do like other Rose-Chypre scents and have several( Coriandre,La Perla,Knowing,AE,AP DD ,Diva ) and I’m growing more of an appreciation for violets so for $ 21 for both?
I blind bought Ultraviolet in the early 2000s and found it intensely unpleasant. I can’t deal with that grapey note. Luca Turin said it made him want to cry, and not in a good way. The good news is that it averages 4 out of 5 stars on MakeUp Alley, so the odds are in your favor, right? I also blind bought La Nuit and love it.
Unless you do a lot of swapping, it’s hard to experience a wide range of older scents without some blind buys. They have usually worked out for me.
I so love Orange Sapphire from BBW. I can’t get my hands on it anywhere right now. Praying that it will be one of the ones they bring back for the semi-annual sale. It seems like they axe out all of my favorites. Such a classy fragrance!
At work (sigh)
SOTD is Mon Cherie Pour Camille (the plum-patchouli flanker, not the pear original).
My only big patchouli.
Sorry, hope you’re off by now!
back again Sunday in Odliesque. I will be here Monday as well.
At least my wrist (where I spray) is having a beautiful weekend.
MPCpC is such an intriguing scent!
It is borderline chilly and cloudy with a high chance of rain, so I am going with Ambre Precieux layered on the remnants of Agent Provocateur EDP (which seems to work okay, actually!).
Happy Memorial day to those who celebrate it, and happy weekend to all!
Sounds nice!
Feeling a bit jaded about fragrance the last few weeks. I think it’s related to the dozens of really inventive Eau Faux entries and the way they collide with all the blurbs about “actual” perfumes. The distance between the real and imaginary is infinitesimal-that’s what makes Eau Faux great satire-but maybe some of the imaginary ones sound better right now. Not really. It’s more that the real ones so often sound unpromising. I guess that’s why this forum so often veers to the classic.
(Here pause to say I NEVER RANT on the internet!)
OK, then, so what?
For the next little while, I’m only wearing it if it makes me happy. That means the rotation will include Habit Rouge, maybe some Dzing, HdP 1969 Revolte, and a new bottle of Paradis Perdu. And I’m on the verge of buying a big jug of Azzaro Pour Homme. Yep, you heard it.
I want to enjoy it without thinking about it. And Robin, I think your theme days are right on.
Ah, I love Habit Rouge, Dzing and 1969, which indicates that I should follow your nose and try Paradis Perdu and Azzaro pour Homme. I have the original Azzaro femme, which I like.
Thank you. Turin nagged so long about Azzaro that I finally sampled. To me, it’s easy to like.
SOTD is Guerlain Tonka Impériale. It’s cold and rainy here, and the choice was spot on! Will probably be moving to Shalimar as evening approaches.
Sounds like a perfect set for your weather!
I love Tonka Imperiale so much I’ve almost used the whole bottle! I sprung for Mon Precieux Nectar over the holidays and I was wearing Tonka Imperiale when it arrived and being myself I couldn’t wait so I dabbed it on and the two are divine together.
Huum, they must go so well together! I’ve been getting braver regarding layering. Last Friday I sprayed me some Bois des Iles over Mohur extrait leftovers, and went on my business feeling like Aishwarya Rai.
That must be beautiful! I think Neela said her dream was to have created Bois des Iles extrait.
I try not to layer too many things at once but sometimes I get carried away. Once upon a time I had a new batch of samples from some pricey fragrances and I tried several of them in one sitting. I went shopping later and two different people told me I smelled just like Bath & Body Works.
Canadian long weekend was last weekend.
What happened to the rest of my comment? Three paragraphs worth?!?!?!
Sorry…don’t know! Haven’t heard of any glitches lately.
I am certain it was operator error!
Silly touch screen keyboards!
Canadian long weekend was last weekend.
Not that it really matters, I live along the US/Can border, right on the major international highway for ND/ Manitoba. So it is busy this weekend too.
Waiting patiently for my fragrance mule- er husband- to come back with my perfume parcels. I use a parcel handling service just on the other side of the line. I really must get my passport, as hubbie is getting tired of being my mule…
SOTD is Jour de Fete. I love it so much that I am debating using the Parfum1 code I just got on a backup. How many backups will you make me buy, L’Artisan?!
I’m thinking of using my Parfum1 code for Balle de Match! Summer scents are calling us, aren’t they?
Hah, perhaps that’s L’AP’s marketing plan: scare them into buying backups, withdraw the scents, or pretend to, and then bring some of them back, leading to further panic buying. It’s like a diabolical alternative to flankers. }:->
I’m waiting on a sample of Jour de Fete but I’ve read reviews that say its nothing like the original. I wouldn’t know since I’ve never tried the original but I’m deeply in love with almond scents right now.
SOTD is vintage Evening in Paris from a rather large lot of perfume nips that I won on eBay. I have never actually smelled the vintage before (only a modern, very cheap-smelling formulation), but this definitely seem to have that vintage vibe and I do not detect any spoiled or off notes. I am not sure it is my style, but it definitely has personality and presence. These seem to be in glass rather than the “plastene” that was more commonly used, with color-coded tips and the name of the perfume printed on each little vial. I figure that being sealed in air-tight glass vials, they should be well-preserved.
The scents in this lot are:
Evening in Paris (14)
Tweed (13)
Jealousy (11)
Fleurs d’Amour (11)
Follet de Minuet (10)
Breathless (7)
Noa Noa (2)
Gemet (2)
Fourth Dimension (1)
Sortilege (1)
for a total of 72 nips. Some of these perfume names are very familiar (EiP, Tweed, Sortilege), but some of them I have never even heard of. I am particularly wondering about the one called Follet de Minuet-I can find nothing about it. I have come across references to a perfume called “Folie de Minuit” and was wondering if it was a mis-print? If it is, it is actually misspelled on all 10 vials.
No help here, but what fun!
Such a coincidence! I received some vintage EIP from eBay this weekend. Ordered for my Mum, as it was her fave scent as a teen.
I cannot believe how well it has kept all these years! Smells like very rich incense to me. Found a 2 bottle set, one cologne & one “perfume essence”. Does that mean concentrated?
Terminology can be confusing, but I would assume that “perfume essence” would be an extrait or perfume oil.
I have had mixed results from buying vintage scents. Sometimes they have kept well and sometimes not. Generally, unopened, sealed bottles seem to be in good shape, as they have not been exposed to air, and if they are still in their boxes, they have not had light exposure either. One thing that might help EiP age well is that the bottles were dark blue, so even if they were sitting out in bright light, very little of the light will have gotten through to the perfume.
Wow, you are lucky! I adored my miniature of Tweed that I had back in ??? maybe the late fifties/ sixties? It lasted me a long time and was really too grown up and sophisticated for me, but I loved it and wore it.
Oh, my! I love glass nips. I searched eBay for “Jickey” and found a little antique Guerlain tin with a dozen Jicky nips. I can’t find a date on them but I assume this is the closest I will ever get to smelling the original recipe. I’ve used a couple and I’m happy to say that the current extrait is very similar to the original.
Wore En Passant to lazy brunch this AM, finally breaking into a 5ml decant I ordered last September (!!) because my previous one was getting low. Such a reality check about how long it actually takes me to use up even my favorites–and consequently, how hard it is to justify a bottle of anything!
As for this afternoon–any suggestions for a scent to wear to a wedding where the bride’s the only person you know in attendance (and even she has become a lot to deal lately!) Trying to figure out something mood-lifting but wedding-appropriate. FWIW, it’s outdoors, in horse country. Currently contemplating Rose d’Ete or Zeste de Rose from Rosine–or other??
CH, if you don’t know anybody there except the bride then you can wear any darned thing you like! At the very worst, people can say, “What about the woman wearing Lysol!* What was that about?!” and it will be a highlight of wedding gossip. Kidding aside, a rose-based perfume sounds great. A big floral of any kind would likely work, like Carnal Flower.
*e.g. something Tauer
Now you’re talking! I haven’t worn Kingdom in a while…
I adore Rose d’Ete, myself, but I always think that unless you’re cooped up in a small church for a long ceremony, a big floral is perfectly wedding appropriate. So Carnal Flower would work great too.
Very lazy saturday for me today, the biggest thing I’m doing today is treating myself to an out-of-the-ordinary professional manicure. Also out of my usual ‘type’ is my SOTD La Panthere. I don’t generally go for fruities but this one just seems to sing for me.
Hope the manicure was fun!
SOTD = Ann Gerard Rose Cut severely underapplied as I knew I was going to spend most of my morning/early afternoon with Mom and she is the ultimate scent-phobe. It is a very nice rose-patchouli scent…I know I can apply more for regular wear.
I’m going to a nice dinner with friends later today and I think I will wear Stephane Humbert Lucas 777 Khol de Bahrein. I went in on a blind buy split
and I will be wearing it for the first time!
I’m really intrigued by both these scents – hope you’ll report back tomorrow on Khol de Bahrein!
nozknoz…Khol de Bahrein is one gorgeous iris! On me, powdery iris is the first thing I smell and it did not fade at all even after 7 hours of wear. Light amber with resins added some heft and a dry sweetness like the hard sugar coating of Jordan Almonds + a slight nutty smell (but not of almonds) round out this beautiful perfume. This is more than a skin scent and the sillage is office appropriate.
hajusuuri, thanks for this beautiful description! I love iris, so this is a must-try for me.
Yes to Rose Cut! It has a beautiful incense aspect. When I first sprayed it, I was dismayed at how sweet it was because I expected to like it, but it was love within minutes.
I like sweet so it really worked for me!
Hello, everyone! It’s good to be back, now that I’m not so pre-occupied with the cross-country move. Only one more move to go (we’re in temporary quarters).
SOTD is Sous les Toits de Paris by Atelier. A recent purchase, and I love it! I like the entire line, actually, and the SA at the NY store was lovely – she gave me three huge decants of others to try. Gotta love that. Now must try some of their soaps. Has anyone else tried them?
Today’s exciting to-do list is looking at a couple of houses on the market. Being a complete homebody, I have to be careful not to decide too quickly just to get it over with and have a permanent place. And patience is not my strong suit. I’ve realized that looking for a house is like dating – you have to go through so many before you find the right one.
I love the entire Atelier Cologne line, with Sous le toit de Paris being in the top 3. Have you tried the newest – Blanche Immortelle? I am considerimg hosting a split of it.
The soaps are wonderful, lasts long, throws off the right amount of fragrance and leaves skin feeling clean. I am just lamenting fhe fact that there is no Sous le toit de Paris soap. To-date, I’ve used Orange Samguine, Oolang Infini, Silver Iris and Blanche Immortelle. I have Gold Leather and Trefle Pur waiting in the wings to be used next!
No, I haven’t tried the new Immortelle one, and I’m surprised that the SA didn’t mention it to me, since I was there right before it launched. Oh well. I would love to go in on a split if you do one. Will it be here?
And I’ll definitely try those soaps!
I’ve been wearing Sous le toit de Paris all week. Love it.
I agree that the NY Atelier shop is so welcoming and generous, same goes for their Brooklyn shop.
That whole block and area is fun to explore.
Yes, it’s a great shopping street. They have some beautiful little trinkets next door at Me & Ro.
Any suggestions for a really ladylike oud? For me, oud = dude. Willing to have my mind changed…
Hahaha still laughing about Dude d’Oud. Three cheers, songeuse!
More seriously! Kilian Rose Oud. Crazy beautiful, and I say that as something of an oud-hater.
Hmm.. I don’t know that many ouds, but the first the comes to mind to me is Tom Ford Oud Fleurs. Have you tried that one?
I like 10 Corso Como, with rose, vetiver, sandalwood, and oud. It is unisex, quite light, and one I grab for often.
I, too, love Kilian Rose Oud. I also had a sample of Atelier Rose Anonym, which is similar but a bit lighter. I like Kilian Pure Oud very much, too.
Montale Moon Aoud and Juliette has a Gun Midnight Oud are both kinder, gentler rose/ouds. Midnight Oud has a bit of sweetness to it as well.
Thanks for all the lady-oud suggestions! Most of them I can probably try locally. A while back I tried a few musky suggestions from NST folks, and the nicest one for me was Montale White Musk. Haven’t quite taken the plunge, but Montale seems quite reasonable re price…
I have a collection of aoud perfumes from different houses. I recommend Montale Roses Musk. It’s very feminine but it is VERY strong. Really. Montale Aoud Roses Petals is another feminine fragrance and not as strong.
I have a lot of rose oud fragrances and agree with all of the suggestions. I didn’t see NVC Mohur which is possibly my favorite of the bunch. I don’t have the extrait yet but I find the original delicate and beautiful – almost like rose water with the softest kiss of oud.
SOTD- Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom and Honey (same as yesterday). This is my signature fragrance. I wore it again today because it blends well with my Pink Grapefruit body spritz and body butter from The Body Shop. For some reason, those two fragrances blended together smells heavenly to me. Hope everyone has a great Memorial Day weekend! Thank you to all of our service men and women who protect us each and everyday:)
Sounds like a perfect mix!
Later this afternoon my sotd will be the Bois d’Armenie that I bought last week at Guerlain’s flagship store in Paris. I am so loving that giant, expensive bottle of perfection! My husband will like spritz the Derby I gave him for his birthday. He is ultra dapper when he wears his derby hat as well.
I sniffed a lot in Paris but didn’t get to everything on my list. Guerlain was heaven, but I also relished Serge Lutens, Annick Goutal, Caron, Hermes, Miller et Bertaux, and Parfums et Senteurs du Pays Basque. Got to see the Dries van Noten show, too. Sigh . . . When do I get to go back to Paris? Well, at least I can spritz.
Ohhhh. Paris is on our trip list for this year. Can’t wait!
Do you have particular parfumeries on your destination list?
This will be my first Paris trip as a real perfumista
I’ve been many times before but prior to my interest in perfume kicked up a few dozen notches. I don’t even know where to begin!!
Someone should organize a perfume tour for Paris.
Bois de Jasmin has a great perfume guide to Paris.
This would be worth checking out: http://en.abcduparfum.fr My group did a workshop and had a blast. I came home with a bottle of my own bespoke edt.
Sounds like a wonderful trip and some great scent souvenirs!
It was a truly wonderful trip. I kept the Bois de Jasmin Paris list close at hand– very useful for making quick decisions when visiting different neighborhoods. It was great experiencing wafts of perfume weaving through passersby, too.
Lucky you! Bois d’Armenie and Derby are two of my favorites, as well.
If I ever get back to Paris again, I want to sniff all of the Memo frags – they’re not available here in the U.S., and int’l shipping always makes it that much harder to push the “buy” button.
I’d love to hear more about the Guerlain flagship store. There was a post or a link to a post about it here when it reopened after renovation. There was some discussion of whether all that modern white marble was a bit sterile. What kind of impression does it make in person? Or does it matter with all those treasures to sniff? How are the Guerlain SAs?
My general impression was one of opulence, elegance. The ground floor was fairly straightforward and it was easy to prowl and sniff on one’s own. Upstairs the experience is richer, starting with the wall display of vintage bottles. The bespoke room is stunningly beautiful with its backlit wall of big bottles. The main display room is lovely, and I explored independently for a relatively short time before a young and elegant SA latched onto me. She was very knowledgable and polite, answering all questions. Her focus was on making sales, but I was there to explore and buy so I just rolled with her approach. Other SAs appeared to be busy and equally polished and professional, and they consulted with each other to answer customer questions. The place was a total hive, bustling with customers, and with an air of efficiency. Wonderful experience but I did feel a bit harried, which completely contrasted with my experience at Serge Lutens.
That sounds wonderful! Was the Lutens boutique as strangely and darkly elegant as it looks in photos?
Lutens was brighter and smaller than I thought it would be, the purple had a wizardy effect. The door and threshold created instant atmosphere upon entering the shop. The SAs were professional, lacked both edginess and pretentiousness, but conveyed humor and warmth (for Paris). My SA was visibly disgusted (eyeroll) at an American couple who waltzed in without acknowledging her greeting and proceeded to ask about restrooms. I caught her eye and made a wry face intended to convey, Hey, we’re not all like that–I hope–even though I was probably bludgeoning her with my French. They had just finished with a spellbound customer from Singapore who left heavily laden and glowing. Anyway, I had a great time there, though I didn’t feel the need to buy anything.
Great description – thank you, bluepinegrove!
I hadn’t decided what my SOTD was going to be, but I went by the office in my complex to see if I had any packages waiting, and one made the decision for me. I am now the proud owner of a (lightly used) bottle of Arquiste Boutonniere No.7. I’m so excited. So of course I had to wear it today.
Nice!
Hello fragrant ones! I’ve been to a wedding today wearing Chasse aux Papillons Extrême, which I accidentally layered, later on, with Noir de Mars by Scent on Canvas. It’s a leather/ spicy oud (I picked up the wrong sample) but the result was most pleasant and I still smell great, so may repeat the happy accident.
Changing the subject, which Jacomos would you recommend?
I own a FB of Jacomo 08 — chai tea with milk and honey. It’s heavenly.
I’ve never tried Silences, but it seems to get a lot of love around here.
Jac 8 is my girl!
I’m glad you’ve asked this, since I’d like to try more Jacomos myself. I enjoy Silences, a green chypre, in the spring. I also have the discontinued, 1970s Eau Cendrée, which is amazing. The beautiful boy of Caron’s Troisiemme, now older and wiser, takes a long walk in the forest.
What a beautiful description!
Thanks for the responses (especially nozknoz in such beautiful poetic vein). I really want Silences -and now Eau Cendrée, but I’ve found 50ml bottles of #8 for 14€, so am ordering one to try.
Got the chance to go window shopping for the first time in a while, which was very nice! I tried so many things, I feel like I’m going to forget unless I write everything down. Lots of new-to-me stuff.
– Went to the Chanel boutique and sniffed all of Les Exclusifs. Love Beige & Gardenia, and the rest are not for me. Especially not Coromandel (don’t kill me!). I am madly in love with Beige, though.
– Tried the By Kilian & Bond No. 9 lines. It was pretty overwhelming, there were SO MANY. Especially the Bonds, I don’t know how anyone keeps them all straight. I did like Coney Island, and those Kilian bottles are quite pretty. But I disliked every single Kilian I tried, except for Water Calligraphy.
– Revisited some Creed scents, still not impressed.
– Tried A Dozen Roses. Most were ok, not my thing, but I did fall in love with Amber Queen. Lovely scent (soft, peachy floral with a bit of ginger- very little rose tbh) and such a pretty bottle, but it lacks longevity. Bummer.
Can’t bear Coromandel. Did you happen to notice if they had testers for the parfum versions of the Exclusifs?
Don’t care for Creed either, and one of the SAs at my local N-M must be a Creed rep, because every time I go in there, he tries to steer me to their line. I’ve even let me give me small spritzes a couple of times, but disliked them both.
No, no Parfum testers sadly. I’ve heard such wonderful things about the Beige Parfum, I would have loved to try it!
That’s exactly how I wound up revisiting the Creed line, lol. I didn’t plan on it but was steered over in that direction by a rep at Neiman Marcus.
Beige and Jersey perfumes are just gorgeous; Jersey especially.
Tried both recently and just loved them.
Going on my gift idea list for my husband
I can’t stand Cormandel either. That white chocolate note just gets me every time. The By Kilians are nice but I can’t justify the price they ask, and I refuse to buy Bond on principle. I have Creed Jasmine Imperatrice Eugenie (or whatever it’s called) and I like it but not love it. I’d like to try Virgin Island Water sometime this summer. Amber Queen sounds lovely, too bad about the longevity.
What’s the reason for no Bond?
If I may ask, why do you refuse to buy Bond?
I didn’t try that particular Creed, but I do specifically remember trying and disliking Love in White, Virgin Island Water, and Sublime Vanille. In the case of the latter two, whatever citrus components they used…do not agree with me. They had a really Pledge-y feel. VIW has so many nice reviews though, that it could very well wind up being a great summer scent for you.
I can’t say for Foxbins but I wouldn’t buy from Bond because of the bullying towards smaller niche companies ( they claimed only They could use the word “Peace” in a perfume name .And they only went after the little guy not an equally pricey established niche like Killian) . Also there was talk of racism towards their worker’s families/ boyfriends .
My reasons are like bookwyrmsmith’s. There are so many companies with better business ethics and practices, no need to give this one my hard-earned dollars. I dislike bullies in any form.
Good to know. The sheer number of fragrances is overwhelming and they’re so strong I have to dab a card, let it dry, then lightly pass it over my wrist.
foxbins says:
24 May 2014 at 7:23 pm
“I’d like to try Virgin Island Water sometime this summer.”
Do try it. It is the perfect lime/coconut refreshing tropical fragrance. Very well blended.
I’m with you on the Creed not impressed. I sampled Himalaya not too long ago and it smells exactly like Fragonard Santal which is about a third of the price.
Isn’t it a treat to indulge in a perfume window shopping binge? I was in NYC recently and did the same.
I join in the chorus of perfumistas who don’t like Coromandel, and I’m a patch lover! It was a scrubber on me from start to finish. I adore Bois des Iles, and if the staying power/sillage were better, I’d own it.
Creed is far more misses than hits for me, though my husband wore Neroli Sauvage for a time, and I enjoyed it on him.
“Went to the Chanel boutique and sniffed all of Les Exclusifs. Love Beige & Gardenia, and the rest are not for me. Especially not Coromandel (don’t kill me!). I am madly in love with Beige, though.”
I don’t like Coromandel either. Love Beige. Gardenia is nice but: a)it smells nothing like gardenia at least on my skin, and b)it has a strange grape-like smelling note and I found it piercing overall.
Hi,
Can anybody tell me if there are major differences between L’Artisan Fleur d’Oranger 2005, 2007 and 2011 formulations, or are they all extremely similar? I have the 2007 version which is beautiful.
SOTD here has been Diptyque Volutes. About time for a re-spritz. I bought the EDT awhile ago, when it first came out, but recently I went to Nordstrom’s Half-Yearly Sale and tried the EDP and thought “Oh, that is much nicer!” So now I’m trying to decide whether it’s something I *must* have.
One of my fun activities lately has been browsing websites to plan a week-long Alaska cruise in August with my 83-year-old mother. It’s something she has always wanted to do and I think it’ll be a lot of fun!
Calypso, I had a hard time deciding between the Volutes EDT and EDP so I ended up buying both
I’ve been on 3 cruises, all on Holland America. I was supposed to go to Alaska 2 years ago but switched to the Norwegian Fjords as price-wise, the Norwegian Fjords cruise was more worth it. Also, if you are planning on taking more cruises in the future, it is worth it to buy 100 shares of Carnival and/or Royal Caribbean; each company offers shipboard credit just for owning the stock and if you treat the credit like dividends, your return on investment is actually quite attractive. Note: I am not affiliated with either company and you should consult your financial advisor for investment advice (I am just sharing a tip that had served me well).
It’s so frustrating that they are similar but significantly different. I debated for a year or so, then bought the EdP, which I do like. However, the EdP only comes in a large bottle, and I’m wishing I’d bought the small EdT. I’ll never be able to look at Volutes without annoyance. (Although I find I do actually like the new oval bottles). If I’d bought the EdT, I’d always wonder if I should have bought the EdP. The only thing that would be worse is buying both and feeling that Diptyque tricked me into spending twice as much as I wanted to on perfume I’ll never use a quarter of!
Sorry to sound so crabby – I’m a light sprayer, usually, and have many bottles at this point – having both the EdP and EdT would be useful if one used Volutes more often and took advantage of the different concentrations for different times of the year or different moods, etc.
Has anyone checked out the En Voyage Souvenir de Chocolate Trio? I have my eye on the Inidigo Vanilla- which has the notes “sugar-coated violets” and “chocolate” Mmmmm
Sugared violets and chocolate in a perfume? Yes, please! A sample might be in my future.
I just received my sample and without even trying it on skin yet, I suspect that it will be FBW. I also suspect that I’m going to like a freebie that was included–Spirit of Water (or something like that). Three EnVoyage scents are already on my wishlist–Lorelei, Durango, and Nectar des Iles.
I’m wearing Cinnabar by Estee Lauder. It’s an older Estee Lauder fragrance that I found at Ulta the other day and fell in love with, so I bought a bottle. Has anyway ever hear of it?
Cinnabar is just too dated for me to wear and quite a bit overpowering on me since my skin amps cinnamon. Obviously a very different experience than yours
We’ve never reviewed it, but it does get mentioned from time to time, often in conjunction with Youth Dew…you can find some mentions if you use the search bar on the right column!
Thanks! I love this blog, I have been looking at it for years but finally signed up today!
Welcome, then! Glad to have you join the group
I had a small bottle of Cinnabar that had belonged to my grandmother. I liked it, but had to give it away, as I had a bad reaction to it. Everywhere I put it, my skin turned bright red. Most likely, it was the cinnamon.
I actually wore Cinnabar in high school. Opium just smelled too much like my cousin since that was her perfume of choice, but I wanted a spicy scent and Cinnabar fit the bill. It was also the favorite of a guy I had a huge crush on so I was hoping for a magical love potion effect. It didn’t work.
Ooh, this would be a fun poll: what perfumes have you bought/worn hoping to generate a love connection? It could go either way, from ill-advised high school scents, to the perfume someone wore on the first-date w/ their future partner (though I’m more interested in hearing the fissure stories…).
“disaster” not “fissure”-stupid iPhone.
That would be a good poll. Lol. I’ve had my share of wishful perfuming.
Luca Turin gives Cinnabar 4 stars noting that it was rightly overshadowed by its twin (YSL Opium) when they first came out. He concludes, “Now that everyone has grown thoroughly tired of Opium, it [Cinnabar] is worth smelling again.”
Opium has been reformulated so that it now smells significantly different from the original – simpler and less natural, perhaps due to the loss of oakmoss and real sandalwood. I wonder if Cinnabar is more like Opium used to be, or if they have evolved in parallel or different directions.
Sorry perfume friends, that I haven’t been on here in awhile. Hit the perfume velvet curtain with the wall behind it and stopped all perfume related activity for a few weeks. I think the last swap kind of put me over the edge with backlog on things to try and I loved every minute of it but it kind of burned me out.
Today hubby and I were in TJ Maxx and I bought a bottle of True Religion Hippy Chic because it was there and the box was cute. Sprayed it on in the car on the way home and ewwwwww. Holy Screechy shampoo bomb, batman! It’s a little like dewberry (from body shop) fell in a dumpster full of rotten melons and then rolled around in some calgon dishwasher soap. The good thing is that it has made me really appreciate all the very good perfumes I own.
Also tried Bronze Goddess (the light one that’s out now in the gold bottle) and quite liked it I ended up buying a small bottle of Tokyo Milk Bittersweet for my stepdaughter.
Oh so after we got home I rushed to scrub off the hated hippy chic and sprayed on a liberal amount of Nuits d’hadrian. What a lovely scent that is.
Sorry about the bad perfume experience. At least it was cheap, right?
Just in case you need another pair of cute and comfy shoes ….The other day, a co-worker was wearing some cute sandals by Bare Traps. They look supportive, as well.
aw that’s so sweet of you to remember about the shoe convo from months back. I ended up getting a pair of Clarks “willow” sandals and the other week a beautiful pair of emerald green runners from New Balance that don’t hurt my feet.
There you are! I’ve been wondering when/if you’d reappear. Every time I see my Birks in the closet, I think of you. And no, that’s not meant as a diss
That is one of the funniest negative reviews I’ve ever read! I’m sorry for your scrubber experience, but want to thank you for the laughs.
I agree, hilarious!
If you missed the NST scrubber polls, I highly recommend them!
My plan for the coming week is to meet HemlockSillage in person and later in the week I will go to an interesting lecture on the 4 treasures of diagnostics (it relates to oriental medicine so I don’t really care what the actual lecture title is)
My newest scents, just arrived, are Jardins d’Armide and Marron Chic. The most recent addition to my want list is Javanica from Olympic Orchids which should arrive soon
SOTD: Ineke After My Own Heart, from a sample compliments of the lovely Floragal. It’s really pretty. Being back in California for years now, I love the smells of orange blossom and jasmine, but miss the springtime lilacs in the Midwest.
Enjoy
That’s my favorite Ineke!
Happy weekend all!
SOTD was PdN L’eau a la Folie. Love this for summer. I noticed that it was on sale at Parfum1 and is no longer on the PdN site. Does anyone know if it has been discontinued?
Second question, any recommendations for a beachy fragrance? I’ve tried Bobbi Brown Beach. Nice at first, but something funky and screechy on dry down for me. I’ve also tried Bronze Goddess. Again, nice, but it just wasn’t me.
Thanks!
Nicole
Found the answer to my question re PdN L’eau a la Folie. Comment here on NST from January said it has been discontinued. A shame as it is really lovely and perfect for summer. Glad I just purchased a new bottle.
Purchased a bottle of this today as well at Perfume1. It’s a blind buy for me but couldn’t beat the price and all the many great reviews.
LT gives Bond No. 9 Fire Island 4 stars. Heeley Cocobello and Honore des Pres Love Coconut are good. None of these are bargains, though. The Body Shop might have something along these lines. Also, there is a Parfum de Rosine with an aquatic note, Une Rose au Bord de la Mer, that seemed very nice at first sniff when I tested it once.
In a somewhat different direction, there are several very good oceanic vetiver scents, like Miller Harris Fleurs de Sel, Heeley Sel Marin and TDC Sel de Vetiver, not to mention the more complex Hermes Epices Marine.
Please let us know if you find something good!
CB I Hate Perfume At the Beach? Not a bargain though.
That is a good one!
I’ve wanted to try L’Eau a la Folie for a long time! I noticed Parfum 1 also does samples, which I wasn’t aware of. I think I remember they’re having a sale now, but I deleted their email in the (obviously erroneous) belief that would protect me from shopping. Does anyone have the current promo code?
As far as a beach scent, I don’t have any suggestions. I’ve tried the two you mentioned, and they’re not for me, either. I got a free sample of Salt Air body oil from Demeter which is very reminiscent of a quiet beach after the teeming hoards have departed. I wouldn’t say it’s a perfume scent, but it certainly does evoke a peaceful, contemplative moment on the beach watching the sun set and the waves roll in.
20% off Parfum1 code good until 5/27 is 4DAYSONLYPW. Enjoy!
Yay! Thanks so much, foxbins!
Hi Nicole, the scent that says “beach” to me is Eau des Merveilles. No suntan lotion, no tropical location, just slightly salty, very warm skin, as if you’ve been in the water and are at the point where you’re hot enough to dive in again.
That’s a great suggestion!
gatorgirl says:
“Any recommendations for a beachy fragrance? I’ve tried Bobbi Brown Beach. Nice at first, but something funky and screechy on dry down for me. I’ve also tried Bronze Goddess. Again, nice, but it just wasn’t me.”
Maybe Fragonard Miranda?
Hmm.. Maybe JLo Miami Glow or Desao, Love &Light isn’t bad either.Or Jil Sander Sun Delight or Sun? That new Omnia Coral might be nice for summer too.
If you don’t mind shopping the guys side the Bvlgari Aqva Marine is very nice as is the Amara ( sp?)one. Amara doesn’t have the greatest longevity though . BBW Coconut Lime Verbena or Orange Sapphire off ebay or amazon . Their Endless Summer one seemed nice too ( at least in lotion and mist) if you want a cheap coconut they probably have one or more. And if it isn’t the perfect one well you can swap it to your hearts content ( store policy) and you won’t be out niche ouch prices for it.
I, too, ordered another bottle of PdN L’eau a la Folie. I got the 30 ml size last summer and must’ve worn it a lot because I went through half a bottle in one season! I’m sad to hear it’s been discontinued as this is a favorite summer scent. Wonder what else I ‘need’ backups of?
Wow, I just read about a perfume-copying practice in Mexico City that seems so dodgy: http://bachelormachine.com/the-olfactory-floor-perfume-mixologists-of-calle-tacuba/ has anyone heard of this?
Wow! Interesting. I’m surprised the big companies, i.e. Chanel, LVMH, etc. haven’t tried to close them down. Thanks for sharing.
Never! But awfully fascinating! I donwonder about the chances of developing contact dermatitis from Mexican made perfumes, tho….. ;P
Fascinating information.
I’ve never heard of that but I was thinking about fragrance dupes a couple of weeks ago – the “if you like X you’ll love…” type. This practice sounds more like that than the obviously counterfeit bottles of “Green Fritch Tweed” I see around here.
Hello,
I never bought any samples / decants from an online retailer, and am very keen to try Carnal Flower and Parfum de Therese. Is there a shop that someone can recommend that would deliver within Europe and (potentially) has Frederic Malle’s fragrances?
First-in-fragrance is based in Europe and they sell samples of the full bottles they carry as merchandise. Of course, you could always try the Malle website…..
Thank you thegoddessrena, will try first in fragrance.
Well they don’t carry Malle’s fragrances, but neve mind, found out that our Osswald does, this will be a reason to visit.
I bought my samples from Skins.nl and that’s how I fell in love with Carnal Flower. I think they carry all the Frederic Malle scents and have worldwide shipping. They have a good deal on samples: 5 generous-size spray samples for 10 euros. You get a coupon that entitles you to a 10 euro discount when you buy a full bottle.
Oh that is a great deal! Mmm, will probably try. thanks a lot!
I find lots of carded samples on ebay. I’m in the US, so not certain it’s the same in Europe, where there are some restrictions, but worth a look.
Thanks nozknoz, was looking by could not just find , nd as usual don’t want to wait… Thought maybe there is a secret address for the decants or similar, but then thought of Osswald.
Les Senteurs in the UK has Malle and will send samples, but I think they’re quite expensive. I was interested to see the other suggestions – definitely worth trying and much cheaper than Les Senteurs. I always feel that European perfume- lovers are at a disadvantage.
I know, it’s either brave the ice maiden Osswald sales assistants with my 2.5 year old daughter in tow (and you can imagine an effect that all these lovely colourful bottles have on her), or pay around 100 EUR for something that you might not even really like… but that Dutch shop sounds generous, so will probably try them
If you go to the Frederic Malle website, you will find information under “about us” leading you to “questions and answers” (see the first one) that give you the contact information for getting samples directly. Perhaps that will help?
Thank you Holly, I thought carded samples means just a sprayed card… Wanted to get a small decant or something like that, and the minimum you can purchase from thi shop is 30 ml. So it’s Osswald or most likely skins.nl, 10 EUR for 5 samples is quite generous!
I haven’t put on my SOTD yet, trying to decide what scent is appropriate for Election Day (the EU- parlament) . I like to dress up a bit whenever I go to cast my vote, in order to feel the solemnity of the occasion
Yesterday I wore Jule et Mad Amour a la Palazzo, maybe I’ll go with that one again or possibly Vero Profumo Rubj.
I appreciate that you take voting so seriously!
It’s cool to have elections on Sunday! It’s always Tuesday in the U.S., so I’m stuck with whatever I’m wearing to the office. Perhaps a vetiver to clear the mind?
(Actually, my county offers some “in person absentee” voting opportunities on weekends, for those who work too far away to make it to the polls on election day, and a list of other exceptions, but Tuesday is the usual.)
So Rubj would send the message that voting is sexy? I like it.
Hello, my lovely perfumed friends! Thank you to everyone who wrote kind birthday wishes. (I will go back and comment on the Friday poll). I went and had my hair cut and dyed on my birthday (Friday) and my sweet hairdresser and his staff presented me with an incredibly ENORMOUS bouquet of hot-pink (a favorite color) fancy peonies with a supporting cast of smaller hot-pink flowers and greens. This is most likely the most beautiful and lavish (and incredibly expensive) bouquet I’ve ever had! Many of the peonies have opened and their perfume is amazing! I grow peonies in my garden and they are currently in bloom, but they are barely scented and not huge and fancy like these. Thank goodness, my cats have only had a curious nibble and left the bouquet intact. I could barely get the flowers into my largest vase. It really made me feel loved.
SOTD Friday was Montale Black Aoud (my favorite desert-island scent). Yesterday, I test-drove Le Parfum de Therese and later on, En Passant. I liked them both, and LPdT is to be tried again. End of the day, I tried Lipstick Rose and now I know why so many love it. I had always expected it to smell like my Designer Shaik
Opulent 33, which reminds me of lipstick. But it’s very different.
Coincidentally, DS O33 is a peony-dominated scent. Lipstick Rose is more like lipstick and powder. I will wear my little sample again and will think hard about whether it is fbw.
Today, I’m continuing my head-over-heels love affair with Carnal Flower, and I’m sleeping with it as well.
What a lovely gift! The peonies here are in full bloom right now and I absolutely adore them. I recently read a comment somewhere about Penhaligon’s Peoneve and look forward to trying it. DS O33 will go on my list as well, and thank-you for mentioning it. I’m so glad you had a joyous birthday, and hope that your recovery from your fall is going well.
Thank you for your get-well wishes, Holly. I’m still taking Paracetamol and Traumeel (a homeopathic remedy), but the pain is noticeably less than it was.
I have two DS scents. The other one I have (without peony) is Chic 30. It has roses, vanilla, some other notes and a smidgen of aoud.
It’s a very pricey brand, but the scents are beautiful and long-lasting.
Oh, Peonies! I love them! Mine are wimpy and small, still too young. My mother has Port Wine, Sorbet (a bi-color), and a soft pink. The soft pink blooms are as large as soft-balls! And delightfully fragrant!
I don’t know what color my garden peonies would be considered. I guess I’d call them magenta/red violet. My only regret is that the blooms usually last only a week or sometimes two weeks.
Jonette, congratulations on your birthday and the beautiful and meaningful bouquet.
I’ve been sniffing every peony bush that I encounter these days, and the range of scents is surprising.
Thank you. I am also sniffing every peony bush, but I suspect that the florist trade has special ones. The peonies in my bouquet remind me a bit of parrot tulips with ornate fringed petals. The scent is almost rose-like.
I had not thought of that, but I bet you’re right! There must be carefully guarded, company secret varieties, too. Was trying to find something on the internet but haven’t arrived at the right keyword yet. Here’s a hint:
“Since tissue culture is a very expensive method of producing plants, it is often used for high value plants such as orchids and slow-to-grow plants such as ferns. Plantek International grows a wide variety of plants including terrestrial orchids and peonies – not just any peonies, but the fancy, and very expensive ones called Itoh hybrids….($30 to well above $100 per root).”
But the best thing about your story is the people. Happy birthday!
I have been out of the loop here. Must go back to Friday and see what I missed but Happy Birthday! Peonies are one of my favorite flowers. Maybe climate has something to do with the scent because mine usually perfume the whole yard. They’re just budding now but it looks to be a bumper crop this year. Lots of buds and the plants are really big.
Belated happy birthday wishes. What a lovely present…they must love you a lot. Hope your bruises and aches and pains are easing.
Thanks to everyone for your good wishes.
My hairdresser and his staff witnessed my sudden and extreme decline when I became ill (an acute form of Giant Cell Arteritis). I transformed very quickly from a rather attractive, petite woman to a hideous, Prednisone monster (moon face, hump, huge body) — I looked uglier than Charles Laughton in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Then I had a stroke, etc. which skewed my face for six months. It’s taken 5 1/2 years of one step forward, half a step back, but I look “normal” now, but not like the “me” I was before this happened. Throughout it all, the hairdressing team has been supportive, commiserative, etc. and has done their best to help me look my best. So I’m sure that’s why they gave me that incredible bouquet.
My doctors recently said that it’s possible I’m turning a corner, because I had (for the first time!) two good weeks.
Too much info — sorry.
Don’t be sorry Jonette! Nothing to apologize for. Thank you for sharing, and I hope you continue in this upwards trend.
All the best to you!
Can anyone comment about Ineke perfumes? I see them mentioned fairly regularly and there is a sample set I am thinking of buying. Are they long-lasting? Smell of quality ingredients? Thanks!
Sample sets are my favorite way to discover new & awesome scents. In the last few weeks I bought:
Givenchy 5 pack (AoD Le Secret, Dahlia Noir, Eaudemoiselle, Very Irresistible & VI Electric Rose…
Estee Lauder 5 pack, (Beautiful, Pure White Linen, Pleasures, P Intense & Sensuous)
“Haute Couture” 5 pack
(Tresor, Poeme, RL Safari, Noa & Paloma Picasso)
All from the CND version of TJ Maxx
And found a favorite in each one!
I have Ineke Field Notes in Paris and believe it has quality ingredients and staying power.
Ditto on the Field Notes in Paris. I almost bought a sample set, but got overwhelmed by the selection so I only bought that one sample. There were a couple of mentions above about After My Own Heart being a favorite. I don’t know where you live, but Anthropologie carries the line as well if you can make it in to sniff in person.
Thanks again for the Parfum 1 code. I, um, saved a nice chunk of money
I tried the deluxe sample set and there were a couple of her scents that I thought were well done but not me.
For the price it’s worth it. You might try eBay for an even better deal vs. her site.
Field Notes is my favorite of the bunch and I already purchased a decant.
I have not been overly impressed with the Ineke fragrances overall but I have not tried all of them. I like After My Own Heart quite a bit but it turns very soapy on me. The one I like the best is Chemical Bonding. It is a refreshing citrus tea fragrance which is great for summer. Lasting power is quite good for a citrus scent.
I have the sample set and, for the most part, like the scents. I’ve also purchased the sample set for several of my friends as gifts and they have enjoyed them as well. My favorites are Chemical Bonding and Gilded Lily. I also like Hothouse Flower, the gardenia scent, and After My Own Heart. They are very polished fragrances and, at least for me, have good lasting power. The nice thing about the sample set is you get samples of all of the mainline fragrances (7 or 8 of them) and you get a code to use as a credit for the sample set purchase price if you make a full bottle purchase.
Ya, you get a 25 dollar coupon code when you buy the A-H set:).
Evening is good too, there’s also the Floral Curiosities set, also worth trying out..they also have superb customer service.
Found Demeter on clearance $3.94 for 30 ml spray!
I picked up:
Tomato, Bamboo, New Leaf, Tonka Flower, Ocean, Grass, Cucumber, Pineapple, Dandelion, & White Sangria.
I gave my brother:
Thunderstorm, Laundromat, Oud & Vetiver.
He said he was looking for a hidden gem, that no one else wears, for a good price. This fits the bill!
The only one of those Demeter’s from your list that I have tried is Cucumber which is refreshing but disappears quickly.
Can’t go wrong for $3.94!
And of course in Canadian funds too….
Cut work early today & hit another location in the chain. So glad I did, as all the Demeter’s were on clearance!!! I was pretty stoked to find:
Dirt. Rain. Pink Lemonade. Clean Skin. Lilac. Grapefruit Tea. Chrysanthemum. Salt Water Taffy. Piña Colada.