Fragrance Junkie Central

[Mochapj]

I know there are a few of us on BT that are fragrance addicts, so I thought it would be nice to have a dedicated place where we can share our thoughts.

This is not to take away from the lovely What Are You Wearing Today, Fragrance Edition thread, but more a place to post longer reviews, chat about new brands or releases, and just shoot the breeze on anything good and smelly 🙂

For me, I recently acquired 2 new decants that I've been anxiously awaiting.  Ever since Lachaton mentioned that MMM was releasing a new scent called By The Fireplace I've been itching to get my hands on it.  My decant arrived yesterday, so I'm looking forward to marinating in it this weekend.  Secondly, I recently picked up a tiny sample of Shiseido Nombre Noir.  Supposedly it is one of the most expensive failures in perfume history - made by Serge Lutens for Shiseido back in the 80s.  Of course, with a backstory like that, I was dying to get a sniff 😄

What's new on your scent radar?  Do tell!

 

[fatimamummy]

I have been testing out a little something different last week. A fragrance brand Affinessence Paris, What is different about them is the linear characteristic of their fragrances. Instead of typical Hierarchy of top, heart and base notes, they offer three separate collections, one dedicated to each type of notes. that means their fragrance do not change or evolve on skin after applying and remain the same from start to end.

I was testing a fragrance named CUIR CURCUMA from their base notes collection . As name suggests, all the notes in this fragrance are the ones which are typically used as base notes. 

It is a turmeric-leather fragrance with other notes including Sandalwood, Orris, Myrhh, Benzoin and Patchouli. Turmeric is stand out ingredient with a light powdery spicy aroma. Leather is much softer and creamy, more complimenting other notes instead of overpowering. I can detect all the other notes blended to perfection. I know too long of a post can get boring so defining it in one line, it is a smooth, creamy, cozy , a little spicy and slightly powdery scent. 

Here is one thing, it is a base notes fragrance and brand defines it as the collection with strongest trail however to me it is a fragrance that sits closer to the skin. 

I find the projection more on the moderate side. Initial moderate intensity lasts on my skin for about an hour before it changes into a skin scent and completely disappears in about five hours. That was a little unexpected so I wore it for three consecutive days with different activity levels before I sat down to write blog last night. Intensity and longevity both remained the same for me during all three trials.It can be just my skin's chemistry or maybe it really is not as strong and long lasting. 

Given that I really enjoyed the scent, I wouldn't mind reapplying it during the day because composition is truly beautiful, however it is something to keep in mind if you want your fragrance to last all day long without reapplying. 

Like most niche fragrances, it is on the pricier side so definitely try a sample first. I am not sure if brand offers individual sample sizes for purchase but most e-commerace  fragrances retailers sell sample vials for all fragrances they carry. 

I feel mentioning where to buy it from feels like a promotion so I will just say if you can't find any fragrance I post about, send me a DM and I'll be happy to suggest the places to buy. 

[itsfi]

This is the first I’ve heard of the brand @fatimamummy; I’m intrigued. Based on your experience with this fragrance, would  you purchase fragrances from their top and heart collections? 

[Titian06]

This sounds like an interesting concept, @fatimamummy !  Nice review too. 😍  I like knowing more than less.

[fatimamummy]

I am sure not everyone is living under a rock like me and may already know Banana Republic has a fragrance line. I only discovered it a few months ago when I was introduced to their Collezzione Riservata collection. I tried two perfumes from this collection , both for women, loved one while the other one was clearly not for me. 

Let't start with the one I like "Orris Vanille Extrait de Perfume" . It was second of the two I tried and it took me by surprise. 

It opens with a vibrant burst of bergamot, lemon pepper, and juniper for a fresh opening. At its heart lies a luxurious blend of incense, orris, and apple blossom. The smoky, resinous tones of incense weave seamlessly with the delicate sweetness of apple blossom, creating a beautiful experience.

Once the fragrance settles, it evolves into a delightful mix of warm amber wood, rich vanilla, and velvety sandalwood and that is my favourite phase.

It reaches its dry down within 20-30 minutes of application, with the initial strength lasting about an hour, before transforming into a beautiful skin scent for up to 4 hours. The dry down is particularly lovely, although I wish lasting power was a little stronger.

The scent isn't overpowering or loud. If you are someone who appreciate smooth, cozy and intimate fragrances, and don't mind reapplying then Orris Vanille is the one for you. Even though it is reasonably priced, I'll still recommend trying sample first. 

Other fragrance I tried from this collection is Monday Rose, I may have to brave up and try it at least one more time to talk about it in 

Spoiler

DM me if you want ti know where to buy it from and want a discount code.

[CorgiMommy]

KAYALI YUM BOUJEE MARSHMALLOW | 81 Eau de Parfum Intense 1.7 fl oz / 50 mL eau de parfum spray and KAYALI VANILLA CANDY ROCK SUGAR | 42 Eau de Parfum are nice young scents @Mochapj 

Sorry wrong thread

[fatimamummy]

I have been trying quite a few fragrances  to review on my blog lately, most of them from niche fragrance houses and thought it would be fun to revive this thread and share some of them here as well.

Fair warning though, most of them may not be available at Sephora but I can definitely steer you towards the places where you can buy the particular samples and fragrances. I'll post a few and if I feel these quick reviews are of value to fellow BIC fragrance junkies, I'll continue sharing more whenever I can manage some time. 

Let's start with a fragrance house that recently made its way to Sephora USA. I was excited to see their announcement but alas it isn't available at Sephora Canada yet. 

Also this particular scent didn't pop when I tried to tag it here so I am assuming Sephora is not yet carrying their full range.

 Personally whenever I try a new fragrance house, I like to dig a little into the back story before I give the fragrance a test run but I don't want to bore you guys if this is not of interest, so just let me know how deep we should go if at all..

Montale Paris Beast Love:

Key Notes

Top: Juicy Pear, Sweet Plum, Sicilian Bergamot

Heart: Black Leather, White Cedar, Turkish Rose, Haitian Vetiver

Base: Vanilla, Tonka Beans, Musk, Ambers

It is a very interesting composition meant to portray intertwined sense of delicacy and strength.

First spray makes a bold statement with dominance of leather and Smokey accords, accompanied by subtle hints of rose lingering in the background. As the fragrance dries, initial intensity softens, revealing the fruity notes of plum and pear. It is a unisex scent.

To my nose it has a heavy opening that leans a little masculine. Even though leather stays dominant through the wear, once fruity notes emerge the fragrance softens to a unisex scent that leans ever so slightly feminine. I like how it develops on my skin. It has moderately strong sillage and impressive longevity, lingering on the skin throughout the day. 

It is a complex fragrance and may not be everyone's cup of tea so  I'll recommend trying a sample first. 

Spoiler

You can buy the sample vial from Twisted Lilly for $5/ CAD 6.99  I'll mention here that Twisted Lily gifted me this fragrance but I am not their affiliate partner and will not be benefiting in anyway from any purchase. 

Let me know if you have any questions about it.

[Titian06]

I'd love to read your reviews, @fatimamummy !  I'm drawn to more unisex and masculine leaning fragrances, but I enjoy reading about all scents.  I'm curious about this brand, so enjoyed reading your review. 🙂

[fatimamummy]

Thank you @Titian06  Likewise, I prefer unisex fragrances myself. If anything too feminine lands on my desk, I usually pass it over to my daughter after initial testing for my blog.

[K8lynRosie]

The notes sound interesting- the bottle seems like such a turn-off though. Feel like it would stand out poorly in a perfume collection/ display. 

[fatimamummy]

@K8lynRosie Bottle is metal and reminds me of a fragrance I was used to see on Mom's vanity when I was a kid. It can be a back bencher on display shelf due to being tallerr than most fragrance bottles (It is about 6 inches tall) but still doesn't look awkwardly tall among some of my other 100ml bottles.

[Maiinna]

OMG ! Got to get this 😩

[fatimamummy]

It is at least worth giving a shot @Maiinna 

[Margalee]

Btw @fatimamummy , what is your blog?

[fatimamummy]

@Margalee It is  thefairytalesblog (dot) com I am writing it like this because we are not allowed to share external links.

[Margalee]

@fatimamummy I'm so glad to see this thread posted again. I have been missing it. I've been trying different fragrances lately and a few more than I'd like were leaning masculine so I doubt I'll try this one. Guess House of Bo's Oro Verde was SO masculine it nearly crashed and burned my light fascination with unisex and masculine fragrances. For some reason I thought it had a strong floral in there but no, straight up aftershave. I do enjoy Montale's Arabians Tonka. It reminds me a bit of Brooklyn's Raven but much lighter on the spice. Good review on that Montale btw.

[Margalee]

@fatimamummy Also I was so overwhelmed by the drydown and so long lasting hah hah it's all I remembered at posting.

[Margalee]

@fatimamummy the dry down on this smells like late 90's and 2000's mens cologne styles more in the dry down. Maybe ambergris? Maybe it mixed with my lotion, not sure. Guess it surpassed my unisex limit.

[fatimamummy]

@Margalee I personally am not a big fan of very feminine scents with a few exceptions so ever growing trend of unisex fragrances is working well for me but I can understand it being a turnoff in some cases. I have not tried any House of Bo fragrance myself but have seen the reviews and admire their clean aesthetic. I looked up Oro and can almost imagine what you are describing. Could it be Cannabis in the opening that is giving it a masculine edge? How does it feel dried down? 

[itsfi]

I love this @fatimamummy! I purchased the Montale Eau de Parfum Discovery Set earlier this year but have not gotten around to testing all of them sigh. Do better, itsfi; do better!  This is good motivation. Thank you!!

[fatimamummy]

@itsfi I would love to hear what you think of the scents in this discovery set once you get around trying them.