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!

[txcatx]

Yes, totally cool! Welcome to the challenge!

[Mcakes]

Day 14: Angel by Thierry Mugler 

Notes:
Bergamot, Hedione, Helional, Honey, Dewberry, Red Berries, Vanilla, Caramel, Patchouli, Chocolate, Coumarin.

http://www.sephora.com/angel-P9864

So I'm finally trying it- the cult classic. I'm not won over at all. It's kind of giving me a headache and it smells a little...cheap? I'm sorry I don't want to offend anyone. This just isn't for me 😕

Spoiler

Day 13: Tom Ford Velvet Orchid

Day 12: Atelier Cologne Collection Azur Sud Magnolia

Day 11: Marc Jacobs Daisy

Day 10: Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Noir

Day 9: Burberry Brit Sheer

Day 8: Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black and White

Day 7: Stella by Stella McCartney

Day 6: Miss Dior Absolutely Blooming

Day 5: Flower by Kenzo

Day 4: Maison Margiela Replica Lipstick On

Day 3: Commodity Gold (LOVE)

Day 2: Moschino Fresh Couture

Day 1: YSL Black Opium

[ghrelin]

@Mcakes  I personally like Angel but am definitely not offended that you don't like it or think it smells cheap.  I think the great thing about perfume and talking to others about perfume is that you can get so many takes on one thing because it reacts differently to everyone's skin, but also because we all process scents differently.

@jemly also had a great point about all the knockoffs.  I hadn't ever considered it in that light, but definitely makes complete sense now that I think about it.  

[Mcakes]

Yes @ghrelin fragrance is very personal! It's interesting to see how different people react to the same scent.

[coffeenow]

Angel doesn't work on me either.  It smells like straight-up patchouli.  Everyone talks about chocolate, but I never smell the chocolate.

[angel7594]

@Mcakes, Angel does not work with my chemistry at all. It smells rancid on my skin. No delicious gourmand notes on me, lol. The fragrance is different on every person I know that has worn it. I find it to be migraine inducing for me; and if I am in a store and someone sprays the tester, I leave.

[Mcakes]

Oh no @angel7594! Migraines are the worst. I'm not at that level but it is giving me a headache for sure. I can't wait to take it off! 

[jemly]

i think it has cheap connotations because angel is literally what every "celebrity" perfume essentially ripped off for the next 25 years. and the knock offs of the knock offs. it brought a particular type of gourmand orientals back to the forefront of the perfume world... it's as if flowerbomb was the full circle conclusion of the particular trend.

i'll always have a soft spot for it because it makes me deeeeeeply nostalgic; every time i get my nose on it it's a purely proustian experience (i don't own it but i tend to pick up samples when they're available). i'm pretty sure my 8th grade history teacher wore it ? and then all the other teachers under 35 as well ? haha.

[Mcakes]

You hit the nail on the head @jemly! I didn't even think about that until you said it. For me having smelled all the other knock offs before smelling the original is probably why I associate it with being low end. 

Nostalgic scents are definitely heart tuggers lol. I always think of my mom whenever I catch a whiff of Coco Chanel! 

[jemly]

@Mcakes i'm the same with all of my mom's perfumes (not current ones, but the ones she wore when i was a kid); particularly no. 5, givenchy 'ysatis' and nina ricci 'l'air du temps'.

[EmmyLove]

Yes! Whenever I smell Clinique's Aromatics Elixir or Keri Lotion I think of my mom

[jemly]

oh my god @EmmyLove keri lotion not only smells like my mom, it smells like my mom at night when she was going to bed, which to me is the ULTIMATE COMFORT smell.

i once found a perfume that i didn't like per se, but smelled like keri lotion. so i'd put it on sometimes at night before sleeping, i found it so soothing. (i don't like actual keri lotion as it has mineral oil -- which is totally fine for body, just tends to break me out so i stay away).

thanks for reminding me 🙂

[Beadshopgirl]

Day 14: I've already done these ones individually in the challenge, but I layered CK Eternity Now and Tokymilk Dark Tainted Love together.  Oh so delicious!!! I keep sniffing myself. 💕

[alexasteph]

Day 14: Balenciaga B. Skin

I have a sample vial of this I took with me on my trip, and I actually really like it! It's fairly light right now, but that could be because I was always a little wary of new scents when I put them on the first time in case it doesn't react well with my body chemistry. This one will be worth another spritz so I can enjoy it more. It's fresh and floral on initial application, and it wears as a nice light musk. This one is right up my alley, I will probably use up the vial and purchase a full size (😱 I so rarely buy full bottles!)

[ghrelin]

@alexasteph  I love this fragrance!  I feel so classy when I wear it.

[LCResz]

Day 14: Terry de Gunzburg's Bleu Paradis.

Aquatic, sweet, and musky, this perfume wears lighter than I was expecting. The longevity of this one, as compared to Reve Opulent, is seriously lacking, so while I think it is a nice scent I wouldn't buy a full sized bottle, especially at full retail price. 

Notes: lychee, rose, cedar, amber and musk.

[pocketvenus]

Day Fourteen: Byredo's Seven Veils

The opening of this oriental is quite unique, a frothy, sweet and spicy vanilla mixed with savory, earthy woods (or "carrot" as the notes say, but to my nose, that's a stretch unless we're only talking the caramelized sugars of roasted carrots). One review I read described it as root beer and there's definitely something reminiscent of the drink. The scent becomes a more generic vanilla-woods in the dry down. One of the longer lasting Byredos I've tried.

@greenporchlightsYou might like the opening of this one!

[txcatx]

@pocketvenus I just wanted to thank you for introducing me to Byredo. You suggested it to me a month or two ago, and I finally made it over to Neiman Marcus to test out their fragrances. Inflorescence is my new signature scent, and it's a challenge not wearing that every day during this challenge!

[pocketvenus]

Oh, I wish I could heart this more than once! I'm so glad you found a scent you love enough to wear everyday - it's always so wonderful when that happens ❤️

[angel7594]

Day 14: Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh (sample)

Notes: Red Raspberry, Wild Rose, Warm Plum

This does smell nice, however it has zero staying power on my skin. It faded out after 10 minutes. 😄 I would not purchase it for this reason.

[alexasteph]

I feel so same way about the whole Daisy line. They are so nice when first applied, and don't stay at all. I think Daisy is an EDT line, not an EDP line, so that's probably why.