It’s been a good long while since we’ve done a Monday Mail…I hope some of you still remember the drill! Today we’re helping Liz, who is in law school and wants to find a “grown-up” fragrance that she can wear regularly. She’d prefer something with decent lasting power. She can pay around $100 and has reasonable access to stores, but is overwhelmed by the offerings she finds in the mall and is subject to migraines from some scents.

Here is what we know about Liz:

She’s in her late 20s.

Her personal style during the week is feminine and conservative, but on the weekends she’s usually in jeans and a t-shirt…

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Today we’re helping Now Smell This reader Nebbe, who wants to find one or two new spring / summer fragrances — scents that she can put into heavy rotation for the next six months. She can spend about $75 – $125. Nebbe works in an open office environment, where perfume is allowed but the employees are asked to keep it subtle. She’d love to find something that will last through an 8 – 12 hour workday without re-application, but with light sillage (preferably, others won’t notice it unless they’re in her personal space).

Nebbe is relatively new to the perfume world (the last six months) but is already addicted to sampling, reading about perfumes, and more sampling.

Here is what we know about Nebbe:

She’s in her mid-30s, and works in professional services in the Pacific North West.

She loves reading, listening to podcasts/local news talk, enjoying a great meal with friends, and thrift store shopping.

Her style is a mix of classic and modern, with a sensual twist on the weekends. She is outgoing and friendly, and loves meeting new people.

Nebbe likes soft, creamy, well-blended scents; notes she appreciates include amber, vanilla, sandalwood, gardenia, tuberose…

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Today we’re helping Lizzie, who has an urgent perfume problem: she recently lost almost all of her perfume collection, including hundreds of samples, in a fire. Her renter’s insurance is covering some replacements, but there are two fragrances she can’t find easily in the US and that she needs to find substitutes for so that she can wrap up her claim: Parfum d’Empire Ambre Russe and Theo Fennell Scent. She needs suggestions that are up to 50 or 75 ml in size and cost up to $75 each. Buying online is fine, but eBay and international sources are not.

Lizzie says her favorite perfumes are rich, dark and mysterious, and that few perfumes intimidate her, but many are too understated or bland for her taste…

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We’re a day late again (my bad!), but today we’re helping Robin (another Robin, not me) find two perfect fragrances: one for everyday office wear and one for special occasions. Her requirements: complex, beautiful, feminine scents, preferably not mainstream, and that fit her personality and style. Ideally, she’d like to sniff her own arm and be transported from the office. Her fragrance should be grown up but not too old, and young enough but not teenager-ish. She’d like to stay under $250 and she’s happy to shop online. Here is what we know about Robin:

She’s in her late 20s; she’s from Charlotte, NC and recently moved to Florida. She’s a former 6th grade teacher and now works at a radio/television station as the resident education expert. She has degrees in English Literature and Political Science.

She says she’s an extrovert and an introvert: she’s very social but still loves to be alone and to herself…

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