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Post in Fragrance Fans
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The Perfume Challenge

Do you have a box full of perfume vials and/or a vanity covered in perfume bottles? Are you the Goldilocks of perfume, just looking for the perfect signature scent? Do you want an opportunity to post daily about how your perfume of the day smells oaky and smoky with hints of blackberry and currant, like a cigar in a whisky barrel rolling through a Mediterranean orchard on a breezy summer morning?

 

If you answered yes to any of the above, or you just want to hop on board for the ride, join us for a 31 days of perfume challenge starting January 1st! Some of us from the 25 days of lipstick challenge wanted to continue the fun and exploration, and since many of us have so many perfume samples, we thought this challenge would be perfect. If you don't have 31 perfumes or hate everything that doesn't smell like Meyer lemons and fresh goat cream, that's fine--we're just aiming to use the neglected perfumes we have laying around and incorporate them into our perfume rotations.

 

And if you want more perfume vials, there's no better time than now to take a peek at Sephora's samples section.

 

Edit: Anyone can join in at anytime! We're here to support, live vicariously through, and encourage everyone in their olfactory adventures!

Re: 31 Days of Perfume Challenge

@Libellules I don't detect cherry at all. Definitely not floral scented. 

Re: 31 Days of Perfume Challenge

I'm wearing B. Skin by Balenciaga again today. I wore it during the original challenge and really liked it then but didn't feel it was super strong. This time, I put more on and it has lasted a solid 6 hours so far. My sample vial is still about half full, so once I use that up, I plan on getting a bottle. Since my collection has been expanding, it's getting expensive... So I'm really trying to add fragrances that are quite different from each other. This one feels very feminine and soft, and perfect for everyday wear. It has green tea, peony, edamame, cedarwood, and vetiver. 

 

 

A couple random fragrance related notes. First, I had a chance to try Angel Muse in store (I was curious about it a couple of days ago when @lyravega wore it)... And it reminded me of cherry Chapstick! Hahaha. I don't know why! I don't think there is anything in the notes that would make it smell like cherry Chapstick. So that one is going to be pass for me, because I just can't get passed the memory of middle school.

 

 

Second, I got a sample of Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom & Honey at Nordstrom today. I am very nervous I will be adding another entire line to my wishlist. I wanted to take samples of like 6 but didn't want the SA to judge me hahahaha. 

 

 

Finally, I gave some cologne samples to my dad and he wore one today! Neither of my parents are really fragrance wearers, but I think he really liked a couple of the samples. It was MM Replica At The Barbers. I do not like the Replica female scents, but the male ones are quite nice, and I think something like that is perfect for someone like my dad who isn't much of a fragrance wearer. Still working on my mom to wear some. I forced her to take a sample of Elizabeth and James Nirvana White, and she liked it a lot and was quite curious about the whole line, but she won't wear it! Ugh. She'll come around. 

Re: 31 Days of Perfume Challenge

Oh, what the what... Hahahaha, cherry chapstick of all things!  @alexasteph you crack me up! 😄

 

No, definitely nothing in it that would even make it smell that way...

 

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Re: 31 Days of Perfume Challenge

@lyravega I can't explain it either! Hahaha. But that's what I got. Weird, I know! 

Re: 31 Days of Perfume Challenge

I totally get it, @alexasteph . Funny how our brains work. I can't remember the notes in TF Orchid Soleil, but I am sure there is no "burnt tire" among them ( yet, that is all I can smell )! 😄 Soooo... 😄

Re: 31 Days of Perfume Challenge

I went to Nordstrom the other day, and the Jo Malone SA was rude. It took her 5 minutes to leave her friend next door she was talking with to come over. Asked what kind of scents I like, I said Spicy. So she starts spraying all the spicy ones on the little test strips. I asked to try the Bluebell one and she very snottly said how that isn't a spicy scent. After she sprayed that she said  if you want anything let me know, and walked off back to her friend. 

Re: 31 Days of Perfume Challenge

@Samtian Oh dear, that isn't a good experience! The SA was very nice and showed me some of her favorite blends, and they were right up my alley. Which is why I'm afraid I'm diving deep in to another expensive fragrance pool. 

Re: 31 Days of Perfume Challenge

@alexasteph @Samtian - I wish there was a Jo Malone counter near me, snotty SA or not (not to dismiss your bad experience).  The nearest one is like 4 hrs away!  There are a couple of scents I would like to get samples of (or at least sniff) based on this perfume challenge.

 

Hope things go better next time!

Re: 31 Days of Perfume Challenge

@Titian06 Haha mine is 4 hours away too!

Re: 31 Days of Perfume Challenge

@Samtian - Wow!  It's too bad you had to have such an unpleasant experience for samples you were excited (I'm assuming) to get from a store 4 hrs away.  I hope the "real" reason for your trip (I can't image it was for the samples) went much more pleasantly!

Re: 31 Days of Perfume Challenge

@Titian06 I didn't even get samples! I just got to smell the test strips. 😞 but yes the reason for the trip was a concert 🙂 and we walked to Nordstrom to see if they had any Ted Baker London suitcases, which they didn't. 

Re: 31 Days of Perfume Challenge

That Balenciaga one sounds like it's my kind of scent! No surprise there...

 

Must find a tester at a store...

Re: 31 Days of Perfume Challenge

@txcatx I haven't been able to find it in any of my local stores, but I haven't searched other retailers, so hopefully you can track one down! If I hadn't have gotten a sample in an order I probably never would have discovered it.

Re: 31 Days of Perfume Challenge

I've had Comme des Garcon perfumes on my wishlist for a while. I finally got samplers of the 4 I like the sounds of. First up is Blue Encens.

Notes:
Artemisia, Frozen Spices (Indian Cardamon, Black Pepper, Cinnamon), Incense, Mineral Amber Crystals.

 

Definitely smells like a scent for men. It smells good. Not something I'd wear, but something I'd like to smell on a guy. Maybe. The pepper is kind of strong. 

Re: 31 Days of Perfume Challenge

Perfume no. 40: Marc Jacobs Divine Decadence from my Play box. @Sjofna since you asked about this one, here are my thoughts.

 

Boy, does this one have a life cycle. I don't think I've ever smelled a perfume that went through that many transformations. At first, it smelled citrusy, fresh, bright like Commodity Tea. Then the vanilla took over, and it smelled like one of the fragrances from Juicy Couture, though I can't think of which one exactly. Viva La Juicy? The Rosé one? Not sure. After that, it started smelling like dessert, like YSL Mon Paris minus the berries (that particular perfume makes me smell like a berry tart all day). Then, an hour later, the perfume starts to fade quite a bit, and I'm left with a faint vanilla scent with a touch of citrus similar to Atelier Vanille Incensee.

 

Notes:
Champagne Extract, Orange Blossom, Creamy Bergamot, Gardenia, Hydrangea, Honeysuckle, Saffron, Vanilla, Liquid Amber.

Re: 31 Days of Perfume Challenge

Defíneme Audry: I haven't heard anything about this brand, but I had an Ulta GC and it was my anniversary week plus 5x the points for fragrance so I thought I'd try it out. Alas, not a fan of Audry, even though the notes are right up my alley. It is both aggressive and boring at the same time. It is a very generic floral with a cheap soap base that just gets worse with time, and I get no sandalwood at all. About the only good thing I could say is that it has decent longevity (unfortunately) 😛 now I'm scared to try anything else from this line. 

 

Notes: peony, rose, jasmine, sandalwood

 

Re: 31 Days of Perfume Challenge

I hope no one minds me asking a question here, but I figure this was the best place.  I have a sample of Marc Jacobs Divine Decadence that I absolutely love.  The only problem is it wears off in a few hours, even if I put down lotion first for it to stick to.  Does anyone know of a similar fragrance I can try?  I'm hoping to find something that lasts longer, otherwise I guess I'll have to buy the big bottle and just keep reapplying.  Thanks in advance.

Re: 31 Days of Perfume Challenge

Have you tried the LE 18K (often spelled out as one eight K) Decadence? I find it has much better longevity than Divine Decadence. I also like the original Decadence, but that one also fades out pretty quickly on my skin. 

Re: 31 Days of Perfume Challenge

We don't mind questions at all! Anyone know of other fragrances with these notes?

 

Notes:
Champagne Extract, Orange Blossom, Creamy Bergamot, Gardenia, Hydrangea, Honeysuckle, Saffron, Vanilla, Liquid Amber.

Re: 31 Days of Perfume Challenge

Viktor & Rolf Bon Bon

 

 

 

I.

 

LOVE.

 

THIS.

 

I need to stop falling in love with fragrances. My list is getting too long.

Re: 31 Days of Perfume Challenge

Haha! I want to buy this one really bad.... I can't get over how good it smells! 🙂

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