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

Aargh! Started the day with diptyque's olene as it was at the top of my samples and I was short of time. Nice enough to warrant a top up spray this afternoon. But yuk, for some reason the second spray smells utterly different! Where the first was floral and warm, the second is like talcum powder. How has this happened?

I don't know,but it also happens to me.Have just scored my first bottle of perfume from e bay.In Love Again - a new unboxed bottle.I hope its alright ( as it was £26).Does anyone have tips for buying off eBay?

Canny, I check whether the eBay seller has sold perfume before and whether their feedback is good. Not sure there is any hard and fast rule, tbh.

I only buy perfume from Ebay if it comes with its box. I always store perfume in its box to preserve it so I want to know that any used perfume I buy is in the best condition possible. I also like it if they say when they bought it.

I've been looking at several eBay sellers today, this thread has really inspired me!
What proportion are shop lifted I wonder? There were several that looked like utterly random selections of things that could be lifted.. All new and unopened or 'un used without a box..'

I've bought lots from ebay and never had anything go wrong. The best indication is their feedback I think. Many types of sellers on there- ones with the odd unwanted gift or competition win and collectors like me who have a collection overhaul now and again. There are probably lots who buy wholesale and sell on and sales from house clearance and car boots. But yes it is something of a gamble, so I always read the descriptions thoroughly and have a good look at feedback before bidding!

Gosh,I hope I 'm not buying shoplifted stock!The seller I bought from had excellent feedback and only sold perfume but in fairly small quantities.I really don't know why perfumes would be sold unboxed though - anyone any ideas?I am not bothered in this case because this is a recent reintroduction so the bottles won't be old.But thank you all for the advice and warnings.If it works out I have saved £25 off the cheapest price so may well be worth it ( or not).

Une rose Chypre today, courtesy of canny. Unfortunately, it has that very specific note in it that sits uncomfortably on my skin (it might be patchouli) so after a few hours I sprayed some liz earle botanicals 100 on top and am feeling much better!

It didn't suit me either Science.Bal d'Afrique is SOTD today.I think this and Byredos Rose Noir are two of my favourites samples so far.I would love to try the other Byredo scents to see if they are as comforting and familiar as these.My second batch of Nose samples are a tad disappointing- seem to be variants on citrussy colognes at phenomenal prices-very emperors new clothes .

I totally love Rose Chypree, but I can see why some don't (in fact I love most perfumes that others seem to hate, I'm sure I must send other people running in the opposite direction some days!)

SOTD is Guerlain's Jardins de Bagatelle, a true 80s powerhouse with a whopping dose of tuberose. Of course I LOVE it

Forgot to ask Canny, where did you get your Byredo samples from? I'd love to try this line but can't seem to find anywhere that sells samples.

I got mine from Frugal and Science Fuzz.But Alla Violetta do a comprehensive selection of samples( and have been recommended by Frugal).The spray bottles are certainly better quality than the Nose ones( which are flimsy).
I bow before you Fuzz - I really can't cope with Tuberose ( have only tried the Miller Harris version though).

I love fragrances with tuberose, fuzz... Except the miller Harris one, canny!

I've not tried the Miller Harris one, but I do love a loud tuberose. Poison, Fracas, Tubereuse Criminelle- love 'em all. Applied very sparingly though

A friend once told me that as I am so short and fairly quiet, I can carry off brightly coloured and patterned clothing. Maybe it's the same with perfume... (Or maybe she was trying to tell me my dress sense sucks!)

I tried Tubereuse Criminelle today. Remember how it started this whole thread off when it was called Worst Perfumes Ever? Actually I loved it, but it's an odd one to start with. Very more-ish around the middle notes, after the TCP phase.

MissBattleaxe yes I remember! I lurked for ages to start off with but that thread was responsible for sending me down the perfume rabbit hole. Tubereuse Criminelle is amazing, but by the time I tried it I was quite prepared for the weird opening. I love how much it changes as it develops.

SOTD was Avignon but have also been haunting Debenhams and HoF today, most impressed by Arpege, Lys Soleia and Rosabotanica. However was not impressed with Calyx, it smelt almost vomity to start off with!

CDG Avignon is to die for, just wonderful. It smells more like High Mass than High Mass. I loved Arpege but once I noticed the hint of Peach i couldn't get past it so sold it on ebay. I haven't tried the other three you mention, but I would like to so I shall look out for them.

Hello Perfume People.

I've been enjoying reading all your posts. Apologies: I lurk a lot - which is a bit naughty, really. I just had to join in with the happiness surrounding Avignon. I love Avignon. And Kyoto. I find they both raise my spirits enormously.

My scent of the day has been "En Passant", which lasts longer than I thought it would - I keep catching the flower scent at odd moments. I think it must be the clothes I'm wearing: they must "catch" it quite well. The wheat note gives it quite a fleshy character when I have caught it's scent later in this day. It's quite odd. Not nearly as ethereal as I thought it would be in its later stages.

I am growing to like the scent of En Passant as i adore the smell of lilacs.However the yeasty smell does not have good associations for me.I love Lys Soleia and used to like Arpege, but how can you not like Calyx?This was my scent in my 20's.I've tried the reformulation,and still love the smell, but somehow feel I need a more sophisticated perfume now.So far I've loved Tokyo Cafe by 4160 Tuesdays,In Love Again by Yves Saint Laurent,Creeds Virgin Island Water and the Two Byredos - Rose Noir and Bal d'Afrique out of all my samples.SOTD is Infusion d'Iris eau de toilette by Prada.

I have a challenge for you all.
I was in Yankee candle yesterday and one of their candles - turquoise sky smells exactly like a perfume I wore 20 years ago. I can't remember what it's called though, it brought back such great memories and I'd love to find it again.
If anyone is passing one of the shop could you possibly have a sniff for me and see if you know what it is? I worked in a department store and it could well have been something from a cosmetics house rather than a perfumier it's almost Clinique elixir but not as 'grabby'
Thank you

Impossible without smelling the candle, I would have thought, sorry!

Today I'm wearing Francis Kurkdjan's Aqua Vitae, which I love a quite unholy amount, for all it smells like CK One for the first few minutes.

MissBattleaxe I would highly recommend Rosabotanica, it was a very pleasant surprise. Glad to see both you and thecat share my love for Avignon- DH always wrinkles his nose up at the churchiness of it.

Canny I really thought I would like Calyx, it was the new Clinique version I tried so maybe it's changed? Also I only smelt it on a blotter so next time I see it I'll try it on skin and see if I change my mind.

Dunwhingin I will keep a look out for that candle for you!

SOTD is an absolute corker- Chypre Mousse by Oriza L. Legrand. Starts off slightly medicinal and then slowly turns into the most amazing scent of a damp forest floor covered in toadstools and pine needles.

I've got a vintage (Prescriptives) Calyx and a new (Clinique) one, and there's no real difference in the formulas that I can tell. TBH, I didn't like Calyx the first time I smelt it either - I was expecting fresh zingy grapefruit, and the rottingly sweet scent of papaya just overwhelmed me at first, but it's something I really love these days, simply because it's not just grapefruit. It's very complex on the skin, and difficult to judge it on paper though.

Rosabotanica is gorgeous though, minty roses wrapped in cellophane, so unusual. I thought Florabotanica was really dull, so Rosabotanica was a really nice surprise!

I really like Aqua Vitae too Arsepaste but I don't think its strikingly original ( for all that it's made by a famous perfumier) and it's so expensive just for such a clean smell.I would like to try Rosabotanica - it sounds gorgeous ( Florabotanica was just boring) but Rose and Mint are amongst my favourite scents.
Dunwhingin all Yankee candles smell the same to me - though I'm sure the scent when lit is completely different.Have you tried googling 90's sea scents?
If anyone wants to try Heeleys Cardinal( incense) I am happy to forward it on.I spent too many years as a Catholic to be able to enjoy the scent of incense unfortunately.

Wearing Philosophy Amazing Grace today. Powdery but with something sharp in the background that I can't quite identify.

I'd like to try the Heeley if no one else has asked canny if you've already had a request, no worries.

Wondering about ordering some samples to try as I'm a little bored with what I have right now even though I have loads. Where would you lovelies recommend ordering samples from. I especially like big florals and orientals.