Pink mohicans and cats: Lovely, Friendly Perfume Thread 5

[Pestilentialone]

Blimey we nearly ran out of room. last thread
I'm not in charge, honest. I am in Mary Greenwell's Plum, very nice it is too.

MMM Untitled again today - have just ordered a new bottle of Mitsouko though! (Payday, plus autum.) My cold seems to have stayed level at the "just about to come" stage, so fingers crossed it doesn't progress. Hope everyone feels better soon.

I like Black Opium, but can only wear it when it's cold or I need something comforting. I got a gift set in the January sales, but probably wouldn't have paid full price. I like smelling it in the bottle more than I like it on, I think.

MrsMacnally Ooh Bloom you say, what's bloom? More enabling - love it!

Ooh love TF Tabac Vanille - perfect for a day like this!

Definitely think some PS discovery boxes are better than others, but mostly I've been impressed with the value for money and the note cards which I find helpful. It's just a shame they don't include notes with the 'male' fragrance boxes though. Most of my boxes have a thematic style but there is a lot of variety within. I've found a lot of gems in them and purchased full bottles (also have a longer wish list!).

I always struggled to find fragrances I liked in beauty departments as I didn't know what I was looking for - plus the shop assistants/ packaging are generally not helpful for understanding notes. Smelling at leisure at home with the notes to hand has helped me figure out what I like and don't like. I'm very open to other sources of discovery boxes though [goes off to google bloom]

Bluebell - you might just want to hand your cards over to someone you trust before you click this link...

There's also a yearly subscription I'm trying very hard not to notice. Not sure if anyone has succumbed?

Guerlain counters seems a consistently honourable exception - they seem to recruit enthusiasts .

Haha mrsmacnally - I get paid tomorrow but yes, do need to control myself!

Oh lord...those sample packs...that subscription...Must. Not. Buy.

Christmas is only 16 weeks away, right?!

I had a sort of horrid fascination with Black Opium for a long time. I kept on going back to the department stores for another test, but was really unsure about it. But once I looked up the notes and found that the strange note I could smell was coffee, I understood it. Now I love it and bought a big bottle last time at the airport. It is a sweet, vanilla coffee and white flowers. It's very strong so you need to be careful how much you put on and where you wear it.

I had a lovely session in Les Senteurs this week. They are so helpful in there and very happy for you to test all the amazing perfumes. I wanted to concentrate on the Tauers and managed to try most of them. My two finalists were Incense Rose and Au Coeur du Desert, but I decided on the Incense Rose, feeling I would get more wear out of it. So I bought a bottle of that and was given a sample of Au Coeur to take away. I also tried Fracas, as I had never smelt it. To me, it was very similar to Madonna's Truth or Dare! By the way, they have run out of Oxford. (I was going to test it after recommendations on here).

Welcome Bluebell! I bought a Perfume Society DIscovery Box some time ago and really enjoyed it. You've reminded me to look at the membership offer again, but I probably need to rein in the spending after spending a small fortune on the Tauer!

Calm - that sounds fabulous. Tell us about Incense Rose?

I don't think I've quite forgiven The PS for the box that included 1805. Surely some kind of statutory warning needs to be given upfront for content like that ?

On me, Incense Rose is a very fragrant incensy non-sweet rose. The incense is bright, not austere. Today I have put the tiniest of sprays, one in each elbow crook and one on the back of each arm. I have spent a happy hour just now checking Fragrantica and trying to pick out the listed notes. I can easily pick out cardamom and also the merest hint of something citrussy but, to be honest, not much else. This is because the perfume is so well-blended 💐 or because I am just rubbish at doing it. The interesting thing is that the perfume is smelling slightly different on my arms to my elbows, where it is less citrussy. It is quite wonderful. I suspect that the more I wear it, the more I will be able detect and appreciate.

Welcome Bluebell and hold on to your wallet! These threads are bad for the bank balance. As MrsMac's extremely tempting link proves.

Alas, MrsMac I didn't realise in enough time to head myself off at the pass, so in essence I did end up telling a table of octogenarians they had had their chips or at least all their Tuesdays. And natch the obvious and tactfuI alternative explanation only occurred to me minutes later in true l'esprit de l'escalier fashion.

Black Opium attracts a lot of opprobrium but I like both it and the flanker Black Opium Nuit Blanche a lot. They are syrupy but I think the coffee notes temper the sweetness very effectively. But it's definitely a cold weather scent for me. Fans might also like L'Artisan Parfumeur's Noir Exquis which is less sweet and smells more rarefied.

I think the Perfume Society boxes are great fun though I haven't got that many of them. They are packaged beautifully, the samples are usually a good mix of classic and modern scents, the postcard notes are fascinating and the free gifts are lovely. The trouble is I have so very many untried samples reproaching me already. Including 1805 because its reputation is making me nervous!

Floofy/September Ealing Green is a gorgeous, sharp green isn't it. I'm so pleased you like it. And, yes definitely, MrsMac Silences is just the sort of beautiful green that is right up my street.

Calm apparently Fracas was Madonna's mother's signature scent and hence the inspiration behind Truth or Dare. Clever you to spot it.

Does anyone have any idea how to get hold of the 18ml Tauer travel bottles? Other than a day trip to Switzerland? I am more than a little obsessed with L'Air du Désert Marocain at the moment.

Gourmand lovers have you seen the 4160 Tuesdays Facebook page? Sarah Mac is working on some more Mrs Gloss scents - vanilla custard, rhubarb, and rhubarb and custard. My wallet is trembling already.

SOTD is MMM Untitled. I think I love green perfume almost as much as green polish.

That sounds very lovely Calm - is it a frankincensy incense? (If that makes sense...? Am building up to a samples order....). Know what you mean about the blending of the Tauers - the ones I've smelt have been dense and saturated like tightly woven mats of fabulousness. Other things sniffed alongside can suddenly seem quite pallid...

Do you think that's a body heat thing?

Sorry if I'm sounding like an old grump in respect of The Perfume Society; I have been a loyal subscriber. And only joking about the Beaufort - can see that's of interest as it seems to push right at the boundaries of what perfume is. Some of the collections do have me wondering about the business model I guess. Is this about curating collections of good things, is it about promo-ing mainstream (and not always very interesting) stuff to a highly motivated segment of the market? Feels sometimes like a halfway house? (Which I guess may keep costs down?). I may be overthinking this.... And I completely loved their smelling event.

Green - happy to join you in attempting to crack the 18ml travel size challenge (or to discuss splitting bottles etc...).

Pest - perhaps time to dust off our Zurich travel plans ?

Mrsmac yes, sorry I think it literally was a 24 hr offer at Fragrance Shop, hence my rush to let you all know and fucking up my September username

I absolutely hated Black Opium when I first tried it, I think a lot of hatred stemmed from the fact that I love the original Opium so much! I'm glad I gave it another shot but it's one where I have to grit my teeth to get to the drydown as the initial blast is very...artificial on my skin. Great longevity through.

Some of the Primark perfumes are great I agree, they did a Rose Oud one with polka dots (so possibly a dupe for a MJ?) which smelt a lot more expensive than it was, if that makes sense. I'm sensing (or wishing!) a move away from the Pink Mingers. Hopefully.

That's interesting about Madonna's mother's inspiration. I was thinking about influences this morning as I took my mother shopping and she was wearing vintage Samsara, smelt gorgeous. Green She also liked Ealing Green (my mother, although very lovely, thinks jeans are slightly "common" so as you can imagine, she does an amazing job restraining herself from judgement comments on my pink Mohican and tattoos ) so it was extra nice to bond over fabulous perfume.

I hope people are feeling better, gosh I hate the return to school induced lurgies They are lethal even against our perfume armour!

Thanks for all the Black Opium opinions, folks!

SOTD was Halle Berry - the first/original one. Its very nice for a sleb scent. Warm and ambery, but light. Projection is gentle, so good for the office. Longevity isn't amazing, so needed to reapply at lunchtime.

Feeling a lot better today. Hope all you other sickies are too

Well, much good my perfume armour has done me - sent home from work at lunchtime (in a cab, with a colleague to make sure I didn't keel over!) Woke up feeling fine, by 10am was really, really dizzy and nauseous. Made to lie down with my feet in the air but when I tried to get up apparently I went white as a sheet, and had to lie down again.

Still feeling, frankly, odd, as if my head doesn't belong to me. Think it's either a migraine coming on, or maybe an ear infection brewing. What joy.

SOTD - FM's Dans tes bras. Started off very soapy on me, now is a bit unwashed pants. God knows what it is about my skin chemistry that turns almost everything into soiled underwear

Oh no, kittens. Hope you're being looked after and feel better soon.

SOTD was JM Wood Sage. I blagged a little pot of the body cream in the shop to see if that makes it last better. It doesn't.

Get well soon kittens
I've had a bit of a day too (phone trouble, car trouble, general life trouble)
Sotd was ET diamonds and rubies...just didn't cut it today! :(

Sorry to hear so many are unwell including kittens I've turned a corner today and starting to feel better.

SOTD is Fior di Panna (by I Profumi del Maestro Profumaio) a gorgeous soft and warming scent with amazing longevity, a blend of Iris and rose which is probably why I love it so much (really into Iris right now). I seem to be attracted to Italian perfumes at the moment (merchant of Venice, prada)

I tried Black Opium on way home today - woahh that's a perfume heavy on the vanilla- but not in a good way - I'm not a fan I'm afraid but love the original (not sure I can smell any shared qualities).

I'm pretty happy with the perfume society offerings, but good to get others take on it. Hadn't thought about what they're trying to do. I've not tried any other perfume services so haven't got anything to compare it to. I'd quite like to try a more niche sample service like Bloom, but at the same time I quite like the mix of niche, beauty and fashion houses, even chemist perfumes like Yardley!

I love the original too
I think thats why I dislike it so much

Dries van Noten again. I find myself reaching for this over and again and am fairly certain that I shall end up with a full travel size or even an FB. It's completely linear, sandalwood to the end, but never pushy or dominating and very comforting. I need to save a bit to see how it plays as the weather cools but as autumn seems to be upon us already (jeans, boots and a sweater before September opens) I am starting to think it's love.

Haha my toddler just came in and was looking through my samples- she choose a very fruity gourmand (Salvatore F) and I sprayed a little on arm. Now she's sniffing her arm (and trying to lick it!). Thinks she likes it. Mini perfumista in the making!

Evening all! Hi Bluebell! (Yep, been away that long...!)

Argh you bunch of enablers, these sample sets are so tempting!! My naughty cupboard bottle of London 1969 arrived yesterday (maybe with a sample of Midnight... chucked in for good measure) and I promised myself that would be it for a while. Gah!!!

Calm a long browse in Les Scenteurs sounds so lovely... And on a Tauer note I see quite a few people have samples of Noontide Petals on the way. I really like that one but it is quite familiar. I can't do the descriptions but there is something very classic about it...

Sorry to hear of the assorted sniffles... Being in HE I usually don't need to worry until late September but now I find myself with a school aged chuld this may all be about to change!!

Hah, Black Opium is as divisive as ever, I see. Much as I like it I don't think it is remotely similar to Opium in either its vintage or current formulations either.

I am a numpty MrsMac, the Tauer travel bottles are 15ml. I was muddling them up with Vilhelm Parfumerie's travel size. I think we need to persuade Les Senteurs to stock the Explorer Set. And a split would be a great idea.

Cheap once the DC start school they pick up every bug going and bring it home to you. And they are generally fine after 24 hours of cosseting and pampering, whereas we stagger on looking and feeling like grim death for a fortnight. You have been warned...

Get better soon Kittens and all other poorly perfumistas.

Back to school is next week here, and I'm sure there will be some new bugs that DS has dodged for 14 years in education that will catch us out. As this is his last year, I am looking forward to a germless future.

Today's scent is the PP Sahara Noir, which I like lots even though TF discontinued it before I tried it. It's a dry powdery frankincense and it seems to suit the fin d'été mood. It seems today and tomorrow are the days to relish; then the odds on an Indian Summer fade to nonexistent.

Green and we should get Bloom to carry the Zoologist travel set whilst we're at it. Do you think we've hit a gap in the market? We could run a niche emporium called ' Not a FB'? I guess we might not persuade people to supply us purely on the basis of travel sizes, but as lots of perfume fans are choosing to buy this way, maybe something has to give? I see even the Fragrance Shop are doing an 8ml subscription service now.