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

Just read the parapharmacie blog post, Frugal, and think it is spot on. I own a few of those things, and will look out for the others. We are, however, visiting the original Back of Beyond so the selection may be limited!

Went to the theatre this evening to watch DD1 perform, so I treated myself to a little drop of Dior Oud Ispahan kindly shared by FF. Beautiful, rich, deep roses and oud, perfect for evening. A little goes a long way, especially in the close confines of a theatre!

I really rate Aveeno handcream. its the only thing that really worked when I was washing my hands 100 x a day as a chemo nurse. Really excellent and non greasy.
I've been using LRP efflacor K for the last few weeks and the pores/ blackheads on my nose are reducing and my face is looking smoother. I have lots of freckles/ sun spots so are interesting in trying the Mela range next

Haber try some of the LRP Effaclar products. I like their foaming face wash and Effaclar AI is fantastic for breakouts (K similar). Effaclar H has that chip-shop smell but it's a great makeup base. Just the face wash and AI have really changed my skin.

Am interested in anti-hyperpigmentation products. Could go without makeup altogether if I could fade a fairly noticeable melasma patch. Have been too lazy to try prescription retinoids but may give them a go. At the moment I am just covering it up with LRP foundation (fantastic coverage) and using Anthelios to prevent further damage. Anthelios tinted moisturizer mixed 50-50 with untinted Anthelios is a perfect match for my pale skin (recommend the tinted sunscreen because the untinted one gives a gothy corpse-like pallor that is too much even for me). I get breakouts from many moisturizers and sunscreen but these have been very skin-friendly. Like them a lot more than some high-end products I used previously - no frills, they just work.

Sorry about the long advertorial Happy Easter everyone! Trying to pick a great Easter scent but still undecided - what did you ladies choose?

Frugal Just popping in to say that Sali Hughes' column in the Guardian today is on hyperpigmentation [busmile]. SotD O de Lancome, one of my all time favourites, only a little left so I ration myself. Happy Easter everyone!

SOTD = rest of my Ajaccio Violets sample. Still bitterly cold but bright, and so (at least when seen from inside a nice warm house) it's springtime! Violets fit the mood.

After gardening yesterday my hands are a mess, so am smearing on lots of unscented Neutrogena, as allegedly used by Norwegian fishermen. I usually find it very good, but does anyone have an even better hand cream suggestion?

Happy Easter, Perfumistas!

Easter theme color = yellow
The most yellow scent I know = Ylang ylang
SOTD: Santa Maria Novella Ylang-ylang

Flora I like that hand-cream too - I like everything that absorbs quickly and leaves no sticky residue/film.

Thanks Ladame will read!

I love the Kiehl's one I mentioned before. It's very thick and very expensive, but you don't need much at once so it does last a good long time.

SOTD- What we do in Paris is Secret. Lovely turkish delight scent. There is a lot of love for LRP products at the moment. I used to use the Effaclar range many moons ago, when I used to buy it from an independent pharmacy near my office. I don't know why I stopped using it... I am hearing good things about the Hydraphase mask- anyone use it?

Kiwi- Aveeno you say? Another Boots purchase methinks. Really struggling with dry hand at the mo- umpteen nappy changes with the boys so umpteen hand washes!!

Turkish Delight here too, shoe - Traversee du Bosphore. I'm not enjoying it very much.

SOTD Tubereuse Virginale by HdP. Tuberose + cherry = slightly irritating metallic opening, straying into hairspray territory. I prefer my tuberose more dirty and visceral.

frugal I got rid of melasma on my hands using the LRP Active C cream, excellent stuff.

I came across these perfumes and candles the other day Cloon Keen The candles are gorgeous, I got the Limoncello. I usually only buy Diptyque, but these are comparable I think. I'm going back to try the perfumes, which were pretty sophisticated for my uneducated nose. The bottles are really beautiful.

I bagged a 50ml bottle of Ralph Lauren Notorious today for £4.99! Never tried it before but I thought, for that price, what the hell! Just tried it out and it's lovely. I smell vanilla and blackcurrant, a hint of some kind of musk and I think something like carnation. I do like it though, it's a little more grown up than my usual all floral scents. Might see if I can get another bottle while it's cheap!

Great to hear Chartreuse - will give that a try Have all the risk factors - pregnancy + hypothyreosis + tropical/Mediterranean sun. Will use sunscreen religiously this year...

Perfume free so far today.

Great bargain OneLittleLady. Actually might dab on some Safari by Lauren or possibly Antaeus by Chanel later on...

OneLittleLady that's a bargain! I saw Notorious got a good review in the guide and have wanted to give it a try. Where did you get it from if you don't mind my asking?

I popped into Debenhams today and had a few sniffs-
Kenzo Amour- nice soft powdery scent, quite nutty and milky but not a 'wow' for me.
Prada Amber- second try for this one, love the opening as it reminds me of Coromandel but fades rather quickly.
24 Faubourg- WOW, this is divine. Reminds me of J'Adore but better, more elegant and refined. Onto the wishlist you go!

I had a package arrive today with a mini of Le Feu d'Issey Light- by rights it should have cost a fair bit but I managed to bag it for £1 from ebay

Looking forward to trying that one tomorrow!

I got it in the local Savers. Don't know if you have one nearby but they have an up to 90% sale on fragrances at the minute. Going to pop back later in the week and see what else they've got for me to try. On that note, I'm sure they had the Prada Amber 80ml bottles for £29.99 in there as well.

Hi, has anyone else used Paula's Choice products? They are all fragrance free and I use swear by them for my sensitive rosaeca skin, she also does serums with retinol in them which might help with pigmentation. The fragrance free body lotion is fab for not interfering with my perfume too!

I had a nice surprise this morning. As it is our wedding anniversary today, and we had agreed not to buy gifts as usual, I wasn't expecting anything, but DH gave me (us) a bottle of Tuscan Leather, (it is to share apparently ). So wafting round in a lovely soft leathery cloud right now! (Looking forward to smelling it on DH too.)

Morning all. I'm finally introducing myself as I've been lurking for a while- I've really enjoyed reading your perfume recommendations and some beautiful descriptions.

I am desperate to find my 'perfect' fragrance. I've got quite a few full bottles that I've either received as presents or grabbed from duty free after a brief sniff- none of them are 'me' though.

Inspired by this thread (and the previous ones) I have been on a sample spending spree in the hope of narrowing down the type of perfume I love.

Today's SOTD is Moulin Rouge and it's beautiful- from the name I thought it would be brash and loud but it's a really soft scent and reminds me of expensive make up.. a definite winner!

Well, waiting for a client today, found a small spray sample of Chanel No 5 in my handbag. It was gorgeous, sooo long since I have worn it, it is beautiful. Sprayed it at 9am and can still smell it. Vair sophisticated and smart. Mr Ladame asked me what it was!! A little aniseed-y on me, but so fresh. I know it's an old soldier, but deserves its place in the most iconic fragrances. Now, the Tom Ford Oud Wood, beautiful, I love it beyond, but it has absolutely no staying power. If I am going to spend 180euros on a 50ml perfume, I expect a little more. Very close to the skin, practically no sillage (didn't know that information a month ago-thanks fragranistas ). Will have to try and 'forget' it .

SOTD was Diptyque Volutes. Lovely; starts quite fresh and floral, but evolves into a beautiful warm amber. Right up my street.

I had a rush of blood to the head last night; I swore I wouldn't order samples from Surrender to Chance again, due to the high postage, but I was lured by a 20% off order code. I concluded I might as well get my money's worth from the carriage cost, so I have rather a big package on its way.

SotD, Aria Di Capri thanks to the lovely Flora . Liked it at first, quite citrussy, but has settled to a Laydees sanitary products type of smell on me (I do that to a fair few fragrances), plus there's a fruity peachy note that I'm not loving. So will see how it goes, trying not to wash it off. Still, got other samples (hurrah!) to try over the next few days.

Liking Ralph Lauren Notorious more and more. Starts off quite 'old ladyish' when it's first sprayed but then settles into something altogether much nicer. Last well on my skin as well.

Still no test results, rang the clinic to chase them up and they've told me it could be an additional 4 weeks before they come back as the lab is extremely back logged. She basically said no news is good news but I can't help but worry

Managed to grab a couple of hours to go a sniffing!

Chergui- like this a lot, sweet tobacco and woods scent, like Feminite du Bois more though.

Noir Noir by Tom ford- lovely! smokey, woody, sultry.

I sprayed Fracas on one wrist and Petit Fracas on the other, the original is slightly sharp at first but dries down into a smooth tuberose, heady and slightly nauseating, but softer on skin than paper. Petit is more fruity in the top notes, smoother, but definitely tuberose, it is modern but not smelled anything else quite like this, it is quite unique. Both strong.

Also quick smell of Nuit de Cellophane- not keen on this, sweet floral to me.

Bronze Goddess 2013, not too different to previous years, I have the 2011 version which is gorgeous and just a bottled beach holiday!

Lucky you, Isabelle, I was in Birmingham earlier in the week, and never actually made it into Selfridges. A golden sniffing opportunity lost, methinks!

SOTD was coincidently Robert Piguet here too, but in my case, Visa. Smelled very similar to Ambre de Cabochard, a slightly thin, synthetic amber, but it faded quickly. I will give it another try but I wasn't bowled over.

I have just ordered the Olfactive Studio sample set, which was a rather bargainous €6 for four samples including postage, direct from their website. I've read some interesting descriptions of their fragrances, so I thought it was worth a try.

OneLittleLady hope you get your results soon, it's horrible being in limbo.

Frugal a massive thank you for the Rose Etoile d'Hollande, which arrived this morning. Its not been a good week so it was lovely to get such a nice package

What a beautiful scent! It does have that vintage make-up feel I love but it's quite complex, Im getting a lovely warm fuzzy peach skin smell at the moment.