Sydney wants our help. She has been interested in perfume ever since coming across Dior Dune at a yard sale as a teenager. She's about to drain her latest bottle, but doesn't want to replace it: she feels she's outgrown Dune and wants to expand her horizons. She currently lives in Arkansas so has limited access to fragrance stores, but she'll be moving to the outskirts of Paris soon. She'd like some recommendations so she can build a list of things worth trying (maybe she'll find a new signature scent, maybe she'll build a wardrobe). And if any Paris perfumistas are interested in contacting her, she'd love to connect with you!
Here is what we know about Sydney:
She's in her early 20s and has just graduated from university. She's about to start work as an au pair, and hopes to spend the next few years traveling and improving her language skills.
She loves languages, reading, knitting, biking and yoga; she also likes hanging out with kids and cats.
She drinks a lot of coffee and tea. She also loves cooking, and says that she has recently started buying all of her spices whole and it has changed her life.
Sydney likes assertive fragrances, and possibly fragrances that lean masculine. She's especially interested in finding a leather fragrance (because she loves the smell of leather) and maybe a gourmand (she loves to cook). She recently tried Bvlgari Jasmin Noir and has been enjoying her sample, she'd love to hear about similar fragrances.
Sydney doesn't like perfumes that are very powdery or very clean smelling. After learning that the character Miss Fisher (of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries) wore Jicky, she experimented with vintage versions of some older classics (Shalimar, Jicky, Nahéma, Crêpe de Chine) plus the modern version of Shalimar. She enjoyed trying them, but she did not find them wearable on a day-to-day basis. Shalimar was her least favorite: too powdery and too astringent.
What say you? (And note that Sydney did not specifically ask for recommendations of Paris stores, but I would think it would be helpful if anyone would like to chime in on that subject.)
Note: top image is Bologna - no bill posting [cropped] by on1stsite. at flickr; some rights reserved.
For a round fruitiness similar to Dune, I’d try any of the Serge Lutens Bois series (I’m particularly fond of Feminite du Bois and Bois de Violette). For a bit of an exotic spin, El Attarine is a golden chutney in sunlight and one of my favorites!
I think you might enjoy the original Aedes de Venustas too, a bright rhubarb and incense. Definitely unisex and starting to grow on me (I found a bottle at an antique store.)
I don’t know Dune well, but I will always second a Feminite du Bois recommendation. It is assertive, but in a self-possessed, “I am who I am and I don’t care what you think” kind of way. To me at least. Miss Fisher would love it.
Also, it can be found on discount sites for the cost of a mainstream designer fragrance.
El attarine is a great suggestion. I would also try Masque Milano Montecristo or Lutens Cuir Mauresque, or even Mona di Orio Cuir.
I haven’t smelled it yet but perhaps the new Tauer Lonesome Rider might interest her.
🙂 This is a great list of leathers I would also like to try!
Metal Hurlant from Parfumerie Generale–leather, rubber and a little bit of gasoline
I’m thinking she might have a limited perfume budget being an au pair and wanting to travel. Also the limited access to scents in Arkansas so I’m going mainstream.
Leather: Botegga Veneta and Kelly Caleche for light everyday. Cuir de lancome for more leather. Bandit and Skive for more punch, the latter being more masculine.
Gourmand: Lolita Lempicka Sweet
Masculine leanings/gourmand: Try something like Spicebomb
Masculine leaning: Some of the Lush…All Good Things or Commes des Garcons
Dune replacement that isn’t like Dune but has a bit of oomph and sillage power: Narciso. Diesel Loverdose Tattoo.
New Classic ( for her) for first day in Paris: Chanel 5 Eau Premiere
Spicebomb is a great idea!
Bottega Veneta is a great suggestion, I’ll second that for sure (along with all your other great suggestions, of course!)
Pity I can’t spell it!
I spell it differently every time I try. 🙂
Thirding Bottega Veneta.
Okay, first Paris and then a scent rec:
1) She needs to make sure she goes to Galeries Lafayette and check out the ground floor for fragrances.
2) And walking the inner arrondisments will open up small shops that will have fragrances. Sydney needs to make sure she also has a god pair of walking shoes with her- those Paris fashion LIE like the devil.
Now, for recs:
1) Cuir De Lancome: At the price point you can find online it will be totally workable for a young woman in her 20s. Plus, there is a ambery/vanilla drydown to the fragrance- very warm, subtly sexy on a man or woman. More appropiate on a nights out than working as an au pair.
2) Tom Ford Noir OR Noir pour Femme. These are super sexy gourmands that settle into spicy skin scents. I feel that these are best in cooler weather.
3) Or save some money: Casmir by Chopard is delicious, spicy and vanilla-y, and you can find it for under $30/bottle. It’s beautiful and sweet but you can wear this in the heat and not die. If you can find it, Smoky Poppy by the Body Shop. Discontinued, but you find it at discounters in the shower gel and body oil form. This remind me a lot of a lighter version of Opium- resinous, elegant and rich BUT gentler. This makes for an au pair appropiate everyday scent.
+1 for the Tom Fords to try, and the Smokey Poppy. The rest is all new to me ????
Thank you for the considerate and practical advice! I walk and bike a lot so I basically live in comfortable flat boots (also very good for chasing after small children in as an au pair).
Jolie Madame is a very beautiful classic leather and violets perfume, more streamlined and modern in its current version, but still movie star worthy and you can find it heavily discounted. I’d also recommend L’Artisain Parfumeur Traversée de Bosphore and Bottega Veneta (the original fragrance) as two nice, soft gourmand leathers. Oh, and there is of course Bulgari Black, leather and rubber with a warm skin-vanilla dry down. This one was recently discontinued, so you should find it discounted as well. Good luck in Paris!!
From Arkansas to Paris? I’m so jealous.
If you’d like to stay in the same general area as Dune, try Hermes Eau de Merveilles. It is different, but also has that salty sea, sand, driftwood thing going on, and it’s just as easy to wear, if not easier. Also easy to wear is Bottega Veneta, a light, soft, suede. It smells like the inside of a new purse, in a good way. Even though it’s a leather, I keep it grouped on my shelf with both Dune and EdM. Serge Lutens Daim Blonde is a suede with a little more oomph and some apricot, too. I think these would all be good next steps, though I admit that none are particularly assertive.
If you want to go full masculine, try Dior Fahrenheit. It’s a violet based and a little sweet, but not powdery.
The good news about Paris is that whether it’s perfume, tea, a cafe,…there is some kind of scented store on every block that will lure you in. My favorite was the flagship Guerlain boutique, on The Avenue de Champs-Elysees. I don’t think you’ll find any gems there if you don’t like powder, but you should at least go look, even if just for the sake of perfume history. And make sure you check out the dome (La Coupole?) in the cosmetics area at Galeries Lafayette. It’s a breathtaking piece of architecture that often gets overlooked by American tourists. And it’s free to look at! (Though you’ll probably end up opening your wallet. It seemed like all the big cosmetics counters stocked their entire product line there – including exclusives.) And don’t forget the food emporium. (I think on the top floor, but not sure.) It’ll knock your socks off.
Seconding Daim Blond. Again, I think Phryne would approve.
I remember liking Eau de Merveilles when I sniffed it at a shop so I’ll try to find it again and give it a longer try. I’m going to pass on the Fahrenheit only because my father used to wear it when I was little and so to me it will always smell like ‘dad’. Galeries Lafayette is definitely on the ‘to visit’ list, it basically sounds like heaven. Thank you for all the great suggestions!
“I’m going to pass on the Fahrenheit…” I’m glad to know I was on the right track. 🙂
I believe there may be more than one Galeries Lafayette in the city, so please research before you go. (I cannot remember which street it was on, just that it was a block wide, flagship type store.) And plan on wasting a good chunk of time there. 🙂
If you do go to a Frederic Malle boutique as others have suggested, try En Passant. It was inspired by the scent of lilacs and bread being sold on the street in Italy. It’s not masculine nor leather, but you may find that it captures your Paris experience well.
Also, when at Serge Lutens (or Sephora), try Nuit de Cellophane. It’s a light floral that isn’t too girly in the drydown. It’s not exactly in your wheelhouse, but your tastes may develop while you’re there (Paris can do that to a person) and I think it’ll be more pleasing to you than most of the SL line. (Except Daim Blonde. I still think that may be a winner.)
And I forgot to mention: 1. It seemed like every block had a L’Artisan Boutique or Kusmi Tea shop. 2. Please eat lots of croissants and Macarons. They really do taste better over there. And the “exotic” flavors like lavender and bergamot will appeal to your perfumista senses as well as your tummy. 3. Prepare for your skin to look amazing. I swear they have Evian running out of their taps. 4. I am insanely jealous of you right now. 🙂
Some leather recommendations for you:
Andy Tauer’s Lonestar Memories. The driest leather you can imagine, scorched desert earth and herbs, with an incongruous yet welcome jasmine plant nearby. Very outdoorsy and somehow fresh.
Estee Lauder Azuree. A cheapie but a goodie. Radiant, green herbs and spicy dark leather. Smells like a beach vacation in 1973. Very, very good stuff for the price. Would be niche if released today.
Antaeus by Chanel. Kind of a male version of the above, but amps up the mystery and sexiness 100%. Very masculine, though.
Cuir de Russie by Chanel. Salty yet floral purse leather. Crisp and no-nonsense. French as it gets.
Bottega Veneta, the original one. Dried apricots, musk and purse leather. Smells like an absurdly expensive handbag. Has the benefit of being widely available.
I second Azuree – it sprang to mind instantly when you mentioned Dune even though it’s really not that much like Dune. Maybe alike in vibe, but not in smell? And it is wonderful.
For masculines try Eau d’Hermes and Bel Ami Vetiver by Hermes. For something gourmant try Ambre Narguille of the Hermessence line. My favourite leathers are Cuir de Russie in EDT and Rien by Etat Libre d’Orange.
I would recommend giving Worth Courtesan a try or maybe Frapin 1270. For leather I would go with either Sarrasins or Cuir de Russie by Chanel. Since I am not near my collection, I can’t recommend anything else off the top of my head.
Omg I’m so jealous. It kills me that I only got into fragrance after I left France.
Well. The only thing to do obviously is start your sniffing with the zillions of French perfumes. L’Artisan Dzing is a great, assertive leather gourmand. Balmain Jolie Madame is an awesome floral leather–it’s been a while since I sniffed Jasmin Noir but I take it you’re not averse to flowers (altho IIRC Jasmin Noir was much more foody than Jolie Madame). Serge Daim Blond is certainly a leather (suede) worth trying if one is going to live in a country where Serge Lutens is stocked at Sephora! And I think being into gourmands helps folks get along with Serge. Neela Vermeire’s Ashoka is very spendy but gorgeous, and a very interesting fig and leather duo. Chanel Cuir de Russie since, France! I’m sorry Cuir de Lancome–sweet leather, to me–is discontinued but maybe you’ll happen across it. Hermes Cuir d’Ange is another option (albeit it also very spendy.) Kelly Caleche is also a great floral leather with citrus–I like the EDP for a deeper version where the florals and leather balance out the grapefruit a little. Ok I’ll stop there for now but I’m sure I won’t be able to resist adding more 🙂
Oh also: shopping tips! So this is partly a matter of disposition but I personally do not love the department stores. Worth seeing for sure but I find them much too overwhelming to want to spend much time there. For sniffing in Paris, my druthers would be to go to niche perfume boutiques and brands’ storefronts. Annick Goutal, L’Artisan, Diptyque, Le Labo, Etat Libre, Nose, the Olivia Giacobetti shrine inside Hotel Costes ;), Frederic Malle, JAR, Jovoy, Lubin, Serge Lutens at Palais Royal. I’m sure there are more I’m missing, but you can see a more comprehensive run-down here (three cheers to Daria who maintains this amazing index for cities around the world): http://your-perfume-guide.blogspot.com/2011/10/paris-france.html
I’m not sure if you’ve lived in France before, but one shopping tip I’d offer if you’re new to FR is to make sure to say hello to shopkeepers and also goodbye as you leave. It was interesting to me to realize that we don’t necessarily do that in the U.S. and it can come across as very rude in France. Making a point of it is one easy way to smooth the cross-cultural interaction! 🙂
While it’s true that shopping in French department stores is pretty miserable and that shopping in boutiques is much more fun, if you’re just there to sniff and not to buy, I prefer the department stores for the anonymity. I get really uncomfortable at boutiques because French sales associates are rather pushy about helping you, and once they’ve helped me for a while, I feel guilty about not buying anything!
Def just a matter of personal preference!
I would second L’Artisan Dzing. I think it’s spectacular and would tick a lot of your boxes.
Others might be:
Ineke Field Notes from Paris (notes of coriander, bergamot, tobacco, and leather). Leans masculine to me.
L’Artisan Tea for Two (bergamot, anise, tea, leather, tobacco).
Another leather you might like is Cuir Ottoman by Parfums d’Empire. It’s leather with (according to luckyscent) jasmine, iris, benzoin, balsams, resins, and incense. But it’s blended so that none of the notes stand out too distinctly apart from the leather. It’s a leather that I sometimes like to describe as “chocolaty”.. not that it smells like chocolate, it’s more of a smoothness/textural thing that makes me think of the texture of good chocolate.
Also in France…and easy and relatively cheap, Roger et Gallet. Some excellent perfumers have worked with this brand and most have a unisex vibe.
Unisex perfumes, not perfumers.
Roger et Gallet is a great idea. Easy to find all over Paris and never expensive while having quality products. Years ago I shopped for their soaps and fragrances in a pharmacy and at Monoprix. Of course they must have a dedicated storefront in Paris as well, I wish I were going so I could find it. 🙂
To go off on a slight tangent: if *visiting* Paris, of course enjoy Paris. But if *living in* Paris, London is a short hop away by Eurostar (visas permitting), which opens up other options like 4160 Tuesdays, Atkinsons, Penhaligons, Czech & Speake and no doubt many more. I’d be fairly confident that at some point the idea of being in an English-speaking city and catching the sights will be just the thing. Paris is marvellous but every now and then living and working in a second language is Hard Work.
Oh, and for assertive leather perfume leaning masculine, how about Guerlain Habit Rouge while in Paris (maybe check out the extrait) and then Papillon Anubis on the sneaky London getaway? :^)
And ‘La Route du Thé’ for some great teas, until she gets her bearings and discovers some favourite little Vietnamese or Arabic tea shop down an arcade somewhere.
“Living and working in a second language is Hard Work.” Preach.
Ditto. I got pregnant and gave birth when I was living in Bavaria and trying to understand rapid-fire gynaecological german during pregnancy and labour was exhausting … as was trying to read any instruction manuals for washing machines etc. I think my brain lost 10kg from all the physical effort.
WOW. I salute you!!
Sounds horrifying!! I’m an American living in France, and I’ve had some medical issues, though nothing as extreme as giving birth. Those interactions have been difficult enough, since my French eludes me when I’m very sick or stressed. I can’t imagine making coherent sentences in French while giving birth. I’m glad you got through it!
As for instruction manuals, I have a hard enough time reading them in my native English.
Sydney, if you do make it to London you should check out the Jo Loves boutique. I don’t know if you’ll find a bottle to buy, but I think you’d have fun there. Plus, it would be a special experience as there’s currently only one store.
Though they’ve all been mentioned above, I agree that Cuir de Lancome, Cuir de Russie, Daim Blond, and Bottega Veneta are all worth trying. I would also think that spending some time at a Serge Lutens counter would be a good idea if Sydney likes assertive fragrances that could be considered “masculine”. No matter what, it will be an education, and she’ll have a good time smelling.
I suggest the well-priced Yves Rocher stores for scented products in general.
Yes! I can’t believe I forgot about those. A great way to stretch your euros.
Maybe Cuir de Nacre by Anne Gerard. It’s not assertive but it’s unusual and exquisite! Or Musc Ravageur from Frederic Malle as you don’t like “clean”. Go to Evody, their Ambre Intense is beautiful as is their newer line. Sydney come down to Aix en Provence while you’re in France and I will show you around perfume boutiques here. It’s a beautiful city worth a visit. Have fun in Paris.
Be careful, I will absolutely take you up on this! I will have some weeks off while my eight-year-old charge is on school breaks and I plan to spend time visiting other parts of France and also some other parts of Europe. I’ve heard that Aix en Provence is beautiful!
Since she wants to work as an Au Pair in France I can’t not suggest Chanel. 😉 Their fragrances are versatile, unlikely to offend, and they have something for everyone. Since she’ll be in France she might also be able to find them at discounters. For a gourmand with a classical but still wearable feel I would recommend Coromandel. Since she is interested in leather of course she should try Cuir de Russie. No. 5 is of course a staple classic. If she likes Dune she likes sandalwood, so she might also want to give Bois des Iles a try (though it goes boozy on me…which may not be appropriate for an Au Pair).
If she wants to explore scents before she leaves I would also recommend Estee Lauder. Almost all of their fragrances are at Macy’s, you just need to ask an SA for the older ones since those are usually kept behind the counter. I second Azuree for leather, and recommend trying Cinnabar (it’s spicy, but has a dry feel similar to Dune). If you want an Estee Lauder Phryne would wear then give Sensuous Noir a try as well.
Have fun hunting! And do let us know if you purchase anything 🙂
I will report back! Not sure if I’ll have time to try much before leaving as I fly out a week from now but I do have a few last-minute necessities to pick up so you never know, maybe I can sneak a trip to the perfume counter in. I wish I could just buy Phryne’s personality as a perfume! Something assertive but elegant, sensual and playful but not too overtly sexual, and feminine but not stereotypically so.
Chanel! *Smacks self in the head and exclaims, “Duh!”*
Chanel is all over Paris, but since you’re there Sydney,…You might as well hit up the original at 31 Rue Cambon. It’s a grand piece of history that a perfumista really shouldn’t miss. From the outside you will see that the floors above the boutique have windows with the trademark CC logo on the awnings. That was Coco’s apartment, though reportedly she didn’t spend a whole lot of time there.
And while you’re there, I think 31 Rue Cambon from the exclusifs collection might make a great souvenir. Also try Beige. For me it fits into that same easy to wear category as Dune, Bottega Veneta, Daim Blonde, etc. (The one I mentioned above.) It is more floral, but I think you might find it pleasant.
Serge Lutens Boxeuses!
Anything Tom Ford private blend. You will love , Oud Wood, Patchouli Absolue, etc.
Also try Marni, hard to find but it has the semi masculine smell you are looking for, I would also recommend trying Black Orchid by TF very easy to find and most delish.
Happy Smelling…
Artisan Timbuktu might be a thought, and the new-ish Hermes
Cuir d’Ange is an interesting leather
Wow. Thanks for all of the thoughtful comments! There are so many perfumes here that sound absolutely delicious to me. I am compiling a list of perfumes to try and shops to visit and I’ll let you know the results. Thank you, thank you, thank you!