Perfume for Christmas.

[MordechaiVanunu]

I want DH to buy me some perfume for Christmas, Ive become a bit obsessed with researching and trying perfumes and am now confused so thought I'd seek advice here.

I want a heady sexy seductive sophisticated sort of scent. One for a night out when all dressed up on a winters night.

I already have Samsara, Amarige and Jean Paul Gaultier Classique. At the moment Samsara is my night out/winter perfume but I want a new one.

I am considering: Coco Chanel, Alien or Black Orchid.

I have tried and discounted: Mitsouko, Shalimar, Hypnotic Poison, Dior Addict.

Any recommendations or opinions?

I'm perfume obsessed at the moment.

Another second for Alien.

Have you tried ThierrY Mugler's Womanity. Like his other fragrances its a strong smell, a real showstopper that makes people ask what it is! (always a good sign, I think....?!)

Also Lancome's new perfume Midnight Rose is lush but not as heady as Alien or Womanity.

I get what one poster said about the perfume "snobbery" thing but I always find that the more classy ones, e.g. Allure, Coco etc don't actually smel of much and don't last as long as e.g. Thierry Mugler's scents.

I know Angel is probably a bit chav now but I still adore it and am going to get my refill at the Perfume Shop ready for the springtime - its definitely not a winter whiff!!

Good Luck on your search

I would add another vote for the Ormonde Jayne discovery set. They are lovely.
Miller Harris is another one to try. Some perfect orientals there. Or even Eau de Rien - now that's a dirty scent.
You could also try Parfum des Mervelles - very sexy amber. Must be the perfume or the Eau Claire though, the original Eau is a bit edgy.
Narcisso Rodrigues For Her is very sexy and musky - this has to be the Eau de Toilette though, the Eau de Parfum is a too flowery.

I got my Christmas perfume at the weekend! I couldn't wait

I got Coco Chanel in the end, and I'm LOVING it. It 's just what I wanted. I went all around the houses and came back to this and then knew instantly I wanted it.

I wore it out on saturady night and felt so sophisticated, womanly and sexy (was also all dressed up).

I think it's too heavy for the day, but have been putting a little on my pyjamas and dressing gown so I can smell it myself in bed!

Am looking forward to going out again on Saturday night so I can wear it!

Tamasin thanks for the Ormonde Jayne recommendations I'm going to keep those and try to visits the shop when I next visit London.

I love Alien. I loved Angel, then began to find it a bit too sweet, but Alien is just perfect. It stays on your skin for hours, and has that lovely heady night-time smell. MordechaiVanunu, I wouldn't worry about who the marketing of Alien is aimed at- if it smells good on you, you should just go for it.

I thought I liked Alien, but then I wore it for a whole day and I just tired of it by the end of the day IYKWIM.

It just seemed to stay 'loud', all at the same note, and eventually I felt I just wanted to get away from the smell for a while. So that helped me eventually decide.

Coco, although heady, strong and long lasting, seems to come over in waves and then almost disappear and reappear, and ech time it reappears it smells slightly different, maybe a bit more spicy or warm or sometimes a bit more floral and 'perfumey.' Anyway I'm very plead with my decision.

Also, I must admit I love the whole Chanel thing and having Chanel perfume on my dressing table makes me feel all femme fatale in a way some perfume brands really wouldn't. But Yes, ultimately it's the smell that counts and what got me in the end.

A few weeks and I'll have to start planning my summer perfume purchase to feed my perfume obsession.

Hi- just pikced up some Black orchid today, after reading so many glowing reports. I highly recommed it!! I haven't been able to stop sniffing my wrist all day. Lovely for winter.

Is Alien similar to Angel?

I love Angel...Byblos Cielo is very similar, but £££££££s cheaper.

Might have a sniff of Coco. Just the word Chanel makes me feel sophisticated.

Alien and Angel are nothing alike imo. I really cannot bear Angel, it makes me feel physically sick but I love Alien.

You sound like you like similar perfumes to me so I suggest, Chanel Chance...Flowerbomb by Viktor and Rolf, Jimmy Choo (a ALOT cheaper than Flowerbomb but I think they're very similar) And I'm not even joking, Intimately Beckham is LOVELY. I've got some expensive perfumes but I am pretty much always asked what I'm wearing and it's at most £15 per bottle.

You have similar taste to me but I think I may have missed out on samsara so will have to make a point to try it now.

I love coco chanel and coco mademoiselle, jean paul gaultier - scents that last all day :) (Avon far and away is also a good but cheap one)

I tried alien and angel and womanity the other day and prefer angel but doesn't smell as nice on me as it does on my friend who wears it all the time.

Other favs of mine have been dolce vita, dior addict (both of which I found in HOF the other day like old friends) hypnotic poison, pure poison, midnight poison (are you noticing a dior theme?) eternity, SJP lovely and armani.

Hopefully I will be getting more coco and JPG for xmas as I currently am stuck with eternity moment and michael kors daisy which are a bit summery iyswim

Love Samsara but hate Angel- it almost brings on a migraine-probably because i was sprayed with in once in a department store when a migraine was coming on. Have you tried Creed perfumes?