Fragrance...ideas please?

[Kalypso]

I hardly ever wear perfume anymore. I wore several in my late teens and early twenties, mainly flowery ones, most of which I now think are pretty awful or at least too 'young' for me at 28.

I suddenly want a signature fragrance...probably because I'm fed up of smelling of toddler biscuits and wet wipes.

I like the idea of something unusual. I'm not fond of citrus or particularly spicey scents, but definitely like the sound (smell?) of something more natural/foresty/mossy/earthy, although nothing too masculine.

Can anybody make some suggestions for me so I can go and test some out?

[otchayaniye]

Ormonde Jayne uses lots of mossy roots, such as orris root, hemlock, and other oils that aren't often used in parfumerie.

I really love Ormonde Woman and Orris Noir.

She does a sampler set also.

I also like tobacco-based fragrances, such as Lutens' Ambre Sultan, Chergui (oh, you'd probably love that) and Fumerie Turque, as well as Chanel Cuir de Russie and Caron's Tabac Blond.

Check out the old Guerlains. Not a sickly, sweety, citrusy one among them.

[Kalypso]

Oh thank you so much for suggesting so many - hugely appreciated.

I'm really keen to get started now. Ormonde Woman sounds gorgeous. I found a review that says that if this fragrance were a colour, it would be a very deep, dark green, like an ancient, shady forest. That's the sort of fragrance I'm after.

[otchayaniye]

Try lesscenteurs.com as they will advise you, or you can view perfumes by groupings, and order samples for 3 quid each.

If you are in London try the les scenteurs shop, Roja Dove in Harrods, and Selfridges.

[Kalypso]

Oh, you read my mind - I was just coming back to ask where I might find these perfumes! Thank you again. Even better, Les Scenteurs is really easy to get to from where I live.

[otchayaniye]

Ormonde Jayne you won't get there, but she has a little shop in Piccadilly Arcade (or Burlington?)

[MrsSchadenfreude]

If you go into Les Scenteurs* and tell them what you like/wear, they will recommend and give you samples. I went in there and said I wanted something that mae DH smell like an expensive Lebanese businessman. The man in the shop said "I know exactly what you mean." I left with a bottle of Creed Bois de Portugal for him (and a rather emptier purse).

I think you sound as if you want a green/chypre smell. Les Scenteurs are your friends - they will find you your signature scent.

*They have one in there that smells like sperm. It is supposed to. You will recognise it from the, err, picture. It is called something like "Precious Extracts", which obviously is a better marketing name than Spunk Bubble.

[MrsSchadenfreude]

Agree with Otchayaniye about the old Guerlains (I wear Vol de Nuit and L'Heure Bleue) and Chanel's Les Exclusifs. Cuir de Russie is ver' nice. I also have Chanel 22 which you might like.

[overmydeadbody]

I cannot recommend Penhaligon's enough, absolutely beautiful fragrances that are unique and in now way 'young'.

I don't wear anything else these days. And the bottles are wonderful in their own right!

[verysomething]

I wear Diptyque's L'Ombre dans l'Eau and love it, it's unusualish and I would have written a very similar description to yours describing what you're after.

Some other really lovely Diptyque perfumes too. Worth a look.