Part 3- Fully fledged perfumistas- share your fragrances

[shoeprincess2]

Part 2 is nearly full!

What type of violet are you after Fuzzy?

Coffee I think something fairly true to the natural scent of violets, a little bit of sweetness but not too sweet, if that makes any sense! I do like Insolence but it's a tad on the sweet side. I haven't so far got on with anything involving Iris, so maybe that's what stops me loving Apres L'Ondee.

Thanks coffee. I've old heard of Mistouko out of those.

'only'

Fuzzybirds, have you tried the Berdoues Violets that MArks and Spencer is now carrying? There's a thread here with comments on the perfumes, as well as suggestions for other violet scents.

coffeeinbed, thank you for extending a welcome , my favourite Iris is the Hermes Hiris (I have a feeling we've chatted about that elsewhere). Oddly enough, I had a sample of Rose 31 (Le Labo) and thought that was quite "iris-y" but I don't think it has any iris in it at all. So what do I know!!!

I'm shocked, shocked, shocked about this report of Apres L'Ondee being discontinued!!!!

My dears, does anyone know where I could procure a sample of Lutens' Iris Silver Mist? I caught mention of websites where samples and decants are available but failed to take proper note.

And many apologies for the missing accents and speech marks: am fretting about a trip to buy children's mittens before school pick-up.

Haberdashery - you're smoke lover - have a look at the review on this blog for The Voice of Reason by Gorilla Perfumes (part of Lush - who knew?). Described as "leather, smoked ham, cigarette ash, barbecue sauce and rum".

Not sure if I want to smell like that, but I would imagine it's not expensive.

I'm trying Timbuktu again. Stil meh.

I can just about smell again so I am trying Ambre Sultan today. I am enjoying some aspects it, it is quite spicy, lots of amber, and the woody/sandalwood is really nice. I think it would have to be a bit more floral for me to want to wear it more though as I find it a little too unisex/masculine for my style. It is nice though, and I would like to smell it on someone else, just not for me. DH gave it a little spray but it was too feminine for him.

Has anyone Datura Noir by Lutens? as that sounds more up my street from the descriptions. Is it really a bit like Hypnotic Poison?

Last night I also had a little spray of my Baghari tester on one arm and Cuir de Russie on the other.

Baghari is described as an oriental, but to me it has a lot of aldehydes, some say it is like Chanel no5, and I can see why, but it is not quite the same. It has quite sharp top notes and a powdery dry down, vintage feeling, almost like Chanel 22 I think, although 22 is nicer. I don't like Baghari, it's just not me.

Cuir de Russie is VERY leathery at first, but as it dries there are more floral notes and a little bit of spice and wood. It is quite soft and feminine, despite the leather. I really enjoyed this one and I would really like a leather scent for winter and would like to try it next to Tuscan Leather to compare (LOOOVEEEE TL). I could still smell this on my arm this morning, but the Baghari had gone.

Blimey, that sounds nuts interesting! I will certainly have a sniff next time I pass Lush. I'm not convinced I want to smell like ham but you never know, it might be amazing!

Sorry, that was to Cointreau!

Thank you gatheringlilac, love the look and sound of the Berdoues fragrances. I'm actually wearing an M&S one today, vanille chocolat from Les Senteurs Gourmandes, very Angel-ish with a touch of Palmers Cocoa Butter I can't wear it very often as it makes me want to raid the dc's chocolate stash.

There is one seller on ebay doing samples of Iris Silver Mist, £4.50 plus P&P

Aaaah yes, The Voice of Reason. It was a grey Sunday and I popped into Lush and got chatting to a nice young man about perfumes. He recommended that I try it, being a smke lover. OH MY GOODNESS!! I smelt like a barbecue all day and not in a good way. Burnt meat and HP sauce. It was vile, and I normally go for big fragrances. Try at your peril

Oh. That doesn't sound good! Still, I might have a sniff on a tester strip rather than on me!

Isabelle, I LOATHED Ambre Sultan. it made me feel sick. It smells like weed!

Yes Habers- a tester strip is wise. I half expected an exclusion zone to be set up around me!! Would definitely like to try Tuscan Leather and Cuir de Russie. Some more for my sampling list. Full of a cold today, so I am sans perfume. I can't smell or taste a thing.

They gave me the sample of Cuir de Russie at Selfridges in Manchester quite readily. Thanks for the tips about kendals also shoe, the SA in there virtually threw samples at me, I didn't even have to ask!

I think I like Tuscan leather more than Cuir de russie it is warmer, a bit sweeter and not as obviously leather as CdeR.

Not getting weed from Ambre Sultan, it's just too spicy I think. it seems to have good longevity and a bit of silage- I can smell myself at least.

Excellent. Glad to hear they were generous with the samples. Roll on my trip in a few months!

I once got the loveliest sample of Beige in Selfridges - a little replica bottle. Too bad I didn't like it - too boring.

Gatheringlilac, I remember that Hiris conversation. Always happy to see someone else who loves it.

I though Frederic Malle's favourite smells were a bit of a exercise in evasion - two were classics, one is not out yet.

Fuzzy, have you tried Balenciaga - the first one, it's a green violet.
L'Artisan have Verte Violette and Annick Goutal has a Violet soliflore, and theirs are usually quite true to the plant.

Was having a mooch round Jenners and Harvey Nicks today sniffing a few Tom Fords - now want Tuscan Leather and Tobacco Vanille. I've got a few leathery ones already - Cuir de Lancome; Bandit and Jolie Madame. I've got a bottle of Apres le Ondee but it's really not me, ought to ebay it. I have Bal al Versaillies (sp?), don't get dirt off it.

Apres l'ondee even. I think I impressed the Guerlain SA when I told her I had Mouchoir de Monsieur (like Jicky but even more so).

Thanks coffee, will look out for Balenciaga this weekend. I live in the arse end of nowhere so probably unlikely I'll find any Goutals or L'Artisans but I'll add them to my next sample list

Booooo! Just had an email from Surrender to Chance to say they are massively increasing their international postage. Well, it was an absolute steal.

I was about to place another order, but I thinking I'll be looking somewhere else from now on.

I just had that email too. So annoying. Where else is good in the UK apart from Scents and Sensibility? They are great but the selection is fairly limited. I wanted to get some Serge Lutens samples and they don't seem to have anything of those. I have ordered from Les Senteurs in the past but I much prefer to get a small spray rather than one of those little stopper bottles as I invariably drip my precious sample all over my fingers and Les Senteurs only seem to do stoppers. Plus they don't label the samples so it's easy to get them mixed up.

Not UK, but in Germany, so shipping's only 5 EU, is First in Fragrance. They've got a big niche range and do little spray bottles which are properly labelled. No Lutens, though. I'm in the process of putting together a samples order of Tauer, Parfums d'Empire, État Libre d'Orange, Olfactive Studio and L'Artisan.

Dona Ana recommended somewhere in Italy, too, but I can't remember where. :(

I wish Les Senteurs did spray bottles, too.

I'll have to look up DonaAna's posts and see if I can find it. Thanks for the First in Fragrance tip, clb.

Morning everyone. I have been trying out Fleur D'oranger from Lutens. It smells exactly as I thought it would from the description, mainly just pure orange blossom, quite fresh, and very slightly green but unmistakeable heady orange flower. I Have Elie Saab which I have worn a lot over the last year or so, that too has lots of orange blossom and I think I am just bored of it at the moment as the Lutens one doesn't make me want to wear it again, which is just as well as I used all of the tiny sample.