Saturday is International Cat Day! We're celebrating with a twist on our guilty pleasures poll (due for a repeat soon). Tell us about the fragrance(s) you just don't really care for, even though they are classics and/or everyone else seems to love them.
(And as with the scrubbers poll, perhaps best to not read the comments today if you're very sensitive about your own perfume loves.)
Or, as always, just talk about something else.
Note: top image is Cat [cropped] by Lea NAVIDI at flickr; some rights reserved.
What happened to the cat who ate a ball of yarn?
She had mittens!
Thought I loved Terracotta , but has become a scrubber, too cloying.
SOTD will be smudge. Beautiful cool perfect sleep here last night.
+1 Aspara!
Yay for kittens and mittens.
I sold my bottle of Terracotta on EvilBay a few years ago too…agree on the cloying.
Uh oh, I literally have a decant of that one being delivered today.š¤£
You might love it!
Well, it was a small decant so not a huge investment. If I donāt like it, Iām sure I could find someone to send it to.š
Fwiw, I like Terracotta but, like Dune, I prefer it in the winter.
Winter, whatās that?š
Iāve been feeling in a slump for the last few days realizing we are well into August and our family hasnāt really done anything āfunā this summer and probably wonāt.ā¹ļøReady to fast forward to summer 2021, it has to be better, right?
I’m feeling the slump too. I’m savoring every last minute of daylight and dry roads!
DO NOT like Terracotta. Bad, new plastic just out of the box smell.
I have a big bottle. I go back and forth. I didnāt find it cloying but I do find the opening to be rather like plastic.
+2. THICK vanilla that sits there on my skin like a sulky child. But my skin amplifies anything sweet or vanilla.
3+ I used to love Terracotta. Another full bottle that doesn’t get any use at all from me anymore.
I love Terracotta, but like lillyjo I prefer it in cool temperatures and cold weather. In summer there’s a muskiness to it that is a bit much for my nose.
Cats! LOL cat jokes! I am there – thanks Aspara =^v^=
Okay I really want to change my avatar to a picture of my black cat biting a leaf off my flower vase all 4 fangs in perfect frame but it wonāt fit! Itās really funny she looks like a vampire cat!
So hereās my list:
1) ShangriLa by Hiram Green overpowered me even in teensy doses. I tried.
2) Guerlain LPRN Black Perfecto
I donāt know what happened on my skin!, but not good.
Iām with you on the Guerlain LPRN.
Do you have that cat picture anywhere online?
Shangri La doesnāt work for me as well.
Ha, Shangri La was straight up peach potpourri on me. I quite enjoy Moon Bloom and Vivacious, but none of the others.
Same here with Black Perfecto and Shangri-La!
I’ve still never tried Black Perfecto but really want to for the cherry note, but Shangri-la was not for me.
Agree on Black Perfecto.
Mitsouko didn’t impress me much.
Wondering what folks think about Vilhelm Parfumerie please? I haven’t tried anything from this line but am pondering getting some samples. All feedback great and small would be appreciated.
I enjoy Basilico &Fellini on a warm day. What I have smelled from the line all seems perfectly good quality and well crafted. But none of them have turned into a proper love.
Didnāt impress me either.
Iāve tried a few from Vilhelm. Really like Modest Mimosa, Dear Polly and Morning Chess. Iād say they are worth trying. The prices are ridiculous but I see that Luckyscent offers them in a 50 ml size, which is at least somewhat more āaffordable.ā
I like my old (80’s?) bottle of Mitsouko, but it took me years to get there. Not saying it will grow on you, just that it grew on me!
Vilhelm has only recently became available in Poland.
I tried Modest Mimosa and wrote about it. I really liked it a lot but I think the line is overpriced.
Way overpriced! imho
True.
Yes to the overpriced verdict, worse than Jo Malone.
āOver pricedā is my refrain for just about everything these days. The grocery store shocks me every time I shop…
Grocery prices have gone through the roof the past handful of months!
I noticed the dramatic notice in groceries, I thought it was my imagination getting the best of me
ST, I keep track of our family spending, and grocery costs are up by about 15% since March and the beginning of the Stay Home Save Lives order. I think prices are up. I also think we are stuck not “shopping around” as much–have to choose whatever chicken, TP, rice, etc, is in stock rather than buying the most economical option.
I’ve tried a couple from Vilhelm. Not unpleasant but did not rock my boat.
I tried a couple of Vilhelm and didn’t impressed me, except for A Lilac a Day, which I fell in love with. The best lilac scent I have found so far.
There are now several Vilhelm scents I would buy in a heartbeat if they were even a bit cheaper. Or if I were less cheap.
Mitsouko really doesn’t work on me.
(So to be more clear, I am impressed with the line, I am just cheap.)
š
I have a small bottle of Room service. Very berry. I shoukd wear it more…
can’t do Mitsouko either, makes me kind of sad
Vilhelm was OK. A few of their compositions are nicely done but nothing worthy of that price tag.
I’ve tried Morning Chess and Basilico & Fellini. Liked both, but the price tag is hard to swallow, even for the travel sprays.
Thank you all for the feedback!!! The cost bothers me too.
I often quote Luca Turin from his old blog on the upper limit for cost…”letās say $120 or so for 100 ml of EdP or a half ounce of proper extrait.”
Vilhelm’s 100 ml bottles are $245. š¤
Ha! That comment is LTās seemed unrealistic when he made it and even more so now, which isnāt to say that 245 is not super expensive! There are a lot of that Vilhelm that I really like and the travel sprays are excellent. Still pricy but not such a deep commitment. I did go through an entire travel spray of Purple Fig and the splurged on the big bottle though. Dear Polly is another good one.
LāAir du desert marocain. Iāve tried multiple times but just donāt get it. Iāve also failed with Lonestar Memories and Orange Star. š
I love L’Air DDM, but dislike Au Coeur du Desert, the “intense” version. When it first came out, it seemed that Coeur was so popular, I kept resniffing hoping I’d *get* it. But no. Amps up the wrong notes to my nose!
I once took a lot of trouble to go to a perfumerie in Madrid, with the sole objective of trying and buying LADDM. Tried it, thought it was super linear but that my nose must be off. Went back and tried again. Then gave up. Just not me.
oh no! that does happen sometimes. One reads about a scent and hears it mentioned and then we go out of our way to finally smell it. And itās just not right
Ooh, Iām with you on those.
I am with you on Lonestar Memories and Orange Star, but do love LADDM
I think this is an amazing scent but it still didn’t work for me. I totally understand its appeal.
yes! I think of laddm as perfume sculpture or scented architecture, a work of art. It has a particular appeal, but it’s not going to do it for everyone. I love it tho!
Yep – LAdDM – to me it smells wonderful as an ambient scent. I dribbled a little on a shelf where I keep some makeup and it was delightful for sever days. But ON me it turns into….something like a really nice guy wearing some sort of cologne that he got at IDK well some sort of ordinary store.
I canāt wear a single Tauer. Not a one.
OMG Orange Star – It’s one of those where I was completely flabbergasted how anyone could even remotely like it – but my SIL, who was visiting when I tried it, thought it was “quite lovely”. (she is very polite, though :).
I appreciate the craftmanships of the scent. I just donāt appreciate it on my skin š¬
How I love these polls.š Mitsouko and LāHuere Bleue donāt work for me. Something about that Guerlainade.#sorrynotsorry. Chanel on the other hand! Almost everything Iāve tried works…BoE, Coromandel, 1932, 1957, Eau Premeire, Coco…love them all. Someday I will get around to trying all of the Les Exclusifs.
The main farmers market here has been cancelled for the summer, which makes sense since it is one of the largest in the country, but I always forget there is a little one at my nearby shopping center. Well, today I remembered! Picked up some fresh tomatoes, radishes, corn on the cob and muskmelon.šDoes any place else call it muskmelon or is that a Midwest thing?
Tracking shows that my decants of Bronze Goddess edp and Fraiche along with Terracotta are out for delivery. Looking forward to trying some new scents!
Iām familiar with muskmelon too but Iām from Michigan!
Iām west coast and have no idea what muskmelon is. š¤£
Itās another name for cantaloupe. I donāt know if thereās a technical difference but the farmers market calls it muskmelon and the grocery calls it cantaloupe.š¤·āāļø
Madtowngirl, that what I see in Indiana – muskmelons tend to be gigantic with more ridges and locally grown. Cantaloupes are rounder and smaller and from Guatemala.
I thought muskmelon has a stripier rind than a cantaloupe, which is mottled but not stripey. . . š¤
Do they taste different?
Isnāt that interesting, Iām the exact opposite of you. I can wear and love almost all Guerlain. Vol de Nuit is a favorite. Shalimar, Jicky, Vanilla Noir, I have and love them all. But I canāt seem to find a Chanel I can wear, it all turns on my skin. Per the poll, I do not like Chanel #5!! Tried repeatedly. Feel I āshouldā because itās a classic but it makes me nauseous.
Have you tried No. 5 Lāeau?
Reply again so hopefully I am now subscribed to responses to my comments.
I donāt wear no 5 either, but love both Eau premiere and Lā Eau.
agree! I have more Guerlain bottles than any other house. They work for me
Interesting — I grew up working at my grandparents’ farm market in the Midwest (Ohio), and I don’t know what muskmelon is. Is it cantaloupe?
(That said, I totally know the difference between Blue Lake and Half Runner beans. That’s not one that many people out here in Cascadia think about.)
Yes, cantaloupe.
šI do love.cantalope, very refreshing!
With you on Mitsouko and LāHuere Bleue. But I keep trying from time to time.
My favorite farmers market also got cancelled. I tried another one and left without buying anything: produce there wasnāt better than at a store, wasnāt cheaper than at a store AND I couldnāt touch or choose what to buy – unlike I still can do at a store.
Thatās a bummer. I was able to pick out my own stuff.
I too struggle with Guerlain scents. I love Samsara and Gourmand Coquin but not much else.
I forgot about Samsara! That is one I do like.
I’m with you on Chanel and less luck with Guerlain. However Idylle smells great om me if I may say so myself š¤£š¤£
Please report on the Bronze Godess edp!! I’m very intrigued by that one. The ef is lovely!
The edp seems āthickerā if that makes sense. FWIW I sprayed all three in different spots and did sniff tests with my daughters (separately) and they both picked Bronze Goddess edp for the win.
Thank you, that sounds right up my alley! I love the words we use to describe scents. ‘Thick’ works for me!
Muskmelon is not a Colorado thing. But cantaloupes sure are! I haven’t heard it mentioned in Idaho or New Jersey, either. Might be very much a regional term.
I’m in a similar boat – most Chanels are no brainers, Guerlains are hit or miss. (I do like Shalimar, though).
Test driving new Electro Limonade from L’Orchestre. It’s a yes from me.
Very refreshing and review worthy so expect a new article from me soon.
I do not know the brand and don’t want to know, but I love the name Electro Limonade!
+2 on the name Electro Limonade!
Never understood the appeal of Fracas or any tuberose dominant perfumes. Couldn’t jive with the new Amouage offerings either. Patchouli is still pretty iffy for me. Still in Cormandel but about to get into the shower and use the Epic body products.
So Coromandel’s patchouli is okay for you? I still find it pretty strong.
It’s done in a way that I can not only like it but consider a full bottle.
Big White Flowers in general are too shouty.
I think Killian’s Good Girl Gone Bad has way too many big flowers, it has nuclear=staying powers
I’ve not tried Fracas in decades. I adore tuberose so I guess it’s time.
Definitely no wintergreen or camphor in Fracas! “Buttery” is actually a pretty good adjective to describe it.
Tuberose inevitably turns into Juicy Fruit on my skin, which makes me very sad as I love the scent of the flowers themselves. I went through a dozen samples and in the end have only one tuberose perfume which was made for men and so it’s got a lot of other strong notes (cumin, leather etc) that successfully tame the bubble gum tide. But it’s discontinued now so once that bottle is gone I think I’ll be done with tuberose for myself.
Good call on Juicy Fruit gum note – I hadn’t thought of that. I rarely chew gum, but a JF phase in one of the Fracas versions is part of why I enjoy it! But I love tuberose madly however it is dressed. Setting aside perfume, I once was absent mindedly sniffing an empty pack of JF, and starting noticing spicy notes, floral notes – those flavor esters really put on a show.
The only Tuberose I like is Pichola, and it seems more about other things than the Tuberose. So totally with you.
Prada Infusion dāIris. Cuir dāAnge. Two that seem to get a lot of love, but I find incredibly meh. I read somewhere that Ellena said Kelly CalĆØche was a first draft for Cuir dāAnge. I vastly prefer KC.
Iāve established that Agnes cat does not like the coverlet on our bed. Something about it makes her edgy. Not when sheās laying on it during the day, but at night when we are in bed. She jumped on the bed in the middle of the night. And attacked/bit my leg. Not playfully. I yelped loudly, and she streaked toward the living room. Sheās now laying next to me on the couch, snoozing away. The tubby little devil.
Sticking with Shalimar Eau de Cologne for the day. I think itās love.
PSA. Brooklyn Candle has added room sprays. I like their candles. Good throw.
+ 1 for not “getting” Infusion d’Iris. And another +1 for really liking Shalimar Eau de Cologne. I bought it blind after reading a review on Australian Perfume Junkies and it turned out well.
Same here, although the Absolue is really really nice (but I think discontinued)
I really like Cuir D’Ange, but not the price. I should give Kelly Caleche another try.
I may give kelly caleche a try too as I also enjoy cuir
Infusion d’Iris smells like fruity cereal on my skin. Never been a fan. I love Cuir d’Ange though. š„°
I don’t get Infusion d’Iris’s appeal either but Cuir d’Ange is love. I would be very happy with a FB of that one!
Iād pass along my Cuir dāange to those who love it, but thereās only about 1.5 ml left of a travel spray that has a broken sprayer…. šš
Ouch! That sounds so painful!
We’re definitely opposites in that I love Cuir d’Ange and Infusion d’Iris has grown on me, though I prefer the Absolue to regular version. However, Kelly Caleche does not do anything for me.
Funny about Agnes and the coverlet. Wonder what she sees scary or threatening in it at night that she doesn’t during the day. Sorry she actually hurt you though!
+1 for calling your cat a tubby little devil š I love my two but not when they’re up to middle of the night shenanigans!
Guerlain getting a lot of unlove today and I’m going to add to it by saying that I absolutely do not understand Shalimar at all, not one tiny bit, and I’ve *tried*, I really have. The top is so violently at odds with the rest of it that it makes me a little queasy.
But Guerlain does occasionally get it right, and today I am wearing Herba Fresca, which was so obviously made for hot weather, all that grassy minty freshness, that it’s a summer no-brainer.
Oh and P.S. since it is Interntional Cat Day, you need to have a look at this (https://www.boredpanda.com/people-who-didnt-want-cats/). I’ve long maintained that with a few rare exceptions, there are two types of people: those who love cats and those who haven’t met the right cat yet.
Holy š©, that link just sent me down the deepest rabbit š³
Shalimar is not for me either.
Love Herba Fresca! It is one of my summer favorites!
I only really enjoy a couple of Shalimar flankers, like the hair mist and the eau de cologne. Shalimar Cologne, which is different from the edc, is also nice. Straight up Shalimar isn’t my cup of tea.
Bleh to the classic Shalimar! However, I just received my bottle of Shalimar Eau LĆ©gĆØre and against all odds it’s wearable! It’s what I call a gauzy oriental – I have Oriental Lounge which also fits this category, which I think I came up with…
Oh boy! Confession time: I have not found a single Hiram Green or Tauer perfume I enjoy wearing. Vero Profumo is similarly challenging (I wore Mito for a short time and ended up swapping it away). Classic Guerlain, forget about it.
SOTD is Eau des Sens, which is getting a lot of love from me this summer. Iām even eyeing a BUB.
I tested all the Vero Profumo scents and didn’t find a single love there, either.
Ditto!
I’ve only tried one or two Veros, but they didn’t capture my heart or my pocketbook.
Who makes Eau de Sens? Can’t think…
Never mind – Diptyque, right?
Yes, Diptyque
right
With you on Tauer. Something really doesnāt click at all. I do really like a number – but not all – of Hiram Green. Wearing Dilittante as I type.
Anything by Bond No. 9. I know people love Chinatown but it just left me feeling meh. Factor in the price and I just do not get it.
I also never warmed to Eau d’Hadrien…just turns the wrong way on me.
Still commando for the day, but I do have a purring cat sitting next to me, hoping International Cat Day will result in extra treats.
Ugh! Bond No. 9 scents are NOT interesting enough for the price point.
Back in the day, almost two decades ago, there weren’t many Bond scents and they were fairly interesting, some of them extremely well made (the coffee-drenched New Haarlem comes to mind). Then they became niche-popular and they started churning out more and more scents while the quality plummeted and the price skyrocketed. Ain’t that always the way? (It happened with Serge Lutens, too, and other houses besides.)
I would agree with that. I thought they had great promise at one time.
Yes, I did find them gross after awhile and they had terribly aggressive sales people. But I do like Chinatown, Bond New Haarlem, and the original Andy Warhol Silver Factory one.
Yes, all three of those were really good, and a few others besides. And then the company just jumped off a cliff.
I agree, Bond No. 9 had a.few nice scents in the lineup that I loved but at those prices? Nope.
I will happily buy an expensive scent (I own 3 or 4 Amouages. . .), but it has to be special to be worth it to me. Nothing I tested from Bond struck me as special enough. Sounds like maybe I was 10-15 years too late?
Cat Treat story: my super sweet black cat has a tall scratching post and if you say “Muffin, Treat!” and show her your placed the treat on the top she springs up, clings to the side of the post, and gobbles up the treat.
adorable!
This story is amazing. I can also make my black kitty stand up on her hind legs for treats occasionally and she looks just like a little bear! Unfortunately she’s not food motivated enough to make this a regularly-scheduled trick.
Chin scratches to your little actor! Muffin and I appreciate your and Tiffanie’s compliments! =^v^=
Aww!
There are whole lines that do not work for me. I find Chanel incredibly elegant and with obviously excellent ingredients, but the ones that I like (mainly the Exclusifs) last 10 minutes on my skin. Honestly. I spray and go and look at shoes to assess the dry down and by that time it is gone.
Byredo – can’t understand the fuss. Memo- ditto.
Diptyque- perfectly pleasant, nothing more. But I do want to try 34 Boulevard St Germaine – perhaps if the kitchen sink is thrown in, I’ll feel differently.
And I’ve realised that each and every perfume with vetiver smells exactly the same to me. Once it’s there, I can’t smell anything else.
Do like Shaal Nur, though and I think that will be my lone vetiver, with the occasional spritz stolen from the husband’s Timbuktu.
Same on Memo. It is not bad, but not worth it in terms of pricing. There are a couple of Byredo I am OK with but to me the whole line is marketing gimmick.
Good price in Fragrancenet on Memo…
I know what you mean about vetiver. Iād be interested to know whether you get that vetiver reaction with OJ Woman – itās so complex and beautiful.
Hi! I’ve not tried any of the Ormonde Jaynes. I’ve read they are heavy on the Iso E and Iso E makes me incredibly nauseous. It wasn’t like that from the start: I bought my husband Encre Noir (+ TWO back up bottles because he loved it so). Then one day in the car, I had to tell him to please wipe it off (he always has wipes in his car) and ever since it is as though I am hyper sensitive to it. Even Sel de Vetiver, which I used to like, I can’t wear any more and CdG Blackpepper has me running for the hills. Sorry for the long answer!
Thank you for not just stopping after saying you hadnāt tried any OJs, and actually explaining! Itās true that many from OJ are heavy on Iso-E, and Woman may be one of them (I donāt notice it overly much though). Some of the early OJs managed without so much of it (such as Tiare or Champaca), so if one of the samples from the first discovery set comes your way somehow, it might be worth a try. I donāt get headaches from Iso-E but agree that if thereās a lot of it, thatās all you smell.
I can attest they are iso-eS bombs and they sensitised me. I bought the OJ discovery set and could not understand why all of them smelled at once of almost nothing – as if all notes drowned in a chemical cloud- and gave me a headache. Since then Iām careful to avoid it.. and some things I like can end up bugging me in the base (such as Chanel Beige mentioned above) and always wonder if itās that!
Iād love to know what works for you as maybe we are scent twins with this? Most people seem to love iso-e super!
Hi! As a line Serge Lutens works for me – I don’t get nausea or headaches. They are divisive scents and many may not be your cup of tea. The only one that apparently has a lot of Iso E is Feminite du Bois and I haven’t tried that one. I also have a problem with ambroxan and the Juliette Has a Gun line has a lot of ambroxan in the base of their perfumes. I don’t have access to sample programmes, so if I can’t sample in store I read, read, read reviews. Basenotes, blogs etc. Kafkaesque is one blogger who mentions Iso E super if it is there in significant quantities. Or any other harsh aromachemicals for that matter. And after a while I got a feel for the people here on NST who share likes and dislikes with me.
Can Iād wear any Ormande Jayne Iāve tried. They often start beautifully and then I fer nauseas. The ISO stuff does a number on me.
Canāt wear. Sorry!
I think I have similar issues with Iso-E super – a queasy feeling. Ormonde Woman, however, does not make me feel that way – but her Osmanthus did, for example.
34 Blvd St Germain really is kitchen-sinky and quite wonderful, well worth trying. If you like roses and can find the limited-edition Essences InsensĆ©es 2016, it’s a wine-red honeyed rose that is very beautiful. Otherwise, I can leave Diptyque alone completely.
iām totally with you on byredo.
I recently tried a sample of 34 Boulevard St. Germain and I liked it a lot!
Byredo’s love is lost on me. Rose Noir is the only one I’ve found enjoyable and I never hear praise for this one. lol.
I adore 34bSG!!!
Byredo, all Iāve tried but Pulp have some sameness I just donāt care for.
These are fun. Let me see, Fendi Theorema was a complete scrubber for me. Hiram green Lustre was a total scrubber, and so was Vivacious. Jo Malone Myrrh and Tonka was horrible, so were the last 2 years worth of releases from the brand.
I dislike the entire Jo Malone style. I find them so simple and literal. And there’s a primness to them that annoys me.
Yes absolutely. I thought they would be better after Christine Nagel joined but no luck. I Liked them early in my perfume career but strongly dislike them now
Could not agree more š
So I am not alone in not loving Malone…..
“Prim” is exactly right. They’re so blanched and colourless, designed to not offend anyone. I haven’t tried a single one that I liked even a little: I mean, if you can’t even get rose-and-vanilla right, then GIVE UP.
š
Excellent description of Jo Malone!
Thanks for chiming in about Jo Malone perfumes, you’ve managed to encapsulate my thoughts perfectly. I initially liked Jo Malone but found them to be a little flat for my liking.
How tasted differ – i recently acquired a Hiram Green sample set and Lustre is one of the ones I am drawn to. It reminds me of the really old school English rose scents that were about when I was a kid
YES! It’s almost as if the Jo Malones are designed to like them the first minutes, make you buy them instantly and already dislike them as you walk out of the shop.
Not a fan of JM either but Orange Bitters and Cedra et Incense I love!
Yup, that’s it right there.
A friend wears Red Roses beautifully, it smells amazing on her but me? Nope.
I owned the Pom Noire at one time, but not enough depth after a while and I gave it away.
The only one I wear is Orange Blossom, and while beautiful, it’s practically gone in 30 minutes.
I donāt like the opening of Lustre but then it calms down and becomes something I enjoy. I was super excited for Vivacious as I love violet, but it is dank and just not good on me. And Arbole smells terrible on me.
Also with you on Jo Malone. The sea salt one works okay for me. Thatās about it.
Hi guys I am thinking of splitting a bottle of Iunx talc and wanted to gauge interest. 150 ml bottle at Adler is 260 (not sure if they charge tax to ship to California), so it roughly comes to $1.76 per ml + supplies. Email me if interested marianna_r In the yahooooland
I’d love 10ml of Talc! I was eyeing the travel size on Alder, but that would be a lot of money on a blind buy. I’ll send you an email and hope there’re others interested in this.
A couple Hermes that I’ve tried just don’t seem to work for me. I was given a bottle of Sur Le Toit; nope! The late drydown was glorious, but the 8 hours to get there was painful. And I sprayed barely a drop on me. The other was Kelly Caleche, something in it just went wrong somewhere on my skin. But I do get along great with Hiris! So go figure.
I had a similar experience with Kelly Caleche – it had an unpleasant melon note on me, iirc. Havenāt found a Jardin that works for me either … surprising, because Hermes is one of my favorite houses.
Off to sniff KC again to see if I can isolate that note! Thank youš
If KC is still not good, try āregularā Caleche. I have only sampled the parfum version, not the EDT, but I think it is lovely.
Jardin range hasn’t worked for me either. They’re not bad, just meh.
Me neither. There is an aquatic adjacent note in all of them that does not gel with my skin.
Hermes seems to be a challenging house for me.
Yeah Hermes tends to fall flat for me.
Hiris is glorious
Oh I love Sure le Toit! Shockingly good pear note.
I’ve been playing around with perfume samples since March. So far, the only note I’ve really struggled with is vanilla. The exception to that is Shalimar, but I think that is because of fond childhood scent associations. I’ve tried Un Bois Vanille, Musc Ravageur, and Spiriteuse Double Vanille and the vanilla in each makes me borderline queasy.
My cat has recently started going after the moths that wiggle through the bathroom window in the evening. It is like a gory National Geographic wildlife special every night while I brush my teeth.
thatās throwing down the gauntlet for a vanilla challenge! Have your tried Dyptique Eau Duelle?
I haven’t, but it will go on the sampling list! The notes look very nice.
Exactly the one I thought of. Also Le Labo Vanille 44.
Vanilla is a challenging note to pull off. It can go cloying easily. I used to enjoy tonka and that has become a no-no for me. I’m convinced it is due to some traveling I did with Dior’s Feve that was not a good association.
I think it’s so interesting how experiences can influence our tastes. I used to have a major sweet tooth, but after working at an ice cream shop (and eating as much as I wanted) for three years, I’m just not interested in eating (or smelling!) as much sugar as I used to.
Oh boy, was that not my experience with sweets and the service sector! I worked in a classic diner for years, with hand-dipped shakes and malts, among other offerings. If I wasn’t so lactose-intolerant, I could still happily have a small malt every day!
I still enjoy ice cream and other desserts and a malt sounds pretty good right about now! However, I used to absolutely crave sugary treats and demolish pints of ice cream/boxes of cookies in one sitting. The intense longing for sugar faded for me after a couple years of working at the ice cream place.
I think thereās an exquisite Arquiste vanilla. But which one is it? Please do try to sample that one!
Is it The Architect’s Club? It will have to go on the sampling list as well!
That’s a very good one, but the one I was thinking of, and have, is Anima Dulcis. It’s seriously beautiful: Mexican vanilla, cocoa, and chill. Yum. I think several of their other ones have vanilla and use it in an interesting way. It’s a quite spicy chico-vanilla, not as gourmand as it might sound like it would be.
I wore it today after writing this! It is a gourmand, but not very sweet. It has more of a roasted smell to it. Hard to describe but itās encircling.
Iāve never worn Anima Dulcis in the hot weather. Will have to try it, thanks!
That sounds great. Thanks for the recommendation!
There are a few Comptoir Sud Pacifique vanillas that you might not find cloying (although you might, of course): Vanille Abricot and Vanille CafƩ in particular are extremely pleasant and not hideously sweet.
My cats love moths…to eat…..LOL NG special!!!
Maybe try L’Artisan’s Vanille Insensee? It isn’t terribly sweet or heavy to my nose.
Jalapeno’s suggestion of Vanille Insensee is worth taking! VI is a friendly vanilla with an unusual twist.
I wish we would get moths instead of flies! Apparently moths taste delicious and are high in protein but more importantly the cats will go bananas to catch them.
We just keep getting flies that somehow sneak in to the building and the kitties want none of them.
Third on Vanilla InsensĆ©e if you haven’t tried it – it’s a very dry, brisk vanilla!
SmokeyToes has captured a moth only once, it took him a while to figure out what he wanted to do with it.
Vanilla can be pretty difficult to get along with.
Oh, I would love to see that!
Classics, huh? Shalimar, Mitsouko, Vol de Nuit, Bandit, Bulgari Black, any of the old Diors in the houndstooth bottles, Cabochard, Sous le Vent, Dune.
Not impressed with the whole lines of Diptyque, Jo Malone, A Lab on Fire (why do I always think of some poor dog?), ELDO, Ava Luxe.
Today I’m wearing En Passant and watching golf.
Over the past 2 days I’ve gotten thirteen phone calls from an area code I lived in 6 years ago, all spam of course. I have a blocker but I finally put the phone on silent because the calls were coming every few minutes. I guess the spammers are bored too.
I have just tried a vintage miss Dior. It is absolutely incredible and could not have been more different from the current release.
Are you comparing it to the modern Miss Dior Originale or to what the call Miss Dior now?
Both. Both are horrible compared to original.
I think I havenāt tried Miss Dior (originale). The last one pre-originale was still quite good
Bastards.
lol, one of my daughters, when I tried vintage Mitsouko near her, turned and said to me, “Please — NEVER wear that again.”
Ha!
Love it – I’ve had that at home, too!
Can’t do anything with that marine note or white musk…Every time I think my tastes far ranging, I look at what is most worn and it is usually something from Chanel, Hermes, Tauer or Ineke. Not everything from those houses, but more than any other brands.
Just don’t hit me with Angel anything……..
With you on Angel! I do NOT like it.
Triple NOT like!
Quadruple! If I smell Angel on a woman, I question her taste and, ahem, occupation.
….what if you smell it on a man? Because it likes me and I like it. Sometimes. In small doses.
My cat Rusty thinks that every day is a Cat Day https://www.instagram.com/p/CDou4RUBhBR/?igshid=dvpsn6pj5ase
With the most perfumes that I do not like while they are common favorites I cannot say that I think they are bad: I can appreciate the composition, but I cannot wear them.
Guerlain Shalimar, Mitsuoko and LHB.
Chanel No 5 and Coco Mademoiselle
HermĆØs Des Merveilles
Robert Piguet Fracas
Frederic Malle Carnal Flower
YSL Opium
Dior jāAdore
Serge Lutens Feminite du Bois and Miel de Bois
Vero Profumo Onda
Hiram Green Slowdive
Indult Tihota
The list can go on, but I should probably stop.
Iām curious: is here anybody who either likes or dislikes most perfumes on my list above? It would be very useful to find my perfume evil twin (perfume twins are also welcome
).
Of the things Iāve tried, I quite like most of your list, but Iām with you on Fracasātotally unwearable on me.
Evil twin! Itās even more useful than a perfume/scent twin!
I just read your perfume profile on your site, and weāre not so evil after all! I share many of your ālike and enjoy wearingā lists.
I agree with many on your list, if you see my post, including Coco Mademoiselle that I dislike a lot!
I hate that one too, along with La Vie est belle….
La Vie et Belle is another one that I can’t wear at all!
I’m a partial EST for you–I own 7 of the above listed scents and dislike 3 of them. The others I can’t recall how I felt about or haven’t tested. So, maybe if I like something you can guess you probably won’t?
Yes, Iām with you too, MR!
Thanks! Itās extremely useful in our times of 4K+ new releases per year
I’ve been a Rusty fan since first finding the “Looking Glass.” Sending chin scratches to Mr. Rusty!
Oh, and I am an “evil twin” on Fracas. I have three different versions, and through all the dryer sheets and bubblegum and va-va-voom, Fracas works for me. I will say it is not a desert island scent, though.
Rusty got today all the attention he could – and then some :). Tomorrow Iāll give him a treat in your name.
One perfume, even in three formulations, doesnāt count as an ET (I mean, you still might be ET, but itās not proven yet
).
Ah, I see what you mean – time will tell!
What an adorable picture of Rusty! He is SO photogenic.
I like 3 perfumes on your list, and hate 3 perfumes. The others I haven’t tried yet, or don’t remember trying.
Thank you! Heās also very good-natured.
Weāre twins in just about every iris perfume. As to the above list and what you mentioned on mine, the ones that I donāt like are Onda, jāAdore,
I donāt have a recollection of Feminite du Bois and Miel de Bois nor would I be seeking them out.
I am afraid of Fracas.
I bought a bottle of OK Woman, but in the end did not like it. I kept some ml on case I would change my mind, but I still haven’t…. Thankfully I sold the bottle very quick. I also hated AG Encens Flamboyant, although I usually like incense. And Ramon Monegals Dry Wood taught me that I hate Norlimbanol. I also tried to love Stash, but failed. Thankfully all those bottles found a new home. I think I will avoid woody scents in the near future…
Wore vintage Chanel No 19 EdT today, nice and cool in that heatwave.
Same experience with OJ Woman except I did not keep any of it š
I hate Stash. It was a scrubber on me!
PL67, my DH *loves* Stash, and I am one of those who hoarded a few years ago when it was dumped at TJX :). The hair and body oil smells so good to me. We are Eeevile Twins!
Oh my, evil twin! I blind bought a set of Stash with the perfume and oil a couple of years ago. It was so harsh and read so masculine on me that I rehomed the perfume and I still have the oil there to also be rehomed at any time. I just couldn’t wear it.
I couldn’t smell Stash at all, except for maybe the faintest hint of dill pickles.
It was strong and everlasting on me!
It was weird… I knew something was there, but couldn’t smell even the dill pickles after about 10 or 15 minutes. I was actively not smelling it, if that makes any sense.
These are what comes to mind now, but I am sure there are many more:
Caron Nuit de Noel
Guerlain Samsara
Guerlain L’Heure Bleue
Guerlain Mitsouko
Frederic Malle Carnal FlowerĀ
Givenchy YsatisĀ
Robert Piguet Fracas
Robert Piguet BanditĀ
L’Artisan Dzing
Thierry Mugler Angel & the flankers
YSL Opium
Chanel No. 22
Chanel Beige
Chanel No.5
I still have full bottles of No.5 Extrait de Parfum, Beige EdT and Opium sitting inside my perfume cabinet without any use, just because I never understood them fully. Once in a blue moon I wear them, but they feel totally wrong on me.
Isnāt it funny how some scents just feel wrong?
It is funny, because many years ago I used to love some on my list. After revisiting them many times they just don’t work for me anymore.
Somehow my reply ended up below, fat fingers!
Are you able to identify why Beige doesn’t work for you? Just curious as I’ve never tried it but have read the notes and they seem nice.
I have always had a problem with white flowers and the creaminess of the scent, especially the gardenia in it bothers me most of the time. It is a beautiful perfume and I appreciate it, but it doesn’t appeal to me anymore.
Ah! Thanks, makes perfect sense. Gardenia can certainly be over the top.
I know that feeling exactly….not a scrubber, but you just feel like youāre wearing someone elseās perfume, right?
Exactly! They are not scrubbers. That is a different category. I appreciate them deeply, but they smell better on other people.
And I need to add another bottle that doesn’t get any love from me anymore: Annick Goutal Heure Exquise. Sorry guys!
I like it a lot, but sometimes it smells a bit like vase water.
I have not been able to identify what exactly bothers me of HE. I usually enjoy the opening, but after that the magic is gone.
Eww.
You know, I think that HE hasnāt aged gracefully. My bottle isnāt off, perfume isnāt spoiled per se, but I feel different about it. I know myself: I almost never change opinion about perfumes that I loved. I might not want to wear them any more but I usually donāt dislike them. And with HE I started getting an uneasy feeling when I wear it. Thatās why I think that itās perfume that changed and not me.
I agree with you. I used to love HE from the beginning to the end. After not wearing it for a while and coming back to it later it didn’t feel the same. The essence was there, but that gorgeous feeling was not. The perfume is in perfect condition, but in some way it is not the same anymore or maybe it was my nose that changed. Once in a while I spray on some and it is ok, but I don’t enjoy it anymore.
Sales assistants keep telling me Beige is the most popular of the Les Exclusives line, and I politely try to tell them that I dislike just that one…
Popularity is not important when I’m hunting new perfumes.
Wow! Beige the most popular of the Les Exclusives? In my opinion is a very underrated one.
P67, what a great.list!
LOL!
That’s a pity you can’t wear Heure Exquise any more. š
I knew that our tastes are similar – and this is a confirmation
From your list I do not mind Samsara (though, donāt wear it either), love Angel (but do not wear it any more) and like and wear Beige. And I actually love Stash oil (you mentioned it in one of the comments, if Iām not mistaken). But everything else – same.
Curious about Beige; having read the notes but not trying it yet, are you able to identify why it’s a “no”?
I know you were asking PL67, but I’m jumping in with my 2 cents. I thought I would love Beige and it does sound appealing, but it just smelled like generic shampoo to me. (If it had smelled like my very favorite “expensive” shampoo, Pantene in the yellow bottle from the 80s, I still might have loved it, but no). Once I made that association, I just couldn’t love it.
“generic shampoo” is exactly how I’d describe Beige. I’m sure it’s absolutely gorgeous on the right skin.
All of that said, it’s still a high quality fragrance that you might find just beautiful!
Jump in, I appreciate your thoughts as well; thank you! Both you and pl67 have saved me some cash. It’s a bit pricy for a generic shampoo scent!
Please please someone chime in with a perfume suggestion for yellow-bottle Pantene…
Yes – Oh wow, did I love that shampoo’s fragrance!
hahaha! Beige smells like Johnson & Johnson’s baby shampoo to me.
Now that I have in my shampoo stash. I will use it today!
This poll is fun. I love reading what doesnāt work for other peopleāhow normalizing!
The two that come to mind for me are Bvlgari Black and Guerlain Vol de Nuit. Both strike me as particularly unfair because I like many others from Bvlgari and Guerlain. Black smells amazing on my best friend but ONLY burnt rubber on me, and while I like Shalimar and LhB, Vol de Nuit smells like my grandparentsā church to me. (Maybe there was a fashionable lady there who was a heavy sprayer?)
SOTD is lāombre dans lāeau, which is a fair weather friend. Today, itās beautiful.
I’m with you on the Black. I got a bottle several years ago, blind, cause it got so much love and was quite inexpensive. Tried to love it but didn’t. Same story with the original Omnia. Gave them both away.
Oh, I do love lāombre dans lāeau, but it is a powerhouse.
Wearing an old favorite, Carthusia Mediterraneo.
I’m not a Mitsouko or Shalimar fan. I’m equally not a fan of Angel or other loud fragrances, particularly with strong patch. I wanted to love Bottega Veneta’s fragrance as the campaign appealed to me, but found it bitter. I have lots of likes and dislikes that don’t always seem to follow a pattern.
But what I really need is an upcoming release to look forward to. Chanel’s Le Lion doesn’t sound like something I need (Shalimar-esque) from the reviews I’ve seen and the new Coco Mad Eau Privee hasn’t caught my interest either (very similar to the original from what I have seen). I don’t want Hiram’s new violet fragrance. Anyone know anything else upcoming that we can look forward to?
Did you ever sniff any of the Bottega Veneta flankers, or was the original so off-putting that you couldn’t even consider doing that?
Tried the eau legere and thought it was even worse …I did somewhat like Eau de Velours as therabbitsflower mentions below, but not enough to buy.
I know what you mean about Bottega Veneta being too bitter. The Eau de Velours was a lot nicer on me.
Yes!
SOTD: CdG Lily for my LOTV loving husband
Just back from a week off so starting to go through work email — figure I’d do some today and tomorrow so I can start Monday not an overwhelmed crazy woman.
Had a lot of sea scent this week being by the north eastern coast and I would say it’s a top-3 smell for me. I don’t want to wear it in perfume but I do love smelling it. Salty, seaweed air never gets old for me.
I need to name my 2 kittehs today!
SOTD = Bruno Fazzolari Au Dela Narcisse
š„° Heady narcotic floral that smells classic / vintage yet modern and edgy. This may be what Iāll utilize my $18 coupon on. I have yet to try the 3rd of the 3 samples (Vetiverissimo).
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDooh7yh4od/?igshid=gi83p88xo5oz
As to no no perfumes that other normal people like:
– Guerlain Mitsouko
– Tauer Orange Star
– Diptyque Oud Palao
– Papillon Salome
– Theo Fennel Scent
– Frederic Malle Une Fleur de Cassie
– Frederic Malle Lipstick Rose
– Serge Lutens Tubereuese Criminelle
– Francesca Bianchi scents (I have yet to try Sticky Fingers and word has it it is different from the others but will have to smell)
– the list is long but I will stop here
#sorrynotsorry
I am with you on Salome. It is a scrubber on me.
I met up with wendysue who used to post here and she sprayed in Salome. She offered up her arm for me to smell and it just about knocked me off my feet in a bad way.
Do you have two new kitties in your home?? Squeeeee!
I bet theyāre stuffed ones.
You know me so well š¤£
You can literally squeeze them and they wonāt complain š
https://www.instagram.com/p/CA209SSBpLq/?igshid=c91q9xw6tikr
Ok, those two are pretty cute even if not quite what I was originally imagining.
What she said! But I like the needle arts ALMOST as much as perfumes.
Too cute!
They are! Thank you š!
Super cute!
Thank you!
Oooh amigurumi! What pattern did you use?
I am no good at even semi-fine arts š¹. I would probably poke holes in my hands and fingers with non-sharp crocheting needles. I won the kitteh twins at an auction.
You could name the kitties Bruno and Narcisse, in honor of what you wore on the day you named them.
Those are contenders!
And they are now named Blue Skye and Grey Skye!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDpnu2ehO51/?igshid=1nkdpqw2al8f4
They are darling!
Thank you!
I’m with you on Salome. I can handle a lot of skank/indoles/musk in perfume, so it isn’t any of that. I just didn’t think it smelled good.
I remember not liking Orange Star and may have even scrubbed it, but that was a long time ago.
I don’t dislike Mitsouko, but it feels like it wears me. I may wear it again in the beginning of fall and then decide if I should just swap away my bottle.
I donāt even think I have a sample or decant of Mitsouko to try again but no loss for me.
So with you on Salome. Wow was that a scrubber on me.
Wow, a lot of nays for Salome.
Itās a yay from me. I was so tickled to swap for it during the last swapmeet.
Skin is a funny thing!
One of your new kitties should definitely be named “Iris”! Still pondering over a second name.
They are now named
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDpnu2ehO51/?igshid=1nkdpqw2al8f4
I havenāt tried all of the perfumes on your list (and now probably wonāt
), but yes, how could I forget?! In addition to those that are on both your list and my, Salome, SL and that Diptyque are absolutely not for me.
Super-cute kittens – though, not as cute as 2.0.
2.0 has presence whereas Blue and Grey are wee kittehs still looking for their footing. I almost named them Ginger 1 and Ginger 2 for the pinkish sections on their fur but I was afraid I will mix them up. š¹
Will we be seeing a “family portrait” of all your kittehs in the future? They are all so freaking cute!
So with you on Salome, and I like or love every other Papillon perfume. Also canāt stand Fleur de Cassis. Francesca Bianchi. Big no for me. Oud Palao I get whatās to hate but still sort of like it. Have to be in a very specific mood.
I’m pretty much twinned with you on most of these. No wonder I love the decants I got from you :)!
I don’t like Winter Woods. Something weird about the musky base that’s a total turnoff for me.
Do you get the same vibe from other SSS scents? I have trouble with much of that house, and have always ascribed it to the base they use.
In other news, your advice on roses has saved my ailing rose bush – it currently has one bud about to open, and three or four more coming soon. Thank you!!
Come to think on it, yes, I think there’s a base that’s common to many, but not all of the SSS scents that I don’t love. OTOH, I happily own three SSS scents, so it’s either not there or far less dominant. (I have Nostalgie, Champagne de Bois, and Fig Tree.)
Yay for happy roses! I’m so pleased to hear yours is recovering so quickly!
I have a similar SSS problem.
Winter Woods is a question mark for me. Not sure if I like it.
Oro by Roberto Cavalli was talked up a lot, but wow, did it not work. I like minis, but it wasn’t even cute enough to keep as a bottle.
I lemminged on Ora, too. Will have to revisit. I remember I liked it….
This is definitely proof we’re all different
I like so many of the Guerlains, old and new, but not Shalimar. I will try it again some time, because I know my tastes have changed over time.
I don’t like Chanel No 5, some aldehydic perfumes are OK, but I’m a bit wary.
I’ve tried lots of Andy Tauer’s perfumes, but there is something in the base of all of them that doesn’t agree with me. The nicest is LADDM, and I’d wear it if a bottle fell in my lap.
And I join many others in being underwhelmed by many brands, like Jo Malone and Byredo. So many of their perfumes are perfectly wearable, but also nothing distinctive.
Looking forward to reading everyone’s comments once I’m back from the supermarket.
Things others adore that I canāt tolerate: LāHeure Bleu, Chanel No. 5, Goutalās Songes, Seville a lāAube. Oh, and Shalimar, but thatās only because of an association with a person who caused me no end of trouble in years gone by.
I deeply dislike orange blossom forward scents, so I’m with you on Seville a l’Aube.
I hate Songes. So glad someone said it!
Apart from disliking all the popular Tauers including Phi, I also fail to appreciate Black Cashmere by Donna Karan. Yet it seems to have a kind of cult appeal.
Today Iām wearing Dragonfly from my recent Zoologist order. And we have a beautiful water lily in our fishpond. For dragonflies to love. https://www.instagram.com/p/CDpH_73pTwSxHzAJHw29YdfU2HcdmdKXqIZaoI0/?igshid=1wsouoegq0zrw
How wonderful! I can see where DK can grate,
I can only wear one spritz I winter,,,
Tauer’s PHI was all tobacco leaf on me. And I can’t do tobacco at all. š«
No. 5 is not my friend. In any iteration. I donāt get it, and whatās more, I donāt WANT to get it. Itās not that I hate it, it just completely turns me off. Itās like someone nattering away in your ear NON-STOP, annoying, rude, self-involved, and unaware of how loathsome they are. I just want to run away. My reaction is just like this song from the 80ās:
https://youtu.be/iIpfWORQWhU
šš perfume is strange that way, isn’t it?
LOL!
Both you and lillyjo have had a couple of great music + perfume links lately!
Yes and yes and yes.
Quite a few classic and popular scents.
Hermes Hiris
Chanel Les Exclusifs de Chanel 1957 (headache inducing)
Frederic Malle Le Parfum de Therese
Hiram Green Dilettante
Hiram Green Moon Bloom
Serge Lutens Gris Clair
LāArtisan Parfumeur Dzing!
Etat Libre d’Orange Rien
Etat Libre d’Orange Tilda Swinton Like This
Dilettante and Gris Clair are overwhelming for me.
With you on Gris Clair, Like This and Hiris. But I think of you and Tannina as having overlapping tastes with me. If you two definitely do not like a scent, I will not blind buy!
With you almost all the way but I love dilittante. Happiness in a bottle to me.
Hi All,
My SOTD is orange blossom. Perfect light and.joyful orange blossom.
I had complications with yesterday’s ERCP so I’m in UCS F for another day or so.
Sorry to hear about the complications ST. I hope you are back home soon. Sending healing vibes.
I hope you recover and get to go home soon!
Thinking of you! Hope you get home soon and back to your walks. You have inspired me. Yesterday and today I walked 5 miles each and really enjoyed it.
Awwww, nuts. Sorry to hear this. Healing thoughts headed your way.
Eeek. I hope it resolved quickly!
I hope you get home very soon.
So sorry to hear this. Hope all will be well soon!
Sending you healing thoughts.
Sorry to hear that. Hope you’re better soon.
Oh no! I hope everything gets worked out and you get to go home soon!
Oh dear! I’m so sorry. I know you are in a good place there though. It’s nice you have a perfume with you too. Good planning. Hope you’re out soon!
Feel better soon, ERCP’s are no fun.
Hi all, I’m home from UCSF, with anti-nausea meds. What a bumpy couple of days! It’s good to be home. SmokeyToes was sleeping by the front door waiting for me, the whole time.
The nurses loved the cookies, and a few of us had great conversations about perfumes.
Iām glad youāre home and feeling better! Sweet kitty, to stay at the door to wait for you.
Good to hear that ST was holding down the fort in your absence and that you are now back home! Hope that you have a restful evening.
Oh, how sweet re: SmokeyToes and his door vigil! Glad to hear that you are back home now.
SotD = Myrrh Eglantine
I forget how much I enjoy this scent until I wear it again. It’s always a lovely surprise. I love or like many from Hermes, also Guerlain as I already mentioned. There are so many it’s easy to lose track of favorites.
I love No. 5 but can’t really enjoy L’eau, the white musk overwhelms everything else. The one from Chanel that is so very very hard for me to understand the love for is . . . 31 Rue Cambon. Sorry!
Labdanum can be a deal breaker for me, also tonka bean, when those notes are prominent it’s all I can smell.
It’s fun to read everyone’s comments in this poll, our differences make things interesting.
White musk can be a deal breaker for me, especially if it reminds me too much of the laundry room.
exactly! sometimes when I’m out walking in my neighborhood I can smell the laundry musky air coming from someone’s clothes dryer vent. Makes me walk faster in the opposite direction
SOTD: Fracas! ‘Cause you guys reminded me!
You smell awesome!
Re-testing Rose & Cuir, because I SHOULD love it. I still don’t.
Same. I gave up.
hee hee, hope springs eternal, especially with perfume
Yeah just I just canāt make it happen.
I’m tired guys! Whine whine…
Some exciting news.. my son got the job at my store. He starts Monday, part time.š
The perfume classic I just don’t get is SL Chergui. Don’t kick me out of the club!! On paper I should love it.. but I don’t even like it.
Sotd was L’ombre dans L’eau
Congratulations to your son, Lillyjo!š
Thank you!
Congratulations to your son lillyjo! I hope he enjoys his new job.
Thanks! I hope so too. Now that the crazy crabby manager is gone, it’s been a much better place to work.
That’s great news about your son!
Indeed!
Hooray! Great news about about your son getting the job!
It is! I’m more nervous than he is!
I bought Chergui blind because of all the love, and liked it in the beginning. Now, it feels as though it wears me. Will keep it though. Maybe the love will come back.
I retry it every so often.
I’m the same. It’s one perfume, a rare one, that I feel is definitely “male” in some way that just makes it alien on my skin.
That’s fantastic news about your son, Lillyjo. I haven’t smelled Chergui but in no hurry now as we are so alike in our tastes.
My favorite from the house is Cedre, but I think I’m the only one that feels that way.
Congrats to your son! Youāll be working together then? I think that would be fun.š
Yes. I’m going to try and let him have his autonomy though.
Adding my congratulations!
Thank you!
Congratulations on the job!! That’s great news!
Thank you! I hope you are feeling better today!
Chergui was a NOPE! for me as well.
L’Instant Magic: gag, choke. It’s the level of musk.
Mon Guerlain: had to put the box in the closet. Couldn’t stand to even have it out.
Poeme, Poison, White Diamonds, Fracas, Organza, Gaultier Classique, Amarige, Tresor, Terracotta.
You’re triggering me by mentioning Poison, Amarige and most especially Tresor. Never ran across the others in your last line, but Fracas is ok and I do like Terracotta!
Oh yes my Mom used to wear Tresor and would really over-spray it and I could barely stand to ride in the car with her.
I don’t hate Tresor; I just find it useless, kind of like La Vie Est Belle. Non-descript and pointless.
+1 on Mon Guerlain. Just went straight up my sinuses and into my brain with an ice pick.
Just can’t with:
Shalimar
No. 5
Bvlgari Black (headache in a bottle!)
Eau des Merveilles (but I can wear a couple of its flankers)
Dzongkha
Light Blue
SOTD = Soivohle Dog Star Cologne.
So with you on light blue!
Thatās quite a variety you have!
Hopefully my “Likes” are just as varied! š
Same same with your entire list, and strangely, I have a little bottle of Dog Star in my cabinet, too! We are definitely scent twins on this subject.
One of these days I should do a side by side sniff of Dog Star and Pachou Minimal. Liz Zorn does patchouli SO well.
I don’t know what I thought that you liked Dzongkha.
I finally got a sample of it earlier this year, and it just did not work on my skin until it got to the far drydown. Rough road for me with that one.
Super agree on Light Blue and not a fan of EdM either.
It’s the weird salty note in EdM that ruins it for me, I think.
Not sure what it is about EdM that make me go “Argh! Get it off, please!”
Drat! That should be “makes” up there.
+1 on those two.
I’m still trying with Chanel No 5; I have the dry oil and body creme. I had high hopes for BB but it was awful on me.
I’m OK with not liking/loving a perfume even if it is a classic. More to go around for the people who are fans.
Bvlgari Black gives me migraine headache. Smells great but oh so ouchy!
Sadly, we’re in the same headache club with Black.
Totally with you on EdM. Was about to confess that dislike. Iāll have to go count bottles, but I have at least three of the flankers.
I couldn’t handle CK Reveal, either. I wonder if salty notes are a “NO go!” for me…
I think we’re pretty much evil scent twins – I don’t necessarily adore all the scents you list, but they all work for me, pretty much.
The classics I don’t love: Mitsouko sometimes is too much sometimes, other times it’s perfect though, I love all the other Guerlain classics.
BaV, don’t shoot me. It’s dated and way too skanky on my skin.
I am with so many of you about Terracotta, Nuxe Prodigieux le Parfum is what Terracotta should have been.
I don’t love Mitsouko either, but I like it well enough. I’ve never tried BaV.
It’s the only well loved, classic perfume I really dislike. But your experience might well be different.
Mitsouko is temperamental on me, for sure. Sometimes it is fantastic, and other times, it just sits there on my skin and sulks.
Yes, that’s a great description š¤ for it.
It’s me again. I will admit that I have a hard time with Jubilation 25 and Amouage Gold for women. Gold is way too poopy and Jubilation 25 reminds me of Rochas Femme, which I also have a hard time with. Did some shopping on the Ulta website and when did they start selling candles on their website? Did I get one? Yes, but for a Christmas gift. I am trying to whittle down my collection of candles. Still in Epic but will be wearing no 22 today. Don’t know when I started to prefer the current EDT to the vintage EDT but I prefer the current EDT.
Most people consider Gold so classic and refined, it’s quite odd that you find it “poopy.” How interesting. I wonder what aspect of it triggers that association?
I think that too much civet was used on this one. Them men’s version is a little easier to wear.
I noticed last week that my ULTA has candles in stock. I didn’t smell them, but they looked pretty.
Can you give away some of the candles in your collection as gifts?
I don’t have tooo many dislikes yet because I haven’t tried a huge amount, but so far:
SL Nuit De Cellophane
Juliette Has a Gun Sunny Side Up
PdM Habdan
TF Orchid Soleil
L’artisan Rapelle Toi – ugh, burn it in a fire.
Lol at the last comment!
That is pretty darn funny!
I donāt think any perfume from your list qualifies as everyoneās daring.
I wonder: do you like most of perfumes that others have mentioned above, or have you not tried most of them?
I haven’t tried a Iot of the ones popping up – Terracotta, Shalimar, Mitsouko, Fracas, anything by Fredric Malle or Hiram Green. I’ve tried a few Jo Malones but they did not seem to be worth the trip, so I kept moving.
I do like most L’artisans, and like Dzongkha. Dzing! and I are on trial. Those seemed to be repeated in the comments as well.
However, most of the Chanel’s I’ve tried work well on me (nothing exclusive) and I like aldehydes.
As for the people who don’t get or like Infusion d’Iris, I will gladly give it a happy home!
Based on your response, I think our tastes are more similar than different (so, donāt spend your money on testing those Guerlain classics – wait for a chance to do it for free
).
My main one that comes to mind that hasn’t been mentioned yet is Kenzo Jungle L’Elephant. Just a big nope on me. I had to scrub it off. It’s too bad because I was so excited to finally try it.
I really liked Elephant – reminds me of a ginger cola! Sorry it was a scrubber for you
I havenāt tried it, though I keep reading about others liking it.
The Elephant is a spicy cardamom vanilla on me. YMMV.
Complete and total scrubber on me too. I was so relieved to finally swap away the bottle I so foolishly blind bought. š©
Ooh, I thought of another one, though I’m not sure it’s all that much loved, it’s very popular. La Vie est Belle. Wow. One of the Italian professors in my office building always wore it. She is very Continental and glamorous, pretty, tall, slim, high heels, beautiful clothes, but if she came into the rest room while I was in a stall I would always know who it was out there because of her fragrance cloud. It was killer.
That one and Tresor are both way too strong.
I’m in one of my no-brainers today: Guerlain Angelique Noire. And here are some more I dislike that I think others love – vive la diffĆ©rence!
L’Artisan Dzongkha (too weird) but I love Dzing!
L’Artisan Timbuktu (overall ugh on me, I don’t get it)
Hermes Eau des Merveilles (I love the first two minutes and then it all falls apart for me.) But I love the Ambre version.
Hermes Un Jarden Mediterranee (tomato leaves- love them in the garden, but not on me)
CdG Avignon (too sharp) But I love Ouarzazate. And Kyoto has grown on me.
Profumum – Acqua de Sale (the only sample I’ve had to double bag and throw away. Made me feel ill). But I love Acqua Viva.
Clinique Aromatics Elixir (strong mothballs)
I also didn’t like wearing Dzonghla or Timbuktu but don’t mind them on my boyfriend. I passed down my decants to him, as is often the reason he has certain perfumes.
And I totally agree with you on EdM and Acqua di Sale. I think I scrubbed AdS. I am not sure Aromatics Elixir is for me, but I plan to give it one more try. To me it smells like soap or bath products from when I was a little kid in the 80s.
Hi S – another gorgeous day here, right?
Yes, a beautiful day! I’m at Seward Park with a friend. We had a picnic lunch of Italian sandwiches she made. Sitting by Lake Washington. Pretty much the best kind of day.
Oh, and actually wearing the decant you gave me of Bronze Goddess Eau Fraiche!
And I do like Mon Guerlain and several Byredos (Gypsy Water, Bal d’Afrique and Palermo) which I see several of you don’t. It’s so interesting what appeals and what doesn’t, isn’t it?
I strongly like Angelique Noir (and kind of afraid that the current bottle might smell differently when I finish my decant and want more). I also like Bal dāAfrique and a couple more Byredo perfumes.
I havenāt smelled a new bottle of the AN. My decant is probably about 5 years old from an NST split. I should have bought a bottle then! I hope it hasnāt changed.
Iām probably in the same boat as you :). I should have bought it then… (sigh)
You smell nice
SOTD is a heavy spritz of sunny Zeta.
Don’t bother to tell me if you hate it. š
Weāre not complete ESTs: I rather like than dislike it, though I donāt think it smells like linden. And itās a beautiful bottle: Iāll keep it even once perfume is gone.
Do you have/like any of the other Tauers? I either love them or strongly dislike them. Good art can be like that.
I have an old bottle of Une Rose Chypree, with the beads inside to make it 30mL instead of 50mL. I think it’s pretty, and I’ve kept it after draining it.
In addition to Zeta, I like and wear Une Rose Vermeille, Phi, and LDDM. Everything else doesnāt work for me. And I actively dislike the ālily-of-the-valleyā one.
Humidity is back today. I’m wearing No.5 L’eau. Really the only version I can wear regularly.
Another perfume I was underwhelmed by is Lira. I was very excited to try it, and it just smells like vanilla to me. The last time I wore it, I was in the kitchen and my son says where’s the ice cream? Lol.
So I stuck my wrist under his nose.
I think I finally ‘got’ No. 5 when I tried l’eau. Smelling great lillyjo!
That’s funny about Lira. You probably could dab on some vanilla extract for the same effect.
SOTD is TM Les Exceptions Chyprissime. Sample thunked! I don’t know how many of you love it or hate it, but I find it very pleasant, especially on hot days, like today.
It was just a like for me. Which was fine, because expensive!
Thanks for giving me the chance to try it. I also like it, but not full bottle worthy.
Ha, I love this poll! Itās really interesting to see the lack of any consensus whatsoever š
Iām glad Iām not alone in my lack of Shalimar love. The creamsicle Shalimar almost did it for me but there is just something too synthetic.
Zoologist and SSS are two lines that also donāt appear to work for me much.
And oh – NVC too. Really tried to like Mohur and Bombay Bling and couldnāt. I did enjoy Trayee though
I haven’t tried NVC yet, but I like and own travel sprays of at least 3 or 4 Sonoma Scent Studio perfumes. Zoologist seems to have limited duration on my scent glue skin.
I had high hopes for Incense Pur especially but it was just too opaque for me if that makes sense. With Zoologist there is something about the base that doesnāt sit right.
Great poll! Perfume and smell must be amongst the most subjective of subjects.
From recent raves, I donāt get along with the Zoologist Iāve tried, in particular Nightingale and Chameleon I was expecting to like but smelled like softener/ cleaning product to me and were strong dislike. Moth and Bee were interesting.
The whole Ormonde Jayne line. I got the discovery set and to my dismay hated every single one- became sensitised to to iso-e S. Gives me anosmia to other ingredients and a headache at the same time- yay!
Infusion dāIris- I like the start but the aromachemically cloud it creates around you ends up suffocating me and making me uncomfortable.
I like or love many Guerlains including the āchallengingā classics like Mitsouko but canāt stand Mon Guerlain.
I like many Chanels specially the classics including n5 and many exclusives but not Coco Madmoiselle or Beige (1st is screechy and Beige is v strong note shampoo to me too).
SOTD is Guerlain mandarin basilic- summer favourite!
I think you and I are close to true evil scent twins: I love or at least strongly like, I think, seven from the OJās classic collection. I also like Infusion dāIris and Beige, but donāt like Guerlain classics.
It means that before spending money on testing you can ask me if I tried and liked it. And vice versa :).
Evil scent twins we are! š You are so right, again with Malle we are the dark opposite and I like Carnal Flower but really dislike POAL! (In fact many Malleās donāt agree with me but POAL knocks me off in a bad way).
Though I also love Angelique Noire and itās one of my favourite bottles!
It is funny. I love Chanel No. 5 in all iterations. I only like vintage Shalimar. The EDC is particularly friendly. Bvlgari Black is the only fragrance I have 3 backup bottles of and I also like the original Omnia. I understand what Jo Malone is doing with her fragrance line but I have not fallen in love with any of them. I do not love anything from HermĆØs except Sur le Nil. There are only two Serge Lutens I can abide. Bring me all your unloved EstĆ©e Lauders and Thierry Muglers. I love Angel, particularly in EDP!
I very much enjoy both the Angel EdP and the old Angel EdT formulation. Glad I snapped up a bottle of the EdT before it was reformulated.
I like Angel too, and the big perfumes from the 80ies/90ies like Lou Lou or Lolita Lempicka, Jean Paul Gaultier Classique. Also like the Estee Lauders and they bring back memories.
I like No 5, coco and No 19 but donāt like the Chances, coco Madmoiselle or Gabrielle.
What about Dzing? I only tried it recently after reading an article that mentioned how divisive it is. I rather enjoyed it,
I’ve sniffed Dzing! several times looking for the controversy. I don’t love it, but I don’t hate it, either. Always feel like I’m missing something.
Sunday’s SOTD is an unlabeled mystery sample in my stash. I honestly have no idea what it is.
Forgot to mention that I LOVE the expression on the kitty’s face up there in the picture! š¾
I have a couple of those, too. They smell fine. And when someone asks you what you are wearing you get to make up a crazy/fancy/cool/wild name. Let the imagination run wild!
The funny thing is, I was expecting something completely different when I sprayed it. I thought it was going to be a summery patchouli, when instead I got girly, musky flowers. Little too warm & humid for that sort of thing for me.
I suppose for me it would be the Frederic Malle scent line. I know they are very popular on here, but i’ve tried a few and just can’t see what the fuss is about. They are not bad, just not my faves.
SOTD: Chambre Noire
Also, it’s kind of a bummer when I apply my perfume but then wind up smelling more like the sanitizer that I use pretty much all day at work.
I shall have to split a can of tuna fish later on with the Cat-ster in honor of his special day.
I own the FM Coffret (the most recent version), and since each scent has a different nose, they are quite different in style from one another, and I think it’s a line that’s difficult to generalize about. No “Malle-aide” in the basenotes, etc.
There are definitely some that are more interesting/rule-breaking than others, and I don’t love them all, for sure!
I remember trying both Carnal Flower and POAL and waiting for the big AHA THIS STUFF IS GREAT moment, but…..it never came. I just kind of shrugged and went about my business.
I HATED Carnal Flower when I first sniffed it. I love it now, but it took years to appreciate it. It’s hard to me to imagine anyone having a “meh” response to it!
I don’t like POAL, still. Overwhelming patchouli. Blech.
I own Lipstick Rose, L’eau d’Hiver, Eau de Magnolia, and my husband wears Dans Tes Bras (which I admit still sometimes makes me uncomfortable, but he loves it, so what can I do?!). I love the older formulation of Musc Ravageur, but sadly didn’t sweep up a bottle before it was changed into a less pleasant thing.
Iām with Marjorie Rose: I can understand someone disliking Carnal Flower (I really-really dislike it!
) or PoaL (love it!), but I canāt believe someone can feel āmehā about either of them 
Itās interesting.
So far I’m 0-3 for classic Guerlains: Shalimar, Vetiver, and Mitsouko. What irks is that I feel so close to liking all three of them, but something in each one ends up turning me off. With Shalimar it’s the powder, with Vetiver it’s the soapiness, with Mitsouko it’s the musty finish. Maybe I’m smelling the wrong concentrations (or formulations).
In the “not a classic but everyone seems to love it” category, I have yet to see the appeal of Tom Ford’s godforsaken Black Orchid, although I dutifully hold onto my sample in case I somehow end up coming around to it. After a head injury, perhaps.