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

To me Insolence is a sweet floral violet rather than a sweet powdery violet, which is what Parma violet sweets are, I think. I do like Insolence but it very quickly goes down to a gentle skin scent after 2-3 hrs. I put on Pharell Williams’ Girl this morning, fully intending to layer it with Insolence, just to see what that smelt like. But I’m enjoying the Girl so much, I haven’t bothered with topping it up. I get a non-sweet violet plus a smell like the inside of a glossy magazine, different but just stunning. It’s still going strong after 5 hrs. And I love the wacky bottle! Floofy I have the PP Violets and will test against Insolence - could be interesting!

Bluebell, thank you for your efforts with The Big Sniff. 💐 The Perfume Society’s Velvet Collection sounds good, but I’ll be happy to go with whatever is decided!

I'm off to put some more PP opium on for the school run :)

I went to have a look at the Velvet Collection at Perfume Society last night, and ended up ordering the Catwalk Collection box! I liked the sound of some of the perfumes, but with the inclusion of the Benefit mascara, Percy and Reed Shine and Fragrance hair treatment, and a Nails Inc gel effect polish, all for a tenner, it was an absolute bargain!

No SOTD today, as I've put some rose oil on a patch of eczema on my face, and that's all that I can smell.

Great thread, I have a question, do you think that I would like Samsara? I am looking for a new perfume for a special occasion.

My favourite perfume of all time is Opium, followed a very close second by Shalimar. These are the only 2 perfumes that I repeat buy.
I also like Youth Dew and Cinnabar. I HATE anything fruity, especially melon, they make me feel sick.

Perfumes that I have that I think are nice but would not buy again are:

Elie Saab (smells of oranges) but I like this one
L'Air Du Temps
Modern Muse Nuit
Sensous Nude

So I am thinking of Samsara, it sounds like my thing.

Thanks all

Samsara (which I love) is sandalwood and jasmin. It's got big sillage - I think it's an 1980s perfume - I often mix it into body oil to calm that does as it is probably too big for office.

But it is very different to shalimar. I find it very distinctive and love it bug can imagine people hating it. Esp if you doing like jasmin or ylang-ylang. No fruit tho for sure. Its very yellow rather than pink.

thanks, yes, I think I should try and test it first before I buy, I might not get on with it!

Betty...youre talking my (fragrant!) Language 😁
I'm the same...cant stand sickly sweet pink mingers (as we call them on this thread)
I love and wear/have worn all those you mention
I also love;
Dior addict
Knowing by estee lauder
Next cashmere
I also like;
Diamonds and rubies by Elizabeth Taylor
Narciso rodriguez poudre
Valentino poudree

I'm afraid I'm the wrong person to ask wrt guerlain...i just don't get the hype [gets coat] 😣😁

On oldie but a goody...obsession?

Don't know how Obsession has bypassed me! It sounds ideal, but does it smell similar to Opium?

It's a true oriental
It's lovely - I wore it a lot from age 18
Milder and some (not me) might say more wearable than opium

These new samples and FBs are giving me itchy fingers!!

Hi Betty I'm terrible with notes and all that but love Shalimar and really like Samsara too. Finding a good range of Guerlains to try in stores seems really hard but I've had most luck with House of Fraser . Worth trying to find a spray - if you like it I find it a relatively cheap and reliable option (and the old red bottle is the perfect shape for slipping into a handbag pocket)

SotD has been Si. I want to revisit my ACAC samples but my sample box is in a bit of a state and I couldn't face rummaging through this morning. Should probably get round to repurposing the Look Fantastic AC box!

Iirc wrt the oriental craze...
Cinnabar was first...76?
Opium was 77 but had a hugely successful ad campaign. Iconic even.
Obsession was 80s and less strong/more wearable? Also very successful ad campaign (Kate moss)
I do think estee lauder are pretty poor at advertising their wares 🤔
I ADORE knowing, cinnabar and youth dew. I cannot remember seeing a single ad for ANY of them.
Only that florally horror beautiful 😛

SOTD is FM Hiver.

I wore Obsession a lot as a student in the late 90s, but totally associate Opium and Youth Dew with my mum who wore them round the same time. Do EL still do Private Collection? That one is forever my Auntue Lesley!

To add to the discovery of Grande Dame classics,courtesy of PP I have just discovered Mitsouko and it's glorious! It smells really sharp and a bit wee like in the bottle, but on the skin it unfurls into a citrusy patchouli musk - like a less sweet version of Midnight Poison. I have never tried the original but this dupe is really lovely and has restored my faith in PP after a few misses

Hello Betty. That's a lovely list, and a good question to think about in dark, grey January.

I don't remember how Samsara smells but there is a lot of old school richness and complexity on your list so I am guessing you'd get on just fine.

Have you smelt Chanel's Coromandel, a powdery, patchouli-led beauty, an absolute throw-back to the days of big, grown-up orientals? It's £££'s but wonderful - you can usually pick up 5ml samples on ebay.

Another impressively old school-style oriental featuring wood, spice and amber, is Guerlain's Santal Royal - a rich, grand beauty.

Similarly wonderful and larger than life but arguably more contemporary-smelling, is Tauer's legendary L'Air du Desert Marocain - a dark, complex and resinous oriental. If you haven't tried (and it's quite hard to get hold of in the UK) you can get samples directly from the Tauer website.

More widely available, if you enjoy big amber-based orientals, is the Serge Luten's classic Ambre Sultan? Or, for a sandalwood oriental, their Santal Majuscule?

Obsession always smells to me like an oriental for the 90s (even though it came out in the mid-80s) - one distinctive chord with minimal development. Make sure you get a vintage bottle - the modern stuff is a bit pallid in comparison.

Finally, for an oriental that delivers a huge blast of feel-good citrus, amber and hippyish-spices try 4160Tuesday's Shazam!

I could go on...

Mrsm.....go.on, go on!!! 😁

Fragrantica seems to suggest naughty nights by Britney is similar to coromamdel!
I don't like any chanel scents but the description of coromandel sounds divine
I am determined to get some shazam!

Sorry....fancy nights by Jessica Simpson

Can I ask a question of you perfume experts, please? I'm sure it's been asked of you a lot, and I'm afraid I've not RTFT, but I also suspect the answer may vary for different people, but...where do I start with perfumes? I'd quite like 'a scent' but I haven't the faintest idea where to begin!

I've never been a big perfume wearer, unlike my mum, who you could smell five minutes before she entered and 10 minutes after she exited a room. Charlie was one of her go-tos, she was a fan of a lost perfumes website, and I remember the perfume of my childhood that she wore was Australis Night (an 80s Aussie one - probably never around in the UK?). These are not really scents that I would wear, though.

I think I like floral scents. The only times I've ever worn scents was in my 20s where I wore Body Shop oils, usually in some kind of rose variation. (I sincerely apologise if I have offended anyone with this admission, but like I say, I'm a novice!)

If you require any further demographics to help you tailor your advice, I'm late 30s, work in healthcare (patient-contact, so wouldn't want something over-powering) and am not even remotely glamorous. My DCs have seen me in make up with hair done exactly twice and they were Not Impressed.

Help? Please, thank you!

Loving the Grand Dame Perfume chat. I love Shalimar and bow want to try Samsara. Still trying to understand the Guerlains.

Elphaba warm welcome to you! I would order samples to try at home, it’s saves traipsing around the perfume halls not being able to remember the names of the perfumes you like and becoming nose blind! It sounds like you need to discover what you like so don’t bull full bottles right now, samples are cheap (but unfortunately difficult to get for free these days). They’ll give you a good 4/5 days of wear to see if you really like something. If you don’t like, pass it on. I would go for a pre-curated box.

I’ve used the following with success:

www.thefragranceshop.co.uk/discoveryclub.aspx

Perfume Society (specifically the beautiful blossoms box seeing as you like florals- I’ve had this and it’s excellent- includes Yardleys soliflores which are great for work as they are lovely and light - plus they’re very cheap).

perfumesociety.org/product/new-beautiful-blossoms-discovery-box/

4160 Tuesdays- would recommend the Frocks and hats sample set
www.4160tuesdays.com/4160tuesdaysscentshop/prod_2022921-Taster-Sets.html

Lots of people like Body Shop and Lush perfumes so don’t be embarrassed! I’ve recently got into a Next Perfume (Cashmere) which is £4 and today I’m wearing a beautiful niche perfume by Ormonde Jayne which is £280 a bottle (I only have a sample) Who cares as long as you like the smell! There are beauties at all price points.

OK MrsR - you've twisted my arm . Here's a few more thoughts for you Betty:

Although Paloma Picasso and Rochas Femme (vintage formula) are both classifed as chypres, they feels like sisters to the orientals on your list Betty - do you like them? How about Cartier's Must?

Your list makes me think you probably liked (vintage formula) Coco Chanel and perhaps Bvlgari's first Omnia (discontinued)? If so, similar to the original Coco (and much cheaper and widely available) is L'Agent (L'Agent Provocateur).

If you fancy sniffing different styles of orientals, try and track down:

Miller Harris La Fumee for a smokey, balsamic and androgynous oriental.

Bond No.9's Chinatown for a delicate but unique non-floral smelling floriental (very measured, very clever).

Kenzo Jungle for a spiced gourmand oriental (but only if you like cardamon with your patchouli, vanilla and amber).

If you can track it down, Morabito's Or Black is an interesting
oriental fougere (opens like honey Tunes for the middle-youths amongst you).

And 4160's new Eau My Soul, the two L'Artisan Ambers, and L'Occitane's re-issued Ambre are all comforting straight-up amber-orientals that will make the world feel a friendlier, cozier place.

Hello!
Nothing wrong with boys shop oils!
You will find we are a broad church here. Some of us have bottles of perfume that cost £££££ and some of us love a bit of vintage Avon 👍🏻
Rose you say...
Hmm. If you mean “nice flowery rose” I would suggest sniffing the following:
Agent provocateur
Stella Macartney Stella
Paul smith rose
Lipstick rose - Frederic Malle
Coty l aimant
Narciso Rodriguez for her
YSL Paris (full disclosure I loathe this...very sticky jammy rose)
Nahema - guerlain

I’m sure more knowledgeable perfumistas will be along soon but there’s a few to Be going in with!

Good luck!

Oh mrsm you spoil us!
I do like paloma Picasso actually - just not enough for a FB
I have agent provocateur and it’s nice
Am planning on a PP of must de Cartier
Another 4610 to add to my list! Thank you x

^ really agree with bluebell here

My most beloved perfume is called nightmusk and is by Avon. Discontinued many years ago sadly but I love it. I wore it on my wedding day. I am eking out a bottle I got on eBay. I will be bereft when it gone. It was about £8 a bottle.

I also wear next cashmere - it’s utterly gorgeous - and £8 for a big bottle.

Lovely perfume does not have to cost the earth.....but my goodness some of the ££££ ones are divine!!!! 😫😫😫😫😀