Wilko to Zurich...? Lovely, Friendly Perfume Thread 6

[MrsMacNally]

We'll go anywhere in search of things that smell great, and then we discuss them here. Feel free to join us.

[[https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/style_and_beauty/2973003-Pink-mohicans-and-cats-Lovely-Friendly-Perfume-Thread-5 Last thread]

Heading home with a completely tasteless chicken wrap from Leon - oh the glamour! Amour Nocturne still going strong though. Completely fallen for this one...FB-worthy.

Bath, bed then up again at 5am for the trickiest day of my career so far - wish me luck!

Hello, welcome and oh dear HaHa - I now need to inspect TK Maxx for any Library of Fragrance bargains. There were several green-smelling ones I was interested in and for a fiver I could forgive their poor longevity and spritz with abandon.

PIAM, Cheap thank you for the good wishes for DD. I am sure she will have a great time. We will miss her a lot but I am consoling myself with the thought I shall be able to see the floor of her bedroom again. I think the carpet was blue...

I like YSL Cinema 3D. I wouldn't say it was anything remarkable but it has a very pleasant vanilla dry down and decent longevity. Mind you, I do like LVEB but alas, it smells a great deal better on DS than it does on me.

Angélique Sous La Pluie did turn out to be a fleeting beauty but it is so lovely I've re-applied it - twice now. The merest dab of Aromatics Elixir could knock it out with one hand tied behind its back.

Good luck for tomorrow- choose a knock em dead fragrance.

Manifesto is a sweet minger. White rather than pink though. Cinema is lush however. It was the one thing I smelled at Menorca airport and thought "FB worthy".

I have a miniature vintage Arpege...bought in the same eBay grab as Cabochard.
In Diorella tonight. Why, I could lick myself I smell so good.

Up at five Kittens - yuck! Best of luck tomorrow. I think a new perfume might be in order after all this hard work.

I have no idea what modern Arpege smells like but vintage is beautifully elegant.

Good luck kittens

Good luck kittens - I feel for ya, that sounds tough but you WILL get through it and come out the other side. You definitely need to treat yourself

Kicking myself I didn't buy that Arperge now but I can console myself with airport duty free on Friday woohoo. Will report back on any good ones.

Also apologies for splitting up my posts. I struggle to write long posts on my phone and find it easier, but sorry to anyone who gets annoyed with me filling up the thread. I also frequently get interrupted by work/ small child waking/ DH...so have to post fast and furiously!!

No need to apologise Bluebell! I love opening the thread to find lots of posts..and agree about phones. Am too old and clumsy to write coherently on the phone.

Good luck for today Kittens.

In Field Notes From Paris today which is rather surprising. (look how good I'm being as well, trying out new things that have been languishing in the sample boxes for yonks)

It came in a "green" sampling box from that Dutch website- but somehow I imagined from the title it would be flowery. It's not at all, I get cedar, tobacco flower and leather, (all in the notes) but not the orange blossom or honey or any of the sweet things that are also supposed to be there. To me, and on me, at the moment, almost an hour in, it's like Sycomore and Feuilles de Tabac's lovechild.

Field notes from Paris sounds wonderful PIAM - just my sort of scent

What are perfume parlour like? I'm looking at Kilian straight from heaven and Tom Ford Tabacco Vanille for DH. He loves the Kilian sample I brought back from Les Senteurs but it's over £200! I can't believe I can get a decent dupe for £13 from PP. should I send for it? Or are they are a waste of time? What are the best ones people have tried?

Perfume Parlour can be great, can be not.

For example- IMO, Prada Infusions d'Iris (the real one) is not as nice as the PP dupe. Likewise PP Rive Gauche smells more like pre-reformulations RG than the latest incarnation.

Others are totally unrecognisable. It's trial and error really, although my (unscientific) theory is that the more modern and "niche" a fragrance is, the easier it is for PP to copy. The ultra classics, the Chanels and Diors, not so much.

I'll get my box out and see which others I rate.

Poison- not bad, worth a £3 punt for a little bottle
Mitsouko- had this before smelling the real thing. PP is sweeter
Givenchy III- unrecognisable as such
Miss Dior- harsher, more bitter. Not unpleasant, but not Miss Dior
Chanel 22- a minger
Wrappings- as Mitsouko- slightly sweeter than the real thing
Aromatics Elixir- not as sharp.
Cabotine- pretty spot on
L'Air du Temps- slightly lighter somehow than the original but a good dupe
Vol de Nuit- soapier than the original (which IMO is not a bad thing! Love soapy!)
Bronze Goddess- can't tell the difference
Infusions d'Iris- as I said, probably my all time favourite PP dupe. Have now got biggest bottle
Private Collection- bit sweeter than the original
Escape- spot on
Femme- not quite as skanky as vintage Femme but a good dupe
Youth Dew- less sweet than the original and therefore IMO nicer- I don't like the sticky coke smell of the original.
Black Orchid- spot on.
Tuscan Leather- probably better than the real thing. Especially as all TFs IMO are Emperor's New Clothes.
Carnal Flower- very different to the original, but I like it nevertheless.
Musc Ravageur- very very sweet and heavy on vanilla. It's a minger for me
Nahema- never smelled the original but like this. it's a fizzy rose if that makes any sense!
Paloma Picasso- a good dupe- seems like an EDt version instead of an EdP
Sahara Noire- never smelled the original. This is too sweet for me and smells like what a lot of women these days smell like.
Jicky- never smelled the original, but I like the PP one
Sycomore- love this one. Cedar and soap.
Sicily- never smelled original- but this is lovely summery citrus and apricot
Gris Montaigne- very strong and aftershavey. Never smelled original
Opium- spot on
Manifesto (YSL) minger (but then so is the original!)
Ysatis- unrecognisable
Chanel 19- unrecognisable
Colonial Water- strong aftershave
Poeme- very very heavy on the white flower, but not in a minger way.
Fendi (orignal) spot on

I enjoyed cataloguing those! Didn't realise I had quite so many.

Oh, JM Sage and seasalt thingy- excellent dupe also.

Ooh interesting list PIAM, that's useful to know

Arpege is one of the Best Perfumes Ever, IMHO. I love it so much I haven't tried the Eclat version in case it's disappointing (that logic seems rather thick now I've typed it out ) Sorry Bluebell that makes it more annoying doesn't it?! Go back and get it

Green best of luck for your DD - it's so exciting for them going through all the "life stages" isn't it. I'm half waiting for, and half dreading, mine moving out of home so for you both! I gave my parents plenty of grey hairs, at that age, so I'm waiting for Karma to bite me.

Kittens I am sending positive vibes to you - hope it's going very smoothly, and your perfume armour is protecting you! Fingers crossed for you.

Interesting to read opinions on Clinique Aromatics - this is one I can't bear, sadly, and usually I just love big behomoths. It just doesn't smell pleasant at all, to me.

Judy I hope you are dodging the lurgy and feeling OK - have PMed you! My thoughtful DDs brought me back a tester strip they had sprayed Gabrielle on, and it smelt lovely on there. I feel the need for something kind of inoffensive and just nice at the moment.

In direct contrast to that comment, currently wearing the PP Sweety Almond. I'm ashamed that I love it, as I love it whilst realising it is terribly tasteless and definitely a PM by most standards There is so much cherry it smells artificial at first then I just smell like marzipan. This is a Very Good Thing.

I'm desperate to get to TK Maxx. In fact I'm desperate to get out of the house! There is perfume sniffing to be done and I know our TKM has Library of Fragrance in - some of them are great value for a spritzy linear body spray type perfume so I want to go, damnit. I shall report back if I make it

3D YSL Cinema is gorgeous, a sweet vanilla gourmand with flowers and a rich dry down. I keep testing it in Debenhams and it's on my list to buy along with a few zillion others.

Kittens the notes of Amour Nocturne sound delightful - another one to test! I hope all went well today for you. 👍

Bluebell, I have quite a few PPs. I'm away from home, so cannot list them all, but here are some of the highly recommended ones:

Hypnotic Poison
Midnight Poison (nb I've never tried the original)
Cafe Rose TF
Tobacco Vanille TF (Yay for Bluebell's DH!)
Blackberry & Bay JM
Amber & Lavender JM (quite masculine this, although gorgeous - DH has taken it over)
Pear & Freesia JM
Virgin Island Waters C...reed
Sycomore

The JMs last longer than the originals, as does the Virgin Island. Will have a think and add more later.

I am now post-shower and in Bandit.

Love it.

Definitely on my FB list. I feel so feisty I should be wearing a leather catsuit and swishing my sultry locks around. (am in my Asda nighty and about to stuff my face with roast chicken but hey ho)

SOTD is L'Air de Rien, inspired by yesterday's chat.

floofy I have Gabrielle and a few other bits (poss also a load of cat hair) packaged up and sitting on the kitchen table, but no PM... can you resend?

I came in from work to find my cat installed on my fleecy heated throw on MY SEAT. Apparently she was cold after being outside so DP put it on for her, and now she's not for budging. Good job she's cute, the wee monster.

Oh PIAM you ruined the image!!.....
I think I may be coming down with lurgy going around school
Sigh
Dh not back til Saturday

Judy have PMed you again, don't know what happened there sorry!

Heated blankets are amazing - FloofyCat and I regularly have territorial disputes over mine she usually wins

Trying to think if I have tried any PPs that haven't been mentioned already!

Lush Karma - just like the original, maybe a touch less citrus but still fabulous (realise this is a Marmite perfume though!)
JM Pomegranate Noir - haven't tried the original but the PP dupe smelt very nice and longevity better than "real" JMs
Kenzo Amour - very close

The best I have tried were definitely the Hypnotic Poison and Paloma Picasso.

Karma is the only lush scent I like
My beloved Dior addict again today - I'm getting boring 😁
Bloody seller cancelled my order of agent provocateur....thought the price was too good to be true! Grr
I thought cinema was discontinued!? I shall have to try it next time I'm on town
I like paloma Picasso
Kenzo amour sounds right up my street 👍

Allbeauty seem to have lots of Agent Provocateur Badders. It was everywhere a couple of days ago and now a quite a few are sold out. £18.50 for 50ml

SoTD is Mary Greenwell Plum

Thank you for all the good vibes - they definitely helped 😊

So home, on the sofa with wine and a fish supper. Can relax a bit finally. SOTD was Amour Nocturne again - I'm going to hunt down a FB of this on eBay I think, because it's just so lovely.

PIAM, your perfume parlour list is amazing! I've never bought anything from there but it's very tempting now. And I'm intrigued by all the love for Dior Addict - might try and score a sample...

Super lists PIAM and Calm. I'm taking careful note of your recommendations. I remember the PP version of Hypnotic Poison Calm brought to the 4160s workshop smelt just like the real thing.

Badders get well soon. Oh and Fragrance Direct has 25 mls of Agent Provocateur for £12.95 and 30 mls for £14.99.

Floofy thank you for the good wishes and yes, it is a bit alarming to have the PFB set off into the big, wide world to seek her fortune. But she'll be going with rather more possessions than would fit in a hanky tied to a stick - I'm thinking the car is going to be something of a squash!

I am so glad the cats can't read because they would be thoroughly disgusted to learn that they are missing out on heated blankets.

Today's sample (I am trying to plough through the untrieds) was Givenchy Live Irresistible which was most definitely pink, but fortunately an unexciting inoffensive fruity floral rather than a minger. I wouldn't buy a bottle but it wasn't a scrubber. SOTD was Clinique Aromatics Elixir in all its fabulous mossy grown-up glory. Thank you for prompting me. It is so, so huff-able.

Than you so much to PIAM and calm for your amazing lists! You guys are fab. I will be trying some of these for sure

Green - glad you enjoyed wearing Aromatics Elixir after the reminder. I love rediscovering old perfumes I used to wear. I have some many significant memories associated with perfume, I find smell so evocative.

I'm quite sozzled after day at spa with hubby and dinner & cocktails in town to celebrate a significant anniversary. A rare child free night out and we went a bit mad! But we're up early in the morning to fly to a big family celebration... oops!

I've already warned DH I will be dragging him around the Perfume duty free shop for Perfume Parlour dupe shopping research! That will motivate me to get up early with wine headache!

SOTD Vanille D'Irs by Ormonde Jayne... ''twas alright but nothing to write home about. Love some of her others but this was meh. Not worth £160 either as longevity/ silage not great. I had a sample

What brilliant PP lists! - to add my own observations:

• Chanel No 19 - agree totally unrecognisable as that, but actually a fairly spot on dupe for Aromatics Elixyr - same green, mossy note
• Midnight Poison - fairly close to the original on first application(lovely citrus musk) but drydown is weaker / less rosey
• JPG Classic - Never smelt the original but this smells like Loulou to me

Jo Loves Green Orange and Coriander - Never smelt the original but this is horrific - screechy lemon that lasts forever Hermes Jardin En Mediterranee - Never smelt the original but this is lovely - subtle herby green Ysatis - this smells like sandalwood joss sticks to me - but I like it

Morning all! Feeling refreshed and revitalised after a decent night's sleep, first one in days.

Nearly spoiled my good mood with SOTD though - tried Killian's Good Girl Gone Bad which was an immediate scrubber. Absolutely vile screechy floral, waaay to heavy on the tuberose for me. And yet...dull. How is it possible for a scent to be both revolting and boring? The 99p handwash I used to remove it had more nuance. Quite an achievement, snake-guy

So reverted to the spicy comfort of 5oclock gingembre instead. Yum.