Happy Perfume Surprise Friday! Our community project for today: wear a fragrance you expected to hate but loved, or, give another chance to a perfume you expected to love but hated, or surprise us with another interpretation of "perfume surprise". What fragrance did you pick?
As always, do chime in with your scent of the day even if you’re not participating in the community project.
I'm wearing Hermès Osmanthe Yunnan. I bought it unsniffed the year it came out, 2005, and I expected to like it and I did, and if anything, I like it better now. The surprise for me was that I was willing to pay the price for the 100 ml bottle, $180. At that time I had never spent more than $150 on a perfume. I did beat the price once, in 2009, when I bought Van Cleef & Arpels Bois d'Iris, $185 (a mistake: I do still like it but I rarely wear it). I've become far more frugal since then. The only time I've gone over $100 since is the almost-$120 I spent for 100 ml of Prada Infusion d’Iris Absolue in 2012 (a success: I love it and wear it reasonably often). I doubt seriously that I'll ever be tempted to spend that much again, but never say never!
Reminder: next Friday, 7/31, will be Fantasy Vacation Friday: pick a destination and wear the scent that takes you there.
And for those of you who like to plan ahead, see Scent of the day ~ Friday community projects 2015, where I'll try to always have the next five or six weeks mapped out in advance.
Note: top image is tea plantation, yunnan [cropped] via Yosomomo at flickr; some rights reserved.
I’m wearing Kerosene Unforsaken, because Vanille Galante wore off already.
Both lovely!
Love both of those!
I was considering Unforsaken as expected to love-but -hated. I find it persistently soapy on me 🙁
Today my SOTD is Kenzo UFO
How I wish I had purchased a bottle before they disappeared. I only have a tiny sample left. My consolation is that is reminds me so much of YSL Nu edp that since I have that I’ll be okay….
Happy Friday!
I never even got to smell it because it was so limited edition, but that bottle is astounding.
Luckily I have a bottle of Nu EDP as well (also a pretty amazing bottle), so if you say they smell similar, I can console myself with that.
I wish I had the UFO bottle, too! Sometimes I wish I wasn’t so careful and frugal….but other times it’s an important and good trait 😉
On me, Kenzo UFO is so close to YSL Nu edp that I can barely distinguish. Others find UFO a bit more floral but on me it’s mostly about incense. Unless I had them side by side I’m not sure I could tell you which was which. So rest easy if you have Nu….
I couldn’t think of any surprise so I put on one of my top 10: Amouage Gold. In a way it doesn’t really suit me as it is so very polished, and I’m not. But I find it a very “forgiving” perfume. You can wear it while digging the garden. One of my most expensive buys as well. Not the most expensive though, That honour goes to L’Enlèvement au Sérail. Have a great weekend everyone!
I love Gold and I am extremely unpolished myself.
I wear Gold when I am in my PJ’s at home having a lazy day.
You too, Austenfan, more rain fortunately! And you smell absolutely gorgeous.
Gold is really elegant – but sometimes those big orientals are very flexible.
Gold is stunning and classic. I aspire to be the person for whom this is just my everyday frag. 😀 You’ve inspired me to wear my tiny decant today!
I am wearing Bandit. It’s not so much that I THOUGHT I would not like it, but I was AFRAID I would not like it – from all my reading, it seemed the ultimate tough-cool fragrance and I am not cool nor particularly tough. So I wanted to like Bandit really bad, but had almost resigned myself to the inevitability of not being worthy. It was such a pleasant surprise/relief when it turned out that not only do I like it, but I find it completely wearable. Sure, it’s not an everyday scent for me, but I use it regularly. And it’s still the only fragrance that has ever intimidated me – even if it was before I tried it.
How do you feel about ELDO Rien? Another Fierce Fragrance!
I like that one, too! I’m in fact missing my sample, as it’s in Estonia – but I’ll be there in August.
I was also surprised by the wearability of Bandit!
I think this is testament to the genius of that fragrance: it is undoubtedly unique and quite challenging, but it is a fragrance to wear, not just to sniff/admire from afar.
Agreed! It’s not so difficult to make something exceedingly _______ (fill in the blank), but extreme on a real wearer is indeed a kind of genius.
I have to try this, but am amping up my leather tolerance with Cuir d’Ange, Kelly Caleche (I know, practise wheels 😉 ) and Cuir de Lancome. I see Bandit in the future.
Have you tried Cuir de Russie?
No, what a good suggestion, especially as I hope to visit Place Vendome in Belgium end of August (where I live I am far away from any Exclusives), it will go on my try list.
I of course recommend CdR to everyone, all the time… But for me, it really is the perfect transition leather from those soft, friendly suedes to some serious animalic/tarry stuff. It is no doubt a proper leather, but I find it very easy to wear – it’s a Chanel in the end, so it’s very polished and well balanced. But some people get a lot more horse from it than I do, so your experience might be very different, of course. You are in the Neatherlands, right?
Yes, I am the Lowlands, and in the countryside of it, so horse is no problem here 😉
Once you are familiar with CdR you may want to try Knize Ten as well. Celeste in The Hague carries Knize. It’s been a long time since I tried it, and while not as friendly as the Chanel, it’s a great Leather and a great fragrance. Le Labo Patchouli is another interesting interpretation.
I find Cuir de Lancome (and Bottega Veneta) also to be great “training wheels” for leather. Leather is hard for me – I get too much “softball mitt” when I put on something like Cuir de Russe…. but I keep trying. I do love Cuir de Lancome very much.
Yes, definitely. Bottega first, then on to Lancome.
I’m still testing those waters myself. I do love Cuir de Lancome and am wearing it today. I’ve tried Cuir de Russie and it was fine, but haven’t ventured beyond that.
Do you like Lutens? I think his leathers are great and not too difficult, but they aren’t mentioned that often.
True. Boxeuses is really nice and Cuir Mauresque is gorgeous. I can’t do Bandit at all.
Earlier this week, I got to try all of Memo’s Leathers, and I’m lusting over all of them! It was very very hard to chose a favorite. Probably French Leather, with Italian and Irish tied for second. All of them were so unique!
I think I like French, Irish, Italien in order, but they are all good
For what it’s worth, Annikky, you seem pretty cool and tough to me.
It’s worth a lot! Thank you, lillyjo, you’ve just made my day.
I had heard so many bad things about Miel de Bois that I was really worried about trying it: nearly everyone seemed to hate it (the Makeup Alley reviews were brutal), and I was afraid I would, too, which bothered me, because I was in my Serge Lutens honeymoon phase and he could do no wrong.
When I got a decant, I put on a tiny bit, then sloshed on about half the vial, and then bought a bottle the first chance I had, because it is fantastic. I’m wearing it right now and I still love it madly.
Seriously, I was surprised by how much most people hated it. Agree it is fantastic.
We are so much in the minority! Even Lutens is said not to like it that much — there were rumours a few years ago of its discontinuation, and he never discontinues anything. Fortunately, it’s still available.
Miel du bois is a favorite of mine as well – I even bought it blind! I adore honey in all its facets from sweet to waxy to animalic, and most of the time perfumes that list honey aren’t enough for me!! Miel du bois also layers really well when you want to amp up the honey note in anything else.
Kudos for buying it blind!
This was a surprise to me as well. I think it’s a beautiful floral honey, no big city sidewalks in July for me.
Another fan here. I wasn’t sure what to expect after reading the reviews, but I find it warm and rich.
Darn, now I am lemming this and if the price is right ….
hajusuuri, I am sure I can set you up with a sample or a decant at some point if you are still lemming but didn’t pull the trigger on a FB. 🙂
Good for you! I love it too. I own a bottle. I certainly can understand how it would not work on some people – but for me just picking up the decant on my dresser and sniffing it makes me smile.
SOTD sunshine Amouage
The surprise is the price hahaha
When I first sampled it I thought this is ok and then before I knew it drained my decant. I bought a bottle and then sort of fell out of love with it. Now that it’s summer I find myself spraying my neck and underneath my hair with it- and I can’t get enough
Ha, another price surprise! I think this one is worse, but luckily can’t remember just how bad.
It becomes addictive….really REALLY addictive!
It was my first, and so far, one and only Amouage FB. I love online discounters as I was to cheap to buy it full price.
I am wearing Bulgari Black today because my biggest perfume suprise lately was reading my own comments on the Monday Mail I did 6 years ago, very early on in my perfume interest. Not only did I seem to feel very confident about some weird opinions (Bois des Iles was “too smooth”???), but I also proclaimed that I *could not smell Bulgari Black at all*. Now that I’m reminded of this I have a vague memory of standing puzzled in Sephora, but I have definitely been able to smell this for years, and love it, especially on my partner who delighted me by picking it out of the lineup of samples I gave him.
So my surprise is how tastes change! I’m also curious to hear if others have had the experience of not being able to detect a note (or entire fragance) that later became obvious.
I haven’t experiencing the note thing just yet, though I can see how that would happen as your nose becomes more sophisticated, but I am so with you on the changing tastes. When I started out, I was absolutely convinced I was an amber girl – I had worn a knockoff version of Obsession when I was young, and when I started to get more into fragrance, I always sought out the amber scents, thinking those were mine. Now, I’m finding that I never reach for them, and while I find them pretty, they just don’t seem half as compelling as they used to.
I was almost always an oriental girl, except with a few florals and rose soliflores, but now after so much time, I pretty much like just about everything. I think orientals are naturally easy to love/like – there is so much to do in the genre.
See way in the bottom about my comment on Cuir Beluga. BTW, Bvlgari Black is one of my favorites too as I had declared over and over again!
Very late to this – but yes! There were quite a few Bulgari scents (and others) which I couldn’t detect at all when I started out. Now they are quite obvious to me. That being said I am still anosmic to some musks and certain aromachemicals (I think).
Also, I frequently make confident pronouncements which COULD make me squirm when I return to them. However, I say it like I smell it, at the time. If something strikes me differently, at a later time, then I might comment on the change – but basically I think everyone has a right to have and voice their opinion, and also to change that opinion at a later stage. So basically, I’v made the conscious decision to NOT squirm when confronted by my earlier olfactory judgments.
Bois de Illes actually smells ‘fatty’ to me. And it has for about 3 years. I have no way to explain that one!
Robin, you smell gorgeous. I’m not yet at the bottle purchasing stage for Osmanthe Yunnan, but I very well might get there. One of the prettiest and most calming scents I have ever smelled.
The only scent that I thought I would love and actually hated that stands out in my mind is Coromandel, but I think I gave my sample away to a happier home.
So today, I’m in Chergui (suspected I’d like it, and I did – I tend to be an old-school Serge fan girl in general,), which works in the summer warmth in ways I wasn’t expecting. There’s something romantic about this one, though I can’t put my finger on what it is. Feeling good.
Sending good wishes to all.
Thank you! Of course you do too 🙂
(and I will never buy another 100 ml bottle of OY again either)
Thank you!
But isn’t it nice to have that big juicy bottle?
Well, it has a few drops left in it, but it won’t be nice for long, LOL…
I retested recently a sample I have of OY b/c I really don’t have any CURRENT Hermes AT ALL, so I figured there is a gap in my collection. I was surprised how much I liked it – fuzzy, warm. But I still don’t think it’s FBW for me. It’s my fav so far of any Hermes line that involves JCE. (The only Hermes I own is vintage Amazone, and I will admit that I like Hermes Rouge, but only b/c it smells like Chamade, but I don’t own a bottle.)
Really, Rouge smells like Chamade? I’ve only tried Rouge once and remember thinking of it as an oriental (not an easy category for me, oddly enough). I think of Chamade as a no-holds-barred floral, but maybe I need to re-smell both!
Rouge has a big dark red rose and some woods/incense in the opening but once you get to the middle and base development, it smells almost identical to the oriental/balsamic base of Chamade. Do and arm to arm comparison – after about 2-3 hours they are nearly identical.
I believe I will. 🙂
I think I have a sample of Amazone somewhere, but not Rouge. All things I need to try, but wow is the list of things I need to try getting out of control. 🙂
Me too – there are probably 50 fragrances on that list!!! I am trying to be very patient about it. I am sure the wanting to try will never end, lol!
I’m still stalking the local store that carries Rosa Nobile and waiting for them to get their tester back. I haven’t forgotten! 🙂
😉 All in good time!
I LOVE Chergui! I may be the only one who thinks it has a chocolate smell 🙂
SOTD is Ann Gerard Ciel d’Opale – mostly because someone (annawilde?) mentioned it yesterday, but it fits the Friday theme as well in that it’s one that I didn’t think I liked on first wearing, but fell completely in love with once I moved it to a spray vial. My plan is to make my 9 ml mini stretch through fall and then hope Santa blesses me with a FB.
I did wear that yesterday! And it is lovely. I’m still working off a decant, but it’s definitely FB worthy. You smell great!
During the freebiemeet I got some random samples ( I didn’t know what would be in my sample pack) so I am wearing a perfume I never heard of from a company I never heard of–Hello from Harvey Prince but I just put it on so I don’t have an opinion yet.
However, to continue the surprise, I’d like to send on a box of random samples to someone else in the US so whoever replies here first can have it
That’s a fun take on the surprise theme!
Are you wanting the samples? My screen name is my yahoo address
Oh yes please! I would LOVE a surprise grab bag right around now (though I would have made that comment anyway). I will email you, with many thanks for spreading the suprise fun!
Nice! I’ll follow suit for someone who is willing to reimburse me for postage (shipping from US). I now have an email address that is my screen name, and it’s a yahoot! Please reply here to stake your claim and then email me with your mailing info.
Staking the claim. Will reach out to you via email – Thank you
Hi I tried your email and it keeps bouncing back. Your are at leathermountain in the yahooland right?
Clarissa, that’s great! I’m so sorry, the email snafu is my mistake. Let’s go with geemayle, and I’m alederberg.
Now I know where the leather mountain comes from 😉
Shalimar Initial was my surprise in a two-fold way. I somewhat liked Shalimar, but it mostly reminded me of my Nana, who was a not-so-nice person. She had problems and because of that my mother grew to hate the scent with a passion. It was all Nana wore. When I started getting into perfume I knew Shalimar would be a given favorite for so many because it is a classic and I think it’s popular for good reason. It’s a gorgeous scent. However, like the original No 5 by Chanel, I’m not entirely sold on Shalimar. It’s a bit *too* much for me in the same way the aldehydes are too much in No 5 for me.
So I got a sample of Shalimar Initial and thought it really smells like Shalimar-lite, but in a really good way. It’s not too much nor overpowering. It’s still like Shalimar, but not to the degree that makes me think of Nana. Also, in my fledgling months of my new found perfumista-hood I thought: no one would like this because it’s not as robust as Shalimar. I felt like a bit of a cop-out for liking this one and not the original Shalimar. However, after reading lots of NST posts I realized: A LOT of you like Shalimar Initial just as much as I do!
Glad you can enjoy it without the bad memories seeping in.
Me too 🙂
Jenkr, we are kindred spirits today! For over twenty years, I disliked Shalimar because it reminded me of my grandmother’s generation. But not long ago, I was prompted to sniff it after it’s nonstop praise here on NST. And much to my surprise, I found it quite lovely. And believe me, I was shocked! So Shalimar is my “surprise” perfume. And I’ve worn and adored many Chanel’s over the years. But I still really don’t like No. 5. Maybe I’ll change my mind in another twenty years, lol!
My mom turns up her nose at Shalimar b/c “everybody wore that in college” (which would be the mid 60s). It’s the same for with with CK Eternity and Obsession for Men. I think people practically bathed in those fragrances when I was at college in the late 80s, so I don’t care for them at all.
Nice! 😀 I found I really like Eau de Premiere, which is the newer version of No 5. I could never get past how soapy the original smelled on me, but I like the more moderate aldehyde version of EdP.
Eau Premiere is great! It was my gateway to No 5. After all these years I’ve finally realized that the note I have the most trouble with in No 5 extrait is the strong ylang-ylang. But I worked my way up – first Eau Premiere, then the sadly discontinued Sensual Elixir, then vintage extrait, then the current edt…..
Today I am wearing a decant of Hermes Amazone. Usually I am not much for sweet greenness but this vintage sample is to die for! Like so many in the genre from the early 70’s, I was nervous it was going to be this powdery green sweet bomb ( as allowed by the dreadful current formulation of Anais Anais) but I remember how well perfume was formulated back then and I am amazed that every note is so balanced.
*Breathing sigh of relief *
Vintage Amazone is divine. To me it smells like “sweet meadow”. Does anyone know what I’m talking about? Some big old fallow meadow that’s been baking in the sun all day long. That smell in the early evening when the grasses and veg cool down and begin to release their fragrance? That smell.
I do. I had a generous sample of vintage Amazone, and once I tried it I wore nothing else until it was gone. I don’t know where I’ve smelled that real meadow but I feel sure that I have.
Yes!
Years ago I fell in love with Amazone but for some reason I ended up buying it for my mother.
She loves it, but she never wears it. (she preferred the body lotion)
So one day, that great big vintage Amazone will be coming back to me!! LOL!
LUCKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Amazone is so pretty.
Yes it is. It should be the prototype on which all sweet green floral chypres are based.
Thank you all for the sympathetic comments about my thumb yesterday. Fortunately I heal quickly and it has gone from really painful and throbbing to just a huge annoyance every time I forget and use my left hand for something.
I wasn’t really sure what to wear for today’s challenge but went with Cartier’s La Treiziéme Heure. It is on my “always keep a decant list” but I would not have thought so from the notes list nor the reviews. The surprise for me is that after the initial smoky blast it settles down to a scent that triggers a hazy childhood scent memory. I have no idea specifically what it smells like, but when I sniff it I’m suddenly about three feet tall and in my childhood home, actually at one end of the house – but I don’t know what was there that could have smelled similar. I keep hoping I’ll have a revelation but in the meantime it is a really cozy and comforting scent to me and one I love to wear in the evening to unwind.
What a fun surprise mystery! So glad to hear your thumb is healing apace.
I think Treizieme Heure is a strange thing – and on me it had distinct stages, from (1) my grandfather’s smokehouse to (2) soft-focus hazy floral to (3) cupcake. I really liked it. Not enough to buy a bottle, but it was fun and nostalgic and not what I expected.
I’m wearing The Different Company’s Osmanthus, which I thought I would love but…meh. It’s just kind of flat and synthetic on me. Not terrible, but not something I care to wear. Must be my chemistry because others seem to love it. But, hey, money saved.
I was surprised not to love that one too.
I was hunting through my minis for something to fit the theme and came across Womanity. I realized that it is one of the biggest surprises that I have, because it’s the only fig fragrance that I own that I actually like. I bought it without paying much attention to the notes, and I didn’t really think about it as a fig fragrance until someone on NST pointed it out. I was griping about not liking vanilla and fig yesterday, and lo and behold, a fig I actually like. Maybe I’ll get lucky and find a vanilla I actually like.
Have you tried Vanille Galante or Bois d’Iris (Van Cleef & Arpels)? Both have a very light, sheer vanilla note that’s not too sweet or heavy. I’m sort of a vanilla-phobe too and I love both of those.
No, I haven’t tried either of those. I may try to get some samples and see if they will work for me. Thanks!
I’m wearing my biggest surprise: Prada Candy. I’d never liked a gourmand before and caramel and candy notes were my most despised. I always seemed to feel trapped in a hard candy shell when trying them. Out of curiosity alone I tried Candy and was shocked that I liked it. Tried it in stores a few more times and eventually bought it. I’m still not sure what sets it apart for me, I’ve tried many other sweeties and haven’t liked any others.
I felt the same way about this one! I won a bottle and was surprised by how nice it really is!
Me too! The name was really off-putting although it’s nice of them to be direct 🙂 I have Infusion d’Iris Absolue and Candy smells like the very cozy drydown without the iris. Which is why I wouldn’t invest in Candy.
I also think Candy is a standout. I haven’t worn it much, but a good friend does, and it’s delightful. She is not someone who can be trapped in any sort of hard shell. (Love that image, Gi!)
I’m surprised to quite like Candy too. I don’t have a bottle but have quickly drained every sample I have received and would snatch up a FB if I found one at a discount.
I love Candy but I haven’t worn it in a long time!
Still too much of a migraine to wear perfume, but what I had in mind to wear today was Histoires de Parfums 1889 Moulin Rouge, which according to some is similar to Lipstick Rose (a real scrubber). I thought I didn’t like lipstick notes, or powder, and never would have even tried it. I adore Moulin Rouge after receiving a sample from a lovely perfumista in an ‘iris package’. Even better Histoires de Parfums offers 14 ml bottles for a fair price.
Have a lovely weekend all, with pleasant surprises.
Hope you feel better soon!
Thank you! And you too ofcourse, speedy thumb recovery.
Hope you feel better soon!
I am always struck how well wishes help! Thank you!
I hope you feel better soon, Hamamelis!
Thank you Holly!
Hope the migraine is on its way out! Moulin Rouge is the only sample from a bunch of HdP samples that I kept. Sometimes I find it fun and then other times it smells too synthetic and a bit too campy for me. I think the weather has something to do with it as I enjoyed it more in cool weather.
I will experiment, I wore it in hot weather, so far so good. Campy…as in children smelling of candy? Not familiar with campy as an adjective, all curious now.
Campy is usually something that is a little over the top tongue-in -cheek. Like the old 1960’s Batman or Get Smart TV series. Trying to think of something European that would be equivalent. Elton John, perhaps?
Thanks! I was trying to think of a synonym. Yes, over-the-top or an exaggeration of something perhaps sentimental. I guess I think of Elvis Impersonators. For Moulin Rouge the lipstick smell is almost a vulgar, humorous exaggeration while Lipstick Rose is a more earnest attempt at sophistication. I don’t think Moulin Rouge attempts to take itself seriously. I could be totally wrong about that however.
I love camp classic stuff.
Food for thought: What would you consider as a perfume camp classic?
Elton helps!
I googled a bit, and I think Abba is another expample. In Dutch we would call it ‘kitchlike’ (kitscherig), although it doesn’t quite cover it I believe.
I also get know why Moulin Rouge could be too campy (on my skin she behaves b.t.w.)!
Susan Sontag’s Notes on Camp:
http://faculty.georgetown.edu/irvinem/theory/Sontag-NotesOnCamp-1964.html
Although I should include a more modern take:
http://www.natbrut.com/essay-notes-on-campanti-camp-by-bruce-labruce.html
Ha! Thanks! I only read part of the 2nd link so far. Great lists. And I’d add those Nikki Minaj bottles. Or are they just plain scary.
Hamamelis,
What are you taking for your migraines? I too suffer from migraines and I used to take prescription medication for it. Because it became extremely expensive WITH my insurance, my doctor told me that Excedrin Migraine has most of the same ingredients as a prescription. It works really well for me. Try it if you have not already. I hope you feel better soon because I definitely know how your feeling.
And, I want to try Moulin Rouge just because of the name – I loved the movie.
Scentfromabove, I take Naramig, which is a triptan (like Immigran). Fortunately my insurance has it covered, but it doesn’t always kick in (it didn’t yesterday) and then I have to sit it out. My migraine improved a lot the last years (I am 52), but once in a while it is back with a vengeance.
I think this time I figured out that my Coenzyme Q10 had ran out, which according to some studies lessens the severity of the attacks, which is maybe why it took so long.
I will keep Excedrin in the back of my mind, it is not available in Europe I think, but I can try to order it online.
Hope you will find a sample of Moulin Rouge, it is a great scent. Campy I know now 😉
I expected to love Guerlain’s Terracotta, but I don’t. I don’t hate it, but it’s just somehow not me. In the same batch of samples, I located Terracotta Voile d’Ete, and I love it. Surprise! I really shouldn’t be surprised, as it’s a completely different scent, like No 19 Poudre as compared to No 19.
Next surprise … Voile d’Ete is discontinued! So I’ve realized that I need to note stuff like that before I purchase a sample of something. Plus, I should probably note the cost of a full bottle before buying a sample, as I’m trying to be a little more rational these days. 😉
My sample purchases are usually a mix of things I can afford and things I can’t but want to smell anyway. So far I think I’ve had about the same success rate with both, but I do judge the expensive things more harshly. I’ve also dithered over whether I want to buy something that’s widely available at the discounters until it’s no longer widely available. (If you keep an eye out for it, though, I wouldn’t be surprised if you eventually come across some Terracotta VdE. I’ve decided that serendipity is the key to perfume shopping with a limited budget.)
I decided to interpret the surprise challenge by wearing a blind buy that I just got and hadn’t tried out yet. So there’s the risk that it could be like, “Surprise! It’s terrible!” (which for some reason I hear in my head in Eugene Mirman’s voice, specifically as Gene Belcher from Bob’s Burgers, but I digress).
So I went with Providence Perfume Co. Samarinda today. I had a 20% Beauty Habit discount code, and I wasn’t afraid to use it. So what started out as “Oh I’ll buy one [of the 7.5ml perfumes]” turned into “Three’s ok, right? I can do that…”
So on to the actual fragrance.. Surprise! I like it! I kind of feel like I’m wearing an all-natural version of Coco. But occasionally it also reminds me of Aftelier Tango, which is now sadly discountinued (just as I was starting to like it, too).
Ooh – Coco smell a like?!? I’ve never heard of this!
This intrigues me. I need to check that out now.
You should! The 7.5ml size was $35 at Beauty Habit, which is pretty good for all-natural.
I’m glad it wasn’t Eugene but loving that detail.
Heh.. I’m glad too, but I thought it was funny that it always played in my head that way when I thought about writing it
Now I’ll hear Gene Belcher every time I read the word surprise (“Surprise!”) in the rest of these comments. I hope the show comes back promptly in September.
I’ve sampled Samarinda but didn’t affiliate it with Coco. Of course, I was a very new perfumista back then and probably wouldn’t have made that association anyway. I’ve been to Providence Perfume’s store front. It’s very charming and her fragrances are unique.
NO! Tango is discontinued?!? Bleep, I’ve been meaning to buy more of that ever since I bought one of those tiny extraits. Waaah!!!!
Back at work after a week of vacation, where I mostly smelled like bug spray and dryer sheets (apparently they ward off bugs). I did get to visit The Perfume House while I was in Portland, which was amazing. Didn’t fall in love with anything, but my trip did inspire today’s SOTD. Wearing L’Orpheline, which I expected to like, but it didn’t work for me. When I resampled it from the spray bottle the other day, though, it surprised me again and I like it much more now.
Happy Friday, everyone!
I had the same reaction with that one. The first time I tried it I thought: meh, it’s ok. But the second and third times I started thinking I needed a bigger decant.
Most surprising perfume ever: L’AP Timbuktu. Or I could go back even farther in time to Demeter Tomato. I was also surprised to love Gucci Rush, and am always delighted by the chocolate-raspberry-rose glow of S-Perfume 100% Love.
Timbuktu is really interesting. I used to wear it more than I do now. I like it in the dead of winter b/c it smells like warm sunshine feels.
I usually wear Timbuktu in the fall, because it seems like a fall scent to me. But it smells very different to different people. I often get a celery-cumin-sweat note that some people don’t smell at all; it just smells fresh and foresty to them. I like it either way but am reluctant to wear it around other people in case they smell the sweaty note.
That’s how I feel about LL Rose 31 – that cumin! Total funky panties cumin! Sometimes I get it and sometimes I don’t, but I don’t want to be sending any mixed signals out in the world. As for Timbuktu – it is almost entirely incense and vetiver to me – and some sort of very dry “blonde” wood. I’ve never noticed cumin…yet!
Le Labo Rose 31 smells like dirty socks to me.
Scent twins! And to me it smells like soap, although I’d have preferred sweat.
I also went with a blind buy as my surprise wear. I’m in Diorissimo (vintage-ish), which I got quite randomly from a Craigslist ad! I ended up loving it. Happy surprise.
Nice buy! This is why I scan CL on the regular, even though most of the current offerings are from Ed Hardy 🙂
For today’s challenge I had fully intended to go to Macy’s and sample Black Opium but my car is the shop! I tried it last week fully expecting it to be so bad it would be funny. It did not smell like Opium at all but made me think of Cinema with a coffee note. It was far too cloying but it sure was a surprise from what I expected! Instead, I will wear ELDO Like This because it was one I was so surprised to like that I got a bottle the same day I first tried it!
Like this is really strange and really like-able too! I horde my small sample, but I often think a decant would be fun!
I blind bought Black Opium thinking it would be at least somewhat like Opium. Surprise! It was not. I do like it though and wear it fairly often. I just wish it had a different name.
I found Black Opium to be very masculine, an almost after shave quality.
Not on me. It’s purple fruit syrup. Very sweet.
I think I need to give it a proper test in cooler weather! It’s been so hot and humid all sweet scents seem like too much!
I’ve had a small decant of L’Artisan’s Rappelle-Toi for awhile and put it in my rotation and it came around every few weeks. Always ‘pleasant’ but after applying yesterday morning and loving its biting green opening it was about half an hour later that as I was lost in reading something I was suddenly overcome by GARDENIA, which is my elusive grail in scent.
What was this? Glorious Gardenia was wafting all around me, was this Rappelle-Toi? Was my nose/brain finally shifting into recognizing it as it was meant to be? Evidently, and joyously, yes! The drydown was also something wonderful and new to me with this fragrance.
Proof positive that with some fumes you just have to train your brain to appreciate. And the happiest part is I dashed up online and found a 125 ml bottle on sale for $62, retail it is $205.
Good story!
I’m wearing Lanvin Arpege (current edition). In early rabbit hole I discounted aldehydes as a group as being certain I hated but have found several so far that I love and this is one of them. Although, admittedly, the aldehydes in this are softer than some other heavy hitters and I still don’t like some of those.
Yes! I’ve come to realize that too with certain fragrances with aldehydes. I’m not a huge fan of the super soap bubble smelling kind, but in smaller doses they really make some fragrances stand out.
I’m still not clear about aldehydes: do they provide an effect(like making the existing notes more effervesscent) or do they have their own separate smell? Or both?
To me, aldehydes give a perfume that effervescent texture and I equate it to unflavored seltzer.
I’d say both.
I’m always surprised when people call Iris Poudre an iris scent, because to me it is primarily an aldehydic scent.
I am wearing Shiseido Basala. I was hoping to be able to both go big and go home, but alas I am still here at my work desk. This is surprising in that I really am surprised how many of the 70s-90s Shiseido scents I really love: Tactics, Basala, FdB, Murasaki, Inoui, and Koto. Maybe one day I will have enough Nombre Noir to know whether it is true love.
I like those, too, but I haven’t tried Tactics and Basala yet.
I didn’t really go with the surprise scent today, but then got a surprise in the mail when my two new Serge scents arrived-Al A Nuit and La Fille de Berlin. I am excited about that!
Enjoy!!! I love LFdB. I’ve not smelled A la Nuit yet….
A la Nuit is very beautiful, especially on warm summer evenings…
Lucky you! Both are so wonderful 🙂
SOTD is AG Songes edp. I actively dislike most BWF’s and only tried this one because I like AG scents, even if they’re not to my taste, and because of its back story. I think I posted previously how I tested it at Nordie’s counter years ago at the beginning of a shopping trip and I couldn’t keep my nose from my wrist the remainder of the afternoon. It surprises me not only in its beauty but that I enjoy its beauty each time I wear it. I’m wearing only a tiny bit this morning, but tonight we’re going to an outdoor concert and the night promises to be a hot sultry one. My favorite Songes kind of event/weather, so I will be more liberal in my application.
I wear Songes often, but seldom in summer. Agree it is beautiful!
I don’t wear Songes often at all. Only on a very cold and snowy January day or else a sultry summer night, but only outdoors – then it’s just perfect! It’s rare that I wear a fragrance both summer and winter, Songes is one of them.
Songes is one of my fav BWF too. A few years ago I finally had to break down and get a FB of the edp. It is so swoonworthy. Very different from most other white flower bombs.
Since your and Austenfan’s EDP recommendation I have the EDP on my to sniff list. I have both EDP and EDT of Mon Parfum Cherie etc. and they fill different needs.
I find there is a lot of difference in the AG formulas between the edt and edp. The Songes edt is more dry and has a bit more jasmine skank in it. The edp is just wet, lush, sweet, more vanilla, very heady. Both are good – my preference is for the edp b/c it has less jasmine indoles, but still some.
Very well said, I definitely agree.
I also had a BWF aversion and now I think the B is the issue. In lower volumes and in certain blends I really enjoy some of them. Although even Songes perfume was a bit Big for me but the body oil is perfect and I love it!
The body oil sounds wonderful, I will have to search this out.
I’m wearing exactly that today. The oil is great.
I guess I’m sort of a scent snob, in that I don’t expect to like drugstore fragrance. But I really enjoy the original Faith Hill. Wearing it today, and off and on all summer.
Well, I’m not a scent snob at all and willingly admit to liking it, too, nice magnolia note, but not too strong, soft and ladylike. I enjoy wearing it here in late spring when the magnolias are in bloom.
If you are older like me, most of you got your perfume initiation from drugstore classics.
Good stuff then. Not so much now.
Yes, I agree, that’s certainly true, but Faith Hill is a newer scent and it’s pretty nice for what it is.
Maybe I am telling my age, but did anyone like Perfume Imposters? In high school I wore Primo and you couldn’t tell me that I didn’t smell like a million bucks! LOL! Life just seemed so much easier and cheaper in the 80’s.
Oh, me too. You used to be able to get decent stuff at the drugstore.
hey guys..
Yesterday was a really bad day…I figured if I was is in so much pain I couldn’t move at all and sobbing non stop..time to go to the e.r. So, they are trying a new oral pain med on me. They wanted to give me a pain shot(a concentrated form of that same med)…for some dumb reason I declined cause um..I don’t like shots and really didn’t want to be in the e.r. anymore..what the heck was I thinking??? I totally needed that shot..urgh. I got out of there…and was like what the neck..I am in severe pain and I declined?? I just took the oral meds later.
I truly believe the last p.t. lady severely injured me..I believe she tore tissue. I didn’t have this pain before I saw her. I had some more xrays done..and I am not a doc but the tissue/area in question on one side looks very swollen and torn compared to the other from what I can see. I have to get an mri of the same area..the area I believe she injured. I was not in that much pain until I saw her..and could move around pretty good. Just had some not fun pains here and there that would put me down for a little bit..after that lady..I can’t even describe. It literally feels like the area is broken and ripped to shreds. I know a little pain is normal but this is pain where I literally wanted to die and couldn’t move..and it hurts way more than my original injury..and believe she made that worse too. So, I really don’t know what’s next. If she gave me a nasty injury and I believe she did…it may be a malpractice thing going on…I have been truly miserable. It’s pain to where I was telling my friends..I can’t go on..and want to die..that’s really bad. So..I will have too see another specialist regarding this p.t. injury. The pain meds definitely help with the pain….when they start to wear off…I can feel the misery again. So..I will have to figure out exactly what she did. Total misery…it’s horrible.
Sorry for my whining…
Wearing Burberry Brit Rhythm..a scent that grew quickly on me after a day like that..need an fb asap.
Omega, I am so so sorry to hear about your pain and struggle. Those of us who live with chronic pain empathize. May you find relief for your pain!
I hope you feel better!
I’m so sorry Omega! Seek out a different PT and make a complaint! If that bad PT screwed you up this badly, you should make it known that this person should NOT be practicing. Are you going to seek legal counsel for malpractice?
If she messed me up and I think so….I already have been thinking malpractice and legal counsel…it’s not right
I was thinking the same thing.. if she has done that much damage to you, I’d think that would be grounds for legal action (in my thoroughly inexpert, not-a-lawyer opinion, of course).
What an ordeal. My husband and myself have a PT franchise business, and we are totally on top of protocol and safety first. Do not harm must be the first principle in any care profession imo. Hope very much you will improve soon.
Wish I had you guys as my p.t.’s. yep..this lady has like 20 yrs experience but believe she was negligent in her treatment for me
Pain and rage are both very difficult to bear, very depressing. You’re expressing suicidal thoughts, and I worry that you might harm yourself. I’m so glad to hear that you are reaching out to your friends. I hope you will also reach out to a mental health professional to help keep you safe.
Oh I am better some after pain meds…I have a wonderful husband…would never do anything like that…
I’m so glad those pain meds are working and that your husband is wonderful!
Me too! Lol. Having a wonderful spouse is really really a special thing
I hope you feel better soon!
Sending positive vibes in hopes that you find the help you need soon and begin to feel better. And that the lavender in the Rhythm offers a bit of soothing comfort.
Jersey is the wonderful too….I wonder what they would smell like layered…heaven?
I hope you will feel better soon, Omega. Sending you hugs and well wishes.
I hope you get some relief quickly.
I hope you feel better soon!x
Omega, I am rooting for you. Continue to power through. It sounds like you have taken a huge step. Even when you feel there is no hope, keep fighting and never give up, my friend. Noone knows the pain you are feeling, but allow us to be a part of your journey so we can be a part of your support system. Perfumistas unite! Hope you have a good weekend!
Thanks hun..I am like..why am I sharing this much on NST? Will they think I am a little off? Or ‘that guy’ who dumps their life story all over the place? Lol..wait guys…let me tell you about my family drama..my inner child issues..and how I never got what I wanted for Christmas and how they tooth fairy forgot to get my teeth every time..lol. I joke….but thanks for the posts…really they are great and encouraging
I’m wearing PdN Musc Monoi, which I expected to adore and did nothing for me the first time I wore it. I’m liking it more today, but I’m getting a light citrusy with white floral notes, not a big musky monoi bomb like I want it to be.
Coincidentally I reviewed a very surprising fragrance over at Bois de Jasmin today (click my username to find it).
HEy! Going to read now.
I absolutely adore that fragrance!One of my favorites from Byredo!!
I’ve been meaning to try that one ever since Gaia raved about it on The Non-Blonde. Actually, I’m not sure if I tried it and was disappointed, or haven’t tried it yet. (I am tragically behind on sample filing.)
SOTD is FM Carnal Flower. I picked this one today b/c for the bulk of my fragrance sniffing life, I detested tuberose. Tuberose would make me physically ill – headaches, nausea, etc. So, I ended up with a sample of this a few years ago, and I put some on, with my wrist out, prepared to go immediately and wash it off. And lo and behold…. I actually liked it! No nausea, no headache, no physical revulsion. What a joy!!! The good news is that my liking of Carnal Flower – the most powerful tuberose right? – actually made it tolerable for me to like smaller lighter doses of tub in other fragrances like Esprit d’Oscar and AG Gardenia Passion. Talk about a revelation!!! I still can’t really quite get to Fracas, but hope springs eternal. I think Carnal Flower hits in the “lower register” with a bunch of musky damp green notes and less sugar, so that helps a lot.
Carnal Flower is a good one. There was excitement the other day at PP, when it was announced that there’s now a CF shower gel.
We started off just transposed–I liked green florals and BWFs, and now can enjoy a few orientals. Funny you think orientals are easy to love–it’s a category that continues to be a bit of a struggle for me!
There’s definitely a few oriental styles that I don’t care for – anything with what I think of as the dreaded “Pepsi” accord…. Sikkim, Opium, Tabu, et. al….. and too much sugary vanilla. You’ll eventually find some orientals that you enjoy! I still prefer a very limited selection of white flowers – mostly jasmines, OBs, very light tuberose.
I saw the Carnal Flower shower gel at Aedes on July 3rd. I may succumb to a bottle if it at some point in the near future. Not that I need more shower gels as I have enough for the next 3 years +
I’m the same way – green florals and BWFs, instant love. Orientals are very, very difficult for me, and to be honest there’s only one that I really adore (vintage Emeraude).
Chanel no. 5 EdT. It’s a giant love, nowadays, but a year ago i wasn’t even sure about the EdP. No. 5 Eau Pemiere was my gateway, once I understood that one then the EdP worked, but the EdT was still a big reach. Fast forward to a random airport skin test, and i get it now.
No going back 🙂
Yes! No going back once you “get” No 5!!! I adore it and wear it quite a bit. I love the Eau Premiere and the edt the best.
Totally!
I’ve just had a similar experience, and I’m wearing the parfum strength No 5 now. I’m thinking I should get some Shalimar Initial, since I think Shalimar is “okay” but I want to see if that changes with a lighter version, then going to full strength.
It might, although i love Shalimar but Shalimar Initial was another thing altogether. But that might work out in your favor! Good luck!
A random airport skin test is also what got me into No. 5!
The first spray is always free 😉
I enjoy No. 5 EDT. I have the twist up travel atomizer and it has a permanent place in my travel bag because it works in any weather. My only complaint is it does not last long on me – 2 sprays lasts maybe 2 hours tops but dousing is not an option because the sillage may overwhelm.
Today I’m in Guerlain Terracotta le Parfum, which I blind bought last year after Jessica’s review and absolutely adored. It is definitely one of my favorite summer florals hands down, and has excellent lasting power without overwhelming sillage. I need a backup bottle for sure.
Jacomo Silences – always hated anything green (I thought) and I love something VERY green. SO many perfume surprises – that is part of the addictive rush of perfume love.
Wearing Kenzo Flower Oriental. Didn’t think I liked Kenzo Flower and didn’t think I liked flankers, but I was wrong and I am woman enough to admit it.
I also love and wear Osmanthe Yunnan frequently, although for some strange reason I’m more apt to reach for it on rainy days than bright sunny ones. I also find that despite its reputation for doing a vanishing act ( and the orangey top toes do, instantly), it lingers on clothes well, especially sweaters, which is maybe why I wear it when it’s chillier despite the top notes playing better in the heat.
My blind buy of Tocade came, so I’m wearing that today because what’s a surprise if not a blind buy, right? So far I’m liking it! At first spray is is very chemical-y, like nail varnish, but I was warned about that and it mostly fades in a few moments. It’s also interesting as it wafts around you, because the rose makes surprise appearances on between the powdery vanilla.
Tocade has massive sillage too! It’s definitely different.
Yes, it does, which means that I might be a “perfume surprise” at the gym today. Luckily I’m going at an off-peak time, so I can try to keep my distance!
In addition to much sillage, I find Tocade lasts and lasts a very long time, soft and powdery with the rose peeking in and out. I love it, hope you enjoy it all the way down.
I expected to love Jo Malone’s Wood Sage & Sea Salt because I can’t get enough of woody and salty scents. However, our relationship is tricky. There’s not much going on, and the precious little that I can actually smell is dry to the point of being suffocating.
I did learn to appreciate it more over the few times I’ve worn it, but the best I can say is it’s boring in a weird way. So yes, that’s my scent of the day 🙂
I’m with you all the way. I really thought this would be right up my alley, but no.
This is one of the Jo Malone fragrances that I didn’t really care for. So, I am definitely with you. The JM reps were even surprised that I didn’t like this one. One rep told me that most females don’t really enjoy it, but males gravitate to it. Also, the longevity for me was short-lived, but one of the male reps told me it lasts on him pretty much all day. Not one of my favorites.
“Boring in a weird way.” At first I was excited, because I think you’ve discovered a new perfume category, and I immediately started thinking about what other things might fit in that category. Now I’m worried that I might fall into that category.
A small dab of Bois d’Encens, which I expected to like and just didn’t. And after that wore off, a generous spray of Cuir de Lancome, which suprised me how much I like it.
This morning I put on a generous multiple dabs of Iris Silver Mist, because it is supposed to be The Iris but it doesn’t seem like all that to me. Wrists, neck, back of hands, decollete, generous. It smells very good to me, in that rooty iris way, but it just doesn’t ring that love love bell…
I did put one spray of Iris Poudre on one forearm for comparison’s sake…now, 7 hours later, the ISM is has been consumed by my scent eating skin and is gone gone gone, while the Iris Poudre is in one of it’s more vanilla-y phases, mellow but very present.
Sorry Uncle Serge, I love Un Fille de Berlin and Chergui, but ISM just doesn’t make the FB cut for me! I’d be happy to have some if someone gave some to me, but there are other things I want to own and cherish more.
Although, I wonder, do I need to spray ISM to get the effect others rave about?
I’ve always sprayed ISM and I love it! FM Iris Poudre is fabulous too and the drydown, oh the drydown
The drydown of Iris Poudre is the best part.
I’m not participating in the community project, but my SOTD is Mint Verbena by L’Occitane for a visit to the petting zoo.
Eau Sauvage is one of my favorites, so I fully expected to love Diorella when I bought it blind a few years back. Nope. Big fail. I couldn’t get past its old-fashioned feminine quality; it made me think of the smell of my grandma’s house. (I will NOT say it “smells like an old lady”.) As a young male, this made Diorella rather awkward to wear, no matter what Luca Turin says about its potential as a masculine scent. So today I’m wearing Eau Sauvage in honor of the lessons Diorella taught me: Never buy blind, and never based on one expert’s review. (The bottle of Terre d’Hermes that I bought blind last week has no bearing on this conversation, because it was a success. You only remember your failures!)
I just failed on a blind buy – normally I don’t or I luck out. It’s the Carven Vetiver. It’s just only interesting for about 10 minutes. Bummer. I figured: how can I go wrong with a vetiver? It’s not wrong, it’s just so short lived.
i love diorella !! it was also a blind buy for me – some years back i had an urge to get a perfume made during my birth year and that seemed the only one i could find. i asked a friend returning from paris to get it for me. she didn’t think much of it but her mother liked it. i agree that it’s a very “dated” scent but it settled nicely on me and i grew into it. it’s one of my most personal fragrances being quite different and distinctive. i think it’s possible to man it up with a layer of woody or smokey notes. a touch of herbal or green could also cut through the sweetness.
Aside from the “dated” discussion, I get the feeling Diorella must have been more interesting and fleshed-out in its original formula. The version I bought was one of the more recent bottlings, and I found it rather wan and thin. Everything I’ve read about Diorella describes it as a vivacious green citrus with full-bodied fruit notes and a strong mossy finish, and that…wasn’t my experience.
A wee bit distracted this morning and didn’t consider the theme today. I have an MD appointment today so kept it very acceptable and inoffensive with Uncle Serge and one of my go-to’s- Un Bois Vanille.
Hope everyone has a very happy and healthy weekend 🙂
I wear Mitsouko Edp.
I have the new version by Mr. Wasser and begin to understand why it is so famous.
I only can wear it when I feel very strong and confident and so sexy in a decent way that I don’t need an extra vanilla or come and have me scent. And today I felt so because it was the first day with my first varifocals…
I loved my smart look and woody parfum…
SOTD is Chanel No. 19 Poudre. I don’t care for No. 19 original (too bitter for me) and the original reviews of Poudre were pretty lukewarm, but I like it a lot for the office.
Have to give props to my hubby again today for bringing back Miller Harris L’Air de Rien for me from England. Very sexy (too much so for the office!). Will have to see if he will spring for Ostara for our anniversary since the sample he got me is gorgeous. He had acted like the salespeople wouldn’t help him enough and he didn’t get me any perfume and then tosses me 100 ml of the L’air. I have a good one!
Congrats on your L’Air de Rien, and kudos to your hubby for braving the new perfume venue at Harrods. I’ve heard it can be somewhat daunting!
I adore both Chanel No. 19 and No. 19 Poudre, which I agree is perfect for office wear and I’m sure your patients enjoy it. Ostara is a new love for me as well.
Yes, you certainly do!
Nice!I love L’Air!!
Last night I wore Courtesan by Worth. When I read about it on the Perfume Posse (I think) and it was supposed to be slutty, I tried it and didn’t get the slut part just fruit salad. So the decant sat around for a while and then tried it again, then I smelled the sluttiness of it and fell in love. I do love a huge slut note in perfume. Now I am wearing Theorema and I wasn’t wild about it at fist and now I love it. Enough to have 5 bottles of it.
Lol at “slut note”.. I love that description. I like a good slut note too, and I liked it in Courtesan.
Where is this slut note you speak of!?!? I get the fruit salad and then a very soft musky skin scent that smells rather innocent. Intimate, maybe, but not slutty. I think my skank-o-meter Is off cuz that has happened to me with other reknowned skankies(Amaranthine for one).
I think once you get used to the big slut note (Bal, L’Air de Rein) you kind of lose the subtle slut note. The subtle slut note is not the outright you want to get nasty right away, it’s the slow seduction. Courtesan begs you to get closer.
The danger is while you may not be able to smell it, you may be a magnet for those who like the smell 🙂
Busy morning, so haven’t had a chance to read through everyone’s SOTD, but thought I’d chime in now and read later. I couldn’t think of anything for the surprise angle, so i took it extremely literally and am wearing something with surprise in the name! Beth Terry Creative Universe Element of Surprise. I got this ages ago as an extra in a swap and just finished the decant. It’s a nice citrusy tea scent.
Sounds very nice but like it might lack an element of surprise….
My perfume surprise is Laguna. First it surprised me in that I liked it, alone among beachy scents. Today I applied more boldly and the surprise is unfortunate; it’s still the best of the beach scents I’ve tried but no longer something I look forward to wearing again. Bonus: my Laguba decant was a surprise gift from a delightful perfume buddy, who also surprised me with a definite love: Heure Exquise. Maybe I’ll put that one on later and think of delightful perfume surprises, with hopefully a few for clarissa!
Maybe if you found a mini, in that great bottle, and dabbed it, you’d like it again.
I’m wearing Bois des Iles. I got a bunch of Chanel samples when I first started to get into perfume, maybe two years ago? I expected to swoon over Bois des Iles based on the listed notes and glowing reviews, but … I just didn’t. I was a new perfumista and I think aldehydes still threw me off. This past winter, I got a sample of Tam Dao, which I loved and subsequently drained. It doesn’t last on me though, and after reading so many comments about the wonderful box of eels, I decided to give it a try again and it was LOVE. Now I have a full bottle of my own 🙂
Tam Dao is legit stuff
It’s interesting how another similar fragrance can be a gateway to something you struggle with. I didn’t like Bois des Iles for a long time. Heavy woods are a struggle for me. Then I came to really appreciate SSS Champagne des Bois after multiple testings. At the time I was really motivated to deal with my incense issues – and Champagne des Bois was a good one b/c it’s so well blended. Well, eventually it was love! Sometime after that I retested BdI (I always revisit my Les Exclusifs), and I just got it. Now I love BdI too. I’m not sure what woody notes I needed to deal with regarding BdI, but it’s behind me now. Last winter I finally got my hands on some Tam Dao, and I really like it, but I thought: well, I already have a deep and perfect sandalwood in BdI, so I don’t need this.
“Incense issues”. You funny…
Too much Catholic school = incense issues….!!! 😉
My perfume surprise was Kenzo Jungle L’Elephant. A big oriental, with spice and vanilla? Right up my alley…not, not, not. It smells like rotting bananas on me. I have tried it several times and I just can’t do it. I washed it off again this morning. On the other hand, my bottle of Chopard Casmir (from the ’90s) continues to mellow beautifully. The sandalwood note has become more prominent and is just gorgeous. I’m wearing it now, hoping to drown out the remnants of Elephant, which unfortunately seems to last forever.
I like rotting bananas and spice..sounds great to me!
It’ll be up for grabs during the swapmeet!
Good to know…I love that cap too…I love elephants
I love Casmir! I remember years ago when it first came out and I really wanted some, but didn’t get any. I picked up a bottle discounted a few years ago. I don’t wear it as much as I probably should, but it does mellow very nicely – it’s probably my favorite sweet fragrance. I realized too when I was testing some sweet fragrances while doing vanilla research last year that the drydown of Casmir is very similar to the drydown of Hanae Mori Butterfly edt.
I have a large decant of Elephant, I like it on paper, but it gets a little overwhelming for my nose. I think it’s the strong raisin-y accord.
Raisiny sounds good too
I also thought I’d love L’Elephant but didn’t. I don’t know about bananas but fragrances with spices that smell freshly gound and camphorous/aromatic grate on me. I rather wish it were rotting bananas 😀 Now I have to add Casmir to my “try” list.
I thought I would love both Casmir and Jungle based upon my tastes and so many positive reviews but I don’t. Every now and then I try them again, Casmir is so sweet and cloying and heavy (and I like sweet!) even in the tiniest amounts and Jungle is equally as strong in the smallest amounts and, although I like spices in my fragrances, I really don’t care for something in this fragrance.
This makes me laugh. I considered L’Elephant today for the opposite reason. I tried it just so I wouldn’t feel left out when it was discussed and never really expected to like it. The description of it as an powerful oriental spice didn’t appeal to me at all and now I’m keeping my eyes open for a FB at a good price.
Jungle l’Elephant surprised me too–I didn’t dislike it, but I kept reading about how spicy it is, and (possibly due to years of wearing Opium) I got a lot of fruit and quite mild spice. I should try it again to see if I can appreciate it more now. Casmir was also a surprise, as it, like Tocade, has what my idiosyncratic nose perceives as a melting plastic accord.
Funny, I thought I would HATE L’Elephant – I’m not at all a big oriental fan, and I hate Opium like I hate snakes. However, I found that I do like L’Elephant, in tiny doses, on cold days. Nice. A total surprise, too (but not appropriate for today’s weather).
Late to this one, but I am having a similar experience with l’Elephant. I had a mini that I rarely wore, which I had lent to a friend. Last night it was returned to me and I opened it just for a second to sniff the cap… a tiny drop splashed on my hand and I could not wash it off all night. I think my relationship with this perfume is over. For me the problem is the spice – I am often a little sickened by very overt spice notes. Anyway just wanted to chime in to agree that this one takes forever to go away if you are not enjoying it!
Perfume surprise friday.I wish this was a happy tale,sadly NOT!I found what I thought was this fab discount perfume shop close to work,selling tester bottles for excellent prices.Well of course I went head first and bought without sniffing it Dior Homme Parfum.I did smell the cap and it smelled right,however this morning when I applied my lovely new find THE SURPRISE was it smelled nothing like Homme Parfum.NOTHING!!!!!So either this tester went through hell and back,or it’s not Homme at all!!Urgh.Lesson learned.I just feel guilty for referring some friends to this shop as well as I thought they had a nice selection at great prices.Now I’m really gonna feel guilty if they also get screwed by duds or fakes.I did buy two other perfumes at the same discounter that were legit:I checked and compared with reliable sources.Happy Weekend everyone!x
I know it’s a long shot but can you bring it back and have the owner smell it? If you get dissed, maybe accidentally drop the bottle on your way out…oopsies
Lol,that’s an excellent suggestion!But Homme already hit the bottom of the trashbin yesterday after the horror…lol.
Guerlain’s Angélique Noire this morning. I was surprised to find I like this, I’m not a fan of too vanilla in perfumes (love it when I’m baking, but somehow it doesn’t appeal in perfume), but this is not too sweet.
I like this one too. If you ever have the opportunity to layer it with Gourmand Coquin, try it for fun. Credit given to a wonderful Guerlain rep who really knows her line!
Oooh, I have to try this!
If you like leather and rose, try layering Cuir Beluga and Rose Barbare. It’s wonderful!
Late entry, but I’ve had a couple rounds of surprises with Comme des Garcons Odeur 53–first, that I was much less impressed with it than I expected. It had been recommended by a friend whose taste I love, and it was also the first CDG scent I tried, so I was expecting something… wonderfully gothic! Wound up disappointed by how tame it is, just a pretty, abstract scent that barely whispers, if it’s there at all. Not what I was looking for. Frankly was a little regretful that I had invested even in a decant.
That is, until today, when I was suddenly struck with a major craving for it, applied, and, VOILA, I could not be more delighted! It just smells so pleasing! And the fact is that with another year of sniffing under my belt, I’m becoming only more appreciative of things that smell authentically pretty in an easy way, when so much “accessible” perfume is marred by cheap ingredients… This isn’t complicated, but it genuinely smells nice. Hooray! A nice surprise and even sort of a delightful mystery–so odd when something you didn’t care for at all suddenly transforms into such a pleasure! How does that happen??
(Now my main regret is that I meant to head out for a run right about now, but I don’t want to sweat it off!!)
Today I’m wearing the everybody-with-good-taste-hates-it Dahlia Noir by Givenchy. Even I’ll admit it smells like scented toilet paper. (Anybody remember the smell of Puffs brand facial tissues, from ages ago? My great aunts always had Puffs.) What’s surprising is I actually kinda like how I roll as a Vulgar Old Lady! 😉
Yes! I described Dame’s Desert Rose as smelling like those tissues.
Today’s community project was a little difficult for me. All the FB fragrances I have are ones that I love, so none of them applied. So, I went through my samples and found one. I received a sample of Lady Vengeance by Juliette Has A Gun. I guess the old saying is true, “never judge a book by its cover”. I took one look at the sample and said I know I won’t like this one. The name sounded kind of funky to me and really threw me off. Turns out, I absolutely adore this fragrance. Beautiful, rosy-floral fragrance. very feminine and romantic.
My SOTD is Lady Vengeance.
All FB are ones that I Love! Good Pla
nning!
Oh my! Over 200 comments already! I will have to leisurely read through all the comments after I leave mine.
SOTD = Guerlain Cuir Beluga
The first time I smelled this on a blotter at Saks, I had absolutely no recollection of what it smelled like, which meant I was not immediately turned off, there were no dominant notes (good or bad) and I basically did not remember anything about this fragrance. Then I read Kafka’s review and got curious as to what I missed. The Guerlain SAs at Saks are tighter than a well-toned b-tt so my chances of getting a sample was worse than zero. Fast forward to the first NST Splitmeet; I jumped on Daisy’s Cuir Beluga split and the rest was history. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised at liking this so much since I was drawn to the L’Art et la Matiere collection like moth to flame! Anyway, Cuir Beluga is one of my favorite perfumes of all time and I can’t imagine being without it! Oh yes, sillage is anemic and gourmand and not flowery perfumey at all – it is one of my Safe perfumes.
i didn’t get a chance to see what the theme was & just had a strong desire to retry my ancient cuir de russie bought in paris in 2001. when last tested a few years back it smelt musty and i was very disappointed because that trip brought such great memories. i’d gone on purpose to the boutique on rue cambon to get either this or n°22 and it was such a lovely experience i had to hold on to the bottle nevertheless. so, quelle surprise when my tentative spritz earlier was not at all musty ! i went with a few more in the usual places & smelt gorgeous the entire day, like being envelopped in a soft warm cashmere cocoon with all the great memories that this fragrance always brings. the one i have is a standard edt before chanel came out with their exclusives line.
Well, that is a good surprise! Good thing you held on to the bottle.
I’m wearing L’Artisan Timbuktu, from a sample I received from the kind and generous Hajusuuri in one of the Freebiemeets. I was thrilled to try it the first time–it was high on my list, as it has incense and karo karounde, and I had already fallen in love with Etro Shaal Nur. I’d put it on my to-try list before I tried Shaal Nur, as it had rave reviews and seemed universally beloved. I almost blind-bought a set of L’Artisan minis, mostly for the Timbuktu. Unfortunately, on me, after a few lovely minutes of spice and flowers, it turns into a slightly peppery soap. Not what I expected at all, although I’ve since spotted a few references to it being soapy. It’s hot here today, and I thought it might open up more, but nope–just soap. Well, at least my wish list is still fairly reasonable, unlike my to-try list, which never stops growing.