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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: The Perfume Challenge

Cultus Artem rosa today. Now, I love rose fragrances, but I am picky about them. And this is perhaps my favorite of the range, and would fill a perfect spot in my rose perfume collection that isn’t filled. It’s a rose, yes, but nuanced (as i stated about the brand a couple posts down). It’s earthy. It’s petals, not fresh green but soil and dark velvet petals. I think it smells of rose black tea, though there isn’t a tea note. There is clove and clove leaf, which I think is a unique twist and might add to that tea suggestion I’m getting. Also contains patchouli, which grounds it, and Egyptian honeysuckle, which adds a bit of sweet (but for honeysuckle, not too sweet, which I like about this) effervescence above the velvet earthiness.

 

I love Rosa !

 

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This perfume sounds lovely, @jemly !  Rose is a migraine trigger for me.  Your description makes me think this one may not.  So far, you're selling me on getting the sample set (I looked at it yesterday).

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Isn’t the packaging glorious ?! 

yes I know rose certainly can have that effect. Obviously can’t guarantee anything but the naturally derived roses (it’s both centifolia and Damascus roses) really can make that difference. And it’s made to sit close to the skin. 

Re: The Perfume Challenge

@Samtian gifted to me several samples that didn't work for her.  Here are the first two I've tried:

 

 ABBOTT Mojave Eau de Parfum 1.7 oz / 50 mL eau de parfum spray 

Notes:  Black pepper, ginger, bergamot, tobacco leaf, saffron.

Comment:  This past week I squeezed both halves of an organic lemon.  That's what this smelled like--a light, sweet, sour, fresh lemon.  I did not smell any of the other notes.  The scent lasted 4 hrs, which is longer than the majority of fragrances I've tried...ever.  I love citrus scents, but I doubt I'll buy this one.

 

ABBOTT Big Sky Eau de Parfum 1.7 oz / 50 mL eau de parfum spray 

Top:  Sea notes, spices, grass.

Middle:  Cypress, mountain air.

Base:  Vetiver.

Comment:  On me, this is a very light, fresh scent.  I did not smell any of the notes as described.  It was a lovely fresh skin scent.  It lasted 2 hrs, which is longer than most fragrances I've tried.  This one is nice; it goes on the for consideration list.

 

ABBOTT ABBOTT Sampler Set 

 

Edited to add links.

Re: The Perfume Challenge

@Titian06 I wish both of those were like that for me haha. 

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Today I received some samples in the mail from Noteworthy because their Instagram add got me. I'm trying out 818, which says it's main notes are apple, milk, and sandalwood. 

 

When I first sprayed it, that lactic quality from the milk was prominent in a bad way. It overpowered everything else, and just smelled curdled with a hit of fruitiness. Like bad cream in fruit tea? But then I took a nap, and can smell the apple and sandalwood. The apple smells very ripe, but not gone bad yet, and the sandalwood and milk make it creamy. Sort of like melted ice cream. It's nice, but I won't be running to order a full bottle.

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@ShidaMay 🤢 oof that first part sounds horrible. 

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A milk note is a challenge ! I see brands trying it, serge lutens infamous “dent de lait” comes to mind, I frankly don’t get it ! There are other beautiful non sour-milk-memory inducing ways to add a soft creamy note…

Re: The Perfume Challenge

Today (and yesterday, my first wear of it) is Amara by relatively new niche brand Cultus Artem. This brand is glorious, most of the notes are the actual botanicals (old school style) rather than synthetic compositions, which leads to a more nuanced but rather seductive take on perfume. This stuff is formulated to sit closer to the skin rather than leave a trail behind you, it melts into the skin brilliantly. In fact I do not know if I’ve ever experienced a line where spritzes on paper does it such injustice. This is about the skin and becoming of you. 

Amara is an orange blossom scent but not your typical one, this is about the flower and earth rather than citrus that is usually so ubiquitous in orange blossom fragrances. Also has marigold and sandalwood.

 

they make a discovery set of small roller balls that in going through right now. Amara lasted all day on my skin, I was shocked.

 

because of the ingredients, this brand is $$. But there is so much consideration into every aspect of the product — from the ingredients to the juice, to the bottles and the packaging (the box is made to be reused). When I get home I wanna show y’all the packaging to the discovery set. So dreamy. Would make particularly precious gift (to oneself or otherwise)

 

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Re: The Perfume Challenge

@jemly That sounds amazing!

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This scent and that it's natural sounds wonderful, @jemly ! 🥰  Looking forward to your reviews of the other samples!

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My scent preferences have changed so much over the past two years. I’m currently loving YSL libre and Libre intense. I’m on the hunt for something a little lighter and sweeter the spring/summer. But has that hint of masculine cologne scent like libre. Any recommendations? 

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@BeautyIsPassion Maybe give the fougere genre a try? I personally quite like Penhaligon's Sartorial.

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thank you kindly for your suggestion!

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My next work perfume was going to be Floral Street Chypre Sublime Eau De Parfum Travel Spray 0.34 oz/ 10 mL But woo no lol. 4 hour wear time.  Starts out strong and glamorous. I really am at a loss to describe this. No particular notes stands out, which is good because rose and patchouli are two of the notes. Dries down to a sweet rose, not sickly sweet though. Final dry down is of course rose and patchouli. I'll give this one to my mom, her two favorite notes. 

Re: The Perfume Challenge

today i'm wearing Paradise by Lili Bermuda. i have a much needed day off and it's what i decided to spritz on when i got out of the shower. this is a lovvvely perfume house in, you guessed it, hamilton bermuda. i picked it up in 2019 on vacation there, which makes my life sound much more glamorous than it is. i normally would not be drawn to a fragrance called paradise, as i'm not drawn to fragrances that suggest of a resort / beach life, but this is something else entirely.

 

with this perfume, paradise is not a place, it's a state of mind. notes of incense, amber, orange blossom and honeysuckle, as well as cedar, patch and vanilla with bergamot top notes. a niece of shalimar (coco, youth dew, etc), a bit of research told me she made her debut in the 1980s (just like me!). it's a bit powdery the way a lot of classic amber scents tend to be. i know powder is a curse word for modern fragrances/fragrance lovers, but i could write an essay on my evolution in coming to understand powder notes and encouraging others to do the same ! it's been an adventure. to anyone who struggles with that, my advice is to just wait. smell how it melts with the skin after just a little while after it warms to your skin. nothing lasts on the skin, melts into the skin, the way a fragrance with even a hint of a powder note does.

 

i don't wear this one enough given how much i adore it. 

 

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Re: The Perfume Challenge

@jemly I just love to read your descriptions!

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@jemly Great to see you back!

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@jemly That sounds really lovely. It's so good to see you again. Hope all has been well. 

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This scent sounds wonderful, @jemly ! 🥰  My mom has been to Bermuda as well as the Caribbean several times.  She found her favorite perfume in one of those locations, so I'm not surprised you did too.

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Tried the Maison Margiela REPLICA' Matcha Meditation today, and was very let down. the longevity was not there, and while I knew it was an EDT, this was on the “disappeared in minutes and didn’t even stay on my clothing” level of lasting power. I also did not get any of the expected notes. It felt very one-note to me (pun intended). Very light white floral and then it was gone in a flash. I didn’t get any of the green tea, citrus or white chocolate base notes listed. Overall disappointed because the idea was interesting, and unlike any fragrance I’ve worn before.

 

as per fragrantica - Top notes are Green Tea, Bergamot and Mandarin Orange; middle notes are Jasmine, Mate and Orange Blossom; base notes are White Chocolate, Moss and Cedar.

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