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The Perfume Challenge

Do you have a box full of perfume vials and/or a vanity covered in perfume bottles? Are you the Goldilocks of perfume, just looking for the perfect signature scent? Do you want an opportunity to post daily about how your perfume of the day smells oaky and smoky with hints of blackberry and currant, like a cigar in a whisky barrel rolling through a Mediterranean orchard on a breezy summer morning?

 

If you answered yes to any of the above, or you just want to hop on board for the ride, join us for a 31 days of perfume challenge starting January 1st! Some of us from the 25 days of lipstick challenge wanted to continue the fun and exploration, and since many of us have so many perfume samples, we thought this challenge would be perfect. If you don't have 31 perfumes or hate everything that doesn't smell like Meyer lemons and fresh goat cream, that's fine--we're just aiming to use the neglected perfumes we have laying around and incorporate them into our perfume rotations.

 

And if you want more perfume vials, there's no better time than now to take a peek at Sephora's samples section.

 

Edit: Anyone can join in at anytime! We're here to support, live vicariously through, and encourage everyone in their olfactory adventures!

Re: The Perfume Challenge

I'm trying Etat Libre d'Orange's Fleurs du Déchet/I am Trash today. It's a fragrance that uses "upcycled" materials, the by-products of processed materials used in perfumery that are subsequently wasted. As @lyravega noted earlier, it is a pretty fragrance despite its name.

 

FDD/IAT opens up fruity and fresh with apple and strawberries before growing more abstract and blurred out. The original ad copy referenced earthworms but there is absolutely nothing earthy or dirty about this scent which would have made it more interesting. I was imagining a little fermentation as well, like a touch of Byredo's Pulp. There's none of that. In fact, it's generically pleasant and safe, leaning a little on the young side but not overly sweet. If you like strawberries, this might be worth a try, otherwise, I wouldn't bother.

 

I'm not going to belabour any criticism of the scent's marketing campaign, which leaves me smh. All I will say is the sample Luckyscent sent me came in two separate packages, one for the size of the sample enclosed within a 10cmx10cm printed box covered in branding. So much for championing the reduction of waste!

Re: The Perfume Challenge

Tested Diptyque's 34 Blvd St Germain EDT which is supposed to smell like a Diptyque store with their fragrances mingling with wood shelves. It actually does develop in that manner. It opens up green like Philosykos but with background noise, moves into L'Ombre's rose, with background noise, and dries down into a soft sandalwoody Tam Dao. It's nice but I would just prefer the Philosykos straight up. Performs pretty well for an EDT.

Re: The Perfume Challenge

I got a sample of Glossier You in an order recently, and I tried it today. It smells...youthful and idealistic, maybe? If Bath & Body Works body sprays defined my high school years, this fragrance reminds me of something I would have loved in college and in my early twenties. It's uncomplicated, clean, natural, ever so slightly sweet and warm.

 

Notes: iris root, pink pepper, ambrette, ambrox, musk.

RE: Re: The Perfume Challenge

I’ve been considering getting this one and I’m in college right now haha! Must be a sign, I’ll add it to my list

Re: The Perfume Challenge

Today I tried Zoologist’s Macaque and was really surprized. The nose behind this scent is Sarah McCartney, founder of 4160 Tuesdays which is a quirky, indie house that reminds me of listening to lo-fi, shoegaze tracks. I was expecting something along the same lines, but Macaque is both more difficult and much smoother than the 4160s I’ve tried.

 

The opening is bright, sharp and vegetal, yet clean. It’s a little too chilly for my taste, and is also high pitched, but it’s on the right side of challenging. It reads pale green to me rather than foresty as the advertising copy suggests. There's no earthiness to it.

 

Tart green apple emphasizes the scent’s crispness while galbanum intensifies its hue. I’m not a fan of the “green tea” accord which is of the same thin, transparent, floral soapiness we find with a number of green tea scents on the market that are as alike to smelling loose tea leaves or freshly brewed tea as smelling cherry lozenges are to real cherries.

 

The scent thankfully softens during its development, balancing the perfume’s sharp edges with a touch of sweetness and some blurring from the musk. The "white oud" is a clean take with no smoke or medicinal harshness, and it blends in surprizingly well to provide a little more depth. But on the whole, this is an airy, high pitched perfume.

 

I think what impresses me most about Macaque is its contradiction between a smooth texture that plays against its colour. Imagine the drape of a soft silk with a gentle sheen that’s been dyed the colour of an icy green jade.

 

This is not a scent I would wear. I personally prefer a development that gives a more powerful base drop, something that's more grounded. I really wish the galbanum here was more earthy and substantial. As it is, Macaque is not easy to pull off. Despite softening, there is a severity to it. But it has definitely piqued my curiousity about this house.

Re: The Perfume Challenge

@pocketvenusSounds interesting, I'm adding it to my to try list.

Re: The Perfume Challenge

@Samtianwould be interested to hear your thoughts! This one is def not a crowd pleaser

Re: The Perfume Challenge

Today I tried Yatagan, a chypre by Caron. It’s really amazing. The opening is herby, woody, smoky and leathery which sounds generic but it’s not like the leather scents you smell nowadays. There’s a dark edge of galbanum, the aromatic lift of pine, as well a hint of anise, which I’m guessing is the wormwood, a medicinal note. It dries down into a warm supple leather that is fantastic. Spicy at points, nutty at others. It manages to convey something animalistic without being remotely dirty. It also reads super butch. I think it’s fantastic, but as an EDT, it weakens verrrrrrry quickly and barely lasts! :'( It's like listening to some amazing symphony on very low volume. After reading reviews describing Yatagan as a beast, I’m not sure what to make of the weak performance. I’ll have to wait, try again another day and see how it goes.If you like Bel Ami by Hermes, definitely give this a try. They’re different of course, but both present an aromatic, spicy leather.

 

Speaking of beasts, I think I tried Kilian’s Dark Lord maybe 1-2 weeks ago? I sprayed a card twice and stuck it in the pocket of my trousers. I threw the card away but wore the trousers again today and can still smell its jasmine-cedar mix wafting up from the pocket 😮

Re: The Perfume Challenge

Mmm, that sounds like a "leather" I might like! Too bad about longevity... I hope it was just an odd day for trying scents, and that you'll have much better luck with it next time! 😉 Do let us know about it!

 

Ok, now I'm gonna have to try Dark Lord! 😄

 

@pocketvenus

Re: The Perfume Challenge

@lyravegaI'm going to cycle through my samples and give it another shot. Will update here when I do 🙂 Would love to hear what you think of Dark Lord!!

Re: The Perfume Challenge

Today I tested out Mona di Orio's Dojima. Of the fragrances I've tried from the house, this one is most disappointing. The opening is musty, rather than musky. Instead of Japanese rice, I have the distinct impression of vintage clothing that has been stored for years and could use some airing out.

The scent improves as it develops and the jasmine begins to open up. But you need to wait for it to meld with the rest of the scent which remains a dusty, musty orris for some time. It takes a couple hours for the fragrance to become more enjoyable and softer. But overall, it frustrates. It brightens and lifts at points to become quite beguiling, but those moments are fleeting and one feels like Dojima could be any nice iris-powder-makeup scent.

I'm also disappointed because Dojima wears noticably thinner than I have come to expect from this house. I adore the lush creaminess of Vanille, the smoky, nutty depth of Cuir, the enveloping opulence of Oudh Osmanthus. Dojima doesn't remind me of the house aesthetic.

My other unmet expectation is of Dojima's "rice accord." Theoretically, I can imagine jasmine and powdery iris creating a rice accord, but they never blend together in this way on my skin. If you are hoping for something reminiscent of fragrant jasmine rice, you are better off trying Etat Libre d'Orange's Fils de Dieu.


When I try to set my expectations aside, I am left with a wearable gauzy jasmine-orris with a dusting of spice and hint of cream that is interesting at points but that also fades in and out of mustiness. I think there may be some aromachemical that's not sitting well with my skin since others online rave about smelling a beautiful milky rice powder thing. It's not a travesty but it's not a love for me like the others.

 

Re: The Perfume Challenge

Oh noes! I just ordered me a sample of this one the other day! Bummer. But, thanks for your detailed review, @pocketvenus . Have you tried Suede de Suede? How leathery is it? I keep skipping on trying that one because I am not too big on leather scents ( leather dominant scents )... But, it's MdO. How "bad" can it be, right? 😄 ( That house cannot do wrong in my eyes. 😛 Can't believe Dojima is so disappointing... ugh... )

Re: The Perfume Challenge

@lyravegaI wouldn’t write it off as many other people online report having a much better experience! Sometimes orris just doesn’t turn out well on my skin. Although after reading your review, I wish I'd tried the sandalwood one now 😛 I haven't tried Suede de Suede yet, but I've read good things about it 🙂

Re: The Perfume Challenge

@pocketvenus Santal Nabataea? Not sure if you'd like it, but definitely give it a try. I love it so much. For me, it was a total love at first sniff! One of those scents that speak directly to your soul. I just ordered me a decant ( TPC has 25% off right now ) that will hopefully last me until TL restocks the house, and hopefully gets the new scents, as well. 

Re: The Perfume Challenge

@lyravega, yes that's the one! You and another perfume reviewer I like who blogs at takeonethingoff dot com both really loved it.

Re: The Perfume Challenge

I tried the other oud oil the other night and I don’t think I can test this for five days straight because my office mates might kill me!!

 

The opening is much more difficult than the white oud and overall, it’s more hefty even though it’s not as smoky. More woody as well. Doesn't really remind me of mainstream Western oud perfumes except in a really vague way. Finally, I got a sense of what people were talking about when they describe oud, and especially YSL’s M7 as bandaids and cherry cough syrup. The medicinal accord is strong here, with a cooling top edge that lies somewhere between menthol and mint. It is really aggressive and sweet, but in medicinal cough syrup way if that makes sense. It's not the sharpness of refined white sugar or the mellow depth of honey. As the scent dries down, the bottom starts to push out and you have the sense of wood that's been damp for awhile. Also there's a blue cheese note I've smelled in some fragrances like Kilian's Pearl Oud or Malle's The Night. Except it's super creamy here. It does become more wearable the longer it's on. Eventually it loses that syrupy sweetness and takes on a citrusy cast that balances its darker, heavier side. Smells better from a distance.

 

Interestingly, even though both these ouds are from India, neither had that scary, abrasive barnyard animal funk everyone warns you about when they talk about Indian ouds.

Re: The Perfume Challenge

Like the other oil, the plain oud is very long lasting. And the longer it wears, the more fragrant and easier it becomes!

 

I really need to think of a next level Christmas gift for my friend ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

Re: The Perfume Challenge

My friend was recently visiting family in India and brought back two small vials of oud oil for me to try ❤️ One is labeled white oud, the other, oud. I highly doubt it's pure oil as this much oud would cost more than her plane tickets. And lord only knows about the sourcing although she went with a friend who did extensive research into the market so I hope everything was above board.

 

This will be my first time trying a straight oud oil of any kind. I've worn it for five consecutive days straight.

 

Day #1: Opening of white oud has an aromatic freshness to it that reads as green, but not in a sharp, herbaceous way. It’s more like wood being cut into. This is paired with lush florals and a creamy depth. As the scent wears, it shifts into more familiar territory and for the first time, I can smell what all the synthetic western ouds are trying to approximate except where the synth ouds are harsh and raspy, the oud oil is rich, mellow, creamy and subtle. The dry down is musky and dense, but not overpoweringly so.

Day #2: Picking up notes of ripe fruit in the dry down. An unexpected sweetness with a hit of fermentation. Also detected a slight powdery note as the scent fades away.

Day #3: Today, the oil smells most similar to mainstream fragrances I’m familiar with. The kind of smoky, smoldering aspect that I’ve smelled in other ouds like the oud fragrances from MFK, JHAG, and so on. While the oil seems sharper, it isn’t nearly as aggressive.

 

Day #4: I think my nose is getting fatigued with this scent. I can’t seem to pick up the subtleties of earlier days. Again, I am struck by a powdery softness in the drydown. I was momentarily hit by what seemed a kind of mellow cereal note but maybe that was just my imagination.

 

Day #5: The dry down seems rich, creamy and aromatic today. There's again that mellowness to it. I could also pick up the scent on my scarf from Day #1.It makes me wonder if fixatives have been added to the oil.Overall, I find the scent has an enveloping quality to it. It fades in and out. Movement seems to bring it alive, and I was struck with wafts of scent unexpectedly.It's quite alluring. Looking forward to trying the other vial

Re: The Perfume Challenge

@pocketvenus - Wow - This sounds great!  How thoughtful of your friend. 

Re: The Perfume Challenge

@Titian06@lyravegaI was totally blown away! Oud oil was something I have been curious to try for years. It must be white whale month ha ha

Re: The Perfume Challenge

@pocketvenus What a scent adventure! And what a good friend! 

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