Loni wants to find one or two new fragrances. The first would be her signature scent — something versatile enough to wear to the office or while playing outside with her daughter, but also interesting enough to see her through everything else. It should be close, pretty, natural and comfortable, like a second skin. The second scent would be something with more "oomph", for date nights.
She can pay upwards of $150 for something she really loves, and she has great access to perfume shopping (and can shop online). Here is what we know about Loni:
She's in her early 30s and lives in Los Angeles (no need for a seasonal perfume wardrobe).
She loves birding, hiking, making soup, eating ultra-smelly "banned-on-a-french-bus" cheese, museums and the arts, and travel.
She managed the fine fragrance department at Nordstrom just after college for a year or so. She enjoys fragrance, knows just enough about perfume to know she knows very little, and has had scant exposure to niche brands. She says she has refilled more than her fair share of Angel bottles.
Loni likes notes of jasmine, narcissus, honeysuckle, violet, lavender (if it's herbal and not sweet), green tea and sage. She's generally drawn to words like "green" and "herbal" and "tea". When she's outside she must sniff every lilac bush, magnolia and Long Island orchid tree she comes across. She also likes the smell of rain and tends to enjoy watery notes if done well. Other notes she likes in moderation: rose, iris, fig, citrus and sandalwood.
Fragrances Loni likes include Bvlgari Au The Vert (pleasant and pretty but not the one), Eau de Cartier (not quite unique enough for a signature), Lanvin Eclat d'Arpege (nice but dry down is a bit like plastic), Prada Infusion d'Iris, Carriere/Gendarme, Bvlgari Omnia Amethyste, Kenzo Flower, Bvlgari Au The Blanc and Au The Rouge (she wears all of these occasionally but doesn't find them interesting enough), SJP Lovely (she wore it at her wedding so will always like it, but it's not the one either).
Loni doesn't much like berries, gourmand fragrances or dry woods. Aldehydes tend to turn her off, as do most orientals and anything powdery or smoky. She can't abide anything too sweet.
Fragrances that don't work for Loni include Anne Gerard Rose Cut (booze, smoke and boozy smoke; almost no rose), Carthusia Fiori di Capri (like being whacked on the head with a bouquet of wilted flowers and old flower water), Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb (no flowers, just sweet; inoffensive but not her), Thierry Mugler Angel, Miss Dior Cherie, Juicy Couture, Pink Sugar, etc... (can't abide the smell of burnt dessert).
Here are a few fragrances she has tried lately:
Frederic Malle En Passant: Very pretty and she enjoys the watery/wheat-like smell that accompanies the lilac. It's maybe too pretty.
Parfums DelRae Wit: Probably the closest to what she wants but she hasn't pulled the trigger. Is there something "better" out there?
Diptyque Philosykos : Nice but maybe too figgy.
CB I Hate Perfume A Room with a View: She likes the dry-down on this one but the opening is a little too Wet Garden Soil and Earthworms writ large for her taste.
L'Artisan Caligna and The Pour un Ete: She wants the first to be brighter and more green and the second was like Au The Vert's less interesting kid sister.
Annick Goutal Le Chevrefeuille: Very nice but has no staying power.
What say you?
Note: top image is pink post [cropped] by jenny downing at flickr; some rights reserved.
With the list of notes and preference my mind goes to Sisley’s 1. Eau de Campagne or 2. Eau du Soir. Both very beautiful green fragrances.
Watery note if done well, Herme’s Epice Marine.
Hi Loni,
My suggestions are:
-Jardin du Poete by Eau d’Italie (green/herbal/woody/floral all in one with a beautiful fresh garden feel to it. Diptyque L’ombre dans L’eau is a less fresh, more berry idea of it)
-Roma Imperiale by Profumi del Forte. This reminds me of sun warmed rocks on a still slightly cool day. A beautiful combination of fresh and warm combined.
Those I picked as they’re more complex and adaptable, but also Jour d’Hermes, Corsica Furiosa (Parfum d’Empire), Fleurs de Sel (Miller Harris), Absinth (Nasomatto), Kiki edp (Vero Profumo), A Taste of Heaven (By Kilian) for more simple-noted ideas, and for a cheap version, Roma by Laura Biagiotti.
Hope you find what you’re looking for!!
Oh, and looking through my collection for ideas, maybe Fils de Dieu (Etat Libre d’Orange) or Amaranthine (Penhaligons) 🙂
Loni, here! Thank you for your suggestions! I high-tailed it to Scent Bar and tried Jardin du Poete at your recommendation. I liked it a great deal and think it has a place in my collection someday.
Green and lavender brings to mind Cartier L’Heure Vertreuse and possibly also Masque Milano Terralba.
Also Mito from Vero Profumo is a lovely green garden scent (prefer voile d’extrait or extrait over edp).
I was just going to suggest that one. Mito is great.
MITO! I can’t thank you both enough for suggesting this one. My husband is a Roman archaeologist and we’ve spent a lot of time in Italy. The description of Mito sung to me and I immediately ordered a sample.
Devine. I really, really like this one.
For green and florals, try Le Temps d’Un Fete and Weekend a Deauville from Parfums de Nicolai and Jour Ensolleile and Voile de Violette from Sonoma Scent Studio. Maybe also Silences, Private Collection, or Safari.
So I’m no great help here as I have not smelled the near-holy grail, Wit, so I don’t have great ideas about what it compares to. But for LA locals, I can’t say enough about the the professional help on offer at Scent Bar. It was like going to a perfume psychic. Usually SAs are even worse than I am at guessing what I’ll like (and I’m terrible–takes me dozens of samples to find one I like)–but in minutes, this SA had three I loved, including one that moved me to tears. I am so sure that if you go in saying, “Wit, but more,” they’ll fix you right up.
That place sounds great!
Loni, here.
I’ve now visited Scent Bar twice. Thank you! They recommended Heeley L’Amandiere for me and, though I didn’t love it, I appreciated it as a suggestion.
I love Wit and find Flowerhead to be in the same vein. I did a wrist to wrist comparison to see if I need both, and I do, but they are both similarly pretty florals. Might be worth a sample.
Also, I promise I’m not just recommending it just ’cause it’s on the top of my buy list 😉
Thank you!
I tried Flowerhead and don’t love it as much as Wit. They are similar though, for sure.
Here are a few ideas:
Le Temps d’une Fête by Parfums de Nicolaï (+1)
Ninfeo Mio by Annick Goutal
Bluebell by Penhaligon’s
Tommy Girl by Tommy Hilfiger
In White by J. del Pozo
Voyage d’Hermès by Hermès
Un Jardin en Méditerranée by Hermès
Kelly Calèche by Hermès
Idylle by Guerlain, or maybe one of its flankers
As I still haven’t tried Wit this is a bit of a random recommendation however if I were you I would try:
Jour d’Hermès, Voyage and Narcisse Bleue from Hermès
Eau du Ciel, Ninfeo Mio, Un Matin d’Orage by Goutal
L’Eau Mixte, Weekend, Odalisque and Le Temps d’une Fête by Parfums de Nicolaï.
Baiser Volé by Cartier. It’s worth trying both EDP and EDT as they are quite different.
Pure White Linen by Lauder
Prescriptives, Clinique.
I mean Calyx Clinique. It used to be Calyx Prescriptives. I need my bed or something!
Oh and maybe Marc Jacobs for Her
I will second Weekend a Deauville and add Prima T, by Bruno Acampora for the date night scent. And you might keep exploring Carthusia…. I have several favorites among the house. Gelsomini is one and of course I can’t remember the other, but some are much lighter than others, so keep trying!
And YES…… get thee to Scent Bar tout de suite!
DelRae Mythique might be worth a sniff as well?
Isn’t Gelsomino by Acqua di Parma?
Different one but also a good option! Probably any Gelsom… is a good option, it’s Italian for jasmine, right?
My suggestions:
– Kiehl’s Aromatic Blends Fig Leaf & Sage
– Puredistance Opardu
– Puredistance Antonia
– Tauer Reverie Au Jardin
– Tauer Zeta
– Ineke ( buy the Discovery Set and discover!)
– Aedes Oeillet Bengale
– Stephen Jones Wisteria Hysteria
Violet jumped out at me and my first reaction is to recommend Guerlain Apres l’Ondee because you seem to be drawn to light, pretty, florals. I’m also wondering if you’ve tried the Frederic Malle Magnolia scent? I haven’t had the pleasure of sniffing it, I just remember it got a good review and you like both FM and Magnolia.
….but with all the fancy fumes I can come up with, I keep coming back to the old standard, Grey Flannel. Violet, sage, not too sweet…It’s designed for men so it’s not light, but perhaps applied sparingly it would work for day?
I’ve got a sample of Apres l’Ondee on its way to me and I’m excited. Thank you!
I went to Barney’s and told the SA that I was interested in FM En Passant and wanted to also try Magnolia. He looked me up and down and said “Magnolia is for women who walk into a room and say I AM HERE.” Clearly he didn’t think I was that type. :/
But that’s okay. I suppose I’d agree.
And I did still prefer En Passant. 🙂
How about Vol de Nuit? Admit I’ve only sampled once from a tester at Bergdorf, but sounds like it might work for daytime, name notwithstanding.
Un Jardin Sur le Toit, Bel Respiro, Annick Goutal Duel, By Kilian Love and Tears and Imperial Tea
You know, I read the description of By Kilian Imperial Tea and bought a sample immediately. I just KNEW I’d love it.
And I do love the opening. The dry down not so much.
Still, though. Does anything smell better than jasmine tea?
Thanks!
I suggest sampling the whole Un Jardin range from Hermes. Loni, I think you should like at least one of them.
Other suggestions: Goutal Mandragore and Mandragore Pourpre, Acqua di Parma Mirto di Panarea, Cathusia Mediterraneo. Penhaligon Lavandula – a very nice lavender, but might be not versatile enough.
I hesitate, but I would still recommend to try L’Artisan Verte Violette. I realize that many people describe it as powdery, but to me it predominantly smells of green watery violets.
Thank you! I ordered a sample of Verte Violette and I do quite like it even though it’s probably more “sugary” than I’d typically go for. My husband thought it smelled like Mr. Bubble and I suppose I agree.
I think it has a place in my collection, though. Ta!
Glad to be of help. I do not know what Mr. Bubble smells like, but I believe I understand what your husband means. Many clean violet scents are indeed reminiscent of bath products. Enjoy!
I’ll second the Ineke Discovery set…and also try the Ormonde Jayne discovery set! Annick Goutal line seems like something you might like; try Grand Amour!
How about Providence Perfume’s Hindu Honeysuckle? Some reviews say it’s sweet, though I don’t recall it hitting me over the head with sweetness.
For daytime: By Killian Love and Tears, a gorgeous fresh, sheer jasmine. If you buy the refill bottle (from Saks), it fits in your budget. Check out L’Heure Exquise by Annick Goutal for a green rose & iris scent. For lavender, maybe Delrae Eau Illuminée.
For nighttime: Maybe Songes by Annick Goutal?
I’m seeing a pattern here with the Goutal recommendations.
Fellow birder here! Anyway, you might want to try Sous le toit de Paris by Atelier Cologne.
Always nice to “meet” a fellow birder!
Thanks!
For herbal lavender you may try Brit rythm for her from Burberry. Reasonable priced and I always get compliments when I wear it
You might like L’eau by Kenzo, Un Jardin sur la Nil, Quartz by Molyneux.
Someone mentioned Hindu Honeysuckle and I second that.
Another floral beauty is vintage Chant d’Aromes.
I’ll second Jour d’Hermes, a well-blended floral that is just always appropriate, at least in the daytime.
Kelly Caleche is another good selection, very pretty, with what reads to me as a watery note. The leather is very well-behaved.
DSH Ma Plus Belle is a gorgeous wisteria/linden floral, but indeed, not too pretty.
Loni, here! I wanted to thank everyone who took time to respond to my inquiry. I’ve now purchased enough samples and small decants to fill a shoebox and still have many more I’d love to try. I’ve also visited Scent Bar twice and will visit again soon. Absolute heaven!
I especially want to thank those who recommended Vero Profumo Mito. It’s such a gorgeous scent. I need to save some to buy a FB, but it’s definitely a keeper.
I’ve also shortlisted OJ Frangipani and L’Artistan Verte Violette. And I still want a FB of Wit and En Passant.
Happy smelling!