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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!
Tried Smythe's new perfume which is a sweet sandalwood with the barest suggestion of spice. I was told this is like Santal 33, I don't really think so. The fragrance is by Fueguia 1833 and if you've ever tried even a few from that house, there's an underlying base, a sweet woodiness that they share and this one is no different. It does wear down more pleasantly on my skin than S33, less fluffy and amorphous, but it lacks the leathery opening of S33 which I enjoy. Personally, I don't think it matches Smythe's aestheic which has bold lines and silhouettes.
Finally had a chance to try out Replica’s Autumn Vibes, and sadly it is not for me. While I enjoy several Replica perfumes ( Maison Margiela 'REPLICA' Beach Walk Maison Margiela REPLICA' Jazz Club Eau de Toilette Maison Margiela REPLICA Whispers In The Library ) Autumn Vibes has a note in it that immediately turned sour on me, smelling more like sweaty body odor than a walk through a forest in the fall. It’s actually driving me a little crazy, because the notes are all up my alley so I can’t figure out why it doesn’t work for me. 😫
@LCResz Sorry to hear it didn't work out for you! I like Kerosene's Broken Theories for autumn vibes. Slumberhouse's Jeke was pretty good too. You might like some of the spicy CdGs like 2Man?
Trying Burberry HER today.
I like the scent, although for me it is a bit too sweet. It lacks the ~spice~ that other sweet perfumes such as black opium have. Not a favorite for me unfortunately!
Trying a couple scents from Maison Crivelli, Santal Volcanique and Fleur Diamantine.
They're alright. The Santal V promises something very daring, sandalwood mixed with spices, smoke and coffee so it really sets you up for something compelling. The opening is interesting. You get a milky sandalwood that slowly deepens spice but this fades away in short order you're left with something synthetic and safe. Same with the Fleur. You get a big jasmine forward white floral that quickly dries down to something generic and synthetic. Just like I don't pick up much coffee from Santal V, I don't get much green from Fleur D. Doesn't add anything to the jasmine genre. I'm really picky about my jasmines though. They're not bad, I'm just expecting more at these prices.
Continuing my exploration of this house with Papyrus Moleculaire and Osmanthe Kodoshan.
PM is reminiscent of Santal 33, though softer and the leather note lasts longer on my skin. It also doesn't dry down to something as fluffy. It's nearly the same price though. Honestly, this seems pretty redundant but if you're at the end of your 33 and looking to save $15, give this a try 😂
OK opens with the warmth of star anise, dries down to an abstract osmanthus. Lacks the leatheryness that the ad copy claims. At this point, I really wondered if I'd received a damaged box of samples but in looking up reviews online, I'm not the only one who finds this more at the mass-designer level. Again, that's fine, this isn't a terrible fragrance, but it seems obscene to charge so much for them. I have to admit, this has turned me off the brand. There are six more samples in the discovery set and the thought of going through the rest feels like a chore.
Sorry that it's dreary discovery coffret, @pocketvenus
Trying out new Parfum should never be a chore. Sad that even niche Perfume Houses with high-price wares seem to have a bunch of 'phoned-in' releases. Scents that might be lumped in with typical Dept. Store stuff.
@pocketvenus Thank you for giving these a try. I'd planned to pick up some Maison Crivelli samples but you've just save me some money. You're the 4th person I've seen describe these fragrances as very overpriced for what they are. That's too bad because Maison Crivelli's marketing fluff makes their scents seem more interesting.
@WinglessOne Anytime! It's a shame to see brands like this get more distribution and promotion because there's more capital behind it than talent and quality but so it goes!
Thanks for sharing, @pocketvenus ! I'm sorry these aren't working out, but maybe there will be one that will be acceptable (she says optimistically). 😘
@Titian06 Thanks! I'm taking a break from the house for now but will try to come back to it ❤️
@pocketvenusI hope you were able to go back and at least sample Iris Malikhan (sp?), It's the only one from the the brand I've purchased. And well worth it.
It opens silvery smooth iris with veins of a deep dark green leather. As it dries down it starts to smell like someone is liberally dusting said green leather in hot cocoa powder. And boy is it cozy - yet still somehow slightly chilly. You get wafts of this silvery green iris throughout the drydown still, and rarely a dark (not sweet) leathery vanilla.
@julieandtwocats Thanks for the tip, I'll see if I have it!!
Testing Zoologist's Seahorse - an unusual scent that I'll describe as an aquatic floral. It's so unusual that if I didn't associate the scent with a marine animal, I wouldn't say it brings to mind images of the sea. This is despite the fact that there's a tinge of calone and the saltiness of the "algae" and ambergris definitely brings to mind the image of craggy rocks and water. It's just that it also presents as quite creamy and floral so that takes it out of the sea for me. And the the cream mixed with fennel and cardamom still suggests something gourmand as well even though it doesn't smell at all like that genre and I tend to think of those spices as "cool." When I read the copy though, I get it, the idea of a colourful, sun dappled coral reef. Dries down to a beachy tuberose with spice. Unusual and creative, exactly what I'd expect from this house.
Trying a couple Hermes today
Eau de Gentiane Blanche is suitable for spring, GB is a simple composition that balances the bitter, slightly spicy greens of fresh shoots and snapped twigs with a gentle, musky iris. The scent is very linear, and maintains its verdant edge into the dry down. It's a bit too simple for my taste but I like how the opening doesn't just fade away into cheap musks.
HERMÈS Eau de pamplemousse rose 3.3 oz Concentre Eau de Toilette Spray is a delightful tart rose, elegant and well considered. Opens with a welcome hespiridic burst and maintains its effervescent character in the dry down. The rose is luminous and unassuming but not girlish. Perhaps too simple and linear for those who would prefer a more robust or dramatic rose.
@pocketvenus That rose Hermes sounds divine, I'm such a sucker for good rose scents.
@pocketvenus I like the sound of Gentiane. Those bottle colors are so pretty!
Tried those new Tom Ford's roses, and they all plain suck, if I can be honest. What a let down.
Editing to add short descriptions of these ( according to my nose) :
TOM FORD Rose D'Amalfi Eau De Parfum Fragrance 1.7 oz/ 50 mL # is a powder b o m b! Super duper endless baby powder. Rose ( and some citrus ) is barely noticeable, and only at the opening. After that it's gone. You're just left with this endless, suffocating, baby powder.
TOM FORD Rose De Chine Eau De Parfum Fragrance 1.7 oz/ 50 mL # is dead flowers with its dead scent, in a bowl of water that hasn't been changed in forever. Dead and rotting. Super off putting to my nose
TOM FORD Rose De Russie Eau De Parfum 1.7 oz/ 50 mL eau de parfum spray # is the most interesting one. But still super meh. It's kind of a leather rose. But again, rose is barely there, and then it disappears completely. What's left is some kind of spicy leather that is sharp at first, but then it gets soft, smoky, and tar...ish. Now this sounds interesting to me when I read it like this. Kind of. ( And if more rose were present ). But in reality it is very... just underwhelming. And meh. And disappointing. All 3 of them.
@RavenR Ooof, how disappointing! 😕 I love rose and for the price, you'd expect something more exciting from Tom Ford.