Where are the perfume lovers gone???

[wiltingfast]

Remember our chats??

Our SOTD (scent of the day)?

Is there a thread I've missed

If not, lets take it up here :)

SOTD an unknown sample from my perfume drawer, woodsy and irisy, am baffled but enjoying it!

Well, I went out with no scent on today in order to try Cartier La Panthere properly. It didn't have staying power on me so I'm glad I did a good trial run. Ideally, I will ask a bunch of my male friends "What do you think of this?" before I buy something. That's how I ended up not springing for a bottle of Chanel 22. All of them just shrugged and said it was "OK."

Later in Boots I spritzed a little bit of a Valentino fragrance on the back of my hand. So far, I think I really like it. It's very sweet, but not insipid. I just looked it up - it's called Valentina and they have a gift set AND tomorrow there's a special promotion where you get 1200 Boots points for every £50 you spend. I think I might!

What is the best descriptive book on perfumes please experts?

Thanks, I'll have a look on ebay right away!

SOTD: Guerlain Guerlinade. It's an old one and I've not worn it much - I bought it many years ago and liked it for a while, then haven't used it for years as it was too heavy but I'm now thinking it might work for me.
It reminds me of lilacs and linden trees.

SOTD: sample of Aedes de Venustas EDP. Mmm. Tomato leafy.

Claudia, the definitive guide is Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez's "Perfumes: The Guide". It's a wonderful, hilarious, passionate book covering every perfume of the day although you won't agree with everything they say and it's a little out of date now. But it's a classic.

SOTD - De Profundis from Canny's sample, thank you very much! It smells like wet ground and violets and is lovely in a melancholy way. Canny, I have sent your parcel today using Parcel Motel to safeguard against the liquid ban nonsense intercepting it!

Toys - sorry for delay, have PM'd you there.

SOTD: Hermes Eau Des Merveilles eau de parfume. I tried it on when I went to HoF this morning to see how it would wear. It didn't last long at all and now I can't really smell it.

A Question: Do any of you wear any celebrity fragrances? You know, like Beyonce or whatever? I always eschew them - won't even sniff them in the shops - because I would hate to have to tell people who ask what I'm wearing that I'm wearing Kim Kardashian, etc. For all I know, they could smell delightful, but I just won't go near them. Am I being a snob?

And for those of you who are not snobs, does your opinion of the celebrity influence what you think of the fragrance or your willingness to buy it?

SOTD: Guerlain Meteorites. Powdery. It smells a bit like the Guerlain Meteorites powder pearls but not as nice.

I've heard really nice things about the Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet so this weekend I'll see if I can try it somewhere. Have any of you tried it - and what did you think of it?

Shins thanks. I've ordered it.

Shins: I've inboxed you!

Fabulassie: I have to admit that I'm a leetle bit of a snob, but trying to keep an open mind, so will occasionally give a celeb fragrance a sniff. I have "Fancy Nights" by Jessica Simpson (sounds like a nightmare, doesn't it?!), but it's a really quite acclaimed, unusual patchouli scent. "Lovely" by Sarah Jessica Parker is also quite acclaimed, a dead ringer for Narciso Rodriguez. I, personally, find it pleasant, but nothing great.

I gave "Storm Flower" by Cheryl Versiniwhatsitwhaever a try at the local pharmacy the other day. Horrible synthetic ambery fruit.

I find Eau de Merveilles a bit wishy washy and light. Pleasant enough, but not worth the price IMO. I like the Jardin series a lot more (esp. "Sur Le Toit" and "Apres La Mousson"), and Kelly Caleche.

Eau de Merveilles brings new meaning to the word 'meh'. (In my view.)

SOTD: Caron En Avion from a new clutch of samples. It starts out strongly floral, with a hit of carnation (still mourn Floris Carnation which i used to wear in the 80s and has now been reformulated as a ghost of its former self) and now, after several hours later, has turned into soft leather. My other new samples are Robert Piguet Bandit, Knize Ten and Frederic Malle Fleur de Cassie. Looking forward to the challenge of these!

I have White Diamonds and it is awesome. Since her name isn't really on the box it's easy to forget that it's a celebrity fragrance.

I remember when there were other gems - blue, green, and red and I think I had some or all of them. :D

Lovely review of White Diamonds here.

Thanks to this thread, White Diamonds is my SOTD.

I sort of hesitated when I bought it on my floral-buying spree. I had a vague memory that it was associated with 80's excess (I was off by a few years) and was somehow a bit vulgar. I'd forgotten the E. Taylor connection but still had those sort of connotations from when she was constantly in the tabloids. But it was a good price for a MASSIVE bottle and I went for it. And I really do like it. It's a good 'un.

Sotd today is Calyx.I felt in need of invigorating.
I've been trying all my samples and keeping the ones I like and some for the swop box.I've just tried Carons Nuit de Noel.My god they really don't make them like that any more.It really doesn,'t suit my chemistry at all.A lot of the classics don't smell good on me at all sadly ( though I do like some Guerlains and the vintage style powders apart from Mitsouko)

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Canny, I'd be up for the nuit de noel! I do quite badly with aldehydes, which old perfumes tend to be full of..

Sotd: the Body Shop Amber Oud. It's very nice.. A smooth oud. Like an oudy hug.

Hi ladies! So happy to see that quality perfumes still have passionate advocates here!
Long time no see! (I dropped off MN sometime when all passwords were changed. Have been travelling almost nonstop since last March.)

My perfume wardrobe was really boring during the warm season: alternating Aqua Allegoria Figue Iris, Vega and Huile Prodigieuse on my legs

But perfumes always start inspiring me during the dark time of the year.

Today coordinating my Chanel No. 19 EDP (forest-floor earthy, very unlike the almost shrill icy brightness of the EDT) with my H&M Marant knockoff jogging pants. Forest green is the color of the season...

What is everyone else wearing?

Oh and my contribution to celeb fragrances: it's no secret that I quite like J Lo's Deseo. The bottle is just wonderful too

My original SOTD, En Avion (again), has worn off, and I'm sitting in the laundrette - my glamorous life! - thinking about another one when I get home. Much taken yesterday with a picture of Bogart and Bacall, and in the spirit of the wonderful Betty, I think it's going to be Knize Ten.

By the way, lovely to see you around again, FrugalFashionista! I often think of your. Beautifully evocative posts and huge knowledge and connoisseurship when I think about perfume.

Thanks Niminy! Loving it that I recognize people's nicknames here but cannot believe how sophisticated everyone here is - Caron on MN

I think aldehyde appreciation is a generational thing just like aquatic / melon / Calone appreciation will be. Or the fruity floral fanbase and the Angel / cotton candy ethylmaltol groupie gang. My roots are in the big 1980s and my heart beats a bit faster always when I catch a whiff of Poison, Eternity, Giorgio or Amarige (not that I ever do - who wears those these days?!).

I once smelled through the most common aldehydes used in perfumery and in the raw the topnotes of Chanel No. 5 smelled like a freshly snuffed candle and bad breath - only much, much stronger! I used to hate them but have learned to love them - much like I had to learn to like olives or stinky cheese. In moderation though. Some old battlehorses just smell better on eightysomethings

Sorry if this is full of non sequiturs - just cannot figure out the iPhone interface

Claudia The Guide is the definite book. If you need a tighter edit, this small book is also great.