Part 3- Fully fledged perfumistas- share your fragrances

[shoeprincess2]

Part 2 is nearly full!

Don't worry, ScienceRocks, I also have a past history with Ysatis.

I also used to wear ra-ra skirts..... We all (hopefully) refine our taste with age.

I'm gearing up for another sample order, as my wish list has expanded into double figures. There are one or two I haven't been able to source yet, but there are plenty on the list to keep me going.

Spezie today. Wow. This is really spicy, so much so that it is definitely putting me in mind of my kitchen drawers (in a good way). It's dry and warm and very, well, SPICY. Good. Edible. Weird.

How about something like La Chasse aux Papillons by L'Artisan Parfumeur, Science? That's flowery but not too loud. I'd recommend L'Artisan Parfumeur in general for not being too 'perfumey', which sounds like it might suit you if you like Jo Malone. Or one of the classic fig leaf perfumes such as Philosykos or Premier Figuier?

Hi, can any of you lovely perfumistas tell me a little more about Coromandel? Is it a woodsy/spicy/Amber-y type, it sounds like the kind of perfume I would really like. I'm in Bordeaux on Saturday and might be able to get it there. Do you think they'd have it in Galeries Lafayette on the Chanel stand, or is it a bit too exclusive? Otherwise any ideas where I can find it? Thanks x

Thank you I will go sniffing in a more directional manner than usual next time I'm shopping. A couple of informed suggestions definitely make me feel more confident

Hi Ladame, I'm not the best at detecting what the notes are, but Coromandel is one of my favorites. I would say it is a warm oriental, ambery, vanilla, patchouli type fragrance. It has quite an earthy tone to it, but is also quite sweet as well.

IsabelleRinging Thank you! Sounds just up my street ! x

Science nothing wrong with your scent history. Ysatis is a good perfume, it's just been around for a while and because it has been very popular I associate it with older women. Our landlady visited us in a cloud of Shalimar. She's glamorous, reed-thin, energetic and seventy. The softly sweet sillage really worked on her, but I grew up surrounded by older women who loved Shalimar and to me it always smells very mature.

When you go looking for perfume, some keywords: light, fresh, aquatic, white flowers; woody; but you might also like chypres as you get along with oakmoss (not many of them left in regular shops). Annick Goutal, Diptyque and Hermes get some of these characteristics right. I'd love to hear how you feel about Frederic Malle's Carnal Flower. Lutenses might be too heavy-handed for you, but A la nuit is a great jasmine.

My overnight scent: Encens Mythique d'Orient by Guerlain. Silly name but a great, opulent, timeless multilayered oriental that can be worn for 12+ hours (and very sad that you can't decent orientals like this in a regular shop any more). I only have a few ml but this is something that can be just lightly dabbed on - it would probably take a lifetime to go through a full bottle

Thanks ProFumo. I actually haven't smelled Ysatis for years, but I wore it nearly 20 years ago so it is associated with a. Particular time of my lite. Funny how fragrance (much like food, as I am a great foodie) can be so evocative.

I notice that many of you talk about ordering perfume samples. Can anyone recommend a site that lets you do this in the uk?

So far I've used

Les Senteurs

Scent and Sensibility

Alla Violetta - in Italy, but just as easy to order from as if it were in the UK

First in Fragrance - in Germany, but also very easy to use.

I've been very happy with all of them, but worth noting that Les Senteurs use dab vials, which I don't find give as good an impression of the perfume as do the spray vials used by the others.

All of the sample sources there are recommended and also Parfümeria Neroli in Hungary (dab vials but cheap). Staying UK-based limits the available options a lot, so I really recommend any EU-based seller.

The last day of February, so I'm wearing Cruel Intentions By Kilian. A total misnomer: this feels weak and slightly aimless on my skin. Not a star in the series, but out of the 8 Kilians I tried this month 5 are excellent and can be recommended. Might want to return to the neroli-iris later today.

Testing Loretta today. Hmmm. I am not sure about this at all. Love the opening but there's something caramelly underneath that I am really not enjoying. I might be passing this one on, so if anyone really fancies trying it please let me know.

I tried Jo Malone Wild Fig and Cassis. What a strange perfume this one is. I think the dab vials are a bit fiddly. The sprays or roll on are a lot better.

Oh no Habers- so you're not feeling the Loretta love? I adore it. Caramelised tuberose. It is very bizarre, but so fabulous. I'm sure someone will be intrigued enough to try it... I wandered by the Guerlain counter today, had a fondle of the meteorites (you have to love those glittety balls), but completelt forgot to have a squirt of Nahema and Vol de Nuit. I shall try again tomorrow. Today I am wearing Le Labo Labdanum 18. Smells like Shalimar, but not as long lasting.

*glittery, not glittety

The caramel made me feel a bit unwell! I do love the flowery part at the beginning but I have a real aversion to anything sweet in perfume (I mean food sweet not flower sweet).

I have Miriam to test tomorrow and am pretty sure I'm going to like that a lot.

Thanks to Haberdashery, I've been trying I Hate Perfume's 'Black March' today. It's not at all dark or bleak and grey, as its name might suggest, but light and springlike. The first few minutes are like smelling spring flowers in a florist's shop - a bit of hyacinth, a bit of jonquil - all mixed with lots of green. Then it softens quite considerably, but still stays very floral. Wearing it is a bit like sitting next to a bowl of bulbs in bloom - for a water perfume, it's powerful. Later, there is a very slight 'rotten vegetation' undertow, but nothing too alarming. There's an aquatic note, as well (I normally don't like those), but it's well controlled and so far not troubling. The nearest scent I can think of is Chanel Cristalle, but that's only from memory. The two are absolutely not the same - but surely related, somehow....

Aaaah, so not really a gourmand person then? Report back on Miriam, as I haven't tried that one. My bargainous Halle perfume purse spray has been dispatched, so I will be testing it tomorrow afternoon I expect. This afternoon I took delivery of a replacement cat flap and made a Gruffalo mask for my little boy to wear for World Book Day. Oh the glamour .

I think tuberose mixed with anything sweet is nauseating, I much prefer green tuberose, so don't think Loretta would be a good one for me.

I am trying Chanel Gardenia today, I had a funeral to attend, so wanted something subtle and innocent and I think this fitted the bill. It is a very pretty simple scent, no great silage although it has lasted OK. It's not really something I would buy a full bottle of, there's nothing very interesting about it.

Later in the day I tried a spay of the new Jour d'Hermes. This is defiinitely an Ellena creation, it has the distinctive citrus/grapfruit opening of Kelly Caleche, and is actually similar to Kelly, but without the leather. After the grapefruit dries there is a distinct fruity note which smells just like pink rhubarb to me and this lasts for quite a while, in fact the whole fragrance has a tart fruity feel to it. There are florals there too but I couldn't tell what they are, but it is not as floral as I expected it to be. Overall, I can imagine this being a useful, subtle fragrance to have in your wardrobe for summer, you could wear it anywhere, but it's not particularly captivating or different from other florals on the market.

On the other hand, Private collection from Estee got another try, just on paper this time, and this is a powerful stuff! I had the tester card in my bag next to the Jour d'Hermes and both strips smell of just PC now. It really is a lovely fragrance, definitely worth trying if you appreciate those vintage 70s feeling perfumes. Haven't decided if I could wear it yet and not feel 'old lady' in it, but it doesn't recall that old lady in must fur coat that some vintages do because it is so green. I might give it a try and see what reaction I get from friends.

I love Private Collection.
It's the green and there a very funny chrysanthemum later on, a bit off.
I had the perfume though, in a beautiful shell shaped bottle.
It was just lovely.
The worst tuberose I've ever tried was something called Tuberosa di Autonno, it was rank. Rancid, overripe blue cheese.
I do have a high tolerance for tuberose otherwise.

I've worn a few lackluster perfumes today. I think Cruel Intentions was full of Iso E Super (so lazy) and I also wore a dull green perfume that lasted about 20 minutes.

To quote someone on fragrance boards, what we do in Paris in secret is binge eating A light gourmand with a fruity top. I've had a long and intense workday and went to a launch party afterwards - dreamy gourmand trysts all wrong, should have worn something brisk and efficient. Will wear it on a less stressful day and probably like it a lot.

Last night I briefly wore Le Miroir des Vanites (might have imagined the name) by Thierry Mugler and had to scrub it off. It was one of those evil ultraviolet roses laced with saffron and oud and other things that make it very metallic and harsh and devilishly strong. I think Lady Vengeance has a similar feel.

Haber I can tolerate very sweet perfumes so Loretta works on me but don't feel bad - you are able to enjoy many even more unique perfumes. Anyone who loved old-school Poison should try Loretta. I found it really difficult at first but started to like it afterwards.

Flora, so pleased you liked it!

I keep thinking I'm going to like gourmands but I never do. Someone speak to me sternly if I think about trying any more ever!

Will definitely report back re Miriam!

Loretta sounds like my worst nightmare, I have to say....!

Florascotia, your sample arrived today! I have had a quick sniff, and it reminds me strongly of something DH used to wear, but I can't think what. I'm looking forward to trying it.

Kept getting a little waft of Private Collection throughout the evening from the strip of paper on the coffee table. Definitely a grower.

I'm wearing the reformulated Ivoire by Balmain today. Quiet, refined, office-appropriate and elegant in squeaky-clean way. (Quite far removed from Balmain's current neo rock chick image). So very appropriate, but I guess I expect more quirks from perfumes I love and will probably switch soon. 'Nice' is not enough - I guess I love statement-making and risk-taking love/hate perfumes much more.

Reverted to Prelude to Love By Kilian. A sunburst of orange blossom and optimism combined with the formal elegance of iris I like perfumes with good raw materials and structure, but also need quirks, character and individuality - this ticks all the boxes. My type of clean - great work perfume!