The Scarf of a Thousand Scents: Lovely, Friendly Perfume Thread 4

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Welcome to instalment number four of the friendly perfume lovers' thread. Pop in and tell us your SOTD, share your discoveries or ask a question because one of us is likely to know the answer.

Everyone is welcome to join in, whether you are dipping a toe in scented waters for the first time, or a full-blown fragrance addict.

Can anyone help me choose a perfume (or at least some to sample?). I have never really worn perfume (other than a few times as a teen when I liked Anna Sui Secret Wish because it smelled a little bit like gin & tonic lol).

I got some samples from Penhaligon's - I'm a sucker for their branding. I did the scent finder thingy on their website and they recommended Clandestine Clara and Luna. There's something about them I'm not keen on but I don't have the perfume vocabulary to pinpoint it. DH declared them both 'old lady'.

I want something fresh, youthful, fruity?, sweet? but not... sickly sweet. Something not overtly feminine, because I feel like I'm not particularly polished/presentable/a girly-girl. But something that's not manly either.

I have no clue where to start, no-one I know well really wears perfume. But I have this weird desire to.

Yesterday bought Jo Malone's Silk Blossom after smelling it on someone recently, lovely and fresh & summery ~ excited for its arrival

had a bit of a splurge and have bought SJP Stash, which i bought in person so have already tried and it is fabulous, dry, green, woody, incensy, will be a great autumn/winter scent, its a touch too heavy for summer i think and online I bought JHAG Romantina which i can't wait to try once it arrives. Debating whether to get ET Diamonds and Rubies, ive looked it up on fragrantica and it sounds right up my alley

Hello Highcastle - I haven't smelt those Penhaligons, but for a magnificent fruit floral with wood and musk notes, which is sweet without being sickly, I'd suggest you try Babylon Sunset from 4160 Tuesdays. This isn't a go-to category for me but I think, this is magnificent. Recall it was originally created for someone's 21st birthday, so gets a tick in the youth box too.

The joy of 4160s is that you can order individual samples or 9ml bottles to try things out. They have sample sets too.

One night....do it!! I have diamonds and rubies which I bought as a recommendation from fragratica and it's gorgeous!! :)
Highcastle...im Not too knowledgable on light florals but SJP lovely is very well thought of in perfume circles
Or perhaps some of the marc Jacobs daisy versions?

Today's sotd is Pampelune, hastily sprayed on as i left the house at the ungodly hour of 6.20 to come to work.

Might be RG for me today

My RG (PP) is almost finished, so I may finish that off today. Have just been wearing that and Anais Anais for comfort purposes since dcat disappeared....posters now up around the 'hood. Was in pyjamas last night when got a phone call saying there was a black cat sat under a car round the corner so we all dashed round- by which point he'd gone, but there was the Other Black Cat of the 'hood fast asleep on the wicker sofa on the cat lady's terrace so I'm guessing it was that one. We couldn't see the tail (ours is wonky, don't know if I said) so we all shouted his name and the name of his favourite (Sheba) food but he didn't lift his head up so obviously not ours.

The collections of vintage Avons are great value- there are another 2 sets x 4/5 bottles each been posted on ebay I noticed- won't ship to Italy or I'd have nabbed them. I shall get my Avon fill over the summer when I hit Kent!

Welcome Highcastle! I haven't liked anything from Penhaligons oddly, though haven't tried much. You might like the L'Occitane scents- they are sometimes quite zingy and fruity without straying into sweet and cloying. Dd has loads of them.

Now I want Choc de Cardin, MrsCocoa!

VP sorry to hear mog is til AWOL. There was a 30ml bottle of Choc closing for £12 which is good! Considered stockpiling but funds don't currently permit .

Aqua Manda and Roma are ending soon too - blimey, it's like my whole early olfactory life is rushing towards me this morning .

Oooh love Roma...I bought some in Rome many years ago!
I'm hot and sticky and for some mad reason coooking a full Sunday lunch...

I am sure Badders wandered in here to enquire about buying one bottle of perfume. Glad to see you have been totally assimilated into the perfumaholics.
Floofy yes to mohican, no you can not make those trouser compulsory for SH wear.
This half price scent of the week thing from 4160 is going to break us, especially as you can happily add in other samples for no more p&p.
SotD is Ambre Pamplemousse Rose by L`Atelier des Bois de Grasse. Citrus, rum and woody with a bit of rose and spice plus an undertone of sunbaked skin. I like it because it has hints of DF's bay rum summer aftershaves. DD (an avid Poison wearer) found is good enough to borrow when she was last down.
Glad to see some more Covet fans.
Looking forward to the workshop, got to workout what my creation needs to be wearable preferably

Yes...
It seems a long time ago now! :)
I need more storage for all my purchases now!...

Mmmm storage, might need to oust DH's smelly stuff to another cupboard. The shelf is nearly full. Also need a box to put all the little samples in and still maintain easy access.

Saw this on Twitter...
twitter.com/Independent/status/876399091323879425

Hey Pest!

I've had to invest in several of those industrial looking storage boxes for DIYers/Hobbyists. Thanks to all the vintage action here this spring, I think I might need another one...oh, and a shed to keep them in...

Hey Cocoa have worked my notice out and am rejoining life.

Thank you auld I do have a secret love for Milton Lloyd but haven't tried that one I like their J'Adore dupe but can't remember the name off hand.

OneNight I tend to just buy samples from eBay sellers but I usually search for the sample I want, I don't have any particular sellers but I always like to see a photo of the FB and check their feedback. Think scentsamples site is used on here too?

Highcastle oh I love Penhaligon's but Elderly Lady is what I aspire to! If you like the gin and tonic feeling, my SOTD might be one for you as I smell like a walking mojito - Virgin Island Water by Creed. £££ so might be worth getting a sample first. Lime-y, unisex, gorgeous and just sunshine in a bottle - I can only wear it on hot days.

And on that note, pestilential - bay rum! Love it. Bay rum and antimacassars I was born in the wrong era.

Hello to all fragrant people here, hope you are all enjoying lovely weather - it's 83 degrees here. FloofyCat (I do mean the cat rather than referring to myself in the third person in a wanky manner ) is most unhappy. She has far too much floof to be comfortable on hot days. Perhaps I should give her a pink floofy Mohican.

Hmm. I think I have found my next name change...although I was most taken by your comment calm "perfume cats and pink mohicans"

UGH I am so so hot, I can't seem to cool off at all and i am guzzling water and juice by the pint im so thirsty! we've got pork in the slow cooker to do pulled pork with when its cooked so no slaving over the cooker for me and went out for breakfast which was nice as we dont do it often.

Thanks for the sample tips floofy i'll have a search on ebay and see what i come up with

anyone else tried Stash yet? it really is good, lasted hours on me and i still caught tiny whiffs even after a shower

the JHAG should be delivered tomorrow according to tracking so fingers crossed i dont miss it and then have to wait for it! its my first JHAG fragrance so quite excited

I have two, empty vintage avon perfume bottles, one is a swan with a golden crown and the other is a green egg on a little stand with butterflies and flowers on the sides of the egg. No idea what used to be in them, ive had them since i was very young

MrsCocoa - huge Choc fan here. It manages to be heavy and citrusy at the same time. I've got 2 bottles to keep me going and it does crop up on ebay for reasonable prices (auctions never seem to get too expensive anyway).
Anyone remember Worth Fleurs Fraiches? I keep my eye out but haven't seen any.

Getting your life back sounds good Pest.

glad to have found a fellow Choc enthusiast. It's from 1981 and it is almost like a bridge between the best bits of the 70s (seriously dry green mossy chypres) and 80s (monster sandalwood, patchouli and animalic notes). Don't think I'll ever want to be without it

Hi all. Been busy busy lately, but just catching up on the thread.

I've been drenched in Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche lately, as can't bear anything but the freshest, most citrus scents in this sticky weather. Only made one detour to Carier Le Panthere for a trip to the opera . Got a 5ml sample of the stuff languishing in the back of a drawer and thought it would be more grown up and sophisticated for the opera. Not convinced...but musty on my skin.

I might have to crack out the PP dove soap or nivea soap dupes tomorrow at work as I'm a sweaty mess. Ick.

*Cartier

Onenight, I second Scentsamples - I have always found them reliable. Also Notino sell samples. And I love Stash - beautiful and uncompromising, but definitely one for winter! I'm a great fan of SJP perfumes in general.

Welcome highcastle! If you live anywhere near a shopping centre, I would recommend going along to somewhere like John Lewis, Debenhams or even a large Boots. Try a few samples on tester paper first and then pick out a couple that you like and have a spritz on each arm. Then over an hour or two let the scent develop and keep sniffing! If you can find a knowledgeable sales assistant they can suggest some for you to try and may even give you same samples to take away. Some suggestions for you from main stream shops are: Hermes Le Jardin sur Le Nil (or any of the Jardin range); L'Artisan's Mure et Musc, or Premier Figuier; Sisley's Izia or Soir de Lune; Mugler's Alien or Womanity (weird but very beautiful); Miller Harris (various); Lolita Lempicka.

SotD Eau Neuve de Lubin.Citrus and herbs. This has the same slight, elastoplast on warm skin note as Lyn Miller's Le Cologne - wondering if this is thyme?