We may be filled with despair, but we smell utterly divine. It’s the Lovely Friendly Perfumistas - thread 23. All welcome!

[Judystilldreamsofhorses]

Thread 23 - everyone welcome to join us for fragrant, friendly chat. Previous thread here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/style_and_beauty/3611235-The-lovely-friendly-perfumistas-are-riding-the-Freeway-towards-summer-dreaming-of-being-Bronze-Goddesses-while-sadly-still-huddling-By-The-Fireplace-Join-us-for-thread-number-22

Evening All

Many thanks for your package, Hooo - was only expecting FdB, so that was very kind of you.

Having shunned me for several weeks (following holidays) the cat has become madly affectionate this afternoon, so I have been pinned in a chair with her, catching up on emails. Worse ways to spend a couple of hours on a wet afternoon though.

Glad it arrived safely, sorry for the delay x

Sote pp by the fireplace and throat lozenges.

I realllllly want a Venn diagram necklace. What else can I flog on eBay?

YesQueen I bought Cloud a couple of weeks ago after reading lots of reviews comparing it to Baccarat Rouge 540 (my name ). Not sure about it at all, though. How are you finding it?

SOTD was Avon Premier Luxe. So glad it’s Friday!

SOTD MG Plum. Biblical rain here all day, which has been freaking my cat out.

mrsM it should be the official necklace! I love mine and loads of people have commented on it.

Sticking with the plum theme, I'm in Feminite du Bois today (thanks again to swapees ), and fantasising abut a project for a future perfume making workshop involving with plum, carnation and deep green notes.

My Feu d'Issey arrived! This is not at all what I expected. I only sprayed 15 mins ago so haven't got to the heart yet; at the moment I'm getting a lot of bergamot and a kind of wet stone which reminds me of CdG Concrete (not a good thing tbh) with a very vaguely smoky wood in the background.

It's interesting and I think it will get even more so but I'm hoping the promised milky oriental spice starts to make its presence felt. A slow burner...definitely one that requires you to pay attention.

@MrsMoggs I adore Feminite du Bois. How do you think it compares now though to when Lutens made it for Sheisido? I am not an expert at all and don't have the words to describe it but it seemed like the original formula had um, deeper base notes?

I've had a very rough week (no details, but I'm emotionally ruined).

So I'd like to treat myself...

I like:
Mitsouko
^^
Ambre de Sultan
Chypres in general

Can anyone recommend anything to cheer myself up with?

Sorry to hear you've had a rough week mid

Do you have SL Chergui, or 5 o'clock au gingembre? Those are really comforting perfumes imo.

Hi Legs - have lost glasses this am, so apologies if what follows is typotastic. On FdB, I've only tried the formulation bottled under SL branding.

Sorry to hear about your bad week, , what's your approximate budget and are you Ok to order online if necessary?

Maud - I always think it's interesting how things that were pretty avant garde in their day (and predated the rise of niche, boundary pushing, perfumes), smell in the present context. The other slightly out there thing, along with LeFdI that I used to smell admiringly in Department Stores, but never bought, is Bvlgari Black. Have a bottle now, and can't believe how much tamer the rubber note smells, following a few years where we've huffed the likes of 1805.

Yes, agree MrsM. It's been three hours now and I have to admit I'm not getting it, really. I mean, don't get me wrong, there is a very understated sweetness to it which reminds me a little of Traversee du Bosphore and is therefore lovely, and a soft woodyness which means it's perfectly wearable...but I was expecting something that blew my mind

You've reminded me though, I need a sample of Bvlgari Black!

Finally picked up my thei fennell scent...ooof. what a beauty!

Thanks @MaudBaileysGreenTurban and @MrsMoggs. Right now I don't really care that much about budget but I think both those recommendations sound fabulous - have smelled the Chergui before and loved it! Yes to ordering online but I may take myself off to John Lewis this aft to try those 2 SL suggestions.

I have just seen that Brand Alley has some Bahoma on sale too.. I've bought that on a whim before from there and liked (the Cristal) so will do again as it is quite cheap. The passion EDT is lovely - if I recall correctly cedarwood and amber base notes.

Sorry to hear of your bad week mid

I'm loving my new theo fennell scent...I would descrive this as a skanky chypre if that floats your boat? :)

And its £7 from t k maxx atm..

Legs - so thinking about warmish chypres, and ambers,. Some quick thoughts below; apologies if you have these already:

Pierre Cardin Paradoxe (sub £10 on Perfume Click but very good) classic chypre (with a very soft leather note).

Courreges Empreinte - beautiful suede chypre with a vintage French vibe.

Halston Amber and L'Occitane Ambre - both very cosy, labdanum rich
ambers.

Plus Theo Fennell Scent is defo worth £7.99 of anyone's money . Its a Luca Turin 5 star,

Amber recommendations:
Avon timeless (so good and so cheap!)
4160 amberama
4160 amber mambo
AdeP Ambre extreme
HdeP Ambre 114
Halston amber
Dior amber itense

@BR540 I haven't smelt your name so I can't comment on similarities! But I really like it. It's one of those where you're not sure why you like it, but you test in store and then get a whiff and keep thinking "what is that nice smell?" And then end up with a full bottle
It's inoffensive to me, a little sweet but not cloying and quite a close to the skin scent

SOTD L’Air de Rien. Another day of pissing rain. God.

Good description @YesQueen! I’ll keep trying it out and report back .

SOTE Ivoire de Balmain (not the vintage version, the soapy 2011 version). Love this so much - perfect lightly green, clean, iris and galbanum delight - so of course it’s been discontinued .

Rosh Hashanah dinner tomorrow night (complicated family of Irish and Jamaican Catholics married into Jewish family!). We always look forward to a big Rosh Hashanah meal and I’m thinking of wearing YSL Cinema, just because I love it and haven’t reached for it in a while.

But if any Jewish Perfumistas have better Rosh Hashanah suggestions, please let me know .

Shana Tova!

Anyone smelt L'Occitane's Herbae?

BR540, from a complicated family too, though not Jewish myself -- I will be reaching for my delicious sample of Hiram Green's Slowdive as its honey notes seem particularly appropriate.

SOTD today is two samples -- Salome (Papillon) and Chergui (Serge Lutens). Salome is beautiful but just reminds me soooo much of the old ladies I reached up to hug as a child. I remember disliking this kind of aldehydic perfume! I can't rid myself of the association. Chergui is fascinating. I nearly wrote it off when I first put it on as it smelled quite soapy for the first twenty minutes. But, around 45 minutes later, it smells sweet and complicated and gorgeous. Both very adult scents though.

Legs -- the Mitsouko-esque (but more modern) chypre that I adore is Shangri La by Hiram Green. Tragically discontinued but still available in some shops.

I've sprained my ankle incredibly badly (it dislocated and I had to pop it back in!) and have no idea how I'm going to do anything this week. The school/nursery/work run is challenging enough as is. Eek.

MrsMoggs
I did but didn't like it. It is grassy/ herby. Not a scent I like. The only Loccitane scent i like is Verbena.
I just wish they'd introduce an almondy scent to match the almond shower oil and almond hand cream

SOTM Avon Today Tomorrow Always In Bloom. A TTA flanker I found in the back of a drawer this morning (I’m obviously an addict because I’ve stumbled across various long forgotten secret stashes of perfume in my house lately!).

Surprisingly lovely and fresh neroli and lily fragrance. Could sit well in the Guerlain Acqua Allegoria line.

Will change into something more fabulous for dinner later...

Shana Tova Umetukah BR540 (I never realised the perfume origins of your name!) Similar family here but I am a committed atheist these days, I do like the food traditions though Definitely a honey perfume, and Captured by Candlelight maybe?

Mother that sounds very painful, I have been told by A and E before that sprains/dislocations are more painful than a break. Are you on crutches? Hooo are you still on yours?

We are a poorly and stressed lot at the moment to all suffering. Hopefully we will all have more health and happiness and good news after Yom Kippur

I also have been poorly, even too poorly to wear perfume When I got home from hospital DH gave a bottle of No. 19 EDP which was very sweet, as perfume
counters terrify him and it's a few hours of overtime and he had actually been listening to me admiring it recently and knew I wanted the EDP not the EDT. I am looking forward to wearing it when I have stopped lying around wanly looking like someone convalescing in the 1930s YesQueen is it you that likes vintage nightwear? I might have bought some for the convalescence

Mid I am looking forward to living vicariously hearing what you choose!