It’s October, and Donatella, Our Lady of Fragranced Forgiveness,1 having completed the 20th anniversary celebrations of The Dress, is turning her attention to the spiritual needs of her flock. She is wondering just how many bottles you might have acquired in the 3rd quarter (July, August and September) of 2019. You'll feel better after you tell all.
My purchases...
It was a busy quarter for me, but not perfume-wise. I bought nothing. I mean to do better! I am planning! But so far, I've only spent $145 this year.
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.
In order of purchase:
Habit Rouge, Guerlain, 200ml
Vetiver, Guerlain, 200ml
Eau des Merveilles, Hermes, 50ml + 7.5ml
Grey Vetiver EDP, Tom Ford, 50ml
Le Cedre, Miller Harris, 50ml
Sartorial, Penhaligon’s, 100ml
La Petite Robe Noire EDT, Guerlain 50ml
Tobacco Reserve, Aramis, 60ml
Scent EDT, Theo Fennel, 75ml
I did good!
You smell good too…..
Go, Bob! Great list.
For someone who is supposed to be on a no-buy/very low buy, I have more than I should:
Travel spray of FM Outrageous
Kierin NYC 10 am Flirt 50ml
Banana Republic Neroli Woods, 75ml (Marshall’s)
Guerlain L’Homme Ideal Cologne, 50 ml (Marshall’s)
The last two will be shared with my son, so only count for half? Plus at the Marshall’s price they barely count anyway…
I actually received two other travel sprays this quarter for my birthday, but purchased them at the end of June, so I didn’t count them in my total:
Blocki This Grand Affair
Heretic Dirty Mango
where do you find Guerlain at Marshalls!?
I was surprised, too! Bought it blind (because $20!!), but I do really like it. The only other time I have seen Guerlain at my Marshalls was a few years ago when I snagged a bottle of Rosa Pop.
They show up from time to time
I bought a lot this quarter and I hope I’m remembering all of it.
I got the Sweet Harmony Travel Set By Kilian, containing 7,5 ml bottles of Sweet Redemption, A Taste of Heaven, Back to Black and Love, don’t be Shy.
Then I got Le Labo Patchouli 24 (perfume oil), Le Labo Ylang Ylang 49 (small rollerball) and Le Labo Lys 41 (small rollerball). I paid only half price for these three, so that was a bargain.
Then I went to France and got two bottles of the cheap as chips (I just adore that expression, and I love chips) Parfums Bien-Être colognes.
Then in Paris I accidentally acquired one of the last bottles of La Fin d’ un Eté by Pierre Bourdon and could not quite leave my favourite Nicolaï shop on Rue des Archives without a bottle, so fell for Baïkal Leather and promptly purchased a full bottle and an orange blossom soap.
I was also given a full bottle of Mohur extrait de parfum, by my elderly parents, who did request a sniff. I gave my mother a decant, which she seems to be enjoying.
Wow, nice list! Especially Mohur extrait and Ylang 49. I haven’t sniffed the others you mentioned.
Mohur extrait is stunning. I really like the labo’s I got, Patchouli in particular. It’s dark, smoky and odd, but manages to end on quite a cozy note. Lys is just really pretty.
La Fin d’un Eté reminds me a little of Thérèse with more pepper and darker fruit. It’s quite a wistful scent and just really lovely.
That sounds like a great accomplishment actually!
I must sniff the Mohur Extrait one day!
Congratulations, good self control too.
lemming you BK travel sprays! Amazing find…love all of those scents!
I’ve become quite a BK fan. Funnily enough my favourite out of the 3 new ones (I already owned Sweet Redemption) is Back to Black which I used to be a bit iffy about. I tried a lot of BK’s in Paris at Printemps and the SA could not have been nicer.
Those are some great additions. Yay for smaller sizes.
And congrats on the gorgeous Mohur extrait! You had your eyes, or should i say nose, on it for quite a while, right?
Well remembered, I think at least two years, so it is really nice to have it now. My two small decants had run out.
Ooh, please tell us more about the Patchouli 24 perfume oil, cos I was thinking of getting it, but I need to know how it compares to the edp. How many drops do u use at a time? How’s the longevity and sillage?
It’s smell the same of course, but it is softer and does not project as much. I prefer it to the edp for that reason, because I would occasionally find that a tad sharp. It lasts just as long. I think I use two or three small drops at a time and those will last me through the day.
I mean it smells the same.
Thanks, A. In that case, I will stick to the edp, then!
What nice parents!
They are very generous with gifts!
What a shame that Pierre Bourdon’s house did not succeed. I have his Sous les Magnolias and it’s just perfect. I would have loved to have smelled the others.
It’s not official, but I kind of got the impression when I got my bottle that the house would not continue.
My favourites by far were La fin d’un été and Magnolias. I also liked La Route des Epices and Dame en Rose. The only one I didn’t much care for was Le Grand Tour.
Apparently Rihanna wears BK Love, and all the other celebs think she smells the best ?
https://www.harpersbazaar.com/beauty/health/a28496530/what-perfume-does-rihanna-wear/
Thanks for the info. Know next to nothing about her, but at least Rihanna has great taste in perfume.
Bless me, Donatella, for I have… stuck faithfully to my budget! Granted, my budget magically expanded this quarter as I made my first eBay sales. But I am truly over-the-moon happy about these purchases.
FBs:
Dear Polly
Celadon, Pavilion and White Linen
Pre-reform Monsieur Balmain
Minis:
Corsica Furiosa
Nightingale
Champagne
First Cut
Coty Chypre, Muses and Rose Jacqueminot
Le Dix
CB Here Piggy, Black March, Burning Leaves, Memory of Kindness
Decants:
Fat Electrician
Promesse de L’Aube
HG Voyage
Paestum Rose
Sigh, what a dreamy list. Feeling very lucky to be at a place in my life where my budget can make room for this. After ordering Chinchilla this morning I honestly can’t think of anything else I want to buy. Wonder how long that will last?
Great list and hard work, but you had me spitting out my water at your last sentence!!!
? it!
Corsica Furiosa comes in a mini??? How did I not know this?
You know, I’ve been a little suspicious of this ebay “mini” due to the sticker quality, and since I now can’t find any mention of a travel size anywhere else I must assume it’s fake! But it smells 1. Amazing 2. Completely original and 3. Exactly like everyone says CF is supposed to smell, so maybe it’s a decant? Anyway I love it
I’ve also been noticing that some of the ebay “travel size” sellers have labels that look like actual brand labels in terms of the logos and type face, although the paper itself is plain.
I bought one of these sprays as a backup to a decant I already had from a trusted decanter, and the perfume seems the same.
Thanks, that’s comforting!
Very interesting. Maybe they were minis or lab samples given out for something or another and never officially sold.
Adding — many brands send 10 ml spray samples for review, for instance, and they will usually have a rather plain label.
I love and am so grateful for everything I learn on this site!
You can make some pretty nice homemade labels nowadays, I am impressed with what I get from the splitters on Basenotes. It’s probably a decant, or a lab/press sample.
I just tried a sample of Chinchilla (EdV) and I love it! It’s my fav animalic from DSH
Confessions to Donatella —
Dear Donatella,
I was very, very bad in September.
Luckyscent:
9/18/19 — Comptoir Sud Pacifique Vanille Extreme EdT 30 ml (this one was relatively inexpensive for a perfume)
9/20/19 — Nobile 1942 Le Petit Chocolatier EdT 3 x 30 ml ($1 per milliliter)
1.) Confiture
2.) Praline
3.) Noir Intense
9/22/19 — Farmacia Ss. Annuziata dal 1561 Vaniglia del Madagascar Parfum Concentration with spray atomizer 100 ml (I don’t want to think about it)
FragranceX:
7/4/19 — 4711 Acqua Colonia body sprays, 2.5 oz. (80 ml) each:
Lemon & Ginger
Lime & Nutmeg
Mandarine & Cardamom
White Peach and Coriander (swapped away)
(Around $11 each with FragranceX discounts)
Morning of 9/20/19 The Different Company Kashan Rose 3 oz. (90 ml) EdT (some sort of discount — less than $80 for 90 ml)
4711 Acqua Colonia Lime & Nutmeg Eau de Cologne 5.7 oz. (170 ml) tester (around $20, perhaps less)
Evening of 9/20/19 Serge Lutens Un Bois Vanille 1.69 oz (50 ml) Eau de Parfum spray (tester) — with discounts and it being a tester, less than $60 for 50 ml, which I thought was pretty good for Serge Lutens.
Sephora
July or Aug. 2019 – bottle of Hermes Eau de Pamplemousse Rose 3.3 oz. (90 ml)
9/18/19 — Fresh Sugar Lychee 30 ml spray bottle
Target
8/18/19 Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange 1 oz. (29 ml) bottle
FragranceNet
9/3/19 Hermes Un Jardin Sur le Toit EdT travel spray 0.27 oz. (8 ml)
Hermes Un Jardin en Mediterranee EdT travel spray 0.27 oz. (8 ml)
These are FragranceNet travel sprays
Old Spice cologne spray 4.25 oz. (125 ml)
4711 Acqua Colonia Mandarine & Cardamom Eau de Cologne spray 5.7 oz. (170 ml)
Each item didn’t seem terribly expensive to me, and I got 37% off. It might have been cheaper if I could have found them locally, but I didn’t.
Also I got lots of samples from various mail-order retailers, which I’m not counting.
Now I’ll attempt a no-buy for the rest of the year, and actually have a budget for next year. (I say this now…) This was truly excessive.
Oh la la, nice list! How do you find the FragranceNet travel sprays, do the atomizers seem like ok quality?
I’m also curious about the FragranceNet sprays! Confess it all please….
I describe the physical construction of the sprays below. I don’t know what those particular Jardin fragrances are supposed to smell like, but the Jardin Sur le Toit seemed to me to go with the other sorts of Jardin fragrances I have samples of.
I’ve bought a few and give them ?
Thumbs up from Kpaint, then. Thank you. It’s good to get your perspective.
The atomizers are metal, and you twist them up to get the spray mechanism into view. So far, so good. They seem pretty sturdy. FragranceNet notes that their travel sprays of whichever fragrance may have a different color or such than what’s in that particular fragrance’s traditional bottle. I found the Mediterranee quite strong, and Un Jardin Sur le Toit very pleasant.
I don’t regret getting the vanilla perfumes, or the citrus and/or spice colognes, or the Kashan Rose. The vanillas (except for the CSP Vanilla Extreme) and the rose I had sniffed samples of, and I knew what Old Spice smelled like. So those weren’t blind buys. The chocolate scents I’ll need to try more times, and I may swap away partial bottles of those. But I didn’t get anything I dislike.
You not only bought some lovely scents, you found some great buys, too. Enjoy them all. I’m excited about the travel bottles on fragrancenet, that’s such a good idea on their part.
Thank you!
I think I did pretty well with the FragranceX discounts and getting the tester bottles. 
The things from Sephora and LuckyScent were *not* on sale, but I love the Hermes Pamplemousse Rose and those vanilla fragrances.
I was able to find samples of the “Jardin” fragrances here and there, and Sephora had those 3.3 oz. bottles of them, but I don’t believe Sephora stocked smaller sizes of the Hermes fragrances.
I agree that the travel-sized tubes from FragranceNet are a good idea if someone doesn’t want to get, say, a 90 or 100 ml bottle. I believe they also say that the metal containers would be all right traveling as baggage in an airplane, but I’d need to double-check that.
Have a good evening!
Very nice buy on the Serge Lutens! Those old 50 mL bottles are getting scarce.
Thanks! I don’t keep track of what size bottles each brand offers of a specific perfume in a certain year. I requested that FragranceX e-mail me when they had the smaller size bottle in stock, and lo and behold, they e-mailed me that very night. The bottle doesn’t have a box, so I’m keeping it in its bubble wrap and out of direct sunlight.
It definitely has the scent of Un Bois Vanille that I’m familiar with. Koyel had sent me a decant as part of a swap a couple of swapmeets ago (Thank you, Koyel!) and I really liked it.
Nothing (since we are only counting full bottles that aren’t gifts)
But what gifts did you get?? Or give???
All for the minis- birthdays and Christmas ( I plan far ahead) 1000 Flowers Ode, several travel size Jo Malone’s that were GWP, three LE Escadas that were dirt cheap at fragrancenet, Berdoues Azur Riviera and quite a few d/c Pacificas on eBay ( my first eBay purchasing ever)
And for me a sample of Eve and Pandora.
I should have clarified ” to give”. There were three birthdays in the summer. Ooo! And one more! Another two First Cut for Mr Marzipan for Christmas at a great sale price….sale is now over.
Aaaannndddd….the three new Pacificas that were recently released hiding in the basement…thank you, Pixel, for reminding me that I actually did buy a bunch even though they are technically not for me ??
As you know, I am all about the justifications
I only bought samples this quarter, but I’m REALLY tempted to get the Nobile Bon Bon Trio set. The bottles are adorable, and the scents smell like candy, but expensive candy sold in an exclusive Parisian boutique. Trying to not spend unnecessary money while I still have a literal closet full of perfume, but sometimes it’s quite hard!
I tried to be within my budget of 100€ per month, but failed….
So the damage done for full or nearly full bottles is
Batucada 45ml
Aromatics Elixir 20ml
Roma 20ml
Coriandre, 100ml, but sold some decants
EA Green Tea
Fourreau Noir used travel spray, approx 25ml
Niki de Saint Phalle 60ml
Terracotta, nearly full
Truth or Dare for 10€
Adam Levine used, 40ml for 5€
Vintage Opium EdT from early 90ies for 50€, mint condition and OP!!!
Cristalle Eau Verte 45mlml
Aramis Calligraphy Saffron
Decants
Muscs K Koublai Khan 5ml
Memoire d une Odeur
MM Untitled
AC Jasmin Angelique and Cafe Tuberosa
Ajmal Evoke
Ninfeo Mio
Carthusia In the Park…ughhh
Attar collection Persian Gold
But i just spent less than 100€ ober budget, because i sold a bottle and some decants…all in all not too bad
Great list and especially impressed with your Opium find, that’s fantastic!
Greetings my fellow fragrant friends!
Here I proffer my confession of 3rd party scented shopping, PLUS as a bonus a two word review of the scent! Donatella please forgive me….
1. Gucci Memoire d’une Odeur EdP : LOVE IT
2. Scentbird July pick: ELdO I am Trash: Just ok
3. Scentbird Aug pick: Carner Barcelona El Born: Can’t remember!
4. Scentbird Sept pick: Acqua di Parma Chinotto di Liguria : Very nice
5. Replica Whispers in the Library: Unisex winner
6. Oscar de la Renta Orchid Blue: Meh….meh
7. Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Essence: Given away
8. Britney Spears Believe: awesome patchouli
9. Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Mimosa: Powdery goodness
10. Elizabeth Arden Spiced Green Tea: Kurkdijan gem
Until next quarter my dear Donatella,
Jada the Perfume Geek
Is the Britney spears the current version? I’m always tempted by that one.
Mine has a 2011 batch code, and has the metal on the cap….very hippie patchouli for sure! One of my favorite bargains in a while!
I have no idea why I typed “third party” in my 1st sentence…I must have been thinking about a prescription claim we were getting together! HA HA HA Scary….
LOL!
I love the Gucci too. It’s highly likely that it will be in my next confession!
In order of purchase:
1. SJP Covet
2. SL Bas de Soie
3. LL Fleur de Corail
4. AG Nuit Etoilee EDP
5. JLo Deseo
6. Etro Shaal Nur
A motley bunch! And way over my budget. Hope I can do better until the end of the year.
Your picks are right up my alley. Covet is one of my all time favorites, Fleur de Corail one of my top summer perfumes. I hope you got good deals!
Covet is soo good for the price!
I think that’s a rather nice collection, fwiw.
Great choices!
I bought more than I realized this quarter.
1. FB Cologne du 68 from the Bay for a decent price.
2. Au Pays Blah, blah, blah Violette Sacree’
3 Bengale Rouge on pre-order. Indigo is supposed to ship at the end of October but I’m counting it because It’s paid for.
* 30 ml White Linen which was relatively inexpensive. I’m not counting it because I already sent it to a new home.
* Also a few travel sprays and samples.
My only excuse is that my birthday was in this quarter. ?
I think Au Pays Blah, blah, blah would be a great name for a new perfume house selling only no nonsense scents.
Sorry to hear that you didn’t like White Linen, it’s probably my favourite Lauder.
I loved the vintage. It was my signature back in the day. The new version had whiff of vanilla or tonka. I like both notes but not in WL. Not for me anyway.
I don’t know how old my bottle of WL is. I got it at least 5-6 years ago from ebay. The packaging was made even prettier by a bow and contained a small note from the seller informing me that her granddaughter had insisted on adding it, to make it look “nice for the lady who had bought the perfume”.
I don’t get any vanilla from mine, and I would not want it either. I just get aldehydes, rose and musk, in the best possible way.
1. Chanel Coco
2. Shalimar Perfume Initial (travel size)
3. The it doesn’t count as perfume, a By Killian Lipstick and it smells like Love.
Good list.
I bought Encre Noir and Guerlain Vetiver in full bottles last quarter. I’ve also bought several discovery sets, many based on the Nouveau Niche CP. There have been a lot of sales at STC and TPC, and so I’ve bought several decants. I’m not keeping track of what I’m spending anymore.
Two vetiver classics, nice.
I also bought two 4711 Acqua Colonia Myrrh & Kumquat and Saffron & Iris. They were cheap as chips though, so ….
Vintage Jungle Gardenia Parfum $74
Sharkskin $160
Jangala $60
Bella Donna travel spray $31
I’m having flashbacks to the 1930s film The Women. Was it Jungle Gardenia that played a role in the film?
I think a nail polish called Jungle Red featured prominently.
Couldn’t remember if it was the nail polish or perfume. Thanks for confirming!
Never saw it but Jungle Gardenia was released in the early thirties..
I bought a 30ml bottle of Hermes Twilly for $48 in July, nothing else since. I’m thinking about Bengale Rouge but I haven’t sniffed it and I stopped blind buying a while ago. Must get over to Fumarie soon!
Hey Donatella! I’ve been a busy perfumista this past quarter. I know you’ll be happy with me. Let’s find out just HOW happy.
1. Dior Spice Blend (only 40mls!)
2. 4711 Lemon & Ginger (only kept 20ml out of 170ml, so that hardly counts, right?)
3. 4711 White Peach & Coriander
4. 4711 Lavender & Thyme
Ah, then, uh, I had a bit of a FOMO attack about Vilhelm Parfumerie. They seem to be getting scarce.
5. Vilhelm Mango Skin
6. Vilhelm Darling Nikki
7. Vilhelm Dear Polly
8. Vilhelm Dirty Velvet
9. Vilhelm Smoke Show
Plus a few Vilhelm travel sprays (125th & Bloom, A Lilac A Day, Morning Chess) which don’t count, since they are too small for Donatella to notice.
Then back to our regularly scheduled randomness:
10. Maria Candida Gentile Exultat
11. Berdoues Arz El-Rab
12. Perfumer Kev Step By Step
13. Phlur Olmstead & Vaux
Then another discontinued-perfume FOMO attack (at least this one was inexpensive):
14. Elizabeth & James Nirvana Amethyst
15. Elizabeth & James Nirvana Bourbon
16. Elizabeth & James Nirvana French Gray
17. Elizabeth & James Nirvana Rose
Then more randomness:
18. Guerlain Eau de Fleurs de Cedrat
19. Rogue Perfumery Chypre Siam
20. Mugler Naughty Fruity
21. Smell Bent Ten
22. Soivohle Green Oakmoss
23. Guerlain Lui
Added a few mini’s: Hermes Jardin Sur La Lagune; Maria Candida Gentile Gershwin; MMM Whispers In The Library; Atelier Cologne Cedre Atlas; Memo African Leather; Le Labo Aldehyde 44, Tabac 28, Poivre 23, Vetiver 46; Thorn & Bloom Evergreen
Huh. Adds up, doesn’t it.
OK, so then I got rid of a few things: 14 FBs, 15 minis, and 11 decants. Hey! Not bad!
So we’re at +9 FBs, -1 mini, -11 decants. I had no idea I was behaving so well ?
Hey, if you ever need a house sitter….
????
I can pay in decants
I always love your reasoning Pixel!
I like your math!
Ooh, jealous of the Vilhelm’s – that is an interesting house, though I wish they were easier to get hold of and cheaper to buy. (also I wish the bottles were narrower; they seem designed to go atop the dresser of someone with only one bottle of perfume!)
To be honest, I hate their FB’s. As a petite person, they are a very awkward shape — too wide for my hand. And they are too wide to fit in my shallow perfume cabinet.
As for purchase price, yeah, but there is someone on Ebay who seems to have a goodly back-stock that they are selling for not-so-bad prices. I’ve bought a couple from him and they’ve been definitely real and in fine shape. Rather wish I hadn’t been so impatient and bought my first couple of FOMO attack bottles from regular retailers!
Uh oh… don’t look Regina, don’t look! I think that FOMO is contagious
Very nice list! Donatella should be proud of you for these goodies!
Oh no, the Vilhelm’s are getting scarce? I have travel sprays of a couple that I would hate to run out of and not be able to replenish. I’ve only got one in a full bottle because the bottles are, as you rightly point out, annoying.
I think they got acquired by somebody or another in late 2018…so probably they are just “reorganizing”.
The kind folks at Arielle Shoshana told me that Vilhelm had been acquired by a Russian company, and AS could not get any re-orders filled by the new owners. Nor could they find Vilhelm at other local retailers who had previously carried them. Hence my FOMO attack
But I see that Barney’s now lists them as ‘coming in November’ so perhaps the new owners are getting their act together, finally.
Ah, thanks.
Wow. That’s impressive! What’s the Spice Blend like?
Pink pepper, cinnamon, woods, bay, vanilla. I like it.
Nice haul! I am guessing you got the Perfume Kev Step by Step at American Perfumer? I like it.
Yes! It’s not my usual sort of thing, but he sent me a sample and I was really taken with it. Lotta stuff going on in that one
I haven’t bought a single bottle! I think that’s a first since I started participating in the poll a few years ago. Of course, earlier this year I bought about 10 bottles on my holiday, so some restraint after that is appropriate
Didn’t you make a trip to Europe earlier this year?
$0 spent. I don’t know how I managed it but whew! That was difficult!
$$ is very tight this year, and both cats, SmokeyToes and Gino had (expensive) health problems ($1,100, for one week alone between both cats).
Here’s hoping their health straightens out.
Poor kitties! Agree that a sickly pet can drain a budget fast (says the mom of an overweight asthmatic kitty…) Here’s to a better 4th quarter for ya!
Thank you! We love them dearly, but there’s been a lot of beans n’ rice and PB & J sandwiches this month!
Oh no! I hope that your kitties have better health this quarter. I’ve been going through that lately, too. One of mine started acting a little “off” while I had my cold. Keeping watch on that.
Some (most) were impulse buys that were mistakes. I’ve learned my lesson. ??
Armani Prive Myhrre Imperial and Iris Celadon
MPG Ambre Mythique (should’ve gotten the other amber one)
Heeley Hippie Rose
Regime Little Flower
Heretic Patchoulight
Misia, No 5 Purse Parfum spray
Salome and Bengale Rouge (pre-order)
Tom Ford Noir de Noir, Velvet Gardenia and Metallique
Iris 39 and Guaic 10
Loree Rodkin Gothic 1 Oil
Memo Marfa travel
OJ Champaca
Roma Ti Amo
Kilian Love Eau Freche (sp)
Sage Pearl Roll-on oil
Various decants and samples
Heretic Smudge
Old formula Dior Addict
Old formula Addict is a treasure and hard to find, no regrets there.
You are correct. This is one I’ve sold, bought and gifted, so this is my third bottle! Price was right as well!
So many good ones! Which do you concider mistakes?
And the mistakes were? Seconding lillyjo’s question!
Well…mainly two of the Tom Ford’s and the Misia. The amber one I bought instead of the other amber. The OJ and Misia lasts about 10 minutes, so I’m sad about those. The smell nice, just I went bonkers with some of these.
Oh too bad, I really love Misia, at least the EDT. But if it doesn’t last for you, that’s no good. At least it was just a small one!
Sorry for the regrets!
I love your list. You bought beautiful scents. I’m not a fan of Tom Ford either. I’ve pretty much stopped sampling that house. I do like Shanghai Lilly though.
I went the other direction: having previous rather strong negative feelings, I’m now open to TF and his fare.
Bought and returned Slow Dance and Elae. Slow Dance is nice but a bit too heavy for me (maybe in the winter?). Elae starts out compelling but ends up smelling very generic.
Did buy, keep and currently enjoy Elevator Music, Hinoki and Rodeo. Hinoki is a stand out.
Comme des Gadcons Hinoki?
Yes!
Onto the endless list!
I love Hinoki and am very curious for the new one in the series. Elae was a dud for me, but fortunately I just got a sample.
I’m tempted to order the new one, Yoyogi. The two new Trudon are disappointing.
I bought a bottle of CK One and Auric Blends patchouli oil from ebay, a lovely body spray from a local soap shop and a (much wanted) bottle of L’Artisan Passage d’Enfer from a Makeupalley perfume friend, along with a couple samples and decants. Combine those with the swap and freebie meets and I have a lot of new perfume!
Oh, I had a few little bottles of Auric Blends oils in the 1990s! That takes me back. I evaluated them last year. The sandalwood bottle was nearly empty, with perhaps a ml or two at the bottom. I gave it to one of the gentlemen I worked as a home health aide for last year, so he’d be able to enjoy a pleasant scent. He said that roses reminded him of funerals(!). I still have the Auric Blends rose oil, with a fair amount left. I think they have Auric Blends oils at Whole Foods now, though I was more interested in getting essential oils there.
Nice that you got the Passage d’Enfer! That’s such an interesting incense fragrance!
Sounds like you got a lot to enjoy!
I was disappointingly well-behaved this quarter. There I was, in the UK this summer, where I was keen to flash the cash. Result? One measly purchase of a bottle of L’Eau d’Hiver, and no luck whatsoever at the duty-free. Well, I’d wanted the 30 ml bottle for quite a long time so there’s that…
Isn’t that always the way? When you are looking to buy, nothing catches the nose!
1) ELDO Antiheros 50ml
2) Eight &Bob Champs de Provence travel spray (though I’m not sure I like the drydown at all ?)
3) TDC DeBacmakov trio of 10ml travel minis- 2 of which were intended to be gifted to my sister, though in smelling it on me she wrinkled her nose and showed mild dislike and said it smelled like pepper. And I thought this one would be an inoffensive gifting choice! Anyway, I did not gift it and she got a necklace.
All of these during the Twisted Lily sweep out sale.
4) 10ml decants: Grandiflora Madagascan Jasmine, La Chasse, Caron pour un Homme, AA Lavande Velours. And a few samples.
I hope that you liked item 3 on your list!
I love it! Which is why I thought she’d love it, too ?♀️ It’s always against my better judgement to buy perfume for other people and this confirmed it.
And the ELDO is almost 1/2 gone already so 2 out of 3 ain’t bad…
only two, lowest count in years.
– ebay purchase of Diptyque Essences Insensees Rose 2016 (sadly the bottle mostly leaked in transit and the seller kindly issued a full refund, though i still have several MLs sloshing in it. maybe this doesn’t count since it was technically free)
– luckyscent blind buy of CdG: Sherbet – Rhubarb
The luckyscent order (still to be delivered) comes with an Ormonde Jayne Elixir Collection sampler freebie that i am excited to try
That’s a shame about the Diptyque leaking in transit.
Echoing Jalapeno — that’s really too bad. Hope you like the Rhubarb!
Wow, how tragic
That one’s a beauty.
Ew, okay will I was really pretty good:
1. Bengale Rouge: had me at one sniff & wear.
2. Ormonde Jayne Ormonde Elixir: I wanted a slightly longer wear for Ormonde Woman.
3. By Kilian Love and Tears: I could resist no longer. It works with my skin so well.
4. Batucada: smallest spray to combat summer swelter
Decants and gifts don’t count so I am not going there (thanks Pyramus for clarifying that for me last quarter)
Love & Tears is wonderful.
Wow. Only one bottle.
And also a ‘cheapie’ (Bottega veneta)
Okay not THAT cheap but compared to most stuff mentioned its almost free haha
Bottega Veneta is one of those scents I really like on others but not so much on myself. It’s odd that, isn’t it?
And congratulations on your restraint!
Not THAT odd
I like J’adore on my mother, but I dont need to wear it myself.
And turned out I prefer to smell French Lover on my husband. So I gifted him my bottle. I enjoy it better that way haha.
? BV
Bottega Veneta is a great choice! And it works really well in fall weather, so great timing on that.
Huh, it turns out my small haul of minis and decants/travel sizes fell into the last quarter. I’m afraid that leaves me little to confess, dear Donatella. (Worse still, everything was—brace yourself, now!—on sale, so my apologies for offending your luxury-priced sensibilities.)
Rollerball/travel size:
• YSL Libre
• NEST Wild Poppy
Full bottle:
• Pacifica Malibu Lemon Blossom
I’ll make it up to you next quarter, I promise! Rewards points and cash back totals are already earmarked for some big purchases…
I’d bet that Donatella likes a good sale just as much as we do! What she considers a sale price is probably wildly divergent from what I do, though… ?
Oh, I agree—just maybe not so much in relation to her perfume obsession.? Ha, seriously, can you even imagine what she might consider a ‘steal’ reduced price on something!? Makes me nervous-sweaty just thinking about it.?
Much to my surprise, I bought only one bottle this quarter (Ummagumma, order placed just barely in last quarter). I think that’s the least acquired in a calendar quarter since I fell down the rabbit hole. Somehow I feel I’m not so much in need of absolution by Donatella, and more in need of a good scolding for not doing my part to keep the economy afloat.
Good choice! Ummagumma is on my list, too.
I bought two bottles this quarter:
1) my second bottle of Micallef Gaiac (thunked my first one in August)
2) and a bottle of Byredo Bal d’Afrique perfume oil in rollerball format.
They are both wonderful, so no regrets. I still have a long list of “wants” to fill and may start with our next splitmeet.
Donatella, forgive me for my lack of contribution, but I have good intentions – see my shopping baskets on various sites…
Lol! If shopping bags counted, we’d all be in big trouble!
LOL I’d have spent MILLIONS.
Nicely restrained this quarter!
Oooooooooof. I was bad this quarter. Well, bad for me. It pales in comparison to some of the uber-perfumistas here. The dirty details are as follows:
Soivohle Journeyman – 10 mL
Dior Poison Girl EdT – 30 mL
Soivohle Anniebelles Rose – 10 mL
Soivohle Incense & Myrrh Oil – 4 mL
TM Angel EdT old formulation – 50 mL
Total = $178.95. Yikes. I think I am declaring a no-buy starting now. No regret on getting this quarter’s perfumes, though.
We can support each other on a no-buy.
I’m good at telling people to do what I say, not what I do. I don’t regret getting the fragrances I did, as I said above. I’ll wish that my week of being bad had been somewhat more restrained as I pay down my credit cards.
I’m all for having a little support group right now! Ha! ?
Yay! You got the Poison Girl and the Angel edt! I know you liked both alot.
The Angel EdT in the comet bottle was definitely a case of FOMO! ?
Wonderful that you have no regrets, enjoy your goodies, I did regret one of my purchases.
None, but I am reserving the right to buy one guilt-free for a late birthday present (September). Just gotta decide what…
Donatella will be disappointed if you don’t get a birthday perfume!
Or 4 ?
Four bottles:
Chanel No 19 Poudre, 3.4 oz. bottle
Santa Maria Novella Colonia Russa, 3.3 oz bottle
Monotheme Bergamotto, 3.4 oz bottle
Chanel No 5 Parfum, 0.25 oz.
I have been so frugal overall the past few months, saving for a big purchase, that I don’t have a list. But I am pretty sure I bought the following, demonstrating how out of touch I am with what frugal means:
Indemodables Iris Perle
Indemodables Chypre Azural
Papillon Bengale Rouge
Rogue Chypre Siam
Rogue Mousse Illuminee
At least mostly supporting small businesses!
Isn’t Chypre Siam amazing?
FB:
Pacifica Inc Tahitian Gardenia 30 ml (decanted and sold some of it)
Mini:
Pacifica Inc Waikiki Pikake (but I want to get rid of that one)
Decants:
Givenchy Organza Indecence 8ml
Serge Lutens Clair de Musc 8ml
JHAG Gentlewoman 10ml
Maison Martin Margiela By the Fireplace 7ml
1. TM Miroir des Joyaux
2. Gres Cabotine Floralie
Technically, the second one doesn’t count because it serves as room decor in my daughter’s bedroom. It should not be considered a perfume.. by anyone, ever.
?
Laughing out loud at your second item!
Yup, also LOL at #2. If it’s better as room decor than perfume…oof
It’s the only perfume that I say ” no, not that one!” When she picks her sotd ?
Yikes!!!
I had to Google it; is it that bad? The bottle is cute.
A couple years ago I had a Cabotine in a green bottle. I ended up getting rid of it when I sold a bunch of bottles at a garage sale. The lady took everything I had there. I gave her a great deal and she was thrilled!
Is it that bad?
It’s just very sharp smelling to my nose. It has a very sweet candy spree smell but then mixed with powder dishwasher detergent. I keep retesting it to see if it grows on me. I do like the original.
I was so glad when you got the Miroir des Joyaux that I also have. And I bet they will become very expensive on eBay but it’s too good not to use.
Perfume as room decoration is a new concept for me
Oh I will definitely be wearing it this winter!
I have been on “no buy” for soooo loooooong that I just had to give in to temptation. For less that $100 I got:
–a full, 75ml bottle of Ineke’s Idyllwild with a great discount from Twisted Lily (my 10ml “large sample” is nearly drained and I fear I would really miss it)
–3/10ml Hermes travel sprays from evil bay, Neroli Dore, Concentre l’orange Vert, and Pamplemoose Rose (the one I really wanted). Too good a price to pass up.
Forgive me, Donatella
PAMPLEMOOSE!!!!
I’m told that in Scots English, words are spelled as they’re pronounced. Perhaps just tell people you had a Scottish moment. (No offense to Scottish folks here. I think spelling words as they’re pronounced would make more sense than learning American Standard English spelling.)
I would have shared from the bottle of Eau de Pamplemousse Rose that I got. Let me know when your travel spray runs low.
You are too kind
I’m enjoying seeing the wild and elusive Pamplemoose! ?
OK, snarky-pants!!!
Joining a few others in being a bit bad this quarter. At least we are in good company!
1. Chanel Paris-Riviera
2. Le Labo Iris 39; 15 ml spray
3. Chanel La Pausa edp
4. Chanel Paris-Venise
I had a trip to Paris so for me this quarter was a splurge! But I feel like I did do a decent job of resisting there too?! I went into Jovoy for the first time and didn’t buy a thing! But it was partly because it was a heat wave and my brain was fried & I had tried on too many! Lol Anyway, here it is, I think Donatella would approve:
Paris:
1. Diptyque Discovery set of 5X7.5ml (Tam Dao, Eau Duelle, Philosykos, Oyedo & Do Son)
2. Guerlain Cuir Beluga 20ml travel spray (which surprisingly worked even in 42C!)
Discounters: fragrancebuy.ca
3. Serge Lutens Un Bois Vanille 50ml (old bottle design)
4. Serge Lutens Santal Majuscule 50ml
5. Bvlgari Black
Does fragrancebuy ship to the US?
Yes, I think so! They are definitely where I find the best deals (and shipping) in Canada
Yes they do.
Just two for me, donatella.
(Three if you count today’s purchase..but that goes towards next quarter lol). Plus it was a pre-owned bottle..doesn’t count fully anyway. Lol.
1. Fresh Rose Bulgare EDP 100ml £25
2. Avon Rapture Cologne 114ml £4.50 I already have a partial bottle that cost me more money and I adore this perfume, do consider it if you come across it
3. L’Artisan Parfumeur Noir Exquis 100ml £44.85 I regret this one to cloying in the drydown with a musk I don’t care for, I like the opening
4. Jicky EDP 100ml £41 I used so much of my EDT already which I wear often last thing at night
5. Miller Harris Tea Tonique 100ml £34.99 and Rose Silence £34.99 at TK Maxx online enabler to Bob who advertised this sale I had wanted Tea Tonique for two years
6. Vintage Karl Lagerfeld Chloe EDT 30ml enabler pin to LTSM who wears it so often and it reminds me of being in the bus in Paris as a child in the 70’s as it was everywhere then
7. Vintage Hermes Caleche EDT 120ml £23.21 I now have a lifetime supply of Caleche in all its iterations, it is my most worn scent
8. Balestra by Balestra EDT 100ml £10 bought blind, it’s an 80’s perfume in the vein of Guy Laroche Clandestine and Coty Fatale, so good
9. Floris Chypress 100ml £26.10 I fell in love with this newish Floris
10. Yves Rocher Folies de Saisons Delires d’Automne 60ml £10.50 BUB because it’s discontinued
11. Van Cleef & Arpels Moonlight Patchouli 75ml £35 looking forward to wearing this in cold temps
12. Jo Loves Gardenia 100ml £32 my second favorite purchase
13. Kenzo Amour EDP 100ml £20 my small bottle was almost empty
14. Comptoir Sud Pacifique Vanille Abricot 100ml £24
15. Jean d’Albret Ecusson EDT 116ml £24
16 Rochas Femme Parfum de Toilette 100m partial 3/4 full bottle BUB
17. Dior-Dior EDT 216ml splash sealed bottle (took a chance with this, I don’t buy sealed as a rule after a bad experience) £34.44 my favorite purchase, I already had a mini and I love this wistful scent
18. Roger&Gallet 4x15ml of Vetiver, Lavande, Bouquet Imperial, Jean-Marie Farina £12.50
You are the queen of finding great prices!
Thank you Lillyjo, just lucky to live in the UK I think, if you ever see a cheap listing for Avon Rapture, Lillyjo, I think you could blind buy like I did, it is so good and compared to two Guerlains on Fragrantica.
Not bad at all this quarter:
1. A travel spray of Replica Under the Lemon Tree – $28 less 8% back at ebates.
This was a Sephora impulse buy (damn their birthday gift offer!) but I really like it.
2. A travel spray of Aedes Iris Nazarena – I thought I was just buying the spray, but the ebay seller included the gold atomizer AND the original velvet box… for a grand total of $7.99.
I’ll finish it, but I definitely don’t need a full bottle. Some strange crayon note in this one.
$7.99?! That’s amazing!
I bought the same spray on ebay! But I also don’t love it that much.
I totally forgot about the damage poll. I have been very good. I only spent around $35. The only full bottle purchase was Kiehl’s Original Musk Blend no 1 and spent maybe $75 at most on decants. I was going to spend more money to get Lonestar Memories but got some news that didn’t make it happen.
Serge Lutens Bas de Soie 50ml
Masque Milano Romanza 35ml
Maria Candida Gentile Lady Day 15ml
Maria Candida Gentile Lankaran Forest 15ml
Hiram Green Lustre decant
Hiram Green Dilettante travel spray
Essential Parfums Nice Bergamote travel spray 10ml
Frederic Malle L’Eau d’Hiver travel spray 10ml
Imaginary Authors Memoirs of a Trespasser almost full bottle from Goodwill
Pacifica Malibu Lemon Blossom 30ml
Naomi Goodsir Bois d’Asesce 50ml
Lankaran Forest and Lustre have since been swapped away.
Total damage $316.32, which is $50 more than I’d spent in the last 3 quarters combined (!) So apparently after about a year of perfume austerity, I had an itchy sprayer finger.
I use cashback apps when I shop online and mostly use the money earned to buy perfume, thus the notation of “cashback.”
BOTTLES
Terracotta Le Parfum – 57.14
Angel EdT refill juice – 16.15 – bought this then started looking for an empty Angel bottle to decant it into. Came to find non-empty bottles cost about the same as empty ones, so I bought a refillable:
Angel EdT Comet Bottle (used) – 17.28
Angel Innocent & A*Men (40-something but “free” to me as I purchased with cashback)
AA Rosa Pop – 23.30
Eau de Shalimar – now d/c’d and my 1st ever BUB – 64.26
SMALL BOTTLES/TRAVEL SPRAYS
FM Vetiver Extraordinaire – 17.00 (remaining 50.00 paid by gift card that came free with a purchase at Bloomingdale’s, despite having returned said purchase.)
Thymes Tupelo Lemongrass (3 rollerballs) – 9.46
VCA Travel Spray Set (Ambre Imperial, Moonlight Patchouli, Gardenia Petale) – 18.89
TRAVEL SPRAYS / DECANTS
7ml TF Orchid Soleil travel spray (fragrancenet) -17.00
7ml L’Instant Magic – 12.59
5ml Guerlain Mon Exclusive – 20.99
5ml VCA Bois d’Iris – 8.30 (remaining $10-ish paid w/cashback)
5ml MH Fleur Oriental – $10.20
MINIS
Angel EdT – (cashback)
LL Elle L’Aime – 9.49
LPRN Ma Robe Petales Eau Fraiche – 6.43
Prada Infusions – Vetiver, Amande, Fleur d’Oranger – 33.31
SAMPLES
2 mfr samples Angel Eau Sucree – (cashback)
2 mfr samples Angel Etoile des Reves – (cashback – plan to buy FB this weekend)
7 mfr samples CdG Floriental – (cashback)
1 mfr sample LPRN EdP – $2.51
Terracotta is my best purchase of the past year, may it bring you as much joy as it’s brought me!
It took me a long time to come around to it, but it’s now a summer staple.
A relaxed but significant perfume quarter:
Ormonde Jayne – Taif — signed by the lovely, charming, brilliant Linda Pilkington at Arielle Shoshana (priceless)
Bruno Fazzolari – Au Dela Narcisse — on a visit to Twisted Lily in Brooklyn
Various sample sets, including the interesting Brooklyn natural perfume company Therapeutate
Nice. Ta’if is great even without the autograph,
Yes, I’d thought I probably wanted it for nearly a decade; finally having the chance to test them all made up my mind.
It was so cool to meet her — I was struck by how much like her perfumes she is, although I guess it’s the reverse.
I behaved reasonably well, but I will say everyone here gets to share partial responsibility or enabler pins all around. My two purchases were from eBay and a direct result of conversations here….total was under $100.
7.5 ml Kelly Calèche extrait refill
15 ml decant of Baiser de Russie
Samples of Bengale Rouge
Because I’ve been trying to lose weight, I’m doing some shopping in my closet. I’m trying to apply that same principle to my scents. Shop in my own cabinet.
A partial explanation might be I did some splurging on yarn…so that rabbit hold was actually more expensive this quarter.
I bought two decants — of things that I’ve already used up, or almost used up: 10ml of Carnal Flower, and 30 ml of SL La Myrrhe.
That was it. But it was pretty pricey, at about $140.
But both fragrant masterpieces!
Newbie here, I didn’t think I’d bought much this quarter but it adds up…
The full list:
2x three-packs of Elizabeth and James Nirvana 7 mL rollerballs. Between them covering the full range I think? Black, White, Rose, Bourbon, Amethyst and French Grey.
7 mL travel sprays of Van Cleef and Arpels Ambre Imperial, Moonlight Patchouli, and Gardenia Petale in a 3-pack
4 mL splash bottle of Prada Infusions Vetiver
4 mL splash bottle of Kenzo Jungle L’Elephant
50 mL Chanel Coco EDP
I think I did ok
Welcome Morag, and sounds like you did!
Thanks! I’ve been lurking for a while and thought this was a good opportunity to say hi
Our lists have a lot of crossover
And your avatar is about the cutest thing I’ve ever seen ?
Thank you!
Haha yes, great minds think alike? I discovered fragrance net around the middle of the year which might go some way to explaining the list above.
I’ve been very good, so watch out, next quarter!
1. 30ml Terre d’Hermes parfum (for the spouse).
2. Sample Set of Cloonkeen Atelier scents.
3. Iris Nazarena travel size cheap as chips.