Part 3- Fully fledged perfumistas- share your fragrances

[shoeprincess2]

Part 2 is nearly full!

Hello, lurker and occasional poster from previous thread. Still haven't got round to ordering my samples but I will - I've promised myself.

I had the opportunity today to have a sniff at some of the Amouage range. My, they were interesting and powerful. I'd have liked to have tried one on, but was already wearing something. I liked the men's ones better than the women's I think. The Opus (might have misremembered that) were particularly intriguing. The ones I tried were very dry - on the tester card, anyway. One was smoke and tar and something else almost medicinal. It was great fun.

so glad to see someone else loves Louve. I do adore it so.
I've not been too well so that is mostly all I've been wearing but I'm interested to try Rose Vermeille as it sounds lovely. There is a bottle of Shalimar Ode de Vanille sur le route de Madagascar (phew!) for sale on ebay. I really, really want it! Supposed to a very vanilla focused version of Shalimar. The last 'Ode' was more leathery I think.

Let us know if you start a basenotes thread Dona and we'll join you

MrsS, I find I don't like Jicky for the first 20 minutes or so, but then the sweaty knicker whiff seems to die away and it gets a lot nicer. I don't love it, though.

Ivoire is irredeemably linked to my stepmum, but I just noticed it relaunched recently. May be worth a try, seeing as you recommend it so highly!

I haven't tried the relaunched one, CV, just the old version (which I shall stock up on as I don't suppose I will be able to get it soon).

I didn't "love" Jicky either, but I thought it was pleasant enough. I do love "Vol de Nuit" by Guerlain - both the scent and the name, though. I quite like L'Heure Bleue, but don't love it. I loathe Samsara with a passion. I do love my Coromandel, and it seems to be going down at a rate of knots. The only two perfumes that people have commented on when I wear them are Coromandel and Chanel No 22. I wasn't that struck by any of the other "Exclusifs" - I did like Sycomore, but most of the others left me cold.

Hot news from the Smelly Anoraks' Corner - if anyone's enjoyed Luca Turin's books on scent and his contraversial theory of smell, apparently there's a programme about it on the BBC World Service at 19:32 GMT tonight. (It will be re-broadcast throughout the week, or you can download the podcast)
www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21150046

I couldn't get on with Jicky. I tried hard to like it, but it did nothing for me. It was lemons, lavendar, then pants and herbs.

I tried three times and just got nothing from it.

Louve was too cherries and chocolate for me. Mrs S: I loathe Samsara too, but like Coromandel. Not keen on L'Heure Bleu- too much like Jicky.

Bleuch Jicky! Some classics make a comeback, others belong to be left in the past! But that's just me.

Re: the earlier post about Le Labo Ambrette. I read somewhere that Ambrette was meant to be 'perfume for babies' and for that reason really quite light. I think it's just pear and not much else. TBH it's quite expensive for something that doesn't last. I think that Annick Goutal's Petite Cherie is probably the most similar perfume, but a lot stronger. Other Le Labo's are lovely. Labdanum is quite nice.

I am making my way through the samples I received that I never used because I was so 'meh' about them. Today twas Calypso Mimosa. SLightly dull summer scent. I've got loads of Amouage's that I'm trying to get through and although they are much-lauded I'm not so sure. Just tried Interlude Woman and it's making me sneeze!

BTW Has anyone tried Keiko's Loukhoum? Trying to get some views on it...

Dona Ana

Have been wating to send this message all day (prevented due to log in problems).

I too am a lurker....have just recently discovered your pearls of wisdom on these perfume threads (and about to start dipping my toes into "niche" sample terrritory as a direct result).

PLEASE do not leave - you give so much pleasure to everyone on this thread- I really mean that.

William, KM Loukhoum is probably the sweetest - literally - thing I've ever smelt.
Too much.

I few days ago I smelt Mitsouko on someone in the tube.
I know it's an amazing example of perfumery and I can appreciate it for what it is, but it was a bit, I don't know, too out there.
It felt out of place.
I think I'm definitely falling out of love with the big classics.

I agree, coffee. Definitely prefer the more contemporary fragrances.

allpassion - I heard that vibrating molecule story on the news today, but didn't realise it was Luca Turin involved. I have a scientific background, so found the link very interesting - thanks.

One was smoke and tar and something else almost medicinal.

I would absolutely love to know which this one is if you can remember, Awkward. I am a smoke and tar fanatic.

Hah! Have just sent off for a full bottle of Samsara I think I am swimming against the tide here ... I only really like big classics (though I may make an exception for Le Maroc Pour Elle).

Oh Dona Ana
Am so sorry to hear that you might go. Obviously, you must do what you think best, but, before you go away, I would like you and 'Slag' and many other posters to know how interesting and comforting you have been to me - and, I suspect, to many others.
I have been ill on and off since Christmas. Reading the perfumista blog has been a great diversion and pleasure. When other bits of me have seemed to be falling apart (now thankfully getting better) , the sense of smell has continued...

Stupid question, because you are not in the UK. But did you hear the chap on the Today Programme this morning talk about how smell was our 'primeval sense'? His comment was part of an item talking about the molecular mechanics of how we detect smells. Very interesting. The 'primeval' bit rang rather true. Suggests why we all find perfumes so important.

Whenever/wherever you go, all the best ...

Cointreau - thank you. I'm pleased you found it interesting.
Can I add to the praise for this thread? It's so interesting and people are so helpful. I've learned so much (and spent so much!) I didn't know about buying decants and now have a fabulous collection of samples. Thank you ladies (and gents?) and a special thanks to the wonderful Dona Ana. If you do go, you will be sorely missed.

Hi Haberdashery, I'm pretty sure it was one of the Library Collection, but I can't recall which number Opus! I'll have a bit more of a dig on Google and see if I can narrow it down. It was all amazing stuff, like bottled decadence. Lovely woman in the shop, letting me sniff them all and explaining what was in each.

It may have been Opus IV.

Thanks so much, Awkward. I appreciate it. I will have a look and see if I can find a sample. Where did you smell them?

Interlude Man came up in the search results as having smoky and birch tar notes - might be worth a look, too.

Sorry, just saw the shop question! I was in an independent department store in Harrogate called Hoopers. They had a lot of Creed as well but I didn't get round to trying them. Is Creed is worth a try? What do folk think of it?

I've tried a couple of Creeds but can't think what just now. I think Green Irish Tweed was one of them. I don't think I was massively impressed, tbh.

Thanks for the Interlude Man tip, too.

DonaAna, you will be sorely missed if you leave.
I have learnt so much from reading your posts