Tax day might be postponed and we might all be stuck inside, but Donatella, Our Lady of Creative Perfume Math,1 is not going to let April go by without hearing the confessions of her flock. Donatella wants to know what you bought in the 1st quarter (January, February and March) of 2020.
My purchases...
As has happened before, I had plans but ended up buying nothing. (Although I keep having this nagging feeling that I've forgotten something? If I am wrong and I did buy something, I will confess in the next poll.)
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.
Same Robin, planned to purchase something and got derailed!
Can’t say the same for samples however…
And I can’t say the same for clothing, ack. I am very glad I do not have to confess those purchases anyplace.
I confess mine to a spreadsheet. I gotta keep myself honest. To myself.
Ooh, that’s a fantastic idea.
I might confess to unusually high clothing spending…but it’s so difficult to resist right now! I love high waisted bottoms and am swinging wildly back and forth between “you don’t need more clothes,” and “but it’s going to go out of fashion! Get them while they’re popular and everywhere!”
I find myself drawn to buying leggings. Because I don’t have any need for business casual for the forseeable future, so I’m going full on Ahtleisure…
Oh gosh, me too. I now have a fantastic athleisure wardrobe. What are your favorite leggings?
I like Athleta, because the lululemon sizing makes me feel bad
– I feel they run two sizes smaller than other brands.
I’ll pipe in with my very favorite leggings! Sport-it (from Amazon). Completely opaque, long enough, and they don’t collect lint! My very favorite leggings. I have two pairs, which is adequate, but I will eventually get another pair or two and get rid of all my other leggings that don’t fit right or gather lint. Because who has time for a lint roller every time they leave the house???
I’m more of a skirt person when I’m wanting comfort, but to be fair I’ve only ever bought cheap leggings from Old Navy and Target.
Angel Philtre Volupté $48
Serge Lutens La Fille de Berlin travel set $120
5 Lush solids: Junk, Lord of Misrule, Pansy, Rose Jam, 1000 Kisses Deep $70ish
Total: $238 CAD not counting taxes and shipping. Honestly, more than I’d intended to spend (which was $0), but not so bad, really. I’ve declared a moratorium on purchases (like, *all* purchases) for the next quarter: we’re not going anywhere and I’m using things I already own. I bet I’m not alone in this.
I was going to say, YES, moratorium on all purchases!… but since we’re confessing, I have to admit that scented goodies are actually the one thing I’m planning on indulging in once regular income resumes. My 2 other *problem* categories are clothing/shoes and skincare, and I have instituted a moratorium on those (with the exception of a couple of skincare items that I am legit out of, like sunscreen.) But all-around belt tightening has already been instituted and will continue for the foreseeable future.
Envious of your Angel purchase!
Those Lush solids are so fun and always so tempting!
I’m wanting to give the Lord of Misrule and Rose Jam solids a sniff.
My Dearest Donatella,
Well, my obsession with all things scented continues to be an issue that I must learn to control. However, this is not the quarter to discuss that. As per usual, Quarter 1 includes post Christmas finds, my birthday buys, and some online greediness/neediness during the COVID crisis….Here we go!
PS: Bonus 4 word review of each scent!
1. Korres Amethyst Oud: Fall/winter gem!
2. Britney Spears Prerogative: Sweet coffee fun
3. Shakira Elixir: Super Bowl impulse buy
4. Byblos: NOPE Gave to coworker
5. Michael Kors Sexy Amber (travel spray): LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
6. Guerlain Eau de Cashmere (travel spray): Bought full bottle immediately
7. Nirvana French Grey: Nice lavender for office
8. Estee Lauder Knowing: Long time wish list!
9. Elie Saab Girl of Now Shine: Might be too loud?
10. Elizabeth Arden Sunflowers: Have not opened yet….
11. Elizabeth Taylor Brilliant White Diamonds: Soft powdery office goody
12. Jones New York Peony and Amberwood: Meh. Gave to daughter
13. Laura Mercier Ambre Vanille: Winter weight vanilla gourmand
14. Bvlgari Omnia: Unicorn chai tea treasure
15. Guerlain Eau de Cashmere: Full bottle See #6
16. Bill Blass Nude: Awesome vintage throwback
17. Calvin Klein Eternity Intense: Dupe for Dr. Pepper!
18. Rampage Blue Eyes: Boring, Gave to coworker
19. Jovan White Musk Cologne: Awesome bedtime clean scent
20. Kenneth Cole White Fragrance Mist: Clean fresh spring goody
21. Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Nerolia Biancia: Might be too cloying?
22. Philosophy Fresh Cream Soft Suede: NOPE gave to coworker
23. Bruno Acampora Musc: Happy Birthday to ME!
24. Cacharel Noa: Have not opened yet
25. Burberry Touch EdP: Nice polite office scent
26. Givenchy Ange Ou Demon Le Secret: Might be too sweet?
27. Calvin Klein Woman: Have not opened yet
28. Versace Red Jeans: Have not opened yet
BUT WAIT! There’s more, in the form of Bath and Body Works Fragrance Mists! They were $5.00 or less, but greed is greed….
1. BBW Strawberry Pound Cake
2. BBW Margarita Cupcake
3. BBW Confetti Cake Pop
4. BBW Wild Honeysuckle
5. BBW Dance in the Rain
6. BBW Saltwater Breeze
7. BBW Daydream
8. BBW Soak in the Sun
9. BBW Dream in the Sky
10. BBW Passionfruit and Banana Flower
11. BBW Bora Bora Citrus Surf
12. BBW Tiki Bay Island Margarita
13. BBW Fiji Sunshine Guava-tini
14. BBW Sea Island Cotton
I have 5 FragranceNet bottles coming for Quarter 2, but we’ll talk about that in 3 months. Forgive me….but I sure am having fun trying new things!
Holy cow, that’s some list!
I turned 50 in March, so I allowed myself some freedom to celebrate big time! That’s my story and I’m sticking to it…..
Congrats on the bday and your celebration purchases!
Nice
I think I missed your birthday, so happy belated birthday and congrats on your extensive presents-to-self!
OMG! ?. Don’t tell your perfume grinch about it, you may kill him! ?. Gorgeous purchases! You deserve them!
*hat tip* ?
Well done! I actually think Sexy Amber is available to sniff, when sniffing in public returns. Do you mostly buy in person or online?
I’m guilty of being all over the place! Online, TJ Maxx, Ross, Marshall’s, Bath and Body Works, Belk……LOL It’s a problem!
Nice haul!
Very impressive Jada, one doesn’t turn 50 everyday.
YOU GO GIRL!!!
That Guerlain Eau de Cashmere is really nice, isn’t it. I should wear mine more often.
Love your 4 word reviews!!
Impressive haul!
Noa is one of my favorites, I am excited for you to open it!
Oh cool! I will open it tonight then and try it! I heard about Noa from “Notes from Josephine”‘s YouTube channel….I really like her and her reviews tend to be spot on!
Belated Happy Birthday! I like your style
Been wanting to buy backup of Bruno Acampora Musc. Is LuckyScent the only place to purchase?
I got it from Luckyscent….I don’t know where else I would be able to find it in the suburbs! LOL I love Luckyscent and have been ordering a birthday goody from them for several years now!
Fabulous haul! Congrats, especially on the Omnia!
Wow. Impressive. (I think you are responsible for my Eau de Cashmere spray….)
Well, if ‘officially’ lands on your door step after April 1, it’s fair game!
I’m so excited to see another Bill Blass Nude lover! Hooray!
Do you get more green galbanum or sandalwood??
I definitely get the soft sandalwood vibes mostly….a bit of green up top! I really love it….
Impressive list!
Thank you for stimulating the economy! ? Love the reviews, now I want to smell Prerogative, I’m in the market for a not expensive coffee scent.
I’m wildly impressed and, now that you’ve mentioned them, fiending me some BBW mists too!
Shalimar Vanille flanker.. for my birthday…it didn’t come cheap!
It was an essential purchase imo.
I haven’t smelled a single Shalimar vanilla flanker….good for you! Definitely essential!
I love it better than the original.
Which flanker please?
From what I remember without looking (lol), Demeter Rosebush and Pink Grapefruit early in January when I discovered that Boscov’s (local department store) had set up a little Demeter Fragrance Library display stand since the last time I’d been there. Bottles were $9.99 each, I think.
Towards the end of February, I think, Chanel No. 5 EdT. I thought the cost was really very reasonable, especially compared to some niche brands that charge extremely high prices. Also it’s a scent that cheers me up.
Demeter is so fun
Every so often here I’ve been commenting on how much fun my friends and I have trying the samples and bottles I’ve gotten.
Boscov’s had Demeter??? I wish I would have known… there’s one about 10 or 15 minutes drive away from my house. That would have been a neat sniffing opportunity.
Well, hopefully things will be getting back nearer to normal in a few weeks…? We’ll see when department stores open up again. There are fragrances I doubt I’d want to buy, but am curious about, like Thunderstorm and Kitten Fur. I did a blind buy of Demeter Baby Powder at Marshalls for $7.99 or so, and figured I’d swap it if I didn’t like it. It’s nice, though. Oops, guess that gets added to the above confession!
Encre Noire a l’Extreme 100ml, Lalique
Mitsouko EDP 75ml, Guerlain
Close Up 100ml, Olfactive Studio
Ginger Piccante 125ml, Guerlain
Samsara EDT 50ml, Guerlain
Chambre Noire 100ml, Olfactive Studio
Discovery Box, Shay & Blue. 40ml Atropa Belladonna hand cream, 40ml English Cherry Blossom hand cream, 2ml Blueberry Musk sample, 2ml Oud Alif sample, 2x10ml Black Tulip minis.
Mainly stuff off my buy list. Go me!
Fantastic list of goodies…..as always!
So jealous of your Ginger Piccante…I missed out on a discount bottle and now I am searching and trying not to pay full price for a full bottle that I don’t really need (do any of us really need a full bottle of anything?) Yikes.
Notino (UK) currently has the 125ml bottle for £36.72 +postage. Though that’s not much use if you’re not in the UK…
Exactly!!!
Macys is having a sale on Ginger P
Still expensive though
It’s on sale at Macys currently. No affiliation…just enabling for the sake of enabling…lowest price of the season they claim…
https://www.macys.com/shop/product/guerlain-aqua-allegoria-ginger-piccante-eau-de-toilette-4.2-oz.?ID=8423677&CategoryID=57792
Or, just wait until it pops up on fragrancenet again. It seems to come and go there.
nice list BobH!
May I ask which of the Close Up or Chambre Noire is your favourite? I’ve had my eye on both of them (and Panorama) for a while now…
Close Up. It’s got cherry!
Thanks!
Well, that’s intriguing….
What lovely choices. Is Encre Noire a l’extreme very different from the original?
It’s a lot smokier and woodier with something a bit boozy in the opening, but you can tell it’s related. It’s really good!
That sounds wonderful!
Thank you Bob, sounds great. You are one good smelling gentleman.
Ooh, good to know!
There’s lots on that list I wouldn’t mind having – nice!
Is your Samsara in the red bottle?
Nine for Q1–forgive me, I don’t have exact figures handy, but:
Under $10 – Bigelow lily of the valley oil
Under $20 – Laura Mercier Ambre Vanille and SJP Lovely (50 ml)
$40s: VT Cosmetics Eau de Bois and Eau de Poudre
$70s: Diptyque Eau Rose and Tam Dao EDT (both 50 ml)
$80s: FM Carnal Flower (10 ml) and LAP Traversee du Bosphore
Except for the first few years of collecting, my perfume buying tends to cluster this way–I enjoy what I have and work through samples for a while, then end up with a buy list and an itch for something new and shop for a few months, usually around the after-Christmas and spring sales. I don’t think I bought this much in all of 2018 and 2019 combined! But they will be loved in their new home, especially as I turn my focus to staying in and enjoying my collection.
Did I read that LAP Traversee was discontinued? I am jealous of yours in any case!
Yes, I think it is. And such a lovely one!
Well then enjoy it all the more!
All from Solstice Scents…several samples, Chocolate Strawberry Cream and Cocoa Mallow whipped soaps (haven’t tried these yet) and FBs of Lavender Vanilla and Estate Cacao.
I feel like you must be some kind of celebrity at Solstice Scents!
Off to peruse their catalog…
Yes, I am a true SS “follower” as they say in the parlance of our times.
Also I found the extent of their offerings daunting at first and wasn’t sure what to order…but I read through the descriptions of their general catalog and then just picked a few gourmands and vanilla-centric samples to get the ball rolling. Some I love and others that I don’t I still find well done even if not my cup of tea.
Zip, zero, nada. BUT, I will admit to a strong urge to spend willynilly on a couple of bottles I’ve been wanting. The urge is STRONG, but so far I’ve resisted. If I had Donatella’s bank account, they would already be mine!
Oh, what are you dying for?!
Ugh, terrible phrase to use these days. Sorry! What does your heart most desire in terms of perfume?
No worries! Two bottles I’m longing for are Bengale Rouge and Farmacia SS. Annunziata dal 1561 Vaniglia del Madagascar. The former I’ve tried recently, had a decant, and went through it lickity split. The latter I tried many years ago when I went on vanilla bender. I only had a sample, but it’s remained in the back of my mind as the best I’ve tried. I probably need to resample because sometimes the memory like to play tricks on us.
I think the Vaniglia is a very nice, high quality vanilla perfume. If that helps.
Although I would recommend sampling again if it’s been years since you tried something.
Nicely done on the willpower!
Ah, if I had Donatella’s bank account, yeah. Not even sure where I’d start.
Forgive me Donatella! The stressful times we are facing made me break my no buy commitment a bit. I promise I will not sin again this year ?.
Sonoma Scent Studio Incense Pure- Full bottle.
Gallivant Istanbul- Full bottle.
Comme des Garcons Kyoto- Full bottle.
?
nice work! How do you like IP? I hedged on the 20% sale, I got a sample 2/3 years ago and I thought it was lovely!
It is beautiful! Pretty resinous. As an incense lover I can say it is a great scent in that category.
good to know! I liked Avignon, but I thought it was dirtier, in comparison.
Nice! I love Istanbul and Kyoto – haven’t smelled IP but it’s grouping with others make me think it’s great too
If you love incense perfumes I highly recommend it. It is worth trying.
Yasmina, to me, Incense Pure is frankincense with pine needles and maybe a hint of freshly ground black pepper. It’s a dry incense, too.
Great purchases! I’ve been thinking about Istanbul and Kyoto as well. Enjoy!
Thank you! ?
Sounds like you got some beautiful bottles!
Thank you! ?
Incense Pure bottle purchase siblings! ?
Hi twin! Let’s enjoy that bottle! ?
Good work! And sin is a relative term…
??
Good for you for investing in some true loves!
They are some of my favorites and enough for the rest of the year.
Fantastic choices. I’ve been hankering after Kyoto for a while.
Thank you!
Forgive me, Donnatella for I have sinned. I bought more than I normally do but not like in years past I have bought:
1. Chanel no 5 edt travel set
2. Estee Lauder Pleasures for women (not the flankers)
3. Coco Mademoiselle edp
The only thing that I intend on getting for this quarter is Coromandel. I am learning to getting the 2.5 ounce edp. Just can’t justify the extrait right now.
Nice stuff!
I wouldn’t mind Coromandel, too, it’s high on my list!
One bottle but a doozy! After dabbing through a generous sample from a friend I treated myself to TF Lost Cherry. A splurge and not a wear every day frag, but it makes me happy and we all need some happy!
Nice! And jealous, you smell fab. Well done.
at almost the 11th hour I squeezed in a subscription to FragranceNet’s sample service…
$120 – FragranceNet sample service, 8ml/mo
March = Nahema
Interesting – Is that $120 for the year? And can you choose the sample each month? Is the offer still valid?
yes, If you pay $120 upfront for the year there is a cannon of 8ml fragrances you can choose to receive each month. You can also upgrade to other scents that are more premium, but I think the selection overall is more in line with my tastes than scentbird which I have also tried.
Ooooh, Nahema…
That’s a good one.
I think I’m partially anosmic to it because it doesn’t smell that strong to me, right now I get waves of chamade with ash in it. I’m going to revisit it periodically.
Oh, Nahema, wonderful.
OOF. I bought the 12 months too…..didn’t even add that to my list…..#GreedyJada
ha! You inspired me to sign up, you should get a commission! So, what decants did you decide on? I have Yvress on it’s way this month, and some VCA after that…
How do you look at the choices you made on FragranceNet? I just logged in and can’t figure how where my list is….anyhoo, my March pick was Tom Ford Neroli Portofino and I LOVE it!
PS: Normally my hubby doesn’t seem to notice new bottles or boxes in the mail….but this quarter he noticed! LOl
Hmmm, there doesn’t seem to be a way to look at past purchases ?
It’ll be a good surprise each month then! LOL Like a birthday gift every month!
Yvresse! A VCA! Wow, maybe I should join this. (I’ve wanted some Yvresse forever, and I haven’t met a VCA I didn’t enjoy.)
It’s $10 a month! For a year of enjoyment!
Nahema is sooooooo great!!!
I shouldn’t count a hand sanitizer from DSH, right?
Other than that, I bought some samples, which is quite unusual for me, but I wanted to test some perfumes I’ll never see in stores around here. But samples don’t count.
Also, I got 2 travel sprays (10 ml) by Tom Ford – Tuscan Leather and Tobacco Vanille (couldn’t pass on an unheard 25% off at Saks). But these are for my vSO, I never use them myself, so, as a gift, it doesn’t count also. As well as a bottle of nice mimosa perfume that I got as a gift from a perfumista friend for my birthday.
As I started writing, I thought I haven’t bought anything but I remembered: I asked a friend to get for me in the UK Duty Free a bottle of Jo Malone Lavender & Coriander. So, it’s 1 30 ml bottle for the quarter.
Donatella, I’ll try to do better the next quarter, I promise!
DSH makes a hand sanitizer? Hmm….
What excellent travel spray choices, and nice-sounding JM purchase, too, though I haven’t sniffed that one.
Dear Donatella, I am happy to report some enjoyable, yet fairly minor, damage this quarter:
Guerlain Herba Fresca
Stella roll-on
Cartier l’Heures Fougueuse IV – 3.75 ml sample
Guerlain Mon Guerlain Body Lotion
I can’t really afford the Cartiers, but fragrancenet has those nice larger test tube samples of several of the l’Heures so I grabbed one – love #IV. And the Mon Guerlain lotion isn’t here yet, but I decided I deserved a lotion treat. I do like my sample of the fragrance, so crossing my fingers that I will like the lotion.
nice work! how do you like Herba Fresca? I like the idea, but I’m worried the mint will be overpowering.
I like it, but I like mint. It will be awesome in warm weather. Want to try a little? Email me via my screen name above.
Ha, yeah, I did the math on those large fragrancenet samples of Cartiers, and realized their price per ml is so much lower than the FB price per ml that I bought myself several samples of the Cartiers I liked and decanted them into my own spray bottles.
Smart!
I did the same!
Herba Fresca is a really good one.
Yes, it was a blind buy (which I rarely do) that worked out well!
I bought a lot this quarter, but many of these were purchases I’d been planning to make at some point. I’ve also swapped away the Scent Trunk 5ml travel spray. Otherwise, my only blind buy was the PPC mini.
DSH Eau Cerise 10ml EDP $48
Miss Layla (from Fum Fragrances) for Scent Trunk January 2020 5ml travel spray $13.60
Jo Malone Myrrh and Tonka 50ml $69
L’Artisan Jour de Fete partial bottle $30
Providence Perfume Company Love-in-a-Mist 4ml rollerball $28.20
Fum Ariose 15ml bottle $95
Hiram Green Diletantte 50ml bottle $148.50
Comme des Garcons Luxe Champaca EDT 100ml EDT $45
Aedes Discovery Set 3x10ml Copal Azur, Iris Nazarena, Oeillet Bengale $93.50
Total of $570.80
Not a huge fan of that total, but I don’t regret any of my purchases. I also was lucky to receive a couple bonuses and a pay increase from work during this quarter, so it all evens out right?
That’s a great deal on the Aedes set – was it on sale?
Yes, I bought it from Beauty Encounter with a 15% code. I think I bought the last discovery set they had. I did it mainly because of hearing about the discontinuation of Iris Nazarena.
Wow! You got a STEAL on the JM Myrrh and Tonka!
I’m an eBay bargain shopper for life!
Wow, gorgeous list. I am very envious! You smell fantastic.
Thanks, Koyel!
Wow, great deal on the Luxe Champaca!
I know, isn’t it! There was an eBay seller selling at that price for like a solid month who sold plenty of bottles. I was worried it would be too good to be true, but the bottle arrived and is legit.
After several quarters of relative austerity, the buying urge came back & I bought:
Amouage sample set: a source of endless joy to me
Hermes set of 4 colognes (nomads)
Hermes Oramge Vert shower gel
Parfums de Nicolai Cap Neroli
Loving them all, so a successful bunch of purchases!
Amouage sample set, wonderful.
Which Amouage sample set, men’s or women’s? Inquiring minds and all that…
Women’s. The presentation is gorgeous as well as the perfumes.
Ooooooooooh, very nice!
Everyone is so enthusiastic about Cap Neroli that I’m tempted to buy it blind….
I did not adore it, but yeah, I think I’m in a small club
Oh wow, the first negative thing I’ve heard about it! What didn’t you like?
I also didn’t love it, but I only tried it once. Maybe my expectations were too high. It reminded me of Tocca Stella, and I already have a bottle of that one. I will definitely try it again though.
I didn’t like it either but I can’t remember details.
I liked it but didn’t love it.
Yeah, on me Cap Neroli had a fun astringent start with the herbs in there, and quickly goes soapy-spring-breeze that is super wearable, but similar to other fragrances I already have.
Koyel, maybe you’d also be interested in trying PDN’s other neroli frag, Neroli Intense? It’s got a delicious beeswax note that warms it up and gives it some heft.
1. Fame Corday EDT 120ml £24
2. Givenchy L’Interdit vintage EDT 50ml £8.53
3. Arpege vintage EDP 80/100ML £21
4. Coty Imprevu PDT 50ml £5.50
5. Robert Piguet vintage Baghari EDT 118ml £27 (had been waiting to get a full size like forever)
6. Robert Piguet Visa 100ml EDP 100ml £24 (as above)
7. Les Nereides Oriental Lumpur EDT 100ml £18 (my second favorite purchase)
8. Jean Patou Chaldee EDP 100ml £36 (well, this series might not be around for much longer, can’t wait to use it this summer)
9. Diptyque l’Eau Neroli EDT 100ml £45 (tried it last summer and I will soon need a replacement for my Fragonard Fleur d’Oranger)
10. Diptyque Olene EDT 100ml £45 (I needed more Diptyque in my life, bought blind and love it)
11. Eau de Guerlain vintage EDT 100ml £35 (BUB)
12. Coty Chypre 15ml (my favorite purchase, my dream has come true)
13. Set of 6×2 15ml vintage EDT by Galimard (founded in 1747) it made me discover wonderful scents like the narcissus one which is out of this world, I would like to try their current perfumes, they fly under the radar
Ooh, Coty Chypre! That is truly impressive – congrats! Lovely list otherwise as well.
Thank you kpaint, I still haven’t recovered from it, I had smelled it when I won my class with Victoria and couldn’t get it out of my head but thought I had no chance to own it one day. Truth be told the seller seems not to have realized what a treasure he had, the (very few) listings I had seen over the past three years where much more expensive.
Those are the best finds, aren’t they? I’ve found a few spectacular vintages on eBay where the seller was clearly just selling his grandmother’s things without knowing what they were. Congrats on a gorgeous list!
The two Piguet were really a good deal…
I took the plunge for that reason, but I waited three years with just a decant of Baghari
Great deal on everything! Especially that Givenchy!
Thank you Lillyjo, the Givenchy is special because what I had before was a past its prime bottle, while this one has kept so well. I know you’re like me and love the classics.
Nice purchase with the Chaldee EdP!
Thank you Jalapeno, Chaldee will be worn a lot come summer (it was originally sold as a sun lotion).
Oriental Lumpur! Vintage Arpege and vintage Baghari ???
Enjoy, you got some great buys.
Thank you ringthing. Oriental Lumpur turned out an absolute love, and Arpege and Baghari are intact and smell glorious.
I spent this quarter about half of what I spent in all of 2019. Oops. That’s partly because some HTF items from my wishlist became available at reasonable prices, so I did not pass. (My bday was also this quarter and I think I may have done some gift-to-myself justifying as well, but who knows – January seems like centuries ago…)
Total spent $227.82 (I count everything regardless of the rules)
3 mfr samples:
Lancome Parfait de Roses
TDC Majaina Sin
Perris Monte Carlo Arancia di Sicilia
2 decants:
Lancome Tubereuses Castane
Mdo Musc
3 bottles:
Chanel No 5 extrait
MH Fleur Oriental
Mdo Musc
3 mfr samples equaling 11 ml, aka 1 small perfect-sized bottle of Guerlain French Kiss
In other news, I track purchases in 2 other categories as well, and even combined with my higher-than-usual perfume spending, I’m about $600 under budget for this quarter, so yay me.
nice selection! how do you like:
Lancome Parfait de Roses
Perris Monte Carlo Arancia di Sicilia
Guerlain French Kiss
Love French Kiss (it was a wishlist item.)
On the fence about the Lancome.
Can’t wear the PMC. There’s some aromachemical (or multiples of them) commonly used in modern perfumery that mis-translates somehow, somewhere, in my olfactory system and smells utterly, horrifically awful and obliterates any other facets of those perfumes. So I have no idea what Arancia di Sicilia is supposed to smell like. Do you want it?
sure! If it’s unisex maybe my son could wear it, he is obsessed with Sicily. I think I have your email…
You can also click on my SN
Oof, that is disappointing.
I love Parfait des roses! Someone once sent me a decant and it was fabulous. But then, I’m a big Rose lover.
What a lovely list, esp the CN5 extrait!
I’m so happy to see you got Fleur Oriental. It doesn’t get mentioned but is one of my favorite scents from MH. A real list of goodies and well done on the budget.
I discovered it had been d/c’d, did a quick ebay search, and there just happened to be a reasonably priced bottle available so I snapped it up. I’ve looked for it many times before but MH is hard to come by in the states, particularly at good prices.
Have you tried Powdered Veil? I’ve always wondered if they’re similar. To my nose, FO is all about powdery goodness although it appears I may be alone in that interpretation.
No, I haven’t tried Powdered Veil, it’s on my list of new MH to try, what I like above Fleur Oriental is its old school vibe, so it may be powdery, maybe the carnation.
I’m a day late, I bought:
Estee Lauder Pleasures (original)
Calvin Klein CK1
These both came from fragrancenet95 on eBay, they sometimes have 95% full bottles very cheap. I wore Pleasures in the 90s and I’ve had a hankering for it. Both bottles were under $10 and I had PayPal credits from Rakuten purchases last fall, so they cost me $0.
Oops sorry! Didn’t know I was posting on your thread, kpaint!
No problem! Off to check out fragrancenet95. Those are crazy good deals! I use my rakuten (and other cashback earned) for perfume purchases as well, which is why my total above is somewhat artificially low.
It is a sign of the times that I literally have no idea. I bought some stuff, for sure, but what and when is a . . . blur. Definitely a BUB of Dilittante as I saw or heard it was being discontinued – I don’t know if this is true – and I am going through a bottle pretty fast. Also a second 30 ml gram bottle of Trimerous because I love it and went through 15 mls fast. The Prissana Mohgrabot (spelling? I can’t spell anything today) that I mentioned yesterday. A 10 ml of Heretic’s Dirty Violet. There my memory falters and I haven’t been keeping track.
Yes Dilettante is discontinued.
Oh no, Dilettante is discontinued???? I love that one! And they sell 30ml??? I’ve got to find a bottle.
No, only 50ml on the Dilettante, alas. The 30ml is Jorum Studios Trimerous.
Oh dang, I misread. Well, I am extremely sorry to have missed out on the Dilettante
what a gorgeous scent!
Luckyscent still has some! Just saying . . .
Oh gosh. Extremely tempting. If they still had the 10mL travel sprays, it would be a no-brainer. But I may still have to go for a bottle….
Ugh same, thanks for the heads up Amy, cazaubon!
1. L’Artisan Mon Numero 8 $65
2. Guerlain Habit Rouge – a 200 ml vat EDT $ 60
3. Davidoff Zino $35
Total $160
Oh, and I forgot: a BUB of Theo Fennell Scent $45
So, $205
I have a backup of Theo too, I paid 20€ or something..
Yes, Theo Fennell scent is very affordable in Europe, but I’ve always been afraid of the cumin, is it very noticeable?
My only references for cumin are Rochas Femme- the modern one- too much cumin for me, smells stale and SL FdO – which I like as it just gives character to the otherwise BWF. I guess if you can handle FdO, you wouldn’t have a problem with Theo Fennell’s cumin. But there is a lot of musk in it too, and NOT the laundry type. I’ve seen it compared to Papillon Salome – takeonethingoff mentions Theo Fennell a couple of times. Just put it in the search bar. I like her reviews!
And I thought I got a bargain! It is the one perfume that I actually think I may end up getting to the BUB. Maybe when I’m old and grey(er), but still.
This was for Tannina!
Thank you about your answer about cumin in TF, alas Fd’O is too much cumin for me so TF would be another scent I admire but couldn’t wear.
Goodness! My first confession is: I cannot for the life of me remember when I bought what. And I’m not even certain I can remember what I bought, full stop! But I will try. Uh oh.
1. Creed, Jasmin Impératrice Eugénie (so good!), 140ish€
2. Hiram Green, Voyage 2019, 155€ (:—/)
3. Une Nuit Nomade, Jardins de Misfah, 90ish€
4. Masque Milano, Romanza, 138€
It’s possible the Creed was pre-2020? I can’t figure it out. But, having never before confessed, it’s probably appropriate to include it here. All 4 are enjoying a regular rotation, so no regrets. Though my bank account might feel otherwise!
Wishing everyone a day of sunshine and dog snuffles and bright flowers, no matter where you are, no matter the weather. We all need it right now, the world over. Heart.
As it is over two years it seems very reasonable to me and you enjoy them, that’s what counts. Hope you have sunshine today too.
Nice purchases!
Dearest Donatella, I hope you are well (and well-scented) in these times of difficulty. I did my part to keep up the important traditions of our faith, which comforts and sustains us in times of trouble.
I purchased a few mini’s, which I know just annoys you: Nez Hongkong Oolong, Jo Loves x Zara Vetiver Pamplemousse.
But then the real damage begins:
1. Lush Plum Rain
2. Atelier des Ors Pomelo Riviera
3. Guerlain AA Ginger Piccante
4. Carner Barcelona Fig Man
5. Givenchy Ysatis
6. Ginestet Sauvignonne
Then I helped out a bit in Twisted Lily’s going out of business sales (sniff):
7. Neandertal Dark
8. Zoologist Nightingale
And I helped some more by supporting Tigerlily after they had to close their storefront (temporarily, we hope) for shelter-in-place:
9. Libertine Soft Woods
10. Libertine Troubled Waters
11. J Hannah & Co Long Branch
I sold or swapped only 4 mini’s this quarter. Not much offset there! But hey I SMELL GOOD.
Ooh, how is the Pomelo Riviera? I’m kind of grapefruit obsessed right now.
Pomelo with orange/bergamot and a little salt. I think lucasai did a review of it, IIRC. I can send you some if you like (100 mls is certainly more than I need…)
Nightingale is great and at a bargain too!
Wow, lots of Ginger Piccante going around this quarter!
You smell wonderful, and the list is impressive!
Three bottles for me–
MadHat SantL-$120 from the perfumer
Ramon Monegal Impossible Iris from the Twisted Lily sale–$38 (plus I used $150 from a gift certificate)
Guerlain Ginger Piccante $61.75 from Fragrancenet
Grand total rounded up $220. Not a bad quarter for me, but as my collection gets bigger I need fewer scents, just because I probably own a similar scent already. But I am doing my bit to bolster the economy, I just spent that plus a little more on a coffee maker.
I totally agree about your analysis of your collection, fewer bottles needed, I hope to only replace empty bottles next quarter. Enjoy the coffee maker to
We may need to buy a coffee maker / espresso machine soon, too! I’m happy to hand-grind and do a pourover, but my husband is missing the espresso machine from work (thought: Maybe we should babysit it during the shutdown :).
Has he tried a Bialetti Moka Express? I adore mine, it’s way cheaper than an espresso machine and it lasts forever! And best of all, Cuban espresso….
I got myself a bottle of yardley luxe gardenia (which I find a good dupe for Chanel gardenia but it doesn’t last very long.) I would strongly recommend any one who likes the Chanel sample it as it’s cheap as chips.
I bought my friend a bottle of Ferragamo signorina ( she loves sweet roses) but it got returned in the post! Poor girl won’t get it for months now .
I got derailed on a sample of messe de Minuit and I am desperate to find a sample of Caron Nuit de Noel.
Not very seasonal I know! I am just really into that woody, spicy Christmas smell at any time of year it seems.
The quarter before I got just samples too of CDG Avignon and heeley cardinal but I didn’t pull the trigger on either. Mmm incense.
Hope everyone is keeping well and safe.
I could not decide between Avignon and Cardinal, so I also bought none
I go back and forth.
I save a lot of $ by this sort of dithering
We share desperation over a sample of Nuit de Noel.
I know. I am kicking myself for not getting one before it was discontinued.
1. How You Love by Jazmin Sarai 50 ml, split 20
2. L’air des alpes by Tauer as a birthday present for my dad.
3. Theorema Fendi 30 ml – just pulled the trigger on this yesterday. I hope it’s legit and I will be doing a close comparison with my mini to make sure it is
Good luck with the Theorema Yasmina!
And you don’t have to include gifts, but what a nice gift! Hope he loved it.
Thanks Robin! I have yet to give it to him with all the corona craziness
Yeah, I don’t know when I will be able to see my mom again. Well, whenever you manage it, I hope he loves it.
I was feeling quite frazzled a couple of weeks back, and went on a stress-induced blind buying binge. My package is supposed to arrive this Saturday, so I have something to look forward to!
Coming my way are:
Lalique Ombre Noire EdP
Bentley for Men Intense
Joop! LeBain
Tous 1920 The Origin
Montale Paris Intense Cafe travel spray
Versace Dreamer
All told, $143.14, tax included.
Oohh, report back on the LeBain. I recently saw a review on it, that piqued my interest.
I have a bottle of LeBain and can send you some when this is over. Where was the review? Curious cuz it’s not very well known in the US
https://youtu.be/v0eqpyeJ12c
I bought two, or one and a half.
M Micallef Akowa for around $110
St Clair First Cut travel size for around $68
I can’t remember anything else though who knows what I may have been up to back in January?
If Donatella knows, she is not telling
Ooh, love First Cut!
Haven’t had time to read the comments yet. Will do that at the end of the day. My only purchase has been 100 ml of LVEB en Rose EDT, bought on sale (40% off! which was actually cheaper than buying the 50 ml) with a GWP to boot. The regular LVEB opens okay on me, but soon becomes WAY too sweet. But LVEB en Rose one starts off with a light, pretty peony/rose combo and dries down as a somewhat sweet skin scent instead of a toothache. Some might call it a “pink” fragrance, but that’s what the name says.
40% off is a deal, plus a gwp — congrats!
Dear Donatella,
I did good this first quarter, so i dont have to confess a lot.
I finally bought a used bottle of Musks Koublai Khan, just 150€ for 70ml
I bought some decants, but not much..
10ml of Coromandel EdP, 16€
10ml Dior Granville, €
10mlPour La Belle by Schlossparfumerie Stuttgart, 9€
5ml Grimoire by Lebreton, 9€
I swapped some scents, but that does not count, okay?
All in i payed just under 200€, which was under my budget.
But i bought a bottle of Untitled L’ Eau for splitting today, because i emptied my decant last summer really quick.
Yay for staying on budget!
My post is going to start with a big, fat facepalm. So much for my “No Buy/ Low Buy”. In my defense, I will say that all of my purchases this quarter were from indie perfumers that I would like very much to stay in business. So I guess it’s my own version of the stimulus package. Also, everything on my list was on sale.
1. SSS Incense Pure Travel spray, 5mL — $21
2. SSS Rose Volupte Travel spray, 5mL — $21
3. Soivohle Saffron Spice parfum oil, 4mL — $16
4. Soivohle Ginger Piquant parfum oil, 4mL — $16
5. Soivohle Iris Underground parfum oil, 4mL — $16
6. Soivohle Lilas et Jacinthe parfum oil, 4mL — $16
7. Soivohle Little River Rose parfum oil, 4mL — $16
8. Soivohle White Gardenia parfum oil, 4mL — $16
9. SSS Incense Pure, 15mL — $47.71
Total = $185.71. One of the worst quarters I have had re: spending in a while. ? SIGH. Bleep! Back to my best intentions of a “NO Buy!”
Some of you may wonder why I am including itty bitty 4mL bottles in my tally. Since these are the full bottle size of the perfume oils, I figure they count.
Those sound lovely! Can you describe Saffron Spice for me?
I haven’t tried the Saffron Spice yet. I’ve been slowly opening up the oils and savoring the experience. The only ones I’ve tried on the list so far are the Iris Underground and the White Gardenia.
I can give the Saffron Spice a quick sniff from the bottle later on tonight, if you’d like.
My initial sniff of Saffron Spice was a LOT of warm spices. No saffron specifically to my nose. I was able to pick out nutmeg and ground cinnamon. Maybe some bay leaf too?
I’m not familiar with Soivohle perfume oils but now you have a nice collection of them, enjoy.
Thank you, I will!
What a great selection! Are the oils long lasting?
Yes, they are. Rather quiet and close to the skin, but I get about 7 or 8 hours of wear from them.
That’s great. May I ask how the Iris Underground is?
Sure! My testing notes say “This is mostly violets and a flower-y iris on me with something wet/rainy mixed in.”
It sounds beautiful. Thank you! I need to check that oil line.
Here’s a link that will make things a little easier:
https://lizzornarts.com/classics
Super! Thanks for the link. Checking right away!
Your list sounds gorgeous! And hey, you bought such teeny amounts of everything that I don’t think you’re violating the SPIRIT of your no/low buy
You have so much to enjoy now!
1. Korres Lilac Iris Powder edt
2. Chloe Love Story eau Sensuelle
3. Hermes Un Jardin Sur Le Toit
4. Carven L’eau de toilette
These were all purchased around the end of February in anticipation of spring. I lucked into some steep discounts so my total comes to just under fifty dollars plus I returned my Laura Mercier Ambre Vanille from last quarter so, not bad, I think.
As a powder fiend, I have to ask about the Korres. Also wondering why the LM didn’t work. I didn’t even realize she was still doing perfume until I saw this bottle pop up on so many lists!
I get some powder and lilac. No iris, really. It’s a very light fragrance, but happy and pleasant smelling. I returned the LM, because because I thought it be a substitute for the original Vanille, but turns out, it wasn’t, and I knew I wouldn’t wear it.
Thank you!
Oh, lovely list, I like the fruity Un Jardin sur le Toit very much because it’s juicy but not too sweet (but I don’t own it), you will enjoy it so much this summer.
Another low buy quarter for me if we’re talking perfumes alone. I was always an underachiever ? Must really try to connect with my full potential.
1) Lush Sun 30ml perfume ~ $30
2) Lush American Cream solid ~$13
2) Stora Skuggan Fantome de Mauls ~$45 partial bottle from Twisted Lily tester sale (and now that I am reminiscing about that day a few weeks ago, what a horrific germ fest! ?)
I’ll count my candles as they are getting more use than my perfumes these days and I tend to buy those more liberally:
Boy Smells Philia (orris/hazelnut) from TL tester sale ~$22
Boy Smells Cinderose (votive- dark, smoky rose) $17
Boy Smells St. Al (clove/ylang) ~$32 which was the last time I was in a store for non necessities. Not sure if I love this burned and regretting I didn’t get the Ambrosia candle instead).
But, I bought no samples at all this quarter.
“Must really try to connect with my full potential” made me laugh, thank you!
I haven’t bought any perfume ( except body lotion Mon Guerlain) but after my mother died I started clearing her house a little and came across a lot of perfume , some she had bought in sales long ago and some she found in charity shops. I will keep some and donate the rest. All are what I woukd describe as ‘old’ bottles
1. Crabtree and Evelyn Extrait of Mysore Sandalwood. This was one of my father’s scents from the 80s but this must have been a BUB as it is almost full. Good stuff!
2. Safari
3. Byzance
4. Ysastis
5. Tresot
6. VCA tsar ( another of my dad’s)
7. Dior Remeber Me
8. Dix
9. Lancome O
Then a whole lot of things I will pass on: First, Be Delicious, Michael Kors, Armani, unlabelled blah blah
Then bottles I had given her but still have juice
1. Kyoto
2. Penhaligon Night scented Stock
3 Wonderoud
4 CDG Floriental
That is such a nice thing to find though, isn’t it? I so regret that I never smelled my mother’s Shocking that she must have worn in the seventies. My mother is still alive, but that bottle is long gone.
I’m sure the Mon Guerlain lotion is lovely. I’m still dithering on whether I will get a bottle of the EDP of MG. I already own Mon Exclusif and the two are not dissimilar.
Tsar used to be one of my favorite men’s perfumes.
That Extrait of Mysore Sandalwood sounds so beautiful!
That Mysore Sandalwood is a real treasure! And I am a lifelong fan of Byzance.
C&E Extract of Mysore Sandalwood is one of my fav sandalwoods. I’ve gone through 2 bottles. I’d love the opportunity to acquire your bottle if you’re interested let me know
Thanks but it reminds me of my father so I will keep it.
Crabtree and Evelyn Extrait of Mysore Sandalwood? For real? That’s an amazing sandalwood, it’s so creamy and delicious. Having your mom’s perfumes must be bittersweet.
I think I bought only a few samples from TwistedLily, some cheapo incense and that is about it.
Donatella, can you please tell Neimans not to file chapter 11? Thank you lots.
Or, could Donatella just buy Neimans?
Yes, this also works lol
Not a thing for me this quarter. I was too indecisive about the present to buy myself for my new job! I was planning to order some samples from Luckyscent, but didn’t need to do that when I received the awesome bag of samples from Scentspirit.
Expenditure twins, ha.
Dear Donatella,
I’ve been measly. Purchased just before the quarter ended, my birthday present to myself, a bottle of Haute Provence by Parfums de Nicolai from Luckyscent.
$52 plus tax
Now for a bit of a laugh: We have a bird feeder in our backyard that supports mainly an overweight population of sparrows and the occasional scrub jay. A few minutes go my husband came in and told my daughter he had just seen a squirrel go into the bird feeder, and a scrub jay fighting it off. My daughter ran out for the inter-species fight, and I was ready to follow – we are all in need of live action entertainment at this point, right?
A few moments later, a very disappointed daughter returned. April Fool’s. She’s now making chocolate covered pickles that she’s planning to pass off as chocolate covered strawberries.
Chocolate covered ghost peppers would be a good April Fools lol. And a courtesy bottle of Tums after.
That’s hilarious, and I’m loving the payback!
I have to be honest – her paypack didn’t work. It’s hard when you can still see pickles underneath the chocolate…:)
So she ate them herself. Has a thing for pickles.
Wow! She must really like pickles. Ya know, her dad probably knew she was up to something.
I remember as a teen putting seaweed into chocolate chip cookies and feeding them to my dad. He, in turn, fed me the fat from a can of pork ‘n beans. I believed him when he told me it was pork. Touché, dad. ??
Two – a small bottle of Acqua di Parma Colonia Assoluta & another big bottle of their Fico di Amalfi, because one day, this mess will be over and summer will come!
With all this self-isolation, I re-discovered my stash of samples, which I have been ignoring. Lo and behold, I have found some full bottle worthy candidates. I better hide my wallet.
Well, summer will come for sure, right? And we can hope this mess will be over.
No bottles, but I did buy a set of minis of the Prada Infusion series (7 of them, I think?). I actually like them all (they all smell a bit like the original iris to me), but my favorites are the carnation, vetiver, and iris Cedre.
Oh, that sounds cute!
Very nice!
Pretty sure all I bought this quarter for were some Fragonard soap and some Aerin shower gel, both at a pretty good price.
And neither counts
I have confessions, but stuck to my budget and these were all things I really couldn’t pass up:
$45 Mini of Andy Warhol Silver Factory I found on Poshmark
$42 Body Shop Ananya
$35 Niki de St Phalle bath oil
$1 (estate sale) Laura Ashley #1 and Dilys
and the big splurge, $145 for Dilettante, which I really could not pass up once I learned it was being d/ced and will never regret.
Did not know AW SF came in a mini!
Ahhh I am still dithering on a Dilettante purchase. I may end up dithering so long it will be out of stock. Hrm.
Souvenirs from Belgium–travel size of Indices Wise Plum and 100ml Gabriella Chieffo Lattedoro–approx $280
Mostly full tester bottle from Barney’s closing– The Harmonist Golden Wood $40
Partial bottle of Botrytis $70
Two bottles purchased, and one gift from my mom. The two purchases were a FB of Memo Italian Leather (during Twisted Lily’s 30% off extravaganza) and the gigantic size of Tam Dao EDT. The gift was for my birthday in February – MFK’s very pretty Aqua Celestia.
Italian Leather is my favorite! I keep *almost* buying a travel size.
I bought a bottle of Commes des Garcons Sticky Cake in February. I went from sample vial to full bottle very quickly. Beauty Habit had a good price on it, too. No regrets
I don’t seem to be able to vote, but I can still confess and I will.
I was pretty bad, considering I already own a ludicrous amount of perfume.
I got Rahele at a 50% discount!
Buying Rahele I made the unfortunate mistake to try the Akro’s, which I shouldn’t have. Anyway, I liked them all but fell hardest for Akro Dark.
Then I decided that my life would not be complete without L’Ame Perdue which I bought in Brussels in January when all was still quiet and normal in Europe. Well Brexit, but hey these days that seems a million years away.
Then I needed to buy a bottle at Skins because I had a discount coupon and those should not be wasted. A bottle of Carnal Flower body oil is now mine.
And because I want to support small businesses in these tricky times I had to go and buy A ce Soir by Pont des Arts (I had also bought their sample set, and they are good, but AcS is seriously gorgeous) which is on its way from France as wel speak.
So all in all I wasn’t that bad, and I smell good!
Austenfan, your choice of web browser might affect your ability to vote. It did for me… so I opened up the poll in Firefox instead of my default browser, which is Opera. Firefox worked.
Interesting, I don’t remember that problem from prior polls — but then, I do forget things.
I always use chrome and have always been able to vote except this time ’round.
Thanks kpaint. They must have changed something in the code, or …?
I love the Pont des Arts trio!
It’s since become a quartet!
Oh must find the fourth! Thanks for the info!
I can’t vote either, I’m using Apple Safari.
I use Apple safari and this is the first time this has happened!
I’ve been a good, responsible girl this time, and purchased only a tiny bottle of Chanel n.5 l’Eau (I adore n.5 extrait, but I find l’eau extremely pleasant) and 1/3 bottle of Dior Bois d’Argent on ebay. So maybe less than 1.5 bottles?
Wow JadainGA will wear the coveted crown today!
)
I love your enthusiasm.
I must confess that I was a very bad girl.
Here we go, and I should probably go back to the top re submit my vote at the next highest choice on your poll…☺️
(My caveat is: I was on extended vacation and left in a hurry without the ability to pack much of anything but a few decants I could reach quickly, AND I did hit many sales including eBay and fragrance.net.)
1. Mon Guerlain Florale 1oz (thanks to Mr.Benke’s recommendation)and a cute teeny weeny 2ml bottle,
2.Guerlain LPRN in many iterations; 3.4mls, 10mls, 5ml mini’s (so cute)
3. OJWoman 50 ml split of an 100 bottle so I saved some serious price/ml here
4. MCG 4 15mls bottles of: Sideris, Anima Sante, Rose Selavy, Exultant (thanks to a ‘nose who knows’ who she is
5. Gucci, Gucci Edp 1 oz (thanks to APJ!)
6.Profumum Roma Ambra Aurea 50ml (bottle split) my long desired love
7. Profumum Roma Aqua di Sale 20 ml decant
8. Mon Sillage Eau Fraiche 1 oz
9. SSS Jour Ensolielle 30mls (20% off)
As they say on The Voice “My team is now Full”.
So great to see Mon Sillage!!
? Thanks.
I find it to be a lovely lemony summer citrus with a good herbal backbone and some style.
Well, I did my best to keep Neiman Marcus afloat. During their sale I purchased YSL Caftan, YSL Caban and a small Lancome Jasmin Marzipane. Got so carried away on fragrances, I neglected to buy my favorite body balm
Finger’s crossed, I’ll find another sale & stay focused on needs, not wants!
YSL Caftan is a treat! I wore it all fall/winter and used up so much!
Caban is wonderful!
They’re having another promotion right now, $50 off $200, code selfcare.
I did my first ever Split on Amouage Sunshine Woman $229.95CAN(+tax) and sold half, so pretty happy!
Salvatore Ferragamo Amo: $51.95CAN (+tax)
L’ Artisan Safran Troublant: $99.44 CAN(total)
Probably only doing swaps for a while now
Like others, my ‘no-buy’ was derailed the last few weeks. The upside of working from home right now is that I can enjoy my collection during the days while I’m toiling away in my home office.
1. Montale Crystal Flowers – 50 ml $70.00 – thanks to a lemming created by johanob ?
2. Montale Intense So Iris – 50 ml $80.00
How do you like the Crystal Flowers?
It’s really nice! I don’t get alot of rose so it must be well-blended (I’m not a full-on rose lover). Very easy-wearing!
Good to know! I’m also not a full on rose lover.
The poll seems to be closed now, so I cannot not vote, but here are my purchases:
FBs:
Lush Tramp body spray
Lush Jungle body spray
Mini:
L’Artisan Parfumeur Premier Figuier (5 ml)
Decants:
Memo Winter Palace 7 ml
L’Artisan Parfumeur Safran Troublant 6 ml
Annick Goutal Musc Nomade 8 ml
Phaedon Tabac Rouge 8 ml
Nah, still open, just not working
Can’t vote in the poll, but I did plenty of damage.
2 x HG Dilettante because it is discontinued
Ormaie L’Ivrée Bleue
Aedes Oeillet Bengale because it is discontinued
Mendittorosa Nettuno
4160 Tuesdays Truth Beauty Freedom Love & Lightning Ridge
Cire Trudon Bruma
Guérlain French Kiss
Profumum Roma Santalum
I am now on indefinite hiatus.
You got some real beauties there!
Are these all full bottles?
Yes.
Nice!
How do you like the Santalum?
I’m assuming it’s Australian sandalwood. It’s a nice warm, woody smell.
Dang, impressive!
Oeillet Bengale is discontinued??!! Why?!
Aedes is discontinuing their whole line of perfumes.
Okay, I confess I once again violated my no buy policy… but not horribly.
Two travel sprays from Fragrancenet: Mandarin Basilic and Eau de Cashmere
One 15 ml bottle of SSS Equestrian during their 20% off sale…I had to, didn’t I?
I had that same exact reasoning about SSS!
Yes, you had to. That one is lovely.
I started to go down the wabbit hole with the 20% off sale but resisted.
LizzieB – how do you like the Mandarin Basilic?
It’s a spring favorite.
Yo Donatella…hey gurl!
– A full bottle (something I rarely buy these days) of Aramis Special Blend by Aramis. That I ended up gifting to a friend of mine, since he liked it more than I did (I bought it blind)
– A sample of “Allegretto” by Berceuse Parfum (Antonio Gardoni was the nose)
– Large decants of all of the most recent Bortnikoff scents: Triad, Vetiver Nocturne Absolu & Oud Sinharaja
– Iso-E-Super Bath soap by Monsillage (it’s *fantastic*!)
I am tempted by that bath soap! I’m a fan.
My one bottle purchase was a 15ml dabber of Carta Moena. Well worth it!!
Ooh, that one has definitely intrigued me, but I hadn’t been able to justify buying a whole bottle. Now that I know 15mls is an option…
It’s still not cheap, but much easier to justify.
I wasn’t planning on purchasing anything but then … FragranceNet had a sale.
I purchased Bill Blass Nude 3.4 oz for 42 cents (not a typo), Alyssa Ashley Musk deodorant spray for $4.99, and Skin Musk Oil for $10.
I’m (hopefully) good for at least the next two quarters!
Wow, that’s some awesome deals!
I really got lucky on FragranceNet, timing is everything!
Those are crazy good deals! Did they happen to have those prices when you were shopping or did they alert you?
Coin-op, I receive emails, and then another perfumista gave me heads up how to get extra good deals…. I also found out that they are on ebay, which is where I purchased the goodies this go-around, with free shipping….
That’s a good tip about the ebay free shipping
42 cents?!?! I think you win for best all time bargain!
Lucky me!
Late to post, but then I’m pretty much heads down from waking up (when the government is running press conferences in the East) until after dinner.
Not much for me in Q1, but then, that’s probably going to go down even more in the coming quarters.
Basically: I ordered Arielle Shoshana Sunday in the Kickstarter, and got a sample of Saturday. I didn’t get either until Christmas as I had it shipped to my sister’s in the States. Loved the Saturday, and ordered the 10 ml rollerball in January. So that’s my purchase for the quarter.
Except, my sister is a healthcare worker in the States and I saw MCMC is making hand sanitizer now (and I can’t, of course, have it shipped to Canada), so I sent some to my sister with some MCMC samples.
That’s it…all the damage for Q1. I can’t go to the States now to pick up purchases, and Tauer’s not even shipping the new solids there (yeah, I’m a Tauer fangirl), so I imagine I won’t be buying anything at all for the foreseeable future. Shipping to Canada is just too darned difficult. I’ve got a lot of samples to work through, I guess.
So glad Saturday found another fan!
Yeah, hard to get Tauer here too, and frankly everything is shipping slowly now.
I’m not sure if a body spray counts or not but if it does I bought Tom Ford F Fabulous body spray.
Yeah, they are grey area, but I think I would count it.
Zero for a grand total of $0.00
Did not succumb to the SSS sale even though my birthday is this month and I thought about getting a bottle. Also, thought about the Tauer solid.
In the end I bought nothing. I can’t remember the last time I bought anything…. maybe a year ago?
My mind is not on perfume these days ☹️☹️☹️
I guess I need to turn in my perfumista card LOL ?
NEVER!?
???
You know, I have been wearing perfume for more than HALF a century, and this is the first time I really feel like it really isn’t important to me. It’s a very strange feeling because I have been obsessed with it since 1968.
Don’t sweat it! It only makes me feel worse when I’m pressuring myself to get back to something that’s not a priority. It’ll come around again for you later I’m sure.
Oy. Ahh so I bought a lot of expensive things. I am working on my “need” list.
Arquiste Anima Dulcis 100 ml – mexican chocolate goodness
Heretic Dirty Neroli travel – what Bigarade Concentree wishes it was
Coriandre 50 mi – blind buy cheapie and I love it!
Papillon Anubis – goth steampunk leather
Profumvm Olibanum 18 ml – light resiny frankincense
Decanting supplies, just in time for Covid19
I think that’s it.
I’ve slowed way down on samples though. There’s just too much trash masquerading as niche out there. Yes, I am a total stuck-up snob. Now I mainly just get samples of new releases from houses I know I like, or things that you folks rave about.
Already starting on next quarter!
That is a nice mix for a total stuck-up snob
I think I will end up blind buying Coriandre one of these days. I’m glad it was successful for you. I’ve been intrigued by the Heretic line, though I guess not enough to buy any samples yet.
Late to report,but for the record one bottle this quarter:
FM Iris Poudré in the black 30 ml bottle.
But what a great choice. I think Iris Poudre is elegant yet approachable!