Happy Friday, and for those of you in the USA, welcome to Labor Day weekend! Our community project today: wear the last fragrance you bought. And if you can, tell us how long ago you bought it, and if you're happy with your purchase.
Strictly speaking, the last fragrance I bought was Cartier La Panthère. But as I'm finally in the process of swapping that one away (yay!!) I'm wearing what I bought just before that, Love + Toast Candied Citron. I bought it in February, and I'm perfectly happy with it, not least because it only cost $10. Reader kindcrow, however, recently gave it a one-word review: vomit.
Reminder: next Friday, 5 September, is the signature scent challenge: pick a fragrance, wear it on Friday, then wear it through the weekend and again on Monday (or longer?) ... see if you notice anything new, or if you get sick of it, or ...?
And for those of you who like to plan ahead, see Scent of the day ~ Friday community projects 2014, where I'll try to always have the next six or seven weeks mapped out in advance.
The last fragrance I bought — just this week — was Donna Karan Gold eau de parfum, with credit card points via Amazon. However, the fragrance that showed up at my front door the next day was Donna Karan Gold eau de toilette. My perfume purchases via Amazon are 1 for 4, I think. But, instead of going through returning it I just broke into it and have been wearing it, since it is also completely great. So… all’s well that ends with smelling wonderful!
Oh, love that one!
DK Gold is one of my all-time favorites!
Still available? Wonderful!
There are a lot at discounters, still very affordable.
The edt works better in the heat, I think, although it doesn’t last as long. You should let Amazon know, though, so they’ll stop selling it as the edp.
Oh you are totally right!
The last perfume I bought was DelRae Amoureuse – but alas, it has not arrived yet! Stuck at customs, judging by the tracking note. With it, a sample of Wit. I have to suffer impatiently for a bit longer. So I’m wearing the last sample I’ve acquired – Vero Profumo Rubj voile d’extrait. When I at first compared it with Rubj edp and Rubj extrait, I didn’t think much of it, but just now, wearing it on its own, it’s beautiful in its own right. Vero Pofume does these things to me, I have already but Rozy down on my wish list, and maybe I’ll need Rubj in another concentration as well.
Love Amoureuse! Hope it gets there soon. DelRae Roth said something on FB/Twitter about coming out with travel sizes, so I may own Wit one day…
Travel sizes! It would be my prayers answered if they had travel sizes. Or a sample box. I’m not a fan of Mythique, but I would like to own at least Emotionnelle and Debut and Bois de Paradis from their collection… Uhhh.
Travel sizes from DelRae! Hurrah!!!
I’ve sampled Amoureuse and Wit this past weekend and both are great. I’ve added Amoureuse to my bottle list… Loved it so much!
Wit reminds me of PdN Kiss Me Tender, albeit less sweet. I like mimosa/linden notes but wanted more sparkle and less relentlessness. Saving my sample for another day as I was moody last weekend.
Amoureuse is at the top of my purchase list.
Hopefully it gets to me before next week and I can try to make it my three-day signature!
Love Amoureuse – and Wit.
Amoureuse is just gorgeous. I have a bottle that will last me for a very long time – one of the nice things of a rich fragrance. I’d love to test Wit and would also be very happy if they had the travel size for sale. I have a FB of Bois de Paradise and it is so rich as well, that I will never use it up!
Ah, Amoreuse is so delish! I have a sample of it, and I wore it last night. DelRae is my favourite perfume house. Rubj I admire, but I just can`t pull it off.
Amoureuse got a lot of LOVE. I added it to my try list, not that I need more samples.
I’m wearing Byredo 1996. I bought a bottle earlier this month but had a decant a few months before that. I’m happy with it–it’s an easy one to wear, and I think I’ll wear it even more often when the weather is cooler.
Nice…
It’s day 5 of PdN week so I decided to wear the last Nicholai scent I purchased which was a backup bottle of L’eau A La Folie. I love that citrusy mango/apricot opening. It’s such a great hot-weather scent. I’ve been waiting all week to wear this one.
Those Love and Toast scents are fun! Their hand lotions are really nice: I gave one to all the girls for Christmas last year and the all loved them! Cute packaging, too.
I was wearing their sugared grapefruit hand cream this morning and my son was horrified by the smell. He said to stay away from him, LOL…
Sugared Grapefruit was the one I saved for myself! Kids…..
Exactly, what do they know?
The last fragrance I purchased (although not here yet) is Thierry Mugler Alien Essence Absolue. I had a forgotten sample for it, and found that it is fairly compelling to me – It seems obvious and yet complicated and I can’t quite make it out, so I keep wanting to put it on. My sample is all gone today. It has an opening that baffles my brain – lots of massive jasmine and something I can’t quite put my finger on – but after about 15 minutes it is a rather swoony woody vanilla oriental.
I do NOT love Alien, should I try it anyway?
I don’t know if I’ve ever actually smelled the original Alien, which probably means I haven’t, so I have no comment on it. The first few times I sniffed AEA I thought it had a plasticky/hairspray quality similar to the burnt vanilla in Tocade (which I have otherwise come to dislike very much and now use to repell deer in my garden), but then each time I kept trying AEA, it would morph until I kept wanting to test it again and again. There is a pretty unusual low hum animalic note in there that may be coming from a synthetic jasmine, but I can’t tell b/c I don’t know enough about it. Normally I can wrap my head around a fragrance, but there is something in this one that I cannot identify and keeps wanting to make me come back for more, so I figured a bottle was due. Thankfully there is the little 30 ml bottle. It definitely needs it’s space and the sillage is the best part, not the nose on the wrist. The woody and vanilla and tonka are excellent in the drydown and last for a long time, but the rest of it would likely be very hit or miss for people. The opening is massive. I would never have even ventured into this one except I had a tester. I don’t know if that helps, but there it is.
It helped, thanks!
I say absolutely try it! I could never wear Alien or Angel but Alien Essence Absolue goes on and off and on my buy list!
Thanks!
I don’t like the original Alien but I’ve liked almost all the flankers, go figure.
I like several Angel flankers better than Angel too.
The last perfume I bought was Si by Armani and ended up not liking it that well so got rid of it. I am wearing the purchase I bought before Si which was Narcisco Rodriquez for Her. This one I do like, however with the humidity in the Midwest today it may not be the most appropriate to be wearing. Oh, well!
Hopefully it has faded by now 🙂
SL a la Nuit. Love it! It’s the best straight up jasmine I’ve tried.
Although, technically the last bottle I purchased is L’Artisan Voleur de Roses, but it’s not for me. It’s a birthday present for my boyfriend. I’m proud of him, he has good taste in perfume 😉
I would say that both of you have great taste in perfume!
I’m wearing L’Impacte de Pour un Homme by Caron. I love it. I bought it 3 weeks ago or so and have been wearing it a lot since.
I found Panthère interesting but I’m still not sure if I love it, or am just intrigued. Baiser Volé will be bought at some point. I still need to try the extrait to figure out which version of it I like best.
Baiser Vole edp is just outstanding. I’d eventually like to test the other versions of it.
It’s been a while since I tried the edp. I remember not being too fond of the drydown. I love how lighthearted and fun the edt is.
Thanks for the tip!
Austenfan how does L’Impacte compare to the ordinary Homme?
The EDT is more radiant and I guess on the whole perhaps a little more balanced. The extrait is softer, stays closer to the skin and the drydown is to die for ( imagine a downy vanilla with slight herbal hints). According to Victoria of BdJ the quality of the lavender in the extrait is better.
I can’t say which version I prefer, I love both.
Sounds amazing. Sometimes I find the EDT a little too radiant – as in I’d prefer something quieter and more introspective – at least in some moods. Sounds like I need both!
Rozy edp is the last scent I bought, a week and a half ago and is my souvenir from my trip to LA
Lovely! You smell great…
I finally remembered a Friday community project! I’m wearing my most recent, early summer (June?) purchase, Providence Perfume Co. Tabac Citron. Very cheerful, and a lovely match to the blue sky – definitely happy to have it. Those little 30 ml Providence bottles are great.
Oh, that’s a great scent, I should buy one too.
Last purchase was A Lab on Fire Rose Rebelle which was a monumental eBay purchasing error. I forgot the word “respawn” in that name and for this scent it makes all the difference. Happy? NO.
SOTD: day 2 of trying Seville a l’aube
Oh, no! I feel your pain. The “Respawn” is very nice, but the original is NOT.
The worst.
Seriously, I’m happy to pass this off next freebie meet 😉
we’re testing Seville at the same time! what do you think so far?
Not sure. I don’t smell the lavender and I’d really like to. I much prefer the first 2hrs to the 3rd and 4th hrs.
Going to give it some more time.
I sprayed today vs dabbing and it was a bit overwhelming.
You?
That’s so interesting. I almost get more lavender than anything else, at least for the first hour or so. And to be honest, I’d even be ok if the lavender had been toned down some, although I mostly just love the whole thing. I noticed, too, that the perfume remains rather linear on clothing but really evolves on pulsepoints, so that might be a way to hang on to the initial phase a bit longer. I do love its lasting power and sillage though!
By the way, BV’s new scent, Knot, is orange blossom with lavender. I’m definitely trying this before I do a FB of any orange blossom.
Ooh, Knot is going on my to-try list. Thanks!
Séville à l’Aube from my most recent perfume purchase – LAP’s sample set. I only tried it briefly in store when it first came out so it’s nice to spend some quality time with it. Very positive impressions so far; it might join Prelude to Love as a fave orange blossom even though the two are quite different interpretations of the note.
This may be fb-worthy for me also.
I actually purchased 2 fragrances the last time I made a purchase. I bought Chanel Cristalle and Jo Malone BlackBerry and Bay. Since I wore Cristalle yesterday, I wore BlackBerry and Bay.
Blackberry and Bay is one of my favorites. It is really good with Jo Malone Orange Blossom lotion.
Yes, this has been suggested to me a few times. I can’t wait to test it out. It sounds heavenly!
You smell absolutely delightful.
Thank you! 🙂
My last purchase was Korres Iris Cotton Lily of the Valley. I had bought it for my holidays and indeed wore it then, but it does not last for more than an hour on me, so not a good choice for the office.
My second to last purchase was Chergui which I will crack open when it gets cold, in a couple of months.
So then we are left with today’s choice, Osmanthus Interdite, which I bought in March, I think, and which I in fact have worn all week.
Have you tried Chergui in the heat? I think its great in any weather, but I wear it most in the summer!
Love Chergui and agree it works in pretty much all temps!
My last purchase was a very recently bought 100 ml bottle of AdP Iris Nobile EDT because I went into panic mode upon hearing that the EDT version was d/c. This is one of my favorite irises, and I am enjoying it today, still using the 50 ml bottle that has perhaps 20 ml left in it. It was NOT a bargain.
However, my purchase shortly before IN EDT was a 100 ml bottle of PdN Eau a la Folie, also d/c, which I found on sale on Parfums1.
My perfume hoarding is complete (for the time being).
Did not even know it could still be found…
I got crafty, but paid full price for it. Space NK out of London still has it and offers free shipping to the US. Only the 100 ml bottle is available, though, for the EDT.
that was a coup, thought shipping perfume out of the U.K. was a big no-no.
I’m wearing Lolita Lempicka L’Eau en Blanc. It’s the last full bottle I bought, earlier this year (still winter I think) and I got it basically free with Amazon points. That means I’ve been doing pretty well this year. I have spent some $ since on samples and decants. LLLEEB is a really pretty soft musky powdery iris.
I like that one…
I love theme Friday! So fun to think of all of us from all over the world pondering our choices and how they fit the theme every week.
My SOTD is Neela Vermiere Mohur which I just got a few weeks ago. I had a sample previously that I was doling out verrrry slowly, since there is no place here to buy the line, so that was my ‘must buy’ when in Paris. A whole lovely bottle. Yay! I love it.
Well done – Mohur is radiant and amazing! Did you try Ashoka too when you were there? What did you think?
I have tried Ashoka, for me it wasn’t a love but fig doesn’t really work well on me. Where Mohur I find very balanced, Ashoka felt a bit disjointed and busy.
I love theme Friday too. It adds a whole extra dimension to the community 🙂
Perfume for today and at the same time the last one that I bought was Jul et Mad Aqua Sextius, bought in early June to celebrate my master’s degree.
Later I also got VC&A California Reverie, I made a purchase but it was a master’s degree from a very generous friend of mine so I don’t count it as my own purchase.
And yes, I’m very satisfied with this purchase. And now that Jul et Mad offers Le Compagnon (20ml) I want to get Amour de Palazzo at some point as well.
Congrats on that master’s degree! And on the gifts.
Thank you
Yes, congrats on the MA!!
Thanks a lot
Congratulations, Lucas! Very happy for you! It’s amazing that you’ve been able to launch and sustain a perfume blog while getting a science degree.
Thanks nozknoz!
It was all possible thanks to the good organization of time.
So awesome, congrats Lucas!
You smell great and congrats on the masters 😉
Last purchase was a backup bottle of Mary Greenwell Plum, which seems to no longer be stocked in the US. (Lemon is still available here and there, but not Plum.) No idea why – the Mary Greenwell website puts you through to Harrods, where they apparently have Plum, Lemon, and Cherry as well. I am so susceptible to hearing that my Dear Loves, of which Plum is one, are discontinued, and running immediately to buy another bottle.
I still have 30mls in my original bottle of Plum, but I found a bottle at Net-a-Porter. It just showed up via the friendly UPS man!
I have the same problem about the frantic back up. Plum is very nice, so I see why you did it. It’s been a while since I’ve backed up anything, however, I am always very happy I have a deep bench with the vintage/older versions of most of the Guerlains I have as well as a few others that are hard to find or very costly on ebay. The only one I missed the boat was Marielle Burani. Since you like that one as well, you know my pain. So many years went by and I just thought it would be around forever. Now I horde my half used bottle.
And the MB is in a beautiful bottle, too! I also hoard my remaining one-third. It is such a gorgeous fragrance.
Love Mariella Burani. The drydown, especially, is so lovely.
Wow, I’m amazed MG would discontinue Plum. Such a lovely, versatile scent. You are wise to stock up!
I’m not *sure* it’s discontinued… but I think maybe the US distribution has fallen through.
My most recent purchase is Regime des Fleurs Turquoise and it hasn’t arrived yet, but I am wearing what is left in the sample vial.
My sotd and last purchase is Iris Nazarena, and a lovely iris it is. Nothing rooty about it though it has a kind of sweet dryness that sets it apart from every other iris I’ve tried.
Last new purchase was AG Mandragore edp, so doused myself in that this morning.
This arvo I retested some fb’s I wasn’t sure about (cheap blind buys): Maubaussin edp and Grey Flannel, and both are better than they used to be. My nose must be getting trained well!
Tonight is wet and cold so I showered with AG Ambre Fetiche shower gel and body cream, then Lutens Ambre Sultan, which was with my last purchase I think..
Mauboussin is a great oriental and bargain! I’ve been very interested lately in discovering or re-discovering men’s fragrances. I figure there are very likely some gems on that side of the aisle that I’ve neglected all these years!
The last fragrance I bought was No19 poudre, though it does not get a lot of love by some perfume reviewers, I happen to love the close to skin sent.
The perfume before that was Christalle Eau Vert
Maybe I have a thing for green liquid in a bottle and Chanel
I was in TJ Maxx Wednesday night and picked up a 1-oz bottle of Ombre Rose by Brousseau. I wore this occasionally in the 80’s and remember liking it because it was completely different than anything else I owned. I broke into the new acquisition for the first time this morning, and I’m pretty sure something has changed with it (that’s a safe bet considering how long its been around). Seems thinner somehow. It’s still recognizable, however, unlike some reformulations. It’s still a woody, deep rose powder bomb.
Decided that I wasn’t quite in the mood for Rozy, so washed it off and am now wearing Sotto La Luna which I have on preorder and which is my next-to-last purchase
Oh, what are your thoughts on the Sotto La Luna? I’ve only read one review of it, and despite the blogger’s sincerest efforts to like the perfume, the review was quite negative indeed.
I’ve read a really negative review and a really positive one and on me it’s fabulous– a very true gardenia with slightly woody undertones. There’s a bit of the buttery unctuousness that I also find in Beyond Love and a feeling of slight dampness as well
That souns amazing. The reviewer I’m talking about couldn’t find gardenia at all, which is a shame. I hope to sniff this one when I’m in London!
I couldn’t find gardenia either but I love it!
My last purchase arrived late last week, 3 small splash bottles of the new Balmain Ivoire. Probably going to purchase some decaying supplies and transfer to a spray bottlein the near future.
As for the scent, I like it, very soft but distinctive. I’ve worn it to bed a few times, and this is our first outing.
Also, live the bottle, even the mini splash bottles are sweet and minimal. Just my style.
Are you familiar with the older version at all? I had a very ambivalent relationship with that – it was so soapy AND so mossy that it felt like two fragrances in one, and I would only be in the mood for one of them, not both.
I’m curious about the rerelease.
Never smelled the original – I haven’t found myself enjoying mossy scents yet and so haven’t gone fur bottles I’ve seen on ebay.
I do enjoy soapy scents.
The new is easy to like and fresh without a hint of fruit. I really want to try Mugler Cologne, and see how they compare. Not because I think they are similar, just curious 🙂
The new Ivoire is wonderful – maybe not exciting, but beautiful and unobtrusive. Its a favorite office scent for me.
Bastet – you’ve nailed it!
I remember Ombre Rose and used to really like that one. If I see it at TJ Maxx, I’ll check it out, since it is still recognizable.
I actually got a bottle of Ombre Rose the other year. It is quite delicate and soft, but you never get the dryer sheet thing as you do with more recent frags so that is nice. I’d kind of forgotten all about it for a very long time, but after I got the bottle I’d realized that it was the memory of church ladies when I was a kid.
My last purchase was Hermes l’eau d’orange vert. It’s been my staple this summer. The best blind buy ever!
Chanel Beige EDT for me! I bought it in July, and am very happy with it. It smells like fancy shampoo. It’s light, but the longevity is good, and it’s something that I’d enjoy year-round.
I got a sample of this when I purchased a bottle of Cristalle a few weeks ago. I liked it a lot. You made a good choice!
Ok, this is not technically my last purchase, but I just can resist the call of Onda VdE.
Holy cow this is fantastic- on first spritz my eyes roll back in my head, I start speaking in tongues, and generally appear to quite high.
I have already drawn some disapproving looks from the masses as I walk around with my nose down the front on my shirt.
I’m not sure if I should be driving at this point because I may be a menace on the road.
My brain has ceased all logical analytical function and is just incoherent synaptic firings that leave me in a swoon.
Is this love??
Sorry for not toeing the NST line and wearing the last scent purchased, but am hoping I will be forgiven.
Its completely out of my control at this point 😉
Onda is the real thing!
Being in love gets you forgiven. 🙂
Nobody has to toe the line around here 😎
If you have flashbacks of the experience, let us know, lol!
SOTD = Atelier Cologne Orange Sanguine
It was my last FB (30mL) purchase and I love it. I was prompted to purchase it after using the Orange Sanguine Hair and Body Gel. Orange Sanguine is so juicy and bright, perfect for this coolish summer day!
I had samples and a decant that arrived this week but I have not yet opened the packages so they were not in the running for today’s activity.
One of my favorite summer fragrances. I sprayed some at work the other day and everybody was like, “Who smells soooo good?”
Everyone said that I smelled absolutely fantastic.
So, Hajusuuri, you smell absolutely amazing! Get ready for the compliments to start rolling in.
Wearing Montale White Musk. Will be nice for days when I want something low-key, and it’s filling the skin scent hole in my perfume wardrobe.
The last FB that I bought was Moschino’s Cheap and Chic. It was a total scrubber, and reminded me of the hairspray that my mother used on me when she wanted me to have that helmet look in the ’60s. I am loathe to pass it on to some other poor schmuck, so it is sitting in a drawer. However, the day before I got C&C, I received my very first package of frankensmellies from Smell Bent. Mind you, these were the 4ml travel size, not full bottles. So that is what I wore today – Smell Bent’s Frankensmellie The Yard Next Door. Very grassy, possibly too grassy, but I might try layering with something citrus next time. By the way, I have to agree with kindcrow’s review of Candied Citron. And usually I really like Margot Elena’s stuff.
Yeah, I like a great deal of Margo Elena’s stuff, but I was traumatized by Candied Citron 🙂 The Yard Next Door sounds like something I should try. I like Smell Bent’s Prairie Nymph and need to get a FB (or at least a travel spray).
I have to retry Prairie Nymph. I was on a carnation kick and I rushed out to order and/or acquire samples of recommended perfumes. My first and so far only trial of this was not great. I’ll pass it along to you if the 2nd try is meh.
Thanks!
(perks up) Grassy? OOooooooooh.
Ha, that’s two votes for vomit 😮
You really should try to either swap the Moschino, or offer it at the Freebiemeet. I am often surprised by the difference between what I smell and what many other people smell. No matter how objectively nasty you think it is, someone somewhere adores it.
I like your last sentence 🙂 Will have to use it sometime.
Here goes: No matter how objectively nasty I find Coach Poppy to be, many someones in many places adore it 🙂
Today I will be taking Seville a l’aube for its first public test drive, although my last fb purchase was of What We Do in Parris is Secret by a Lab on Fire. The heliotrope note bothers me a little sometimes, but if I spray lightly, the fragrance is wonderful.
Today, I’m wearing Angel Eau Sucree after first burning through three or four large samples and then, thanks to both an amazing Ebay promo and finding an unboxed bottle for sale, grabbing a 50ml size for $15 after coupon!
I do love it but given that I have to reapply halfway through the day, the regular price was a sticking point. But when I found a bottle for significantly less than regular price and had that deal to take advantage of, it was an easy choice.
I got it last week and have worn it at least five or six times if not more since then, and it is actually sticking around quite nicely today due to the humidity. I hope it survives preparations for a rather garlic-heavy quiche I’m going to make the kids and I for lunch, but if not I can afford to reapply at that price. 🙂
Wearing PdE Wazamba, my most recent purchase. I’d gone through 3 decants of it, but what finally brought the credit card out was the realization that PdE was no longer selling it in the 50 ml bottle. The last thing I need is 100 ml of anything, so I went on the hunt for a 50 ml (the kind folks at Lucky Scent went way out of their way to try to track one down, but no luck) and finally found one! I love Wazamba and wear it year round, so very happy with my purchase.
Good work, Aparatchik!
I love the name “Wazamba” and Kevin’s review and have always meant to spend more time with my sample. I’m feeling very crabby with PdE for going 100-ml only. Nonetheless, Corsica Furiosa is the new release that I’m most curious about and a sample is on the way.
I have recently gotten a sample of CF and really like it- the opening is stunning and I like the dry down as well, although not as much as the opening. I had no expectations with this as I am new to “green” fragrances, so your experience may differ. I know the reviews have run the gamut, from fantastic to fail, but ultimately is personal preference.
I am peeved about the loss of the 50ml bottles as well. I have 8ml decants of Cuir Ottoman, Ambre Russe, and Equstrius which are in regular rotation. I was considering a 50ml purchase of at least two of the three. I am NOT considering a 100ml bottle.
WAZAMBA!!!
Just love saying it. DIdn’t love the frag, but I’ll say it is certainly interesting and kind of cool.
Yeah – I’ve kind of always heard Animal from the Muppets saying it: Wazamba! he, he, he. 😉
I had to call a moratorium on buying a while back, because in addition to all the full bottles, I have tons of samples I haven’t even sampled yet. I bought a few things about a year ago on a trip, and today I’m wearing one of them: Compagnie de Provence Encens Lavande, which is, as promised, incense and lavender, but lightly sweet, a bit like the candied licorice of Goodies/Good & Plenty, hardly any darkness to it at all. It’s really something.
SOTD is my last FB purchase Vero Profumo Rubj Voile d’Extrait. I bought it just before summer, but haven’t worn it a lot yet, because the summer was too warm!
I am dying- seriously just about dead- with the NEED for a bottle of Onda VdE! I haven’t tried Rubj (yet!) but also got a sample of Rozy VdE. Luckily, Rozy didn’t float my boat like Onda did, but I will have to give Rubj a try. “Or not” says my wallet!
Is it one of your top 5-10 fragrances?
Yes, I think it is! 🙂
The last decant I bought was Silver Iris Mist but the last full bottle I bought was vintage Shalimar EDC. Now is the debate on which one I am going to wear. Got both of them a month or two ago. As of now, my Kindle is getting most of my love.
I’m wearing my most recent purchase, a travel size spray of Amouage Gold Man. Maybe not as wonderful as Gold Woman but still great. So far I adore all of the Amouage’s I’ve tried (esp. Jubilation 25).
I actually like Gold Man better than Gold Woman. It’s a real masterpiece!
I recently bought a back-up of the cute and generous 7.5-ml mini Dior New Look 1947. I usually like it but am finding it too loud today. I think it works best as a crisp, feminine perfume for fall or winter – one can’t wear amber, etc., every day.
I’ll probably try to wash it off soon and revert to a summer fav like Astier de Villatte Eau Chic.
Actually, the Dior has softened up some, so I’ll probably leave it on.
Woo hoo! I’m famous! Or infamous? 🙂
I am not wearing the last scent that I purchased (I forgot). I’m wearing Jo Malone Blue Agava and Cacao. I accidentally sprayed it on my shirt, and I’ve discovered that I don’t like it on fabric. It is more complex on my skin, and on fabric it smells “perfumey,” which is not my thing.
One of my most recent purchases is Meadow and Fir by Phoenix Botanicals. I like it. My mini-review is at https://nstperfume.com/2014/08/09/lazy-weekend-poll-open-thread-mid-august-2014/, 10 August 2014 at 1:20 pm.
You are famous!
Avon Rare Gold. I have a friend who sells it. It reminds me of Sunflowers.
I draw the line at Avon’s costume jewelry because I spent two summers making it. Classic RI industry.
RI?
I’d guess the US state of Rhode Island.
Oh, ok!
Yes, Rhode Island.
As far as I can remember, my last FB purchase was from Olympic Orchids so I’m wearing Tropic of Capricorn again. Even it it’s not my latest FB (I seriously can’t remember), I’m still only mostly recovered from my latest migraine so I wanted to wear something safe.
Last scent I bought was L’Occitane Eau Spontanee. It was a complete impulse purchase (spontaneous indeed!) – small cute art nouveau bottle/packaging and 50% off. It’s a nice enough light pomegranate pink thing. But, once again I forgot about the project and am wearing AG Eau d’Hadrien. So sparkly at the beginning. And probably short-lived enough I can put on my most recent purchase in the afternoon 😉
You guys have amazing perfume lineups. From vintage to new, to not e’en released yet, NST readers have it all.
And you enable like minded souls to find fumes. Farouche, you and others pointed out that Hermes now has nomad sets of things other than the Hermessences. I splurged and bought the set of Jardins (minus sur le Toit) plus Eau des Merveilles. I’m wearing Jardin Sur le Nil today. It’s great. It may be a be a bit over shouted by the multiple decants I made for my brother, though. I smell all kinds of odd. Perfect for going to see Ghostbusters later today 😀
LOL! Enjoy Ghostbusters. Sur le Nil is gorgeous 🙂
I agree. I really like this as a community topic
I am wearing Serge Lutens La Fille de Berlin. Bought it last Saturday. It is niiiiice. Love that soft animalic scent after the ROSE has calmed down. Love the lush rose opening as well. Very satisfied with this one.
I have a sample vial sitting on my desk in its tidy little box! It’s tomorrow’s SOTD. It might even be the next full bottle I buy.
Enjoy! It is beautiful!
That’s on my bottle list as well! Love it so much.
My last FB purchase was two bottles: Shalimar Ode a la Vanille and Rochas Femme (good deals on Fragrancenet). Since I’ve worn Shalimar more recently, I went with Femme today. It’s the EDT, and it seems more cuminy than the EDP, but I like it. It had been on my buy list for a while after having gone through a couple of decants (of the EDP though, I think). I got a bigger bottle than I really wanted, but at the price, it was a good deal.
Er… this is one of the last scents I’ve bought:
Parfums de Nicolaï L’Eau Mixte
I’m really loving it and glad I finally bought a 30ml bottle to replace my long-drained decant. Comes off in the topnotes as just another citrus cologne, but is really so much more. Delicious.
Agree! I love it too, much more interesting than your typical cologne.
Mixte is fab. You smell great!
I need to catch up on my PdNs! I think there are a bunch from the past few years that I missed.
I have been on a buying binge lately, but I settled on two of my most recent bottle purchases and put a little vintage Zibeline on one arm and some vintage Replique (from a full sealed bottle of extrait!) on the other.
Unfortunately, I am not feeling very well today and have a nagging headache. Both of these perfumes got on my nerves, even though I applied only small dabs so that they would not clash with one another. Every time I lifted an arm to take a sniff, it would aggravate my headache. 🙁 I took a bath with one of the Lush Lord of Misrule bath bombs I hoarded last winter, hoping its earthy patchouli, black pepper, and vanilla would help me feel better. So far, it seems to be working, and my bathroom smells wonderful.
50 Roses, hope you get well soon!
Also hoping that you will have the opportunity to resume the test and report on these two vintage perfumes in a future poll – I’m very curious as to how they compare.
I don’t know that there is really much similarity between them, except that they are both vintage. That is why I was trying to keep them from colliding with one another. I just couldn’t decide which to wear. I do love my vintage ‘fumes, but am finding out that they are perhaps not the best thing when I am under the weather.
Angela had a review of Zibeline here about a year ago that sums it up really well, especially the part about “aldehylic herbal-floral-animalic-woody wonder of abstract perfumery.”
https://nstperfume.com/2013/05/13/weil-zibeline-and-secret-de-venus-fragrance-review/
I honestly would not even have pegged it as an aldehylic floral if I had not read a list of notes, as I find the aldehydes in it quite subtle, much less prominent than in no. 5, for example, whereas the heart and drydown are much warmer and richer.
Replique, according to my 1984 version of the H&R Guide, is an oriental, but to me it smells much more like a floral chypre. I know it was reformulated over the years; perhaps in the 80s it was reshaped into an oriental to conform to the prevailing 80s fashion of in-your-face scent bombs? I don’t know the age of my bottle, but the volume on it is given as “1oz.”, with no mention of milliliters, so I think it must be older than 1984, as all of my 1980s bottles give the volume in both ounces and milliliters. In any case, the opening smells to me like green and citrus notes, followed by a floral heart with a good dose of oakmoss. I don’t detect any particular amber or spice notes such as I usually associated with oriental frags. The bottle was sealed, with the thread closure and the baudruchage both intact. I also have the bath oil, which seems to have less of the green/citrus top notes and more of the floral heart. After 30 minutes or so on the skin, however, the extrait and the bath oil are almost indistinguishable. When the bath oil is used in the bath, the top notes are practically non-existent and the florals really burst into bloom. The overall effect is sweeter and rounder than on skin, and quite wonderful. I have acquired several vintage bath oils from ebay, and they often go for quite reasonable prices. So often the sellers seem to believe that these vintage products are no longer usable for their intended purpose and can only be displayed and looked at, not actually used in a bath.
Interesting! Thanks for this analysis. I did not think of Zibeline as particularly aldehydic, either – mainly spicy and animalic. I haven’t tried Replique yet. It sounds good.
I think the sellers sometimes believe that and sometimes say it to avoid complaints from those who buy a vintage perfume and don’t like it, which would be a lot of people, probably.
Good evening fragrant ones. I’m wearing Putain des Palaces which is my most recent acquisition. I really love it but haven’t put it on until the evening as the late summer is extremely hot and during the day I usually wear Un Jardin sur le Nil or Grand Néroli. One thing I have discovered is that just a couple of sprays of Ambre Sultan work very well in the heat.
I need to show my bottle of Putain some love! It’s been a while since we hooked up. Despite the name, this scents conjures up all kinds of innocent things to me- not smutty at all- delightfully powdery and lightly floral. Thanks for the inadvertent reminder to wear her soon 🙂
Nicolai L’eau Mixte, purchased during the Parfum1 Memorial Day sale (at least, I think that was the theme). Tangy grapefruit dealio; I like it, but probably don’t *love* it. That’s fine; it scratched the “I WANT TO BUY SOME PERFUME” itch without breaking the bank, and I get decent usage out of it.
I’m also cheating; I’m wearing JM Wood Sage and Sea Salt from a sample.
I also bought Mixte with a P1 coupon code, but more recently. I am really loving it today. It becomes so much more floral as time goes on, to my nose.
My last full bottle was Serge Luten’s Un Bois Vanille, which arrived about a month ago. I was looking for something unusual but still ‘friendly’ enough to wear in situations where I’m a bit nervous about wearing weird/loud perfumes. I think it really hits the spot – the vanilla is enticing but the coconut and woody notes step in to keep you on your toes. I wish I could pick out the black licorice note – I can’t tell if it’s missing on me or it’s too well blended to pick out just yet. Will keep sniffing!
I love this one too- it was the best blind buy I ever! It’s such a versatile, any occasion scent that is well-behaved but still interesting. I don’t get any black licorice either, but that’s ok with me.
Hooray for awesome blind buys! 🙂 I like the mention in the A-Z guide that it’s like the *atmosphere* of a coffee shop due to the toasted aspect. Nothing coffee-ish in it but totally on that cozy vibe.
I’m wearing Calvin Klein Euphoria, which was the last scent I purchased until about and hour ago, when I bough Calvin Klein Reveal. Love them both!
Need to try Reveal 🙂
I inadvertently participated in today’s SOTD, because of COURSE I am wearing the perfume that just came two days ago – Speciali Fiorentini’s Sunflower and Olive. I am a little disappointed in it – I had smelled it two or three times a few years ago and it’s been on my wish list ever since, and I still love the opening, but after about 5 min it loses a lot of its zip… still, it was only like $30 so worse things have happened. And I wonder if it will stay great longer once it’s not so humid out that you start to sweat just standing still….
Happy Friday everybody!
SOTD is Eau des Merveilles; my last FB purchase was a backup bottle a couple of months ago to use up some Walgreens’ points. It cost me less than $20 with points so I’m happy! I’ve noticed that Love & Toast products are also available at Wags so may choose a scent or two next time I have points to use up (but I’ll probably skip the Candied Citron as I notice my tastes run similar to kindcrow’s!)
My last purchase was Diptyque L’Eau Trois. I didn’t feel like wearing it this morning but I’ll spray some on before I go to bed. I really like it but I find that if I spray it carelessly I end up with watery eyes and a runny nose. My skin doesn’t react to it though and I find a few sprays on the belly works best.
My last fb was a 30ml bottle of Kenzo Jungle l’elephant EDP. And I will be wearing it this evening while sipping strong chai and watching Sherlock. Every time I wear it I laugh, I cry, I fall in love all over again… you get the picture. I never thought I could like such a voluptuous gourmand, but the cinnamon note is just beautiful and it’s more of a full on spice cabinet smell than a sugary cinnamon roll. I bought a small bottle because many reviewers said it was strong smelling stuff so I figured 30ml would last awhile.
Today my husband, stepdaughter and I spent the day at the science museum and I decided to wear Rose Anonyme. It was one of those end of the summer days where it’s sunny but a little chilly and I was somehow getting that slightly sad feeling that summer is over. Rose Anonyme seemed to fit that wistful mood perfectly.
I love l’Elephant too! Its so delicious and I find it very comforting. Another you may like is Parfumerie Generale Indochine- its a wonderful spice cabinet as well, but not quite as “assertive” as l’Elephant. Its one of my favorites and I always get compliments on it. If I were to be in a group of folks, I would choose Indochine over l’Elephant as it is quieter but still has nice sillage and projection.
I’m going to get a sample of Indochine and I want the l’Elephant bottle for that charming lid 🙂
Yes, definitely. Elephant is such a great buy.
Oh thank you Deva! I will try Indochine. It sounds wonderful.
Jour d’Hermes. I got it about a month ago–a tester. It was so cheap I was worried, but it seems like the real deal. Maybe the price was a typo? Anyway, it is great on a warm day. I almost forgot about Community Scent Day–my nephew wasn’t here, but off getting his required vaccinations before he starts school next week, and I thought it was Saturday. This is probably the last summer he’ll spend here. He’ll be a teenager next year, and already spends a LOT of his time texting and Skyping (and playing Minecraft) with his friends. (Sniffle.)
I picked up Jour d’Hermes: l’Absolu at the end of June at Heathrow airport. My flight to Brussels was cancelled because of the air traffic control strike in France. Not the first time that the marvellous land of macarons had messed up my travel plans. Anyways, with 11 hours to spare at Heathrow, what else can a girl do but shop?
I somewhat regret my purchase: adored the original JH but it dissipated too quickly on my skin so I went for the l’Absolsu which was comparable in price. At first sniff, I thought it was glorious but now that I’ve spent more time with it, the citrus notes kind of bother me: too acerbic, pungent, and persistent.
In retrospect, I should have succumbed to a bottle of Un Jardin sur le Toit but it was too reminiscent of Tommy Girl to justify the high price tag.
My latest purchase was a Estée Lauder lot from the Bay. Vintage bottles of Knowing, Youth Dew Parfum, and Youth Dew Cologne. All used, all gorgeous. The Youth Dew Parfum is very strong, so a little dab will do. These older versions seem softer, smoother and more well rounded then the newer formulas. Of course, this perception could be because all the spiritely top notes have disappeared! So today I wore the Youth Dew Parfum, just a little, I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Great acquisition, stinker kit!
I was excited to get them! And all 3 for far less then a new bottle! I am still stalking the original Halston in Parfum….