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!

[Titian06]

Hi, @clemsongirl !  If you type the "@" symbol, a list of user names for the thread you're in will pop up.  Select/click the name for the post you are replying to (and any other names you want to include).  This way the person will receive a notification so they'll know they have a message from you. 💖💖💖

[QueenMarceline]

I haven't been on this thread in forever which is a shame but I'd love to hop back in the fun despite me having a very boring (perfume wise) June thus far. I am currently using this month specifically to sift through some scents that I have in my Project Pan or that I overall would like to finish-which means my contribution will be minimal and more on the "basic" side. I've had this perfume for years now and I either bought it on a whim for the nostalgia factor or it was gifted to me, I honestly cannot remember. Pretty sure this is one of the smaller sizes it comes in but any 90's girl will instantly recognize this growing up in the early 2000's as the coveted scent of your pre-teen/teen years. The one, the only: Curious by Britney Spears. I know for a fact this perfume is nostalgic for a lot of people (love it or hate it, this was an icon back in 2004 and it has some weird soft spot in my heart). However it always takes me FOREVER to get through my tween throwback perfume scents because I don't really reach for them as much anymore (probably for good reason) hence why it was in my project pan at the start of 2022. I have a little less than 1/4th of the bottle left, I'd say and I'm hopeful I will finish this early 2000's icon in the next few months. 

My Thoughts:

This definitely isn't my favorite perfume of all time but like I said it has a certain sense of nostalgia for me. I also think it's quite a girly, floral summery scent. It reminds me of a bonfire night with friends in the middle of July circa 2005-2008 and that's probably why I'll still grab a little bottle of it here and there despite me knowing it'll take me years to finish. I feel like this is a very recognizable scent which can be a tad annoying since celebrity perfumes overall have a bit of a negative stigma to it unless you're like me and just don't care, lol. 😂 This one is the classic mix of floral-based mixed with some flirty sweeter sugary notes. Despite being quite basic, one of my favorite aspects of this perfume is that it's got this distinct, energetic punch while still being a touch on the "flirty/sexy" side. This energetic/perky aspect makes this perfume continue to be wearable (for me) nearly 20 years later. Once I finish this off I'll be taking a few year break from Curious by Britney Spears and just like clockwork I'll pick it up years in the future and struggle finishing another bottle like I am now. 😜 

[CynthieLu]

Nostalgia is a powerful force @QueenMarceline omg I have a bottle of this too from so long ago and a bottle of Jlo's first perfume. Your motivating me to finish those off finally.  They do smell like high-school and memories 😅

[QueenMarceline]

@CynthieLu Hahah, they really do! I actually finished this perfume in late July 🙂 definitely recommend trying to go through yours--it's a great feeling finishing off a perfume (even a small 1 oz). Although I did smell like this perfume for most of June and July LOL 🤣

[Titian06]

@QueenMarceline @CynthieLu - I get excited just finishing a sample size vial of perfume!  I can't imagine what it's like to finish a full size bottle! 😄

[heartsmyface]

@QueenMarceline  I recently got a small vial of this perfume to see if it was all I remembered.  It smells like high school. I don’t hate it but it’s got a Tommy Girl kind of vibe.  Haha, which was my favorite perfume in high school.  

[QueenMarceline]

@heartsmyface lol what a perfect way to put it, it really does smell like high school 😂

[pocketvenus]

@QueenMarceline I feel like Gwen Stefani's first fragrance was like this for me! It's too bright and loud for me now but it's very nostalgic.

I also tried Dita von Teese's Erotique recently. I'll admit I'm biased because she's in my user pic ha ha but I did honestly think it was good considering its original price. Now her perfumes are being sold on eBay for like, Kilian prices. Um, no.

[QueenMarceline]

@pocketvenus Shockingly, I haven't used either of these despite really liking both Gwen and Miss Dita. Such a shame because I think these would be super interesting to try out, definitely not for Killian prices haha! Do you think they might be on fragrance dot net I always find some awesome throwbacks on there but I talk myself out of them 9/10 times.

[pocketvenus]

@QueenMarceline You could try but I wouldn't hold my breath. I'm afraid both lines went out of production many years ago. And yes, you can find really great classic vintages for way less!

[QueenMarceline]

@pocketvenus Aww bummer. I have a hard time staying off that site as is though, haha!

[pocketvenus]

Rounding up the rest of the Akros today!

Dark is something of a redundant scent, given other similar sweet chocolatey scents on the market like TOM FORD Tobacco Vanille Eau de Parfum Fragrance ##, Prada Prada Candy Night and so on. Cresp’s take is not a bitter dark, but one that is a little fudgey, if not milky. The drydown becomes more gummy in texture as the sweetness becomes more amped up. Solid, but the least original.

Malt is possibly the most weirdest in this collection. Honestly, this edges uncomfortably close to acrylic paint on my skin instead of the peaty darkness I was expecting. This is due to the “seaweed” note which is creative, but not in a way that I like. I appreciate that this scent is not sweet and predictable, with the liquor itself opening more sour than boozy but the “seaweed” dominates the composition with its salty, metallic character, one that is shared with Sécrétions Magnifiques. It overpowers the original concept, even in the dry down as the woods start to strengthen. Definitely one to test on skin first.

Smoke could have been dialed in given that every new niche house feels the need to release a smoky fragrance these days. You know the type. It’s a bit spicy with a touch of leather, maybe some bull-bore butch cade or BBQ patchouli, a sweet amber in the base. Thankfully, Smoke offers a somewhat different take. It’s not particularly spicy, opening with more of a medicinal edge and an odd, almost grain-like note that dries down into something more ashy, then vanillaic. The cade is gentle, no acrid plumes of burning rubber. The tobacco is similarly subtle, no cloying, honey-ied leaves. Smoke doesn’t muscle its way into the genre but rather, sets itself slightly apart with its weirdness. Unfortunately, while I like the smell, Smoke also gives me a wallop of a headache so it’s a hard pass.

Overall, I'd say these fragrances all offer faithful renderings of their inspiring ingredients, interesting openings with solid, pleasant designer dry downs that do not fluff out on you.

[cianni]

I was in my local Shoppers yesterday, and noticed that there was a tester for the Billie Eilish fragrance, so I figured I would give it a go. I’m not usually one for celebrity fragrances (unless you count my beloved high school scent, Curious by Britney Spears), but the bottle was gorgeous and I had just gotten rained on, so I figured it would at the very least smell better than wet hoodie.

the top notes are described as sugared petals, mandarin and red berries, heart notes are “soft spices”, cocoa and vanilla, and base notes are sleek woods and musk.

im a gourmand girl, so I was intrigued. I was pleasantly surprised! It is definitely sweet, but feels like the older sister of an Ariana grande fragrance. I didn’t detect too much of the fruitier notes, which I think is what differentiated it from the AG line for me. It has pretty good lasting power. Although not mentioned in the notes, there is a very distinct marshmallow in there that reminds me of the marshmallow note in KILIAN Paris Princess Eau de Parfum 1.70 oz / 50 mL eau de parfum spray . I think I’d pick this one up in a travel size if it was available, as it’s incredibly affordable. I think it’ll appeal to those who were fans of that Kilian line with the black orb packaging (princess, kissing, etc)

[clemsongirl]

Billie’s fragrance just won the “Consumer’s  Choice” and “Popular” categories at TheFragranceFoundation awards. I’m not shocked, our local Ulta sells out every time they get it in! My college-aged daughter loves this one, and, not surprisingly, “Princess” by Kilian as well, which definitely has a similar gourmand vibe, with the rich vanilla and marshmallowey-sugar. Billie was apparently very serious about her involvement in the creation of this perfume, which impressed me. They interviewed her on National Fragrance Day, which was nice, and a sample was included in the boxes they mailed out to those of us who participated 😀

[pocketvenus]

Couple more from Akro

From Akro's webpage for Haze

• Awake is what I think Cresp wanted to do with YSL's Black Opium. I couldn't even detect coffee in Black Opium even though it's in the notes while Awake is like sticking your face into a freshly ground bag of coffee beans. Massive projection that sweetens up in the dry down. The coffee accord fades and that's where we start getting some family resemblance to Black Opium in the dry down even though the notes pyramid is completely different.
• Haze doesn't include cannabis in the notes pyramid but includes mugwort, which I've never smelled and online apparently some people compare it to weed. The website makes no reference to cannabis and instead, puts absinthe upfront. Be forewarned, this does not smell like absinthe! There's some cooling notes but for something that captures that anise and fennel aspect, you need a fragrance like KILIAN Paris L'Heure Verte Eau de Parfum 1.7 oz/ 50 mL  Anyway, despite not naming cannabis, which I think is kind of a weak sauce move, all of the promotional copy out there makes it clear Haze is supposed to be based on weed. This is a tough inspiration for a perfume because the distinctive scent of cannabis can have anything from the suggestion of skunk to a full-blown spray of skunk. This is due to the terpenes in cannabis which are close to the thiols that skunks produce. (We can also find similar terpenes in hops which is why some IPAs and strong craft beer brews can have this citrusy, skunky or dank scent as well). In my experience, cannabis fragrances never resemble the real deal at all because no one wants to smell like a skunk. However, Haze is probably the closest approximation I've come across. I really have to hand it to Akro here. At first I though, meh, another fragrance cashing in on a trend trying to be edgy. But then, this dank bud starting taking shape. There's definitely no skunkiness, but Cresp managed to accurately capture that dank, vegetal aspect of cannabis that comes up from below. It's like he modified the top, changing it from that citrusy, hopsy kind of top to something closer to a traditional fougere, deleted the skunky middle and then kept the bottom. I'm genuinely impressed!! As a whole it definitely does not smell like weed but you can pick out that shared dankness. Like Awake, the fragrance becomes more conventional in the dry down. With Haze, you have your typical barbershoppy aromatic.

[QueenMarceline]

@pocketvenus I think Awake would be way more up my alley out of these two. I have been really appreciating coffee scented notes and I completely agree with you that YSL Black Opium does not deliver as highly on the coffee note as I'd like it too. Surprisingly, I actually enjoy a muted cannabis scent for the earthy, mysterious notes it brings but I suppose that's more on the herbal side of things opposed to that skunky smell that is usually associated with a lit/used cannabis plant. 

These both are very unique when it comes to scent profile and that I can definitely appreciate.

[pocketvenus]

@QueenMarceline Yes, it's a really complex and deep scent! The closest I can compare it to is hops. That sort of citrusy funky scent you can find with some craft beers.

[QueenMarceline]

@pocketvenus As a Michigander I am very familiar with the smell of hops, haha! I quite enjoy it.

[pocketvenus]

@QueenMarceline Same 🙂

[itsfi]

@pocketvenus, you had me at the smell of “sticking your face into a freshly ground bag of coffee” with Awake. Going to have to try that one.

[cianni]

 @pocketvenus totally agree with @itsfi and Awake! YSL black opium never did it for me, despite all the hype, and I think it’s because I was searching for more of the coffee note that was promised. This one is definitely more up my alley! Thanks for all your incredibly detailed reviews!!