Lovely Friendly Perfume Thread: Part 3

[MrsCocoa]

Continuing the discussion of all things perfume related. Tell us about your long standing favourites and tell us about the latest finds you've sniffed out. Everyone is welcome.

Thank you for the link GreenPolish - a very interesting read. I haven't tried Library of Fragrance's Grass or Four Leaf Clover' but I do have Wet Garden. It smells like a florist, all green cut stems, foliage and flowers with underlying earth.

Um, perhaps a florist's shop rather than the actual florist!

Well today I had 'not a perfume' on and got complimented on it! Which is a bit odd, as I can't get a whiff of it off myself at all. Maybe emperor's new clothes isn't so bad after all. I'll wear molecule 01 tomorrow and see if I get the same reaction!

Lilylover I think Kingdom was well known for having some skanky notes (not a bad thing, btw) so off the top of my head, you could try Bal a Versailles or Theo Fennell scent, Diorella as well I find has a bit of Eau de Crotch about it

An exciting eBay parcel arrived for me today, vintage diorrissimo

I've been after some for ages and finally bagged a half full bottle. Have had a little test and it smells beautiful, I shall look forward to wearing it properly tomorrow.

Anyone like Penhaligon's? I clicked on an advert for their "scent profile" because I'm such a sucker and got sent some freebies as well as 10 phials from their scent library. Also two free fragrances that my "profile" recommended. I'm hoping against hope an old world sophistication will rub off on me. Anyway, I've just tried their Juniper Sling (listed under gentlemen's fragrances) and it's very lovely and black peppery.

Thanks, LesIncompetents, I'll look into those. I must have a pretty high shank tolerance because to me Kingdom smells pretty wholesome! I wore Boudoir on my wedding day and that's meant to be a bit raunchy too.

Isn't it a pretty website too tobee? I'm going for the two freebies.

Hang on-five fifty p&p?

Yes it is steep p&p but it's my birthday present to me so I splurged! (Now I feel guilty). Actually the two freebies didn't even turn up in the box but I've emailed them and they are looking into it. Plus the p&p is the same for the stuff I paid for as the freebies. I kind of knew I was falling for it. Plus they come in a pretty purple tin. Told you I'm a sucker.

Thanks Calm that sounds right up my street then.

Lilylover I've never smelt Kingdom and at those prices I rather doubt I ever will! But this blog has a host of suggested alternatives, and there are even more in the comments.

LesIncompetents a miniature Diorissimo has just landed here.

Penhaligons, you say. Well, no harm in looking...

Post woman has delivered a little bottle of HR Courant (dry 70s chypre). Absolutely gorgeous stuff! And a bargainous half bottle of L'Heure Bleue - well perhaps not such a bargain. Should've guessed from the colour that those haunting top notes would be off, but the heart and base seem present and correct.

I'm game Green.

Thanks GreenPolish, will try to work out how to do names in bold here soon! I actually follow that blog but had missed that particular post. Lots of ideas to chase up for heady perfumes there, I definitely skew towards the oriental and powdery in my perfume preferences, which is how Kingdom smells on me. Any other suggestions in this vein would be great as I have a birthday coming up!

I really enjoy fun threads like this especially as I don't know anyone offline who shares my fascination with perfume or smells in general. Are any of you like me in noticing whiffs in daily life...good and bad? Some of my favourite smells are the top of my dog's head and the smell of new paperbacks.

After my disappointingly non-green morning, and inspired by ThisThing, I went for the monster that is Paris this afternoon. Made me want to sing Caravan of Love and wear a Kelly McGillis pink jumper (Benetton of course!) round my shoulders.

Oh! Courant- do you know, I remember an advert for this in the very first ever "grown up" teen magazine I ever had. The mag was called Melanie, and I persuaded my gran to buy it me because it had a slimy lipgloss free with it which was my first ever makeup. (hid it from my Mum!)

Inside there was an article on Mother's Day (I guess) and one of the things recommended was Courant perfume which was 49p. Obviously that was way over my budget (we are talking probably mid 70s)

Fab memory, and I shall add it to my list of wants.

Lily I love the plasticky printing-ink smell of new glossy magazines as well as my dog's ears (the velvety outside bits). A perfumed smell which bring back early memories is the Max Factor Creme Puff powder compact because the smell is exactly the same as it was over 40 years ago.

GreenPolish, yes, Wet Garden is interesting, but very fleeting. After an hour or so it dries down to a pleasant floral skin scent and then disappears completely within a couple of hours. I only paid 7.99 for it in T K Maxx, though, so well worth that!

Yes, plasticity ink and paper, nice! Oddly, I find that Gucci Rush smells a little plasticy in a good way on me so I wear it on days when I fancy a little of that fresh magazine smell. Have you tried Chanel Misia for a classic powdery cosmetics smell? It's lovely, has violet in but doesn't last as well as other Chanel scents on me,sadly.

Ooh Misia sounds lovely, will see if I can search out a sample.

Giving the Diorissimo a proper airing today and it's the perfect spring weather. I feel like I should be wearing white broderie anglaise and prancing about like Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music

Diorissimo is lovely, isn't it? Sweet and pretty, but never pink and sugary.

I am in nothing as I have a throbbing head, but have just received the ebay purchases (all from one seller) an extrait de Arpege, an ancient L'aimant and the Coty Paris thing which is sealed. Off to do some detective work.

I have a small sample of Chanel Misia, Lily. To me, it smells like Parma Violet sweets taste - powdery violets and sugar. It doesn't last long on me either, but that could be because I could only dab it on rather than having a few good sprays. It is charming, though, and so pretty.

FM Lipstick Rose is a perfect rose/violet combo - I think it's supposed to smell like old school makeup.

SOTD here was Bella Freud 1970. Have horrible first day of period stomach cramps/headache, so have just had a shower and put on a wee bit of Chanel 19 with my pyjamas.

Wow, my old L'Heure Bleue may be lacking the sublime first two mins , but seems fine after that and 8 hours later is still going strong (how's that for eau de cologne!). I need to compare with the current formulation.

On my other hand I have some vintage Safari, but am not feeling the love so much. Smells like there should be a belt of oakmoss along in a mo which never arrives, and daffodils have no business on the savanna.

I went Chanel No 5 today. I just wanted something familiar. I'm thinking about getting some of the l'exclusif's to sample.

I went Modern Muse today.

I can hardly smell it though as I've a stinking cold. Plus I'm knackered from a late night watching Russell Howard at the RAH with DS ( very very funny guy and rather lush with it ).

I'm gonna eat some chilli and have a hot bath in Radix I think.

Oh and I'm going to put lashings of No 5 oil in my bath. Very soothing connotations for me as my late dad gave me No 5 to wear on my wedding day.