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!

[alexasteph]

Ooh I like how that one sounds! 

[Libellules]

Day 16: Soul of the Forest by Maison Margiela

The opening was a really bright earthy smell - a little bit of warm citrus, woodsy smoke, trees, moss and grass.

I honestly really like the opening - for a couple of hours though, I smelled citrus. Which is weird, because citrus isn't in the notes. I would, for sure, have thought there was Bergamot, because Bergamot tends to turn in a way I don't like on my skin, but I don't see it in the notes.

4 hours in, and I smell moss, woods, and a hint of the blackcurrant/berries? Just a hint. I really like it. Definitely need to test it out some more, as I'd be open to purchasing this. Here's hoping that they come out with a rollerball / travel spray!

Notes:

Blackcurrant buds, Pimiento berries, Moss Accord, Cistus Concrete, Sap Accord, Fir Balsam, Incense Oil, Patchouli Oil, Indonesia Atlas, Cedarwood Oil.

Spoiler

Keeping running tally so that I won't repeat!
Day 15: Ombre Indigo by Olfactive Studio
Day 14: Eau de Sens by Diptyque
Day 13: Honey Oud by Floris
Day 12: Panorama by Olfactive Studio
Day 11: PHI Une Rose de Kandahar by Tauer
Day 10: Jasmin et Cigarette by Etat Libre d'Orange
Day 9: Chance EDP by Chanel
Day 8: Missed - "Eau de me" :x
Day 7: Ombre Leather by Tom Ford
Day 6: Straight to Heaven By Killian
Day 5: Bapteme du Feu by Serge Lutens
Day 4: Fir Balsam by L'Antichambre
Day 3: Borneo 1834 by Serge Lutens
Day 2: Maison Margiela Replica Dancing on the Moon
Day 1: Tobacco Vanille by Tom Ford   

[ghrelin]

Day 16: Black XS by Paco Rabanne.

I have a soft spot in my heart for this fragrance.  It was my first bottle of perfume that I'd ever owned and it was this fragrance that sparked my interest and love of perfumes.  

Up until that point, I had some preconceived notions about perfume, even though I was 30.  For me, perfume was something akin to an old floral-powdery liquid that my grandmother would spray on in copious amounts.  Needless to say, I stayed away from perfume in general throughout my teens and twenties.

So, when I smelled Black XS  I was just amazed at the difference between what I was experiencing and the sickly powdery floral embalming fluid my grandmother called perfume.

Black XS has this really nice sweet, cacao, vanilla, spice.  Paco Rabanne changed the formula slightly a few years ago, so it's not the same as it used to be.  These days, it's a ghost of what it once was, lacking the rich complexity that I fell in love with.  

This new formula doesn't last long on my skin and has poor sillage.  Once this bottle is gone, I don't think I'll replace it.

[alexasteph]

Day 16: Pinrose Pinrose with a couple rolls of Secret Genius layered on top. 

I wore Secret Genius yesterday, and I really like how it combines with Pinrose. Pinrose is a very nice scent for night time in my opinion, the combination of rose and leather is very sultry and a bit much for a day at Disneyland. When it's layered with Secret Genius though, it lightens up a bit because of the caramel and vanilla and becomes very fun and wearable for a day like this. 

Since today day is my last day of vacation, I'll be able to better update my backlog, it's just hard to grab it off a previous post from my phone. I was able to get Atelier Vanille Insensee as a 100 point perk at Downtown Disney and I'm super excited to layer that with Orange Sanguine and some of my sweeter fragrances. 

[jemly]

Day 2: TOCCA - Colette.

Colette is very very similar to byredo's gypsy water. their common threads are many: a lemony  juniper and creamy (not sugary) vanilla explosion with a pine / amber / sandalwood / incense base. they even each have pepper, though different types, technically. they only really diverge with Colette's whispered middle notes of violet and jasmine, which, in my opinion, round out colette a bit fuller than her ultra chic cousin.

absolutely my favorite tocca scent, and i can't get enough. i'm rather obsessed with juniper fragrances, particularly when held up with an amber base.

i find colette to be intriguing yet gentle, which i find a bit humorous, as colette is often grouped into tocca's 'naughty' girls collections. i get it though; a gentle strength is often the most powerful of them all.

previous day(s) in spoiler.

Spoiler

Day 1: Diptyque "tam dao" EDT

[Mcakes]

Ooh I've been wanting to try out Gypsy water! Thanks for letting me know Colette is close to that. I think I have a sample laying around somewhere. 

[k617]

I bummed around at home all weekend, so nothing for Days 14 and 15!

Day 16 - Marc Jacobs Decadence

It doesn't seem very long lasting on me... I really have to put my nose into my hair to smell it. Could just be the small sprays out of the sample vials; I've used the rollerball version and it seems to have better lasting power.

Key notes listed by Sephora: Italian Plum, Bulgarian Rose, Jasmine Sambac, Liquid Amber.

I don't get any rose, but I do smell the Italian plum and amber.

[Titian06]

Day 16:  John Varvatos – Artisan Acqua

Notes:  Tangelo, Mandarin, Paradisamide, Galbanum, Lentisque, Angelica Root, Sage, Lavender, Coriander, Toscanol®, Basil, Geranium, Palmarosa, Jasmine Sambac, Moss, Patchouli, Fir Balsam

Compiled

Spoiler

Day 15:  Versace - Dylan Blue

Day 14:  Marc Jacobs - Daisy

Day 13:  Atelier Cologne – Figuier Ardent

Day 12:  Acqua Di Gio Pour Homme

Day 11:  Cartier – Vetiver Bleu

Day 10:  Atelier Cologne - Sud Magnolia

Day 9:  Dolce & Gabbana – Light Blue

Day 8:  Escada – Joyful

Day 7:  Escada – Born in Paradise

Day 6:  Moschino – Moschino Fresh Couture

Day 5:  Chanel - No. 5 L'eau

Day 4:  Elizabeth & James - Nirvana Bourbon

Day 3:  YSL - Black Opium

Day 2:  Pacifica - Tunisian Jasmine Lime

Day 1:  Juliette Has a Gun - Not a Perfume

[unfungirl]

Day 16: Pinrose Merry Maker

 This smells like aftershave or something on me, I can't quite pinpoint what the top note I'm smelling is but I don't like it at all!  i'm definitely not picking up any of the citrus or musk notes. I would not wear this again 😕

[coffeenow]

Day 16- Prada Candy L'eau

Notes: Citrus, Sweet Pea, White Musk, Caramel, Benzoin.

This fits very nicely with fragrances like Armani Si, La Vie Est Belle, Flowerbomb, etc.  I will admit that this is a genre of fragrance I find pleasant enough that I will wear my samples, but I'm not into it enough that I really notice significant differences among them.  This is a lighter version of the original Candy, which is exactly what I would expect based on the name.  Pleasant and unoffensive.  A little sweet and a little fresh.

[Geminichilde]

Day 15: Degree Shower Fresh, lol today was a pjs and book day. 

Catching up on the days I missed:

Day 14: Ramon Monegal Lovely Day

Notes:

Sambac jasmine Absolute
Tea Rose Absolute
Licorice Absolute
Iris sur Cedre
Ultrazur
Black Currant

Day 13: Alexandre J White Leather

Top Notes: Red Berries, Rhubarb, Apple
Heart Notes: Rose, Freesia, Jasmine, Blackcurrant, Pear, Pineapple
Base Notes: White Musk, Amber Wood, Violet, Vegetal Musk

Day 12: Rupaul Glamazon

An amber-based, unisex fragrance featuring notes of Moroccan rose, pink peppercorn, and red cedar wood.

Loooovvee

Spoiler

Day 11: Lancome La Vie Es Belle
Day 10: Jo Malone Nashi Blossom
Day 9: Penhaligon's Quercus
Day 8: L'Artisan Parfumeur Nuit de Tubéreuse
Day 7: Besame Cosmetics Decades of Fragrance 1960
Day 6: Besame Cosmetics Decades of Fragrance 1950
Day 5: Besame Cosmetics Decades of Fragrance 1940
Day 4: Besame Cosmetics Decades of Fragrance 1930
Day 3: Besame Cosmetics Decades of Fragrance 1920
Day 2: Besame Cosmetics Decades of Fragrance 1910
Day 1: Cartier Baiser Vole

[Libellules]

@Geminichilde Lovely Day and White Leather sounds really nice! It's interesting that quite a few lines mix their leathers with berries.

How did you like the Alexander J version?

[Geminichilde]

I traded for this without looking at the notes (I'm a sucker for packaging) and was disappointed at first that there was no leather, but I really like it. There is a warmness to it that I can't really describe. It starts off very fruity on me and dries down to musky sweet. I wish the longevity was better though. 

[Samtian]

Day 15- Atelier Figuier  Ardent

Notes- Calabrian Bergamot, Anise, Cardamom, Fig Leaf, Salty Fig, Pepper, Virginian Cedarwood, Tuscan Iris, Tonka Bean.

I like fig and cedar scents so I've been wanting to try this. I love it!

http://www.sephora.com/figuier-ardent-P394143?skuId=1684570&icid2=products%20grid%3Ap394143

[Titian06]

@Samtian - I'm glad this scent works for you!  It smells horrible on me.  In fact I thought I got rid of it, but discovered I hadn't when I used it the other day.  Ooops!

[HookedOnBeauty2]

Day 15: Juliet Has A Gun - Not A Perfume

 I really like this scent and have been wanting to try others from this brand. I had a discovery kit in my loves for awhile now but it's always out of stock. I just went to their brand page on Sephora and noticed there is a different discovery kit available. Can't believe I never looked before.

[Titian06]

@HookedOnBeauty2 - I'm so glad this scent worked for you!  It smelled terrible on me!  😞

[Libellules]

Catching up!

Day 15: Ombre Indigo by olfactive Studio

Not doing this intentionally in my choices - but this is par for the course for me lol. Opens up fruity, leathery, and slightly mediciney. Before reading the notes - it smelled like grape, and a hint of dimetapp! Could have also been the strange blue color throwing me off ;). The mediciney scent went away after a couple of minutes, and I could still smell the fruit (turns out it is plum), but I was really surprised that I was left with a really earthy leather for most of the day.

For the past several months, I've been saying that Tom Ford Ombre Leather is the most true leather that I have ever smelled...this one might be a bit more "true," but the TF may be more pleasant? Though I do like this!

8 hours later, and it smells different. I'm not sure how to describe it. Still leather. It kind of reminds me of baby powder, but it isn't powdery. I think that the saffron, tuberose, and other notes are messing with my one nostril now O.O

Notes:

Petit-grain bigarade absolute, tuberose, saffron, plum, vetiver essence, papyrus essence, leather, incense, benzoin resin, amber, musk

Day 14: Eau de Sens by  Diptyque

Very very strong on the orange and orange blossom in the opening, dries down to a light white floral that is really strong on the patchouli/incense. like most Diptyque on my skin - mostly undetectable after a few hours!

Notes:

Orange flower, bitter orange, juniper, angelica, patchouli

Spoiler

Keeping running tally so that I won't repeat!
Day 13: Honey Oud by Floris
Day 12: Panorama by Olfactive Studio
Day 11: PHI Une Rose de Kandahar by Tauer
Day 10: Jasmin et Cigarette by Etat Libre d'Orange
Day 9: Chance EDP by Chanel
Day 8: Missed - "Eau de me" :x
Day 7: Ombre Leather by Tom Ford
Day 6: Straight to Heaven By Killian
Day 5: Bapteme du Feu by Serge Lutens
Day 4: Fir Balsam by L'Antichambre
Day 3: Borneo 1834 by Serge Lutens
Day 2: Maison Margiela Replica Dancing on the Moon
Day 1: Tobacco Vanille by Tom Ford   

[Seymore3]

Day- 14 Atelier bergamote soleil.I really like this,might purchase in the future.

Day 15- Lancome tresor. I seem to remember trying this before and not liking it,I still wouldn't buy it but I find it nice this time.

[Titian06]

@Seymore3 - I love Atelier Bergamot.  🙂

[Alicehoopz]

I slacked in posting but not in doing this, so here's my catch-up

12: Tokyo Milk Tainted Love. I don't know anything about this brand, I believe I got this in a birchbox. It smells SO good and is completely the type of scent I like - complex, different, still a bit sweet. But it faded too fast. Waaay too fast.

13: Marc Jacobs Mod Noir - now this one also meets the type of scent I like but lasted. Yesss, liked this one a lot.

14: Chloe ..Is this above having a name lol? It was okay. Nothing really stood out about it to me.

15: Philosophy Amazing Grace - went on okay, morphed into old lady scent on me. Nooope.