Revived perfumistas thread 2

[maryclarey]

Let's go!

ENABLER!!!

I succumbed to the Fire bandwagon too, I got it during the extra 15% off flash sale so it cost under £20 with shipping...barely counts really does it Anyway it's a winner, love the opening especially. Please don't go recommending any more!

Who was it wanted a sample of vintage Miss Dior? I'm too lazy to go back and read through the thread . PM me if you still want it.

Have you seen Luca Turin's new blog?

I found this perfume book in our local library over the weekend. It's well-intentioned but not much more insightful than an average magazine article. Not sure why I didn't like it, they tried to look into niche perfumes and mentioned lots of good blogs and talented perfumers, but I found the division between feminines and masculines and an emphasis on the seductive powers of perfume really tiring. I mean, there are so many reasons why I love perfume, but 'feeling feminine' and 'seductive' are not among them. And explaining the differences between extraits and EDTs are pretty irrelevant these days (I have many extraits that are much more fleeting than their EDP equivalents), and how many perfumes with a classic pyramid structure do you wear regularly? Finally, they bought wholesale into the rare plants myth - most of your perfumes are made of gardenia petals and unicorn tears and blonde dancing virgins collect roses de mai growing in Grasse. As if

Thumbs down! I own at least a dozen books on perfume and like most of them a lot, but this one is not worth your time.

Thank you Frugal - that's great to know about.

The blog rather than the book...

Going to enjoy reading the blog - thanks Frugal. LT always good value, very insightful and funny.

SOTD Gala Gala Gala... Bit of a tough day, but kept topping up the scent, and kept on rolling. Divorce sucks.

Power through perfume is definitely the way to go, Yet...onwards and upwards

Five heads of hyacinth are scenting the entire sitting room, glorious! Don't think I've ever come across it in a perfume, maybe it doesn't translate well?

Hyacinth is a greenish note in perfumery but I don't find it has a lot in common with the headiness of real-life hyacinths.

It's strange to me how some smells can be recreated so accurately in perfume and some, like hyacinth, can't. It's listed as a top note in Bas de Soie, anyone ever tried it?

I made myself a hyacinth oriental when I went to 4160 Tuesdays. I have to put it on well before leaving the house though, for the first half hour it is downright odd, although it settles down very nicely.

I had hyacinth flowers wired into my hair when I got married - I adore the smell.

Chanel Cristalle is another hyacinth fragrance.

Anyone smelt TF Ombre de Hyacinth? (Discontinued?).

What went into your perfume MsR - and did you give it a name?

I love hyacinth. Inspired by you, I googled, and apparently "Wet Garden" by The Fragrance Library is vey hyacinth-y - and only £15 from Boots. May have to check that out.

I have a favour to ask! I think it may be for Frugal or perhaps cresset but I don't remember ...

A while ago (a long while) someone linked to some perfumes that had lovely labels, lovely names, and a rather great story. When I try and summon the names/house I remember a description of secluded, even abandoned gardens and a scent story going back into the last century or beyond. The names were quite long and very evocative. I remember the OP who recommended them - a couple of times - said they arrived in beautiful packaging.

I cannot, for the life of me, remember anything! I saved the web address in an email to myself but its been deleted from my laptop.

I am heartbroken! I suddenly decided that the time was right to pursue them last week - only for it all to end in sadness and loss.

Any ideas?

Would be amazed and delighted if anyone can help ...

Haven't smelt it MrsC (still available in the department stores) but the reviews suggest it's rather pedestrian, particularly considering the price.

Aww I like OdeH v hard to do hyacinth as a perfume I think. It's so rich. But in the TF I think the galbanam keeps it real if it was cheap Id totally own a FB but yet to get my paws on a TF

SOTD here is Elizabeth Arden's Green Tea - an old favourite

Cat way too many perfume houses fit your desciption...
Could it have been Grossmith and Shem-el-Nessim and the lost and found Edwardian perfume recipe book?
Or maybe it was the first bunch of Tuesdays perfumes (Sunshine and Pancakes, A Kiss by the Fireside).

Then there's this series, but I don't think we have discussed it here.

When I think of beautiful gardens I think of the Hermes Jardins series and Goutal's Ninfeo Mio.

We need more suggestions and more clues

Oooo I bet it was the Edwardian one. I remember that!

Aww I like OdeH v hard to do hyacinth as a perfume I think. It's so rich. But in the TF I think the galbanam keeps it real if it was cheap Id totally own a FB but yet to get my paws on a TF

Hehehe, don't get me wrong, if Tom came knocking at my door with a bottle I wouldn't turn it, or him down

Thanks, Frugal. No, it wasn't any of those. The names and packaging were slightly gothic (in the sense of 'The Castle of Utranto', rather than black lipstick).

The Edwardian one - what was that, wilting?

It's sooo frustrating! I remember you all describing them and your descriptions were utterly fab. I can almost see one of the labels in front of me but ... nothing.

What jogged my memory was the mention of Roullier White because I think they stocked them at one point or I discovered a UK on-line seller at the same time I discovered the existence of Roullier White.

None of which is very helpful. Agh!

I don't think it was me, but I agree with Frugal that Grossmith's revival may be what you are recalling. Sadly I have yet to smell any of them. Grossmith did have a bit of a PR run a couple of years ago when the niche perfume houses decided to run (re-run) their back stories, and it was a lovely narrative. As I recall, a great nephew came across the recipes for the famous Victorian scents and remade them. They haven't maintained the campaign AFAIK and have slipped back into relative obscurity.

Not Grossmith. :-(

Oh well. If we are fated to find each other, it will be.