Part 4- All you ever need to know about fragrance continues

[shoeprincess2]

Well, we're nearly all full.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/style_and_beauty/1665844-Part-3-Fully-fledged-perfumistas-share-your-fragrances

Yes, Cinnabar is nice. I have a mini that's nearly finished. Also, Dolce Vita is in the same vein as FdB, so probably worth trying. Have fun hunting!

Another vote for Feminite du Bois OLL, it is very sophisticated, is my to buy list.

Feminite du Bois starts off well but ends up smelling like knickers on me. I believe Pierre Bourdon was involved and his scents always disagree with me!

hahaha, smells like knickers. I hope you mean clean ones rather then worn

Sadly not. F Du B smells like used gussets on me when it settles. So does Ivoire de Balmain (the old one not the new one) and Oh my!-try Courtesan by Worth. That's shockingly gussety.

Oh dear. I really don't want to end up smelling of used knickers!!

Blame Pierre Bourdon- he made F du Bois and Worth Courtesan!

I will test carefully, any hint of knickers and they will be put in the no pile!

Wearing the hyper-urinous Yatagan for the 3rd consecutive day.
Absolutely loving it

I wear Ivoire de Balmain. DH says it smells like sweaty knickers.

MrsS- I agree with Mr Schadenfreude!

When I wore Courtesan on my arm, I let it settle and then asked DH what he thought. His reply was exactly as I expected "It's like sticking your face right into a..." Let's just say we agreed.

I tried new Ivoire in John Lewis and its cleaned up its act, no more pants in it. The older one with the plastic lid- totally knicker-y.

All this talk of knickers, it's like being down the local pub

I'd be slightly worried if a Courtesan smelled clean
Some of my favorite perfumes are mixtures of soapy and animalic - Antaeus, Eau des Iles. And today's choice too - 4th consecutive day with Yatagan. Fresh pine forest and pee. Smells like Neaderthal men, matted fur and all...

It's an old theory that Americans prefer their perfumes squeaky clean (think RL Romance), and the French want to have a hint of sweaty skin/soiled underwear/incontinence/postcoital bliss. I love animalic perfumes, they are 'grounded', somehow more approachable and human than completely abstract or radiantly beautiful scents.

Maybe that's also because deodorants, air-fresheners, detergents, dryer sheets are all designed to smell clean to the max and have become such olfactory cliches. A bit of civetty funk or cumin-laced sweat or indolic heavy breathing - mmmmm...

That said, I occasinally enjoy pure detergent smells - Especially Escada is my-go to washing powder rose.

A little hint of musky body smells is what determines if a perfume is sexy or not in my view. Portrait of a lady, Boudoir and Feminite du Bois are what I wear. Clean is nice for work, but a bit of dirtiness is more fun.

I agree with Isabelle - am still very happy with Apres L'Ondee or Thundra for daytime. Otherwise, if it's musky we're after, don't forget good ol' Bal a Versailles... I also think there's more than a wee hint of animal in some of the other golden oldies, even in reformulated versions - think Caron's Narcisse Noir. The cat is also strangely attracted to L'Heure Bleue. I will say nothing of DH ....

DH has been having an aftershave clearout (his mum and auntie are always giving him things he's not keen on), David Beckham and M&S Autograph Man have gone to the charity shop, but I have rescued Jasper Conran Man, as there is something different about this one. It is fresh and has notes of citrus and vetiver, but there is also an interesting hay note and a woody leatheryness to it too.

, I had a sniff around in the airports today. Couldn't resist giving Kelly Caleche a final try. I don't know what has changed, but I now like it a lot. It's really different and fun. Also tried Madame to see what LT smells in it - but it's just a bit boring. DS wanted to spray Kenzo Jungle on his arm.

With regard to knickeryness . I can do low level dirty, but really dirty smelling perfumes make me feel sick. Putain des Palaces is the worst thus far with Portrait of a Lady some way behind it.

Interestingly dh really liked Black Afghano on me. I could't believe it. It's so heavy and.. "herby" . Probably not something I would like to wear very often.

Oh bum. Not sure whether I tried Kelly Caleche perfume or eau de toilette.

It's a bit hard to concentrate when in a perfume shop with a boisterous, bored 3 year old dragging you by the arm towards the sweet isle.

I have kelly Caleche and find the Eau de Parfum much nicer, it has less grapefruit and is softer and more floral to me.

Knickers and sweat! That's what makes the Valentino Vendetta I got smell so filthy! It's only a purse spray mini that I got but as much as I like it, it is soooo not a daytime scent. I'm waiting for a night out to wear it properly. I don't go out very often so I might be waiting a while to wear it

I found myself in an unfamiliar town this evening with a couple of hours to kill, and ended up in a giant branch of M&S. Result! It stocked all the fragrance brands I've been dying to sample. Some lovely things: the brand Les Senteurs Gourmands are all vanilla-based and inexpensive; I picked up a sample set, including a lovely figgy one (Figue Sauvage), and another with citrus top notes (Vanilla Pamplemousse). Also interesting was the Acorelle brand, including an absolutely mouthwatering citrus Verveine Agrumes (but like most citrus, it didn't last long enough for my liking). I also tried Lyn Harris La Rose, but that was disappointing, rather sickly and bland, lacking the "fresh flower" rose that I prefer. Lastly, Fragonard Santal, sunny herbs and sandalwood. Very pretty, but barely there after an hour.

I like the sound of the sample set Cointreau might have a look in the local M&S tomorrow to see if they have any.

yesterday I tried the new Artisan - Caligna - supposedly a South of France inspired one. I did like it - lot of herbs, some flowers but not a flowery one, very sheer, very summery. I would happily wear it.
Had a bit of a Ninfeo Mio feel, but without the fig, I think they both use lentisc, with gives it a bit of cold fresh feel.

Also Jeux de Peau - caramelly sweet. Not sure about that.

And Comme des G Tea. Smoky tar. love that, cant find my paper tester now...

I also read that Fragonard which are stocked in M&S are bringing out Fleur de Fig - bloody AV corrects my French Fig to figure, anyway, you get the idea..
Would happily try that.