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The Perfume Challenge

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!

Re: The Perfume Challenge

No, I haven’t heard of this one, I will sure to check it out! Thank you very much!!

Re: The Perfume Challenge

I recently got a mini bottle of Chanel Coromandel as a GWP. At first, I got a whiff of an overpowering, kind of chemically floral. But then, the scent grew warmer and spicier, and it makes me think of an eccentric, old lady with a mysterious past and the most eclectic, designer wardrobe kept in cedar trunks. The notes are patchouli, frankincense and benzoin, but on me, I pick up more amber and floral, sort of like gardenia or jasmine. I'm not a huge fan, but the mini bottle is cute. Maybe I'll pass it on to my mom.

Re: The Perfume Challenge

Interesting combination, @txcatx ! 🤔  I haven't heard of this one.  Glad you got to try it even if it didn't work out! 😄

Re: The Perfume Challenge

A sample I received with one of my orders was

 

Kilian, Good Girl Gone Bad

Top:  Osmanthus, jasmine, May rose

Mid:  Indian tuberose, narcissus

Base:  Amber, cedar

If I put my nose right up to my wrist and sniff deeply, I can smell something...rotting???  I don't know if that's what I really mean, but it's unpleasant.  Then when typing in the notes, I saw tuberose.  Tuberose is usually a migraine trigger; but since I can barely smell anything, I'm thinking that's what I'm smelling.  This scent is a no-go for me.

Re: The Perfume Challenge

@Titian06 Also, I don't normally like fragrances listed as white florals or white musk so I was surprised how much I liked it. 

Re: The Perfume Challenge

@Titian06 I had to laugh a bit when I saw your description. I get ashtray. A bouquet of fresh flowers and a woman in a fancy house puffing down the cigarettes. I like the fragrance but would love it without the ashtray. Guess that's the Gone Bad part. Try Rolling in Love. It's a pretty floral. It smells like Love Don't Be Shy mixed with Good Girl sans the Gone Bad part. It doesn't list fruity notes in its description but it smells a bit fruity to me. Hopefully that one will be better for you.

Re: The Perfume Challenge

Thanks for the suggestion, @Margalee !  Yes, I'm finding that white flowers are something to avoid. 😄

Re: The Perfume Challenge

Magnolia often does that to me! And sometimes gardenia

Re: The Perfume Challenge

@Titian06 White florals have indoles that can definitely smell like rotting. Sorry this one didn't turn out for you!

Re: The Perfume Challenge

Once again, I would like to thank the wonderful @Samtian for gifting to me around a dozen fragrance samples. 🥰  I reviewed most of them last month; here are the rest (in the order I tried them).

 

Ellis Brooklyn, SciFi

Top:  Bitter orange, bergamot

Mid:  Green tea, pink freesia

Base:  Vanilla bean, cashmere wood

I cannot smell this fragrance at all.

 

Ellis Brooklyn, Raven

Top:  Rhubarb, mandarin orange

Mid:  Peony, pink lotus

Base:  Patchouli, white woods, musk

If I put my nose right up to my wrist as soon as I spritz and deeply sniff, I can just barely smell a very light, sweet citrus scent.  That's it, period.  If you're looking for a scent that does not project, this is a lovely fragrance that only you will be able to smell.

 

Ellis Brooklyn, Myth

Top:  Ambrette (musk mallow), bergamot, cassis

Mid:  Pink lotus, jasmine, orchid

Base:  Musk, white cedar extract, patchouli

Again, I have to put my nose right up to my wrist and inhale deeply to get a subtle whiff of...I'm not sure what.  It's warm and pleasant.  I think it would be overwhelming if it were any stronger.

 

Ellis Brooklyn, Fable

Top:  Neroli, black currant

Mid:  Honeysuckle, petitgrain, violet

Base:  Amber, cedar

I can smell this one without any problem, but your office mate would not be able to smell it.  It has a light, warm green scent with a bit of citrus and floral (not heavy on the floral or citrus).

 

In addition to perfume samples, Samtian also sent to me:

Scentsy Wax Melt, Alpine Meadow

Notes:  Wild berries, lemon, dewy greens

The scent isn't too bad.  It would be nice if it had a little pine and less lemon.  The lemon smells quite artificial.  In fact the scent as a whole reminds me of cheap bar soap.  It's not a soapy scent; it just kind of reminds me of the soaps we used when I was growing up. 😄

Re: The Perfume Challenge

@Titian06 How nice of Samtian! I do want to say I have a full size of Ellis Brooklyn Raven. It's quite spicy and pungent. I've had samples from various perfume houses that were off from the full size so maybe that was just the sample. I wish they would be more consistent with batches. I see a lot of complaints about it lately. Not sure what's been going on with that. 

Re: The Perfume Challenge

@Titian06 Haha soapy yeah that's what I smelt too. Sorry you couldn't smell some of them well! 

Re: The Perfume Challenge

Hi, all!  I received the duo samples of the Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia Eau de Parfum and Gucci Flora Gorgeous Jasmine Eau de Parfum .  I received the Gorgeous Gardenia perfume in the awesome Sephora perfume gratis earlier this year, so no need to re-review that one.  The Gorgeous Jasmine was such a disappointment.  It is a straight-up strong jasmine that triggered a migraine.  Jasmine is not normally a migraine trigger, although sometimes I just don't care for the scent.  In this perfume, the jasmine is very strong--I cannot smell any of the other notes (individually or together).  I'm glad I received this duo free with the purchase of a few Gucci products even if both of them trigger migraines. 🤣  If you love jasmine, you'll probably love this scent; otherwise, I recommend you try before buying to be on the safe side.

 

Top:  Italian mandarin, bergamot, black pepper

Mid:  Jasmine, jasmine sambac, magnolia, damask rose

Base:  Benzoin, Australian sandalwood, patchouli

Re: The Perfume Challenge

@Titian06 Straight jasmine was all I smelled of Gucci Flora Gorgeous Jasmine. I really like the OG Flora so I was hoping for something a bit more complex. It was pretty but soooo simple (?) Hate to call it that. One noted? Help me out here ahaha.

Re: The Perfume Challenge

Sorry to hear that the Jasmine was a migraine trigger, @Titian06! I do love Jasmine. I'm allergic to some synthetic vanilla fragrances, though, so I know how you feel.

Re: The Perfume Challenge

Thanks, @curlychiquita ! 💖💖💖  Yea, vanilla is a migraine trigger as well for me too.  I was excited for a jasmine scented perfume so was very disappointed.  However, I'm going to try layering this with one of my citrus scents to see how that works.  I just need to cut down the intensity of the jasmine (I hope). 🤞

Re: The Perfume Challenge

Thanks to the lovely @Samtian who gifted to me around a dozen samples of purfumes!  Here are my thoughts on the ones I've tried so far (in the order I tried them). 😁

 

Olfactive Studio, Panorama

Top:  Lemon, bergamot

Mid:  Grass, wasabi, fig leaf, galbanum, violet leaf, cardamom

Base:  Balsam fir, myrrh, vanilla, tonka bean, patchouli, labdanum, musk

Comment:  I couldn't smell this one no matter how much I put on.

 

Byredo, Mojave Ghose

Top:  Sapodilla, ambrette (musk mallow)

Mid:  Magnolia, violet, sandalwood

Base:  Ambergris, cedar

Comment:  I couldn't smell this one either.

 

Neela Vermeire Creations, Rahele

Top:  Violet leaf, cardamom, green mandarin, cinnamon

Mid:  Osmanthus violet, rose, magnolia, jasmine, iris

Base:  Leather, oakmoss, sandalwood, cedar, patchouli

Comment:  Intense and astringent; definitely unpleasant

 

Atelier Cologne, Poivre Electrique

Top:  Black pepper, pink pepper, bitter orange

Mid:  Olibanum, pimento, Turkish Rose

Base:  Cedar, myrhh, sandalwood

Comment:  Smells like disinfectant; very unpleasant

 

Atelier Cologne, Emeraude Agar

Notes:  Guaiac Wood, Turkish rose, eucalyptus, sandalwood, black pepper, bergamot, geranium, angelica

Comment:  A nondescript light, fresh scent; neither pleasant, nor unpleasant

 

The Vagabond Prince, Bass Solo

Top:  Ginger, cardamom, saffron, lime

Mid:  Moroccan cedar, Virginian cedar, lavender, birch, fig leaf

Base:  Driftwood, sandalwood, amber, opoponax, musk

Comment:  Starts out with a light astringenty almost plasticy scent then quickly becomes a light warm woody scent; rather nice after it warms up

 

DS & Durga, Boston Ivy

Notes:  Ivy, oak moss, clover, sea water

Comment:  Light fresh green scent sort of like how your sheets smell after hanging out to dry on a late spring/early summer day--a combination of a fresh linen and fresh green scent; I would definitely buy this one!

Re: The Perfume Challenge

That is a nice soft fragrance, I Love perfume that are not to strong or give me allergies, I like soft smell fragrance.  And this sound one sound like I can mess with it. Will definitely get it. I recently purchased The New YSL and it smell fantastic.

Re: The Perfume Challenge

@Titian06 Ah dang! Sorry most of them didn't work out. Boston Ivy was the one I liked best out of those as well. 

Re: The Perfume Challenge

@Titian06 Thanks for these notes! I've heard good things about Panorama, I'm sorry it was not detectable!! Neela Vermiere is a cool house but I haven't tried Rahele. My favourite is Trayee.

Re: The Perfume Challenge

The last couple Apoteker Tepe scents are both interesting

 

Brother Night is another smoky scent that's almost flinty at times. I've never smelled marigold before and it's not like a typical generic floral scent. It actually reminds me a lot more of a bitter citrus - pomelo to be exact but if you aren't familiar with pomelos, think of grapefruits which can also have that flintiness. So don't imagine smoky flowers, think slightly sweet pomelo smoke.

 

The Peradam. I actually tried this one earlier and was so blown away, I wanted to sit with it a bit before writing about it. I don't often come across fragrances that leave me speechless. This one caught me totally off guard and the notes pyramid really doesn't capture it. The quality of orris here is absolutely to die for. No hint of dustiness or candiness. It's an ultra smooth heart, rich like French butter, shrouded in a fine gossamer veil of jasmine and lily and cradled in a gentle sandalwood. The scent is both alive and full of emotional depth. My favourite of the set by a long shot.

 

Overall, this is the best house I've tried in a long time. If you enjoy unusual smoky scents, I would definitely recommend trying the sample set.

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