Scent of the day part 8 - the friendly perfumistas will make you smell GREAT!

[IDontHateRainbows]

Shiny new thread - link to previous thread

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/style_and_beauty/5468969-scent-of-the-day-part-7-let-the-friendly-perfumistas-take-you-to-perfume-heaven?page=38&reply=150807767

Picked up a mini Jo Malone English Oak and hazelnut when I was out. It's not very nutty! Woody but more in a vetiver-y way than a deep dark wood way. Despite this I quite like it. It's light and refreshing and good for layering.

My favourite wood of all time is santal austral by Matiere Premiere. If i had to choose one and only one house for the rest of all time I may be tempted to say mat prem. He doesn't have a huge range but there are some real bangers in there. A new one is out, metal lavender, but you have to buy a mahoosive bottle (of anything) to get a sample.

Unexpected wild card fragrance of the month is Commes de Garcons Zero, I don't usually go for the 'your skin but better' scents which tend to be iso e super heavy, like durga I don't know what or escentric molecules mol 01 but I really like this one. It has varnish notes according to fragrantica, i get a gentle slightly woody but also synthetic (but in a good way) sensation and can't stop sniffing my hand!

Also tried today Bibbi Pistachio Game. Bibbi can be hit and miss but I like this one, not sure I'd want any more than the rather small sample I have but it's nice and creamy, but not sickly. Has some camphor or patchouli in to stop it being a gourmand but it's nice. This, Rainbow Rose, Vanilla Factory and Ghost of Tom my best Bibbi finds. Plus swimming pool. I didn't like soap club or boy of june - very much a love hate house for me.

SOTD DS & Durga I Don't Know What from the Cult Beauty samples. The bergamot was lovely but fleeting, the warm woody notes are nice. Undecided on this one.

Boy smells vanilla era. This is a heavy, slightly addictive scent , vanilla with coffee and beetroot notes. Wasn't sure at first but I enjoy it now especially as a bedtime scent.

Burberry Goddess today- I love this, it's a very comforting scent. I think Vanilla + Lavender. Can see me topping up with this one all day.

Space NK doing an offer on boy smells so I got 3 of the 10ml travel size - I'm a sucker for the travel size - and a free one as part of the deal. I HATE the name boy smells and they try and tap into that gender woo, but luckily I enjoy the olfactory experience enough to set it aside!

Sotd yesterday Estee Lauder Beautiful
Sote Dedcool Taunt
Ive just had a blast from th past whilst looking on Ebay. Estee Lauder Knowing. Used to love that as well but very speedy. 🤣

SOTMorning is Sana Jardin Air of Aquarius. I'm not sure what I think of this. But it's light and fresh so quite nice for a spring morning.

SOTD couleur primaire, so I must be getting into the laundry scents. I asked DH what it smelt of, he kept saying perfume, I was like yes I KNOW it's perfume what else, eventually we got to laundry and he said why would anyone want to smell of laundry. I mean, why would anyone want to smell of anything? But I think we can safely say my laundry scents are safe from him. Tempted to try the acne studios but I would need to open the one I have for sale and not list it as new and they are going for £30 so not sure it's worth £30 when I have couleur primaire.

Looking for my next discovery set to split and keep a couple, as Harrods gift is launching in the next few days so if I get over the spend threshold and if I can then sell some of the gift too I may even break even. There's an ex nihilo set which may be of interest. Really I am after the MFK discovery set of 8 x 11ml but it's only available on the MFK website at the mo.

Had another day with Ganymede yesterday. It's such an interesting fragrance, but for some reason skirts close to nauseating for me, even in small amounts. I think it just reminds me too much of shellfish. It's both minerally and "marine" to me. I'm fascinated to see that it's so "leathery" many people!

I don't get leathery at all- I get a metallicy saffron. Only problem is that the bottle has a mahoosive opening and I spilt loads of it on me yesterday, at least I then smelt of Ganymede all day.

CDG Zero today. Really like this minimalist, clean scent (but not a laundry scent, it's clean in a more woody/varnish way.

As a lover of laundry scents, I think for me it's that many fragrances, particularly strong florals and orientals, can be overstimulating or intrusive. One of my faves so far literally reminds me of the inside of a dry cleaners! I like clean, light, low-projecting scents that don't come off too 'perfumey' and yet I can still smell through the day. I'm learning a lot about what notes and which houses I like, and which I don't - I think ambrox triggers the too strong thing, while ISO E doesn't, I like the house DNA of many Diptyque and Guerlain but not Tom Ford or JHAG.

SOTD: tried Bibbi Soap Club (thanks @IDontHateRainbows!) before my shower and WOW the leather is strong on this one. Really unusual, but I don't know who it would suit! Post shower: Byredo Bal D'Afrique, smells like an expensive hotel.

Sample alert: I got an ad for a free sample of the new Narcisco Rodriguez, Pure Musc Blanc, from their FB yesterday, keep an eye out: https://www.facebook.com/narciso.rodriguez.parfums

I think you would like commes de garcons zero. Its one of the few minimalist ones i really like.

Loads of minis around as it was in the liberty scent kit last year.

Fragrance edit x

Nothing in that fragrance edit inspires me unfortunately, think I have been spoilt by better offerings from the likes of HN and liberty!

It may be ok for those who are in to fruity gourmands and florals.

Parfum muse are doing big bag of samples deal, teeny samples but lots of em! No min spend. Cheapest things about a tenner in the clearance bit.

I got a les Eaux Primordiales discovery set for £25.

Getting in to this house after enjoying couleur primaire.

Evening spritz of ataratma's Tonka Bala. Only just put it on... Pleasant if a bit powdery for my liking.

What do others think of the ataratma discovery set? I'm not sure what to make of them. Generally my first impression of them is a bit meh, then on further sniffing I like them more, but they're awfy expensive and much less "striking" compared to the barrois set.

Also, can anyone give me some basic tips on selling samples that have been opened and used once or twice? Is vinted or eBay better? I'm assuming there's a market for nearly full samples?

I would def go with ebay, but you need to word it carefully. Unfortunately they are getting a lot better at detecting used perfumes. They even removed my 10ml Creed Aventus, which was brand new, but they said it was a sample and no samples allowed, even though there loads of 2ml samples available 🤦🏻‍♀️ 🤷🏻‍♀️

Its really hard to sell used samples and on vinted you can't even sell the unused really small samples. The censor bot soon picks ot up.

Ive had more luck on ebay selling larger samples as 99% full but don't use the words used/ sprayed once/ lightly tested or again, censor bot will get you.

Weird Ive sold a few aventus with no issues. A year or so ago I could sell 75% full bottles and the like no problem but they are getting stricter.

My whole business model is travel size (5-10ml) perfumes so I'll be in trouble if I can't sell those! Did you use the word trial size or sample or anything else censorbot would take issue with?
I usually describe them just by the size and avoid any words eg perfume brand / perfume name/ x ml edp new.

Also sold quite a few of the 2ml size on ebay again carefully worded.

Vinted are more draconian i got my ataratma set removed, to me thats not even a sample its a discovery set.

No, I did not use any wording that would suggest its a sample etc, just listed as 10ml CA. They have removed it, I appealed as I had proof of purchase so it was def not fake etc, but they replied its a sample size and therefore not allowed. I have reuploaded it a good few month later and it got removed again 🙈 I had other 10ml perfumes listed and they had no issue with those so to this day I am struggling to figure out why they were picking on creed one

And even more so why ive sold thay exact perfume in 10ml several times this year. Weird... and worrying.

I'm wearing Rive Gauche perfume from circa 1988. It was my mum's, and reminds me of her ❤️ I've been reading the reviews on Fragrantica describing it as cold and metallic, but this is nothing of the sort - to me it smells warm, almost tropical 🥭 🦩 presumably the aldehydes have matured or something ( don't really understand) and this older version apparently still has the oakmoss. Plus, it lasts ages, unlike modern fragrances which seem to vanish in minutes. They don't make 'em like they used to!