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!

[eshoe]

@pocketvenus I’ve never thought of absinthe as something to wear. I love the scent itself (well, if Pernod counts) and herbaceous blends in general. This seems worth hunting down, to try, at least @Guessgal 

[pocketvenus]

@eshoe If you try it, I'd love to hear your thoughts 🙂

[eshoe]

I will certainly let you know if I do, @pocketvenus!

[MissMisato]

@eshoe Your descriptions are fantastic! I need to take a class from you. I will make a trip to Sephora to smell this for my man and myself. Those bottles are a bonus. So cute! Thank you for your review.

[eshoe]

I think you meant to tag @pocketvenus, @MissMisato! She definitely has a way with words that makes you feel as though you are there, testing it☺️ Always good reads!!

[MissMisato]

@eshoe Yes, I meant to tag @pocketvenus. Thank you for catching it. @pocketvenus You are a wordmaster with your perfume descriptions. Thank you for your inspiration. Hope your days are amazing, beauties! 💋

[pocketvenus]

@MissMisato @eshoe You're both too kind 💗 Had a rough day and your comments lifted my spirits xoxo

[MissMisato]

@pocketvenus I am so happy our comments brightened your day. I hope your day goes more smoothly today. 

[eshoe]

Have a lovely day as well, @MissMisato 💖☺️

[MissMisato]

So okay, I have 31 scents ready to go! Should I start on November 1st, post the the first 5 today and continue with a daily post to generate interest in the thread or do 1 post with my opinions? I am ready for the challenge. 💋 

[pocketvenus]

@MissMisato I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ❤️ There are no rules on this thread, it started off with everyone posting a new scent per day for a month but now it's just people sharing impressions of new fragrances 🙂 Looking forward to reading your thoughts!

[MissMisato]

@pocketvenus No rules, just right. I love it! I am waiting until November to do a daily perfume impression here and on my IG. I want my perfume challenge to be inspiration for Christmas gifts. I will definitely remember I can post individual perfumes here, Now, I will collect more! Hope you have a great day. 

[Titian06]

Hi, @MissMisato !  Looking forward to your perfume thoughts!  🥳

[MissMisato]

@Titian06 Thank you for the motivation. 💜

[pocketvenus]

A TF SA at Holts had a tiny tester, so not a full bottle, for Ebene Fume today so I am testing this now on my skin. I didn't get a chance to enjoy the opening as I was masked while indoors but I caught a lovely rich and resinous character to the woods when I stepped outside. It's pretty promising but the warm, smoky dry down is, well, common. It's not scratchy or raspy like the genre can be but it also feels very behind the curve. I'd try it if you enjoy the genre but at this point, it's pretty saturated.

@Titian06 @Mochapj 

[pocketvenus]

Tested Synthetic Jungle both on paper and on skin. I was really looking forward to this, especially because the notes pyramid was appealing to me. I'm still on the fence about it. I'm finding it very appealing, but I'm not sure if it's a love for me like others in the line like Fleur de Cassie. 

The opening is a fantastic one for green lovers. The green is very much of the fresh cut plants and herbs character so no conifers, no mint and so on. You're treated to a rich and complex green landscape, full of bitter galbanum, dense foliage and earthiness. There's also this fantastic thread of sap interwoven through the composition. 

The dry down shifts right into the florals for me on my skin and this happens disappointingly quickly because I'm really smitten with the opening. As one would expect, the first phase lasts a fair bit longer on paper. I don't get a strong jasmine, SJ smells very hyacinth and lily of the valley forward on me though it remains fairly green.

Although SJ hearkens back to 70s greens, it distinguishes itself in a couple ways. First, while it's polished, it doesn't have the sharp edges of earlier compositions like the bracing chill of Vent Vert, the cut-glass aldehydes of No. 19. The dry down is also pretty sleek, I don't get a huge drop from weighty patchouli or oakmoss, so it feels cleaner and lighter than a vintage. But otherwise, SJ exudes classic vibes, especially in the floral dry down which I think most would read as a vintage on first sniff.

I also read some speculation that this might compare to French Lover. It makes sense as they both share that galbanum green-ness and earthiness but SJ is not quite as damp and dark as FL. And FL isn't really a green scent. Despite SJ being more classically green, I do prefer FL for its more dramatic shades although I'm open to SJ growing on me more.

Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, I'm not sure SJ reminds me of a jungle. FL, with its contrasts between light and dark, strikes me as more jungle-like. There are other perfumes like Indolis that strike as a better candidate too in representing a jungle. Like SJ, Indolis is a green floral and its deep, dark shadows instantly bring to mind a tropical getaway. But I believe this is where the Synthetic part of SJ comes in. SJ reads more like very brightly lit up greens in a photography studio, not at all like what you would find in a real jungle with its organic rot and dampness. It's like a filtered photograph where the all greens have been heightened.

[Samtian]

@pocketvenus I like the sound of this one. 

[pocketvenus]

@Samtian Definitely worth trying if you like the green genre and are looking for something with both vintage and modern qualities 💚 How is your sense of smell these days? Do things still smell different?

[Samtian]

@pocketvenus Sadly still no real improvement. Thank you for asking! It's been one year already. 

[pocketvenus]

Oh @Samtian, that is a long time! I truly hope you are able to regain your full range of scent again <333  

[Samtian]

@pocketvenus Thank you!