Our standard-issue open thread: talk about anything you like — the perfume you’re wearing today, the perfume you're thinking you need to try next, whatever.
Or, ask a question about fragrance, then see if anyone else has asked a question that you can answer…
Note: top image is Red Carnation Print [cropped & rotated] by Thor at flickr; some rights reserved.
The picture makes me ask if anyone knows of a really spicy, true carnation scent, without any powdery aspect? It seems to be an underused note in more recent scents.
Only carnation I’ve tried that felt really carnation-y was Comme des Garcons. But that lovely carnation fades, on me anyway, in about half an hour. I have also heard tell that IRFA restrictions make carnation a next-to-impossible note to do as it apparently once was.
I love this line from Grain de Musc’s review of Aedes de Venustas Oeillet Bengale:
“Today, between IFRA-enforced Brazilian wax jobs on formulas and marketing-driven eradication of the note as “old-ladyish” (of course, since any note that’s not offered for a while will tend to go out of fashion), we’d just about given up on the beleaguered blossom. ” (http://graindemusc.blogspot.com/2014/05/aedes-de-venustas-oeillet-bengale.html).
I am eagerly awaiting the promised Year of Carnation. With MR on the CdG, as it’s both nice and fleeting. At least it’s not very expensive.
Smell Bent Prairie Nymph is a lovely honeyed carnation. I can’t smell the musk notes in it but I still really enjoy it (and it’s a great price).
DSH Oeillets Rouges
Prada No. 2 Oeillet
Hi Priscilla!
I would like to suggest to you Aedes de Venustas Oeillet Bengale. As you might find out from the press release of this perfume, it’s actually about spicy rose but to me it perfectly mimics the carnation vibe in perfume, so might be worth trying.
I second what Lucas just said.
I third what she said… I have this and love it. It smells of spicy carnation to me.
I sampled EL Spellbound last winter and remember the bold and spicy carnation. Despite my best intentions, I’m not very good at taking noted on what I sample so can’t recall if it was a true carnation or if there was any powder.
How could I forget – JAR Golconda !
Lol,How could you forget THAT 1!
Seconded; Golconda is beautiful (non-powdery) carnation scent.
I was wondering what people’s thoughts are on the Mona di Orio Carnation?To me,it’s more African Geranium than Carnation,but pretty convincing still.
From everything I read, MdO’s Carnation wasn’t supposed to be about that flower at all, so it’s not surprising that you do not smell it in there.
I tried Carnation and neither liked nor disliked it but MdO isn’t my brand in general.
RIght, it was supposed to be carnation as in skin flushing red, sort of a sensual thing, not carnation the flower.
Many years ago Crabtree & Evelyn had a lovely carnation, but it’s no more. I’ve not smelled a lot of carnations, but one I did like is the “Red Moscow” by Krasnaya Moskov? I tested this before and for a while thought I might buy it.
The discontinued Fendi Asja is an oriental carnation. It’s still reasonably easy to find. It took me a while to realize that what I liked most about Asja was actually the carnation.
I loved Crabtree & Evelyn’s (C&E)carnation! The last time I went to the store to buy it, the SA told me that they didn’t sell it any longer and that it was an old person’s perfume.
I cherish my bottle of Laboissiere Carnation Eau de Toilette. It is a glorious and fiery soliflore.
And here I thought Crabtree and Evelyn was an old persons’ shop.
I love carnations – in the garden and in the vase, and I love a carnation scent, too. However, I do sometimes have trouble with them; sometimes they are both bitter and soapy on me, and that is an extremely unpleasant situation… Sigh. I have never yet found my Holy Grail Carnation, which would be fresh-floral, with some green leafy bits as well as the creamy spice aspects. I have found some really great carnation scents in my quest, though.
I have not yet tried Golconda; I’m skeered to. $$$$$$$$$, and then there’s the question of reformulation.
CdG Carnation and Caron Bellodgia (yes, even in the vintage) were both total fails for me. Caron Poivre/Coup de Fouet were both very nice. Smell Bent Prairie Nymph is terrific for six hours, after which the musk begins to seriously wear on my nerves.
The aforementioned Aedes de Venustas Oeillet Bengale is wonderful, I think, but it’s a carnation-incense scent, so if you were looking for fresh flowers that one isn’t it.
I truly love DSH Oeillets Rouges.
Oh, I’d forgotten Poivre. Yes, that’s a pretty one, too, for the few moments it stays peppery on me! Sad that note doesn’t last longer.
It is mucho dinero and you can still get the vintage (25 years old) at double the price of the newer formulation which is also good but I prefer the vintage. I don’t yet have a bottle…still waiting for the $s off sale which I missed in early January. There should be another one in September, I think.
Terracotta Voile d’Ete by Guerlain is not powdery. It was discontinued, but you can still (well, as of a year ago) get good deals on it on-line.
It is extremely hard to find nowadays, and the bargain prices are no more: I bought mine online seven years ago for $24.99 but now the cheapest I could find it was about $60 (BayPerfumes, which I know nothing about), and some sellers are charging $150 and up. But it is stunning if you can find it, one of my top three carnations for sure.
I just got this from the freebie meet and agree it’s a great carnation
Lorenzo Villoresi’s Garofano, re-released last year in the Vintage Collection, is a very spicy carnation without powder. I like it a lot, but the clove facet of the carnation is pretty big in the first hour or two.
Oriza L.Legrand also released a very worthwhile carnation scent last year, Royal Oeillet, which as I recall it is not particularly powdery. Worthwhile, too.
I thought the Oriza scent was nice, but it was very powdery on me.
Good morning, all!
Mr. Spicebomb and I are driving up to Seattle today for a last-minute weekend trip–my mother has extra tickets to Tosca and we didn’t want her to go alone. Aren’t we generous! 😉
I have decided on Parfum Sacre this morning–which I have mixed feelings about. I bought it when I successfully worked my way through some large samples a few years back, and now that I have a bottle, I pretty much never wear it. (Proof, CH, that I don’t *always* drain my bottles!)
In any case, I’m not sure I actually like incense fragrances. Dry ashes. And I was raised atheist, so no comfy church nostalgia to boost me. Although you *would* think my hippy father’s tendency to burn incense and have candles and oil lamps year ’round would influence me. . . I dunno. I can’t explain my current ambivalence!
I will probably switch to something else this evening for the opera. I think I need something with some sweetness to help out the PS–maybe I’ll bring some Lipstick Rose in my luggage?
Hahaha–I remain impressed that you EVER finish bottles! Always–now that’s just crazy talk 🙂
Oh that’s a relief! Finishing a few is a much more reasonable standard to live up to!
Oh yes, fear not–I’ve elaborated a great deal below, but in brief the only way I’ve come within even spitting distance of finishing any of my bottles is by swapping away portions that I will certainly never, ever use…and then wearing the decants and samples I receive in return just means I slow progress through my bottles! I’m absurd, I should put an absolute moratorium on purchases for like, a good decade. (Hahahahahahahahaha.)
All to say: your bona fide draining of even one whole bottle is awe-inspiring to me 😉
I’m the opposite problem with incense – it just reminds me too much of church. Blah. It’s taken me a very long time to almost tolerate lots of incense in a fragrance to like it. There has to be something really interesting going on for me to even consider it. Do you have Ta’if or Amouage Memoir Woman? They would go on well over PS.
I do, in fact, have BOTH! But not in my luggage. I may have some Ta’if in the little sample baggie that lives in my travel toiletries bag–that’s a good thought! I will take a look when I dress for the evening.
Parfum Sacre is SO dry. I couldn’t even use up my sample of it. The roses are dehydrated potpourri. I’m not sure this is necessarily an incense problem…
You may be right. I sampled the CdG Incense line when I was a total nooby, and they didn’t sway me at the time. I’ve kept them, though, and it may be time to revisit them and see if my impressions have changed.
I do find Stephen Jones a little on the dry side: like violet pot pourri rather than rose, but I don’t find Avignon dry, and the more recent Black is a spicy balsamic incense. Black is a definite favorite of mine, but some do find it too masculine!
NR for her layers well with Parfum Sacre.
That one’s been on my to-sample list for a while. Not sure it’s available anywhere near me, though. 🙁
They have it at both Nordstrom and Sephora near me, and both are the smallish variety.
Really?! Maybe I’m confused, then. I thought that this was a NR scent that was inexplicably less-well distributed and, of course, more-well-loved by the perfumista community. . . ?
Happy Saturday everyone! My SOTD is A Shot of Oud over Mango by Jo Loves. I wish that the Jo Loves line was available in the U.S.
This line has a lot of fragrances I would love to buy.
Hope everyone enjoys the weekend.
I wish so too…would love to try them.
SOTD is Chanel Coromandel – seemed the best choice for the Polar Bear Plunge. It’s 45 degrees in Chicago. Wish me luck!
Oh wow! Good luck and great that the weather is balmy, in Chicago, no less!
Ack, good luck!! Could be way worse.
Oh, god – good luck with that!!!
Good luck! I love Coromandel. There is a sample waiting for me at home…
A couple of people were wondering how close Ferre and Iris Poudre to each other, so yesterday I went to Holts to try the much-pricier IP. Answer: yes and no. They seemed very similar at the beginning, then kept veering apart and the moving back to each other. My feeling is that it’s worth trying the Ferre as a more reasonable alternative, but as usual probably worth testing first.
Thanks for being a test subject,AnnieA!Good to know,as I was one of the people wondering!Still would love to smell the Ferre!
Ferre is much greener, violety and warmer in the musky base than IP. That powdery, creamy, drydown bombshell effect in IP is closer to something like Lorezno Villoresi Teinte de Neige, if you are looking for an alternative. But there is really nothing else out there like the sweet, cool irisy opening to IP. Good luck!
The Anne’s have spoken!I trust info from more experienced perfumistas,so thank you for the thoughts!Even more excited to try Ferre now!!;-))
I concur. A certain superficial resemblance but not during the part of Iris Poudre that I love (and I really really love the drydown). Worth trying anyway.
Snow for us New Yorkers.. although I understand it will be gone by tomorrow with the higher temps.
Today I’m trying a new fragrance generously given by Janice at last weekend’s freebimeet called Eau Suave by Parfum d’Empire. It reminds me a lot of Paestum Rose from Eau D’ Italie. It’s not an incense rose but with the saffron and pepper its got that spicy edge to it. Paestum Rose ended up being too much incense for me, so Eau Suave already feels like a better fit. I hope I get to smell some of the fruit in it but so far its all rose & spice.
Happy Saturday, all!
Hiya Floragal! PdE has a great Discovery Pack available through its website. I got mine maybe 2 years ago and I’m still working through it (just because I’m a super super slow tester and I constantly have other new shiny objects to distract me).
Ooh thanks for this tip!
Hi to you too 😉
Thanks for the info.
I’d really like to get to know this line more so that’s a great idea.
I’m still working on mine, too / it ‘s been at least 2 years. Eau Suave is delightful.
Yes, I got that one years back and had a lot of fun with it!
I was thinking-with me layering Avignon+PoaL yesterday-that that combo would be perfect in the snow!I imagine myself in Siberia,wrapped in some exotic fur,walking the snowy slopes at dusk,with that layering combo.Fantastic.
I am going to do that tonight! That sounds incredible.
Eau Suave is very pretty! I did not get on with Paestum Rose at all – it went all bitter and acrid on me the way that really dry incense can sometimes. But I love the greenness in Eau Suave.
Today I’m wearing Rochas Femme layered with Balenciaga Rumba. This is a combo I had tried before and wanted to sport yesterday, but chose to skip since it would probably cause a dubious impression on the owners of the houses I was visiting…
I should try layering Femme. It hasn’t been doing much for me on its own lately.
Oh my. I can totally see that layering combo.
I don’t wear Rumba often, but sometimes I really crave that drydown. It smells like hot dust to me.
Wow, interesting combo. They are both such powerhouses. I am painting the entry at home tomorrow and I think I’ll give it a try – no one to offend if my perfume is a bit strong. (Luckily the latex paint has little to no smell).
Isn’t that wonderful–about the paint, I mean?! When I bought my house a few years ago, I ended up painting EVERY interior surface–walls, cielings, moldings–and it took nearly a year. I was so pleased that my home didn’t have that horrible VOC scent the entire time! When you’re keyed into fragrances, such a chemical scent can be such an upleasant distraction. Good luck with your project!
I’m still in a layering mode as I am dreading Oud Friday (somehow whenever I hear “oud” I think of the Oods from Dr. Who). Anyway, today’s experiment is VC&A Orchidee Vanille + Le Couvent des Minimes Eau des Missions. They blend nicely together and the Eau des Missions adds a touch of smokiness and light spiciness to bring additional depth to Orchidee Vanille.
I really like Eau de Missions. I don’t think it’s a dead ringer for guerlain’s SDV but it’s close enough to keep me and my wallet happy. I get pretty good lasting power from it which was a pleasant surprise as well. I imagine it would be good for layering too now that you mention it.
Poodle – I’m with you that Eau des Missions is not a deadringer for SDV but it is a LOT cheaper! It does make a great layering fragrance – Inhave to think of more combos.
Orchidee Vanille from VC&A is gorgeous!
Yes! I too think of the ood and I prefer the word agarwood for that very reason. Oud sounds like a tentacular secretion of some kind.
Your photo is inspiring me to break out my carnation scented products. After a shower and washing my hair with Lush Ibiza Party, I slathered on some Lush Potion Lotion (both of these now sadly discontinued), and then dabbed on some DSH Oeillets Rouges. I smell wonderful!
Nice! Lush needs a new carnation.
Lean over so I can smell you!!
You … smell … awesome!!!
I never layer my perfumes so I enjoyed yesterdays theme and felt layering Habanita and Heure Exquise would be an interesting mix. I just recently scored a bottle of Habanita from a swap on Swapidu and I am trying to see if my skin can tame this tenacious lady (or at least abide her : )
Today- no scent as of yet. I showered after Zumba and I go to work in an hour. It’s wet and cold and a little grey here so I know I’ll want something comforting. Perhaps Dans Tes Bras or Lancome Cuir….who knows?
I took a Zumba class once. It was awful. Nothing like the infomercial where everyone is dancing around and having fun. The music was top 40 and it felt like any other aerobics class which is exactly what I didn’t want. I was so disappointed I never tried another one. I think I got a bad instructor.
I love Habanita. It’s really powdery on me.
Yes, try another instructor! Each one varies. I had one who after each song stopped, checked a device and then announced how many calories she’d burned…after every song. The instructor I have now is really fun.
Habanita is lovely. I think I over apply tho.
I’m a bit snowed in this morning so I colored my hair (when did grey become my natural color?!?) and played in the kitchen. Made some buffalo chicken dip and guacamole in anticipation of sitting around and reading and watching movies. I’ve also got steak tips and chicken wings marinating.
No perfume yet. I can’t decide if I want to just go with one scent or test a bunch of samples since I most likely won’t be leaving the house except to clear the driveway so stinking to high heaven won’t be an issue. Although it looks like snow may have stopped so maybe I’m not completely home bound after all.
We didn’t get as much snow as I feared. Maybe it’s wishful thinking to hope this is all the snow we’ll get for the season.
I just watched the weather and it looks like we’re gonna get slammed on Tuesday again. I knew this winter was too good to be true.
Last time I was in getting my hair done, my lady said, “Don’t hit me, Marjorie, but you’re really starting to go grey!” :-/
Don’t you add a primary color to part of your hair — blue, as I recall? I’ve always wondered how well Manic Panic works on naturally white/grey hair.
Yeah, I have some very blue hair. 🙂 It isn’t Manic Panic, or one of those similar do-it-yourself dyes, though. I get it done at a shop, and the resulting color lasts months and months and stays beautiful much longer.
I can’t say how well it covers grays on its own. We bleach the heck out of it to prep the hair that gets colored. I’m sure that helps cover up any silvers that would otherwise shine through.
I should also add that I’m of a very mixed mind of the whole going grey thing. If I grey gracefully, kinda all-over peppery, then I’ll probably let it be natural (or as natural as I ever do!). But if I go like my mom–all around the temples, so that when I pull my hair back, the only color is in a line on the top of my head, I may decide to color it so I don’t look like I have a mohawk. 🙂
Someone with blue hair should not be afraid of a mohawk 😉
My bottle of Pink Molecule by Zarko Perfume arrived yesterday, and I’m wearing it today. I drove to my craft meeting this morning with the warm air blasting on my neck to send the elderflower goodness to my nose. Nice.
Scent for today is Le Galion Whip. It’s a crispy concoction of citron, lavender and geranium, with some herbal and leathery nuances. It’s also heck of a pretty chypre fragrance.
I’d like to ask you for some suggestions of suede fragrances. I’ve been on a leather kick lately and am looking for more fuzzy, plush leather/suede.
Oh do try Cuir d’Ange, if you haven’t yet! This makes me happy–it’s very beautiful but I’m not in much of a leather mood at present so it really wasn’t for me, and I felt so regretful–someone should enjoy it! Maybe you’ll be that someone 🙂
Maybe… The problem for me is that we don’t have a single Hermes boutique, so to sample it I would have to go to Germany I think…
Right now, Hermes is sending me six samples that i requested by email. Maybe Hermes in Europe is not so generous but it could be worth a try.
I tried Jonas and they always refused to send anything. Seems like this trick works only for potential US customers
I emailed Hermes as well for samples as none of the boutiques in nyc have any. Turns out they didn’t create samples but they’re sending me a “trial” of this scent.
I’m amazed that the sales associates didn’t even know about this scent when I asked about it. Totally clueless.
I have a note to myself somewhere to give Whip a try. I’m not usually much for dry scents, but I remember thinking it sounded fascinating!
Today is Dune. Another underused beauty in my wardrobe. Sometimes I wish there was a way to wear all my perfumes every day. One at a time feels so limiting.
No SOTD day yet. Still lounging in my bathrobe and can smell the Samsara that I’ve been (judiciously) wearing at night. I’ve found I enjoy Samsara best in small doses.
I see Samsara mentioned a lot,recently!must dig out my bottle.
After a sweaty day in the snow, ridning snow racers with my sons, i’m now showered qnd sampling the three Prada Candys (Candies?)
I was not impressed when the first launched, but IT has grown on me. That besides, I think I like the L’eau best.
Annoterar thing. i sampler The Body Shops Smoky Poppy, and för the first hour it smells like YSL Opium in the edt. Really, it’s a dupe.
Sorry, I have a strange autocorrect -in Swedish- on and I can’t turn it off. Had some strange spellings in my last post.
At least they’re not as bad as the “cuirass” and “butt” that popped up on mine 🙂
You’re famous for those Hajusuuri!!lol
Sometimes autocrats are so good that it would be a shame to erase them.
Case in point…;-)
Love autocrat. I’m adopting it immediately!
Hello all,
I have gotten into perfumes about 6 months ago. I have been purchasing samples, wone a sample box at Bois de Jasmin, and have just in general really enjoyed smelling new things.
Is there any good sites to buy perfumes on sale? They are often so pricey, thought you guys would have some good budget hints!
thanks.
I’ve had good luck so far at FragranceNet! And then, if you’re willing to wait/don’t mind the extra email, signing up for the newsletter of your favorite perfume shops and brands will usually yield sales a few times a year.
I’ve also gotten some good prices on partial bottles on eBay, but that’s a bit riskier in terms of avoiding counterfeits, shipping difficulties, spoiled bottles, etc. Just depends on your willingness to deal with those potential headaches.
Oh how can I forget? Jonas has put me onto HauteLook, where I’ve now bought three different niche perfumes at half-price. Amazing.
Yes, Hautelook is a great source. You just need a little patience. I’d also suggest exploring some of the less expensive lines such as Pacifica, Lush, Le Couvent des Minimes, and l’occitane. There’s lots of great stuff out there that can be had for a song.
First of all, if you are just getting into perfume, it would be wise to hold off on full bottle purchases until you have a better sense of what you really like. Particularly if you are on a rather tight budget, it is wise to save your perfume dollars for something you really love. Even a 50 ml bottle is really quite a lot of perfume. Unless you wear the same thing every day, or several times a week, or are really lavish in your application, that 50 ml will last a long time–too long if you decide you don’t really love it. Sample, decants, and minis are all good ways to try a lot of new stuff. The dollars still can add up, but at least you can chalk it up to your perfume education. There really is no way to learn about it without wearing it. Of course, if you do stumble across a bottle on sale for a really cheap price, no one here is likely to fault you for snatching it up while you can.
When you do decide to spring for FBs, Fragrance Net, Beauty Encounter, and Beauty Habit are sites I have used. Sometimes you can find a really good deal when there has been a change of packaging or a reformulation, and the old stock will be cleared out at a good discount. You never know what will be discounted when, so it pays to keep checking or set up to receive alerts if there is a particular perfume you want.
It is also worthwhile to keep tabs on the manufactuers’ own sites, particularly for niche and indie stuff, as they sometimes have sales.
Be careful about eBay. I have bought perfume that way, and much of it has been very satisfactory, but some of it is not. I am very much of a vintage perfume junkie, and eBay is almost the only way for me to get it. The thrift stores and garage sales in my area consistently turn up nothing of interest. It is possible to get a great deal on vintage, particularly if it is either so popular that there is a lot of it around (Chanel no. 5, for example), or so obscure that hardly anyone remembers it. I would be very cautious, however, of eBay vendors offering new bottles of current perfumes at suspiciously low prices.
All excellent advice–in particular, I was just thinking about how maybe the single thing I most wish I’d known early on was just how long it might take to use even 50ml of something. As I’ve turned out to be someone who prefers light application (almost all my perfumes I use only in one or two sprays), I did not remotely grasp that I’d have to wear just that particular perfume some 300 or some 700 times to finish the bottle! (Thank you Kevin for this essential piece of perfume knowledge: https://nstperfume.com/2008/08/19/perfume-for-life-how-long-will-your-fragrance-collection-last/ ) I.e. every single day for one or two years, per 50ml bottle; double that for 100ml. With samples of new releases and classics to try, varying formulations to test, a mounting collection of decants, etc. etc., a snowball has a better chance in h-e-double-hockey-sticks than I do of making any perceptible dent my not-even-so-large collection–20 bottles? I’d have to wear just the bottles, and nothing else, every day for like 60 years…
(Marjorie Rose this is the real reason I think your purchases are so much more justified than mine!!)
So yeah, in the context of a perfume budget that isn’t unlimited, I think you’ll only be happy if you spend some time figuring out not just what you like but how much you actually use, before committing to very many bottle purchases. (A great rule for me has been to buy bottles ONLY after finishing decants–it’s easy to weed out stuff I don’t like from just a sample, but much harder to guess which of my “loves” is also a “will reach for once a week” and not a “will remember bring out one a year”.)
But still, I totally understand wanting a couple to get you started. You shouldn’t be entirely deprived 😉
Ah see–you hint at the real reason for my excessive purchasing!–I spray “lavishly,” as you say! I’m nearly never satisfied with a spritz or two of most things. 6 is really much more reasonable! 😉
Heh, yes I think underspraying is a big part of what’s holding me back. Lavish application seems like the righteous path! For the moment I remain easily overwhelmed, but I’m working on it. I’m sure with Sister Donatella watching over me, I’ll get there 😉
I’m an undersprayer too (why I can also get away with wearing massive frags to work w/o bothering anyone), but it also puts me on the slow path to using up frags!!!
Ann, I think that puts you in the “points-ahead” category by most folks’ standards! You invest in these beautiful luxuries, and you will have them to enjoy for many, MANY years to come!
Only weirdos like CH think it’s a mark of accomplishment to breeze through $$$$ of perfume in a year! (Love ya, Catherine!) Probably, someone should do an intervention for me!
I’m going to have to leave instructions in my will at this point!!!
All of the responses have been fantastic! I even jotted a few down to check out myself. Before I started commenting on NST, I always just bought my fragrances from department stores (i.e. Neiman Marcus, Nordstroms, etc..)
Now, I love STC (Surrender To Chance) for decants – this gives me an opportunity to sniff fragrances mentioned here that others rave about. I also like LuckyScent. They have a lot of niche and hard to find fragrances.
Good Luck to you in your journey on fragrances. This is the best site to learn about different fragrances, where to get them, and to see how others feel about them. The commenters on this site are very knowledgeable and very helpful!
Another way to get frags is to wait for swaps and freebie meets. There are many of us old frag hags that have scores and scores of samples that are unloved. Last year I swapped off two completely stuffed full ziplocks of unloved samples. Years of testing! I just wanted to get rid of them.
Great advice from everyone else, and I concur! I’m wondering if you’re in the US? STC often has sales for their larger decants in addition to their site-wide sales. I find Fragantica a great resource in so many ways, including shopping. Just type in the perfume you’re looking for, and you’ll see a list of stores and sites to explore, including prices. Don’t forget the sites listed here on NST: free shipping at LuckyScent and 10% off Parfums Raffy. Parfum 1 also has some nice deals. Apparently Walgreen’s has some good deals online if you shop there and collect points – I know they offer Hermes online, for example. And of course, there’s always the freebiemeets, and the swapmeets here and on FB, and the perfume sample fairy godmother monthly at Perfume Posse.
Btw, congrats on the Bois de Jasmin box!
My schnauser is back to normal duty,so I can finally BREATHE again!!Testrun to make I’m A-OK:L’eau D’Hiver.That gorgeous heliotropin note came shining through,so yep,I’m OK!Lol.I’ve heard horror stories of people losing their sense of smell,so it’s really a big fear for me.Also tested new Taylor Swift Incredible Things today.Love the opaque bottle with watercolor flowers.Sooo disappointed in the generic fruitpunch that came out of it.Happy Weekend NST!
Congrats on your sense of smell! And how dare you waste it on Taylor Swift :p
Thank you dear,but you know I ADORE Taylor,had such high hopes….*sigh*
Anyone else think that craving the smell of chocolate is kind of the same thing as craving the smell of orange blossom?
*weird things that occurred to me today*
Oh! Yes I had a version of this–a number of patchouli-inflected orange or orange blossoms fragrances smell chocolatey to me! (Elie Saab, Coco Mademoiselle) I’m so interested that I’m not the only one who has these two scents wired next to one another in my brain!
These two notes I meant! (Not Elie Saab and Coco Mlle necessarily.)
Thanks! I feel less crazy now! (Also I need to get the Elie Saab out…)
Category: Weird 🙂
It seems weird.
I think both involve indoles… and you’re not alone in that perception, I get it too. 🙂
Is it indoles? I was in my shower and thinking that the chocolate shower gel and the spring blossom hair stuff suddenly smelled the same. Definitely some molecules in common…
Ooh, layering bath products! Because we are cheapskates, ours are all neutral/matching scents of the $1.99 Suave persuasion. 😉
The more I think about it now, the more I want a dark chocolate truffle laced with orangeflower water.
So here is my belated contribution to layering Friday. Last night, after my bath, I used a sample of l’occitane almond milk concentrate and then sprayed on some Diptyque L’Eau Trois. It smelled weird. I didn’t like it at all but now I’m determined to find something to layer L’Eau Trois with.
Sorry it didn’t work. I have had MANY layering catastrophes. I once layered Piguet’s Oud with King Solomon (Korres Kings&Queens line). I’m still recovering from that and it was probably a year ago!
Post traumatic scent disorder.
They need to add that into the DSM!
🙂
😉
Maybe Goutal’s Sables? or Philosykos?
Philosykos could be worth a try. I tried orange sanguine with Timbuktu past night and it turned out okay. Maybe OS + Trois? This layering thing is pretty fun.
I’m in Rose Etoile de Hollande from Mona di Orio. I am obsessed with the peach note in this, it’s so lush. I dabbed from a sample, and don’t get the best sillage. Can anyone out there who’s sprayed it comment on sillage & longevity? I’m considering getting a split or decant, but I’d like to know before pulling the trigger.
Began the day with Encre Noir. I’ve added a spritz of Plum Japonais from a stroll through Nordstrom. I’m getting a kind of salty prune that’s quite nice.
That actually sounds incredibly good,except Plum Japonais turns to vinegar on my skin!But a good experiment!Merlin?What say you…
Sounds very interestingI Plum Japonais has a lovely opening but it turns quite staid on me after a while. Perhaps Encre Noire would help 😉
Encre Noire is a great “base” for anything ripe and juicy!
Yesterday I had spray foam put into the exterior walls of my house and today the attic will be filled with blown-in insulation. Portland has had a really mild winter thus far but my house, built in 1952, had no insulation and I was freezing. I feel warmer today. Wearing TDC Rose Poivree.
YumYumYum.One of the best out there!
Like some others I continued the layering theme… Where will this end! So today it is Sel de Vetiver and Philosykos Edt. Together they remind me a little of Philosykos Edp, in that the result is more woody, and less milky sweet. Interesting!
I have samples of these so I think I’ll give it a go. Thanks.
Let me know what you think! Moderate success for me might be a complete disaster for someone more discerning 😉
Hey Merlin, I gave it a go today and I thought it was very nice. Might have to check out the philosykos EDP now.
OK,so you didn’t get a salty fig,aka Womanity,at least?Lol!Phew!!;-)
Nothing as nasty as Womanity! I did get quite a strong grapefruit vibe which I first thought was a new note created by the combo, but then I remembered Sel de Vetiver is supposed to have grapefruit. On its own I am not very aware of it but the Philosykos does bring it out!
Oh,cool,wasn’t aware of the grapefruit vibe either!Compared to Pamplelune?
SdV on its own only has a subtle grapefruit note. Combined with Philosykos…well, its a very different effect to Pampelune because it also has the fig, salt and vetiver, together with a hazy grapefruit feel!
Testing Frapin 1270, a small decant of which I won from Australian Perfume Junkies. I enjoy it a lot on my wrist – sweet, a little boozy and very cozy. I’ll need to try wearing it next.
Wow, I don’t recall trying that and will need to rectify!
I liked that one. Did you also get quite a bit of pineapple ?
I didn’t. It was there but not overwhelming.
Wearing Soivohle Green Oakmoss to enliven this soggy, slushy snow day.
I am stuck at home today with a pile of work to do, so I’ll be at the computer all day.
I went with a lavish application of Egoiste, not from my vintage bottle mind you- I would have had to open all the windows- but from the reformulated version that I bought last year. 12 spritzes and I can hardly smell it! Oh well!
Oh really!? That’s so interesting to hear–I helped a friend pick it out and she quickly complained of the same. I chalked it up to it her having grown accustomed to it through daily wear (she had been looking for a signature scent), but maybe I should tell her to be on the lookout for a vintage bottle.
Are the two formulations very different in other respects?
The opening of the new version is harsher for one thing.
In my opinion, the rose, the Bourbon vanilla, the sandalwood, and the rosewood used to be front and center in the original version.
In the new version, the tangerine, the lavender, and the ambrette seed are playing a bigger role.
2 sprays of the original version and an entire room of people could smell you. The reformulation has very little projection and wears close to the skin. The drydown is similar and still smells great, but it is much tamer.
Ooh that’s all so instructive! Thank you so much, I’ll pass this all along to her.
One last Q: any tricks to identifying old bottles or is it very clear?
Today I spritzed on La Vie Est Belle and it is feeling pretty “Meh” to me. I got it in a bag of samples from a friend and decided to try it, just because it was so heavily advertised. I was curious. I don’t hate it but I have no desire to wear it again. Has anyone else who has smelled this reminded strongly of the new “Miss Dior Original” Dior put out? They smell very similar to me, but La Vie Est Belle is a little louder or something. On me it has a very big sillage.
After I shower, I am going to copycat Johanob and layer CdG Avignon with PoaL!
I hope it turned out lush on you too!
I am just now getting around to perfume for the day. was cleaning and didn’t bother…
Soivohle Centennial. So warm and cosy and lush – it always makes me think of a rusty-peachy color angora sweater I had in college.
I want to smell like my …
Aveda Dry Remedy hair conditioner!
It’s a fresh, not astringent , lavendar that is sweet and mildly minty. I love the sweetness in it.
Any perfune equivalents so that I am not constantly inhaling swatches of my hair?
That sounds great! BK A Taste of Heaven and PdN Nicolaï pour Homme are green lavenders. However, the PdN may be discontinued: I’m not seeing it on Luckyscent or Surrender to Chance.
It has been discontinued. I own a bottle of the PdN and a sample of the ByKilian. I find the PdN even drier and more multifaceted but maybe the BK wins on softness. Both are great takes on lavender.
Antiheros by ELDO is a sweet lavender with cedar and musk. No mint in it but I suppose you could layer it with a minty lotion to get the effect you’re looking for. It’s a pretty straightforward scent which is how I recall most Aveda products to be. It doesn’t have that strong antiseptic vibe some lavender perfumes have.
Aveda’s own Chakra #2 smells a lot like Shampure… you could mix with a lavender eo.
Thanks for the suggestions. My list of “to buy” samples is gets longer each time I am on here!
I think that I am the only person who is not a fan of Aveda’s iconic Shampure scent; there’s something medicinal about it.
SOT am is Annick Goutal Duel edt – in the interest of my “tea” research for this year. I’ve had this bottle for quite a few years and don’t wear it as much as I probably should. I forgot it has a tea accord. And so it begins. But then I wanted to test another frag so I have some Dior eau Noire b/c I wanted to smell its association to Goutal’s Sables. Hmmmm I smell very good!! It’s fun to dig out neglected frags. Duel definitely benefits from layering.
I can’t remember if I have smelled Duel, but doesn’t Eau Noire just knock it out the water?
There was a big hubbub yesterday inside the mall entrance at NM. Had to check that out. They had brought in the Chanel Excusifs for one day only with a GWP. What a nice surprise! I was able to try most of them. I loved a few and liked most
Fell hard for 31RC.
Also noticed they carry the Armani Prive’ line which was a surprise. Loved Encens Satin, Rose Arabie and Myrrh Imperiale. The generous SA sent me home with four samples. Yippee! What a fabulous day!
What a lovely surprise!!! How nice that you were able to try them all!
OH YAY for samples!
Well, I ended up taking a quick rinse-off shower yesterday afternoon before the opera and put on Lyric. I smelled lovely! Not sure I’m gonna keep that bottle of Parfum Sacre, though. Can’t think of the last time I wore it and I felt it was really *right*.
Hey just being nosy and also because I am a melomane but which opera did you see?
Tosca! It was wonderful. 🙂
(Not sure you’ll see this, but just in case you do check back. :] )
I just found out L’Artisan and Penhaligons have been bought out by Puig. I have a lot to say on the subject as I’m sure a lot of other people do as well. I think I’m just losing faith in general. I had a horrible experience ordering from L’Artisan. Their customer service is ridiculously abysmal. I placed my order December of last year and I still don’t have it. I can’t even bring myself to be angry anymore. At this point I’m not sure what’s going to happen. I started a paypal dispute and L’Artisan still hasn’t responded. I also got woken up this morning by a call from my credit card company to say that my card was stolen and now I’m getting a new card (which is totally unrelated to this L’Artisan debacle). Now I’m wondering if paypal comes through, where would my money go back to since I don’t have that card anymore…
Sorry about the mini rant.
I just want to inform people who comes upon this post to NOT ever order from L’Artisan directly. I know that a lot of people would be interested in Tea for Two now that it’s back, but maybe go to a retailer… or order from someone else please.
Hope everyone’s having a better Sunday than I am!
I hope you get everything worked out with your order and your credit card.
I also had a frustrating experience ordering from their site. To their credit, though, customer service was responsive to my concern that it had been a week and a half and I hadn’t heard anything about my order. About a day later, my order shipped. Of course, it won’t be delivered until Monday or Tuesday, so we’ll see if this story has a happy ending or not.
Last SOTD was vintage YSL Opium pure perfume – never ceases to amaze me how gorgeous this is. I have only a small bottle but a few dabs are just enough. Also, waiting impatiently to get some new samples of Goutal, Cerchi Nell’acqua and Profumi di Pantelleria to bring in some light into this winter gloom.
And last but not least, this week I sent off all three freebiemeet packages and hope all will arrive fast and unharmed and their recipients will like them.
I’m sure I will enjoy mine!Thanks again for your generosity.Stay warm!
I was looking for my spray of Memo Manoa this morning when I ran across 10 Corso Como, which semed even more perfect for today. I just have a sample but haven’t worn it in over a year… I’d forgotten how gorgeous it was! Don’t you love days when you choose the perfect fragrance? Because I know for me at least, I don’t always make the right choice…
Hello all!
I received some helpful tips for perfume shops in Amsterdam a couple of months ago. This time, I am heading over to London after my mock -viva next week.
I am mainly there to revisit my favourite galleries etc but can certainly fit in a unique perfume shop or two. Suggestions?
My semi-local Hermes store sent me 6(!!!) 4ml samples from their Hermessence line when I called hoping to get a sample of Cuir d’Ange (unfortunately they didn’t have that one yet). So today I tried Vanille Galante and Osmanthe Yunnan. Honestly, I haven’t liked any of the regular Hermes scents that I’ve tried (Eau des Merveilles, L’Ambre des Merveilles, 24 Faubourg, Jour d’Hermes, any of the Jardins), BUT! Both of these are really really lovely! I can’t wait to see how the others are too. I can definitely see myself getting one of the mix and match travel sets!