Donatella, Our Lady of Scented Excess,1 is NOT going anywhere,2 and to prove it she is here, right on schedule, to check on her flock. She is wondering just how many bottles you might have acquired in the 3rd quarter (July, August and September) of 2018. Confessing is good for you.
My purchases...
I am thinking I might just need a travel bottle of Arielle Shoshana soon? But meanwhile, I sat out the third quarter — it was mostly too hot to ship perfume anyway. I'm still at the $297 for the year I reported at the end of the second quarter.
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.
2. Read more at Donatella Versace Speaks Out: 'I Am NOT Going Anywhere' at Out.
Miller Harris La Fumee Arabie 100ml
Frapin 1270 100ml
Parfum d’Empire Musc Tonkin 100ml
Hermes Eau de Neroli Dore 100ml Gift Set
2x Aldi Pomegranate 100ml (also got the luxury body cream and hand & body wash for just over 20 quid. Ha – take that Jo Malone!)
2x Aldi Lime, Basil & Mandarin 100ml
Etat Libre d’Orange Yes I Do 50ml
Also bought more ELdO Eau de Protection (50ml) and Bendelirious (50ml). I’m running a bit low on both, plus it looks like Bendelirious is being axed and I’m not ready to go without it just yet.
Oh, did not even think about Bendelirious getting axed but that makes sense!
Curiously it’s available on the US ELdO website. On the EU one it’s been temporarily out of stock pretty much since the beginning of the year. And Bloom in the UK had it as discontinued by the manufacturer before it went AWOL from there. I’m hoping it may pop back up with an identity change as a couple of others have, but their Remarkable People (aka Unremarkable Dullard) has lots of the same notes so it doesn’t look good…
How are those Aldi JM-knockoff body products? I am very much in love with JM body products and very disinterested in paying those prices.
Pretty darned good. Highly scented and tenacious, though I’ll caveat that by saying I don’t have scent eating skin. I bought the limited body cream in the screwcap glass tub and it’s luxuriantly thick. There’s a regular version in a pump dispenser but I haven’t tried that one. For the money it’s definitely worth a punt!
My Aldi’s only carried the candles and they are amazing!! I bought them for Christmas gifts.
I loved the pomegranate so much that I bought it in its reed diffuser form as well. It’s stinking up a storm in the bathroom!
Stinking in a good way ????????
my Aldi doesn’t carry them 🙁
Mine neither…
I always like to post after you
CdG Kyoto
CdG Jamislmer
And I’m about to buy a small bottle of Philosophy Fresh Cream Warm Cashemer because it’s an almost dead ringer for VS Vanilla Lace from the 90’s, before it was reformulated to smell like empty air. The body cream was so powerful, the coloring additives turned me slightly orange. Subtle, but enough for a physician to ask me if I had carotenemia. ????????
Kyoto has been on my buy list FOREVER.
Mine too. At least it feels that way!
ditto! (I wish there was, say, a box that had little travel sprays of all that incense series)
Kyoto has been on my list for-evah!
Two from the CdG Incense series? NICE!!!! ????
I got them @ twisted lily with a 20% off code, so maybe they don’t even count. I’m sure Donatella dismisses any bottle bought on discount, right…?
On the chance that Donatella likes a bargain as much as us regular folk, I’ll keep confessing!
Yay for Fresh Cream Warm Cashmere! I bought off of semi-evil QVC unsniffed and have no regrets.
I gave it a sniff yesterday at Ulta and was immediately transported back to my mid 90’s life- young, healthy, free, and fun. Oh, all the good feelz that came to me in that little sniff are so worth it! I may check out QVC and see what they have to offer. Thanks for mentioning it!
This is the vulgar ???? holiday set I got below. The perfume is 4 ounces aka supersized so it’s a great deal. The 2 ounces is $40 at Ulta. Plus note the $5 off code at top of page if it applies. No affiliation.
https://www.qvc.com/philosophy-super-size-holiday-scent-celebration-layering-set.product.A305710.html?colorId=849&sizeId=000&ref=GBA&cm_mmc=GOOGLESHOPPINGFEED-_-GShopping%7CM%7CGeneric%7Cbeauty-_-pla-_-sejZBh95C%7Cdm_44906288587_519694725494__A305710-849-000_&mkwid=sejZBh95C%7Cdm_pcrid_44906288587_519694725494_pkw__pmt__productid_A305710-849-000&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsZPsuKHq3QIVjpx-Ch28_A41EAQYAiABEgIUD_D_BwE&TZ=EST
So, if I lie in confession, does that mean I have to confess to the lie the next confession ? ????????????
Been there, done that.
????
HA.
Last quarter I bought three solids, none of which I ended up liking as much as I had in the store (I should see if anyone wants them at the next swapmeet), and a massive 200-mL spray bottle of Lush Rose Jam, which I adore. I’ve learned my lesson. This quarter I bought nothing, and I expect next quarter will be the same. I’m going to concentrate on using up things I already own.
Are the solids from Lush too?
So…I know that yesterday in the SOTD post, I said I’d been really good and had hardly spent any money on perfume. This, uh, has turned out not to be entirely true. BUT this is really only because I bought a BUNCH of perfumes to split! It’s really a public service.
The bottles that I bought for the splitmeet (sneak preview!) are: Memo African Leather, Odin Milieu Rosa, Guerlain Songe d’un bois d’été, l’Artisan Parfumeur 60 Mirabilis, CDG Blackpepper, and TDC Sel de Vetiver, and I spent a total of $1350 on those. At least two of those bottles were purchased on sale. I intend to split nearly half of that, so my INTENDED expenditure is $700. (Whether or not I successfully split half of that is another matter. I’m merely stating my intentions!)
In addition, I bought a bottle of Olfactive Studio Lumière Blanche all for myself, on sale, for $108.
So my total expenditure for this quarter will be between $810 and $1460.
That SOUNDS horrible, especially the upper end of the estimate, but it’s much, much less than the last quarter ($2150) and potentially much less than my first quarter ($1310). (As hajusuuri said yesterday, I’d have to be REALLY bad to look bad compared to my past self.) Moreover, I haven’t even really wanted to buy anything for weeks. So I’d say things are looking up! And I have high hopes that next quarter will find me having spent money on no perfume at all, except perhaps some splits! (A girl can dream, right?)
Anyway, this will have been the first year of my life with a real income, so I think it’s only to be expected that I would have spent absurd amounts of money. I got a BONUS. What are bonuses for if not ridiculous indulgences like perfume?! Oh, reasonable things like savings? Oh, I see. Next year.
Wow, that sounds delightful. I’m glad you’re celebrating your increased income. When I first had money, I spent so much on books and CDs it was ridiculous.
Mirabilis 60? Ooooooh.
If books and music hadn’t digitized, I’d have done the same 🙂 But I read almost exclusively on my Kindle and listen to music on Apple Music, so I’ve been saved of that particular line of expenditure!
And yep—I HAD to get that Mirabilis bee bottle before the bee bottles went the way of wild bees (too soon?).
Well, it’s always great to get a heads-up on what the splitmeet will bring 🙂
*waggles eyebrows suggestively* Hope you see things on that list that you’ll want some of 🙂
You always have such lovely choices, I’m definitely looking forward to the splitmeet now!
🙂
I do the same thing with my holiday bonus. This year’s looks to be going towards a bottle of 31 rue Cambon. 😉
Good choice!!
See, you are trending down in perfume spending! ????
There’s the optimism I love from NST 🙂
Heh, good job you!
You were positively angelic this quarter!
I would join your split for 60 Mirabilis.
As to bonus money, I tithe 10%, used to give 10% to my parents (not that they needed it but dad always thought that adult kids should give back to parents), 30% savings and the remainder play money.
That sounds like a very good bonus breakdown 🙂 advice for me to follow next year!
You are so Funny Koyel and your confession is such FUN to read!
Congratulations!! Opps I mean – do try to do better next quarter ( code speak!)
That’s terribly kind of you, AngelaB <3 I’m glad that if nothing else, my confessions provide you with some humor!
Oooooh, I’d be stoked to split some Sel de Vetiver.
Hooray! (It’s a beautiful one, isn’t it?)
I only bought one, and spent $26, for Jacomo Art Collection #8. I’ll come in well under $500 for the year if I’m not seized by some kind of perfume madness in the next three months.
I heard that is a good one. Money well spent.
There are usually good sales during the holidays. It could happen! ????
Spent 100 euros in this quarter – within my quaterlly limit but just barely.
FB:
Lush The Olive Branch body spray 200 ml
Minis:
Lohse Uralt Lavendel 10 ml
Decants:
Guerlain Habit Rouge EDP 10 ml
Guerlain Vetiver Men 15 ml
Guerlain L’Instant de Guerlain Pour Homme Extreme 8 ml
Guy Laroche Fidji vint EDT 6 ml
Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt 8 ml
Lancome Cuir de Lancome 10 ml
PG Cadjmere 8 ml
Serge Lutens Miel de Bois 10 ml
I also bought a lot of samples, but fortunately Donatella is not interested in them.
Glad to see somebody is still buying good old Miel de Bois 🙂
You get an enabler pin for drawing my attention to this gem!
So glad I bought it.
I bought nine FBs, but four of those were dirt cheap as at a shop going out of business with vintage-ish Jolie Madame, Cabochard and dc’ed Silk Way + Si Lolita for a grand total of $75. My only expensive bottle was Fille en Aiguilles (SL) and I’m glad I bought that. Planning on not buying anything for the rest of the year!
Congratulations on your great bargains. And Fille en Aiguilles is amazing.
Thanks! I think you did especially well with your vintage Fidji and the Miel de Bois!
CRIKEY DONATELLA, MUST YOU SNEAK UP ON ME LIKE THAT??? I don’t even know how you manage to sneak in those spike heels, but you sure did surprise me this quarter.
Hmmph. Fine, ok, here’s my confession.
I was quite well behaved in July. Only two purchases!
1. Lush Smuggler’s Soul, 30ml
2. Sonoma Scent Studio Incense Pure, 34ml
See? Such small bottles. So well behaved.
And then in August: zero. Zip, zilch, nada. That’s a first for me since I fell down this rabbit hole. NONE! Not even a mini! Really, truly NONE. No hand-waving, no creative accounting: NONE.
Ah, but then September. Cooler temperatures, Labor Day sales, and a whole lotta retail therapy needed in light of my husband’s broken elbow and our cancelled annual vacation (2018 has kinda sucked.)
3. Comme des Garcons Floriental, 50ml. Luca Turin’s fault.
4. Apoteker Tepe The Holy Mountain, 50ml. Well they closed shop, but then I found a store that still had a bottle, so it was now or never, right?
5. Lubin Vetiris, 75ml. Good stuff.
6. Chanel Cristalle Eau Verte, 50ml. I’ve tried and tried to like Cristalle but it still doesn’t quite fit. Eau Verte, though, is quite nice.
7. Arquiste Sydney Rock Pools, 100ml. Sure wish they’d make smaller sizes.
8. Ortigia Corallo, 30ml. Strange, but I like it. And the bottle is soooo pretty.
9. Fendi Theorema Eau d’Ete, 50ml. And the seller included a mini of the original Theorema which is SO FREAKING CUTE.
But then I sold or gave away 6 FB’s. So +3 overall… and I really shouldn’t count SSS since that’s a BUB, and I *had* to buy it. Probably shouldn’t count Apoteker Tepe either… last chances should not be passed up, right? And the Fendi was a rescue mission from Ebay. So, hey, basically a wash. Roughly speaking.
Now stop sneaking up on me, ok?!!
yikes! I thought you were shouting at me then…
How is the Apoteker Tepe Holy Mountain? Luca T’s review of it made me lem like crazy.
Sorry, I would never shout at you! To be honest I’m not sure I’ve ever shouted at anyone in person. Other than misbehaving cats. Who don’t care what I have to say, anyway.
Holy Mountain is quite nice. It had been on my wishlist a while, got jumped to the top when they closed up shop.
🙂 It’s fine… it’s my own fault for having a name that is an exclamation. And anyway, no one would ever mistake me for Donatella!
I bet the cats do care about some things you say: “dinner”, “vet”, or “maybe we should trim their nails now…” I swear my moggies go into hiding as soon as i mention the word “clippers”.
Yeah… “treaties!” they pay attention to. “STOP DIGGING THE CARPET!”, not so much.
In all fairness she warned you yesterday that she was coming! Admittedly, that is not a whole ton of warning.
And jealous of your mini Theorema, I can believe it is freaking cute.
Clearly I was not paying attention yesterday 🙂
Mini review on the Ortigia, please? I like the line and the notes on that sounded very interesting. However, whenever I see the line in a shop it is always Ambra Nera, Zagara, Sicilian Lime. Never the Corallo!
It’s definitely a bit odd. Herbal, but real-plants herbal, not kitchen herbal. Lots of fennel. A bit salty. Kinda like walking on a sand dune at the beach.
Sounds really nice. Would have been better for my future wallet if you said it had a vanilla cupcake drydown!
That sounds marvelous!
Damn impressive woman!!
Congrats on the Apoteker and the SSS! Those were definitely now or never buys.
Well, technically if I followed Pixel’s lead above and did not count BUBs I would be at zero 🙂
100 ml of Gap Heaven $25.87
50 ml Reglisse Noire $50.25 (well spent as I have been wearing it daily since it arrived and am close to having drained a third of the bottle.
and now I must resume my NO BUY for the rest of the year and into the next year.
Back ups don’t count – they’re simply extensions of those you already have. ????
oh Bob I just love you!!! OK Robin…delete this comment-LOL!!!!
Oh no, it stays. Donatella’s rules are at the end of the post 🙂
Can’t blame a girl for trying 😉
Finally you are reporting! Thumbs up! ????
???????????????? but technically according to every one BUBs don’t count ????????
I understand the sickness too well! I need to stop buying and do more selling.
I spent nothing last quarter and then more than made up for it in July and August.
It’s all because of sales, they happen during these months and I strongly feel one should not waste these opportunities so here goes:
Frédéric Malle: L’ Eau d’Hiver, Bigarade Concentrée and Géranium pour Monsieur
By Kilian: Water Calligraphy
Neila Vermeire: Trayee
All, and I repeat all, were at a 50% discount, so I feel a very happy customer! Especially about Trayee. That one was difficult because the shop still had bottles of Ashoka and Bombay Bling as well, and I really enjoy Bombay Bling. Still, there is a limit, even when there’s a sale on 😉
Wow, where did you get Malle at 50% off??
Dutch e-tailer!
Seething shopping envy over half-price Malle…
I know this doesn´t happen often which is why I grabbed my chance.
Wow, I’ve never seen that kind of discount on Malle in the US. Nice haul!
Thanks!
I wish I had a 50% off bottle of Pichola! Or maybe 75% off.
I´m still dreaming of finding a discounted Mohur extrait bottle.
Is Pichola your favourite?
Yes, by far!
Because I mostly perfume shop online I try not to buy May – September, because it is very hot where I live and I worry about my purchases being boiled in transit. However, I ALWAYS wind up cheating a little bit. That said, I only cheated the tiniest bit this last quarter – a decant site had a big sale at the beginning of Sept. and I grabbed 5ml of Heeley’s Iris de Nuit and 5ml of EldO’s Fils de Dieu. I’m glad I did, as they made me realize that I don’t need a fb of IdN but I DO need a fb of FdD.
Looking forward to reading about everyone else’s hauls!
Not sure if it matters to you but FdD comes in 30 mls. A friend gifted me with it for my bday. Love it!
They actually stopped stocking the 30ml bottles at Sephora and I thought I was out of luck, but the Eldo site has them! Definitely my preferred size . . .
Fils de Dieu makes for a great autumn scent, according to my nose. So that’s some excellent timing on your purchase.
FdD is WONDERFUL!!!
I usually forget something but here goes..
FB
CdC Ouarzazate 50 ml
?? I know I bought one other fb but am drawing a blank… Ugh…
Technically a fb but really…not
Vanilla Hinoki 7 ml, oil format
Satori -25 ml decant courtesy of sweet ElisaP.
Mini
5 ml PPC Sedona Sweetgrass
Also some samples and bday gifts but I’m not counting those.
I often forget what I buy and when. Sometimes I check back on NST to figure out when I got a certain bottle, sad I know!
It really is sad. When I arrived home, I opened my perfume cabinet and realized that It was a travel size of Puredistance White. Not exactly inexpensive….pathetic, am I.
You had to get Puredistance White!
Yes I did!
First confession to Donatella:
Gres Quiproquo 120ml: £15
Givenchy III: not quite full 60ml bottle: £10.50
AA Winter Delice 125ml: £29
Vol de Nuit vintage 97ml: £35
Lentheric Amber 50ml: £8.50
Hermes Amazone vintage 100ml: £32
SL Santal Majuscule 50ml: I think it was around £58
Paco Rabanne Calandre BUB 100ml: £20
I successfully resisted other temptations so I reckon it could have been worse, but I intend to be more reasonable next quarter as I want to spend my money not on myself but on Xmas gifts, the fun is that some will be scented gifts.
Nice bargains on those vintage scents!
Yes, Pixel, thank you very much, but you know, I had to wait a very long time to get VdN like that, I made the offer which was accepted by a seller I know and trust, at auction VdN goes for much higher prices.
Satori FB, but went halfsies on it with Petunia (thank goodness for screw-off atomizers!)
A BV Eau de Velours mini and a handful of samples, which I’ll count because the majority are now lemmings (Satori was in that pile)! Argh!!!
Ooh, what else went on your buy list?
Le Cri (which is sold out at Luckyscent and Beautyhabit, so I guess it was on many lists), BF Fontevraud, Dusita Issara, Lubin Upoer Ten for Her, and Bogue MEM. I’d be happy with decants of any or all.
I want Le Cri also and MEM is great too. Nice list!
* Bogue MEM (50ml extrait. This was my birthday present to myself)
* Slumberhouse Kiste (30ml extrait, but half price bargain of the year from not-always-evil bay)
* Aeon 001 (65ml extrait, but this was the other crazy bargain, and, I’d been looking for a bottle for yonks)
* Vintage Miss Dior EDT (30ml, with a matching tiny little soap. Too cute to pass up.)
Le Labo Vetiver 46 (only a wee travel spray, but, hmm, that’s more quid-per-ml than it feels worth in retrospect even though I do like it a lot)
More money than I had realised I’d spent, but I’m pretty sure that’s it for the quarter. Though my brain might be shoving a few things behind the curtains and whistling innocently…
Birthday presents don’t count 😉
I like the way you think 🙂
also, that Aeon? Like the MEM, I swear it could have been made for me, it’s such a perfect fit. Long live Antonio Gardoni and all who sail in the good ship Bogue.
..and there’s a decant of T-Rex in the post to me as we speak. But I paid for those last year, so all my decant loveliness this year has been free.
CM8 is correct… I think that Donatella has never been concerned about birthday gifts.
Probably my most expensive quarter ever but I only turn 50 once
I think Donatella can tell you how to do it more than once if you ask nicely 🙂
Good one.
L’Animal Sauvage $115
Greenwich $120
Slinky Carnation ( my custom DSH scent!) $950
Of course, getting to have a perfect scent made will probably reduce my spending for a while….
Correction, Greenwitch
Do you know, I actually think that is quite reasonable for a custom scent, and your description of the experience made it sound absolutely worth it.
Totally worth it. I cut my perfume spending in the previous quarters to do it. I also think that having been a creative director will make it harder to buy other scents in the future since my standards have been raised. It also means that I’m probably going to re-evaluate a chunk of my collection as to how well it still fits me
Amen to that!!
I’m not ready to confess everything, but I did get:
2x30ml travel bottle of Feu d’Issey Light (might sell one…)
1x50ml bottle of Montana Parfum de Peau
1x100ml and 1x50ml of Byzance EdT (the second bottle was only 8.95!!)
2x50ml bottles of Insense (the original) for $35 each
1x50ml of Heritage EdT (vintage)
1x100ml of Bel Ami (vintage )
1x50ml of Celine Magic
1x100ml of vintage Spellbound (only $32!)
1x50ml of Kingdom
I can honestly say I didn’t buy anything over $70. I will try to be more restrained this upcoming quarter though.
Oh! That Bel Ami! Wonderful
That was a cool find! Stl smells great!
Wow, you found some amazing goodies!!!
I’ll admit, looking for discontinued gems in one of my new favorite pastimes! I’m going to need to start looking further out though.
Congrats on the Byzance, a big favourite!
Thank you! I just love its abstract oriental leanings. I actually saw a bottle of the EdP on my last expedition, and have been debating it. I know the EdP is rarer….
Donatella forgives…
🙁
Shocked to see how much company I have in “nary a one”! My spending has mostly been on comics (Bethesda, MD has a truly excellent indie comic convention, SPX, every September) and highlighter palettes this quarter. Not that that’s any excuse, of course! 😉
I hope some famous designer is making you confess your comic book purchases!
This has been my most restraint quarter since falling down the rabbit hole last year
$25.00 – on 2 Scentbird decants, Carner Tardes & Goutal Tenue de Soiree (arg! because I forgot to put a freeze on my delivery!)
$31.49 – 50ml of Samsara EDP from Fragrancenet, after much deliberation, and testing from a decant, feeling good about this one.
TOTAL: $56.49
for a “no buy” I’m pretty happy about this. Note: I have not reported my Q1 or Q2 spending, ha ha
Not bad at all, congrats!
Thanks!
I splashed out in July for a Natural Selection set from Zoologist, with Bat, Elephant, Rhinoceros, Moth and Camel – mostly for my delightfully scented husband. That left me with limited budget for the other two months but I did manage to cadge wee bottles of vintage Diorling and Crepe de Chine.
Then I spent the rest of my budget on swap mailings and oh my goodness, do I feel rich, with a huge chunk taken out of my sampling wish list, as well as bits and bobs of Chevrefeuille, Olene, Chant d’Aromes, Traversee du Bosphore, Tea for Two, Imogen Rose, Cabaret…
vintage Diorling?!
*swoon*
Please see below….I bought too much last quarter. Maybe I should abstain from perfume in the 4th quarter and focus on makeup with all the holiday releases. ???? ????
-2 bottles of Tempo…so good that I bought a bottle then turned right around and got a BUB (happened to get a steal on EvilBay for the 2nd)
-Philosophy Fresh Cream Warm Cashmere
-Fragonard Jasmin
-Fragonard Verveine
-Lucy B.’s Tiare Coconut
-EDT and EDP samples of Vetyverio for Science
-Roger & Gallet travel sprays of Tubereuse Hedonie, Verveine Utopie and The Fantaisie
-Ormonde Jayne Travel Lab 3 Discovery set
-Baccarat Rouge Extrait decant
-Sylvaine Delacourte Musk and Vanilla sample sets…wasn’t that wowed by the musks but I loved the vanillas
Any verdict on the Vetyverio samples?
I preferred the EDT. More effervescent somehow and a bit more feminine to my nose.
Sistine’ post below reminded me I bought the 7 sampler deal from Sylvaine Delacourte too. Hahahaha. Just received it but purchased in September. One of each of the vanillas plus Florentina and Lilylang. How could I forget? ????
I’m looking forward to the fall makeup releases too. 🙂
I bought the most I have in any quarter (11 bottles), but 10 of them were wee 7.5 ml sprays. Some don’t count – I bought them in Berlin!
Souvenirs, so don’t really count:
3 Frau Tonis Parfum travel sprays: Munchen, Linde Berlin and Feige
15 ml bottle le labo lys 41
Ordered on a whim due to 30% off and cute travel case:
7 Sylvaine Delacourt travel sprays: (5 Smeraldo, 1 Dovana and 1 Helicriss)
Fun! And jealous of your Linde and your Lys 41.
I was very chaste this quarter, Donatella!
100ml Bulgari au The Noir on clearance at TJ Maxx for $20
app. 15-20ml of vintage Chanel 5 cologne from ebay for $12.99
The rest was samples and/or gifts which cost more than the above bottles:
Papillon perfumery sample set ($35).
Tauer Rose Kandhahar Mini ($25) – present.
Tauer sample set ($31) present.
Tauer samples & Tauer mag ($20).
I rashly placed a bit on something on ebay last night – my 4th quarter spending might start in a couple of hours!
I was haunting TJM sibling Winners for Bulgari au The Noir. I did find some lotion and the shower gel there, but had to get the perfume itself at a discounter for alas rather a lot more than $20. More shopping envy…
So, 2 1/2, i.e. not too busy this quarter: Lancome Oud Bouquet and Green Tea Honeysuckle by Elizabeth Arden at a discounter (oth unsniffed but they turned out fine). A tiny bottle of Pacifica Waikiki Pikake at Winners rounded things out at a bit over $C100 for everything.
Good for you on the Pacifica because that scent is discontinued.
The Ulta near me still has many of the Pacifica scents in stock (though not Tibetan Mountain Temple, which is the one I wanted). I did manage to panic a friend into buying Tuscan Blood Orange and the rose one when I mentioned they were discontinued!
I think just about everything on sale or discounted or gift card or something or other!
Arquiste Ella (ditto whoever said they wish they had smaller sizes!)
HB Slowdive
MM L’Attesa (second bottle!)
MM Hemingway
19-69 Capri
Naomi Goodsir Iris Cendre (BUB half prince!)
Naomi Goodsir Cuir Velours (BUB half price!)
Provisions Resonance
Di Ser can’t spell it! Starts with a K!
Heeley Phoenicea
JSP Burvuvu – small bottle
And too many samples!
Nice mix — you must be a good sale shopper!
$0
I bought a 30ml bottle of Comptoir Sud Pacifique Aqua Motu for $35. However, when I received it, the clear wrapping around the box and seal were missing. After leaving a bad review a representative from Beauty Encounter called me and issue a full refund. The juice, bottle and box are in perfect condition and I got it for free!!!
Real for free is the best perfume math! Yay you!????
Donatella applauds!
You did good!!!! And it was a BUB so technically didn’t count anyway!!
A perfect way to spend $0!!????????
Yum, Aqua Motu! That’s a great deal.
Congratulations! Well done????
$35 was cheap, but free is cheaper ???? Nice!
All I bought this quarter were decants, all of which were on sale from TPC and STC. I hate those flash sales since I cannot seem not to buy. I also bought a couple of mini bottles from eBay and of course my Scentbird picks.
I’m pretty sure I didn’t buy anything this time around, except a few lotions and shower gels. Really hoping to have something to confess next time.
You did great! I hope not to buy anything on the next quarter. Fingers crossed! ????
Nicely done avoiding temptation this time around! ????
I checked the “2 to 4 bottles” box, but actually it was a three-scent Norell sampler (a quarter-ounce of each) from NM at a remarkably reasonable price. It just arrived yesterday, and I haven’t tried any yet. Norell Elixir edp, Norell New York parfum (!), and Norell Blushing edp. Much anticipation, but will wait for cooler weather before trying them – I think that summer weather won’t show them at their best.
Those mini bottles are so cute!
I actually bought nothing until last week. Lancome had their travel bottles of their new line on sale for 30.00 US, so I scooped Orange Tea and Iris Dragree.
They just arrived yesterday, so I almost didn’t count them till next time
Wow! Great price!!
Yes, fantastic price. Did you buy unsniffed or do you already know you love them?
Unsniffed, but for that price, I couldn’t resist
Please report on the iris when you’ve tried it.
It is a powdery, but only slightly sweet iris. Didn’t have much projection or longevity on me, and I generally hold on to scents forever!!
Still, I didn’t really give them a fair trial, so more to come.
The Orange tea one screamed “Coco” to me for the 1st 20 minutes.
Thanks!
My ears perked up at the screams of Coco too. ???? ????
Didn’t see that promo, darn. I would have snagged those for sure.
Where are the travel sizes being sold? I could use some Parfait de Roses
Nordstrom:
https://shop.nordstrom.com/c/all-womens-fragrance?breadcrumb=Home%2FBeauty%2FFragrance&top=72&offset=2&page=1&sort=Boosted&brand=454
I was just getting ready to pay myself on the back for buying only one bottle, when I realized that’s not quite true.
Lush I’m Home, 30 miles of cocoa-y, gourmand goodness – $49.95
SSS Pacific Forest, 10 ml, $40.00 and was I thrilled to get it.
Imaginary Authors Memoirs of a Trespasser & Falling into the Sea, both travel sprays, both in around $31 each.
I regret nothing.
Sigh. Pat myself on the back.
I need to try that Lush! And congrats on the SSS.
Only three, which was three more than I bought in the preceding three months. I fell off the wagon, yet somehow regret nothing.
– Mugler Alien 10ml travel spray (so cute, and more Alien than I’ll need for a long, long while, although it is refillable)
– Aramis Tuscany Per Uomo ($20 for 100ml, bought unsniffed, and a total home run)
– Lalique Encre Noire (also unsniffed, and another home run, seems perfect for fall)
That isn’t too far a fall off the wagon, and everyone needs Encre Noire!
I bought Encre Noir unsniffed too, on Robin’s recommendation. A bargain and a winner!
“It wears like the sheerest possible veil of something black and gauzy”, per Robin’s review, was what pushed me over the edge. And at the discounted price, what’s the worst that can happen? It’s such an easy scent, for all I’ve read about it being a dark, smoky, damp, moody thing. Yes, it is all those things to some degree, but it’s also incredibly wearable, not an avant-garde work of olfactory art. I love it.
Donatella, I was naughty (for me), with a tally of 3 bottles. I figure travel sprays and such count as 1/2 bottles.
5mL SSS Fireside Intense
5mL Nostalgie
50 mL AG Nuit Etoilee EdT
50 mL L’Artisan Timbuktu
Both the Nuit Etoilee and the Timbuktu were under $50. It took a fair amount of lurking and bottle stalking to find those prices!
Wow, good job you! I should ask you to find my next FB.
It took about 18 months for me to find the Timbuktu at a price I liked.
Nice prices and worth waiting for!
My memory tends to be a bit faulty when it comes to the Donatella polls but I think I was pretty good this quarter…
15 ml PdN Fig Tea
12 ml MDCI Promesse de l’Aube
(I just love these small sizes!)
Sample set from the Zoo
S Delacourte samples (practically free!)
I love those small MdCi! Such great perfumes!
How are you liking the zoo sample set? What five did you pick and what do you think? Do tell! I was eyeing that sample set myself…????
Zoologist has some amazing scents, plus a couple which are interesting, but not wearable to me.
I highly recommend trying Civet (smells vintage) and Camel ( reminds me of El Attrine)
This thread is the LAST thing I need to read right now. I’ve also been eyeing the Zoology sampler set, but my poor credit card…she’s had a rough year.
Many decants: Roja, Le Labo, FMK Oud Satin/Oud Cashmere Moods, 10 Corso Como, FM Carnal Flower, Byredo Gypsy Water, Heeley Cardinal, Tom Ford Arabian Wood…
Full bottles:
Fracas edp
Opium edp
No 5 Edp
Vtg Tresor edp (CVS find)
2 Isabey Gardenia purse sprays
Do Son edt
Poeme edp
Beautiful edp
Beautiful Belle edp
St Barth’s Vanilla West Indies edp
Michael edp vtg (eBay)
Ines de la Fressange edp
Angel edp with the bulb atomizer Samsara edp
No 19 Edp
I really wanted Roja Ti Amo, but got Reckless instead. It’s nice, but Ti Amo is amazing. Would want to swap for Ti Amo.
Wow, awesome bottles! I sniffed Beautiful Belle last week and thought it was really nice!
Thank you ???? BB is really nice! Poeme was one I couldn’t wear back in the 90s, but smelled it on someone last week and decided to take another chance.
What a great list 🙂 Yum, enjoy!
Great list
Four bottles:
1/2) SJP Stash 10 mL EdP roller ball–$25
1) PPC Moss Gown 5 ml EdP roller ball–$45
2) PPC Sedona Sweet Grass 50 mL EdP –$175
3) SSS Incense Pure 34 ml EdP–$80
4) PPC Lemon Liada 50 ml EdP–$100
Total damage–$425. But–the Stash was less than $50, so really it was free; the Sedona Sweet Grass and Moss Gown were vacation souvenirs purchased at the shop when we were in Providence, so really they don’t count as regular perfume purchases; the Incense Pure was a case of now or never; and the Lemon Liada is a limited edition, so I couldn’t hesitate too long on that one either–so really, I bought 0 bottles and spent $0. Right?
There is something about Stash that’s so addictive. And the elixir oil is awesome also.
Nice perfumista math!!
Not sure if I confessed this last quarter as it was on the cusp time-wise. I bought a 50 ml bottle of Orris Tattoo and also decants of L’Attessa and Iris Poudre, but these are pretty tiny. Only 6 ml each. Hardly worth mentioning.
I’ve had many purchases in a shopping cart several times but ended up abandoning them due to indecision and also trying to use what I have; do I really need more? But then I still owe myself my birthday bottle (from September). I guess I do need more..
Such fun reading these, thanks, all!
Fragrance-wise, I only bought a few daily lemmings this quarter: the Shikai Yuzu Shower Gel, (which was a big hit) and the Everyone Citrus Mint Soap (I think the daily lemming was the Lemon Cedar which is next on my list), and both are being put to good use. I also bought the Hawaiian Tropic Lime Coolada After Sun lotion which did not live up to my expectations. I hope to have more to confess next quarter, Donatella!
Made one very expensive purchase when I was visiting my brother in Tampa in March; hand baggage only trips in 2nd & 3rd quarter of the year precluded anything further being purchased, as will London trip in November. However, with the recent news about House of Fraser directors & senior management being sacked, I may have to have a spur of the moment overnight visit to Glasgow so I can plunder their existing stock before the new owner renders the business unrecognisable & probably a place I will never set foot in again!
I bought a small size of Mugler Aura for the gorgeous green gem-like bottle, but I got it on my sale at Ulta, so not too bad, and it turns out that I quite like the juice. And as a birthday treat for myself in August, I bought the MFK sample set from Luckyscent. Really good purchase and I got a very nice array of MF-created samples along with it. No regrets here!
I think I was pretty good this quarter:
Yves Rocher Sensual Coconut mini
Yves Rocher Moment du Bonheur mini
Yves Rocher Quelques Notes d’Amour mini
Smell Bent Prairie Nymph 50ml
Smell Bent 1999 mini
Parfumerie Generale Cuir d’Iris 50ml partial bottle
Astier de Villate Grand Chalet 50ml
Maison Margiela Replica Discovery Set
Tom Ford Soleil Blanc mini
Only three full size bottles, and I gave away two of the YR minis in the freebiemeet. Since samples don’t count, I won’t include the Margiela discovery set, and the Soleil Blanc mini is only 3ml so that doesn’t count either. And reall, the Smell Bent 1999 mini is only 4ml, so we don’t need to count that. We’ll go with 3.5 bottles.
My first confession to Donatella and I think all well-justified buys:
– Encre Noire for hubby birthday present
– Abel Odor discovery set (continuing my all natural exploration)
– Vanilla Flash cuz I got worried when Andy posted about vanilla shortage
– Mohur which I still haven’t opened and hoping to offer some of in split-meet.
– SD sampler sets but those so cheap they shouldn’t count
I think this is my first ever confession to Donatella.
Three bottles on ebay, which came to about $125.
Shalimar edp
Kelly Caleche edp
Chanel 19 Poudre edp
All full-bottle worthy, IMO! And actually, I used up two bottles and sold two more, so I think I’m at a net -1 for the quarter!
But I didn’t confess last quarter…
OK, here is last quarter… about $200 altogether. Ouch.
Jolie Madame edt
Ivoire vintage splas
hVent Vert edt
Galanos parfum
Shalimar parfum
And one of those French boxed samplers with Ma Griffe, Antilope, Miss Balmain and Givenchy III
I chose 2-4 bottles, but had conveniently forgotten those BUBs I got in that big sale on Naomi Goodsir that Amy also appears to have scored on. I got Or du Sérail, Cuir Velours and Iris Cendre.
Of the ones I remembered 🙂 it was Mugler Aura, Guerlain Samsara, Hermes Cèdre Sambac and Agar Ébène.
Sorry so late. Was out of town.
Relatively restrained.
Comme des Garçons Tar, 50 ml.
Comme des Garçons Garage, 50 ml.
Comme des Garçons Sticky Cake, 50 ml.
Comme des Garçons Andy Warhol’s You’re In, 100 ml.
Hermès Concentré d’Orange Verte, 50 ml.
Serge Lutens Bas de Soie, 50 ml.
Serge Lutens Le Participe Passé, 100 ml.
Serge Lutens L’Innommable, 100 ml.
At least a month late, but I’m posting here so I can find it later if I want to do a yearly total! 🙂 (So no one will see this but me? LOL)
1. Body Shop Indian Night Jasmine $10.80
2. Body Shop Mango Body Mist $7.80
3. Scentbird July: Amouage Lilac Love Woman $15
4. Scentbird August: English Laundry Signature for Her $15
5. Scentbird September: Nateeva St. Martin $15
6. Body Shop Moringa EdT $8.40
7. Britney Spears Hidden Fantasy $16.93
8. Britney Spears Fantasy $22.15
9. Elizabeth Arden White Tea $24.00 *****FAVORITE BUY THIS QUARTER!!! 🙂