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]

Intrigued by Avignon. Never got to the Somerset House exhibition and feeling ultra gutted about that .

Ended up wearing 4160T Doe in the Snow today. Havent worn it since last Christmas. It was quite a shock after all the vanilla stuff I've been drowning myself in lately (Addict, Amour, Manifesto L'Elixir), but ever so lovely and very much perked me up . I'd forgotten the lovely oakmoss-and-citrus peel dry down. Gorgeous.

I am browsing Christmas websites (vintage Christmas is my second passion after perfume!) and wearing Diorella. God but it's a beaut. When I wear Diorella it's my favourite Dior, then I wear Dioressence and that is. Oh fickle me.

PIAM - I'm the same with Diorella and Dioressence! They're both captivating.

Thanks for the advice re Lanvin Arpege. I bought some and I love it. Thought I would road test it before gifting another bottle of it to my mum.

It is very similar to Chanel no 5 but more powdery. As it is drying down it seems more complex.

I also tried Hermes Caleche today and that worked beautifully with my chemistry- I kept sniffing my wrist. That is on my to get list now.

Any other recommendations much appreciated 🙂

Caleche is gorgeous, Squashit. I managed to score some vintage Caleche earlier this year - a quarter full 50ml bottle -and I only wear it occasionally to eek it out. Very special stuff.

PIAM, snap. SOTD is Lonestar Memories, by accident - I actually meant to pick up a sample of LDDM and got this instead. I have a full bottle of this so no idea why the sample's even still knocking about with a tiny dribble in it.

Oh, and I realised today that the John Lewis Christmas website is GO!

SsoftD have been Traversee du Bosphore and Kenzo L'Elephant. Both recent discoveries that feel completely perfect right now - and sit beside each other very comfortably. Although they don't appear to share very many listed notes, leather gourmand and oriental gourmand respectively, there is a similiarity in their style.

It's a relief to already have plenty of Babylon Sunset (picked up a bottle still going under the original name of Says Alice in someone's closing down sale). Everyone should have some . It's a joyous, youthful celebration of everything that's beautiful about life. It has the same exuberance as Shazam! And a rich swell of fruit like MnitPG, but is less knowing and more floral.

I've just had a bath and switched to vintage Shalimar. Good stuff.

SoTD is my concoction from 4160. Oh boy has it settled down. It is now a smokey, slightly skanky tuberose with sparkly bits. Sort of what I envisaged in the first place.

I love Dioressence and Diorella so much.

I'm wearing "Fire" again today. It's chilly here.

Can anyone give me a personal description of "Oxford", please? I've read the notes and it sounds lovely but I'd love a personal, evocative description (does that make sense?).

SOTD is Jasmin et Cigarette. Love the jasmine - it is my favourite floral. My OH hates it.

I was thinking about my own history with perfume and realised that I used to spend years being faithful to just one or two perfumes. These one or two changed as I matured - White Musk - Anais Anais - L'eau D'Issey- Theorama- Sicily. It was when Sicily was discontinued that I started to build a selection of different perfumes - I didn't want to become reliant on just one scent I loved only for it to be discontinued.

Have you all always been more experimental with your perfumes?

SOTD is Avignon. God, I love this more each time I put it on.

I can't believe that 6 months ago I didn't even know perfumes like this existed. I wonder if I'll ever wear poor old Eau Dynamisante ever again?

Perfect x-post boldly!

I've certainly never been experimental with perfume. Before finding these threads I was a confirmed 'splash on a bit of whatever Clarins are doing this year and forget about it' gal. I've always worn perfume, but never thought much about it. I had absolutely no idea about this strange and wonderful world! I still don't really - so much still to learn - but I'm becoming mildly obsessed and I love it. Perfume used to be an added extra to my day - it's now integral to it.

I was another serial fragrance monogomist - Chanel 19 / Lou Lou / Eden and Paloma Picasso being my big 90's loves until I gave up smoking and regained my sense of smell. I also had a big birthday and realised that life is too short to tie yourself down to one "signature scent" and since then it's been a fragrance adventure!

I was half and half.

My mum and grans all had lots of perfumes so I suppose it was always on the cards that I would at least have some rather than one.

My Mum would always buy me a different one at Christmas- always something "of the moment" I suppose- I remember getting from her my first forays into: Red Door, Allure, Lumiere, Eau du Gucci, Oscar de la Renta etc.

I did have signatures, in more or less chronological order I have associated myself with Anais Anais, Givenchy III, Obsession, Rive Gauche,Ysatis, Poison, Chloe, Dune. That takes us to about 91 after which it gets much more eclectic.

Oddly, Chanel 19 (which is probably the only constant repeat buy now that Obsession has been mangled into a PM and is no longer fit for purpose (and obvs now I am no longer 25 and rocking the sexy rockchic look ) only appeared in my life (as a purchase) about 10 years ago. Prior to that it had been significant best friends who had worn it and given me the olfactory memories once removed! (roommate during freshers' year and then best friend during year in Spain)

Yes, Puppy that's how I feel now - life is too short to focus on one scent. I'm enjoying exploring the different types of perfume and it has helped me to figure out what I really like and also what just doesn't seem to work on my skin. Skin chemistry is very interesting.

I'm very intrigued by Avignon. I love the idea of a churchy incense. Where would be the best place to get a sample in the uk? Is Scent Samples any good?

Morning all!

The Adventures in Perfume phase is very recent for me. I've also been a serial scent monogamist for most of my life. My past signatures were White Musk, L'Air du Temps, Fidji, Magie Noire, Chanel 19 and Illamasqua Freak.

I think access to samples and information about perfume used to be so much more limited that there wasn't the same temptation to dabble with different fragrances. As it is, I think I was introduced to three of my signatures in the miniature sets Boots used to sell at Christmas.

I also remember perfume departments in the 1980s as being fairly repellant - the fug of overpowering heavy-hitters trying to outdo each other was so dense I used to scuttle through holding my breath. I would never have believed how fond I would be of some of those same scents one day - individually and in moderation!

Plus back then I smoked so I doubt I would have been able to detect and appreciate the nuances of different scents in the same way I can today - it doesn't make me any better at identifying individual notes but it does mean I can smell the differences.

Oxford, cat is a yet another lesson to me not to blind buy. Green, woody, beautifully blended and to me, irredeemably masculine. It conjures up Saville Row tailoring, crisp white cuffs and vintage silver cuff links in my mind. I can't wear it and DH doesn't do 'scent'. But DS is not so far off the Lynx years so it may well become a very welcome alternative one day. Here's a review from a blogger who loves it.

Sample of the day is CK One. Hmm, how did this anaemic, low calorie, watery, air freshener take over the world? It is inoffensive but so boring.

Love the scent sheep badge, MrsMac. And I even have Yardley Lace and White Satin to prove I am one.

Boldly I think it is Pest we have to thank for this useful and likely to be ruinously expensive link.

Green, thank you!

Cinema - vintage Shalimar sounds lush

Kittens - yes, a perfumery hobby is addictive and v expensive. It's not so different to an interest in fine wines or whiskey. You can't go back once you've tried the good stuff

SOTD is Ruth Mastenbroek Amarosa. I'm stinking the office out in clouds of melon and woody loveliness

I caved and pre-ordered a Look Fantastic advent calendar last night. It will be my first beauty advent calendar. I don't expect perfume samples, but the box looks perfect for storing my sample collection afterwards. I was considering Liberty but not fussed about some products (I might buy it and resell stuff I don't want). Will likely buy M&S for my mum - I know she'll give me the Shay and Blue I'm disappointed there aren't affordable perfume sample calendars out there. I'm planning to make my own next year once I have the vessel.

MrsMac at my enabler badge - very apt!

Mary are you the MNer who asked for wedding scent ideas? Apologies if not, my memory is dire. If so, hope you are still blissfully post wedding, I never realised you are officially a “bride” for a whole year until I got married.

Judy talking of blissful events, J Lewis Christmas you say?!

Love scent monogamist! “My name is Floofy and I used to be a scent monogamist too”. Usual Body Shop suspects like Dewberry, Anais Anais, LouLou (I see a theme here with us all ) Paris, Amarige, Paloma Picasso and my grown up one was Chanel No 5 Eau Premiere plus various assorted gift scents. I only got sucked into The Perfume World when (oh the irony) I was trying to put together a list for my DC and find another “signature scent” from knowledgable MNers. That worked out well

I still have a list for the DC and it’s about eight pages long now! I think it might have been a waste of time really as I think they will associate me most with my “bed” perfume of L’Aimant, although Anais Anais has been used for this purpose recently also.

I never realised what a pleasure perfume could be, I used to associate it with routine, like shoes, coat, perfume but now it’s much more than that. I love perfume and these days I see it more in the Frivolous Pleasures Category (see also jewellery and nice shoes) than Essential Routine Category (see also deodorant and toothpaste). Unfortunately this new love came just at the time I stopped earning enough money for the first Category Possibly a blessing in disguise.

I have also had some lovely chats and advice and support from fabulous Perfumistas (let alone lovely samples!) and I think this is the friendliest and kindest quiche on MN (especially recently).

I've always been surrounded by some perfume. DM had Chanel, Guerlain, Coty and Caron. She would pick according to mood and always stressed the importance of a perfume or EDP at a push, none of this EDT rubbish She then became very disabled with an auto-immune disease and developed a gazillion allergies, so stopped wearing perfume.

DF was a bit of a dandy and probably the only man in the 70s to moisturise and apply scent (he had troublesome skin). He had a fantastic stash of bay rums, eau de colognes and other weird stuff, a whole shelf. He would forever try and distract me with them when he was brushing his teeth, only way to avoid spitting on me (we shared a bathroom slot in the mornings as it was the only time he saw me) When he was old and had suffered a stroke, he used to sniff me and show his approval or disapproval. DSis once asked why he used to sniff me and not my other siblings, it was just our thing.

ExDH kept me supplied with No5 as he liked it and Joy as it was a status symbol (followed by JPG for the bottles) then sneered when I bought eau de colognes. After we separated, I said fuck it and started choosing my own. (Budget was much reduced)

In the last decade I have become much more of a perfume Ho-er and will test anything. The 80's power-houses were at bit OTT, 90's were a breath of rather weak insipid fresh air. I am bad at following fashion and very happy with the expansion of niche. Covet was one perfume that made me think "there is different stuff out there, look for it".

SOTD is L'Air de Rien again.

I've always been a perfume slut. When I was at university I worked in a shop which was part of the same group as Debenhams, so I got staff discount, plus a Debenhams charge card thing - the card was always up to its limit with perfume! School was Miss Dior proper, and Anais Anais. The uni years smelled of CK Eternity, Cabotine de Gres, and Carolina Herrera in the white box with black polka dots, then latterly Issey Miyake and Venezia by Laura Biagotti, amongst others. I was given Chanel No 5 for my 21st, which was what actually prompted me to investigate other Chanels - I've done time with them all, but got into 19 shortly after that and have always had a bottle on the go since. I had a Dior phase in my late 20s/early 30s, Addict and J'Adore, and my tastes have grown steadily wider and more expensive since.

(Fun fact. At 18 I had a much older boyfriend who Mumsnet would have described as emotionally abusive. A massive arse. He hated all perfume, and claimed he was allergic to it, so I wasn't "allowed" to wear it. As soon as we broke up, I decided I needed to try (and buy!) ALL the perfumes.)

I have tried all three of the Next luxury perfumes and my favourite is the Amber one. Unlike most Next perfumes these ones have staying power and are well formulated. The Amber one has dried down into a sweet woodsy yet slightly spicy smell. Really nice actually.