Goodbye (and good riddance) to 2017! Do start 2018 with a clean slate and a clean conscience — Donatella Versace, Our Lady of Scented Excess,1 wants to know what you bought in the 4th quarter (October, November and December) of 2017.
My purchases...
...I spent $30 on a travel size of Bruno Fazzolari Lampblack. Added to my first quarter expenditure, that brings my total for the year to $64.
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.
Wow, Donatella took me by surprise today. Not good to start the year confessing that I have sinned…again
Here is damage:
Annick Goutal Heure Exquise EdP – 100ml
Bruno Fazzolari Ummagumma – 30ml
Arielle Shoshana Eau de Parfume – 30ml
L’ Artisan Un Air de Bretagne EdP – 50ml
Tauer LADDM- Mini
Floris London Honey Oud – 10ml
Serge Lutens Gris Claire – 10ml
LM Parfums Sensual Orchid – 5ml
Great list!
Thank you. I tried to reduce the amount of perfumes this quarter and be more selective based on what I love, instead of going crazy with tons of others that I just like.
I have got to sample Ummagumma soon! Luckyscent was out last week, but they are sure to restock. So many new ones I want to try…I have a list ready! LOL
Beautiful list!
Thank you! I got the Ummagumma from Twisted Lily (no affiliation). They have samples of it. You should really try it. I am in love with it, even though some people dislike it greatly.
After going haywire in Europe in May (Habanita! Three Diptyque solids!) and then buying several ill-advised sample sets in August (I don’t need more samples!), I didn’t spend a cent in the last quarter, unless you count a $2.79 bottle of rosewater for my diffuser, which obviously can’t possibly count. So: zero.
It does not count, and good for you!
Well done!
Robin, I bow to your self-restraint.
The year ended with a relatively sedate final quarter.
Perfumed purchases:
1. L’air de desert marocain, 5 ml
2. 78 Vintage Green, 15 ml
3. Jour d’Hermes, 10 ml purse pray + 125 ml refill
Gracious gifts:
4. Le Labo Discovery Set, 5 x 1.5 ml
5. Clinique Wrappings, 25 ml + 100 ml lotion
LaDDM is my most favorite blind buy ever. Andy Tauer is the coolest. I’m a convert.
78 VG was a lucky find during December at a Banana Republic outlet store. First sniff was from a tester bottle last summer when there was no more of this leafy-green cologne left to buy.
The lifetime supply of Jour d’Hermes came home with me after a trip to a combined Marshall’s/Home Goods. I went in the store looking for pillows. Oh well. I love the scent and now can spray with abandon on myself, on clothes (carefully), on those darn pillows, on linens, in the car, in the air . . .
Have not explored the two gifts yet. I’m waiting for the perfect quiet moment.
Am I forgetting something? I surely hope not.
Oh goodness, yes, I did forget something. A precious 200 ml bottle of pre-reform Roger & Gallet Lavande Royale now sits on my bedside table. My best lost-then-found scent ever.
I bought Wrappings too! Loving the juice, but haven’t tried the lotion.
I took a few minutes this evening to open up my box of Wrappings. First sniff ever and I love it.
It would be cheating to claim self-restraint AFTER buying so much perfume you cannot remember what you have!
So glad you loved your unsniffed Tauer.
I kept a tally for once. It was brutal!
Angel Muse 30 ml on discount at TJMaxx for $30
Demeter Eggnog (also TJMaxx) 30 ml
Demeter Myrrh (TJMaxx-a theme lately) 30 ml
Bronze Goddess whipped body cream (TJMaxx)
Carner Barcelona D600 100 ml (on sale at Twisted Lily, deep thanks to Hajusuuri for making the arrangements)
a back-up bottle of VCA Bois d’Iris on discount for $35 (tester)–whoop!
Decants of Iris Ganache (5 ml) and Ne M’Oubliez Pas (5 ml)
Gifts to the men in my life:
Dior Sauvage (16-yr old)
Mont Blanc Spirit Legend (13-yr old)
Prada Luna Rossa original (hubby)
What a great list! And great finds at TJ Maxx.
TJ Maxx was on their game the last few weeks! Sometimes I wander thru and can’t find much of anything, but lately they are well stocked!
My TJ Maxx NEVER has anything good when I go (maybe once a month or six weeks — it’s 20 miles away so I don’t pop by there all the time).
I have two TJ’s 25 miles from me in opposite directions and I understand about not just popping by. Hate to spend the time and fuel only to be disappointed but every now and then I find a real bargain and I’m pumped again!
I did not do a tally but I did get Muse and a few others at TJ Maxx.
$35 for the VCA?! That’s a no-brainer.
$35 for the VCA?? How?? Where? Jealous!!
It was at Fragrancenet. They had them again a few days ago for a little more (with the usual coupon, of course).
NIce!
May I ask where you got your Iris Ganache and whether it was the pre- or post-reformulation?
The Perfumed Court and pre-reform, as far as I know.
The TJ Maxx finds are essentially free or prizes for such good shopping skills.
Oh,yes, and a 10 ml decant of Ariel Shoshanna!
That was in a split. Also bought 10 ml of Cire Trudon Bruma and Armani Prive Iris Celadon from splits.
Bless me Donatella, for I have sinned.
1) Salomé
2) Ummagumma
3) Travel sizes of SSS Bee’s Bliss, Equestrian, and Yin and Ylang.
I solemnly swear to buy no more perfume. Until the next time. ????
Hee hee, I’ll join you on that promise.
We are stimulating the economy! hee hee
Until next time, then. (See you there!)
Wow, I’m not usually so early to post – I guess it’s something to do with holiday hours! I haven’t quite bought any FBs in the last quarter, but I did buy the things that I recieved as birthday and Christmas gifts. My mother gave me a bottle of Thameen’s Amber Room for my birthday (or rather she contributed towards it, I wasn’t about to tell her how much it actually cost). My beloved gave me Idole de Lubin for Christmas.
I’m looking forward to reading everyone’s confessions, I’m always inspired to try something new.
Idole is so lovely. Nice gift!
Happy New Year, Donatella. My *only* purchase last quarter was samples. I say *only* because those can really add up…
It’s not that I have self-restraint (see my posts on considering the purchase of By Kilian Amber Oud). Oh no, Donatella. It is that I am so very picky and that I have committed to a house that was very pricey which eats greatly into any budget for things that aren’t truly needed (especially when I already have more perfume than I will use up in my lifetime). In addition, I am fairly minimalist in my sensibilities which means I need to curate my collection for my own sanity. Ah, the ongoing struggle.
Next quarter will not be 0, never fear Donatella. I feel a purchase or two coming on. There will also be some selling and swapping of those that no longer meet my desires. May 2018 be a year of wonder and adventure for us all!
Samples do seem to add up.
I made a list of the 2017 scents I would like to sample that are likely to be found at the perfume counters. The list is in my purse. Hope this strategy will help me to do better sniffing while shopping (and stop me from buying more samples).
Oh, that’s a good idea about the purse list. I always forget which new releases I was interested in once I’m actually in a store where I can try them. And I’m with you on not buying samples of fragrances that can easily be found at counters. I’ve been pretty good about that, but haven’t stuck to it 100%.
My rule is that I can’t buy samples of anything I can try at a counter within the area. So that helps, but still there are so many niche that I can only find at LuckyScent or SurrenderToChance.
This same rule has helped reduce the number of samples I buy, by a lot. And most of the niche boutiques here will give samples so it pays to not be lazy!
After not buying anything for nearly 4 months I treated my end of the year ennui with 2 bottles of fragrance.
Jean Patou Vacances and Amouage Jubilation 25. Both gorgeous
Beautiful stuff!
Well Donatella, I went berserk in December. There a few expensive ones in the list, but I mostly stayed in the cheaper end of the pool…Still, it adds up….
Scentbird Picks this Quarter:
October: Thirdman Eau Moderne $15
November: ELdO True Lust $15
December: ELdO Bijou Romantique $15
1. ELdO Fat Electrician 30ml $33
2. Replica At the Barber’s $100 (gift for hubs, but I’m using it too)
3. Demeter Snow $7.99
4. Demeter Gingerbread $7.99
5. Demeter Eggnog $7.99
6. Victoria’s Secret Midnight Ivy Mist $6.00
7. Victoria’s Secret Wicked $12.50
8. Victoria’s Secret Love $12.50
9. Demeter Hot Toddy $18.90
10. Demeter Jelly Doughnut $18.90
11. Demeter Sticky Toffee Pudding $18.90
12. Demeter Holy Water $18.90
13. Demeter Watermelon Lollipop $18.90
14. Aquolina Gold Sugar $14.69
15. SJP Stash Unspoken $50
16. Jo Malone Ginger Biscuit $135 (Bought with gift money! LOL) This is my favorite scent in a long time….
17. Deseo $17.49
18. Kenzo Flower Essentielle $20.29
19. Guerlain Chamade $38.49
I hope I behave more sensibly in 2018. But I already have a few samples on the way…..I’m not adding up the total, because I like denial….
Smelling fabulous,
Jada in GA
Brilliant!
I gave a sample of At the Barber’s to my husband and I loved it on him but he was meh. Such a great, old-fashioned scent.
My hubs really likes it! We have a sample of By the Fireplace, and he’s been testing that one too….
I thought he’d like it, because he buys old classics on Amazon sometimes. He’s been rocking Clubman’s Virgin Island Bay Rum aftershave lately, which I love on him!
Mine loves Clubman Special Reserve! I don’t hate it, but I was ready for something new . . .
I really need to know what you think of Stash Unspoken.
I really enjoy it! The 1st day I wore it, I got on here and complained that I couldn’t smell it. But as the day wore on, several hours in, I definitely got the occasional pleasant waft of it. It’s very soft compared to the original! Perfect for work and daytime use….I’m definitely keeping it and will review in the next week or two on my YouTube channel!
Great – I’ll watch for it. Thx
I’m quite jealous of your Fat Electrician purchase! Oof, I’d love to find it at that price
Lovely list!
Don’t know if Sephora sells it or not, but all of the ELdO and Histories de Parfum are on sale now!
Thanks, but unfortunately, they don’t!
Yes you are smelling fabulous !
What’s your opinion of Deseo? It sounds nice and beachy…
Deseo is hands down the best JLo scent I’ve tried yet! It has more depth than the Glow ones I’ve bought. Not crazy about spraying the odd shaped bottle, but it’s a pretty bottle other than that!
Man those are great prices on the ELDOs!
One bottle only:
1) l’Occitane Arlesienne EdT 75 ml, on sale half-off, $34.50.
I believe this was my only bottle for the year. I was expecting to end the year without a single bottle purchase, but at $34.50, it is essentially free, right?
I have waffled over that bottle at that price for years now! It is really such a beautiful scent in such a beautiful bottle. I don’t know why I still haven’t pulled the trigger, except maybe because I don’t really need 75 mL of it.
$34.50 divided out over 365 days a year = 0.09 a day. FREE!!!!!!!
I like your math!
Confession time! I bought more bottles than usual this quarter, but didn’t spend too much. I acquired:
50ml of Clinique Wrappings + lotion gift set
30ml of JM Red Roses (thrift store find and I suspect it’s gone off a bit)
30ml of Pacifica French Lilac
60ml of HdP Ambre 114 (smoking eBay deal – only $45)
Also: an impulse buy of a 10ml perfume oil on Etsy called Heavy Metal (it is very boring and I gave it to my friend’s 12 year old daughter) plus 2-3ml decants of Chinchilla, Civet, Dzongkha, SSS Winter Woods, Lipstick On, Rossy de Palma, Rose de Nuit, Drole de Rose, and A*Men Kryptomint.
Chinchilla was my favorite discovery this year, and I was lucky enough to find some under the tree.
I figure 5 bottles is fair? The decants are all oh-so-small . . .
I need to sniff Wrappings next time I’m out…..Don’t think I ever have! I NEVER find good stuff at thrift stores either….I gotta work it harder!
It’s really lovely – the gift set they sell at Christmas time goes for about $50, which is a steal imo.
Chinchilla is just gorgeous, isn’t it? I love that Dawn has an end of the year sale, I plan for it and Chinchilla was my purchase this year. She included a sample of Foxy which could be my purchase next year.
I got a sample of Foxy too! Haven’t tried it yet, but I’m guessing I’ll like it.
1) 30 ml Like This
2) 10 ml travel spray You or somebody like you
3) 15 ml travel spray Vetiver Tonka
4) 15 ml travel spray Osmanthe Yunnan
5) 15 ml travel spray Cuir d’ange
6) 15 ml travel spray Santal Massoia
I’m obviously ready to travel!
You will smell great on your travels!
Lol! All dressed up…
I’ve been pretty good, only 4 FBs:
Diptyqe Olene;
Arielle Shoshana;
MFK Lumiere Noire (actually the travel spray set); and
ELdO Amourette.
Great list
Yo Donatella. I feel we are on ‘yo’ basis by now.
I was thinking I’d been rather restrained this quarter, but that turned out to be due to restraint in December only. Notsomuch restraint in October or November.
So there’s the mini’s that don’t count (Cire Trudon travel set, Vilhelm travel spray of Basilico & Fellini, Hermes Jardin travel set purchased during the VIB sale at Sephora…)
And my ongoing charitable work in support of the arts: Zoologist Elephant mini, bought direct from the perfumer.
So now we have the FB damage:
1. Dior Mitzah, in VAT size (250ml). Muled to me from Paris, where it is/was still sold. Who knew? Had to buy.
2. Pinrose Treehouse Royal. Hautelook bargain.
3. Shiseido Feminite du Bois. Rescued from Ebay.
4. Donna Karan Labdanum. Also rescued from Ebay.
5. Serge Lutens L’Incendiaire. Found at a startling bargain price. Had to.
6. Amouage Sunshine Woman. Tester. Been on my list a long while.
7. Yosh Konig. On sale.
8. Chanel No 5 Eau Premiere, wee little bottle. Hardly noticeable.
9. Comme des Garcons Wonderoud, bargain price, been on my list a while.
10. SHL 777 O Hira. Birthday!
11. Profumum Roma Ichnusa (enabler pin to Jiji!)
12. VCA Bois Dore. My only blind buy this quarter, and I like it. Success!
13. Xinu Copala.
And I sold one bottle, plus several mini’s. So we start with 13; subtract one sold (down to 12); subtract DK Labdanum since The Guide claims this series of scents isn’t properly perfume (11); subtract O Hira since that was birthday-gift-to-self; and we have… 10-ish.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
It is nice! I keep thinking I surely have enough fig perfumes, then I find another one that I need to bring home. It appears I’m the Crazy Cat Lady of fig perfumes.
It’s actually the only fig I really like.
And The Guide* doesn’t like it either – so maybe it doesn’t count as much? (*not in the original book, but a later addition.)
I always love your Donatella posts. Less creative accounting than usual, I see! Delightful; enjoy your treasures!
That’s me being all grown-up, see. My purchasing works out to only, uh, an average of 1 bottle per week.
Oh man that’s… excessive.
Wait til you see my list. You will feel admirably restrained.
Your posts are awesome! YO!!! LOL
Charity and supporting the arts. YOU HAD TO DO IT. My hat’s off to you!
Love your posts!
If you ever want to sell some of that Mitzah????????
You found a bottle of Shiseido Feminite du Bois? Major score!
I refuse to type my total because it’s freaking me out. But I didn’t buy anything for most of the rest of the year so I guess I was treating myself for Christmas.
Tauer L’Eau 50ml
Twilly 30ml
Bee’s Bliss 17ml
Philosykos 50ml
Chergui 50ml
and my TJmaxx/Marshall’s finds:
Stash gift set with oil/edp ($25)
Adam Levine for her ($7.99)
Eau de Gaga ($7.99)
Plus samplers from DSH and Olympic Orchids, both new to me.
I got samplers from DSH and Olympic Orchids too! They’re not here yet but I’m so excited about them.
Your list looks like some of my more well-behaved quarters, so don’t beat yourself up too much
Here’s the damage for Oct, Nov & Dec:
1. Lanvin Arpege, 3.3 oz bottle
2. Acqua di Parma Colonia, 1.7 oz bottle
3. Acqua di Parma Arancia di Capri, 2.5 oz. bottle
4. Lili Bermuda Paradise, 1.7 oz bottle
5. Lili Bermuda Petals, solid perfume compact
6. Galimard Rencontre, 50 ml bottle
7. Givenchy III, 3.3 oz bottle
8. Hermes 24 Faubourg, 15 ml bottle
9. Sisley Eau 2, 3.3 oz bottle
10. Annick Goutal Quel Amour, 1.7 oz bottle
11. Hove Honeysuckle Bath & Body Oil, 4 oz bottle
All of the above are very much loved, and I don’t regret buying them. I was kind of surprised when I was counting all of my purchases though. I guess I went a little crazy
You picked up some treasures! ????
Happy New Year!
eBay: 24 F vintages of (2) edp, (1) parfum, and 1 edt, Parfum d’Hermes pure parfum and edp, vintage Coco parfum
Scent Split: probably 5-7 decants and swiftly re-homed some when I sold perfumes on eBay this fall
Notino: Burberry Brit, Lalique something and animale something, Burberry edp, Guerlain terracotta, Hermès Eau de Mervilles
EL private collection Tuberose Gardenia, SJP Unspoken (meh),
The only ones I truly like are the Hermès and Estée Lauder. Could have done without the other purchases.
Did Kafka get to you with her posts on 24 F and Parfum d’Hermes, or had you loved them from way back as well? (I ask because she got to ME with them, and I wound up buying vintage unsniffed. So far, one was middling successful and one regretted.)
Ah yes Kafkaesque. 24 F I wore back in the early 2000s, and I think the early batches are even better. The Parfum d’hermes I like but idk.
1) Cire Trudon Coffret 10mlx5 (best deal so far)
2) Idylle Love Blossom (first FB blind-buy ever and, fortunately, it’s a like)
3) BF Lampblack travel spray (thanks for the reminder, Robin!)
4) Opium Fleur de Shanghai 10ml decant
5) Goest Perfume sample pack (4 scents)
6) Floris Honey Oud 10ml split
7) OJ Montabaco 5ml decant-semi-regretting-may be better in less frigid weather
8 )Dior Mitzah 10ml decant (wish I’d only gotten 5ml or less).
9 )Dior Gris Montaigne 5ml (this should’ve been 10ml)
If you ever wanna swap that Mitzah????
Glad to see someone else picked up Lampblack, and so glad you liked the CT coffret!
Zero, null!
But I got some perfume as a gift.
That doesn’t count
Don’t try to tell me it’s the other way
Dear sweet Lucasai,
Don’t you know that confession is only for sinners, and not for saints?
????????
PSA: It appears that the angel w/ wings emoji has been replaced with a baby cherub. ????
Happy New Year, Donatella! My only Q4 purchase was a bottle of Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab Nasty Woman ($24, all of which goes to charity, thank you very much). It’s a very warm, honeyed Fig Newton fragrance, a gentler strain of Nasty than I was expecting.
Nasty women need not smell of anything but fabulousness!
Fig Newton! That is a surprise, but sounds good to me.
UGH – this is my best Q this year, and it is still ugly
20 ml Bois d’Armenie direct from Guerlain
50 ml Daesin Winter +50 mlWinter Nights set from Twisted Lily
10 ml Jo Malone decant of Orange Bitters
3 * 15 ml minis of Ramon Monegal Impossible Iris Cuirelle Kiss My Name
Dame Perfume Mexican Vanilla Hair Oil and Body Cream
Guerlain Les Delices de Bain Perfumed Shower Gel and Body Lotion
DIOR Patchouli Imperial .25 ozMINI.
DIOR Bois d”Argent .25 OZ MINI
DIOR Cologne Royale .25 OZ MINI
DIOR Milly La Foret .25 OZ MINI.
All Dior’s on deep discount at Fragrance Net
5 ml decant of Tom Ford FF
And the kicker – a bell jar of Lutens La Myrrhe as a gift to myself for my 50th birthday
La Myrrhe is just so so gorgeous. You won’t regret that one.
Yayyyyyyy! Agreed!
WHAT, did FN have les exclusifs minis for sale?? Ugh, I’m bummed to have missed them!!!
I’m betting the Dame Perfumery body cream and hair oil are gorgeous.
I have very short hair, and the oil makes it behave and wafts scent forever.
They are both VERY heavy and VERY strongly scented. They’re a bit much for me, both in texture and scent. Lovely in the teeniest quantities, though.
I’m curious to hear your thoughts on the Jo Malone and Tom Ford.
Your list has me drooling a bit
The FF is a nice tonka leather on me – I like it despite the name
The JM is en route. I will post when I get it.
WHERE did you find Dior minis?? I would love to have a mini of Bois d’Argent, a long time fave that I have kicked myself for not buying when it was around!
Oh I see – FragranceNet. I must pay better attention to that site!
Happy New Year, Donatella! Oh dear:
1. Amouroud, Miel Sauvage
2. Atelier Cologne, Café Tuberosa
3. Hermès, Un Jardin sur le Nil
4. Chanel, Cuir de Russie
5. Kelly+Jones, Notes of Cabernet
6. Hermès, l’Ambre des Merveilles
7. Sous le Manteau, Fontaine Royale
8. Erbario Toscano, Resin Drops
I love them all!
The Chanel Cuir is fantastic !!!
Truly! Great choices on this list.
I’ve had more restrained quarters, but I’ve had far more ridiculous ones.
* 10ml decant of Prada Candy — if I get tired of it, I’ll shove it off onto my daughter.
* 5ml decant of 31 Rue Cambon edp
* 5ml decant of Bois des Iles edp
(Somehow I haven’t managed to try either one of these yet, which is ridiculous. I put them aside for Christmas, but haven’t worn them. I am only familiar with the EdTs.)
* 50ml vintage 24, Faubourg edt — Kafka made me do it. Lovely and a bit soapy, in a grand Proper Perfume sort of way, and I’ve worn it several times. However, if I get tired of this one, I can shove it off on my mom (who is a big fan of nice-floral-soap fragrances and would probably dig it).
* 50ml vintage Parfum d’Hermes ca. 1990 according to the batch code, also purchased Under the Kafkaesque Influence. This one I either just don’t get, or this bottle has not aged well, because what it smells like to me is aldehydes and vetiver with very little else in there. Hyacinth? Rose? nah. Resemblance to Chamade? not really. Patchouli, iris, oakmoss? Nope.
I don’t know. I might have to sell it on, if it continues being this reticent.
Total damage for the quarter, $151.
Well done!
Good stuff!!!
My, Donatella caught me completely by surprise!
I didn’t buy any full bottles the last quarter, but came close (purchased/returned TF Anthracite Noir). I did score a $4.99 partial Aramis EDT, and a $3.99 partial Aramis EDC last week at an antique mall. Those don’t count!
Happy New Year everyone!
They sure don’t! Well done!
And I am surprised at how many people are surprised by Donatella’s appearance, insofar as she appears at relatively consistent and predictable intervals ????♀️
Vilhelm Smoke Show
Le Labo Rose 31
Montale Full Incense
Tom Ford Noir Anthracite
Encre Noir A L’Extreme
That was my most expensive quarter of all time. ????
But a lovely list!!
Same — you got great things! Hope you will enjoy them.
Forgive me, Donatella, for I have thrown caution to the winds. After a quite restrained couple of years, I was less restrained this quarter:
30 ml Lush Cardamom Coffee
50 ml Serge Lutens La Fille de Berlin
17 ml SSS Fig Tree
17 ml SSS Bee’s Bliss
50 ml Houbigant Orangers en Fleurs
Decants/splits of Berdoues Russkaya Kozha, FM Carnal Flower, Imaginary Authors Saint Julep, Tauer l’eau.
How is the coffee note in the Lush?
On me, it’s not black coffee, it’s milky/creamy and sweet and definitely has plenty of cardamom floating on top.
Still looking for that black coffee note in a perfume……
I have heard at least half a dozen people mention the Bees Bliss in the last 2 weeks. Sounds like something I might have to try
I bought back-up bottles of Anais Anais, L’Heure Exquise, Ivoire and Who Knew? as well as a giantic-but-cheap bottle of Troisieme Homme. (Also had a decant of Civet, but that doesn’t count.) I do want to try the Cire Trudons, but have been quite steadfast about buying unsniffed.
Shalimar Soufflé Intense
LPRN EDP
Allure
Oscar de la Renta
The Clyde closing did me in
Clyde Chemist closed :-((?
I think living on the UWS saved me on the Clyde’s closing.
Have been fearing Donatella’s arrival since yesterday!
October has gone by with zero purchase. That was great. But that didn’t last long.
November:
Got a fake bottle of Joy Parfum on eBay. (That’s more like Sadness.)
Got a bottle of vintage Hermès Calèche Parfum de Soie. (That one is authentic thank goodness. And smells gorgeous.)
Christophe Laudamiel’s new brand TheZoo samples. (It doesn’t count, right? But looks like it’s leading to two or three full bottles.)
Nicolaï’s Sacrebleu Intense. (Finally.)
A current bottle of Vol de Nuit Extrait. (A heavy blow to my bank account. Oouch! – But it was Black Friday 10% off!)
December:
A sample set from January Scent Project. (Still hasn’t arrived yet…)
A vintage Joy. (Thankfully authentic this time.)
Aesop Hwyl. (Excuse: it’s a Christmas gift for myself!)
A couple of samples from Tauer. (Doesn’t count LOL)
Sorry about your fake Joy ???? but “Sadness” made me lol ????
I hear there is a special place in hell, for people who sell fake perfume.
Eww, bet it smells awful????
LOL!
VdN extrait … YUM. Enjoy!
Actually I’m quite disappointed. The performance is very poor. Turns into skin scent in two hours, and basically gone in four. It’s worse than an eau de toilette.
Oh no! On me it goes for a good 14 to 16 hours and doesn’t lose much in complexity over that time. Now I’m wondering if my bottle is vintage of some sort. Don’t give up on it entirely!
It’s been so crazy here that I forgot that I had Tauer L’Eau and ordered a second one. Luckily, I was able to exchange it.
I used perfume instead of ice cream and chocolate for comfort- hopefully mindfulness will prevail this quarter.
Naomi Goodsir Nuit de Bakelite
Hiram Green Slowdive travel
LPRN Black Perfecto
Chanel Coco Noir
BV Eau de Velours
Jo Malone Almond and Redcurrent
Imaginary Authors O, Unknown
Civet ( I split)
Knightsbridge ( I split)
Dior Cuir Cannage
Idyllwild split
Dryad split
Florida Honey Oud split
Forgive, forgive….
How do you like Slowdive? Nice list!
It reminded me at first sniff of Slumberhouse Kiste- but I need to do a side by side compare and contrast.
Knightbridge, CIvet, and Cuir Cannage – splitting them was practically a public service.
The Bakelite and Slowdive are practically required, The JM was a limited version (so purchase required) , and I will be happy to take the Black Perfecto off your hands if you feel guilty
(Did that help ?? )
Thank you!!
How’s the JM? Sounds intriguing.
It’s longer lasting than the typical JM and has a burst of green opening, which is similar to the Tom Ford “Vert” series. It’s then a fruity gourmand that becomes a creamy almond.
I’d be happy to send some your way.
I’d love a wee drab, if you can spare it. Almond is something that fascinates me a bit…
Don’t know your email but mine is eabrit in the land of gmail.
I am so proud of myself, 2017 purchase total is 1 bottle (Hermes vintage Amazone) at $79.
I had my eye on vintage No 19 and EL’s Knowing but the hubby purchased those for me.
My halo is pinching me, I hope I can keep it up!
Nice!
I love that you bought one bottle, I think that is even harder than buying zero!
You know, I think you’re right! I’m going to try for zero bottle purchases in Q1 and see how well I do.
Oh wow, no new bottles were acquired last Q!
Some scent related purchases, but they dont count, right?
(Nez magazine
Diptyque xmas candle set)
But I am sooo glad Donatella is not curious about the clothes and shoes I bought last months
haha
Ah I almost forgot…I bought a 10 ml rollerball from Dame (black horse).
Oh well, thats hardly a bottle….
OOOOOOH you got this season’s Diptyque candles? Those were calling my name.
Right? I did well this Q, but mostly because in November I was distracted by the Sephora sale and Black Friday. My $ went to skincare, makeup, and winter clothes.
I bought a 5ml decant of Coromandel edt in October, but no new perfume since then until Christmas, when my husband rewarded my abstinence with a bottle of Tauer’s Incense Rose, which has been on my list for 3 years now.
Impressive restraint, but more impressive to receive a beloved perfume from your husband.
Thanks Wendy sue, I lost my job in October, so the restraint was forced upon me, rather than impressive will power, but the husband did do rather well for me!
I’m sorry, Mayfly. Sending positive energy for 2018. Are you interested in trying any of the fragrances on my list? It’s on the other end of the Donatella spectrum, but was probably more effective and economical for me than therapy
.
Travel spray (10 or 12oz) of Cartier Must Gold, which I am counting as a FB, cause otherwise I would feel left out ????. A perfect bedtime scent.
Waiiit a minute. Also a 5 ml Bois des Iles, in the split meet. I think that was Q4?
Yes, but still altogether you just barely got a bottle
Ok, I don’t think I reported anything to Donnetella last quarter, but sometime between then and now I purchased a heavily discounted bottle of Lancome Oud Bouquet and 10 ml of Iris Celydon from the split meet. Happy with both.
Donatella accepts amended returns
I think I did pretty great this quarter.
10ml decant Amouage Fate Woman
30ml bottle ELdO Fils de Dieu (20% off)
30ml bottle Lush Death & Decay (purchased on Ebay – panicked after they repackaged and got rid of this one)
9ml travel spray Bruno Fazzolari Unsettled (15% off)
A bunch of samples that don’t count
Nice list, and glad you got the last of the Death & Decay!
I bought a lot of stuff, for me, meaning I usually don’t buy this much perfume and that it was all for me
Every December I buy something DSH when DSH has her sale; this year it’s one tiny bottle of American Beauty and a larger bottle of Chinchilla. From CJ Scents, a bottle she labeled Almond Spice – CJ has this vanilla bar on her website where you add an ingredient to her basic vanilla/musk base. I added almond and in the notes requested a touch of spice, to give the almond a toasty edge. The end result is FAB. Also bought Encre Noire and vintage Coco edt (swoony), En Voyage perfumes Captured in Amber, a travel bottle of Zoologist Camel, unsniffed, and a few decants and samples. Yay me!
The CJ Scents Vanilla bar sounds like great fun!
And vintage Coco in any form is divine!????
I’ve been on a real bender, had some good coupons, but let’s face it, it was ridiculously over the top:
Guerlain L’Heure de Nuit and Lui
Mad et Len Petits Papiers
Parfums d’Empire Ambre Russe, Aziyadé, Cuir Ottoman and 5mls of Corsica Furiosa
Fazzolari Ummagumma and Feu Secret
ELdO Amourette
Grandiflora Queen of the Night
Ineke Idyllwild
MFK Grand Soir
VCA Vanille Orchidée (enabler pin to She-ra)
Dasein Winter Nights
SSS Bee’s Bliss, Fireside Intense and Yin/Ylang
Tauer Au Coeur du Désert & LADDM mini
Hermès Twilly
Atélier Cologne Café Tuberosa
Lolita Lempicka
Kenzo Flower le Parfum
Profumum Roma Sorriso & Battito d’Ali
Apoteker Tepe Holy Mountain and Karasu
Indult Tihota
Micallef Vanille Aoud
Aroma M Vanille Hinoki
Terry de Gunzburg Ombre Mercure
I plan to be very, very restrained in 2018.
Wow! That is a wonderful list! Love it!
I really need that VCA. It’s been on my buy list since launch.
Amazing list!! Enjoy those gems.
I forgot Bee’s Bliss on my list. Heavenly and happy.
Yes now I do feel restrained
What are your thoughts on Lui? I’ve been curious about that one.
Haven’t received it yet, but I will report back once I’ve tried it.
That is a downright dreamy list. NICE!
Oh, what a list! Well done.
Wow. I bow to you.
Very tempted by that Mad et Len because it’s a limited edition. How do you like it?
I really like one of theirs — I think it’s Graphite — although I haven’t gotten it so far.
It’s very nice, quite faithful to the papier d’arménie smell. I love benzoin.
I have twice almost bought it unsniffed. You’ll be happy to know it’s now on backorder at Luckyscent, so you will be forced to think harder unless you are going to get it elsewhere.
Such a great list!! Enjoy!
Beautiful list!
I strategically didn’t keep track during the 3rd quarter, but 4th quarter, I only bought two bottles.
– Providence Perfume Provanilla
– Arabian Oud Kalemat
There were 2 or 3 5mL decants tossed in there, too, but all of those were to replenish depleted supplies and my heart is telling me not to count those.
Ha, your heart talks like my heart…
Serge Lutens De Profundis, 75 ml.
Reminiscence Oud. 100 ml.
L’Artisan Parfumeur Mon Numéro 4, 100 ml.
Comme des Garçons Carnation, 100 ml.
Comme de Garçons Concrete, 80 ml.
Montale White Aoud, 50 ml.
Bvlgari Eau Parfumée au Thé Noir, 75 ml.
Charenton Macerations Eye, Hatshepsut, 30 ml.
Serge Lutens L’Haleine des Dieux, 50 ml.
Serge Lutens Bornéo 1834, 75 ml.
A Lab on Fire Paris*LA, 60 ml.
Tauerville Patch Flash, 30ml.
Great list! Can’t wait to try Concrete
Nice! I have Borneo on my list to buy in August.
Impressive and beautiful list! Enjoy all your fumes!
Furriner is just like Bear….If we were ever to meet, I would bury my nose in his sweater and sniff like a weirdo. Hopefully he would understand it’s a compliment!
It was a pretty quiet quarter here, so I think Donatella will be a bit disappointed with me. I got very few samples (mostly free) and have only 2 full bottles to report:
• Guerlain Jicky 100ml
• Ungaro Diva 75ml
I can’t remember exactly how much the Jicky was, but it was heavily discounted. I scored the Diva in a pretty impressive Black Friday deal—a new/unopened bottle for $8!
I think this means Donatella expects me to step up my game in 2018, right?????
Donatella will forgive nearly anything if there is Jicky.
That made me smile a great deal
Good, we all need more smiles!
Ha! (Actually, that goes for me too, come to think of it.) I wonder if Donatella likes Jicky IRL?
I prefer to only worry about *our* Donatella and ignore the IRL part. But in the original Allure spread, it was possible to make out more of the bottles in her dressing room and tell what she liked and didn’t like — I just can’t remember!
How’s the Ungaro? Are you loving it and using it? I love that bottle!
I am indeed loving and using it, and I do like the bottle too! Whoops, it’s actually a 50ml bottle not 75, but, either way, it’s going to last me forever because it’s got enough oomph that I find one spray enough. It’s definitely one of the best blind buys I’ve made!
I don’t buy as much these days, but I sure love what I buy.
Not sure that it counts but my only bottle, sample or decant was a pb of Chanel 28 la Pausa edt (because Hello Pretty Iris!! and it’s discontinued!! and it’s Chanel— it’s a trifecta of beauty! I had to buy it!).
Doesn’t really count since it was my self-selected Xmas gift from dh. I’m a lucky, lucky woman.
Nice — and it doesn’t count!
I was pretty good (in comparison to the past) this quarter.
TF FF (I didn’t buy Ombre Leather when it was available–and on me that is what it dries down to, which I enjoy)
Guerlain Gourmand Coquin & Rose Nacree (I didn’t pay for them because they were exchanged for my bottle of Muguet)
Frederic Malle The Promise travel spray
Jo Malone Ginger Biscuit
Good stuff! Ginger Biscuit is my fave gourmand maybe ever? I love it!
I was feeling all self-congratulatory about my Q4 restraint, then I came here and felt all over-spendy again. Then I checked my list, and ya, major congrats are in order. My lowest-spending quarter yet at $136.45.
I bought a bunch of stuff at the splitmeet. Damage: $77.92
The rest were from ebay:
10 ml decant Nobile 1942 Ambra Nobile, $22.53
1/2 used 2.5 oz bottle of vintage Shalimar edp, $23
~2 ml Shalimar extrait, $13
I also bought a (used, and not in great shape, unfortunately) bottle of Gourmand Coquin but I’m not counting it as the cost was covered entirely by a combination of ebay bucks, topcashback cash back, and selling some clothes on consignment.
Although Donatella would probably send me the side-eye, I only purchased 1 fragrance during this quarter (not by choice). So glad to see 2017 gone. With the flood, surgeries, a failed relationship, and so many medical bills piling up, there really wasn’t any wiggle room for perfume. I am optimistic about 2018 from personal to scented. The one scent that I had been craving and bought was:
– Basil & Neroli by Jo Malone (100ml)
Wishing you a fantastic 2018!!
May 2018 bring great things into your life!
Do solid perfumes count? If so, then my tally is 1: the old version of Lush’s Lust. The change in packaging might mean a change of formation, so I grabbed it when I saw it while Xmas shopping.
I was really good during this quarter until December when all he!! broke loose.
1) Etro Shaal Nur, a successful blind buy. I bought it with a decent discount so it’s all good.
2) Dior Gris Montaigne – A partial bottle off the bay for less than half price. I just couldn’t pass it up and I do not regret it!
3) 50 ml BUB of Chergui purchased at a discounter for a great price.
4) 5 ml travel of Bees Bliss, a FB is in my future, also 10 ml Arielle Shoshana and 5 mls of one of the Areej Le Dore scents from the split (meh), it’s okay.
Also sample Coffrets from Fort & Manle and Pk Perfumes and other random samples. I spent way too much on samples.
Not great but not my worst quarter either.
Yea for Gris Montaigne! ????
Last quarter I bought a backup of Chergui and it’s almost time to open it. I’m so afraid it won’t be as good as my 5+yr old bottle???? I’m actually sad to finish my bottle.
I know. I was thinking the same thing about my BUB. Hopefully it is old stock.
Donatella sure has a way of killing the Happy New Year vibe. Darn it D, why you gotta come calling on Jan2?!!
As per my usual excuse, the children (decants under 10ml) are not allowed at the adult table. Sorry kids????
Dune (vintage, orig version)
Addict (vintage, orig version)
Poison (vintage, orig version)
Shiseido Feminite du Bois (orig)
Must de Cartier Parfum
Eau Duelle
California Reverie
Orchid Soleil
McQueen edp
Ambre Loup
I love all these additions to the family. About 80% have been on my “must have fb” list for quite awhile. And the majority (vintage included) were purchased at a great price or discount. I’m happy, happy, happy!????
Nice list! I have always been curious about Dune. I recently tried the current version at a dept. store but it was hard to get an impression as I only did a quick sniff.
Id be happy to send you some to try. I was head over heels for Escada when Dune was released and wasn’t too interested. But I appreciate that era of Dior so much more now. My email- laugsb at sbcglobal dot net
Swooning for your top 3!
I will send you some to sniff, when the weather breaks…maybe March? JK!
Beautiful list!
Thank you! If you’d like to sample any, I’m happy to send some. My email- laugsb at sbcglobal dot net
Although I didn’t do much, I was supposed to be on a no-buy… oh well.
30 ml Twilly (using Sephora 20% off)
30 ml Seville a L’Aube at deep discount.
I stopped myself from buying the Stash gift set from TJ Maxx, so maybe that’s a credit against purchases? Kind of how Diet Coke is negative calories?
If I put something in my cart and end up not buying it, I saved $s which goes to offset my next purchase. This is how I end up with so many perfumath-free perfumes!
Well, I appear to have been relatively restrained … by NSTers’ standards. (Mr. G would beg to differ if he knew all of what I acquired. But he doesn’t. I hope.) It was also my least successful quarter in quite some time, and I waffled over whether reporting the ones that just don’t work for me is strictly required. In the end I split the difference, effectively counting those as half bottles, I guess. My list:
Ineke Briar Rose (a steal during a Hautelook sale)
Ineke Evening Edged in Gold (ditto)
Prada Infusion d’Iris
Penhaligons Iris Prima
Travel sprays of SSS Winter Woods and Pacific Forest
Tom Ford Fleur de Chine
Vintage Nina Ricci L’Air du Temps extrait purse-size spray
The L’Air du Temps was a gift for my mom, but it smelled so good that I had to mention it. Briar Rose is kind of boring and prolly won’t get much wear, and until last night I thought the other Ineke might suffer the same fate, but it turns out to have some promise after all. The Prada was the big disappointment – I don’t like it at all and will likely put it up in the next swapmeet.
Ahhh, you know how I feel about FdC! ????
I didn’t buy any full bottles, but I’ll play along.
1) 10 ml decant of OJ Woman- 30.21 at ScentSplit with 20% off code
2) 15 ml decant of Bois des Iles- 29.23 during the splitmeet
3) 10 ml rollerball of Arquiste No 57 for JCrew- 17.50 eBay
4) Vilhelm discovery set- 15.00
5) 5 ml Dame Black Flower Mexican Vanilla- 10.00
6) Art meets Art discovery set- 9.00
Just over a hundred bucks, not bad.????
Only one partial bottle – Cartier Baiser Voler EDP 29/100 ml
The rest are minis:
Lush Rentless solid
Lush Cardamom Coffee solid
Gucci L’Arte (back-up mini)
Versace Blonde EDT mini (Donatella should approve this one, since it was dedicated to her)
Carven MaGriffe PDT mini
Ungaro Diva EDP mini (enabler pin goes to Bear)
Nocturnes de Caron EDT mini
Not a good quarter. I blame MIN sale, Xmas and bday
Puredistance Antonia. Could not pass it on 60% off sale – practically free.
Puredistance Opardu. See above
Unum Rose Nigra. See above
Heeley Cuir Pleine Cuir – see above
Vanilla Botanique + matchning Body oil. Damn you 20% off. Actually I consider this money saved – now I do not need Mona di Orio Vanille Bottle.
Ummagumma + Feu Secret. Twisted Lily coupon
Unum – the name I cannot remember – the long long name. I should have a rule – can’t remember or pronounce the name, don’t buy it. Bday gift to self.
Belle Reeves. Bday gift to self. I nearly do not have enough Iris.
I am truly ashamed of myself. I will not buy anything next quarter, unless it is 60% off
OMG, such bargains for the Puredistance, Unum, and Heeley, and such great perfumes, too!
Wow, fabulous list! Wish I had known about Opardu. It’s a favorite of mine and my decant is running low.
I finally broke down and bought Roja Dove Diaghilev when I found a discounted bottle. It was still very expensive, and I had resolved not to buy anything else until basically now. However, I did get the Cire Trudon coffret because I was afraid it might sell out, and Eris Mx. and Belle de Jour when Barbara Herman was here, and Chanel Sycamore when I visited the special Chanel Espace Parfums at Saks Fifth Avenue in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Also some Annick Goutal Noël candles to replenish my stock and for gifts next year.
So I hope Donatella will feel I was a good girl in 2017.
Congrats on the Diaghilev! It’ll be worth it. My eyes water when I think about it, but it’s one of the perfumes that are just hard to forget.
Nice picks! You can’t pass up a great bargain on something you truly love.
For the sake of brevity I am not including splits, decants or incidentally bequeathed items…
I went on a vintage Guerlain bender where I got into my head I had to experience a bunch of Guerlains based on the batch code of the years they came out…it was challenging but fun and I got vintage L’Instant, L’Instant Magic, Insolence EDT and Insolence Parfum. I suppose to finish the game I have to find to Insolence EDP too. I could be a professional eBay vintage perfume shopper…if only such a job existed.
In between my batch code games, I have been obsessed with all things vanilla and also got Vanille Orchidee and I am THISCLOSE to getting Note Vanillee.
I finally decided to get OV and purchased one for a good price on ebay. Crossing fingers it actually ships and is not counterfeit.
Do you have a hangover from your bender? ????????
After holding out for 11 months (!) and only using the perfumes I already own (well and some samples but that doesn’t count in my book), I succumbed. I fell from grace, O Donatella! and I went mad on ebay. Well not really mad, but still
1) Kenzo Jungle Elephant (vintage) 5ml
2) Givenchy Amarige (vintage) 5ml
3) Gucci Envy extrait (!) (vintage) 3ml
4 and 5) Molinard Habanita and Molinard 5ml each
6) Prescriptives Calyx (the old one) 5ml
7) Serge Lutens Boxeuses in a bell jar bottle – 75ml I think, well it was an auction so not full price but still
8) Auphorie Miyako 30ml – Christmas present from my better half
As you can see, I initially went for a full 90s revival mood. Not all of the miniatures survived the ravages of time completely, but mostly they are as I remember. God I can’t believe it was so long ago I wore Envy. Feels like yesterday.
Anyway happy new year to everyone and let’s make it even better than the last
Boxeuses <3
+1
I’ve made a bunch of purchases, I’m afraid.
Michael Bublé By invitation, 75 ml gift set at deep discount. Like it! It’s a bit like how I remember both Ungaro Desnuda and Guepard edp in the green ornamented bottle: warm, spicy and with heavy steeped fruits.
SJP Stash giftset with edp + oil. It’s ok. Im not really impressed and expected more.
Lush I’m home. Lovely chocolate/cinnamon scent.
Sample set from Commodity with big samples of 6 scents. So far, I’ve only tried Moss (it’s basically Le Labo Bergamote 22), and Book (I hate it, horrible cold and stuffy violet/sandal/tin foil in the back of my mouth scent) and am a bit weary of trying the rest, but will of course do it.
Yes, I’ve read that By Invitation is really nice. I need to look for that one. I didn’t love Stash either.
And it’s always disappointing when I don’t love my sample sets and yet it saves us from a disappointing full bottle, right?
I think the only things I got this quarter were both Muglers:
Angel Muse 30ml $30
A*Men Pure Tonka $40 or so for .. 60ml? 75ml? I don’t remember.
both at TJ Maxx
Oh yeah I also bought a Nicki Minaj perfume but just for the bottle, and it was $10. I had this idea that I was going to try photographing it after a conversation in a thread here a while back about making an art installation with the bottles or something like that, if I could find one cheap enough. I decided $10 was cheap enough. Haven’t actually taken it out of the box yet..lol
Love those Angels!
I made a few purchases this quarter:
1. ELDO Jasmine et Cigarette – $52.00: 1 oz at the Sephora website.
2. Chanel No.19 – $46.50: approx 2 oz remaining: eBay with a new seller. Vintage early ’80s.
3. Oscar de la Renta esprit – $20.00: 3.3 oz at Ross on Black Friday.
4. Annick Goutal Ce Soir ou Jamais – $59.00: 3.3 oz at a favorite store in Orlando. Vintage bottle.
5. Annick Goutal Eau d’Hadrien -$59.00: 3.3 oz – also in Orlando. Vintage bottle.
6. 2 bottles of Annick Goutal Neroli – $20.00 total: 1 2/3 oz each. Vintage as well. Offered at that price due to #4 and #5 purchases. Gave 1 bottle away to a work friend who loves perfume almost as much as me.
❤️AG Neroli! How does the cylindrical bottle compare to the newer square bottle version?
Hi Laura. Sorry, I don’t know how the new juice is as I only have tried the vintage version that I just got. I live in a perfume wasteland in Western Canada, so go a bit nuts when I go on holiday. I’ve found a nice store and their Goutals are all vintage (I can tell by the labels on the bottles).
Happy new year to everyone!
After hanging on for over a year, I broke down in November and bought a 50ml refill of Incense Oud by Kilian. I was missing and craving an incense on my wardrobe. Of course I had buyers remorse after such a long time.