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

OTOH, my googling has led me to Encre Noir which sounds really good.

I might have gone a bit samples nuts with the tar and leather and smoke thing.

Samples of Fat Electrician, Knize Ten, CDG Tar and Sonoma Fireside Intense are on their way to me. I'm going to do the ink thing another time.

haberdashery, Encre Noir pour Homme is lovely.
the woman's one is a boring fruity-floral.

I gathered that from the googling! The bloke stuff has gone on the list.

SOTD: M/Mink. I smell of newsprint. Gotta love conceptual fragrances.
I also loved Isabelle Huppert in Haneke's La pianiste - might have to try the pairing.

Haber I have a full bottle of Encre Noir (masc). A great smoky vetiver with a hefty dose of Iso E Super. Am in a rush, so no time to wax metaphysical, but this is definitely an animus thing for me. My male shadow/a strange man in the apartment that's really me... I felt insulted when I tried the feminine version, nothing sinister and daunting about it.

DH took hold of my sample of Fat Electrician. He followed the sillage through the house and professed love

Haber you are risking serious addiction. I would never really have gotten seriously hooked without these weirdos.

Not content with the 9 samples currently en route from S to C I now have a list of about 12 more I want to try. Lots of Ambers, some citrus/orange, some Vetiver and a few of the interesting-sounding ELdO ones.

I did consider the £25 ELdO sample set from Essentuals, but figured I'd be better off focussing on things I might actually like, as there's a risk a fair few would go to waste.

Thanks to your links, DonAna, I'm now following a couple of blogs - Olfactoria and Candy Perfume Boy (who sounds like a great guy!). Nothing good can come of this......

Tom Ford Grey Vetiver today (thanks cardoon) - crisp, green and uplifting. Really gorgeous daytime fragrance.

Vetiver is very good for work morale Cointreau. Good call. I find ELdOs interesting and entertaining, but many of them smell a bit crass on my skin.

Imo blogs, Basenotes and Fragrantica are great for learning about perfume. You'll start to see whom you agree with, and others who tend to like everything you hate...

I ran some errands in the morning and spent a few spare minutes in a profumeria nearby. On the top shelf, invisible and hard to reach, there was a bottle of No. 19 EDT. (I have the EDP and parfum versions at home and know them very well.)

I cannot believe this - it's a different perfume altogether! It should have a different name! The EDP is thick, pea soup green and a many-faceted chameleon - I get herbs and leather, and it feels warm on my skin. The EDT is icy cool and rosy, and feels more linear: the roses are woven with green creating that rubies on green velvet feel I also get from L'Ombre dans l'Eau (Diptyque) and Rubj (Vero Profumo).

The bad news: I think I need a FB of this interpretion of No. 19 as well.

I tried one on each wrist too Donna and couldn't believe how different they were. EDP had it by a nose I think. Are they widely perceived as being far apart?

Cardoon I think they are, and the same is true for No. 5 (not an expert on the latter though - it's a perfume that I admire but never wear).

I've had No. 19 EDT on my to-try list for a long time but for some reason it has been hard to find around here - perfume shops haven't had a tester, or only sell the EDP. The inverse seems to be true in the US.

I think there has been some talk about one of the variants of No. 19 being discontinued. (Hope not.) In any case, all of them are completely different.

Today I am wearing Le Maroc Pour Elle by Tauer. Again, another incense-y smell that reminds me of those little gist shops selling joss sticks and nose studs. Just gorgeous. A fab winter scent. I would probably put it in my Top 5 of Tauer scents.

To add my 5 cents to the no 19 discussion- I prefer the EdT to the EdP. Same applies with no 5. I also tried no 19 poudre last week- how fleeting. Literally lasted a couple of hours, then was gone. Pleasant whilst it lasted, but not worthy of a purchase. Sali Hughes posted a photo yesterday of a gift box from Chanel (not for sale alas). 13 bottles of Les Exclusifs and a big pot of body cream in the middle. I had to pick my jaw up from off the floor. What i wouldn't give for that!!

Love Mr Charming DH, he went to Liberty's and managed to persuade the SA to let him have a sample of Portrait of a Lady and another one for himself too (he really must have charmed flirted with her) .

Dona, when I read about your baby poo/sandalwood comparison I though Nah, Sandalwood smells great in my Sensuous perfume. But today I sniffed the Samsara tester in my local boots, and Oh God, Yes it does! yuck, Samsara is crossed of my list of ones to try.

I do feel I may be on the verge of slight addiction. I think the next thing I need is a nice box to keep my samples in.

I still have a large sample of Black March if anyone would like it. PM me if you would. I honestly thought I'd love it but something about it isn't quite right for me.

I absolutely loathe Samsara. I think it is because someone I used to work with and whom I couldn't stand used to bathe in the stuff. I also dislike Vetiver generally as it reminds me of an ex where it all ended badly (I pushed his face in his curry and never saw him again, supercilious bastard).

I have, however, discovered, thanks to my friend Google, that there is a branch of ELdO just a few doors down from my doctor. How I haven't noticed this before is beyond me, but I am generally dragging a mardy, wheezing teenager whining about going to Starbucks on the way back, and have my eyes fixed firmly on the pharmacy to get some drugs into her, fast. Must find an excuse to go to the doctor on my own...

Today I am wearing Lux by Mona di Orio. It is the dregs of a bottle and I feel a bit "meh" about it. I used to love it, but now I just think "sherbert lemons." I've also finished a large sample of Amytis - DD1 has a friend with this name who is generally entitled and unpleasant and I can only think of her when I wear it now.

Ambre Sultan today. It is one of my most favourite amber fragrances.

Smelling something like Ambre Sultan always makes me regret those wasted years (decades?) when I genuinely thought that Romance by Ralph Lauren is as good as it gets.

Great frags everyone! Black March would be perfect for anyone who loves the scent of mulchy earth in the spring.

My favorite early spring scent is rhubarb. CdG Rhubarb is simple and accurate; Aedes de Venus EdP is a more complex composition, tart and lovely. Enjoyed it very much last night.

I need No. 19 EdT. Have worked a lot this week, especially today, will probably return to the profumeria tomorrow to purchase it.

I'm wearing Iris Poudre today by Frederic Malle. It makes me think of Kirsty off Eastenders and I can't for the life of me explain why! It's so random.

Perfume's funny like that though, isn't it? it can put long forgotten memories into your head and give you images of totally unrelated thoughts, all after one sniff.

Had my first test of Portrait of a Lady by Frederick Malle today. It is much more subtle than I expected from the reviews, not loud at all! I think I love it. It is very dusty, slightly powdery, but there is also some spices in there too and it has a lovely amber/rose/musk dry down. I think it quite sexy, but I wouldn't be afraid to wear it in the day like some of my stronger perfumes like Black Orchid.

I also have Carnal Flower tester card, I love that too, it is so green and fresh!

Bravo Mr Isabelle - what a lovely freebie.
You just inspired me to put on some PoaL. On me, it's very diffusive and tenacious. Feels like red velvet, goes well with my retro pin-up makeup today. Not every Malle works for everyone, but there is a variety of styles there - really worth sampling.

DH wore Fat Electrician to work the other day

I'm wearing my Traversee du Bosphorus from the L'A P sample kit I gifted myself for Christmas. I can't believe how much I like it. I would not have thought it would be my thing. I like green things generally but this is just lovely and comforting ( no bad thing today since we are wrestling with the prospect of moving half way around the world.... So comforting is good). My only complaint is how faint it seems - I keep having to sniff my wrists. It smells of almonds, pastries and a hint of old books to me.

YouOldSlag- ha, that is totally random. But I'm intrigued. I quite like an iris scent, and of course, powder. Is it worth getting to sample?
Isabelle- I love my Portrait sample- I've worn it about 3 times now, and have over half a vial left. It is old school glamour.
Today is Le Maroc Pour Elle, as I'm having an incensey week. DP commented on my Ambre Sultan yesterday, in a "oooh, that smells nice" way. He very rarely comments, so I may indulge in a bottle of it once my sample is spent.
Haberdashery- have a look in TKMaxx for a little storage box. They have some vintage looking ones, which would be perfect. I bought a couple of jewellery trays from there, to put in my drawers to store makeup. Inexpensive but pretty

There's a new Chanel Exclusif- 1932. Anyone know anything about it/ tried it?

I would love to ask you advise on which perfumes you feel I may like...I've never bought myself perfume and haven't been keen on any that I've had bought for me.
I really love the smell of the rituals 'hamam' products that are described as eucalyptus and rosemary and also a shower gel from lush called the olive branch which is bergamont, olive oil and vine leaves.
I've been looking at the diptique and miller harris web sites as these brands really attract me but this isn't based on any thing as I haven't smelt their fragrances! Any ideas of where I could start?
Thanks so much I really enjoy reading this thread, I just know nothing about perfume at this point to contribute!

Rosielea- how exciting to start on the perfume journey. You are definitely going to have to start sampling, as you sound as though you have quite a niche taste in smells. There are a lot of websites that you could go to:-

www.fragrantica.com
www.basenotes.net

You can search under the particular note e.g. bergamot and see what it throws up. Keep a journal and jot down ones that take your fancy and then maybe order a selection from www.surrendertochance.com (US based) or www.lessenteurs.com (UK based). I have had a quick look on fragrantica searching olive, bergamot and rosemary. I think a starter for ten for you would be Eau Savage by Dior or perhaps Acqua di Parma Colonia. I guess a lot of the classic perfume houses will have a lot for you to consider- try Guerlain (one of their Acqua Allegorias- Herba Fresca) and Chanel's Egoiste.

I am sure someone else will be along soon to give you some ideas, but i thought I'd chuck my twopenny's worth in perfumista in training

Happy sampling!