Donatella, Our Lady of Perfumed Plenitude,1 now that she is done with Milan Fashion Week and attending The Clooney Foundation for Justice Albie Awards, is on to her next responsibility: her quarterly drop-in to hear the confessions of her flock. She'd very much like to know what you bought in the 3rd quarter (July, August and September) of 2022.
Note that if you have javascript disabled, you won't be able to vote in the poll, but you can still record your purchases in the comments.
My purchases...
The usual. Nothing, if you don't count scented shower gels. (And Donatella certainly can't be bothered.) I have not bought anything since late 2021.
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.
My lowest quarter in quite a while — only 2 bottles, and both small ones. A 30 ml bottle of Maison Crivelli Rose Saltifolia, and a 50 ml bottle of Soivohle Journeyman.
Congrats — or sympathies? — on your lowest quarter.
Hee ☺️ I’m certain to make up for it, probably sooner rather than later.
If you are looking for another rose perfume to try, check out SSS Rose Volupte.
A bottle of Azzaro The Most Wanted that was less than half price at Ulta with points and whatnot, so perfume math practically free.
No purchases on the horizon, either, but you never know.
I might have to buy something in the 4th quarter so I don’t lose my perfumista card 🙂
I need to get over to Ulta and re-test Wanted Girl. I was surprised how much I liked it and how it stood out from the crowded counter.
Nothing, if you don’t count scented shower gels and hand soaps.
In October, though, I’m pretty likely to buy that Yves Rocher Christmas vanilla: I smelled it last week and it’s quite nice, nothing I can’t live without but it’s $29 CAD and I am a hopeless fan of vanillas, so its. I suspect it would also double as a nice room and bed-linen spray.
And we’re also going to Toronto and Montréal at the end of the month, our first trip outside the city in almost three years, and I might weaken and buy an ounce of Lush Lust to back up my almost-empty 10-mL spray, and who knows maybe Rose Jam as well….
“so it’s probably coming home with me this week or next.” Stupid iPad keyboard.
Ah, good to know it’s a decent scent, thanks!
I recently got back into perfume — it’s been a years since I bought a full bottle and I was crushed to discover some of my favorite have been discontinued. This time round, I decided not to wait too long if I love something!
I got FM Iris Poudre (on sale for a good price at Jomashop) and have a sealed vintage Shalimar EDC in a gorgeous montre bottle coming soon!
I’ve also recently fallen in love with Chanel No. 5 Eau Premiere — will pick that one up once I work through my sample!
You’re off to a good (re-)start! Especially finding a bottle of anything Malle on sale.
Thank you!! I read about Jomaship in a Fragrantica comment — I’m still thanking the poster in my heart, haha.
Oh I’ve been too scared to order from them! Good to hear you didn’t have any problems.
It shipped fast and was true to the product listing! I get what you mean though, the price seemed almost too good to be true ^^;
Ah, same here–I’ve been eyeing the Masque Milanos at Jomashop but was worried by how cheap they were! Good to know!
Welcome back to perfumed fun!
Thank you!! It’s good to smell again XD
Vintage Shalimar edc – excellent! New and sealed – great find!
Thank you! I am loathe to unseal it, but I might be tempted. It’s such a good display bottle as well.
I only got two: Shalimar Tonka and a BUB.
Order placed today, hope I cam get it before Friday for the CP!
Good luck!
I purchased:
Aroma by Costa Brazil (travel roll on (oil))
Woodphoria by Boy Smells (travel spray)
Rainbow Bar by 19-69 (30 ml)
Capri by 19-69 (travel spray)
Not too bad! Definitely happy to have small sizes available.
Have not smelled a one of them, but hope you enjoy 🙂
I got the small bottle of 1969 Capri because I love that dry down! My only q purchase
2022 is the year I realized the reasons for travel sizes!
I’m way over my budget for the year and we still have a quarter to go! I will say I’m enjoying (almost) everything I’ve bought this year, so there’s that.
This quarter:
– Masque Milano Lost Alice, 35 ml bottle, discount
-YSL Cinema EDT, discount
– Fendi Furiosa, discount
3 at discount, good for you!
Yay for getting everything at a discount this quarter! Sure beats paying full price.
Fendi Furiosa is an all-around winner – love the bottle, love the juice, and the price is right.
I bought almost nothing during lockdown, so I am happy to report I’ve bought some new things now.
A BUB of Etro Messe de Minuit, because they discontinued it.
SL Fils de Joie because I love most of SL’s jasmines.
NR Pure Musc gift set, because for the price of just a bottle elsewhere I got lotion and a shower gel, too.
Miller et Bertaux Indian Study/Santal, because I can’t have too many sandalwoods.
All told, I spent about $300. All but the Etro came from discounters, and the Etro came from Canada so I got a currency break.
Messe de Minuit discontinued? Drat.
Fils de Joie is really lovely, isn’t it?
Fils de Joie is a great choice. It’s the only Serge Lutens I have, though I may also get Fleurs d’Oranger at some point.
I’m glad so many others thought Fils de Joie was outstanding. It’s around for a modest price, too.
My dearest Donatella,
Please sit down. Are you comfortable? Would you like a cup of tea? Perhaps a glass of wine? I think you might need some wine.
Here is my confession: I bought not one bottle of perfume this quarter. Zip, zero, nada. Nessuno! Not a full bottle, not a travel spray, nothing. I cannot understand this either. I did not set out to buy nothing, but somehow it happened.
Please don’t cry! I assure you, I am certain that this is not a permanent state of affairs. I remain your devoted follower, and I will remedy this situation, I swear. After all, there’s Christmas and a birthday coming up this quarter. I hear Chanel’s new Sycomore parfum whispering to me already…
Forget about Donatella needing wine, -I- need wine! 🙂
Sycomore parfum would be a good way to end your perfume drought.
I am shocked! I think this is the first time I’ve seen you post a zero quarter. (fans self)
It is my first no-buy quarter since 2014. I am shocked myself!
Who are you and what did you do with Pixel?!
I’ve secretly been replaced by someone with self control 😉
😀
I think you get full credit for a no-buy even if uplanned – in perfume reasoning, that means if you do need to do a no-buy, but something very special appears, you can zero it out!
I like the way your brain works 😉
A No Buy after 8 years? Wow!
D: but your post is always the one I most look forward to in the damage polls!
Oh well, I’ll just have to look forward to the next damage polls, then.
I made a mess of things with my perfume purchases, which is typical. In August, for my birthday, I went up north to a city with perfume shops intending to treat myself to Memo Winter Palace which I have wanted for ages. I also intended to be swayed by Chanel Lion. Instead I bought:
1932: The thinking behind this was that it was unlike almost all my other perfumes and not something I would typically reach for and it would be great in spring. I was also in the Chanel shop where I used to meet Waterdragon. It seemed stronger in the shop but maybe it’s still too wintery to really get into it just yet. It is rather nice and kind of the opposite of what I wear but I tend to regret not getting Lion instead. But 1932 is good for me in an aspirational kind of way.
CDG Peppermint: I wanted a replacement Cinnamon as I love it but it was out of stock. I then thought I’d get rhubarb which I like but they didn’t have it. So I bought Peppermint. There was no tester. So, even when I am Perfume Town I end up blind buying. I like it though.
Coco: a replacement for my 1990s bottle. What can I say.
Margiela Bubble Bath: a present from a good friend. Weird note…ambroxan?
Money spent and still no Winter Palace. I almost bought Amouage Mimosa whatever.
It is indeed ambroxan in Bubble Bath.
Well I hope Winter Palace finds its way to you.
You seem to shop the way I do for clothes…I prefer to go home with something even if it is not exactly what I had in mind 🙂
I so seldom go to actual stores that I get sensory overload. Last time I went to The Big Mall, I kept my list in my hand. But I am glad you allowed yourself some surprises. Le Lion is going to be around for a long time, I think.
Surprisingly, none.
I was sorely tempted by a miniature of Terre d’Hermès Eau Givrée that came as a gift with purchase alongside a 40 ml shower gel, and I considered buying a full size bottle of Eau Givrée, Eau Très Fraîche, Eau d’orange verte, or H24, to get it, but I ended up not buying anything.
Well good for you for staying strong!
Well, it seems like I was destined to get the miniature after all! My order of Terre d’Hermès Eau Givrée, placed all the way back in May, finally showed up, and with it came the miniature and travel size shower gel.
I purchased nothing this quarter. I’m sure Donatella has pretty much written me off at this point.
There were some lovely, spontaneous swaps, so I have been sniffing some new things, though. Also, Calypso and Coumarin and I are trying to arrange an expedition down in town soon, so I’m still in the game! 😊
Donatella isn’t even paying attention to us anymore…we’re over in the dunce corner or something 😉
I kinda went to town this quarter after a very austere period and got:
30 ml Eldo Fat Electrician
10 ml travel spray TF Bitter Peach
50 ml Cartier l’Envol
100 ml Sballo
Overall, I’m pretty darn happy with everything, both Fat Electrician and Sballo are ones I’d been thinking about for years, love L’Envol and as a bonus I got $50 in bonus points which went towards a Nespresso machine which steps up my game in my other great love…coffee!
Wish that ELdO would have kept the 30mL bottles.
Congrats on getting so many that you have been wanting!
Highest quarter in years. My friend started a perfume blog and we get together once a month to eat snacks and smell stuff and it really got me sampling again. I’ve had about 4 sessions of 9 – 12 samples, $40-60 each time, so calling that 1.5 full bottles. I bring the samples over and whatever I don’t enjoy ends up in her sample library, so it is a win-win.
Gotten a few purse sprays: 19-69 Capri, Cartier Baiser Vole edp, Elizabeth & James Nirvana Black (my favorite bedtime scent, discontinued), so another 0.5 full bottles.
Then full bottles, mostly from fragrancenet:
1. Sofia by Sofia Vergara
2. Adam Levine for her
3. Issey Miyaki Pleats Please L’Eau
4. JLo Glow
Bday Gift from my husband that I ordered:
J-Scent A Shaft of Light – gifts don’t count!
Sofia is one of my favorite celebrity perfumes.
I did not know Nirvana Black was discontinued! Is that whole line kaput?
Yes it is. Really good prices too.
It is such a bummer!
Thanks guys!
I bought two bottles this quarter, buying two meant that I could maximise the postage from Luckyscent, so a good investment really. I had been thinking about Bengale Rouge from Papillon Perfumes for a while, and Ormond Jayne’s Ta’if had been on my list for about 8 years. I have a sense of achievement about finally getting a bottle 🙂
Nice picks Gaynor! And I know what you mean about a sense of achievement.
No full bottles again this quarter, but I did buy a few discovery sets and travel sprays.
Maison Rebatchi Discovery
Bohoboco Discovery (but I hated this and game it away, so does it even count?)
Travel sprays of:
Serge Lutens Fleur d’Oranger
Van Cleef and Arpels Rose Rouge
Van Cleef and Arpels Gardenia Petale
YSL Libre Parfum
I’m plotting a birthday buy for next month, but it will probably take me longer than that to decide, as usual!
Nice list even though no full bottles!
Maybe I will do a birthday purchase too…
I don’t have full access to all my purchases, only the latest one and my ebay buys, that’s the main part though.
Shalimar Millésime Tonka or Shal(i)Tonk €80 I was in France and got 25% discount from the Guerlain website
Avon Casbah 50ml £16
Coty Nuance 40/50ml £5.99
Infanta en Flor 100ml £34.80 back-up bottle, my 50ml bottle is half gone
Parquet Présence 100ml £8.99
Réminiscence Héliotrope £20 back-up bottle
Opium Fleur Impériale 100ml £42.85 my favorite buy
L’Occitane Rose Calisson edt and hand cream £25
Ortigia Zagara 30ml £26
I’ve never even heard of that Opium! What’s it like?
It’s a fruitier, lighter Opium, Jalapeno wears it sometimes along with Orchidée de Chine (I don’t have that one), I also own Fleur de Shanghai equally good, that series of Opium flankers was great.
Ooooooooooh, very nice get with that Opium flanker! They go for “are you kidding me” prices on eBay, it seems.
In the UK on eBay prices vary wildly, I waited and won the auction on that occasion.
What an enticing list – Donatella must be beaming! A little patience on Ebay (which I sure don’t always use) can lead to some good finds!
I purchased one mini this quarter. Boucheron serpent boheme. I bought it blind while I was at Nordstrom Rack.
Have you tried the Serpent Boheme yet?
I have. The bottle opening is super tiny so I really can’t get much out.
On first sample I can only say that it smells perfumey, which is good for me. I will be testing it more to see what I can sniff out.
Sounds like it was a success then!
Yay for perfumey perfumes.
Only a 100ml bottle of Dame Perfumery Osmanthus.
Money has been spent mostly on shower gels this year. Let’s see how the year ends.
Nice choice on the Osmanthus!
I need to expand my scented jouney with shower gels. Several NST’ers seem to enjoy them. Don’t know why I never went down that rabbit hole.
The shower gels rabbit hole is as dangerous as the perfumes rabbit hole is. I usually spend money for both hobbies equally and sometimes even more on shower gels and bar soaps. But they are very enjoyable and relaxing!
I got Nishane Ani and Voskanyan Peche Cypree. I am very happy with my purchases. I also got some body scrubs, rose and apricot from Nairian.
I got the pleasure to listen and meet with Albie Sachs, such an amazing and inspiring person. I ordered his book , can’t wait to receive it.
How cool that you got to meet Albie Sachs!
I ordered Shalimar Tonka, Fueguia La Cautiva, Nobile 1942 Levante, LPRN Intense and extrait, Le Bouquet de la Mariée tester, YSL Babycat, TF Lavender Extreme, PG Cuir d’Iris, Amouage Ashore, SL Sarrasins, Hendley Bloodline, Hiram Green Vetiver & Arcadia, plus a bunch of Francesca Bianchi, 4160 Tuesdays and Teone Reinthal. I am now on hiatus and feeling quite satisfied. 🙂
How so you like Babycat? That one caught my eye, too. Very leathery?
I also love La Cautiva and am happy to see it mentioned.
*do
I don’t smell a ton of leather in Babycat, but I’ve only worn it once as it’s been too hot here. I discovered La Cautiva by accident, surfing Luckyscent, ordered a sample and fell in love.
Well at least someone is keeping up their end of the deal, after my epic fail this quarter!
Yeah, I bought enough for both of us!
Babycat is one of the best perfume names ever.
It really is.
Yes!
I have to admit it was a big part of the appeal, it was a blind buy but I love it.
You’ re singing my song!
Ooooh, how is Arcadia? I bought a sample of Vetiver when it came out, and haven’t missed a HG release yet…but haven’t tried this one quite yet.
It’s really good. Very complex and evolves a lot on skin. I am not a fougère fan in general but I love it.
Fun list! You smell fab as always.
Why thank you. 🙂
Ah, at least you have satisfied my desire to see an extravagantly fantastic list! (SL Sarrasins! HG Vetiver! What wonderful acquisitions!)
My lowest spending quarter probably since I started this hobby/obsession. Just one bottle of Bronze Goddess Eau Fraiche for $22.99. The last time I bought just one bottle in recent years was 2nd quarter 2020 when I got a partial bottle of my Volutes for $80.
Wow – good for you!
It’s actually thanks to you that I love BGEF. You gave me a decant of it, among others, at our Nordstrom outing a few years back. 😀
Yay! 😀
Excellent job!
Thank you! 😎
Back to a Very Low Buy quarter this time, and quite pleased about it. I will still try for a No Buy quarter next time, though!
1. Hermes Eau de Neroli Dore EdC, 100mL — $56.54
And that’s my total for this quarter in both bottles and dollars.
Nice job, Jalapeno!
Thanks springpansy!
Ooh good choice, it’s been awhile since I smelled it, but I remember Neroli Dore as such a unique spicy take on a neroli cologne!
My manufacturer sample was making me ridiculously happy every time I sprayed from it. So when that was gone I went hunting for a bottle.
Wow, that’s a great price too.
Almost Perfumath Free! Unless it that over $50 now, b/c inflation.
Cripes! “Unless that is…”
I don’t even have a glass of wine as an excuse for that one! Maybe I should have one to see if I can type better. 🥴
I remembered your getting EdND, it is so pretty so a good investment.
It’s pretty, and happy-making. You can’t ask for much more in a perfume/cologne.
That’s a great catch! Eau de néroli doré is my favourite of the Hermès colognes, followed by Eau d’orange verte. I believe it is unfairly reviled because it is not at all what one expects from a cologne, especially a neroli-centric one: dry and spicy instead of fresh and soapy. But that’s precisely why I love it.
I have only had 200 ml bottles of it so far (two down, two to go), but it is no longer offered in that size. My next purchase is going to be the 100 ml, assuming I can find it anywhere near me. One of the downsides of it not being as popular as others in the line!
Thank you! Dry, spicy and floral is what I get with Eau de Neroli Dore. Can’t do soapy perfumes at all… I run for the hills.
I found my bottle at Fragrance Net, if you are willing to purchase online.
Uh oh….
I’ll admit to what I can remember. 😉
I went into kind of a tailspin hearing that some of the Hermessences might get discontinued, so I bought some backups of Paprika Brasil, Brin de Reglisse, and Vanilla Galante. Luckily you can find testers on eBay for just over $100 each. But then I added a few that I didn’t own already, including Cuir d’Ange, Vetiver Tonka, Ambre Narguile, Agar Ebene….
My local store is nixing quite a few lines as well, so I bought two bottles of Olfactive Studios at half off: chambre noire and Panorama. Then a bottle of Rien at half off as well….
There are probably more but those are the ones that stand out in my memories. Donatella please forgive me.
I’ve heard about the Hermessence discontinuations as well and it got me nervous! I had been meaning to replace my bottle of Cuir d’Ange that I foolishly sold off a few years ago and as it turns out none of the Hermes stores in my area have it in stock anymore — not a bad move on your part to pick extras up!
I got really worried about Paprika Brasil myself but I enjoy every single one. They do go in and out of stock pretty regularly though, so hopefully I’m worried about nothing.
Fingers crossed! I haven’t paid much attention to Paprika Brasil before, I’ll be sure to take a good sniff the next time I visit Hermes ^^ Have you tried the new Violette Volynka yet?
To me, Paprika Brasil is very underrated. I love the peppery top note and the base lasts forever.
Haven’t tried the new Violet yet but I’m eager to. I haven’t been to my local Hermes in years though.
Reminds me of what I did in the great Guerlain panic of 2021. Best to back up and not regret. You can always sell them off later if not needed.
I’m definitely building an archive over here. 🤣
Yay for archives; I’m very glad I got in on the Guerlain panic. I doubt you’ll regret your Hermes favorites! Ramen noodles anyone??
I stopped trying new perfumes a while ago and had finally convinced myself, in July, that I‘d stopped buying any when up popped a notification that a fellow parfumo member was selling a sealed 200ml bottle of Bois des Iles Eau de Toilette. Bunker way-hay!
Now she tells me she knows someone selling an intact bottle of Vetiver pour Elle and (as if that wasn’t unicorn enough) a quantity of Habit Rouge extrait.
I would definitely have jumped on the BdI! Great job.
Perfume unicorns are an excellent excuse to overturn a Perfume No Buy.
Still in buying mode – and even worse, buying unsniffed! What is with me?!
Diptyque L’Autre
Marlou Canicure
Durga Silent Grove
Fiele Cedrus
Shalimar Initial
a vintage Eau de Shalimar
…and not unsniffed, but on my wishlist: Hiram Green Vetiver. So gorgeous, even better than the sample.
More of my vintage-loving ways, all from Ebay. In round numbers:
$38 lot that lured me in with 15mls of Carven Guirlandes, Demeter Naturals Sage, and EA Green Tea Intense; it had a couple other things. Loved the Guirlandes; haven’t tested the others.
$20 YSL “Y” parfum de toilette, about half of 60ml bottle. Enabler Badge to Portia who reviewed it over at Undina’s Looking Glass. Loved it.
$19 EL Modern Muse Chic. Another success and it was the 30ml size! I’ve accepted the wisdom of decants and travel sizes for most scents even though I love the glamour of larger bottles.*
$30 Lalique, vintage-ish in the blue box and also 30mls. I think this was the impulse at the end of a rabbit trail of reviews. But it’s nice.
$50 vintage lot of 21 mostly minis. Did I mention I can be swayed by the adorableness of tiny bottles?* Highlights are 60mls of Jean Desprez Sharazade edt, 30mls of Bal a Versailles, 10mls of Miss Dior, and at long last, I’ll be able to test minis of Must de Cartier and Niki de Saint Phalle. Oh and can one ever have too many Dune edt minis?
And from FragranceNet:
$50 Je Reviens Couture. The magic of the vintage is there and the bottle is big and blue and beautiful.
$50 LPRN So Frenchy edp. I had the edt and the edp intense. Feeling a bit of buyer’s remorse but I am a sucker for the set of three. And I like all three, but I think I have about a pint of various LPRN’s and the differences are slight.
$221 Shaik Opulent 33. Donatella knows the full story. I know she’d approve of the packaging: a chiffon sack, an outer hinged leatherette snap-closure case, an inner hinged leatherette case with an “embrasure,” and decorative faux gems and metal work. It all started with a sample from The Perfumed Court which was in a random lot – I think it was old, based on other items in the lot. It was so lovely, and I got all excited when a bottle appears on Fra’Net. To my surprise, new bottle does not smell like old sample. But I don’t have anything else like the sincere and cheerful OTT presentation so I can set it out in the guest room, maybe? Laugh at me or with me – I’ll do both for this one. https://www.theperfumedcourt.com/Products/Shaik-Opulent-Shaik-Classic-No-33-For-women__SHAIK33.aspx . Let me add, The Perfumed Court is a very trustworthy place; as I said, I think reformulation and (hopefully) the aging process are to blame for the differences in the juice.
Sheri, where did you find a 50 ml bottle of Soivohle Journeyman? Did Liz Zorn recreate it for a time? Because I don’t see it on her site. It’s my favorite from Liz’s collection.