Our negligees may be covered in cat hair but at least they smell divine - it's Lovely Friendly Perfume Thread number 9!

[explodingkittens]

Welcome to the long-running perfume thread! All are welcome - drop in to chat about old loves or new discoveries. Ask a perfume question and someone here will know the answer.

Be warned though, we are a bunch of terrible enablers and you may wish to put your credit card in the freezer before entering

Ha, @count, it's one of the notes I find most difficult! It seems to always come through really strongly on me and once I detect it I can't smell anything else.

So I did pretty well . L'air de rien from dp, Knowing from my dad. And, very excitingly, an Experimental Perfume Society workshop from dp, to be booked before December 2018!

Happy Christmas Perfumistas! I hope everyone has had a lovely day and is smelling gorgeous (auto correct just changed that to smelling goth pigs )

Congratulations especially to stressed workers and teachers etc reaching the end of term successfully (Judy what lovely gifts, they must think a lot of you I do a hamper of tea/coffee for my DC's teachers and support service but I think they might prefer Tatty Devine necklaces etc food for thought for next year!)

I'm disappointed the advent calendars are all done (yy to Dragon's Den idea!) but look forward to living vicariously through everyones's Christmas presents! On that note SOTD is a delicious bottle of vintage Obsession DH surprised me with earlier this week - due to finances we solemnly swore not to do Christmas presents for each other but apparently this doesn't count as it was my Hanukkah present I also gave him a stocking today - technically a stocking isn't a "present", is it?! innocent face>

I hope everyone has had a lovely happy day with no dramas, tooth related or otherwise! My DC were very good about enthusing over their "less money spent than usual" presents and seem very happy. I am all tucked up in brand new bedding and DH is bringing me a turkey sandwich at 6pm exactly apparently I feel happy and peaceful, which is very different from past Christmases, but surprisingly nice.

I hope everyone else feels happy and has had a lovely day too.

Dear me, lots of "lovely" and "happy" there, sorry!

Merry Christmas Perfumistas! Sounds like you're having lovely days

I was happily wrong about the FB - there was one after all. Lovely in PIL got me a bottle of Goodbye Picadilly. That of course has been SotD. Kids nearly asleep now and while the magic was magical happy to trot off downstairs for gin, Christmas cake and grown up family time.

Thrilled to report that L'aDR is even more deliciously skanky when liberally sprayed from a FB than from a weeny plastic sample. Can't believe I ever felt ambivalent about this juice

Merry Christmas! SOTD was Chanel 19, and I cracked open the shower gel and body lotion to match. No perfume presents here, sadly.

kittens LDR was actually my first ever blind buy, about six years ago. I knew I would love it, but I didn’t realise quite how much. I must be on my fifth bottle now - other than 19 it’s the only thing I replace. There used to be an amazing body cream to match it, but it’s been discontinued.

floofy it was a budget Christmas here too, or at least from DP’s side. He got quite upset this morning about not being able to buy me “proper” presents, which was awful.

In other news, my bastard tooth. I was barely able to eat anything. I feel quite ticked off that on-call Dentist wouldn’t see me on Saturday afternoon now - and also annoyed at myself for being too scared to ring her again yesterday. I will be phoning my surgery at 8.30 on the dot on Wednesday morning.

Oh Judy, you poor thing!

I have survived 2 days of schlepping to MILs and being one of the good wives who cook and clean and listen to her droning on while the hunters and gatherers sleep in front of tye telly. Hmm.

My proper Christmas dinner now in oven.

My FB from dp was 90ml of Shalimar. Apparently he was offered that or 30ml of n5. I'm very pleased and it's just orangey and spicy and powdery enough to be very Christmassy without scaring the natives.

Sorry to hear about the tooth yesterday Judy - how miserable.

Well done for getting through that PiaM. A big bottle of Shalimar sounds wonderful.

Hope everyone is able to have chilled and fragrant Boxing Day.

My lovely family has embraced internet shopping and were very happy to received lists with links. I am therefore delighted to be pondering which of the 'Luca loves' samples from Bloom to try next. Tried Embers yesterday evening - a lovely younger sister to my great love, Sahara Noir. I'm also enjoying dipping into 'The Smell Cultural Reader' - should keep me going 'til New Year. I do seem to fare better with short essays these days...my attention span seems to have shrunk in the wash.

One DC is painting, we're listening to my spotify list of youthful trash, and I'm just about to start making the bubble and squeak.

Am also pondering a bit of a clear out - anyone in the mood for swaps lists?

SOTD is everyone’s least favourite, Black Opium. I have not left this house since Saturday and today have mooched around in my pyjamas, had a huge bath and finished my book, and now lolling under my heated throw watching Corrie. I love the betwixtmas period although I realise others less lazy would be stir crazy.

Teeth update - less painful. In fact, no painkillers today. I have an appointment booked next Friday and wonder if I can hold out until then? I think a referral to the endodontist costing £££ is in my future...

Bold choice yesterday...Beaufort's Vi et Armis. Here's what LT said:

"Vi Et Armis smells like an alchemist’s Christmas party: a dark, rich, swirling combination of peat fire and flambé spice pudding, with some cough syrup and fence paint thrown in for hygiene".

It is still a bit like being in the middle of a naval battle (so far so 1805), this time whilst drinking a very strong cup of tea, sipping a whiskey and having a fag. The whiskey, tea and tobacco are very welcome light relief - although this is still an uber-challenging wear, especially in the first hour. (It's spectacular, but I nearly scrubbed). After that it gets plummier and easier-going - I layered with Captured by Candlelight a couple of hours in and did get the perfect dark Christmas spice.

Needed a contrast today, so SotD is Tindrer by Baruti. The perfect wet green/violet, with a slightly minty opening. Clever; it smells natural and has an ethereal quality, but in a hyper-real way (the colours are super-saturated without being in the slightest bit cartoonish).

Had a lovely Christmas- unfortunately no FB for me. I did get a beautiful soap bar from Lush which smells similar to Shalimar... hmmm. Living vicariously through your fragrance acquisitions instead!

My DH loves his best of 2017 Bloom sample box. The family also liked the PP sprays (Paco Rabanne 1 Million and Creed Virgin Island for teen, Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir for SIL which I tried and really dislike, Kilian straight to heaven for DH).

SOTD is 4160 creamy vanilla crumble- perfect for sofa lounging as it’s snowy outside. SOTD yesterday LADDM

Still disappointed with my bottle of Le Labo Noir 29 so trying to swap on Liberty AC thread.

^actually it was a shampoo bar from Lush - which I’m really impressed with. Never tried solid shampoo before

My best gift was a silk pillow case. So I’m hopeful for beautiful skin & hair in 2017!

Or 2018 even!

SOTD today is CdG Concrete. This is a very linear and tbh quite dull sandalwood. Also, disappointing longevity. It's perfectly inoffensive and would probably be a good 'office scent' but I expect something a bit more exciting from CdG, especially with the name and packaging.

Inspired by the Mamansnet thread, I have cleared out my wardrobe today, including my underwear drawer, which has had a liberal spritzing with L'air de rien. I feel so much more French!

I would be more than happy to do a swap list, although as poor @cardoon now knows, I am crap at getting to the post office to actually send the damn things. In my defence, today I was genuinely thwarted by the jobsworth who has worked in our local PO for approx three centuries, who shut the counter just as I got to the head of the queue today and refused to serve me. A little bit of power, eh? Grrrrr. I'll try again tomorrow cardoon, promise!

@MrsM, I'm a big fan of Embers, and to me it's like a more easygoing Avignon (talking of CdG triumphs).

I love this period in between Christmas and New Year. Lots of lounging, pottering, chocolate-eating and wine-drinking. Bliss.

SOTD is LDR. I have spent the day watching back to back episodes of Say Yes To The Dress in my pyjamas and it has been glorious. DP out with friends then at the football, so I am going to make a start on the Christmas cake his mum brought round later.

I do feel quite a strong urge to shop though. Thank god it’s payday tomorrow.

Oh no Kittens I had high hopes that concrete was going to be really interesting and groundbreaking! Your plans for chocolate and wine consumption sounds glorious! None of that in my house unfortunately and the weather is too bad to leave!

Judy snap - I’ve spent the day lounging too. Although have been forced to sit through Disney movies with DD!

I’ve successfully swapped the Le Labo Perfume love Mumsnet. Can’t believe how much it sells for on Liberty website. I’m obv not trendy enough in my perfumista tastes Am tempted by the new Perfume Society box which features the Floral Street Perfumes - want to see what the fuss is about

Mrsmacnally good to hear you’re also having lots of fun with the Bloom box - there are some challenging ones in my DH box too. A great selection

I love this inbetweeny bit too.

All day yesterday on sofa watching Home Alone and Muppet Christmas Carol, today have tidied a bit (dd's cousins coming for sleepover tomorrow) done a bit of marking so as not to have mountain the day before school begins, and watched a bit of Downton on Netflix. (am up to the bit where Matthew cops it in the bushes- am very late to Downton as am generally a bit allergic to bonnety things)

Have placed a PP order as will be in the UK for 6 days next week and can pick up parcels from my cousin's. Also ordered fitflop trainers for my gippy ankles but the perfume is obvs more exciting. I have ordered:
Moss Breches (no idea what the hell it is, but liked the sound of the notes)
Beautiful- for 90s nostalgia
Cinnabar
ST for women (can't remember what that is a dupe of )
Lush Karma
Must de Cartier
Tabu
Virgin Island Water (your lot's fault- and it's usually out of stock so thought I'd take the chance while they have it)
Boulevard St Germain
Infusions d'Iris cedre thingy. (also your fault)

Am obviously in dressing gown and Shalimar.

Evening ladies. Very jealous of the lounging efforts - back home from in laws today. Having taken 2 hours 15 mins to get there in Friday, today's drive took five and a half hours. Glad we made it but still, SYTTD wins out every time. I like Atlanta best - the UK one's growing on me but I can't imagine I'd like going to Kleinfelds...

SotD was a bit of "proper" Miss Dior. Possibly a bit much for a traffic jam but never mind. Meant to have captured by Candlelight but accidentally grapped the Orange Sanguine . Popped the CbC over anyway and it worked very nicely - the oranhe goes deliciously well with the Christmassy smells.

Best of all I tried Eau My Soul and found it to be.... (drumroll) ... ok. I feel relieved. It's lovely but I thought it would be amazing. So glad to find out through a free sample than buy a FB.

Pharrell Williams Girl today. Love the violet playdoh with undertones of wet concrete. Was expecting CdG Concrete to a cousin Kittens, obviously not.

Any good ideas on how we can make synchronised sniffing work?

Inspired by PIAM I did all my marking this evening while DP was out.

cheap Atlanta is my favourite, but I love all of them, except Canada, which is boring. I am a huge fan of David Emmanuel, but there isn’t much drama at Confetti and Lace. I am also big into Curvy Brides Boutique. I am not in their market, but I would definitely want those women to help me pick a wedding dress.

Disclaimer - when DP and I get married it will be an elopement and I will not wear a “wedding dress”. No idea why I like these shows so much.

mrsP I think that would need everyone to congregate on the thread at one time and do live chat, possibly easier via WA (which I deleted because I found it so annoying!).

Sorry for all these posts. I’ve not even had wine.

Any good ideas on how we can make synchronised sniffing work?

Are we all going to agree to buy the same sample set and then do the perfumes in alphabetical order or something? One each day or every second day or just once a week? Then just post as we have time over the course of a day?