Perfume lovers - vol. 6

[FrugalFashionista]

This space is for anyone who wants to talk about perfumes - ask for recommendations, tell us which scent you are wearing today (=SOTD), list your favorites...

Continued from here

Sure

PM me your address Teta and I'll send them off to you

Stokey, could I have Santal Majascule if
I send you a couple of samples back in return?

Of course MissB
just PM me

Feel a real numpty here. I have always loved perfume but have been stuck in a rut for years. I normally wear Rive gauche but formerly liked a scent called Caleche and before then one called J'ai ose. Does anyone remember these and do they form a recognizable type? I do not really understand about samples. I only know about counter testers. I have tried these all over the place but never bought much as perfume seems to change a lot on me after an hour or so and stuff that smelled good changes to something vile. Could someone do a quick idiots guide for me please.

You can still get Caleche but I've never heard of J'ai ose. Try www.fragrantica.com. If you type in your favourite perfume then on the left hand side will appear a bar of perfumes other people have liked that also like your perfume. Can be a great starting point for testing .

As far as I know Rive Gauche and Caleche are both types of chypre but I'm not great at categorising perfumes...

The sample thing is dangerous I warn you! You basically order online samples of your choice (for a price alas) and the shop will post them to you to enjoy at your leisure.

Some of the most recommended places for that are Les Senteurs (shop.lessenteurs.com/) and Blooms (bloomperfume.co.uk/) in the UK possibly others I am not sure!

I am ouside the UK so I look to:-

www.allaviolettaboutique.com/eng/default.aspx

parfumneroli.hu/?lang%5Blang%5D=en

and sometimes

surrendertochance.com/ but that is in the US and you possibly run the risk of customs!

I also look to fellow perfumistas on this thread .

For the truly addicted you can sometimes get decants through facebook groups or on Crystal Flacon.

So welcome granny24! It can be addictive i warn you!

MissB I would steal some of yours too! Chamade is wonderful, alas it's one of those nondescript refill bottles. What I wouldn't give for the heart and arrow one...

Welcome Granny! I would also recommend looking up your favourites on Fragrantica as you will get suggestions for similar perfumes or others you might like. J'ai Ose I think is by Guy Laroche?

I would say you favour classics featuring aldehydes, oakmoss and sandalwood. If you've been trying newer offerings in dept stores, you may find many of them overly sweet and fruity compared to those wonderful scents you mentioned. Obvious ones (you've probably tried already!) are Chanel No.5 and No. 19, the classic Guerlain's and older Lauders like Private Collection, White Linen and Knowing. I could be way off the mark though...

Fuzzlightbeard you are so exactly on what I have liked it's positively spooky. Never knew about different types of perfumes. Thank you so much. Now for more recommendations.

Loving everyone's collections, and don't feel so bad now about owning so many.
SOTD is Coromandel, I keep thinking it will be my last outing of this for the season, but as it's bloody freezing for March I'm still craving my winter warmers.

I know what you mean cosikitty, I wore Ninfeo Mio this morning.

It's now so chilly, I've gone back to wintery stuff: Parfums d'empire Aziyade for me.

Wearing the tropical lemon sherbert smell of Calyx.I still really love it and it doesn't appear to smell any different to before.I find this scent really uplifting but not particularly sophisticated.Clinique have some samples in at the moment for you to try.

Granny24 a few others you may like are Carven Ma Griffe (not sure about the newest version but vintage ones are quite affordable on ebay), Dana Lutece (or the older version by Houbigant), Lanvin Arpege and First by Van Cleef & Arpels. Also maybe some of the classic Diors like Dioressence...

SOTD is Jovoy Gardez Moi. My overall impression is of a fruity tuberose, DH thinks it smells the same as 'that one you got from Marks' (Lyn Harris La Fleur) it's very nice and smells high quality but I won't be replacing my sample.

Granny, you might also like Arpege or Cabochard. Maybe Vol de Nuit as well? Allbeauty have a sale on at the moment - Cabochard is often to be had very cheaply, for such a good perfume, and Arpege is also reasonably priced on there. I like the older perfumes, I think they have so much more depth than a lot of modern high street perfumes, and you are less likely to find someone else wearing them.

SOTD Coromandel! Feel I can use up my tiny sample as now have a decant winging its way to me, bliss!

Wish I had chamade Fuzz even in a boring bottle, my sample is long since gone...

Azuree is another old Estee Lauder one granny that you might like. You do have to bear with it a little as the top notes are bold but it transforms into the most gorgeous spicy floral scent, lovely and warm... sigh another one for my wish list...

Narcotic Venus for me today, which is amazing! The initial burst if white floral has now gone into something spicier and warmer. I suspect it may have staying power too. Mmmm.

Yesterday was bal d'afrique, which was unlike anything I have ever smelt before (the marigold perhaps?) when I put it on but I didn't like the way it changed on me and became acrid and old fashioned (not in a good way).

My wish list is WAY longer than my full bottle list!

Wilting and MissBattleaxe, I received some decanting supplies today so if you'd like a little 3ml spray of Chamade to keep you going, please pm your addresses. Also Cosikitty I can send you some Habanita if you fancy giving it a test run!

Anyone else, please feel free to pm me if you want to try anything from my FB list, apart from Safari, BLV and the Escada as they are nearly gone. I only have 10 vials though so first come first served

I take back what I said earlier about Gardez Moi, had another spray and the opening is to die for. Like sticking your face in a fresh, crisp vase of white flowers, leaves, pollen and all. Sadly the drydown is not as wonderful, then it gets fruity and a bit coconutty.

Fuzz you are too kind! I wil definitely pm you! Can I send you something in return? Tell me what kind of thing you would like and I'll look through my box of samples and make some suggestions....

I got my Nose samples last night, super fast service, very impressed. They also threw in two surprises, Iris de Nuit and Cigarettes & Jasmin.

Tested Rose Poivree on one wrist and Jasmin et Cigarettes on the other. Not keen on the first, smells very artifical on me for the first half hour and then fades to a generic rose. I might give it another go when I'm tired but a bit meh at the mo.

Jasmin et Cigarettes is hilarious. Completely smells like an old ashtray to begin with flowers at the back which gradually fight their way to the front. The cigarettes then disappear and you are left with very strong clear jasmin. There is a period where I think if you didn't know the name and weren't smelling consciously you might quite enjoy it as a very unusual but cool scent. However, unfortunately I am not a white flowers fan, but I am so pleased to have got the opportunity to try it.

I have also received the Nose samples.Glad I didn't get the cigarette one!My bonus scents were two Miller Harris ones Terre de iris and Jasmine Vert.On initial spray they smell promising.Properly tried Comme des garçons cologne 4 :Anbar.Opens like the standard Spanish cologne called Fa ( that our exchange student used to use in the 80's) with a floral slightly spicy dry down and a warm amber carnation base .Its lovely though,and has a warmth about it thats very appealing.

Ok, help me spend money!

I've worn Narciso Rodriguez as my everyday scent for so long, to the point that I can no longer smell it!
I like scents that are musky - but clean - skin scent, I like woods and some patchouli, and rose, and vanilla but generally nothing too sweet or gourmand. Problem is, I gravitate toward 'big' fragrances that don't lend themselves to every day stuff.

Have sampled: Coromandel, Stella, Chergui, Vanille du Bois, Lady Vengeance, Jo Malone Velvet Rose and Oud - all lovely, but not 'the one'.
On my list to try:
Portrait of a Lady
Serge - Feminite du Bois
Tom Ford - Cafe Rose, Tobacco Vanille, Noir de Noir

None of these are very 'everyday', are they… ha. Can anyone suggest anything else?

Wilting that's lovely of you, there isn't much I don't like to be honest. But really, I'm just happy to spread the love and having been the recipient of some great swaps and freebies from this thread in the past, I feel it's time I gave back some good karma

BridgeMix i haven't tried all the ones on your list so not sure...L'Occitane is great for everyday, lighter but good quality scents. You could also explore many in Hermes range, or Guerlain's Aqua Allegorias.

Aw you are so kind fuzz will pm you mon, can't so it on phone for some reason.

Hmm, BridgeMix, musky but clean? Not sure. Have tried tobacco vanille and that is def not an everday 'fume! I really like feminite du bois and I think you could wear it everyday but not sure I'd call it clean...

What about rosabotanica? I sniffed that recently and thought it was v interesting. Terre d'hermes maybe either? Also the prada line?

Thanks Fuzz, that would have been great but I already ordered a samlple of Habanita, damn!

Bridge, Feminite and Portrait of a lady are definitely not clean smelling, I remember someone on an earlier thread describing Femininte as quite knickery! there is definitely a touch of skankyness. Both lovely and sexy though.
How about Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely, that is similar to NRH, but maybe too similar? Or maybe one of the Agent Provocateurs, some of the flankers are nicer than the original in this range I think?

Frugal, your samples arrived! Many thanks I will really enjoy testing them

Sotd is l'eau diptyque which has loads of cinnamon, I smell like mulled wine!

Cosikitty - thanks. When I say 'clean' I suppose I mean clean for a musk… not laundry-clean.

Lovely is too close to NR for me, and it's not quite as good on my skin.

Wiltingfast - I think rosabotanica may be too green for me, but I'll def check it out, thanks. On paper I should love Cafe Rose, but the coffee may be too much for me..

Cosikitty Bummer, I was too late! well if you like it and want another sample, I'd be happy to send one.

I started off the day with Seville a L'Aube, thanks to Science. I really enjoyed it to begin with, although it's sweeter than I'd imagined. Still, it's definitely my favourite orange blossom I've tried.

I then embarked on a sniffathon of epic proportions, when I discovered some wonderful delights in HoF and Harvey Nicks. Even the DS's ended up wafting around in Un Bois Vanille when I ran out of arm space

The forerunners from my testing are SL Santal Majascule, Robert Piguet Futur (green, floral and very vintage) and Diptyque Philosykos. More for the birthday/ wedding anniversary list!