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!

 

[lipstick4soul]

I might have to try blanc violette. I love iris and bergamot. 

Would love over to hear if you try the ELD'O. I am not sure I could muster the courage to try it on. 😉 

[Mochapj]

At first I was thinking maybe I'll just open it for a sniff, but I worry that will turn me off the idea of actually applying it :S

[Mochapj]

Today I have finished cycling through the rest of my samples from Etat Libre D'Orange.  I can confidently say this house is not for me.  I've tried 11 of their scents this week (plus a few more previously) and I haven't liked any of these enough to want to smell like them.  

Tomorrow, we move on to Histoires de Parfums (60 more to go!)

Encens et Bubblegum

notes: peach, raspberry, vanilla, lily of the valley, orange blossom, musk, incense

This smells like sweet, artificial fruit, or like peach schnapps.  Lots of lily of the valley.  Orange blossom smells a lot like blue tansy?  Sickeningly fake bubblegum.  

Cologne

notes: blood orange, bergamot, orange blossom, jasmine, musk, leather 

This smells VERY citrusy.  Turns soapy with a hint of jasmine.  An interesting interpretation of 'cologne'.

Fat Electrician

notes: vetiver, olive leaves, vanilla, opponax, myrrh 

This smells like old sheets of parchment, with myrrh.  A bit smoky.  Like burning candles and vanilla incense.  Also, a touch of rubber?

Jasmin et Cigarette

notes: jasmine, tobacco, apricot, tonka, curcuma, cedar, amber, musk

LOTS of jasmine; very sweet and floral to start.  A bit of unburnt tobacco smell, but 'green' fresh jasmine prevails.  After a while it smells like jasmine and fruit salad.  Or stale breath.  

Malaise of the 1970s

notes: citruses, amber, pepper, plum, aldehydes, patchouli, heliotrope, ambrette, citron

I get a distinct 'men's cologne' vibe.  Lots of citrus, especially lime.  Refreshing, but also bracing from the citron.  Plum does not mix well with my skin, it gives an unappetizing sour note.  

[kethry70]

it was interesting to me to read (from yesterday's post) how many of their perfumes have a cumin note. One of the things that keeps me from loving Like This is that it smells like indian food on me - I love to eat indian food but really don't want to smell like it LOL

anyway, I liked it okay as a free sample but would never spend money on it cause of that

[Mochapj]

100% agree.

I love Indian food, and in my mom's culture they cook with a lot of the 'traditional' Indian spices, but I don't want to smell like that.  

I wonder if cumin is one of their 'signatures'?  

Some fragrance makers have notes they like to put in almost everything.  SL often likes to use jasmine and rose in their perfumes, for instance.  

[Mochapj]

Today was an Etat Libre D'orange day.  4 more down, 65 to go!

ELD'O names their fragrances in some interesting ways.  Where applicable, I've applied the English translation in brackets)

Putain des Palaces (ummm... roughly, 'palace wh*re')

notes: rose, violet, leather, lily of the valley, tangerine, ginger, rice powder, animal, amber

I didn't have high expectations going into this, as I'm not a fan of most scents with 'animal' notes.  This has a strong undertone of cumin/curry on me.  It has lots of flowers, but it's musky too, like the smell of sweat.  It gets a little sweet and powdery from the rose, lily of the valley and violet.  Smells like cosmetics.  Finishes with sugared roses.  

True Lust 

notes: rum, ginger, coconut, rose, violet, osmanthus, lily of the valley, jasmine, ylang ylang, tangerine, rice powder, ambergris, leather, sandalwood, animal notes

Supposedly True Lust is a blend of Putain des Palaces and Dangerous Complicity, according to ELD'O.  It starts out interestingly enough, with a blend of spicy ginger and roses.  Then it also gets musky and 'oriental'.  I pick up a lot of sandalwood.  After a while it develops the same curry notes as Putain does.  Has a more powdery violet.  I get a bit of leather, like the smell of new leather shoes.  Has more floral notes than Putain and finishes like baby powder.  

Fils de Dieu (God's son, or Son of God)

notes: ginger, coriander, lime, shiso, coconut, rose, cardamom, jasmine, cinnamon, tonka, vetiver, musk, amber, leather, castoreum

I SO wanted to like this.  When it opened, it had the crisp, refreshing scent of a mojito.  Super fresh notes of ginger, lime and shiso leaves.  Some lemongrass and citronella.  A bouquet of lovely florals; jasmine is soft, rose is also present.  The cinnamon, musk and tonka keep it sweet but interesting.  But then, as it develops, it gets soapy.  The more it blooms, the less I like it.  Has poor longevity.  After 2-3 hours, all that's left behind is the generic ISO-E 'clean' aroma.  

La Fin du Monde (the end of the world)

notes: popcorn, carrot seeds, cumin, sesame, black pepper, freesia, vetiver, sandalwood, ambrette, iris, styrax, gunpowder

This begins sweetly with a combined vanilla and freesia vibe.  Smells a bit like fruity, berry candies.  Occasionally I catch a whiff of a toasty/buttered popcorn aroma.  As it wears, there is a fair bit of iris popping up.  Towards the end there is the sweet and toasty smell of sesame snaps.  It's a bizarre fragrance.  

[lachaton]

I wore Winter Delice today! It is yummy - isn't overtly Christmas-like to me, which is kind of good and kind of disappointing. 

I wish I smelled more fir/pine, but I'm really left with the sweet honey/vanilla spice. It's been reminding me of other scents all day - finally pinpointed them. At first I thought it was Shalimar (and it is there a little bit) but also like SL Chergui. 

But it still stands out on its own. I only picked up on its similarity to Chergui (IMO) after a few hours of wear on my skin. I think it's the opoponax. 

Also, when I first spray this - it totally smells like a Guerlain to me. I don't know what it is exactly, but it fits the brand perfectly.

[Mochapj]

Are you specifically looking for something with a fir/pine base note?  Have you tried SL Cedre?

[lachaton]

I wouldn't say I'm looking for one in particular, but I was expecting it with the listed notes for Winter Delice - but I will definitely look into Cedre, thank you! 🙂 

I've been craving more herbal and woody fragrances lately. So it's good to find some new ones to test!

[Samtian]

Penhaligon's Bluebell- this smells so good. A very pleasant floral scent, with a touch of earth. Like a fresh picked handful of bluebells. 

[vchotia]

These were my scent recommendations from Luckyscent:

1.  1969 by Histoires du Parfums

2.  Herod by Pafums du Marly

3.  Lunea by Keiko Mecheri

4.  Confetto by Profumum Roma

Anyone have experience with any of these fragrances? Herod is the only one that sounds intriguing. I'm not sure about the rest.

[Mochapj]

I think I have 1969 in my 'things to try' pile, but I haven't gotten to it yet.  

[Samtian]

I can't find the scent recommendations quiz. 

[vchotia]

It's under Scent Bar. Choose Fragrance Fitting on the left side.

[Mochapj]

Another 4 today, and a few interesting ones, too.  Only 69 more!

Neela Vermiere Creations Ashoka

notes: fig, leather, white lotus, pink lotus, mimosa, fig tree, osmanthus, rose, water hyacinth, vetiver, styrax, incense, sandalwood, myrrh, tonka, balsam fir

I obtained a sample of this at the suggestion of poornima, some time back when we were discussing figgy things.  It has a sweet and powder soft start.  I get a lot of watery florals (lotus and hyacinth).  A bit of fig, but boozy, too.  After about an hour, it blooms into the most intoxicating floral medley.  I can't even put it into words.  It's just so achingly beautiful.  Unfortunately, after 2 hours it is barely even a skin scent.  😞 

Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan

notes: coriander, sandalwood, bay, patchouli, angelika, resins, myrrh, amber, oregano, myrtle, benzoin, vanilla

I thought I had tried this a long time ago, but it seems I confused it with Arabie (d'oh!)  It is spicy, and has loads of sandalwood, but it is sweetened with vanilla.  Has nice spots of woodsy bay.  Definitely patchouli scent, but not an offensive one.  It has notes of hinoki incense, and actually reminds me a lot of Memoire Liquide Encens.  Mmmm, cozy.

Etat Libre D'orange (Rossy de Palma) Eau de Protection

notes: rose, ginger, black pepper, bergamot, jasmine, frankincense, patchouli, cocoa, benzoin

It opens with a very peppery rose.  It has some sour undertones that make me think of spoiled milk.  Also boozy.  Then lots of jasmine and incense.  It has a weird metallic note that smells almost of blood.  I don't like this at all.  

Etat Libre D'orange (Tilda Swinton) Like This

notes: tangerine, ginger, pumpkin, immortelle, neroli, grass rose, vetiver, heliotrope, musk

I'm trying this again, because I couldn't recall what I thought of it.  For starters, I would totally believe this is what Tilda Swinton could smell like.  At first, I get a brown sugariness, but then it goes musky.  On me it has a large dose of vetiver; smells really 'green'.  After a few hours all I can smell is neroli.  Not my favorite.  

[poornima]

Your thoughts about Neela Vermeire sum up my opinion of the line. Ashoka (and Trayee) are both so beautiful, with each note blending so beautifully into the next, but at that price point, it doesn't last long enough.

Haven't been posting much on here, but I've been enjoying your mini-reviews 🙂 Should probably start attacking my sample stash soon. Went through a few Arquistes and I think Aleksandr needs to be mine soon...

[Mochapj]

I am trying to get through my stash quickly so I can continue to get samples of things that strike my fancy 😄

Aleksandr is definitely coming home with me soon.  It is a stunning scent.  

[buggirl]

Okay so I cold ordered D.S & Durga Mississippi Medicine and I am over the moon.  It came in tonight and I have been wearing it for about an hour, so I don't know how it will wear down but it is intensely comforting.  It wears all smoke and spice on me.  Heat and comfort.  It reminds me of a cold night camping on the west coast with a campfire and the smell of the cedars all around, bundled and curled up to an ex.  Relaxing, sensual, bold.  I could see this being completely overwhelming on some body chemistries but my husband immediately smelled it and asked me what it was, saying he really liked it but wasn't sure what it reminded him of.  The cedar and frankincense are dominant.  Sorry if that seems rambling but my reaction to this one is more emotional that most 

[Mochapj]

buggirl, you are bringing me back over to wanting to try this. 

I was a bit concerned when Libellules said when her b/f wears it, it smells of beef jerky 😄

[Libellules]

Correction: beef jerky + hay :D.

He seems to like it - brings out the East Texan in him.

You guys are making me want to try it though, I'm curious about this smokyness on me!

[buggirl]

maybe its partially that I have such a strong emotional memory of camping in the west coast woods where there is so much cedar.  So the mix of smoke and cedar brings that out.