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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!
@Cyncynnthere are definitely a number of those I find interesting as you say, but I don't feel compelled to own any. The new ones by Nagel are definitely worth trying though. There's one I remember felt like wearing a cashmere scarf. I think it was the myrrh one.
@pocketvenus Thanks for sharing - I'll definitely give it a try!
Tried Kilian's After Sunset today. It's a fairly generic fruity floral. The opening lychee note is fairly realistic and gives way to berries. You can buy a nice fruity floral designer fragrance and save your $$. My favourite of this line is still Princess, the marshmallow one.
Glad you got to try this one!
I did find it a bit overpriced for a 'fruity floral' (but then again I find most BK fragrances overpriced, I do love Straight to Heaven and really like Moonlight in Heaven though ).
@CyncynnYes, I agree. The Kilians can be great but do get really up there in price! The refills are more reasonable but still quite expensive.
@pocketvenus thanks for the follow up and review. 👍🏽 I ended up with FB of Princess, and the more I wear it the more I can discern the green tea note. Currently I’ve been really into Montale Ristretto Intense Cafe (surprisingly, it was one of my least favorite at first) and Parfums de Marly Herod.
@modernwarpaintyou're very welcome! 🙂 I should give more fragrances from those houses a try!
Tried Malle's Rose and Cuir and I think it's fantastic but will not be a best seller for the house. The rose is very much like rose geranium. It's fresh and bright with a touch of berry that gives way to a spicy pepper. This is paired with a leather that is assertive, sharp, shadowy, smoky, and bitter. It's not an easy note to pull off. They play off each other as the scent dries down but the leather is in the spotlight for the majority of the scent. I would not have taken it for an Ellena scent but it does bear the simplicity and tension of his earlier fragrances. His Hermessences, which similarly pair two contrasting notes or qualities like Epice Marine or Vetiver Tonka, have been described as a haiku and I can see that logic at play here, but there's no limpid, quiet contemplation with Rose and Cuir, it is a tenebrous, noire-ish drama.
@pocketvenus I just wrote a lengthy response to your post, but it didn't go through *loud sigh*. I will keep it short.
Thanks for sharing this, love JC Ellena fragrances and even when I don't love them enough to own I truly appreciate his work and approach to scents. I totally get the haiku reference when it comes to vetiver tonka too.
I love scents with leather (really like cuir d'Ange) and can't wait to sample this one !
@Cyncynnoh no!! This one is definitely going in the opposite direction of Cuir d'Ange but it is worth testing for sure.
I am looking for something 'leather meets flower', so hoping this might be it.
Kelly caleche and Memo French leather were good, but too "clean"
(If that makes sense!)
@CyncynnHermes' Gallop is also a rose-leather and it's really unique and lighter wearing than the Malle. But not too clean?
Chanel's Cuir de Russie is definitely horsey but it has that floral-aldehydic chic edge that is classic Chanel.
If you want something more difficult and foreboding there is always Bandit! It's a really b*tchy wear in a good way.
@pocketvenus Just saw this - I am not getting half of the pings here ugh!
Can't wait to sample all of your suggestions! Any Brick and Mortar stores carry Bandit?
Also, different topic, but how do you like Le Labo? I think I'll ask for the sample set + fragrance voucher for Christmas. (I liked what I sampled from the house so far)
@CyncynnI've totally had mentions lost before! Very frustrating!
As for Le Labo, it's hit or miss. It definitely smells "niche" or uncommon from your usual designer fare. Some scents wear terribly on me, including the popular Santal 33. It starts out well, sort of leathery and smooth and then collapses into a horrible heap of synthetic musk. I also think the city exclusives are a rip off unless you LOVE the scent. Having said all that, I think there is something about the house that doesn't seem to work well on my skin as I know other people have had better luck with it than myself.
@CyncynnI see it on the Neiman Marcus website but otherwise, I've never seen it in department stores. Only The Perfume Shoppe in Vancouver. Not sure why as this house also does Fracas which is the tuberose perfume against which all others are measured against.
Today I tried a couple vintage Hermes scents I bought off eBay, Bel Ami and Caleche. Both seemed like the citrus notes had gone off but the dry down for Bel Ami was still gorgeous. Fuller and richer than the present formulation. Really good. Both reminded me of perfumes I smelled when I was very young.
I’m layering perfume today and wearing Miss Dior with V&R Liquid diamonds. Between the bergamot pink pepper and roses in the Dior and the rose, pink pepper, ylang ylang and jasmine in the liquid diamonds it makes a gorgeous combo.
Tried the new Ambrosia flanker for Gucci Bloom today. It's a denser, sweeter, creamier version. I much prefer the original.
Tried Lancome's Idole and Prada Candy Night today on paper.
Idole smells like drugstore shampoo. I mean, shampoo smells nice too but you can save your money and just buy shampoo.
Was really surprized by Candy Night, it's just like a chewy dark chocolate toffee. But not suffocatingly sweet. If that's your thing, give it a shot!
@pocketvenus Idole smells to me like grandmothers. I used up the whole vial trying to like it but I don’t think it’s for me. It’s somewhat comforting in small doses.