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]

SOTD is Black Opium for a cold, wet Sunday. I was over-joyed when my friend cancelled our coffee date this afternoon, meaning I didn't have to go out and could do bath/new pyjamas instead of getting dressed. We've had takeaway pizza for tea, and I've watched both Strictly and X Factor - lovely Sunday!

Good to hear your DS2 is on the mend Cheap. Would wrapping him in a blanket help with the inhaler? It works when giving cats medicine and they are just as wriggly as toddlers and have more sharp bits.

Mitsouko is indeed a grand dame scent MrsMac, worthy of the formidable Aunt Alicia in Gigi, but it's a beautiful, warm spicy thing. I'm sure you'd like it. And Kittens I reckon everyone on this thread deserves a frolic in the Guerlain palace and an engraved bottle to treasure. It does look very posh surrounded by the other eBay bargain part-used Guerlains!

I agree about proper grown up scents usually being oakmoss behemoths. I'd add spice monsters too. So I think of Aromatics Elixir, Private Collection, Y, Magie Noire (how did I think I could wear this as a teenager!), Vol de Nuit, Youth Dew and Opium as very grown up. Very, very gorgeous too. The more I sniff the more my tastes expand, I'm finding. I'm sure not so long ago I'd have found Vol de Nuit repellant. Now, even though I swear I can catch a whiff of unemptied ashtray, I think it's wonderful.

DD has gone off with Black Perfecto. I must beg a squirt when I see her. Lady Rose Lion (Monkey Unicorn) rather reminded me of Babylon Sunset as I recall, but I've only tried my sample once.

Sample of the day was Paco Rabanne Lady Million Prive which was unmemorable, so I was very happy to replace it with my bargain Jicky. Spice, vanilla and lavender - it smells heavenly.

Do pop in anyway Sherry. I'm sure we all have enough untrieds to natter about for the rest of the year. And I'm quite sure I should be on a no-buy too! Only my good intentions never seem to last...

Ah - yes, Jicky, that should be on the grown-up list too. Green I have some Mitsouko (scored the last inch of a bottle), and I admire it very much, but it makes me think of head-teachers, or otherwise uber sorted-out and well-put together women ...

I spotted some Soir de Lune when I was sorting out; that's going in the 'try me' box. And I discovered Eau de Campagne over the summer. (Cannot think of tomato leaf notes now without thinking of Pest and Calm).

Speaking of Campagne, Jean Claude Ellena is a prolific nose isn't he? Responsible for so many lovely things. L'Artisan Amber Extreme is now also getting a bump into the frame for the next week or so. Anyone read his book?

Cabochard, Vent Vert, Emeraude, Caleche, Miss Dior originale, Diorella, Dioressence, Fidji, White Linen, Private Collection, N5, N19, Je Reviens, L'Aimant, Tweed, Panache, Aromatics Elixir - I'd class all these also as "grown up"
It's the old (and v beloved "grande same chypre" thing innit?

Well this calls for I am an uber-sorted-out and well-put together grand dame

Just a thought, have you noticed how now all the Noses have stopped smoking Gitane, more and more perfumes have the smell of tobacco, pipe, cigarette and ash-tray?

If you've got it, flaunt it Pest! I feel like a bit of an impostor...

MrsM Mitsouko is quite happy to be worn with walking boots and a dirty old woolly jumper.

Did Agatha Christie wear chypre? A suitable and expensive scent as opposed to an exotic and expensive scent.

Agree with you all - grown up perfume = Chypre. I wear Coty L'aimant

But I also think powdery or vintage make up perfumes are grown up too - perhaps because they are in juxtaposition to the sea of fruity, sweet perfumes on the market today.

Case in point - scent of the day was E Coudray Iris Rose, which has a powdery vintage make up/ hair setting vibe.

Yes Chypre definitely = grown up scent. The comment above about Magie Noir also made me smile as I was exactly the same as a teenager - drowning myself in the most adult of lady scents in an attempt to acquire some sophistication- the olfactory equivalent of tottering around in mummy's high heels!

Powdery is definitely grown up, perhaps verging more towards "old lady" (I notice from the other perfume thread we are in trouble for saying that!) I think perfumers have to be careful with powdery.

I am going to rummage out my PP versions of Mitsouko, Jicky and Vol de Nuit and dedicate some time to observing them, as I feel they deserve, and I've probably never done properly.

Old Guerlains really are something aren't they? Hard to believe the same house can produce the likes of those above and then the cack they are turning out now.

31 Rue Cambon today. Definitely one for the grown up box.

Tobacco-Vanilla- that came out of the sample box today (but I shoved it back in and went for 31 RdC) wholeheartedly agree on the too-heavy-on-the-vanilla bit. Shame, because I love tobacco-y scents. (and I speak as an ex-Vanilla-holic, my room was once full of vanilla candles, joss sticks, wore Vanilla Fields etc etc) Now, unless included very very subtly it should, frankly, have a PM warning on the bottle.

Am wearing the very un-grown-up Invisible Ben this morning. Full of cold with an irritating tickly cough, I wanted something unchallenging, but I wish I'd swathed myself in something warmer and spicier instead of this. Although it does have a slight Lemsip vibe!

Green, I agree with 'the more I sniff the more my tastes expand'; the Frederic Malle SA asked me on Saturday 'What kind of perfumes do you like?' and the temptation to just say 'well, good ones' was strong except that would have been rude. Whilst I do have a preference for orientals, woods and chypres, every time I think 'oh I don't like x' I find something that changes my mind. Although that simply be that I'm not terribly discerning

Yes PIAM - seeing such space devoted to La Petite Robe Noire/L'Instant/Mon Guerlain and all their tedious flankers, with Chamade and Apres L'Ondee shoved in a drawer, only to be taken out if a customer specifically requested, was quite a depressing state of affairs.

Gosh that 'old lady perfume' thread kicked off a bit didn't it?

Having caught up with this thread over breakfast, I'm in Lady Rose lion today. I'm still not sold on this, it's got a bit too much peach for my liking. I do like Mitsouko though. Like Kittens, my tastes have expanded massively, this is one of the first four samples I ever ordered off the back of these threads (I liked the name), and when I first smelled it I hated it and had to scrub it, it made me feel sick, like rotting hay. The only one I really liked from that first batch was Sexiest Scent. A few months and many samples later, I tried them again and found Sexiest Scent really one-note and bland, and this had grown on me. I still don't think I'm grown up enough to love it, but I don't hate it. I'm wearing a slip under my dress and dark red lipstick to heighten the grown-up feel!

I'm in Glasgow today on a course and they're the only place in Scotland to stock the Chanel exclusifs, so I'm hoping to sneak away from the other delegates at lunchtime and go sniff Coromandel, I've tried to order samples repeatedly and it's always out of stock.

Most of the big perfume houses only have samples of the latest releases. Guerlain have Mon Guerlain and Black Perfecto, Chanel have Gabrielle and maybe one other. How would the SA cope if you whipped out a 1 ml phial and went 'No problem, I have my own bottle'? I know it is darn cheeky, but blind buys or just one test can lead to expensive mistakes.

Have noticed in the other perfume threads this weekend that there are still many who maintain that expensive or exclusive is good, cheap or celeb is bad. I have resisted the urge to shout 'follow your noses not your prejudices'. Glad to see that other have explored, sniffed and chosen what suits them.

Happy Monday, scenthounds!

Completely missed last night's explosion on old lady scents so I shall be glancing over that once I have dealt with the household admin and maintenance (long list of that today). DH thinks anything he doesn't like is an old lady scent, but he hates anything very floral and he's no fan of grande dame chypres in fact, he was incredibly rude about Y the last time it had an outing. His view does influence what I wear, naturally, so if I think it's going to cause discord, I tend to use it in the morning and let it fade out gently.

I tried the Creed Santal sample yesterday, after the instant infatuation with Tam Dao and Dries van Noten, but it hasn't grabbed me on day one. In fact, it vanished quietly; nothing wrong with it but it's just a bit 'so what?' Perhaps good for a sedate office scent. It will get another whirl in a week or two.

Guerlain is sadly diminished IMO. From its pinnacle when it towered over any other counter and produced a geyser of inventive challenging scents, the accountants and product managers are now in the driving seat, or that's how it looks. Hiding their great works in drawers only to be got out after some arm twisting is, I venture, because they are so embarrassed by the junk they now offer that they are dodging comparison. It could also be that customers only want sugary pink mingers with marshmallows.

I think of those older perfumes as classics - they can be an olfactory challenge if you're used to more modern scents.

I really love Mitsouko and Shalimar of the older Guerlain. I'd quite like to work my way through some of the older chypres as it is the family of scents I find more challenging.

That thread though (as my DC would say). Thank goodness they didn’t see my tongue in cheek comment here about Yom Kippur - I would have been flamed to hell! (Strictly speaking green YK should involve fasting and contemplation so Perfume probably is frowned upon. Oops)

It did make me laugh though, in light of our “grown up” scents and our quest to smell like wealthy old ladies’ handbags  I’m fond of a frame handbag with a twinset and pearls myself so probably do qualify as an ageist stereotype, but hopefully my Mohican redeems me

Splendid out of your Chanel list, I would swerve Gabrielle and pick Eau Premiere but to be honest, Allure and EP are the only Chanels I love. Have you tried the Exclusifs?

Cheap I hope DS is on the mend. Very scary for you

Pest Gitanes! That takes me back to being a 17yr old pretentious wanker student and smoking French cigarettes outside the common room

Interesting about how people store perfume - I keep thinking about doing a spreadsheet I like little jewellery boxes for teeny sample bottles as they fit in perfectly. I may or may not have a system for turning round/arranging bottles within the boxes, based on preference. I’m thinking coloured stickers might be required...

SOTD E Coudray Iris Rose
This is fast becoming my favourite. It is the epitome of a floral powder full (wont mention old ladies)

The old lady perfume thread made me laugh. So much hot headedness. I'm glad our thread is more laisez faire. I actually think of older lady perfume as more sophisticated and challenging. It is not a put down. A male friend described a recent Chanel outing (Christalle) as mumsy. Well yeah I'm a mum, thanks for noticing !

*floral powder puff

A wave of nostalgia has just hit me for the Gitanes pack design! Soooo chic, or so we all thought then. But it was! Independent confirmation from my former internationally celebrated designer boss (who hated smokers, but periodically had to invite one into his office if they were important enough); he would send his secretary to borrow my Gitanes (or Ricard) ashtray.

Not quite sure where to start . But given my misspent youth posing with beautiful Sobranie cocktail cigarettes, I guess its no surprise the way things have turned out. Also proud to smell like the inside of a vintage handbag and to celebrate women with interesting and bold tastes of whatever age .

Ah Sobranie Cocktails. That takes me back. They were so pretty. And St Moritz with the little gold band. Oh well, perfume is very likely a cheaper habit these days and certainly a healthier one.

Have the famous Noses given up smoking then? Judging by the amount of people lighting up I saw in Paris they must be the only people in France who have. It was like London 25 years ago. And that reminds me, I have read Jean-Claude Ellena's Diary of a Nose and enjoyed it but I think it would really be of most interest to perfume obsessives so all of us then.

Talking of Agatha Christie and scent, look what I found.

I'm thinking her rather odd description of 'Gabrielle No 8', or Chanel No 5 as we know it, would argue she was familiar with it by repute rather than use. And surprise, surprise, the scented victim is described variously as a "Scarlet Woman", "absolutely worthless" and the type who "turned men into swine"! But fragrance users are not entirely beyond the pale because the same perfume is used by the intelligent, groomed businesswoman. But I expect she puts less on than the trollopy type.

Agatha Christie did say there was "a dash of herself" in Ariadne Oliver and I can't really imagine Mrs Oliver dabbling in perfume.Something like Floris perhaps? If someone clever like Sarah Mc was designing one for Mrs Oliver I think the notes would have to include apple, coffee, wood, paper and ink.

In the Guerlain palace on the Champs Elysées I am very happy to report that Jicky, Shalimar, Mitsouko, L'Heure Bleue, Après l'Ondee and Vol de Nuit were all out on display as they should be. The SA breezed past the stand of Mon Guerlain as though it wasn't there!

The thing about "old lady perfumes" is most people use it pejoratively and we don't. We're more likely to pay attention to a fragrance described as being "old lady". Anyway, I hope we shall all be old (and beautifully scented) ladies - it beats the only alternative.

Today I smell of gingerbread, spice and lovely smoky Lapsang Souchong - L'Artisan Parfumeur's Tea for Two from the best TK Maxx haul ever!