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Post in Fragrance Fans
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Fragrance Junkie Central

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!

 

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Re: Fragrance Junkie Central

The fluted edges remind me of the older TF ‘orchid’ and other signature line bottles (Sahara Noir, Grey Vetiver) but I prefer the profile of the taller bottle. It makes it much more of a pleasant columnar shape.

Re: Fragrance Junkie Central

So glad the ugly bottle trend is coming to an end, I was being driven to drugstore.

Re: Fragrance Junkie Central

@pocketvenus I like the look! It reminds me of some of the old bottles I've seen at relatives.

Re: Fragrance Junkie Central

floral powerdy; fem.
Top notes: Italian Mandarin Essence, Néroli
Heart notes: Iris Florentina Absolute, Heliotrope
Base notes: Cedar essence, Sandal, Musk

Main notes: Neroli, Iris Florentina Absolute, Sandalwood

With complete elegance, this powdery floral scent embraces Madame Butterfly’s delicate femininity. Iris with its complex design radiates through its communion with Mandarin and Neroli, while Cedar and Musk impart a sensuality attributed to the Levant.

In this fragrance, Iris and Cedar prevail with finesse, like the most faithful of loves, one of true commitment. 

 

This one I liked well enough. Not as much as I thought I would. And naturally because I like it it's gone after not even 3 hours of wear time. 

Re: Fragrance Junkie Central

@SamtianThe good ones never seem to last!!

Re: Fragrance Junkie Central

@pocketvenus That is the truth!

Re: Fragrance Junkie Central

oriental leather; fem.
Top notes: Coriander, Pepper, Orange Blossom
Heart notes: Rose, Jasmin
Base notes: Patchouli, Leather, Incense, Amber, Musk

Main notes : Orange Blossom, Rose, Jasmin, Leather

1890 is the perfume of the Slavic soul and of the all-consuming passion for the Queen of Spades. With captivating smoldering wisps, the Frankincense, Amber, Musk and Patchouli blend together like a seductive charm to which we willingly surrender.

Leather and Incense invoke an intensity of souls sensually smitten with love’s twists and turns.

 

Yep I knew I wouldn't like this one. Leather, Incense, and Rose are three of my top like 6 ingredients I hate the most.

Re: Fragrance Junkie Central

@Samtianoh that sounds really good! I love leather and incense 🙂

Re: Fragrance Junkie Central

I have to agree, I love the lady biker chick smoking cloves in her leather motorcycle jacket with a single rose standing by a field of hippies vibe.

Re: Fragrance Junkie Central

@pocketvenus  I thought you would like it haha. If you want I am more than happy to send it your way.

Re: Fragrance Junkie Central

@Samtianoh my goodness! I am trying to whittle down my stockpile of samples but that is really so kind of you to offer <333  You are a peach! 🍑💗🍑💗🍑

Re: Fragrance Junkie Central

@pocketvenus No problem!!

Re: Fragrance Junkie Central

Malle will be releasing a new fragrance from JC Ellena!

 

At the fore, an emphatic reinterpretation of rose; pure, streamlined, uncompromisingly modern. Blended with a unique extraction of timut pepper, geranium bourbon and a note of cassis for freshness and spice.

Yet a quiet storm lies beneath: vetiver and cedar forms an earthy bed of dark, mysterious leather with IsoButyl Quinoline at the center – an intensely bitter molecule, largely forgotten since its use in the daring perfumery of the Jazz Age.

At once sparkling and sober, a recognisably floral composition is shadowed by a dramatic, yet controlled sensuality.

 

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Re: Fragrance Junkie Central

I’m loving this modern era of rose scents I want them all.

Fragrance Junkie Central

I got my hands on a bottle of byredo slow dance yesterday and omg it is amazing! It is as if pulp, and gypsy water had a baby!

Re: Fragrance Junkie Central

omg, that sounds amazing! i am a fan of both scents so i will have to check this out!

Re: Fragrance Junkie Central

@ChristalMwow, I could never pull of Pulp! Glad you found something you like 🙂

Re: Fragrance Junkie Central

@pocketvenus  Truly a beautiful fragrance!

Re: Fragrance Junkie Central

Perfume junkies, did you guys see this?  Looks liked it's a new brand at Sephora.  I'm all ear 😉

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Re: Fragrance Junkie Central

I came across some testers for this house 🙂 The nose behind most or all of the fragrances is Jerome Epinette. He's the nose behind a number of Atelier Colognes, some Byredos like Bal d’Afrique, Eleventh Hour and Velvet Haze, and Commodity’s Velvet. He did all of the Ellis Brooklyns as well. I’m not into his style but some of his fragrances definitely has fans.

 

I smelled the following on paper testers that were out in the store. Please note this means I didn’t smell the scent’s opening, just the paper dry down. Also, I don't know if people had been picking the papers, rubbing oils and scents into them so I would consider the testers possibly adulterated. My thoughts are as follows.

 

  • Wild Vanilla Orchid, pretty simple vanilla
  • Wonderland Peony, typical fruity floral
  • Neon Rose, the rose note is quite good but it’s ruined by a dank, dirty note. I’m going to have to give this one another chance, I don’t know if someone else touched the strip with soiled hands and messed it up. This simply cannot be what the nose had in mind.
  • London Poppy, nondescript floral
  • Electric Rhubarb, I didn't smell rhubarb at all! Just laundry dryer sheet 😞

Now these were no testers for Chypre Sublime, Ylang Ylang Espresso and Black Lotus but there were paper testers for them. Someone had stored the paper strips together so their scents all kind of mixed together. From what I could smell, the bitter chypre accord smelled pretty good and seemed to totally overpower the other two. I would really like to give CS a try. Ylang Ylang Espresso sounds like a rip off of Cafe Tuberosa but maybe it will be different.

 

When I have more time, I’d like to give the testers a fresh spray and see if that changes my opinion. Right now, I would say the Chypre one is perhaps the best on paper. CS and the Ylang Ylang are the only ones I’d like to test on my skin but maybe I'll change my mind after spraying them fresh.

 

What I find frustrating with fragrance displays at Sephora is that the most interesting offerings from a house are often sidelined. So no tester for what struck me as the most unique, strongest offering. They did this with Phlur too. I guess they only have so much space and are going to prioritize the more safe, generic scents.

Re: Fragrance Junkie Central

To update, I did spray the five testers on paper today and they are definitely better.

 

  • Orchid Vanilla is less vanilla-ish in the opening and the iris is subtle and abstract.
  • Peony is nice but completely generic. There are a million scents like this.
  • Neon Rose, not awful like the tester strip but wasn't compelled to try a skin test.
  • Poppy is a pretty, fresh floral.
  • Rhubarb has an opening that's slightly tart. The rhubarb note is abstract compared to the freshly cut rhubarb of Hermes' rhubarb perfume. No smothering your nose in a laundry dryer sheet but because I'd smelled the dry down, I was smelling for it, and think I could detect it hiding below the other notes.

 

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