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

Great minds think alike - I had a Lonestar Memories day today as well. It is definitely one that gets better and better as the day wears on. I find myself constantly sniffing my wrists, although I'm still not convinced whether it's a smell others would like if they caught a whiff. It is probably the least conventional fragrance I have, to be honest.

Shalimar was awful on me, like petrol! I guess I'm on my own with that one!

I tried Fleur Oriental by Miller Harris today. Wonderful! Gorgeous Oriental, and different enough not to be too mainstream.

That's funny Chocs! That's why you try before you buy, I guess..

Cointreau: Weird coincidence!

So, what's the worst perfume everyone has smelled (obviously it's only subjective/amateur/personal etc but still)?

For me: Youth Dew (no redeeming qualities whatsoever, although I do like the bottle). From memory, cant stand Aromatics Elixir either, but would have to try again for more mature opinion..

Smells that make me heave are chlorine and YSL Paris. Loulou by Cacharel does too.

Gender in perfumes is mostly marketing (if you don't believe me, smell Dior Homme - it smells like liquid foundation - an easy entry for anyone who likes powder and makeup smells). By trying a lot of classic masculines, I've found perfumes that are more 'me' than anything else I have tried. Yatagan and Antaeus and Habit Rouge are perfumes that someone who would have listened very closely to my preferences would have blended...

Frugal: Oh, I like Paris after the first thrust of flowers But I know it's a great divider..

You're right- I have to be bolder with the "masculines". Really shouldn't fall for marketing quite as much as I do what with having both a business and a psych background

Ok - will try the "men's" stuff at the airports today..

I like the idea of scents being unisex, and because I enjoy spice, I do often like scents that are marketed as more 'masculine'. Interestingly LADDM was originally made as a masculine. The majority of reviewers on you tube are male. But to me, it smells really quite sweet and feminine.

This week I have tried both my samples of Narcisse Noir and Tabac Blond. I like neither I'm afraid. In fact I actively dislike Tabac Blond - it smells terribly dated to me, almost twee.

As for worst perfumes, I have a (purely subjective) list.

LouLou by Cacharel - yy to whoever mentioned this - nasty stuff.
Giorgio of Beverly Hills
Poison - the original eighties nightmare
Angel by Thierry Mugler - It's a divisive one this eh? I know lots of people love it, and Tania Sanchez gave a really good review in Perfumes apparently. But I'm one of the haters. I'm sorry, I just think it smells tacky. It's what I imagine all the TOWIE women wear (ducks the rotten tomatoes)...

I'm reading the 'Book' at the moment, but can't resist a list of perfumes, (be it best or worst)

Hmmm ...

Hate Aromatics Elixir with a passion.
Angel - the work of the devil.
Estee Lauder Private Collection - used to love it, hate it now for apparently no discernible reason.
Youth Dew - stale coca cola, BO and fox fur coats at the Bingo
Je Reviens - why? why? It's hideous ((shivers))
J'adore - too sweet, too flowery, too awful

That is the result of the Ladame Jury - they all get Nul Points.

Am not wearing SotD today, am poorly sick with chest infection and the anti-b's are making me a bit upsy, can't even bear to be with the dog (he is damp from the rain and smells like an old afghan coat I used to have - minus the stale patchouli of course .

Loving your 'nul points' Ladame!
But which perfume goes best with Eurovision?

Fuckit if we are born with smell preferences that include woody, resiny and incense-y, chances are that masculines or unisexes are a better fit than classic feminines as for unknown reasons those scents are often labeled masculines.

I don't think there is anything inherently masculine about vetiver And I prefer the bitter tinges of orange tree (petitgrain and neroli) over the lusher orange blossom notes (considered more feminine). Middle Eastern men are very confident with scents that are considered classically feminine in Europe - I once sat next to a religious-looking man who was reading something in Arabic and radiated waves of rose and jasmine

Off the top of my head the perfumes that make me scream NO FOR THE LIVE OF GOD NO are:

Obsession (which actually give me allergy types symptoms)
Coco Mademoiselle ( I know a lot of people live it but its cat pee on me)
And Tresor. God Tresor. Just awful.

( ducking in case there are any Tresor lovers out there)

LOVE OF GOD even :)

YSL Paris have some lovely flankers which come out annually. The one a few yrs back called l'air d'Printemps (I think - something springlike) was really lovely. Really regret not buying that one. Normal Paris too much for a full bottle but I like to sniff it when I can

My Worst ever list:

Halston Catalyst: stale curry
Poison- just offensive
Angel: chocolate and BO and Brut for Men
Loverdose: sickly and cloying
Tresor: too peachy
Womanity; so vile I nearly puked. No kidding.

I have a sneaking affection for LouLou as it was the smells of my early 20s in the early 90s, but I don't wear it out of the house, just on my wrist when I listen to The Cure.

There are a fair few masculines out there I would love for myself- really like JPG's Kokorico and L'Instant Pour Homme Extreme. I tried Eau Sauvage today and loved it but don't really need another citrus.

I am ridiculously easy to please and so far have only hated Womanity- something verging on rotten fruit to my nose, in fact it reminded me of bin lorries

A scent for Eurovision- Yikes!

Bagged a bargain on ebay yesterday- L'Artisan discovery set for £5.50! I don't think the seller knew what they had!

I'm zeroing on the Eurovision perfume. It's gotta be ELdO but cannot decide whether to go for Tom of Finland or Vraie Blonde...

Does anyone know whereabouts in London I can find myself a sniff of Coromandel?

Do you have to go to a Chanel Boutique? Or do they sell the Les Exclusifs range in the bigger department stores like Selfridges?

I have to get my hands on some of this juice! Everything I've ever heard about it makes me feel sure that I will love it.

Selfridges, fuckitthat'lldo. There's a whole little "room" on the ground floor given over to Chanel perfume. It's lovely. And ''Artisan are on the floor below, hanging out with the candles and room fragrances. The last few times I've been, the young woman in l'Artisan has been absolutely lovely.

There is the Chanel boutique too but the advantage of Selfridges is that there's so much else to try.

I'm sure Harrods will have all the Chanels though I must admit that when I go to Harrods, I get excited by the Bond No 9s and don;t get any further.

And both Harrods and Selfridges have an astonishing range of those Aoud scents. Which I don't really love. But I know that other people do.

Yes try Selfridges for Les Exclusifs.

SOTD Noontide Petals by Tauer. Gorgeous.

ChocAway - I loathe all those too! Apart from Halston - which I've never tried, so don't know how I feel about it. I suspect I wouldn't like it. "Poison" actually feels (to me) like someone screaming inside my head, and reminds me of drains. Ugh!

I had a sad disappointment today. I picked up what looked like Prada Infusion d'Iris, for £19, in T K Maxx today. I couldn't believe my luck. And, alas, I was right not to. It was a packet of bath salts. There is no place in my life for bath salts, not even Iris bath salts.

Fuzzybirds, I'm glad it's not just me who hated Womanity. It's shocking, actually made me feel ill.

thecat- I would march right bacxk to TK Maxx and demand my money back!

If you want a good Prada EDT for not much pounds, go to Savers, look behind the till at the bottom shelf and buy a bottle of Prada 50ml EDT. I can't remember the name but it smelled of violets and was in a dark green box. £19.99!

SOTD was Zeta. Gorgeous honey and tea and bright singing flowers. It smells of summer and your best bath ever.

Chocs Womanity has so far been my only scrubber. I like nearly everything I try and love quite a lot too. I LOVE Youth Dew, Angel and Poison!

Also tried CK Euphoria today- I liked it (surprise!), sweet and fluffy bit not cloying. Also tried EL Beautiful, which I love. I kept seeing it and thinking I hadn't tried it but I know I've smelled it before. I have a soft spot for the 80's powerhouses- they must tap into childhood memories!

Thecat how funny, almost the same happened to me in TKMaxx today, picked up a box of Prada Infusion d'Iris for £9.99 .... of refreshing scented wipes. No bargains in Savers either, although they seem to be touting the JLS one for cheap since they split up. I know I'm not fussy, but I do have to draw the line somewhere

Thanks CatfromJapan and Chocs! Selfridges it is.

I've been singing that David Bowie song in my head all evening.

^Ziggy really sang, screwed up eyes and screwed down hairdo
Like some cat from Japan^

Ha! And now I know why!

I can see myself getting lost for days in the perfume hall at Selfridges...