October already! And you know what that means: Donatella, Our Lady of Creative Perfume Math,1 is wondering just how many bottles you might have acquired in the 3rd quarter (July, August and September) of 2017. Confession is good for the soul, folks!
My purchases...
...none. I spent nothing, again. Nothing added to my first and second quarter total = $34.*
As always, report your purchases in the comments if you dare! And as always, we don't include samples or gifts, and you can count miniatures, decants and bottle-splits howsoever you like (I usually count them as half bottles). Samples don't generally count at all, even though some of us spend considerable sums obtaining them.
1. Why does Donatella host (against her will, mind you) the damage polls? There is no real reason other than the picture of her perfume collection, which shows that she indulges regularly at the perfume counter. The image, by the way, is originally from Allure magazine and appears here courtesy of Blogdorf Goodman.
* Note that I did buy a small bottle of Twilly d'Hermès, but I didn't like it and I gave it away. Gifts don't count!
I didn’t buy anything this quarter. Kind of making up my mind about which of the fragrances on my wish list I may want to buy first.
HA — that is what keeps my spending down, the inability to decide. And I’m quite happy about it.
I bought a couple of bottles from Guerlain that I got with discount.
L’Homme Ideal and one of the petite robe noirs for gifting.
I am traveling to the US in late November so that is when I expect the damage to actually happen LOL.
I might visit Hermes and Etro… But I am looking forward to snapping a couple of bottles from the Rag & Bone boutique in Bal Harbour. 😀
P, I have not tried a single of the R&B and unless I’ve forgotten, I’ve never seen them mentioned here! Do you hear good things?
I bought six full bottles this year and they all were september buys!
Cold gloomy weather makes me weak and impulsive.
It’s like when you are a recovered alcoholic but then you take a sip and that’s it…
Hermes Twilly (30 ml) – at first I thought that I needed at least one clean and girly fragrance that smells like nice shampoo or body lotion.
To feel like I’m not a 100 years old.
But after just one wear I know I’ll give it to my mother who wore vintage Diorella, Diorissimo and Climat in her youth
but now she likes Little Robe Noir and Chloe something. I love her dearly:)
L’Heure Blue (30 ml) parfum and (75 ml) EdP – perfect sugar coated almond and vanilla nose candy for cold weather.
Vol de Nuit (30 ml) parfum – my back up bottle. I’m addicted to it, I wear this one constantly to the point where I can’t smell it anymore.
Then I change for somethig else, maybe try a few new things… And then I always go back to VdN.
31 Rue Cambon (75 ml) – it smells of gold and spring and happiness for me.
I find it much easier to wear than Aqua di Parma Profumo and other classic chypres which I also like but don’t own.
28 La Pausa (75 ml) – most elegant iris I tried. For the days I want to have an olfactive break from Vol de Nuit.
You got some really nice things!
thank you for the compliment!
Was the La Pausa an EdT or new EdP version?
I only tried EdT – love it but it’s so fleeting.
Oooooh! You have a new avatar! It’ll take time to recognize you while fast browsing the comments section! =)
It was the EdP and honestly I can’t see the difference.
It’s still a 4 hour fragrance tops with liberal (6 sprays) application.
But if you apply it in the morning and go to the gym in the evening you cant still catch some traces of it during the hardest sqwats:)
You’ll get used to it quickly.
Shame to know it doesn’t get any stronger as EdP. But at least I assume it also hasn’t been reformulated harshly for the EdP concentration.
I wonder what is the science behind the fact that the fragrances we love the most tend to stop bothering us the fastest?
Every perfume I love I can’t smell anymore after a few wears.
Does it mean that our brain sais that it’s safe for us?
As far as I know it’s a matter of comfort. If you like certain perfume and feel comfortable wearing it, your mind won’t actually pay attention. But if it’s something you dislike, you’ll keep smelling it on yourself as a some sort of ‘warning’ sign.
Dear Luca,
The only perfume I can still smell on me is L’Heure Bleue. I still have some pristine bottles from the late 80’s, early 90’s and its sillage is remarkable.
I thank you for giving me a copy of your book after we met rue de Grenelle when I was working for les parfums de Nicolai.
I was not that surprised we praised the same perfumes as most of your 4 or 5 stars perfumes were among my all time personal favorites : L’Heure Bleue, Vol de Nuit, Mitsouko, White Linen, Private Collection, Le Feu.
My current favorite is Estée Lauder’s Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia. I now live in Austin and it is perfect for its climate.
So happy to see you here.
Sincerely
Different Luca I think! Luca Turin is on Basenotes sometimes.
Did I just get mistaken for Luca Turin? Ha, why not 😉
Great picks.
L’heure bleue and Vol de nuit were my two favorite winter perfumes in Paris when I was a teenager in the 80’s. I also loved Bal à Versailles, do you ? I still have vintage versions of them in my collection and wore L’Heure Bleue last week.
Thank you so much! I never tried Bal a Versailles. I should now!
Vintage versions only but you can easily find it on ebay; the top notes may be tired but it’s a floriental perfume like L’Heure Bleue and it usually smells great.
The new version is awful.
these are some fantastic picks!
spacecadet, thank you!
Wow. Your list!! Such great fragrances!
I also bought a bottle of 31 Rue Cambon (used partial bottle from an angel on FB). I got the edt. It was my only purchase this quarter and worth every penny!
I’m also desperate to find a pb or FB of 28 La Pausa edt (will swap, buy or trade for kidney). Where did you get yours?
Great choices!!
gvillecreative,
Thank you!
I bought the current version of La Pausa, EdP.
I’m sorry if I confused you with “28”. I’m still not used to this change.
I bought it at Chanel counter.
One partial bottle, 11 decants. The total is around $127 including shipping.
Partial
Hermes Un Jardin sur le Nil (30/100)
Decants (splits)
1 Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Rosa Pop 10 ml
2 Serge Lutens Un Lys 6 ml
3 Rouge Bunny Rouge Vespers 6 ml
4 Martine Micallef Shanaan 10 ml
5 Lalique Encre Noire 10 ml
6 Houbigant Orangers en Fleurs 15 ml
7 Christian Dior Les Creations de Monsieur Dior Diorella 7 ml
8 Parfumerie Generale (25) Indochine 8 ml
9 Jean Patou Joy (vintage EDT) 8 ml
10 Amouage Fate Woman 6 ml
11 Chanel Les Exclusifs de Chanel Cuir de Russie 10 ml
Cuir de Russie is EDT.
Great choice!
Nice line-up!
Just out of curiosity: how did you count those decants for the poll?
Thank you!
Good question. During each damage poll I am not sure how to count them. Considering the relatively small sizes of my decants, counting each as 1/2 fb seems too much. For this damage poll I assumed that 20 ml = 1 fb. The total volume of all 11 decants is 96 ml. So 96 ml/20 = almost 5 fb. That’s 6 fbs with Hermes. So I chose the 5-9 option.
However, in at least one of the previous damage polls I counted the decants as 30 ml = 1 fb. Then I should have chosen 2-4. I have not yet developed a consistent approach.
Donatella does not insist on absolute consistency.
I usually count 30ml as one bottle as well.
Didn’t spend anything except $25 on a couple of decants.
Nice!
10 ml Chanel Boy. I like but don’t love it.
10 ml MFK Lumiere Noire pour Femme. So beautiful.
I think that’s all–I’m at work, so can’t look at my list. I blew my perfume budget before June! So these two decants were splurges.
If only I were in US, I would’ve freed you from that Chanel Boy 😉
I love Lumiere Noire pour femme. Gorgeous stuff.
3 full bottles purchased, 2 partial bottles swapped in (1 nearly full bottle swapped out; yay NST swapmeet!), 1 partial bottle purchased. My math says just 3 😉
Cheers!
Like that math 🙂
I bought 2.
Diptyque Eau des Sens & Santa Maria Novella Citta di Kyoto.
Both were split & I only kept 30 ml of each or less.
Eau des Sens is wonderful. And like your new pic!
Merci!
Next quarter! Next quarter will be a true no-buy! I MEAN IT!
This last quarter could’ve been worse, in that I only bought splits and minis. See, I’m trying.
You get an E for effort. 🙂
Oof. The student in me is APPALLED at that grade. (It’s deserved, of course.)
2 bottles, Bulgari Omnia and Comme des Garcons GIRL, both shamefully cheap during FragranceNet’s Labor Day sale. Very happy with both! Although I might have held off on the Omnia if I had known that Eris Parfums Mx. was coming out so soon- they occupy a similar saffron-y space to my mind.
So glad the world’s supply of Omnia has not yet run out!
After Donatella-ing at year-end 2016 and being gobsmacked, I’ve been keeping close track of perfume purchases so as to be a more conscious consumer. For the most part, I’ve stopped buying samples, which was a huge portion of my spending. I’ve also cut way back on minis, which I could previously easily justify buying until it hit me that the cost of a few minis per week is no longer mini – it’s maxi.
Q3 Damage:
New full bottles:
Guerlain LRPN Black Perfecto (full price)
Galop d’Hermes (half price)
Chanel Beige edp (discounted, plus I used my ebay bucks)
Used bottles:
Les Senteurs Vanille Chocolat
Small bottles & minis:
Chanel Bois des Iles 15 ml
Prada Infusion Vetiver 8 ml mini
Prada Infusion de Amande 8 ml mini
Gourmand Coquin 2 ea of mfr 3.8 ml samples
Cost: $421.40
I was doing pretty well until I cracked and bought Black Perfecto in the last days of September (when I’d also sworn a no-buy.) That said, my year-to-date total is less than 25% of my 2016 year-end total so that’s a big improvement. That said, I’d like 2018 to be 50% of my 2017 spending which, of course, is doable.
Good self control 🙂
It’s an improvement, anyway 🙂
That list sounds just lovely 🙂
Where, if you don’t mind, did you find Galop half-price???? That’s such a lovely one.
It’s good stuff. Got mine on eBay. The same seller seems to get new bottles fairly regularly.
Great picks!
some lovely picks!
Jo Malone English Oak & Hazelnut although I think this one is going back. It’s just a wee bit too harsh and masculine than what I prefer.
Take it back! Then you’re at zero.
I have hoped to have a no-buy third quarter, but then I have bought a bottle of Youth Dew as a birthday present for my mom. And found myself unable to give it away. And have kept it for myself. A bad daughter, me. Mum got Jour d’Hermes Absolue instead.
Well, your mother got A gift, right? No shame. 🙂
And you both got lovely scents.
I have a hankering for Youth Dew myself. Ulta has a blue retro bottle that I’m looking at buying during the holidays with my saved points. I got a box of the talcum powder at an estate sale last year and it smells so good!
Ummm, let’s see. I bought a 50 ml FB of Dries van Noten, NZ $235. And a 75ml FB of Sycomore, price unknown (I didn’t look at the docket, for REASONS).
Both are biiiiig loves that will get masses of wear. No guilt here.
Ooooooh. Yum.
I like your ‘price unknown’ category. Maybe you could open a tab at Chanel???? It also reminds me of my ‘oh, this old thing…’ category (helpful for the pair of shoes I bought in Auckland). So glad you bought sycomore. A great investment.
Therein lies the real lesson of the damage polls: when you really really love it, it almost feels like they paid you to take it home, regardless of the price.
I’ve done some real damage in the last three months lol. Full bottles of coromandel, jubilation XXV, oriza legrand reve d’ossian, Encre Noir, several annick goutals, tom Ford oud wood and Noir anthracite, replica by the fireplace, LM parfums hard leather, terre d’hermes, vintage bottles of opium and shalimar. Help me! I can’t stop!
I crave vintage Opium a lot! I think I should find a life supply before it’s too late:)
Methinks it’ll be a long time before it’s too late. OTOH, no time like the present! 😉
Oh what a lovely and luscious list! (If a painful one for the wallet) J25 and Coromandel are real favourites for me. And Reve d’Ossian has been on my to buy list for ages. I think I might finally fall to that purchase soon…
p.s. Have you seen Calum Colvin’s Ossian series of artworks? http://www.calumcolvin.com/Ossian.html
Reve d’ossian is a very green/piney incense with a warm amber base. I love it, but can’t seem to find the proper time and place to wear it. Lovely bottles too!
I love Reve d’Ossian!
I have done damage, but the damage can be split in 2 categories
Category 1 – Bought bottles for splits, so these do not count
Category 2 – Limited releases, so there was a very very very strong time pressure to buy. This covers Slumberhouse Sova and Baque, Areej Le Dore Ottoman Empire and Feel-Oud Sandalwood oil.
Total damage 4 bottles. I also sold 6 bottles this quarter, so I am looking good.
Ottoman Empire was the only one of the three from Areej le Doré I didn’t get a chance to try. I’ve heard may say it was their favorite.
I’ve been relatively restrained this month.
L’Artisan Parfumeur Skin on Skin (125 ml)
Bruno Fazzolari Feu Secret (30 ml)
Cartier L’Envol edp (100 ml)
Jean Patou Chaldée (100 ml)
UNUM Io Non Ho Mani Che Mi Accarezzino Il Volto (100 ml)
Naomi Goodsir Nuit de Bakélite (50 ml)
Frédéric Malle Carnal Flower (10 ml)
Memo Irish Leather (10 ml) — gift with purchase.
Areej le Doré Oud Zen (5 ml)
This quarter, rather.
What are your thoughts on Nuit de Bakelite and Io Non …(too long to type)
Nuit de Bakelite is my favorite scent so far this year and maybe my favorite tuberose. The UNUM is in my top 5 this year…. so is Feu Secret. All definitely worth checking out.
I am debating the Nuit de Bakelite. Love Feu Secret and have not tried the UNUM yet.
Curious about Nuit de Bakelite too. I’m going to have to sample soon.
Bless-me-Donatella-for-I-have-overachieved. Again.
Let’s see: there was the Serge Lutens binge, because packaging (and who knows what else) change: Feminite du Bois (BUB), Cedre (BUB), A La Nuit, Fille en Aiguilles, Five O’clock Au Gingembre. Surely justified.
And the holy-crap-Colette-is-going-out-of-business, better-get-those-Colette-exclusives-now binge: Vilhelm Colette and Edward Bess In A Scent.
Some minis, which don’t count, even if they’re stupid expensive: Vilhelm Dear Polly, Pacifica Brazilian Mango Grapefruit, E&J Nirvana Amethyst, Euphorium Brooklyn samplers, Mirus Sordid, Hermes Caleche Parfum (that lock…)
Charitable contributions! (direct purchase from indie perfumer) Bruno Fazzolari Unsettled
Smokin hot deals, which surely get a high five: Ineke Gilded Lily, Banana Republic 78 Vintage Green and 90 Pure White.
So, now for the indulgences that can’t be squinted away:
1. Miller Harris La Fumee
2. Tom Ford Vert de Fleur
3. Tom Ford Oud Minerale
4. Rouge Bunny Rouge Embers
5. Perris Monte Carlo Santal du Pacifique
6. Parfumerie General Coze Verde
7. Mazzolari Vetiver
8. Chanel Gabrielle
So that’s 8, minus 4 bottles I sold or swapped, so: 4. Well dang, look at me, all restrained and such 🙂
I am always excited to see how you’ve done math 🙂
Creative! Happy to see a bottle of Mazzolari Vetiver! It’s on my “maybe if ever buy a full bottle again” list. I’m seriously avoiding anything larger than a 50ml bottle. My travel box is only so big, I must be judicious!
Enjoy!
Well you get the enabler pin for this one! Your raving made me want to try this one 🙂
That pin has to go to Foxbins since is was she who sent me the decant which started my raving. Wish it came in a smaller size though…
It was AnnE who gave me a little atomizer of the Mazzolari in 2015, I think, so she should get the enabler pin!
Ok, enabler pins all around then 😉
A+ for your math….and choices! 🙂
pixel, you crack me up 🙂
Love your reports, the perfume math is impeccable!
If you bought any of the 1-8 listed FBs without having first tried them, they count as samples and we don’t count samples, do we? You may even be at negative which means you started the 4th Quarter ahead of the game!
I like your thinking.
I got some good deals, and had Amazon gift cards, so I actually bought stuff this quarter.
1. Berdoues Arz el Rab 100ml – $32 or something – don’t remember exactly
2. Serge Lutens Vitriol d’Oeillet 50ml – $62 (ordered, but hasn’t arrived yet)
3. Cartier L’Envol 80ml – $38
Wow, great buys!
Have you had good luck buying perfume from Amazon? I have a gift card and my husband wants the Cartier L’Envol…!
Yes, I’ve bought several perfumes on Amazon. When I’m looking for a good deal, I usually look there and at Fragrancenet to see which has the better price. I’ve never had any issues with getting things that aren’t legit, if that is what you mean.
Thanks!! Good to know!!!
Songes
Frescaessenza from Holland
My big purchases were is unnecessary eyeshadows from rouge bunny rouge, lipsticks and skincare. That is were my money went…
I hear you. After 5 years of abstinence I bought 5 luxury eye-shadow palettes an 2 mono eyeshadows from chanel and dior. And then I bought like 10 lipsticks.
How long does a lipstick last?
I’ve finished 2 or 3 during my entire life. Others just pile….
Lipstick is supposed to have a shelf life of five years…at least that was what I was told many years ago when i used to wear liptstick.
5 palettes and 10 lipsticks, woah! Making up for list time 🙂
I have been on a lipstick bender since May so I can relate! I blame stress, the opening of an Ulta store ten minutes from my house and unexpected summer income. They’re so pretty!
I bought Apres l’Ondee at the Toronto Guerlain boutique in August— birthday present to myself. Then I found eau de Gaga and Adam Levine for Her at TJ Maxx for about $10 total, so I bought those too!
Well, at that price….
I was feeling pretty smug thinking Donatella and I would not be talking this quarter, but I completely forgot about my SmellBent 4ml sample splurge. Don’t know how I could have forgotten because I’m really enjoying them.
50-ish bucks for about 7-8 samples. Tipping my hat to Donatella because I’m sure she’s snickering over my tiny purchase.
I wonder if she ever bothers with samples? I guess she just orders the whole collection unsniffed and then decides what goes to her boudoir and what just decorates her shelves =)
Three sample sets (Juliette Has a Gun, Commodity, and Atelier Cologne), but otherwise not a drop.
Good for you!
My answer is none! I’m very surprised, although I have to admit that is a very strict reading of the rules. I have bought some 1ml decants and I have ordered my birthday present to me from my mother. And I think I forgot to confess a couple of things last quarter – a BUB of Fille en Aiguilles, and a 30ml bottle of Jean Patou’s 1000 EdP.
One Lush Rose Jam body spray. This is so lovely. I have wanted this for ages. One Lush Coffee and Cardamom solid perfume. Really need a bottle of this. I sold a few bottles on ebay so am actually in negative perfume purchase land. Yay.
I had no idea there was a Rose Jam body spray currently out! If only it would make its way to the U.S.
How is the Lush?! I’ve seen the solid on ebay, is it worth it?
Yes, how is the C&C?
I think it was just one: just a [small!] bottle of Shay & Blue Salt Caramel, which was very reasonably priced
You were quite restrained 🙂
Well, I had done a GREAT job of restaining myself this quarter….until Hurricane Irma hit. We worked several days ahead in the pharmacy to avoid power outage interruptions and such, and thus I found myself with several hours of free time to kill. Hello Ebay! 🙂
1. Eliz Arden Green Tea Tropical $12.99
2. Eliz Arden Green Tea Yuzu $7.99
3. Eliz Arden Green Tea Lavender $7.99 (My FAVE of this line so far!)
4. Tokyo Milk Arsenic #17 $7.99
5. Elie Saab Resort Collection 2017 $29.99
6. Aquolina Steel Sugar $20
7. L’Occitane Terre de Lumiere $20
Scentbird picks this quarter, $14.95 each:
July: Elie Saab Le Parfum
August: ELdO Yes I Do
Sept: Stella McCartney Stella
I have that Green Tea Yuzu. It’s nice.
I controlled myself better this quarter since I spent less money:
1. Carner Barcelona D600 50ml
2. L’Artisan Premier Figuier Extreme 50ml
3. Annick Goutal Ninfeo Mio 100ml
4. L’ Aromatica Perfume Kulfi 30ml
5. Pacifica Tibetan Mountain Temple 30ml
6. Some dry and essential oils.
Oooooh Kulfi!!! I am still debating a purchase of that. Yum yum cardamom vanilla!
Do not think it twice. It is really good and Donatella will approve it 😉 😀
I loved my sample of Kulfi, and seriously considered a FB. A split might be in order…..
The Tibetan Mountain Temple is so good and so cheap…can’t go wrong…and I have a feeling it might be discontinued…only because my health food store stopped carrying it and historically the d/c ones have followed that path.
Oh no! I hope I have the chance to grab more before it dissappears completely from the shelves.
It’s easy not to buy perfume when you cannot wear it to work 🙁
On the plus side, my wallet isn’t suffering 😉
You’re saying it as if we all here are buying more perfumes because we’ve used up those that we already have 😉
LOL
Every quarter I think I did good, until I go through my Ebay purchases – 7 total, not counting FBs of Iris Celadon and CT Bruma that I purchased anticipating the splitmeet. I regret nothing! But hope to purchase less next quarter!
Fendi Theorema 30ml
Vtg Chanel Cristalle
Vtg L’Heure Bleue Cologne
SL Santal Majuscule
SL Chergui
Aedes Iris Nazarena
set of 4*1/4-full vtg Chanels (Cristalle, Fleur, Gardenia, No5)
You should not regret anything! Those are fantastic buys! It’s all about the quality.
Nice picks! You *did* do good!
How do you say “hog wild” in Italian? Dear me, and all from my trip to Portland:
Douceur de Siam (Dusita)
Stash (SJP)
Bendelirous (ELO)
L’Heure Exquise (AG)
and a wee bottle of something almondy from Fumerie….
Nice list. Dusita’s creations are amazing, but they are too fleeting on me for the price 🙁
Oh dear…here goes.Lol.
1.)Guerlain LPRN Black Perfecto,I mean for the bottle alone it is worth the money.It does actually smell fabulous so bonus points for that.
2.)CK All.Bought and have been wearing it a lot,but it is so fleeting that I will never repurchase again.
3.)By Kilian Love don’t be shy refill kit.Well this was love at first sniff so I need this one in my collection always and forever.
4.)Backup bottle of Clinique Aromatics Black Cherry.This is such a beautiful fragrance and I was afraid it might never be released again.Hence the backup.
5.)Etro Manrose.Either Kevin or CandyPerfumeBoy’s review made me seek it out.It really is a lovely rose.
6.)Frederic Malle Outrageous.It’s a fun fragrance.
7.)Parfums Rasasi Prairie Orchid.Probably the strangest fragrance I currently have.Liqourice and some odd mix of notes.Weird and wonderful.
Donatella MUST be proud.I wonder what she bought this quarter??Lol.
HA — she never does report back, does she? I am jealous of your Black Perfecto.
The combination of living in perfume no man’s land and not being able to order stuff is taking its’ toll. My shopping’s restricted to home visits, but FBs of Avignon and Contre Bombarde plus some Tauer samples????
OOO! you got the Contre Bombarde! Which one did you get?
Not too wild this quarter:
1) Aftelier Ancient Resins 50ml
2) CdG Jaisalmer 50ml
3) Goest Perfumes Smoke & Violets 5ml for $35 so technically the most expensive one I bought.
3) a handful of decants: PdE Cuir Ottoman, AG Ambre Fetiche, a small decant of Black Cashmere since I never tried it.
It’s possible when I get home, others will make themselves known, but that’s my recollection for now.
How are you liking Smoke & Violets?? Goest has a smoke accord I’m very into but sometimes I think all their scents with it smell the same… have you tried Silent Films?
Just one – a bottle of Oliver Peoples. That luckyscent “it’s being discontinued” e-mail made me finally get my rear in gear and order the big girl bottle.
It took me a ridiculously long time to choose the color of bottle I wanted. Days of waffling. I chose green. I regret nothing!
I had posted a comment at work but was then blocked and it did not show up…I took that as a sign 🙂
🙂
Dior “Fahrenheit Le Parfum”
Majda Bekkali “Mon Nom est Rouge” (TOMK gift to me)
Parfumerie Generale “Indochine”
BeauFort London travel set – 1805 Tonnere, Vi et Armis, Fathom V & Lignum Vitae (also included Coeur de Noir, which I have already as FB)
Paul Schuetze travel set – Tears of Eros, Behind the Rain & Cirebon
Ex Idolo “Ryder”
I am a lucky boy. :^)
I covet that Beaufort travel set. It looks amazing. Hope it smells as good! Are you enjoying the Schutze perfumes? Tears of Eros and Behind the Rain are my standout new loves for the past year.
Ver nice choices. Indochine is fantastic!
Nicolaï’s Le temps d’une fête x2
Nicolaï’s New York Intense
Guerlain Derby
I’d been eyeing that Derby for a long time, but the price is quite steep. I finally pulled the trigger and decided that for the next three months I’m not gonna buy anything new. (Let’s see how that will turn out.)
I love Le Temps d’une Fete so so so much, I own 5 bottles (though one is the small 30ml one). Where did you find yours? I thought it was discontinued… or so the PdN rep told me when I emailed last year.
Yes it’s discontinued. But two months ago I happened to find out one of the boutiques still had a couple of bottles.
I reported at 0 bottles.
Details:
I ordered 3 samples over those 3 months, and 2 small bottles from ElizabethW (5ml each). I decided to not count these purchases, because none of them were big, and nothing inspired me to get a bottle. Otherwise, I’m just playing with whatever I already have.
I was kind of excited about the mainstream launches over the last couple of months – Chanel, Jo Malone, & Elizabeth & James. In the end, nothing there I needed, but it’s nice to see some new stuff that’s available locally and isn’t too $$$ (subjective, I know).
This was not the worst quarter I’ve ever had: 2 4-ml minis (vintage Coco and Leonard de Leonard), a 15-ml bottle of Escada Sport Country Weekend and a 30ml decant of delightful Chanel 1932 edt.
Total, $101. Could’ve been SO much worse.
Very restrained. ????
Hmmm…Coco? Are you Mals, or someone who’s hijacked her account 🙂 Do tell the appeal of the vintage version!
Vintage Coco! Swooning, my vintage bottle is almost empty 🙁
Well I couldn’t remember many purchases but then I looked at my Perfume list in Trello and remembered my birthday was in July…and I bought a backup Serge while the current size was still available…and there was a sale at FragranceX…and…
Um the data doesn’t lie (LOL):
– Serge La Fille de Berlin 50ml (backup)
– Black Perfecto 30ml (birthday)
– Chanel Bel Respiro EdP 75ml (birthday)
– Malle Musc Ravageur 50ml (um…because ravishingly gorgeous)
– L’Artisan Passage d’Enfer 100ml (because um…August)
– Bandit EdP 50ml (FragranceX sale made me do it)
– Juliette has a Gun Gentlewoman (ditto)
– Bvlgari Black (ditto)
– Jicky EdP (ditto)
– ELDO Rien (because um…September)
– ELDO Putains et Palaces (ditto)
I have clearly been suffering from Selective Quarterly Perfume Purchase Amnesia (SQuaPPA).
Having winced comprehensively I’ve dented my wishlist pretty comprehensively now and not feeling like I’ll be needing to add much more from here.
Serious collection and great picks !
Do you actually wear them all or is it like your private Osmotheque ?
I try to be reasonable now that I don’t work in the perfume business anymore and stick to the ones I really wear.
LOL no! I have two shelves in my wardrobe with full bottles and minis and a multi-lipstick holder and two small glasses holding various samples. It’s arranged so I can see all of the full bottles and get them out to use without having to rearrange things.
I also try to only buy things I will wear and have sampled many times although some are very season-specific.
But it feels like ‘enough’ now and will need to be one in one out for full bottles from here or it will feel overwhelming rather than fun to choose what to wear.
I can’t find Passage d’Enfer at any of the discounters now and am starting to panic. I’ve still got 5 mL between me and a PdE-less life, so I don’t want to panic TOO much, but…did you get yours at a discounter?
No unfortunately not at a discounter – online at Myer – one of our department stores. I looked everywhere at discounters too and I’d worn it a lot over winter so I really wanted to get it while I could.
The L’Artisan site had a holiday promotion last year – buy a 100ml bottle and get three free 5ml minis – maybe wait on that if you can’t find a discount?
That’s a good idea! Mostly I was worried it was being phased out, but it’s still at retailers, so I am likely fine to wait 🙂
Wonderful picks!
Didn’t buy too much over the summer, and it was a bit of a grab bag:
– Berdoues sampler from Sephora
– one decant order (2ml each of Chene, Fille in Aiguilles, Feminite du Bois, Nahema, and Pacifica French Lilac)
– eBay lot of 6 Diptyque 2ml sample sprays and 6 Byredo 2ml sample sprays
I also bought an 80s era Tabu mini (violin shaped bottle) at a thrift store for $3
Put myself down for one bottle, which seems fair.
There are so many new Niche perfume brands that it’s almost impossible for me to keep up.
This last trimestre, I had to renew my favorite current perfume, Estée Lauder Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia.
Thanks to Robin’s post about new exclusive bottles, I bought Cartier La Panthère extrait de parfum that I really like. I bought the eau de parfum when it came out and thought it was a gorgeous perfume for me.
Last but not least, I bought a bottle of Lubin Epi d’or.
Only one purchase, a bottle of Safran Troublant. Here’s a case where a FB makes sense since I absolutely love this scent but I need many sprays to make it last until mid-day.
One. That’s great for me though I don’t buy many perfumes lately. The releases became predictable. I bought Twilly unsniffed. At first I thought a huge mistake on my part.
After several wearings, the fragrance began to appeal to me. I’m now at the stage where I enjoy wearing it. I’m not sure if I will finish the bottle & if I do, replenish it
I thought I had been pretty restrained, but, no, not as much restraint as I had convinced myself of:
* 30 ml of Black Perfecto (just right, when in that mood)
* 30ml of Aura (which I really liked, right up until a friend described it to me as the smell of the shower block at a beach. A clean one, she insisted, but, just that smell. Now I can’t unsmell that association.)
* 7.5ml of Damn Rebel Witches
* 9ml of Goodbye Picadilly (Both of these two will get upgraded to bigger bottles when I drain them. Which won’t take long, as I’m loving them.)
* 9ml of Black Velvet Cafe (interesting, but doesn’t feel like a frequent wear for me)
* 100ml of CdG Girl (because, hey, it was 12 quid and it smells great on my beloved)
* And a cheeky ebay bargain back up 75ml EDP of Theo Fennell’s Scent
oops. But, hey, I did not blind buy Dryad, despite being sorely tempted.
Damn it. More than I initially remembered. I forgot the three new wee bottles of Gorilla Perfumes I bought at their event at the Edinburgh Art Festival:
Road from Damascus
Rentless
What would love do?
(Though my beloved has mostly co-opted the first two for his very own self. What scent-stealing monster have I created with my “here, try this, sweetheart, you might enjoy wearing perfume” encouragements? And I bought the third because it reminds me fiercely and overwhelmingly, and joyfully of my father, who died earlier this year.)
I ordered, but have not yet received (coming from France) a bottle of Jacomo #8, after reading several positive comments. I have also bought two Phlur discovery sets (all six scents), again because of so many positive comments. Also several decants (all on sale) and minis (from ebay).
Decants:
JM wood safe&sea salt 5 ml
FM la parfum Therese 5 ml
Noir Epices 5ml (led to full bottle)
French Lover 5ml
Nuits de Noho 5 ml
TF patchouli absolu 5 ml
Cuir de Russie 10 ml
CD Oud Ispahan 5 ml
By Kilian Rose Oud 5 ml
FB:
FM Noir Epices 1.7 oz Neiman’s
Burberry for her 1.7 oz Notino
Bond Chinatown tester 100 ml Notino
Chanel Gabrielle 1.7 oz Chanel
EL knowing 2.5 oz Macy’s
Vintage Miss Dior Etsy
Valerie edp 3.4 oz
2 bottles TF White Patchouli (idk why 2 bottles) (ebay&Sephora)
Laura Mercier l’heure magique 1.7 Neiman-Marcus
Vintage Youth Dew (2) Etsy
Amouage Beloved 3.4 oz tester Notino (bought it today so including it for today)
I think that’s all. I’m done with buying anything until next year.
How did you like the Gabrielle by Chanel?
I can’t even remember what I bought when, but here’s what I think I bought this quarter:
Bottega Veneta (BUB since I’ve heard reformulation rumours)
Bottega Veneta Eau de Velours x 2
House of Matriarch Kazimi x 2
House of Matriarch floral trio (3 x 10 mls)
Histoires de Parfums Moulin Rouge
Mugler Wonder Bouquet
Mugler Musc Mysterieux
Olfactive Studio Close Up
Parfumerie Generale Felanilla
Profumum Roma Battito d’Ali
Mendittorosa Rituale
Byredo Oliver Peoples x 2
And then my husband brought these back to me from his trip to Munich as gifts:
Piguet Casbah
Olfactive Studio Woody Mood
Aedes Pelargonium
Aedes Cierge de Lune
Aedes Oeillet Bengal
SHL 777 Taklamakan
Byredo 1996
It was a blockbuster quarter. I’m calling time out until the Black Friday/after xmas sales.
What is the Wonder Bouquet like?
I can’t describe it well as I have only had a couple of test spritzes, the bottle isn’t even here yet. But I would describe it as a soft, radiant, powdery floral.
Your description pretty much sold me:)
Nice haul!
Go hubby!
I bought three bottles this quarter. Rahele, but I blew through two large decants before buying it. I also bought Eau de Protection and Calypso. My birthday was in this quarter so…
I also swapped three bottles away for decants, so really a net of zero! ????
I’m pretty sure birthday bottles shouldn’t count!
After being fairly restrained for at least 3 quarters, I went hog wild this last quarter so Donatella, bless me please!
1 Sultan Pasha sample set $125
1 bottle SPA Resine Precieux $144
1 100 ml bottle (!) Parfum de Nicolai Cuir Cuba Intense (and really wish I’d just gotten 30 ml but wasn’t on hand)
1 BUB Hiram Green Shangri La
I think there might have been something else I’ve already forgotten. I also have my eye on that Black Perfecto bottle ????
It would have been an inexpensive quarter except I fell in love at Fumerie when I was with Waterdragon. So three bottles–
Hermes Hiris in the blue bottle $65
Jacomo No. 9 $30
Aedes de Venustas–Aedes de Venustas $245 at Fumerie. But it’s a 100ml so it’ll last awhile.
I bought a FB of VCA Bois d’Iris and the Prada mini set w/ Iris Cedre, Amande, etc…haven’t broken into either yet as swapmeet spoils continue to occupy my time. 😉
I have not updated my spreadsheet so I guessed at the number but have nothing specific to report. I bought most of the bottles intending to split them (yes, really) or they were humongo samples and we know samples don’t count. Moving on…
Pfffft… cheater. 😉
Well, I was thinking I had a relatively mild quarter, but then I went through my order history and discovered otherwise. Seven full bottles, assorted decants, and the ELDO discovery set. Good grief! FBs were (in no particular order) L’Artisan Thé Pour un Été, Diptyque L’Eau de Tarocco, Chanel Cristalle EDT (one vintage, one current formulation), OJ Woman, and two Inekes that were so inexpensive that they were (using perfumista math) free – Evening Edged in Gold and Briar Rose. I love everything except Evening Edged in Gold, and I love the bottle for that so much that it’s worth keeping. Only perfumistas understand how that works.
Did the same with Ineke’s Poet’s Jasmine. Like it, don’t love it, but the bottle sure is purdy.
I have 4 of Ineke’s travel perfumes just for their “book” packaging, I never planned on wearing them.
I’ll be doing my purchasing spree in a month or so, once the temperature finally drops to non-lethal levels for perfumes sitting in mail trucks. For now, Donatella will just have to be disappointed since I only bought one tiny little bottle:
Pacifica Dream State perfume oil (10ml).
It doesn’t count for my own damage assessment since it was a gift, but I did acquire one other FB. My mother very kindly used reward points and bought me a 100ml N°5 EDP. How awesome is that!?
Pretty dang awesome!
VERY awesome!!
(Waves hands in a shooing motion) “Move along, folks, nothing to see here….”
😉
Ha! ❤️
Ha! That’s funny! My sentiments exactly, I feel the same with my situation.
I’ve bought a lot of stuff, but I’m not as happy with them as I thought I should be.
Mugler Aura – I bought it blind because I usually love all things Mugler. But this was not good at all on me. That cold menthol that runs through it ruined it for me. It also gave me a strange and unpleasant feeling in the back of my mouth. So I sold it.
Guerlain Black perfecto – It’s ok.
Hugo Boss The scent edp – I love a good peach/shampoo scent so I use this fairly regularly.
I’ve also bought a bunch of samples from Memo and found a treasure in a -for me- new polish perfume shop that have a great niche selection. I’m eagerly waiting for samples of Slumberhouse and Kerosene, both houses that I’ve been curious about for a long time.
Forgot that I also bough a big bottle of Joop! Rococo. I used to love it back in the days but I do not anymore. I’m not sure if the scent is off, or if it’s me. Still, bummer.
I bought nothing this quarter, mostly because I found out I somehow lost a 200ml bottle of Chanel 31 Rue Cambon while moving from one state to another. The pain of that loss has successfully prevented me from buying any new bottles for a while!
That is SO SAD 🙁 I’m hoping it’ll still turn up!
Ohhh noooo! This story made me sick to my stomach. 🙁 🙁 That is terrible.
Oh no! So sorry to hear that. I hope eventually it will turn up.
I am so sorry. 🙁 I lost a much-loved, barely worn expensive pair of shoes in a move, so I feel your pain. I still wonder what could have happened to them.
Between my father’s death and toe surgery (which I just found out didn’t work and I have to have a 2nd surgery next week), this has been the worst summer ever and I’ve done a lot of stress shopping. No regrets, though.
A big bottle of vintage Dior Dune
A new bottle of Dior Addict, free with Ulta points
The most adorable little bottle of Prada Candy, also free
Partial bottle of Commes des Garcons Kyoto
Vintage minis: Chanel 19, Le Baiser du Dragon, Obsession extrait. The Obsession is so good it makes my eyes roll back in my head
A couple of Dame Perfumery minis
A decant of CdG Black
A mini of Philosophy Rose Ballet as an impulse purchase. I hope there’s a holiday set with the body wash and lotion.
I think that’s it, along with more makeup than I’ve bought in the last 20 years combined and some badly needed clothes. Now I’m truly done, there are more medical bills ahead!
So sorry to hear of your loss and need for second surgery! All purchases completely justified.
So sorry for your loss. Whatever helped you to deal with it, was worth it.
I wish you a quick healing.
So sorry for your loss and for the unsuccessful surgery. It seems like when it rains, it pours. Shopping always seems ro help me also. Habg in there.
Edit: hang not habg
Now that my mom gives me all her perfume bottles with some perfume in it, I don’t need to buy any! And the good thing is that she asks me to buy it so I get to choose. Last week we bought Van Cleefs Gardenia Petale for her. My recommendation of course haha. Donatella, seems you need to tell mom of…
lol, how sweet. I wish my mum would do that for me.
Works the opposite way for me, mom takes my partially full castoffs.
I did buy a 30 ml decant of Comme des Garcons Citrico, but that’s a decant (someone was splitting a 500 ml bottle) and it was very cheap.
I haven’t bought a bottle of perfume in over 1 year.
Congratulations! I hope someday I can say that.
It was hard and it still is. The fact that I have almost 0 fund for fragrances helps a lot 🙂
Now I am debating if I should buy CdG 2 Man as I will sell a bottle from my wardrobe and I could use the money as ~50% from what the cost would be. Or just forget about it and hold on some more.
1 – Comptoir Sud Pacific Vanilla Abricot – 10ml
2 – Chanel Coco EDP – 100 ml
3 – JSP Stash – 50 ml
4 – Lush Lust Solid Perfume – .4oz
5- Pacifica Indian Coconut Nectar – 30ml
6 – SJP – Covet – 50 ml
7 – Jour d’Hermes parfum – 50ml
8 – Queen EDP – 15ml
9 – Angel Muse EDP – 50ml
Excel doesn’t lie 🙁
I enjoy ALL of it, but I do wish I had been more thoughtful about my purchases. I COULD HAVE BOUT 100ML OF CARNAL FLOWER!
Ok, more than I thought but still not bad:
Hermes Apres la Mousson 15ml
Jo Malone Basil and Neroli 30ml
Tom Ford Orchid Soleil 15ml manf. mini
Come des Garcons Sticky Cake 10ml decant
Maison Anonyme Pale Fire travel spray 10ml
Maison Anonyme Vespers travel spray 10ml
Maison Anonyme L’Immortel travel spray 10ml
Pirouette Moss Garden 15ml
Perris Monte Carlo Absolue d’Osmanthe 5ml decant
Lush Death and Decay solid
Lush Sikkim Girls 10ml
Probably a few more decants that I overlooked…
I bought five new bottles this quarter:
Papillon Dryad
Bogue Mem
Aedes de Venusta Pelargonium
Cire Trudon Bruma
Armani Prive Iris Celadon
I too bought Dryad, Mem, and Bruma – all loves! I have to retest the other two now to see if I need them too!
Great choices!
I’ve only purchased Patch Flash. The upcoming quarter will be much more costly. I plan on soon purchasing, Le Labo Rose 31, Chanel No. 19, and Tom Ford Noir Anthracite.????
I didn’t buy anything this quarter. But I got a couple of samples from Sephora:
Tom Ford Velvet Orchid
Chanel Chance Eau Tendre
Stella Stella McCartney
Still haven’t found anything enticing enough to purchase a full bottle.
I’ve been very restrained ????
30ml Narciso Rodriguez L’absolu and 30ml Gucci II, which is a pressie for my daughter. 3 x 5ml decants – Tom Ford Orchid Soleil, No. 19 Poudré and First Intense.
Oh, my! Have I been so busy and consumed at work that I forgot about the damage poll? Well, I surprisingly did not purchase any fragrances this quarter. Don’t think this ever quite happened before. I need to get back to my old self again.