It's Cheap Thrills Friday! Our community project today (brought back by request): wear something that costs $50 or below, double bonus points if it costs $25 or below. No points for wearing something expensive that you bought cheaply via a sample or decant or somesuch! We're trying to find real bargains here.
What fragrance did you pick? As always, do chime in with your scent of the day even if you’re not participating in the community project.
I'm in the lovely Aftelier Ancient Resins body oil and hair elixir, developed for the late great Leonard Cohen, and coming in just at the wire at $50. I included it in my 11 Cheap Perfumes Beauty Outsiders Love.
Reminder: 5/24 is Bob Dylan's birthday. Match a fragrance to a Bob Dylan song, OR, tell us who YOUR favorite musical artist is and match a fragrance to one of his/her/their songs.
And for those of you who like to plan ahead, see Scent of the day ~ Friday community projects 2019, where I'll try to always have the next five or six weeks mapped out in advance.
Aldi. Velvety Rose. £5.99. Get in!
Nice!
I’m sure this has been asked already, but do any US Aldi stores carry perfume? I know it’s not in my local stores.
I didn’t even know there were Aldi stores in the US. Your comment made me look it up. Indeed, there is an Aldi 175 miles south of me in a town called Hanford, which is about 50 miles south of Fresno. Live and learn. I do wish I could try the Aldi perfume and candle dupes!
Aldi is great! I’m in the Midwest and have a lot of locations to choose from but I’ve never seen the perfume or candles anywhere.
I’m in the Chicago area and a frequent Aldi shopper. A few years ago they did have some fragrances for awhile but not anymore. But candles are often available and they are excellent and not expensive. Occasionally, especially around Mother’s Day or. Christmas, body products like lotions, sprays and hand creams are available.
There are some. We were going to get one and I just found out they pulled out due to parking issues at the site in question.
It’s a rather tangled situation but Aldi and Trader Joe’s are sort of related. Not common ownership, but each owned by a brother who once operated jointly. I’ve never been to an Aldi but wouldn’t be surprised if there’s some overlap amongst product sources. People who have been to both say they see similarities.
Mehhhhhh, I’m a huge TJ fan, but am decidedly meh about Aldi. I don’t see the similarities (besides the reasonable prices).
Both are German-owned, at any rate – but while Aldi is truly a German export to the world (you’re welcome :)), Trader Joe’s must have been bought by whoever now owns Aldi (used to be two brothers who divvied up the German stores – Northern half to one brother, Southern half to the other).
More than similarities. I shop at TJ’s sometimes and Aldi’s frequently and have found some of the same TJ specials at Aldi’s, same stuff in only slightly different packaging but the same stuff, at significantly less cost.
Aldi US info. Just saw this this morning. When I was in Ireland, I went with my aunt to several. She was head over heels for them. To me, it seemed like the wal-mart equivalent to groceries. A lot of “stuff” super cheap, from China, Japan, etc., or origins unknown. https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2019/05/business/aldi-walmart-low-food-prices/index.html
I have the same opinion. I actually prefer Walmart to Aldi.
Maybe it’s just a UK thing – their own stuff is usually excellent. The perfumes here turn up occasionally as part of their special buys. Diffusers, room sprays, body lotions and washes seem to be permanent stock items for some of the scents.
Do you have Trader Joe’s in the UK? Their own branded items here are usually good quality as well–especially for the price. Not terribly glamorous for bringing as a host gift, but many of the TJ label wines are really terrific. They have soaps, and some other “beauty” products, but no perfumes. I have a vague memory of a TJ candle, which I think was totally unremarkable.
Interesting article. In my state there are only two Trader Joe’s, both in the state capital which is an all day round trip for me. The demand for a TJ in the next biggest city is huge but from what I’ve read, TJ refuses to build there. I wonder if it’s because there are so many Aldi locations.
Thanks, Deva, for posting this interesting article. I’m proud to be an Aldi nerd (and I never shop at Walmart; they are not at all alike to me.) Despite its smallish size, it offers a great selection of organic, non-GMO, gluten-free products; I don’t have to buy multiples of an item or items in bulk to get a good price and don’t have to shop sales or hunt for coupons and I love the European flavor of so many of the items. I’ve received so many compliments on products purchased there, not just foodstuffs but non grocery items as well. When I tell someone I got it from Aldi their surprised reaction is often ‘Really???’ That always makes me smile.
Bob, you make me curious about Aldi perfumes. Hhave you tried some of the Lidl perfumes too?
I know I have, but really don’t remember much about them…
Thank you, I will try to smell Lidl scents when I have a chance.
Two German brothers split their business over the issue of cigarette sales. The brother who owns & operates Aldi’s wanted to sell cigs, the TJ’s brother didn’t (this is the one who died 1+ years ago). I’ve been shopping at TJ’s since 1995, first in Pacific Grove, then in Monterey. Yes, TJ’s won’t enter a market with competing Aldi’s stores. There’s an Aldi’s in Spotsy. I greatly prefer TJ’s, but have to go to DC or Richmond for it. Gonna check out Aldi’s again, now that they might have frags!
SJP Covet thanks to a lovely NST swapper – but if I were to buy it, it’s quite reasonable on discount sites, though there is less of it around than there used to be. I like this unusual fragrance and I even like the crazy color.
FriYAY! (Right, Jada?) Have a great day, all!
And may I request a community project? I’d love to do one similar to matching a scent to Bob Dylan’s songs except let’s do Eric Clapton – anything of his own or that he contributed to should give us a wide variety. Or am I way too old school here?
I almost chose SJP Stash!
And hey, Bob Dylan is more old school than Eric Clapton! Or at least, it’s a toss up. But do an Eric Clapton song next week — full credit no matter what musician you pick.
Will do!
Oh ya. Stash should def be on my list of fave cheap thrills! Forgot about that one. Another “winter” scent that’s been boxed away.
Twins!! This is my absolute favorite cheapie – I got two gift sets from Marshall’s several years ago so I have a backup as well as a purse spray. You smell great!
Oh, I love Covet, too, another of my favorite cheap thrills. I think of it as a 3-season fragrance and like to layer it over a lemon, lavender or light chocolate body lotion as the seasons change. Works great!
Covet SJP, 100ml purchased @ the Filene’s GOOB sale for the grand total of $6.36.
This is an odd yet endearing scent much like SJP herself (maybe).
Twins!
✌✌
I really liked that one, and I *loved* the ad and visuals.
I got so jealous that you still had a Filene’s near you, then realized what GOOB meant. :.(
Triplets – your price was even better than mine!
I almost wore this one today, too (see my post above). Such an unusual scent!
I used to work at a Filene’s!
In the refreshing Guerlain AA Herba Fresca for a very warm, perfect, sunny day. It is less than $50.
Happy Friday!
I forgot about AA line! You smell fresh and lovely.
Thank you! The AA line is very affordable and easy to wear.
Oh nice. I am planning to sample this one soon. It sounds so great for warm weather
It is perfect for summertime! I am sure you will like it.
Nice one! And it is a bargain- I think I paid about $25 for a tester at a brick and mortar perfume discount place in the city.
My full bottle is running very low already, so I need to get a replacement soon. No wonder the price is fantastic!
One of my favorite fragrances of all time. You smell so nice !!
Thank you!? It is a great perfume for sure!
Ooooh, you smell great. That’s one of my all time favorites!
Thank you Sistine! That citrusy, minty scent is fantastic, especially for humid days!
Oh it makes me long for warmer days to wear HF.
It looks like we are finally getting warmer temperatures here. Time to start bringing out Herba Fresca and similar fumes to the front of the perfume cabinet!
One of my favorite warm weather scents! You smell lovely!
Thank you! I see Herba Fresca has many fans here!
Guerlain Vetiver. You can get it for around $30 at fragrancex.com (or similar sum at other dsicounters).
Scent twins today!
Looks like there are three of use today!
Great choice!
Thank you!
Scent triplets!
Vetiver fans unite!
I adore that one. You smell wonderful.
Thanks. It’s a classic!
A very good choice, Vetiver really is a classic, and you’re right so affordable.
It is fortunate for me that my two favorite vetivers (this one and Encre Noire) are so affordable.
Out of step with the CP as per usual in SL Vetiver Oriental.
RIP Grumpy Cat. I’m off to fight the fine folks at the US Post Office. Pretty sure I will carry on the Grumpy Cat tradition, emulating those classic good looks, by the time I’m done.
Oh, no! Not Grumpy Cat! ? I hope you keep his memory alive today! Not that I’m wishing you stress at the PO, but I’m sure it’s inevitable.
Grumpy Cat..nooo! That makes me very sad.
Wishing you the best of luck at the Post Office.
Good luck at the post office. I hope everything goes smoothly.
My husband told me about grumpy cat this morning. Bummer.
Out of step but smelling awesome!
Sad news about Grumpy Cat.
I know! What an iconic kitty! But apparently, Grumpy had a good death in that he/she was well loved and cared for to the very end. ?
You are right. To me she was a grandmom of internet celebrity cats, so it’s like the death of a legend.
Surprised and saddened to hear about Grumpy Cat. ??
Me too. Only 7, but apparently it was kidney issues, which seems to plague domestic cats. Both of mine died from the same system failure. ??
Bvlgari Omnia
On sale at a online discounter for 33.88 or 14 bucks for the mini size.
buonagiornata!
I did not realize it was still so cheap!
Me neither! The company must have made WAY too much for it to still be at the discounters all this time later.
Hi twin!!! I love this creamy/spicy scent and it was my first cheap thrill/blind buy. I’m on my second bottle now, thanks to a generous NST pal
Hey Twin!
?
I only have two backup bottle perfumes – SJP Covet and Omnia! You smell great!
Where did you get your back up bottle?
I wish I remembered – have had it for a couple of years; probably one of the discounters.
Have you checked out the Gucci lipsticks? Really nice packaging and just right for summer!
I love Omnia; if it were autumn I would have chosen this one for today’s project.
I’m in a sample of Fragonard Lavande which retails for $28 for a bottle. It’s more powdery, chewy iris than lavander, though. Nice but I don’t need more. So glad it’s Friday!
Plus, gorgeous bottle.
I was hoping to love it for that reason!
Esprit d’Oscar, one of my favorite cheap thrills.
Hello, twin.
I’m wearing a fragrance oil dupe of Coco Mademoiselle which has more citrus and less patchouli than Coco Mad and smells very nice, but unfortunately I can’t find the name of the dupe company anywhere
Oh, please let us know if you find it. I have always thought I could like CM exactly as you describe this one.
I will! If I recall correctly there were some other scents I wanted to try.
Found it – oilperfumery.com. Original name, right?
Ha – thx
Some of my favorite cheap thrills are:
Encre Noir
Esprit d’ Oscar
Yatagan
Canturi
Lady Danger
Interestingly, I’ve put all of these away for the summer…thinking of them more as cold weather scents.
I’m in something today I purchased for $45 (100mls!), but it was discounted at the time–Coqui Coqui’s Rosas Frescas. The notes are listed as rose and lemon–which seems misleading. This one has some lemongrass (but just a hint–I have trouble with many roses that have too much lemongrass, but it works with this perfume) and patchouli, and a background fizz that is like aldehydes–almost soap…almost. Love this perfume!
That sounds lovely!
Yessss for Canturi! You got me hooked on that one!
I bought my bottle of Yatagan in TK Maxx for 12 quid!
Rosas Frescas sounds good.
Does free count as a cheap thrill? I’m wearing You or Someone Like You, which I received from Robin in one of her giveaways. It reminds me of Herba Fresca, which I could have worn since it was a gift from my sister, who carted it over from France.
30ml bottle on Amazon for $42, so I vote you meet the CP.
Free is the ultimate cheap thrill.
Yay!
Clinique Blue Sky Neroli. I bought the 15 ml bottle for $22 a few months ago.
Happy Friday !
Nice! I’m curious about that Clinique line, but haven’t had a chance to test. How’s Blue Sky Neroli?
I want to know too!
I think this is the first time I have seen anyone mention the Blue Sky Neroli here.
It is very pleasant and easy to wear. I would say it’s in the same style as Hiris and La Pausa.
Roberto Cavalli Oro; 5 ml in mini dabber for probably $5 or less?
Nice.
SJP Stash, from a gift set bought at TJMaxx for less than $10. I got the oil in it, too.
Wow, that’s a fantastic deal!
Love Stash. You smell great!
I got that gift set at Marshall’s! Bottle, roll-on, and oil, for somewhere around $15, a year or so ago.
You smell great! I got the same gift set although I think I paid $25, so you win!
Good morning!
Starting out in Pacifica Malibu Lemon Blossom.
Pacifica is a winner both for prices and quality.
Totally agree on both counts.
One of my favorite lemon scents, always reminds me of driving down the California coastal highway.
Slept through my alarm and almost forgot, but I’m wearing Clever Girl by Fortune Cookie Soap, which is a cheaper Rose Jam dupe. $13 for a roller which is the only size they offer so it counts!
Went to see John Wick 3 yesterday, and it was the most absurd (in a good way) one yet. Anyone making an action movie without Keanu Reeves is wasting your time! Don’t settle for less.
Love John Wick! I would watch Keanu in anything ?
Have you seen the trailer for the Netflix movie “Stop Everything”? It has Keanu in it and it’s making me laugh so hard!
I have not! I will definitely look it up.
White Shoulders which is easily found on ebay for under $25
Such a classic.
It was one of my first perfumes. I had a mini and thought it was gorgeous.
I still think that, especially in the summer
I must be very behind. I don’t shop or look at Luckyscent too often anymore. But I decided to window shop yesterday and saw that Luckyscent was offering some of the bell jars for sale and a few of the black refill bottle things. The black bottles where way out of my price range. Think about it, $375 for one of them. I can get a bottle or two of Amouage at Fragrancenet. Not participating in the CP today, I am wearing Sarrasins today. I was lucky to find a bell jar of Sarrasins for $200 and 80% full.
Sarrasins! My favorite Lutens. You smell fantastic. Congrats on the bell jar!
You always have such a lovely collection of perfumes
Thank you! Just wish I either won or inherited some money to make it even more fabulous. I think all of us would.
Sarrasins is gorgeous! Nice job finding that bell jar.
L’Heure Bleu, which squeaks in in the mid $40s for a big bottle.
That’s a good deal! You smell geeat!
Lush Rentless, the solid version. A little bit lasts all day, and it goes for about $12.
Yay for Lush fragrances!
2nd that!
Lalique Encre Noire A L’Extreme for me!
Pretty sure I still haven’t tried that one! Pretty happy with the regular though and probably will never run out.
Robin, I rarely recommend scents for others to try. For the price, this is hard to pass up. I can even send you some if you’d like. It is mellower than the original. Ordinarily, that would be a turnoff for me since I love Encre Noire so much. I just think this smells really nice and is well done.
Sorry to be so late getting back here Michael! That’s interesting. If you’re still up for it shoot me an email, robin at nstperfume dot com.
I’m wearing my MCMC Fragrances Maine perfume oil roll-on — $45, and it gives me more pleasure than many more $$$ rose fragrances I’ve tried! Lemony beach rose with a little fresh sage and some very subtle driftwood.
Love seeing these picks!
That sounds fantabulous!
That scent intrigued me when I was surfing around their site. Sounds really good.
4711 Lime & Nutmeg. My doorstops arrived yesterday; surprisingly, the bottles aren’t physically huge. They averaged out at < $30 each for 170 mls, so that's ~17 cents per ml. I might win the cents-per-ml medal
This one smells like lime and… well, not sure it's nutmeg, but something mildly spicy/woody. Very nice. Last night I tried the Myrrh & Kumquat; didn't detect any kumquat (not sure I'd recognize that scent anyway) but plenty of myrrh.
0.0636 cents per ml for me.
Sorry/not sorry
?
Sorry Pixel and Bear, came in at $0.014/mL today with some Florida Water.
I’ve got the Blood Orange and Basil, and the Mandarine and Cardamom. I use them as house and car sprays, cuz’ that is the only way I’m getting through either of those bottles….
Thanks for the quick reviews on those 4711’s!
House twins with Robin but in a CP failure — Aftelier Alchemy which was $75 for a 5mL rollerball. My other choice was to go commando, FTW, because sometimes, no extraneous scent is just right. Go aheal and pull my perfumista card: I have a whole stack of them ?
Can you do perfumista cards tricks?
If having a perfumista card depended on cp points we’d all be in trouble!
Vanille Insensee. This doesn’t quite qualify for the cp, but it’s close. I paid just under $70 for my 100 ml bottle, which is still a pretty good deal.
My daughter comes home from college today!? I’m so excited! Bummed that I have to work this weekend☹️, I’d rather be spending it with her. Sigh.
It seems like she just went off to college. Nice that she is home. Sorry about work.
I know! This year went surprisingly fast. Time has a way of doing that.?
I keep waiting for the money tree to sprout in the backyard so I can give up this work thing.?
Same! I think that the after a hard winter, my brain just blocks out all that time, lol!
I hope you get to spend some good time with her even though you have to work. I won’t see my son until the week of the 4th and it’s killing me! Oh, and you smell great.
Thanks! The 4th of June, or July? I totally get it, I miss her when she’s away, but it makes our time together even more special.
Oh, I hope you have a lovely time! Is she home for more than the weekend? I would never be an advocate for irresponsible behavior, but it seems if you just have the weekend, you may get mysteriously ill one of those days….?
Lol, luckily she is home for the summer now. Got to leave early today too!?
Yay, enjoy what time you do have!
Thanks Robin!
I’m wearing Sylvaine Delacourt’s Smeraldo, from a travel spray which came in at way less than $50. In fact, there was such a good deal on them that I ended up with too many (I really wanted the copper case…)
If anyone in the CONUSA would like a free 7.5 ml spray of Smeraldo, I have two up for grabs. Dibs here if you want one. I’d prefer to send one per person so two people can get one.
Dibs please! How nice of you. There are a couple notes in there (yuzu, mastic) that I’m really interested in. I can be reached at my username + doublemint at gmail, or let me know how to get in touch with you.
May I call dibs on the second one? I have not heard of this fragrance before, so, curious. Let me know how to get in touch. Thanks!
Regina, GateGirl – I’m so glad you want them! Shoot me an e-mail at payne underscore cm at the yahoooo with your mailing details.
Enjoying an oldie but goodie-
Agent Provocateur! I think I paid $30 but that was eons ago. ?
I love that! I just bought Tocca Isabel, a light rose. I plan on wearing a patchouli oil, lotion and the Isabel. Like a ? AP!
What a good idea! I bet it smells wonderful.
I’m in Aramis Devin. On my first wearing I put on 2 sprays and found it much too faint and fleeting. Today I went for maybe 8 sprays and am enjoying it much more, a galbanum-forward fragrance with some masculine leathery warmth to it. Highly recommended and you can afford the extra sprays; a new bottle was $19 for 100 mls.
The Aramis line is really good a a whole and affordable.
Ooh,i was in love with an artist, so wore it. Memories….
Interesting. That did not used to be a faint fragrance.
I think you mentioned that once before and as a result I’ve been stalking it in vintage… I REALLY want to try it (as a huge fan of old Cabochard) but it will have to be very cheap to justify buying when I have so much of the current version!
Solinotes Tiare which you can get for $20! Woo hoo! It’s too sweet for me, though, so I admittedly cheated and topped it off with one spray of Concentre d’Orange Verte to cut the sweet a little. It smells great now.
TGIF! It looks like it’s going to be a gorgeous weekend here. Going to finish up some yard work (been mulching flower beds- about 200 bags of much) and cook out on our new grill!
200 bags?! Seriously?! Wowzers!
Yes! Most of our yard is xeriscaped but we have large beds with trees, shrubs, flowers, etc. They’ve always been bare ground since we moved into the house but it’s wasting water not to mulch them because of how dry and hot summers are here. So we mulched heavily to try and conserve what little we water.
I had to google “xeriscape” because I’d never heard that term before. Cool! Thanks for the impromptu vocab lesson
Ha! I was not familiar with the term at all until I moved to New Mexico!
Well done with all that mulching, I never get around to doing mine. Enjoy the food cooked on your new grill!
Thanks! It’s been quite a chore but it’s looking so nice!
I’m wearing Esprit d’Oscar and smell so good. I haven’t worn this in a while and guess I forgot how much I like it. I just have a decant, but you can buy a 100ml bottle on FragranceNet for around $20!
I’ve been meaning to try that one for so long, it sounds lovely, and what a bargain!
I was spoiled for choices this morning. The weather forecast was uncertain so I went with Nicolai Perfumeur Fig Tea. My 30 ml bottle was $45 at the time I bought it.
That is a bargain!!!!
Nicolai fragrances are very reasonably priced.
You smell great Petunia!
So do you! I already put away my bottle of Ancient resins. If not, we’d be twins! Love it!
I’m wearing Hiram Green Slowdive, $45 for the (discontinued) travel spray. But if I had it, I could be wearing Kim Kardashian Pure Honey, which I hear is actually pretty good.
Really hope he brings back some sort of small size.
Forgot about the CP this morning and wore Dzing! one of my favourite comfort scents for a grey day. Still, my 100 ml bottle was around £50, rarely can I spend more than that now I’m studying!
I’m really excited to be starting my induction training for my counselling placement tomorrow, then looking forward to a relaxing day with my little girl on Sunday.
Have a lovely weekend NSTers!
I hope you enjoy your induction training. I hooe you bought a new notebook and pen …I love the back to school solemnity of a clean new notebook even in this age of computers.
Pharell/CDG GIRL today for double bonus points! I smell really really good, which is fortunate, because I am really really annoyed.
Tough day at the office?
Yep yep yep. A colleague in one of our foreign offices really likes to suggest the obvious to us. “Please look into improving [x],” he likes to tell us, [x] being an OBVIOUSLY beneficial factor that we’ve been trying to improve for weeks. Oh really?? Should I improve [x], really? Do you suppose that might help? Gosh I never would’ve thought of that! Thanks for suggesting it! Well I’ll get right on it! (That set of thoughts alternates with, Great, then YOU f%*&ng do it!) Ok my blood pressure is rising again.
My husband’s least favourite pet peeve phrase is, « All you have to do is… »
Of course everything is easy for the person who doesn’t have to do it.
I’m with him on that one >:o
Auggghh I have a colleague, senior to me, who is supposed to be helping us improve our processes… but he seems to think his job consists of showing up to meetings and interrupting them to say why what we do is all wrong, without offering any solutions!
He sounds intensely grump-inducing. Gah!
It is really improving my mood to hear about how we all share similar office woes <3
You? Annoyed? Never!
This reminds me that I’ve been meaning to purchase and put up this nameplate: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EGOS6PG/ref=psdc_12900881_t1_B01LW86UJO
That’s great ?
https://www.amazon.com/Sorry-Stopped-Listening-Novelty-Nameplate/dp/B078RT8HNF/ref=pd_sbs_201_28?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B078RT8HNF&pd_rd_r=52f73d89-78fb-11e9-9dc7-616d082ecaa5&pd_rd_w=geD7I&pd_rd_wg=sFwJn&pf_rd_p=588939de-d3f8-42f1-a3d8-d556eae5797d&pf_rd_r=A0KG65N4F15DD78E30WP&psc=1&refRID=A0KG65N4F15DD78E30WP
Brilliant. That’s a pretty frequent silent mantra.
I have a red plastic sign in my office at work (gotten in the Wegman’s gift section) that says “I hate morning people, and mornings, and people…” (Mostly all true for me…) I think it’s a Grumpy Cat (real name: Tardar Sauce) saying. I was devastated on Friday to learn that that cute little peanut had died of u-tract infection complications… ?)
I went with Kyse Perfume’s Douceur Brulee, which is (notes from her website): Lemon, Browned Caramel, Butter, Coconut Milk, Beeswax Absolute, Oakmoss, Ambroxan and Musk. Yes, my friends, I smell like dessert. It’s delicious, and a 15 ml bottle can be yours for $21. Any gourmand or vanilla lovers out there would be happy with just about any of the scents from this line, and the price can’t be beat.
I love her gourmand stuff too, have several of the perfumes and body creams.
Makes me want to nibble on my own wrist….
Yay for Kyse! I have a couple of hers.
I have Douceur Brulee, Oui Plus, and Vertigo Cuir, and any one of them will really hit the spot when I am looking to satisfy my perfume sweet tooth.
I had planned to wear Avon ‘Occur!’ but I ended up in Worth Je Reviens parfum de toilette. Je reviens is plentiful here in the UK and vintage will set you back £2 to £5 for 57ml.
I am enjoying the drydown at the moment, I applied it early this morning and there is a clear, lovely note of incense.
That’s an odd name, is it? Occur! Maybe it’s some coded message
My mom had Avon Occur! when I was a kid. I liked it. Unfortunately, I can’t remember anything else about that perfume.
It’s an animalic bomb, Jalapeno. So much so that it almost growls.
Yes, very odd, Kanuka. It’s a really good one well worth checking out, it’s discontinued.
Ha, I posted on the wrong day. Anyway, I’m in Hove Heliotrope solid, a very springy rich scent. And it’s a bargain at less then $10! I also love the body oil, so much so I may need to rebuy that very soon.
I layered Hove on top of another cheapo, lilac body wash by Petite Marseille. So it’s a spring time bonanza for me.
I am pretending it’s a warm spring day and am wearing the Bulgari blue tea. It was super-cheap at a discounter, whicjh might not count. For weather and cp-adherent, Stash would do the job.
Discounters are so ubiquitous that I think it totally counts.
Tocca Isabel, gobbled up at Marshalls yesterday. $12! I just have to throw my drop of patchouli oil and I’m good.
I fell very behind in CP this week, although I had many choices. Pacifica French Lilac, various Demeters, including Vetiver and a really nice tea scent. And, of course, my Old Spice Amber body spray…which is all amber and sweet black currant. At $3.99 full price at WalMart, I think it takes a prize.
Today is Love 2 Love Fresh Rose + Peach. Also bought at WalMart. I think it was under $10. It’s quite pleasant and easy. Created by Calice Becker. My husband thinks it’s lovely.
And, forgot to ask this in my initial post. Can y’all list your favorite cheap thrills (perfume-wise, not that I couldn’t use some vicarious thrills in other arenas)? Some of mine are:
Mauboussin Histoire d’Eau (not as dirt cheap as it was a few years back, but still)
SJP Stash
Chopard Casmir
Adam Levine for Women
I’ll think of some more, but I’m late to a meeting. Happy Friday, everybody!
Dame Cactus Orchid, Canoe, Cabochard, Love’s Baby Soft
Oh, I forgot about Dame Perfumery – thanks for reminding me. I haven’t tried the Cactus Orchid, but I do really like the Black Flower Mexican Vanilla, and Jeffrey Dame is such a gracious perfumer.
My suggestion would be Queen. Super cheap, super delicious. Also, I got a small bottle of CSP Amour de Cacao super cheap a few years ago. Not sure if it’s even still available, but it’s some serious gourmand goodness for not too much change.
Got both of those, and like them a lot! Queen, especially.
Define cheap….
Natori, Natori, Sage Machado perfume oils, Eau de Rochas. Nicolai Perfumeur -30 ml sizes, ELdLO – 30 ml sizes, some Robert Piquet 30 ml sizes, AAs, etc…
Cheap for me is less than $25 – like the kind of prices you see at Marshall’s or the local CVS. I think I might have bought Natori Natori a few years back, but gave it to a friend who loved the bottle (it is a really lovely bottle). Plummy, as I recall? Agreed on the AAs – those can be quite nice, particularly in summer. I’ll have to check out the Sage Machado line – I don’t think I’ve ever had any of those. Thanks for the recommendations!
Agent Provocateur goes for a song at the online discounters. I’m also a big fan of the Pacifica perfumes. And Jessica Simpson Fancy Nights is something that patchouli fans should try.
Forgot all about Fancy Nights, which is surprisingly good (and just a STEAL at the discounters)!
I got Fancy Nights, which is quite lovely. It really does smell like “Shalinar Lite”! (Nuthin’ wrong with that!)
(Oops, I meant “Shalimar”)
I am still doing the perfume maths that woukd turn that Mitsouko bottle into a cheap thrill. I think if the perfume has been around 100 years there must be some convoluted way of making it a cheap $/per day scent compared to a perfume that has only been around for a year. And, i wonder which of the 21st century perfumes will still be worn in 100 years? When did le Labo 33 Come out? Maybe that?
Cold Saturday here and I am wearing yesterday’s shopping mall squirt JPG Cabaret which will still be on my scarf in 100 years I suspect.
That could be a CP if it hasn’t already?
Bodycology fragrance mist in Sweet Cotton Candy..8 oz bottle..a cheap thrill I got clearanced out for $2.00…I wanted something that smelled of Easter candy and this fit the bill. Like powdery strawberry cotton candy..wayy sweet which is usually not my jam but was cravin something yummy.
Nice to see a post from you, Omega.
Encre Noire by Lalique. Can’t believe no one mentioned as SOTD until now.
It definitely made a showing earlier in the week. And you smell great!
Oh, I have so many cheap thrills I wasn’t sure which one to choose . . .
. . . But, seasonal perfume-wearer that I am, I decided I couldn’t wait any longer for my beloved lilacs to open (still tightly closed due to our crazy spring weather) and so chose my newest cheap thrill that highlights the lilac note I love so much, Guerlain Champs Elysees.
As a Walgreens shopper, for the past few years I’ve saved my Balance Rewards points, waited for an on-line sale on their fragrances, and then using my points rewarding myself with a free, or close to free, bottle of fragrance. Walgreens has many fragrances available online that are not available in their stores; Guerlain Mitsouko and Hermès Eau des Merveilles are just two of the scents I’ve gotten in the past in this manner.
Recently, I was able to ‘purchase’ the 2.5 oz. Champs Elysees edp for $42, but using my points, it was totally free with free shipping! As someone mentioned above, free is the best kind of cheap thrill!
Champs Elysees is quite a pretty spring floral scent, and I can definitely smell the lilac note. The other lilac fragrances I enjoy are YR Pur Desir de Lilas, Alfred Sung Sha, Pacifica French Lilac, and Annie Oakley Morning Dew, all of which qualify as cheap thrills. My favorite, by far, is Pur Desir de Lilas, glad I have a back-up bottle!
Wishing everyone a sweet-scented weekend!
It’s the 200th anniversary of Walt Whitman’s birth in two weeks so you could mark the occassion with your lilac scents!
Thank you, Kanuka, I hadn’t read or thought of his beautiful bittersweet poem in ages! I certainly will wear my lilac scents in his honor and, if I’m really lucky, a thrush will visit my garden and mingle his sweet song with the other spring visitors!
Laila,
You get an enabler (along with the Goddess of Procrastination!). I just ordered a YR lilac lotion and edt off eBay for $30. Now that the flush of spending money is over, it will be days before I see my Pur Desir de Lilas . . . and the work is still on my desk. Sigh!
PS–note of clarification– the lotion is Pur Desir de Lilas for those of you annoyed that I got the discontinued perfume at such a good price. The perfume is another lilac perfume by YR–with the crazy wild name “Purple Lilac” (although Annick Menardo is the perfumer… so we shall see).
I hope it’s better on you, but on me, the Purple Lilac EDT smelled like plastic. That said, I hear plastic is a good note for many people! (Haven’t smelled Pur Desir de Lilas, so looking forward to hearing your comparison.)
I got the Pur Desir de Lilas perfume last year from Ebay for <$20! I think you can still find cheap bottles on Ebay. That said, it didn't quite work for me, unfortunately.
Wow, my first enabler pin, thank you! I hope the lotion still smells good – it was wonderful but I used mine up a long time ago. I’ve never smelled the newer Purple Lilac scent but from the reviews I’ve read it seems to be regarded as a poor imitation of the original scent. To me, the Pur Desir fragrance smells just like the lilacs outside my bedroom window, so I can carry their scent with me everywhere I go.
I went with The Body Shop White Musk Smoky Rose. I paid 5 dollars for it from a clearance shelf. The website still has it for less than twenty dollars though. Other contenders were
Juicy Couture original
White Diamonds
Paris Hilton Rose Gold
Today is finally my FriYay, and I’m taking a long lunch!?
I just remembered… I saw something in Colorado that reminded me of you lillyjo! I know that you really like soda (pop), and I saw California Raspberry Coke with cane sugar in the grocery stores. Tried it, and it was delicious!!! ??
Very glad that it is not sold in my area, or I could develop a serious soda habit!
Oohh that does sound good! Cane Sugar, though, I could only have one. Well, one a day?
Apparently Coca Cola from Mexico (hence the cane sugar) is very much a thing in certain parts of the US.
Aura, which you can get for around $45 or less in the little bottle. Not exactly cheap but it smells good and I love that emerald bottle.
I love Aura.
A cheap thrill I found recently was Kors Glam Jasmine…at Ross..$13 for a travel set..BWF-big white floral that isn’t a big wallet floral lol
I remember getting a sample of that from Sephora ages ago. I liked it, but not at full retail price. You got a bona fide steal!
I’m in cheap thrill bliss wafting Pacifica Malibu Lemon Blossom today ($22 at full retail). I think it’s been discontinued.? Maybe I should stock up on some Persian Rose before it’s extinct, too…
Do you awesome perfume peeps have any suggestions for a scent to accompany seeing Avengers Endgame??? I’m going on Sunday and looking for inspiration. Specific perfume names? Notes? Categories? Anything that would match it somehow. (But—in the name of all that’s holy!—NO SPOILERS, please!!!?)
Have a wonderful weekend, y’all!
Something by CDG. All of theirs have an element of weirdness to me. How about Cement? or Garage? Sticky Cake? (One of those many characters must have a sweet tooth.)
Something vintage. Bal a Versailles or Emeraude.
Brut?
House twins today!
Maybe wear a vetiver for Endgame? Or ELdO’s La Fin du Monde, for its popcorn note?
Vintage Chanel 19,_which i got for 40€ for nearly 90ml EdT, in tne original package too. Still smells good.
Hi Everyone,
I have not even had time to read comments, it’s been such a busy week!
But wearing Spay Ceylon’s Night Jasmine today–10G of the solid perfume comes in $13, so it’s definitely a cheap and cheerful one.
Clouds are back today, bummer. At least it isn’t raining.
SOTD = Pacifica Persian Rose. I’m glad I have a bottle of this one. I felt like roses today and had 2 great options, but the Pacifica was the most appealing. I might go for the E & J Nirvana Rose tomorrow.
Inexpensive rose perfume twins!
Cloudy here too. They keep saying rain, but fingers crossed they are wrong.
We’re smelling great today! ??
I ended up getting some rain showers early this evening. Phooey!
Angel Muse, $20 for 30ml at TJ Maxx or Marshalls on clearance. Reading through all these posts makes me want to head on over to TJ Maxx right now to check for some bargains!
Right?! Me too. I also snagged a bottle of Angel Muse. I don’t always see anything that desirable (to me) and get in a “wanna buy” mode and worry about making mediocre blind buys…
I chaperoned my daughter’s kindergarten class at Sea World today. Exhausted am I.
I wore Xerjoff Lira…which was a cheap(er) thrill for me…I got an almost full 100 ml bottle off Ebay for $92 and it was real (whew) last year. This one is a shape shifter for me…sometimes I get pronounced lavender and other times lots of caramel.
It’s a beautiful vanilla and I have cazaubon to thank for introducing it to me.
Hurray for the unsung and under-appreciated parent chaperons!
Great deal! I paid a lot more for mine. Lira is yummy.
Opposite of cheap thrill, and posting again – but I just heard that the Guerlain boutique in Las Vegas is closing and all fragrances are 40% off and free shipping….I just ordered Liu. If someone already posted this, sorry for double posting!
Drat! I was hoping to get out to Vegas one of these days and check out the Guerlain boutique.
I did not know it was there the last time I was out that way.
Maybe there is more than one? It’s the one in the Palazzo (I haven’t been to Vegas in 13 years). You call to place your order / ask what is still in stock etc.
1-866-4096110.
Pretty sure I never made it up to the Palazzo during my last trip, and that was 7 years ago. It would have been nice to have the whole experience of walking into the boutique.
Good thing I read this after mailing the car payment. Lol!
I have several favorites.Outremmer Vanilla under $20 at Anthropologie and Skin Musk perfume oil under $15.I still love The Body Shop White Musk perfume oil and Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black perfume oil both under $25
I’m wearing Habanita concreta that I bought quite awhile ago for almost nothing. It was certainly less than $20.00. I wish Molinard would bring back their perfume solids. They are so handy and the sillage is soft.
Late 2 the party. I wore Eau de Gaga yesterday. I so enjoy the lime smack-on-the-head, followed by violet, light woods & the touch of suede. Nice bottle & cap, too. Under $25 on fragnet.