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!

 

[pocketvenus]

Tauer now has their popular  L'Air du Désert Marocain scent in a solid form, although due to the current pandemic, they're no longer shipping to the US. Not sure if retailers like Luckyscent will pick it up.

[pocketvenus]

The two latest Jo Malone releases are based on Seoul:

From NST Perfume

Waterlily ~ "Radiant white waterlilies, crown jewels of the Huwon Secret Garden in Seoul. Discovered on our Korean adventures, these pristine petals release a clean floralcy that stirs and enchants. The dewy freshness of these floating blooms is enhanced with a flourish of jasmine sambac and neroli." Additional notes include white musk.

Yuja ~ "The streets of Seoul, alive with a fragrant trail of yuja. A city and a citrus to enliven the senses. For generations yuja has infused recipes and remedies alike with its distinctive and exotic notes. The mouthwatering fizziness of this striking fruit is enhanced with woody depths of cedarwood and a resinous touch of fir balsam." Additional notes include clary sage.

[pocketvenus]

Looks like there will be two more in this series, Osmanthus and Silk Blossom. There's also a frosted orange blossom candle and difusser. From the Holt Renfrew website. So pretty!

[pocketvenus]

Aesop is releasing a new fragrance, Rozu, which aims to capture the lifecycle of a rose. A most original name, I must say.

Top Notes: Rosebud, Bitter orange, Bergamot, Shiso, Pink pepper
Heart Notes: Rose, Ylang-ylang, Jasmine, Gaiac wood
Base Notes: Sandalwood, Vetiver, Patchouli, Myrrh, Musk

The nose, Barnabe Fillion, also did Hwyl and Marrakech Intense for the beauty brand.

[Titian06]

This one sounds nice except for all the rose notes!  😁

@pocketvenus 

[Cyncynn]

Ladies,

I got a sample set from Le Labo for Christmas, which seemed like a great idea at the time. The set comes with a gift card for a full size fragrance, but I can't make a decision!

What are your favorites from that house?

I am tempted by Rose, Fleur D'oranger, Baie 19. I like Santal, but feel like it's super common these days.

I really like Baie 19 is supposed to smell like petrichor. I don't usually do aquatics, but this has no marine-ish notes and has an interesting camphor note. I also don't have nothing like it in my collection.

Rose is very nice, but I wonder if some of the recent rose scents by other houses are better. 

Fleur D'oranger is lovely, but I don't think the scent justifies the price.

I know I am rambling , but would really appreciate any thoughts on your favorites from LL!

[pocketvenus]

@Cyncynn Love your descriptions and it sounds like you made the right decision 🙂

I have to admit, this house just doesn't work for my skin. I've tried so many but they always start out great and then collapse into something that feels suffocating. I do really like the leathery opening of Santal. Also, the Poivre one, London, which is regrettably priced.

[Cyncynn]

@pocketvenus 

You and me both - none of the fragrances I tried were bad, they just lacked something to justify the price point. Santal does have a suffocating quality to it. It seems like everyone and their mothers wear it on the NYC subway and it kinda ruined the Santal experience for me too if I am honest.

Baie 19 was the only one that brought something different and exciting.

I like branching out, but it seems like the Hermessence line is the one for me. Memo and Killian were a miss too (if they were half the price they charge, I'd probably pick something though).

[pocketvenus]

@Cyncynn I've yet to try Baie 19, it definitely sounds good to me as I love earthy, dewy scents and anything green. I totally agree, the prices for Memo and Kilian are prohibitive. There are a few Kilians I quite enjoy but the prices keep going up. Hermes is a great house with very few misses though! And I love some of the Hermessences. I wish Sephora carried more scents from Hermes. Travel sizes would be fantastic...

[Cyncynn]

@pocketvenus 

I definitely wish the Hermessences were available at regular retailers. The Hermes stores can sometimes feel a bit intimidating just for "browsing".

[pocketvenus]

@Cyncynn  yes, they are very attentive there. I find if you name drop Ellena and Nagel they will be like, ohhh this one's serious, and treat you with respect.

[Cyncynn]

@pocketvenus ooooh, thanks for the tip! I'll definitely do that ❤️

[MlleCC]

@Cyncynn , what a wonderful Christmas gift -- Le Labo fragrances are so indulgent!  Agreed that Santal 33 is one of their best-known scents and I love it as well, but sandalwood scents are more prolific this days. Their Rose scent is nice, but not one of my favorite roses; I find that it leans more towards "generic floral" than predominantly rose.  I personally like woody, warm scents, and my favorite Le Labo so far is The Noir 29 -- love that it develops from smoky to creamy.  Now I'm curious to try the Baie 19 for myself; wonder how it compares to Diptyque L'Ombre dans L'Eau.  So curious to see which one you will end up choosing!  🙂

[Cyncynn]

@MlleCC 

First of all  - I miss you so much ❤️

I will revisit the noir, I'll make sure I haven't overlooked that one.

I have L'ombre dans somewhere and I love that scent - it's gorgeous. but I can't wear it. It sadly gives me a headache. From memory I'd say L'ombre dans would be a warm sunny summer day after the rain. Sharply green (or maybe it was the harshness to the blackcurrant) and though they market it as unisex, I think the rose gave it a more feminine touch.

Baies 19 would be a cloudy rainy day while you're hiking during the fall. There's a little river running nearby. It's earthy, mossy, metallic, mildly camphorous.  Truly unisex, maybe leaning towards masculine, with a musk patchouli base. It doesn't smell perfume-ey at all.

....and I just sold myself that perfume and I am ordering it! Thanks for the help - now to decide what to write on the bottle lol

[MlleCC]

@Cyncynn , miss you right back ❤️ Hope TX has been treating you well.  🙂  LOVE your description of Baies 19.  Will have to stop by my nearest Le Labo counter to test it out for myself.  

[Titian06]

Hi, @Cyncynn !  I've never tried anything from Le Labo.  I think your "ramblings" have answered your own question.  Sounds like the one you're most interested in is Baie 19.  I would pick that one exactly for the reasons you mention, especially because it's something different!

[Cyncynn]

@Titian06 You are absolutely right - I should stop second guessing myself!

Thank you so much!

[pocketvenus]

LV has a new release, Heures d'Absence

The fragrance features jasmine from Grasse and sambac jasmine from China are set against the light May rose. These are combined with powdery mimosa from the Tanneron and balanced by a sharp touch of raspberry, warm vanilla notes of Peruvian balm alongside deeper Sri Lankan sandalwood and musk to bring out more sensual elements.

Unlike previous launches, this is a "relaunch" of a 1927 fragrance. The formula was lost, but it was made for women.

[pocketvenus]

Diptyque is releasing another LE tinted bottled collection called Impossible Bouquets. Looks very pretty 🙂 Unfortunately, I am not a huge fan of the scents they chose and like last year's picks better which had Philosykos and Tam Dao.

• L'Ombre dans L'Eau, a dark garden rose with soft, tightly furled petals, deep green leaves, and small, vicious thorns
• Do Son, a pretty tuberose, tamed and safe enough for the office
• Eau Rose, a bright, fresh and carefree rose
• Eau des Sens, bracing bitter orange
• Olene, a straightforward jasmine and white florals scent, though not as easy as Do Son
• Eau Moheli, to be honest, I don't remember this one ha ha... it's described as a ylang ylang frarance that's woody

[amberzzzzzzzzz]

Got the Kat Von d Saint after it went on sale and im not impressed!! It is a strong fruit fragrance.

[tastelikewater]

I'm working my way through the MMM Replica Memory Box, and I'm positive that At the Barber's would be my go-to spring fragrance, EXCEPT that those beautiful soapy, rosemary, lavender notes fade far too quickly for the price tag. I'm a complete novice at this, so I'm wondering if anyone can recommend a similar scent profile with a bit more lasting power that won't lean too masculine? I don't know if such a thing exists, but it's worth a shot!