Part 5- And the perfumes just keep on coming...

[shoeprincess2]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/style_and_beauty/1711275-Part-4-All-you-ever-need-to-know-about-fragrance-continues

Shiny new thread for some shiny new perfumes (and classics and niche brands)

Hi ladies, I've been AWOL for a long time and will continue traveling for another month. But wow, the thread is going great!

I've spent a couple of evenings with a perfumer friend. He's guided me and a couple of perfumista friends through a lot of raw materials - both naturals and synthetics. Some of the most interesting things he has done are 'decompositions' of rose and jasmine. We've sniffed a couple of molecules that are the main components of those flowers - you can sketch a passable rose with three molecules and the dewy wild rose aspect comes from phenethyl alcohol, the 'jammy' rose comes from rhodinol ('smells like a cheap drugstore rose perfume'), and the main rosy characteristic alphadamascenone smells very strange and un-rosy in high concentrations, a bit like dried dates. The jasmine deconstruction was equally fascinating. We smelled indole in the raw! And the common ground between jasmine, orange blossom and tuberose (as well as grape Kool Aid, possibly) is methyl anthranitrate - very off-putting in the raw.

The most memorable evening was an evening spent with famous resins and woods. We also tried floralozone and calone that are used to create 'fresh' and 'aquatic' effects. Then we went through some common fixatives. I now know exactly what oakmoss smells like. I also discovered that I'm anosmic to two different commonly used musks. And can now spot galaxolide in perfumes. And have smelled high grade ylang-ylang absolute that is quite a lot better that my strident and migraine-inducing bath drop variety. And we smelled various aldehydes (super stinky in high concentrations). We also had real Mysore sandalwood and true civet (highly divisive - I found it only mildly repulsive, but the perfumer's partner had vomited on the floor after having smelled it) and castoreum (we all quite liked it). Next, we are going to do decompositions of a couple of famous perfumes.

The 'smellings' are conducted blind, with pieces of paper and pencils for notes, just like wine tastings. We then compare our 'smelling' notes. Blind smelling is a hoot - I failed to recognize raw patchouli . Quite often you recognize a smell, can even name a perfume where it is used or a context (one raw material smelled exactly like biro ink), but it is quite difficult to give a definite name to what we were experiencing. So it's definitely a learning process. But we all thought this was pretty mindblowing, so if you ever get a chance to smell some raw materials, go for it! (Or, if you are willing to hop on a plane, I can always organize an evening for you )

Wow, Frugal! That sounds amazing. I would definitely be up for a smelling session (is that round "our parts"?) next time I'm travelling (in winter)..

I think the civet would make me gag if Feminite du Bois already makes me think of v. dirty knickers..

Welcome back FF!

That sniffing session sounds brilliant - I got to do something similar (though a little less "deconstructed") at the perfume workshop I went to back in March.

All those swapsie samples sound very tempting, but I'm not sure I have much in return....

Yay! So great to 'see' you FF! I absolutely love the sound of your smelling evening - bet it was absolutely fascinating. I would love to do something like that.

Cointreau don't worry if you don't have much in return. If there's something on my list you'd really like to try, I'm happy to send it anyway. They're just samples - they cost pennies really and are going spare anyway - no big deal.

God am a bit awed by the amount of perfume you have toys! Wow happy days

Welcome back frugal. Love the sound of that smelling session. Am still pretty crap at emmm selling the right notes or any notes sometimes...

Better keep practising I guess! So mystery sample no 4. This one smells kinda classic to me? Definitely floral, but also has some depth? Light, v feminine. Easy to wear.

Def not carillon pour une ange

It's v pretty. I like it.

That should be sMelling!

Wilting: Number 4 is my notorious vintage Diorella. Very oakmossy and sophisticated, but a bit cool/masculine.

I really have got a ridiculous amount of perfumes and samples now (although a lot of people have much much more), but they are sort of turning into a very tiny business venture to pay for yet more perfumes..

Tried some Samsara today at the airport (had no time for more.. had to literally run!). Nice, but kind of heavy. I liked the drydown which was a bit more transparent and woody, instead of dense and ylangey sweet.

Toys Samsara was my perfume for a long while when I was in my latish teens. I absolutely adored it and practically bathed in the bloody stuff.

I remember years ago an old boyfriend once said he had been in a shop and could suddenly smell me. He had hunted around the shop but couldn't find me anywhere. That's an indication of how much I overdosed on Samsara! I had probably been in the shop two hours previously!

It has since been reformulated and is no longer the same It used to contain a ton of natural sandalwood, and it just smelt so rich and opulent and over the top. That's all gone now (replaced by synthetics) and although the smell is still good and recognisable, it's not what I remember so fondly.

If I could find a bottle of real, vintage Samsara, I would weep tears of nostalgic joy. I would keep it on my dresser just to have it, rather than wear it.

Anyway, I went perfume shopping yesterday and... I think I may have made a very expensive mistake. Eeek.

I tried the Tom Ford private line and loved the new Plum Japonais. Really gorgeous oriental, spicy plum. Also tried the Tobacco Vanille. There was barely anything left in the tester but I just about managed to get a tiny dab onto my hand. I loved it and bought 50ml. I got it home, sprayed some on properly, and now I'm not sure at all! Arrgh! I have been an impulsive Fuckit.

What do other people reckon to Tobacco Vanille? And what are the options if you have a full bottle of something expensive and you're no longer so sure you want it?

Fuckit: I can believe that Samsara used to be better. It's still good, but you can smell the synthetics. It's not as "woody" as you'd expect..

I quite like Tobacco Vanille, but it's quite heavy and very sweet, so you only need a tiny bit each time you use it. I have a mini that will last me a lifetime. If you're not sure you want your FB, you can flog it on e-bay. You should be able to get quite good money for it (check out completed listings for Tobacco Vanille to make up your mind about whether you want to do it). Here:

www.ebay.co.uk/sch/Fragrances-/26396/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=tobacco+vanille+tom&LH_Complete=1&rt=nc

SOTD: Sonia Rykiel Belle En Rykiel. Gorgeous smooth oriental. Beautiful. And of course likely discontinued

I also have Rochas Poup`ee on my other arm. Now THAT smells of plastic dolls crossed with a funeral parlour embalming room (not that I know what that smells like, but you know what I mean..). I'm baffled, but I like the audacity of it.

Thanks for the link Toys.

I will give it some thought. Sometimes I sniff the bottle and think, 'oh that's gorgeous'. Sometimes I sniff it and think, 'oh, playdoh'. It definitely does what it says on the tin - it smells just like vanilla flavoured tobacco. More of a concept fragrance perhaps...

The thing is, when I first became obsessed with the world of perfumery, I made a promise to myself that I would only ever buy a full bottle of something if I really really loved it. I didn't (and still don't) want to end up having spent huge amounts of money on a huge collection, half of which I feel luke warm about. I really want to love and wear all my perfumes.

Anyway, I will send your samples first class in the post on Friday. And post my list of four must try's from your collection on here later

Oh, and does the Poup'ee satisfy your desire for a perfume that smells like a dolls head? That was you wasn't it...

Ah Toys i thought it was very grown up! Delicious. Wondered was it oakmoss I was smelling as I could tell it had depth but didn't smell like wood. It was quite floral on me I thought but my skin does sometimes seem to accentuate any sweetness in a perfume.

Tobacco Vanille was totally overwhelmingly jammy sweet on me fuckit though I did innocently put on a good spray rather than a dab! I could just sense tobacco/leather trying to come through and after about four hours it seemed to come together a bit but it never truly integrated but I haven't ventured back for another go.It seems really popular though so I'm sure you'd have no problem selling it on, perhaps keeping a small decant for yourself?

I am very drawn to greener scents though and I wonder does my nose then just seize on any sweetness making me think it's out of proportion more because it is unfamiliar to me rather than the perfume being too sweet? Not sure if I am explaining that very well!

Ok Toys. Please with a cherry on top may I have a sample of:

Safran Troublant - L'artisan Parfumeur
1826 Histoire de Parfum
Aomassi - Parfumerie Generale
Lonestar Memories - Tauer

Thank you! x

Yes, you can, Fuckit. Just PM me your address.

Oh and Poup`ee sort of gets close to the doll's head, but not quite.. I could have done without the funeral parlour waxiness..

Loulou is so far closest to the doll's head smell I am looking for. A sort of plasticy sweet and powdery smell.

This is probably a v cheap perfume compared to some I've read on here but I smelt Monotheme book of citrus bocciili di limone in M&S today and had to buy it
If anyone knows anything similar please tell me!!

Ooh good lucky you instant love is hard to find ;)

Check out www.fragrantica.com and check the column on the left side of the screen which shows perfumes other people liked that like your perfume. Hope your new love is listed!

As for me I'm sampling no 5 this evening. Think it. Might be my favourite so far, not much of a clue of the notes though greenish start? Woody? A little metallic maybe? Hint of sweet at the back?

Ooops proper link here www.fragrantica.com

Just bought a bottle of Comptoir de Sud Pacifique Coco Figue in the M&S sale for £15. Yay!

In M&S!!!!!

Well that website has thrown up some I haven't tried
Creed bois de cerat
Creed citrus bigarrade
Orange discrete Le Labo (given this has vetiver and orange blossom I will probably adore it!)

I haven't tried many "not high street" perfumes but I know I hate jasmine and ylang ylang, particularly when combined! I love bergamot, vetiver, patchouli and verbena

Weirdly (and I'm posting on this thread because anyone else will think I'm mad) I had a very strong reaction to Gorilla/Lush perfume "the bug"
I smelt them all individually and I bought flowers barrow)
The bug smelt of paranoia, and anxiety and a jittery feeling I've had before I faint. It was like a million buzzing bees in my head. Never ever had such a primal reaction to a scent!

wilting: Number 5 is Guerlain Shalimar Ode a la Vanille Sur la Route de Madagascar. Very nice and vanillay on me, although might actually prefer plain old Shalimar, as it's more angular, and less sweet..

goodasitgets: I really hated bug. Don't remember what it was like when I tried it. I just remember it was so bad, I wondered why ANYONE would buy it. Really, the latest Lush stuff is not my cup of tea at all. And maybe the base of oil doesn't suit me, either..

Well done, Cointreau!

I adore the smell of weather turning, and 25:47 (I think it's called) but yes the new ones aren't great. Flowers barrow smells like their Blousey shampoo to me