Help - a perfume prescription

[bettybigballs]

There are so many amazing noses on this board i wanted to ask some advice. I'm trying to find some new perfumes to try but I'm struggling as i can't define the types of perfumes i like. Do you have any suggestions as to what i can try next?

Tried and love:
Tom Ford - Cafe rose: Love this, feels deep and sexy
Portrait of a lady: Again adore this one, powerful and heady
Miller Harris: Terre d'iris - feels grown up and delicious
Miller Harris - Fig amere - deliciously figgy but not sickly (love fig but not most figs i've tried)
Miller Harris - Geranium bourbon - adore but feels a bit girly
l'artisan - nuit de tubereuse: Like a lot, feels daytime and light on me but a bit sweet


Tried and hate:
L'artisan - l'ete en douce: smells like cleaning product on me
Frederic Malle - Iris poudre: instant headache, smells false on
Diptyque Fig: smells 'young' and a bit simple on me
Jo Malone - Fig, Pomegranate, lime, basil, orange blossom and more - all smell grim on me, like i've doused myself in cheap body spray
Acqua di Parma Iris Nobile edp: bit meh
L'Artisan Premier Figuier: smells really cheap on me

Thanks in advance for any help! I really want to try lots of new things but feel a bit overwhelmed by the choice.

[FrugalFashionista]

Betty bad news, unfortunately you are a born perfumista and your tastes are expensive and quality-oriented
I share quite a few of your likes and dislikes...

Quality-oriented lines to try
Chanel Les Exclusifs (La Pausa is a great cool iris, you dislike warm irises, and Chris Sheldrake who created many great Lutens perfumes now works there)
Dior La Collection Privee (uneven but try Oud Ispahan)
Other Malles - Geranium pour Monsieur for example; Carnal Flower is a really stange tuberose. Other tuberose classics are Fracas, Poison and Loretta from Andy Tauer (which I love but it's very potent and high on the costly natural - samples from Scent & Sensibility)
Hermes perfumes, particularly Hermessences will give you an idea whether you like Ellena type minimalism or not
You might also love the boutique Guerlains but they are tricky to sample unless you are in Paris (not sure about UK stockists)
Not sure whether you like their style but Tauer, By Kilian and Grossmith and Puredistance use fab raw materials.

And because you like Miller Harris give M&S testers a go. Might find something to balance the budget.

You should go on a sniffing spree at Les Senteurs or Roja Dove Haute Perfumerie at Harrods

The small book Le Snob: Perfumes (silly name but good book) may also give you lots of ideas what to sample.

[bettybigballs]

Frugal you star! Thanks so much for such a considered response.

I'm off to Paris in the next couple of months so will put a visit to Guerlain on the to-do list.

Off to order myself a new round of samples. Thanks again!