Let's revive our old perfume threads, perfumistas!

[shins]

I know it might seem like we've nothing left to say but I'm sure we have :)

I have to tell you: Seville a l'Aube is on the TK Maxx website for half price - lots of other L'Artisan perfumes but that one is very special and I wore nothing else all summer!

SOTD: Cuir de Russie. Like a fuzzy hug with vague undertones of marauding Cossacks from the 19th century.

If you want industry insider news, check out Philip Kraft's Facebook page. He is relentlessly pro-progress though.

I've sampled so many perfumes but have few problems with sensitivity. Today, wearing Femme by Rochas. Read some of Luca Turin's old NZZ columns yesterday, really enjoyed them (and you can enjoy them for free too- several really good ones in the free opening chapter on Kindle).

LOL at his description of Miu Miu as 'sprayable toothache'. (Good bottle though).

Luca Turin is a hoot. Some of his reviews in Perfumes The Guide me laughing out loud.

Thanks battleaxe I have noticed the niche house Ormonde Jayne does use quality ingredients, I like her Tolu. Also Amouage but £££££, they don't seem to skimp on ingredients.

Amouage can spend what they like. I think its run by the Qatari Royal family, though I am happy to stand corrected on that.

Yes Ormonde Jayne is high quality stuff. I find that indie and niche perfumers try hard and work hard for authenticity and high quality, but big brands can sometimes get complacent and rely on their big name. Givenchy has made great stuff, but when Givenchy Irresistible reached its 27th flanker, I just thought meh! no way is that going to stop anyone in their tracks. IMO 27 flankers is lazy.

What's a flanker?

A flanker is ostensibly a variation on an original. They are sometimes similar i.e Chanel Chance flankers always smell quite similar to me, or they are wildly different i.e the Dior Poison flankers all smell totally different to the original.

Givenchy Irresistible have taken it a step further with 27 flankers, and 7 of those are rose based. Sometimes flankers are great and sometimes it all gets a bit daft.

The Chanel No 5 flanker, Chanel No 5 Eau Premiere, is, to my nose, preferable to the original, but that's just my opinion.

Black Opium is nothing like Opium and don't like it at all!

Flankers are annoying and confuse well-meaning loved ones who think they're buying you your favourite perfume.

I've gotten TWO bottles of Black Opium in recent weeks.

My friend asked for Coco and got Coco Mademoiselle. So, so different!

Ah, yes, I hate them! Miss Dior Cherie is revoltingly sweet compared to the lovely original Miss Dior.

This week I've been mostly wearing random fragrances from DM's cupboards.

I once again admired the small vial of vintage Habanita.. only a drop left in it now, though - sadly. Went a bit mad just a moment ago and blindbought myself a bottle of Bois Farine. I love powder, woods, resin and gourmandy notes, so hopefully it'll be what I think it is.. and not moldy wet cement, like some people have said it reminds them of on fragrantica

They've messed with Miss dior so much I don't think even Dior can remember which Miss Dior they settled on in the end.

I liked Miss Dior Cherie when it first came out. Strawberry caramel popcorn. Now it's a bit nondescript.

Reading Luca's reviews on "Smuggler's Soul (?)" and Kerbside Violet makes me want to go to Lush for a try. It's always been rammed when I get around to going to town, and the salespeople are always a bit too keen for comfort. Also love the description of Alaia - although I'm pretty sure I already tested it a few weeks ago and can't remember what it was like, so maybe it doesn't work for me. Or I'm getting it confused with another fragrance.

Toys - let us know what the Bois Farine is like? There are a couple of bottles hanging around in my local TK Maxx but I have resisted up until now.

Had the same reaction as you re: Lush. Was a bit underwhelmed when I tried Alaia though. But will try it again looking out for the back to front thing.

Will do, Mrs.! I sound like my son there, btw - he's begun to jokily end almost every sentence with Mrs/Mr according to who he is talking to: "Alright then, Mrs!! Don't shout, Mrs!!" (although he hasn't got the hang of when to use Miss vs. Mrs, yet).

Went to a local department store today and tried some Bvlgari Goldea for the first time and sprayed Petite Robe Noir Couture on the other arm (which I am familiar with and enjoy -glad to find out LT does, as well!). Enjoyed both, but almost unable to distinguish between them now, as must have rubbed my arms together.

DM got a bottle of perfume as a Christmas present from newly anosmic DF. I was hoping it would be something I could nick from time to time, but it's Boss Jour. Boring in a bottle. DM likes it, though. Anyway, she likes Impulse body sprays the most . She's a pretty stereotypical female civil engineer..

I had assumed they were all edp actually. I find samples and decant from sales assistants are like hen's teeth these unless there's a new launch on.

Sorry for typos.

Sinus cold, can't smell much, so just lurking for a bit! There's a lot of it around here at the moment, so New Year is going to be very quiet and not at all fragrant.

Poor you cresset- I have that too. I cannot smell very well so I'm sure I am overspraying. There are probably dead canaries in my wake.

at the idea of Battleaxe sashaying around with canaries fainting from asphyxia dropping behind! There is an astonishing image (from the Imperial War Museum IIRC) of a military engineer smoking a huge cigar, with a canary perched on it.

Happy 2016 perfumistas! Wishing everyone a fragrant year.

SOTD a mixture of serge lutens Fille en Aiguilles and Tauer's L'Air du Desert Marocain. But also got a stuffy nose so probably sprayed waaaaaaay too much! 😄
Happy new year everyone.

I just realised my hair smells of TF Tobacco Vanilla, which I wore yesterday. Must have transferred during the night somehow.

Shoes - as I understand it, Les Exclusives are all EdT, but good ones! Some have more lasting power and sillage than others - I would say Bois des Iles and Coromandel are probably on opposite ends of the scale. If you need to buy a decant, try places like Surrender to Chance.

Feeling better... may be able to smell something tomorrow. What will it be? First scent for 2016 had better be good.

Toys - made it to Lush but left empty-handed! Smugglers Soul is interesting, but too masculine for my tastes. I got birch and soap rather than fireworks and lipstick, and its taken a good 4 hours to soften and sweeten a bit on my skin. Kerbside Violet is strikingly earthy - but not for me. Lust was the one I liked most - a big fat dirty jasmine (and I don't normally go for florals).