Sephora

Mochapj · ‎10-17-2015

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!

caitbird

Perfumes I tried in April (and one in March), with some brief notes on my first impressions:

3/30 – Diptyque Tam Dao – softly woody, decently strong projection and very long-lasting. A pleasant scent.
4/1 – Kayali Lovefest Burning Cherry | 48 – strong burst of sweet cherry fruitiness for the first 30-60 mins, but faded disappointingly quickly. Will give it another try at some point.
4/6 – Le Monde Gourmand Miel Bébé – sweet, pretty floral, but very faint and short-lived on me. I bought a discovery set of this brand, and this was the first one I tried; I hope the others last longer than this one.
4/7 – Zoologist Chameleon – a cornucopia of tropical fruits and flowers, with a base of amber and musk. Feels like there’s a lot going on here. A single spray was fairly strong, and lasted hours later with no sign of fading.
4/14 – Ex Nihilo Spiky Muse – lovely rose with a fruity strawberry twist and a tiny hint of pistachio nuttiness, and a light woody dry down. I really like this one; adding it to my FS wishlist!
4/20 – Glossier You Fleur – a few mixed reviews led me to order the travel spray rather than blind buying the FS out of cautiousness, but now that I’ve tried it, I can see I’ll want the FS after all. It really is a light, airy, fresh, kind of understated floral with that Glossier You DNA. I like it a lot.
4/26 – Kayali Fleur Majesty Rose Royale | 31 – a really nice warm floral; some reviewers have compared it to Delina Exclusif and I can see the similarity. Will need more wear tests to see if I might want the FS, but promising so far.
4/27 – Dior Miss Dior (2021) – definitely rose-centric, sweet, a bit powdery, soft dry down. I like it, but I’m not sure if I love it. Will need more wear tests.

Titian06

Thanks for sharing, @caitbird ! I did a test drive of three scents when I stopped by a Sephora inside Kohl's last weekend. Two of them I liked enough to add the travel size to my wish list.

caitbird

@Titian06 2 out of 3 is pretty good! Which ones did you like, if I may ask?

Titian06

@caitbird ! The two I added to my Loves list are

- Gucci Flora Gorgeous Orchid Eau de Parfum Travel Spray with Vanilla 0.33 oz / 10 ml eau de parfum sp... "Gorgeous" scent! Soft, not overly sweet vanilla and something else. I couldn't stop smelling my wrist

- The 7 Virtues Cherry Ambition Eau de Parfum with Marshmallow Travel Spray 0.34 oz / 10 ml eau de par... Smelled like artificial cherries mixed with Maraschino cherries. Probably a love it or hate it scent! A little on the sweet side, but I loved the cherry smell.

I can't remember the one that didn't work out.

Edit: It's been driving me nuts, @caitbird ! I finally browsed the fragrances. It was The 7 Virtues Clementine Dream Eau de Parfum with Vanilla Travel Spray .34 oz / 10 mL eau de parfum ... . I love the clementine/orange/citrus scent! The problem was I was only in the store for maybe 15 minutes and the scent was gone before I left. I may purchase this fragrance at some point, but it's not high on my list.

fatimamummy · ‎04-12-2025

The 7 Virtues Clementine Dream Eau de Parfum with Vanilla 1.7 oz / 50 mL eau de parfum spray is among the spring/ summer fragrances I have been testing out. I have Vanilla Woods and clementine dreams from The 7 Virtues. though I am not yet sure what I think of Vanilla Woods. May need to try it a few more times to determine but Clementine dream is an instant favourite.

Besides Juliette Has a Gun Not A Perfume with its single note, Clementine dream is the most simple and straight forward composition in my collection.

I am obsessed with fresh citrus opening. It is a beautiful uplifting and juicy Clementine. Other two notes are Magnolia and Vanilla. I can separately pick all three and still they are well blended as one. The only pain point is that initial burst of citrus is short lived and there is not much of it left once fragrance settles. Dry down is Magnolia and Vanilla heavy with slight hints of citrus which is still beautiful but I wish the opening freshness could last a little longer. Projection and longevity are great. Packaging is simple glass bottle with a sticker on it but I don't mind that as it resonates with brand's ethos. Also I discovered they are a Canadian brand so all the more love.

itsfi · ‎04-12-2025

@fatimamummy, Clementine Dream is a gorgeous burst of citrus for the warmer seasons. Thrilled to hear it's a win for you.

Titian06 · ‎04-12-2025

Thanks for the review, @fatimamummy ! The 7 Virtues is one of my fave perfume brands. I have not tried Clementine Dreams yet. I love citrus. 🍊🍋

tracynyc · ‎02-25-2025

it’s so hard to get samples of perfumes these days, but I love adding it to the oil and making body oils out of them

fatimamummy · ‎02-25-2025

@tracynyc There are some retailers that sell the sample vials of almost all the fragrances they carry on their websites. So Avant Garde, Twisted Lily, Lucky Scent are a few I am familiar with but I am sure there are many more.

Samtian · ‎02-25-2025

I did ask Chat to help me write these. None of these photos are mine.

Byredo Casablanca Lily

Casablanca Lily opens with the most breathtaking plum and gardenia combination—absolutely stunning. After a few minutes, tuberose and honey emerge, adding a rich, creamy sweetness, along with a subtle woody note I can’t quite place. It’s an elegant and well-balanced blend. However, the final dry down leans too woody for my taste. Impressive longevity at 11 hours. 3/5. Had this not had the woodsy dry down I would have bought this for my birthday lol. It was amazing at the beginning. I couldn't stop smelling myself.

By Kilian Blue Moon

Blue Moon opens with a zesty lemon-ginger burst that quickly settles into a smooth ginger vodka vibe. Within minutes, a sharp ambroxen note kicks in, giving it an aquatic, almost icy freshness—an apt description. It projects well for about four hours, then fades, though a skin scent lingers up to eight hours. Refreshing and unique. 3/5. I love aquatic but not this one. I really love the packaging though!

Byredo Desert Dawn

Desert Dawn opens with a unique blend of cardamom, rose, and a silky, creamy paper-like note—unexpected yet elegant. Soon, hints of papyrus emerge, enhancing the airy, sophisticated feel. It truly evokes the experience of waking up in a luxurious desert hotel at dawn. Softens over time and becomes faint after six hours. Dreamy and atmospheric. 4/5. I'll be honest, when I was looking up the notes for this I forgot what the name was, I remember it had something to do with dawn. And I was like this really reminds me of like dawn in the desert. (Insert face palm emoji here). They really named this one right. I'm not a fan of milky/papery scents so this wasn't for me, but I do think it's an enjoyable fragrance.