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!

[faeriegirl]

Thank you @itsfi!

[Titian06]

Today I am trying 19-69 L'air Barbes Eau de Parfum .  This scent began quit unpleasantly with sour lemons and moldy/mildewy herbs and woods.  The smell wasn't too strong, but I still wished I could wash it off.  Fortunately, it settled down to a rather nice leathery, woody scent fairly quickly.

Top:  Lemon, aldehydes, bergamot 

Middle:  Ylang-ylang, concrete, tuberose

Base:  Ambroxan, woodsy notes, leather, white musk, orris, ink, cumin

[QueenMarceline]

@Titian06 I find that sometimes when I hate a spray initially I grow to love it after it settles into my skin. Sometimes, the exact opposite happens too. 😁😂

[Titian06]

Yesterday I tried 19-69 Kasbah Eau de Parfum 1 oz/ 30 mL Eau de Parfum Spray .  It is a strong, neutral to warm vanilla with a slight peppery, smoky undertone.  It lasted almost 12 hours!  If vanilla is your thing, you'll want to sample this one.

Top:  White honey, sweet orange, lime

Middle:  Amber, patchouli, geranium

Base:  Vanilla, guaiac wood, tonka bean, sandalwood,  leather 

Today I am trying 19-69 Rainbow Bar Eau de Parfum 1 oz/ 30 mL Eau de Parfum Spray .  I find this scent unpleasant.  I cannot place what I smell that is off-putting.  I have not had a problem with any of these notes before, individually or in combination.  It must be how they are combined in this particular formula.  It is a mild scent and has lasted several hours so far.

Top:  Bergamot, Cypress,  davana, woodsy notes, cardamom 

Middle:  Artemisia, basil, elemi, bourbon whiskey,  sea notes, grape seed

Base:  Vetiver, cedar, nutmeg, clove, pimento seeds, guaiac wood

[itsfi]

@Titian06, the sampler kit of these fragrances caught my eye and I have loved reading your thoughts on the different fragrances. 

[Titian06]

Thanks, @itsfi !  That's so nice of you to say!  🥰

[txcatx]

Omg @Titian06  you're really selling this sampler set, and I'm sad it's out of stock. It went directly to my loves list, though. That vanilla sounds right up my alley, and I'm tempted to blind buy the travel size bottle.

[QueenMarceline]

Yesterday (it's after midnight here), I decided to wear an old perfume that I have in a "mini" size: Sikkim Girls by LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, now discontinued. I used to love this scent and bought it quite a while ago (0.9 oz size) but the huge downside is that the bottle doesn't have a spritz/spray nozzle. It's one of those perfumes you have to tip over and dab on your wrists (how annoying) which is why I don't really gravitate towards using it and it's been overlooked, for the most part. I usually can make very decent dents in my perfumes but I noticed this one is nearly full despite me owning it for such a long time. In spirit of this challenge, I decided to give this old perfume another shot. 

 

My Thoughts After Wearing It For The Day: Holyyyy hot jasmine. When initially putting this on the notes of jasmine and tuberose are predominant and extremely strong, this is an immediate in your face type-of-scent. I'm a big fan of jasmine and florals in general, so I was instantly reminded why I used to like this scent so much. However, despite being a floral this is not a very feminine scent, it almost has a smokiness to it and is an extremely unique scent that I would consider be unisex. I cannot think of one perfume in my collection or that I've smelled that is even similar to Sikkim Girls. As it melted into my skin, the intenseness calmed down quite a bit and after an hour or two the background notes of the vanilla really shine through and mix well together with the jasmine and tuberose. It isn't a sweet vanilla, it's more of a hot smoky vanilla. This scent can be described as almost a little bit dare-I-say mature, but in the oddest way because it also gives off a free-spirit, wanderlust, bohemian vibe. When I smell this, I genuinely imagine someone living in the 70's (the mature part), who has partied at Woodstock and likes to sit out in the bonfire under the stars on a casual night out (the free spirt part). The lasting power of this perfume is honestly not great which is in such contrast to the LUSH perfumes, which are usually oil-based and extremely powerful. This is a scent where I enjoy the opening and middle notes but once the fragrance is fading away it kind of strays from that free-spirit aura and turns into a very mature, weird, dingy powder scent... which I don't think anyone likes. Overall, I give this a solid "its okay", but it definitely leaves something to be desired. 

[pocketvenus]

@QueenMarceline Wow, LUSH hasn't used that packaging in some time! I don't recall it being so strong. I wonder if they've reformulated too.

[QueenMarceline]

@pocketvenus From what I heard, this is a discontinued fragrance. It's only very strong initially, then mellows out quite a bit and that might have to do with the fact it doesn't have a spritzer so I have to tip it over onto my skin. I got it way back when so it's likely got a few years under it's belt. Still smells and looks the same as the day I bought it, so it gets to stay in the collection.

[pocketvenus]

@QueenMarceline It could very well be discontinued! They seem to be switching up their fragrance line a lot lately. 

[QueenMarceline]

@pocketvenus I own a lot of their old discontinued ones (I worked there a while ago and went a little crazy). They are very hit/miss but the staying power is usually amazing. I might try out another one sometime during my trip. 

[Mellmars1185]

Today i tried a sample of NEST New York Indigo Perfume Set 

[QueenMarceline]

Yesterday, I tried out the Burberry for Women (original) scent. I bought this in a 1 oz bottle a couple of days ago on clearance at my local perfume shop that always has great finds for somewhere in the $15-20 range. I honestly did not have high hopes or expectations for this perfume, a lot of "old time favorites" from popular brands (fragrances that were iconic in the 1980s-early 2000's era) can sometimes be very hit or miss.

 

My Thoughts After Wearing It For The Day: This one was a hiiiiiit! Something about this is just super gorgeous in a timeless type of way. This is not an ultra mature scent but it's also very well-rounded and balanced. It's feminine, floral but also musky, woodsy and also carries some sweetness. It somehow brings together many different scent families all together and creates a wonderful blend that isn't too powerful, too young, too mature, etc. This is also a scent that is not a "stand out fragrance" in the sense that it isn't going to make you stand out in a large crowd (think Carolina Herrera Bad Girl) or be overbearing but somehow it still gives "boss" energy. I feel like this scent reminds me of a rich, sophisticated, intelligent woman from the 1990's living in the upper east side and taking on the world in her Chanel kitten heels: she knows what she wants and she knows how exactly how to get things done. I also found out while writing this review that this fragrance was released the year I was born which makes me like it even a touch more. I will definitely be buying this in the 3.4oz bottle once I run through my 1oz bottle, I like it that much. For the results from a blind buy, I could not have asked for anything more.

[Mellmars1185]

@QueenMarceline Glad you are happy with th scent! Enjoy!

[QueenMarceline]

An oldie but a goodie, apparently. 😂

[txcatx]

Today, I tried Ellis Brooklyn WEST Eau de Parfum 1.7oz/50mL Eau de Parfum Spray . My first impression was fresh, clean citrus. As the scent started to settle, I sensed something medicinal, not like chemicals, powders, and ointments in a chain drugstore, but more like the teas and tinctures in an eclectic, hippie herbalist shop or the traditional Chinese medicinal herbs in my mom's pantry. To me, it seems like it's sort of a bougie boho scent, like in a Nicole Richie/Rachel Zoe, crystals from Goop, Moon Juice kind of way rather than a hula hoop, drum circle, early years of Burning Man kind of way.

[QueenMarceline]

What a great description! Makes me want to try this scent 💘

[Titian06]

I bought the 19-69 sample set during the last sale.  It arrived yesterday.  The first scent I tried was 19-69 Capri Eau de Parfum #.  I know you're not supposed to try perfumes cold, but I couldn't wait!  It is a very light citrusy, woody scent that lasted several hours

• Top:  Bitter orange, mandarin orange, mandarin leaf, sweet orange, juniper berries, cardamom
• Middle:  Pink pepper, chamomile, Sichuan pepper
• Base:  Ambroxan, white musk, angelica, orris

Today I'm trying 19-69 Purple Haze Eau de Parfum 1 oz/ 30 mL Eau de Parfum Spray #.  At the very instant I sprayed this on, I caught a very quick, slight whiff of what smelled like pine.  After that, I can smell absolutely nothing!  I sprayed one more time after dry down (for a total of 3 sprays).  I caught the ever so slight whiff of pine again, but still nothing else

• Top:  Cypress, cannabis, bergamot, ravensara, labdanum
• Middle:  Thyme, violet leaf, palmarosa, gurjan balsam
• Base:  Patchouli, vanilla, woodsy notes, black pepper, white musk

19-69 says the scents can be layered or worn alone.  I want to try alone to have an idea of what each scent smells like before layering.

[txcatx]

@Titian06 Capri sounds lovely; I want to try that one!

[txcatx]

A sample of Armani Beauty My Way Eau de Parfum with Vanilla & Orange Blossom and Tuberose  randomly appeared in my mailbox, so I thought I'd give it a try. Immediate first thought was a bright, sunny day in one of those Italian seaside towns with lemon trees and flowers overflowing from balcony baskets. It's a straightforward, lightly warm, fruity floral fragrance--it's basically spring in a bottle. It's very pretty and maybe a tad basic--I pick up on citrus and light florals (package says jasmine and tuberose, but I think it smells more like freesia initially before warming up into jasmine on me), but with a hint of something woodsy as it settles. But overall, I think it's one of those perfumes that's perfect if you're working in a cubicle because it's not overpowering or offensive.