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

Ladies who love Lonestar need to sample Knize 10! Cuir de Russie also has birch tar, but handled with fine gloves - very different style. And then there is CDG Tar (notes listed: "Town gas, Vapours of Bitumen, Bergamot, Earth Notes, Opopanax, Styrax, Grilled Cigarettes, Pyrogenic Notes"). At some point, you also need to check whether leather/castoreum masculines like Antaeus and Yatagan appeal to you.

Sables is a once-a-year perfume for me. Very cold weather only - it's hyper-longlasting (like a Montale). I think a few milliliters in a sample will last me a lifetime. But today, it was a perfect choice for me. This is what I love about perfume: the infinite variety, the ability match different moods.

Cardoon Tabac Blond is teetering on the edge for me. It's borderline too dusty granny fur closet. The old extrait de parfum version works for me - it's animalic and daring - the modern EdP (pf which I unfortunately have a full bottle) is a disappointing bland carnation-heavy thing I do not enjoy at all.

And Mrs Schadenfreude, there is a great article on aldehydic florals here - worth reading and sampling!

Exactly my thoughts Dona!

TinsellySlag - thanks for the tip about the Quelques Fleurs-alike Per Una fragrance - I'll have a look. Although my stepmum did get a vat of the real deal for Christmas.

Cardoon - I also thought the Tabac Blond strayed into dusty old lady territory, but one has to try these things, eh? From the samples you sent me, two out of three were thumbs up; as well as the Lonestar Memories I also liked the Grey Vetiver very much (I think vetiver might be the next note to investigate further....). How was the Fracas?

Tempted by Sables too, sounds very interesting. My list is growing.

Yes, I live in Paris, and within walking distance of the Guerlain boutique on the Champs Elysees, a Frederic Malle shop (worked next door to it briefly), Annick Goutal and Les Parfums de Nicolai. Jovoy is not far from where I work now.

Chanel No 22 is also a favourite of mine, my MIL wears Arpege, so will avoid that, although I do like it, and my DM used to wear Rive Gauche, Femme and Caleche in the 70s/80s, before she discovered the monstrosity that is Giorgio which does at least stifle the smell of the fags.

Thank you for this - I will go off sniffin' this weekend!

Gosh, cointreau, didn't mean to come over as ungrateful....I'm a great believer in trying everything, once! Fracas I like but don't love... not sure if I want to tone it down or gee it up ...it needs something so have been experimenting with layering it! Have not tried cuir de russie as yet...

I have been a perfume shopping today and bought the gift set of Lolita Lempicka L at a reduced price form House of Fraser. It is a very strange combination of citrus top notes and cinnamon and vanilla in the base. I don't think it's one for every day wear as it's very sweeet, but it is exotic smelling and I think it will smell wonderful on warm nights on holidays abroad (so it being stashed away until I manage to escape somewhere hot).

I also tested a Sisley perfume, Soir de Lune, to me it smells a little like Agent Provocateur (with that stale cosmetics note) but is softer, also a little like Narcisso Rodriguez, maybe it is the rose that's the same? It is very sophisticated, DH said it smelt like a sweaty crotch . Too expensive though at over £100 for the 50ml bottle.

No, no Cardoon, that's not what I was implying at all! What I meant was that sampling is bound to be hit and miss.

Yes deffo hit or miss . I wonder if it's my misspent youth that makes me hate the smokey ones......too much partying/too many hangovers?

are any of those of you who love Lonestar smokers/ex smokers?

MrsS, my DM was also a Giorgio wearer for a while (aided unfortunately by a limitless supply of the stuff from yours truly as I worked there at the time). Bogging stuff, but it still has devoted fans.

Cointreau and Cardoon, sampling is always hit&miss!
I also love trying just about everything once. I've even tried Heat by Beyonce... I know a lot of people who love and collect perfumes, yet no one ever likes exactly the same things. I actually have an "evil perfume twin", someone who adores everything I don't appreciate (and vice versa). We routinely swap, and both are very happy.

And sorry if I said unkind things about TB. I love Carons (more than Guerlains in fact); I have a small sample of magnificent vintage Tabac Blonde parfum, bold and naughty although still ladylike, and then I did the stupid thing and bought the modern version thinking I'd get something similar.

Sorry about spamming the thread with links - there is a decent article on perfumes in December Vogue, about missing something that is discontinued.

MrsSchadenfreude sounds like a lovely spree coming up! I've learned a lot about Rome visiting hidden and less-known profumerie. One of my favorite walks is to cross Villa Borghese, to sample something exquisite in the Bermuda Triangle of Tridente (where all the best shops are), and then slowly cross back savoring and assessing something new that I've just sampled.

Isabelle I think it's L that I've worn and it's a really fun escapist perfume - look at all the positive and appreciative reviews on Basenotes. I also have a similar escapist hot climate perfume - Deseo by J Lo.

Funny what you say about being a smoker - I used to have a five-a-day habit for a couple of years in my early twenties, and remained an occasional social smoker for quite a while. I never liked the ashtray/stale fag smell, but weirdly I always had a soft spot for the aroma of "covered up" smoke - the smell of my aunt's house where it lingered just behind the pot pourri, or the slight waft of smoke almost but not quite covered by someone's perfume.

Sometimes a perfume just conjures up that note, even if it's not a traditionally "smoky" fragrance, and I really like it. Having said that, Lonestar Memories says SMOKE!!! Nothing subtle about it.

Oh and re: Giorgio. Back in the late 80s/ early 90s, I had a classmate who wore Giorgio and another who wore Red by Giorgio. Whoa

Beyonce Heat, DonaAna? I'm surprised your nasal passages are still intact. I still have nightmares about it.

CDG Tar (notes listed: "Town gas, Vapours of Bitumen, Bergamot, Earth Notes, Opopanax, Styrax, Grilled Cigarettes, Pyrogenic Notes")

This I have to try. It sounds insane.

I wore it inside the car.
I really wanted to do a side-by-side with Glade air freshener...

Thanks for the link Dona.

This perfume thing is addictive. I have been looking at Les Senteurs website on your recmmendations and thinking about ordering some samples, completely baffled as to what to pick though as there is sooooooo many. I know I like orientals, think I like chypres and know I don't like citrus cologne type scents much, but still???

Tried to find a bottle of Boudoir today but every shop was completely out of stock, worried that it might be discontinued as it is one of my all time faves and haven't had any for ages so was hoping to revisit it. Hope not.

Currently toying with Tuscan Leather, Citizen Queen, or Soir de Lune as my next big purchase (when feeling a bit richer) but can't decide between them. Would appreciate any thoughts about which is the better one.

Isabelle if you have the time and energy to look for it on Crystal Flacon, you might find a decant of Tuscan Leather there, and this seller has Citizen Queen. Lots of minis of Soir de Lune on ebay.de.

I have a tendency to get everything I like - just in a smaller size.

Pick a few orientals and chypres to try. Some of the more common/mainstream ones you can sample in-store too - worth getting to a bigger department store just to sample the Lutens export range there. Chypres tend to be better in vintage formulations, unless you love modern chypres without oakmoss (like Soir de Lune, Chanel 31 Rue Cambon, or even Coco Mademoiselle). Another good article about chypres and some suggestions here.

Isabelle lot's of Boudoir on eBay, I wouldn't worry. But for those all-time favorites, it may be a good idea to have one back-up bottle, as fragrances are continuously reformulated and discontinued. But I don't encourage stocking up too many full bottles - tastes and preferences may change.

Scent of the day: Coromandel.
Generally too rich and heavy for Italy, but just perfect on a cold winter day.

Yes, actually, I think I ONLY like modern chypres, as I don't like Cristalle, that has a lot of moss doesn't it?? CM is a bit too fruity for me, looking at the perfumes I like, I think it has to have some sweetness for me to like it, that's why I liked the Soir de Lune. Have spent the evening on Fragrantica looking at the notes in my favourite perfumes and come to the conclusion that the common theme is a sweet woodyness. Would like anybody that is more expert and experienced than me to correct me if I am wrong .

Sensuous
Boudoir
Black Orchid
Kelly Caleche
D&G for women (the old one)
Elie Saab

Start with those! Sweet woody (= woody oriental, woody amber) is also a possible combination in masculines/unisex niche, so maybe explore some of them later.

Cristalle has a clear oak moss note yes! (It's endangered though, as oak moss is being phased out.)

What would you suggest for citrus/white floral combo Dona?

Cardoon white florals are my blind spot, although one of my favorites, the classic masculine Eau Sauvage, is in some ways a citrus-jasmine, as it uses hedione which is also found in jasmine.

But generally I don't wear white florals well and have not properly explored them and may be missing some very obvious ones. So others, please chip in!

Some mainstream citrus-whites I've come across (iirc): Chance Eau Tendre by Chanel, Elie Saab, Vanitas by Versace.

For a very effervescent, champagne-like citrus-floral, try Osmanthus by Ormonde Jayne. Frangipani and Champaca by the same house are worth a try too.

A buttery but light take on the white floral theme - Gardenia Passion by Annick Goutal, Beige by Chanel. If you are testing Chanel exclusifs, you can try Gardenia too.

Great floral primer boisdejasmin.com/2011/11/building-perfume-wardrobe-guide-part-2-jasmine-florals.html here. You'd look for the lighter, more citrussy ones.

Cardoon I'm not really a fan of citrus perfumes, the only citrus/white floral in my collection is Cristall eau Vert from Chanel. It is very lemony and leaves a soft cirtus/lemon scent behind on the skin. I only use it on really hot days when i feel like something refreshing but you might like it.

I tend to prefer quite heavy white florals.

Elie saab is beautiful, it is white floral but has a lot of woodyness and vanilla too.
I have Mon Jasmin Noir which is whiter smelling than Ellie Saab and sweet and musky, I always get compliments when I wear it.
I like Pure Poison too and which is also a sort of woody/musky white floral and it has a sort of luminous quality. Estee Lauder Tuberose Gardenia is also nice.

Cardoon, try L'Artisan - L'Eau d'Artisan a light citrusy flower one and Thé pour un Eté.

Thank you all - some great suggestions there. Love some of those mentioned above (gardenia passion and exclusifs) but have not yet found the "one". Will search on though and enjoy most of the journey