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

[cosikitty]

Oh eugene I used to LOVE that Gucci EDP, it was a real WOW perfume with 'knock 'em dead' power. So jealous you still have some, haven't seen it for ages.

[Apatite1]

I loved that Gucci too, a real bomb of a perfume!

[florascotia]

Have just found a place with a stock of Le Temps d'une Fete !!!

In the Netherlands, with a website in English. They sell all kinds of samples, too.

www.parfumaria.com

[Stokey]

Lots of great advice on here - have woken up with stinking cold so don't know what my SOTD will be, Vicks perhaps!

Got the M&S La Poudree yesterday as was ordering someclothes for the grils online & was stupidly cheap £12.50 for prefume & body lotion. Little bit powdery -guess the clue is in the name - for me & wasn't wowed initially but liked the drydown.

[plum1304]

I'm looking for a new perfume and would be grateful for recommendations, I'm after something quite light and "pretty" I like Ralph Lauren romance, Chanel chance eau de fraiche, and Estée Lauder mus. But I'm finding them a bit heavy for everyday.

Thanks lovely people!

[FrugalFashionista]

Plum Romance is a sparkling clean rose and you seem to like a bit of tartness. Here is a list of other clean roses. For a heartbreakingly beautiful niche rose, Byredo Rose Noir is hard to beat and L'Ombre dans l'eau from Diptyque is lovely too (at Space NK). For a softer mainstream rose, try Chloe L'Eau. You might also explore herby colognes (suggestions upthread - Annick Goutals are great).

[EugeneKrabs]

cosi, I have a huge bottle! about 50% left. Saved for special occasions because it works so well on my skin and I'll never find it again.

SOTD is Hermès, Jour D'Hermès.

[FrugalFashionista]

Eugene now I have a Gucci craving that I cannot satisfy because I have none Flora thanks for the link! Amazing selection in that store too!

A dreary cold and rainy day, need some warmth (=opoponax + cinnamon) so wearing an alpaca sweater and some Eau Lente from Diptyque.

Fuzz totally agree about quality and quantity: 95% of my perfume collection is samples (a big part of them free) and for nearly everything, 5-10 ml is more than I will use in the foreseeable future and 0.5-2ml just enough. Also would like to remind you that 5ml minis on eBay are a great way of enjoying many perfumes, even discontinued ones! If you are in love with something and would like to purchase a decant, Crystal Flacon is great. (Some UK based sellers too, and also check people on page 2!)

[cosikitty]

Eugene, they are bringing out a Jour d'Hermes Absolue, I like the original but it is just too fleeting for my taste, hoping the new one might be a bit more tenacious.

I have had a lovely hour in York sniffing a few new pefumes. First stop was Burgins perfumery. This is a really old fashioned chemist type place. They stock a few niche brands such as Etat Libre etc. I tried the two Ruth Mastenbroek fragrances. Amorosa was nice, it was fruity, but not in a really sweet way and lasted all day on my wrist. The other was ok too but nothing particularly special. The male SA suggested I tried his favourite Atelier Cologne which was Vetiver Fatal. This is lovely, I can't stop smelling the tester strip. It is really soft and fresh with a bit of fruityness and touchof powderyness. Very unisex. Unfortunately they didn't have any samples. to give away.

Next stop was Fenwicks where I sniffed a few of the Miller Harris from a lovely helpful SA. L'air de Rein was really interesting and I enjoyed smelling it, not something I would want to smell OF though. I didn't really find one that I liked really. So I wandered around and tested out the new Dior Hypnotic poison EDP, seemed to have less playdough and a bit more of something spicy, not sure what it was, will have to look up the notes. Also sniffed Vent Vert (massively green) and tried the new Boucheron Place Vendome, this is pleasant but it reminded me of a combination of Elie Saab and Jimmy Choo.

Still sniffing the Atelier Cologne which was definitely the favourite of the day.

[FuzzLightbeard]

Cosikitty your day sounds like heaven!

Frugal I remember having a moment when my collection got to 15 FBs and wondering how long it would take me to use it all up. I imagine my huge bottle of Tocade will last till I'm in my 80s!

I really wanted to do some sniffing today but my two boys are being hellish to take into shops at the moment. I managed a spray of D&G pour femme, very sweet and quite enjoyed the opening but dried down into a kind of sugary nothingness.

Also spotted some bargains in TK Maxx- Paris and Rive Gauche for £19.99, Royal Bain de Caron for £14.99 and Madonna's Truth or Dare for £7.99. Couldn't resist when I saw Samsara there for £24.99 as I've wanted some for aaaaages

[FrugalFashionista]

Cosi sounds like a lovely day! If it stops raining, I should go out to shops and try a few perfumes I'm interested in too...

Just so you know, Atelier Cologne samples are easy to get (I've received several when ordering something else) and inexpensive! Buy a sample of that vetiver for a couple of £ and you'll see whether it's a FB-worthy perfume for you. Vetiver is great!

[FrugalFashionista]

Oh and fantastic purchase Fuzz! Samsara is a great classic and that price is bargain basement!

[TweenageAngst]

I have been lurking for ages on these threads and have been buying samples. SOTD is 4160 Tuesday's Dark heart of old Havana, this was a free sample included with the ones I chose. Would never have picked it myself but I love it. Like a glass of rum with a fag and molasses on the side. I highly recommend trying 4160 Tuesday's they are not your average and the service is Fab.

[teta]

I have ordered a sample pack from 4160 Tuesdays Tweenageangst and I am really looking forward to it.However its taken 4 days for the sample to be sent out.I ordered on Tuesday and it was posted after 9pm Friday.I accept its probably a small company but this should be explained in the small print ( sorry,I haven't had the same experience of service).
Fuzzlightbeard my sister and i used to go to the youth club drenched in Rive Gauche.I also used to wear Paris which smelt like a bouquet of flowers and a lot of Rose.I remember Samsara which was far too sophisticated for us or so we thought at the time.

[WholeNutt]

My favourites are, philosophy Amazing Grace, Coco Chanel and Molecule one. I have had people stop me in the street whilst wearing Molecule 1!

[wiltingfast]

Yes, I loved molecule 01 (I think it was) for ages. Got loads of compliments but got tired of never being able to smell it myself!

No sotd yet, am only up giving breakfast to the smallies.

Tuesdays 4160 sounds interesting! Must check them out...

[EugeneKrabs]

molecule 1 smells like gingerbread on me. I don't really like it on it's own, I find it a bit basic but I do like it as a layering fragrance. I find it really works on my skin with the (also discontinued) Stella Nude. It just adds richness and depth. The Stella Nude is a real skin scent, one I love, the addition of M1 just gives it another dimension and makes it interesting.

cosi that's interesting re the Hermes. Some days I like it, sometimes, not so much. I actually prefer it on my clothes than my skin. The dry down on my skin goes a bit sweet/strange and can make me a bit headachy.

[EugeneKrabs]

(No SOTD yet, only been up 40mins and off to gym in a bit. Will probably be something clean, fresh and unchallenging. Prob JM Peony Blush & Suede).

[ShatzePage]

Just about to have a shower but SOTD will be Estee lauder's Beautiful-sun is shining and I feel the need for lots of flowers.

[plum1304]

Thanks frugal for the recommendations - shall get sniffing!!

[FrugalFashionista]

Eugene and Wilting the main constituent of Mol 01 is Iso E Super. It's a widely used basenote in just about anything these days (it has excellent tenacity and an abstract woody feel). Once you learn what it smell like you start noticing it in many things. Terre d'Hermes (a popular masculine where I live) for example is full of it. I sampled Iso E Super with a bunch of perfumistas and we all perceive it differently, some smelled nothing and others thought it was super strong tenacious, with an ultrasonic dog whistle quality Many people smell it for a bit and then disappears and then returns again. I think it's pretty magical on its own - incredibly nuanced for a single molecule! - but have grown a bit tired of its use as an el cheapo substitute for actual woods.

I'm wearing Miriam by Tauer today. This is a perfume that is very expensive for the perfumer to produce - hence true luxury for me to wear It has the same cool-warm retro va va voom feel that I adore in Guerlain's Vega and a big dose of lacquered hair fizzy aldehydes that may make it a bit difficult to approach. I'd like to think that this is a modern take on the original Chanel No. 5 extrait from the 1920s but who knows...

Teta I haven't smelled the 4160Tuesdays perfumes (so many new niche outfits out there these days...) but by chance I saw an exchange between their perfumer and Elena from Perfume Shrine in the blog post about why most mainstream perfumes these days are so samey and insipid. Posting it here:

Sarah McCartney said...
As a maker of my own perfumes for my little company 4160Tuesdays, may I just wave the flag for us indie scent makers who try to do something different. When you can just stop making something that doesn't sell you can afford to experiment and make unusual scents in small batches. With the big ones they make 10, 000 bottles a go and it's all about reducing risk, going for something safe - something that's already selling. It's like Hollywood versus indie films, or fashion or music. If you want to come over and sniff the materials one day, let me know.

Perfumeshrine said...
Thanks Sarah! I think indie perfumers nowadays can provide what big companies have lost: true luxury. Feeling the customer's needs and creating something for them, from the heart, aimed at them directly. The gilded approaches are leaving me increasingly cold these days.

For me, wearing a limited-distribution indie scent (a Tauer or Slumberhouse) is true luxury. I can feel the quality of the raw materials, and what I'm wearing is really unique. I wear mass-market perfumes too, but the quirky and unique stuff is much more addictive...

[ShatzePage]

Changed my mind-SOTD is estee lauder's tuberose gardenia as I have the matching body cream too and I like people to smell me coming!

[Housewife2010]

My SOTD is Molecule 1. I bought it last year after reading all the hype & although it's nice, NO-ONE has ever stopped me to say how nice I smell! I told my friend about it, she bought it & got stopped 5 times in the first week! It must need to work with your hidden allure, which I must not have!
Frugal, re your recommendation of L'Ombre dans l'eau from Diptyque, I have a FB which I treated myself to on Xmas day in the Space NK sale. It's absolutely gorgeous - beautiful & very easy to wear. I'm impatiently waiting for my Surrender to Chance order. How long do they usually take?

[TweenageAngst]

SOTD Knize forest. Started off pretty masculine but softened , will get DH to try

[coffeeinbed]

I just tried Marni and it's very very nice.
pretty and wearable with a bit of fresh ginger.