The Perfume Challenge

[txcatx]

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!

[pocketvenus]

Tried and re-tested a few Etat Libres.

• She was an Anomaly is an iris scent that was partly composed by an AI program. I find iris often doesn't play well on my skin though when it works, it can be beautiful. The notes here, iris, sandalwood, musk, all suggested to me this would be very creamy. Actually, it has an interesting saltiness! Unfortunately, all the facets I dislike in iris come out very strong, the wet cardboard, the musty dust, the candied sharpness. A pass.
• Archives 69 is an odd fruity scent. I usually don't like fruity scents but this one has this strange, camphorous, medicinal vibe paired with overripe fruit that makes this very captivating.
• Hermann is a very synthetic woody amber that has two of my favourite notes: galbanum and geosmin. This gives Hermann a steely, flinty edge that sounds harsh but it's quite easy going. This lasts forever and a day so maybe test this first before committing to spraying this anywhere. I still prefer the more earthy French Lover by Malle but if you are a fan, give this one a try.
• Rien. Aldehydic leather. Harkens back to the 80s with a harsh, candied synthetic edge. Crass, but in a fun way. The image of a woman with big teased hairspray hair wearing studded leather and smacking bubblegum comes to mind.

[Titian06]

Hi, all!  I tried the following two perfumes:

Jo Malone London English Pear & Freesia Cologne 

• Top notes:  Pear, Melon
• Middle notes:  Freesia, Rose
• Base notes:  Musk, Patchouli, Rhuburb, Amber

This starts out warm and fruity, but a more subtle fruity than in your face fruity.  As it dried down, I caught hold of a scent that was on the verge of irritating, but it never got to that point.  It was vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place it.  I don't like rose, so it could have been that.  It finish with a lovely warm scent that lasted for several hours.

I also layered this scent with the Jo Malone London Wild Bluebell Cologne .  That worked out very well!

Moschino MOSCHINO TOY 2 

• Top notes:  Apple, Mandarin Orange, Magnolia
• Middle notes:  White Currant, Peony, Jasmine
• Base notes:  Musk, Sandalwood, Amberwood.

This perfume opens with a slightly sweet, fresh scent with under layer of spice.  The sandalwood takes over from there.  It ends with the fresh scent and the musky woody notes fighting with each other for dominance rather than mixing together for a nice ending.

[blackkitty2014]

@Titian06 I am wearing English Pear and Persia today. I totally forget how I got it and when but I have the whole 100ml bottle staring at my face. I then remember I’m not big on the scent but when I try it again last week I really like it. I like it so much that I wear it again couple times after that. Hope it will be that case for you ❤️🌹

[pocketvenus]

This one has been a long time coming. Tested Bogue's MAAI and MEM a few times and they are both really wonderful.

Starting with my favourite of the two, MEM, this is a very complex, herbaceous lavender scent. It's never medicinal or harsh like lavender can sometimes be. There is a hesperidic brightness in the opening that's grounded with a realistic earthiness. As the scent develops, this is blunted with with a smear of dense animalic musk that's smooth like butter and further softened out with floral notes. Wow. The final phase has the musk dying down to a purr, a gorgeous vanilla in the base. Nods to the classics like Jicky, one of the best fragrances I've smelled in awhile. 

MAAI is another fantastic fragrance even though just personally, I prefer MEM. A huge vintage-y floral chypre contrasting aldehydic soapy notes with spicy, animalic musks. A real diva of a fragrance, MAAI demands your attention. Reads like a ombre fading neon crimson red into a rich, dark burgundy wine. Wearing this makes me feel like I'm sporting a choker of blood red rubies as a member of the aristocracy during the French Revolution. Something about all these decadent, "forbidden" notes like oakmoss and castoreum being added to a fragrance in 2014 make this feel opulent and a little illicit.

@WinglessOne I hope you enjoyed your samples as much as I did!

[pocketvenus]

Testing Di Ser's Mizu. Di Ser is an all-natural house based in Hokkaido, Japan. This scent is pretty fantastic, a great blend of tart citrus, refreshing mint, clean woods, a hint of spice. It's pretty sophisticated for a light, fresh wear. OK longevity. I feel with all-natural fragrances you kind of have to grade on a curve. It's difficult to get them to last. I'd love a bottle of this stuff for the summer. Would be curious to try the rest of the line but the samples are not available in Canada and are dreadfully expensive.

[pocketvenus]

Testing Bengale Rouge by Papillon on skin today. Opens with a brief gourmandesque vanilla lemon cream before dark, bitter myrrh and rich labdanum kicks in. A hint of florals enter the scent in short order. Cheerful sweet and powdery meets dangerously sticky resins and a smear of animalistic musk. Very well executed and complex so that it's comforting with all that tonka and warmth but never boring. Feels like a scent one would wear to cheer oneself up with, curling up alone with just yourself and one of your favourite books. @WinglessOne , I'm guessing you've tried this one already? I think you'd appreciate it but maybe it's too snuggly for your taste? 

[WinglessOne]

@pocketvenus  I have a sample of this one. From what I recall, I had a love-hate reaction to it: the resin + myrrh made me happy, along with the lemon custard—interesting because I'm not usually one for such sweet scents; the intermingled resin and wood definitely helped—but I couldn't get past the powdery vanilla rose note. To be fair, I need to give it a second chance, especially since I enjoyed the interplay of shifting notes (powdery sweet though some of them were). Note to self! 🙂 

[pocketvenus]

@WinglessOne I'm not big on powder either! 

Bengale R and Dryad got swooning reviews but I personally prefer the unabashed drama of Salome and Anubis. Hopefully Moores comes out with another stunner like those!

[pocketvenus]

Tried the new Kilians today on paper. Both are very strong in terms of projection.

KILIAN Paris Roses On Ice Eau De Parfum 1.7 oz/ 50 mL This is pretty refreshing, with a lot cucumber in the opening. Refreshing and not at all sweet. The rose softens it up, but overall the scent is crisp and doesn't blur out as in the dry down as I thought it might with notes like sandalwood. 

KILIAN Paris Angels Share Eau de Parfum with Tonka Bean & Cinnamon 1.7 oz / 50 mL eau de parfum spra... Likely to be the more popular of the two, as it's more gourmandish and also more suitable for the winter. Sweet with deep toffee notes and an edging of spice and dark woods. A bit "meh" for me to be honest but I am not a huge gourmand fan.

Have been trying more samples that I received in the post, will share more thoughts soon!

[blackkitty2014]

@pocketvenus Thx for the review. I totally forgot about Rose on ice during the sale. Next sales then. To be honest I should put me on No buy perfume since I hoard too much this year 

[pocketvenus]

@blackkitty2014 You're welcome! I'm probably not the right person to stop you 🤣

[Samtian]

@pocketvenus Hmm the Angels sounds interesting! I hope I get my smell back soon. I'm missing smelling perfumes.

[pocketvenus]

@Samtian I hope it returns soon too! ❤️ I read that researchers believe anosmia is caused by inflammation of tissues in the nose that prevent scent molecules from reaching receptors so when that abates, smell returns.

I also read from the NHS that scent training can help. It's basically smelling the same strong scents everyday. One regimen I read for covid-19 patients used four essential oils, rose, lemon, clove, and eucalyptus, to stimulate and amplify the nerves in the nose where the patient sniffs each bottle for up to 20 seconds, twice a day, for a minimum of four months. The NHS website has some more info about scent training. xo

[Samtian]

@pocketvenus Thank you! I've actually been reading about scent training. Lemon and clove are the only two I can stand haha. But I've been trying to just sniff things I'm used to smelling. I can very very very faintly smell Bum Bum Cream lotion and even fainter the Meteorites smell. That's about it though. Can't smell anything else in my house. 

[pocketvenus]

@Samtian Sounds like a good start, I'm so glad to hear you can still detect some scents ❤️

[CookieGirl1]

@pocketvenus I'm dying to smell the KILIAN Paris Love, Don’t Be Shy Eau de Parfum with Vanilla & Marshmallow perfume but I can't justify buying it without smelling it and not knowing if I'd actually like it or not.  Love the reviews on the ones YOU bought 🙂

[pocketvenus]

@CookieGirl1 I am the same way, I never buy without testing! If you live in the US, I think you can order five samples directly from Kilian for $20 and maybe that cost can be applied to a full bottle purchase? Other sites like Luckyscent sell samples for like $4-5/sample. Love, Don't be Shy is very sweet to my nose. 

[Titian06]

I've tried three samples recently:

- Hermes Un Jardin Sur La Lagune:  An evocation of flowering trees, musks, and Madonna lilies.  To me it smelled like flowering trees where the flowers are past their prime.  Picture a rainy day where the flowers have fallen off the tree and are laying on the sidewalk, wet and decaying.  Best of all, the scent lasted for several hours!  😄

- Giogio Armani Code:  I think for a brief second while I was spraying this on I may have smelled cinnamon.  Otherwise, absolutely nothing!

- Givenchy Irresistible Eau de Parfum 1.1 oz/ 35 mL :  Luscious rose dancing with radiant blond wood.  Wow, I can't believe how much I like this one!  I can't wear any products with a rose scent because it is a migraine trigger for me.  The rose in this perfume is noticeable, but light and warm.  The other notes in this scent keep the rose in check.  This perfume lasted for a few hours, which was nice.

[Samtian]

@Titian06 Ahahaha omg the Hermes description.

[MellaDramatic]

I absolutely agree about Givenchy Irrésistible! It's such a beautiful light floral scent that just invokes such happiness when I smell it.

[pocketvenus]

@Titian06 the latest Jardin is definitely interesting, more heavy than the rest of the line. I love how Christine Nagel seems to have a lot of creative freedom with Hermes!