Budding perfumistas walk this way- Part 2 of the Worst Perfumes ever

[shoeprincess2]

As the first thread is nearly full, I've set up Part 2

[mignonette]

YouOldSlag I have the Cabotine too. I love it for crisp sunny days whether they be cold or warm. I'm very influenced by the weather and occasion in my daily choices although I have my perennials.

I saw Prada Infusion de Fleur d'Oranger on sale for £19:99 at Savers discount toiletries chain store. That certainly doesn't look or smell cheap.

Superdrug often has Vol De Nuit and other Guerlain scents at remarkably low prices.

Debenhams has a discount table with reduced perfumes and sometimes you can get good ones there.

Marks & Spencers new beauty ranges stocks their own bespoke Miller Harris perfume and I have heard good things about it. You can also buy 5ml samples of high end niche scents from Les Senteurs.com for £5 and because they are so concentrated, they last quite some time.

[coffeeinbed]

pocketandsweet
M&S now carry Fragonard Fleur d'Oranger. Sounds like what you're loooking for.
22 quid, quite reasonable.

[harbingerofdoom]

All of my Les Senteurs sample lasted well but one gave me a rash.

[BOFingSanta]

Here is the Chat thread to test the theory- hopefully I won't get shouted at for venturing such frippery outside this section

I'm not great at doing OPs actually, so I don't know how many takers we will get.

[pocketandsweet]

Vol de Nuit at SUPERDRUG?!! ( passes out) Really??? When and where ( always have wanted to try since reading Luca Turin).

[coffeeinbed]

Don't know about that theory, but whenever someone says "Oh, that smells nice" first thing on my mind is "Oh bugger, I must reek of it"

[LtheWife]

I'm the one with a cupboard full of Amouage that I don't know what to do with. If you do fancy that splurge on Gold FellatioNelson, feel free to drop me a PM as I'm getting rid at reasonable prices.

[mignonette]

Fragonard! That is a reputable house. I have seen the smallest size of Vol de Nuit at Superdrug several times over the last few years. Always on the bottom shelf tucked away with similar classic perfumes. They have had the original Chloe by Chloe scent also and last year I bought a large tube of the eponymous body lotion by Celine.

Am trying to think of the other scents I have seen there- I know you can get Shalimar/Opium at really good prices there from time to time, you just have to keep an eye out.

[FellatioNelson]

I can't - I live abroad and there is no postal service as such! Besides, I live where they invented the stuff!

[FellatioNelson]

but you should sell it easily on ebay. Used perfumes go a storm on there.

[LtheWife]

Interesting place to live FN, DH did a few events out there for Amouage. Tried for two years to sell my stash of mostly sealed bottles on eBay but hardly any interest. I'm beginning to think maybe I was pricing it too cheap and making people think they were fakes.

Looking for a few suggestions of what samples to try next. Trying to move away from mainstream scents and towards something a little more complex. Most recent purchases that I like are Prada Infusion d'Iris and Acqua di Parma Magnolia Nobile. I think they're taking me in the right direction and I do enjoy wearing them, but I'm still searching for something to really wow me if anyone has any suggestions.

[ThatsNice]

Does anyone know of any UK vendors selling samples or decants of sensuelle allure?

[YouOldSlag]

mignonette- The original Chloe, which I understand is considered a classic, smellls like peach talc on me. I was v disappointed. Now that really is an affordable classic scent.

[YouOldSlag]

Lthewife- ah yes, it was indeed you with the covetable stash of Amouage! sorry if I referred to you impersonally as "poster on the other thread".

[anniewoo]

Pocketandsweet- try a spray of Annick Goutal's Ninfeo Meo. Very green. In HOF

[DonaAna]

Thanks for the new thread! (Old still here.)
Sampling is the cheap way to enjoy expensive perfumes. Samples and decants are inexpensive and allow one to have a varied perfume wardrobe. I sometimes make a joint order with friends (free shipping) and then we divide them up.

Had a lovely night out. Went to Sephora and two gorgeous perfume shops, toyed with No 19 Poudre and Keiko Mecheri's Canyon Dreams and thought about buying Seville a l'Aube. Bought nothing - yet.

[DonaAna]

Lthewife, lots of potential Amouage buyers on the comments section of Bois de Jasmin's blog! Worth checking!
In a cloud of Ninfeo Mio...

[DonaAna]

Allure Sensuelle is a mainstream Chanel, saw it in Sephora.

[CointreauVersial]

Aha! Found you.

I've just placed another order with Surrender to Chance, having collected another shortlist of perfumes you lot have persuaded me to try......

Hermessence Ambre Narguile
Guerlain Jicky
Jean Desprez Bal a Versailles (I think I'll hate it, but couldn't resist)
L'Artisan Premier Figuier (fancied a bit of fig)
Chanel Coromandel (I love this, so have splashed out on a whole 10ml decant)

Today I'm giving Chanel Bois des Iles another try. I'm really not keen on the powdery sandalwood topnotes, but it improves a little after time.

[DonaAna]

Cointreau almost all sandalwood in perfumery is synthetic now and some of those just make my stomach churn (smells like newborn poo to me).
The exception is Tauer's Miriam. I like all other woods but the creaminess of sandalwood is not my thing.

Another way of making perfumes affordable is splitting bottles. This thread might have enough lovers of Coromandel or Tuscan Leather to make it work. For most people, 10-30 ml of one perfume is more than enough.

Should I list links to niche perfume houses from where you can directly order samples? For me, for a long time now it has been about the journey, not the destination.

Finally, some of the classics have been altered and cheapened almost beyond recognition - that may apply to some of the things you find at discounters. I stiil recommend reading The Snob: Perfume or Luca Turin's guide - you'll get dozens of must-try ideas from them...

For me, the cheapest really good perfumes are some masculines like Yatagan or Antaeus. Yves Rocher do decent quality inexpensive stuff, but none of it is really me. I've given up and buy what I really love - often a sample size is enough but I also use duty frees and sometimes support my favorite perfume stores too. I buy nice clothes and makeup and shoes - why should I scrimp on perfume?

Read perfume blogs - some of them organize bottle sales and swaps. If you get a few 'fume friends, you can swap samples (send someone here everything that makes you go yeugggh - tastes are very individual and you might get something interesting in return).

[DonaAna]

Back from my morning run, wearing Ninfeo Mio. A lovely fresh fig. I am usually not fond of fruity scents, but this is not cloying and it definitely sparkles. It's refreshing like a shower of summer rain (and the bottle is very pretty too).

Smelled two other runners / dog walkers who wore something exquisite. A man draped in L'air du desert marocain (I love it how ordinary Italians wear niche scents - Tauers are easy to find here) and a woman wearing something really lovely that I couldn't recognize. Should have stopped her and asked what it was.

I went to a film festival yesterday and recognized a few perfumes along the route: an older lady wearing Fracas (very common in Italy) and a doll-like old lady with reed thing childish white legs and a geisha-like made-up white face with red lips wearing Teint de Neige. She felt like something directly out of a Wong Karwai film.

I went to two very good perfume stores yesterday. I wanted to sample Canyon Dreams by Keiko Mecheri, but had already some No 19 Poudre on my wrist (lovely, but quite fleeting and I missed the more tart bite of the original). I wanted to buy a full bottle of Seville a l'aube, but the only available saleslady was explaining alternatives in blushers and it seemed to take all night (she explained how to avoid "l'effetto bambola", the doll effect - the Teint de Neige lady should have listened...

[shoeprincess2]

Dona- yes to putting some links on here to niche perfume houses. It would be nice to order some samples direct.

[DonaAna]

If you are new to quality perfumes, I have some suggestions where to start out.

1. Experience classy craftsmanship
Chanel Les Exclusifs boutique perfumes (at Chanel boutiques and biggest department stores)
Hermes Jardins perfumes (department stores) and Hermessences (Hermes boutiques)
Tauer perfumes (at Les Senteurs or Scent and Sensibility or directly from the house)

2. Easy to love but a bit different from mainstream schlock
L'Artisan Parfumeur
Annick Goutal
Diptyque
Heeley

3. Cheap and chic
Parfums de Nicolai (cheap samples from Parfumeria Neroli)

Want to order perfume samples from a sample providers? Best sources:
UK-based: Les Senteurs and Scent and Sensibility; Escentual sometimes sells perfume samples.
EU based (no import duties to UK): Alla Violetta, First in Fragrance, Parfümeria Neroli
US-based (risk of import duties with big orders): Surrender to Chance and Luckyscent.
My favorites: Alla Violetta, Parfumeria Neroli, Surrender to Chance.

Buy perfume samples directly from perfume houses:
L'Artisan Parfumeur
Etat Libre d'Orange
Galimard
Histoires de Parfums
Le Labo
Les Parfums de Rosine
Villoresi
Ormonde Jayne
Olfactive Studio
Parfum d'Empire
Penhaligons
Puredistance
Tauer
YS Uzac

My personal favorites among these are Histoires de Parfums, Olfactive Studio, Puredistance, Tauer and YS Uzac.

[DonaAna]

Sorry about typos etc. Hope this list keeps you going for some time!

[DonaAna]

Forgot a link to Heeley. I can really recommend them - stylish, transparent, modern.
And Maison Kurkdjian - drop-dead-sexy and the sample set is great value.