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!

[lmaster]

@QueenMarceline you will love it!! I do smell fig!! I just sprayed it, but it is definitely mixed with the citrus,,, it's intoxicating in a wonderful way

[QueenMarceline]

@lmaster I need to get to the store ASAP to see if they have this out yet.

[lmaster]

@QueenMarceline it's fabulous!!

[Titian06]

Thanks for sharing, @lmaster !  This is on my Loves list.  Now I can't wait to try! 💖💖💖

[lmaster]

@Titian06 you are sooooo welcome!! 

[pocketvenus]

Have been very curious about these new Aesops. While the use the same bottles as previous releases, they've been priced much higher at CA$255/50ml versus CA$160.

I like the earlier releases, they're very easy wears, pleasant and easy to match and give a modern vibe. Maybe like an outdoorsy version of CdG.

Miraceti is not what I expected. Definitely different from the earlier, easy-to-wear ones. Despite its description of being a woody scent, the "seaweed" note gives it a marine tinge. Marine as in calone. I really dislike calone though it's not applied with a heavy hand here, it's not your typical 90s aquatic scent. It's also rather dirty, actually. Though this fades and shifts away from bodily fluids to leather, it's not like a clean leather goods leather. It's the styrax and labdanum kind of leather. Dark, smoky, and a little animalistic. I'm really surprized. While it's light wearing like the others and I've definitely smelled way more challenging niche fragrances, it's not commercial. It's interesting and I like that Aesop didn't play it safe here but I also don't think the typical Aesop customer is ready to enjoy this.

[pocketvenus]

Testing Gucci's Eyes of the Tiger today, a vanilla fragrance. The opening is very gourmand, gently sweet and a touch powdery. It grows muskier in the dry down and a little dirtier and creamier with the costus but there's just too much fluffy musk for it to be interesting to me. I believe the Alchemist's Garden line is meant to be layered which explains why this scent is so unidimensional. It's not minimalist, it's not at all like an Hermessence or even a Jo Malone, the latter of which is designed to be layered but still has some semblance of a composition. I had a similar experience with the oud fragrance in this line, Voice of the Snake which faired better with me probably because I am not a vanilla fan but do enjoy oud. It was seriously bare bones. Honestly, the Alchemist's Garden line feels like receiving a tube of a neutral paint colour that requires purchasing more expensive tubes of paint in order to slap together a painting. At this price, I would think of this more as a collector's item more than anything else.

On my other wrist, I'm testing Orpheon which is more of a disappointment. I'd enjoyed Diptyque's later releases, Tempo and Fleur de Peau and found Capitale a worthy effort so had high hopes for Orpheon. The promotional photos are deceiving, suggesting something smoky, woody, masculine. No, this blasts you with an abstract, clean and soapy floral. The notes state the flower is jasmine which I love but I'm not getting jasmine at all. The scent improves in the dry down with less soap and more tobacco but overall, it remains very clean. Not my cup of tea.

[sister13]

Ooh, great reviews, those Gucci bottles are lovely,I was wondering! @pocketvenus 

[QueenMarceline]

@pocketvenus Thanks so much for your awesome and thorough review of these fragrances 🙂 I'm glad you mentioned that the Gucci Eyes of the Tiger is more of a collectors item than anything else. I really don't need anymore vanilla perfumes, lol!

[pocketvenus]

@QueenMarceline You're very welcome! ❤️

[pocketvenus]

@Margalee Yes, I think I would be more open to them if they weren't priced so ridiculously. JC Ellena successfully challenged the idea of a more expensive perfume requiring a complex structure with a bazillion notes and showing how something pared down could still be creative and skillful but the Alchemist line is really pushing it.

[makeitup305]

Keeping up with my tryout of the MFK sampler set I picked up, Gentle Fluidity Gold was next. I love it. I actually wore it two days in a row because I enjoyed it so much. It's not the most unique scent since it's main notes are what I call "basic"- vanilla, musk, and amber. However, they are very refined in this fragrance and not overwhelming at all. Very long lasting, though not as long as some of the other MFK fragrances I've been trying. This is a fragrance that I think would appeal to a lot of people and become a daily go-to scent for many. it's a new love for me. Many people liked the KAYALI VANILLA | 28 & MUSK | 12 Doublesided Travel Rollerball 2 x 5 mL Eau de Parfum Rollerball (me included) and this is the better version of that. 

[QueenMarceline]

@makeitup305 Thanks for your review 🙂 

Just have to say... that is a super unique and innovative idea with the double sided rollerball. Would actually buy more rollerballs (it seems like I avoid them like the plague) if they had this kind of set up.

[QueenMarceline]

Today, I went to the mall to make a return at a jewelry store and while I was there I also wanted to stop by LUSH to swap out 15 (yup, fifteeeeen) black pots in exchange for 3 fresh face masks. I purposefully went perfume-free in hopes I'd get to stop at my Sephora and try out the Kilian Apple Brandy perfume. Unfortunately, they did not have it out on display yet and told me to come try back in a week or so. (will do lol) So instead, I decided in the spirit of my "walk down LUSH memory lane" within this thread that I'll try out one of their new perfumes instead of old, discontinued ones that collect dust on my vanity 😂After spritzing a few on the testers I chose my winner: Lord of Misrule. I used to own this in the limited edition bath bomb and a shower gel so I already knew I was fond of the scent but I wanted to see if I liked it in perfume-form. Sprayed myself down with it on my wrists and neck and headed out for the rest of my errands/chores. 

My Thoughts After Wearing It For The Day:

Okay guys, I really like this perfume... like a lot. I was not expecting to really fall in love with anything new from LUSH since I already own so many of their scents and oftentimes they can have a similar scent-profile to one another. This is probably one of the best, most stunning LUSH perfumes on the market (discontinued perfumes included). As is on par with the brand, the scent is very strong and does last throughout the entire day. I'm having a hard time describing what I am even smelling (which is rare for me) but this scent is sexy and I do pick up some very luscious full-bodied vanilla from time to time but it's not overpowering or even prominent. It's earthy, it's spicy, yet also it's somehow sweet, it's strong (boss lady vibes) and it's sophisticated. I don't know why but it gives me "having an affair with your female boss" type of vibe. 😂

The website describes this scent as:

• Spicy black pepper gives it a kick
• Patchouli oil is earthy and distinct
• Creamy vanilla adds a sweet touch

However, I really do not smell any patchouli within this (not a huge fan of patchouli, but also not a hater). I find it that the harder of a time I have describing the keynotes in a perfume usually means that I will enjoy that perfume. This sounds weird but let me explain. I love scents that marry notes in such a way that almost creates a whole new unique experience in itself. To me, the sure sign of a great perfume is when all of the notes are so well "married" together and combine in such a sophisticated way that it's hard to pinpoint each and every one of them within the scent. If that makes sense. I would truly give this scent 4.5/5 stars. So well executed. I really would like to own the 1oz of this one day, since I'm on a low-buy I'll have to use up 2 LUSH perfumes I currently own before I get to buy this. Guess you'll be hearing some more about discontinued LUSH products soon (my bad) 😁😂

[QueenMarceline]

@Margalee If you have a LUSH near you I highly recommend testing it out in store, they have this one at every location I've been in recently. 🙂

[pocketvenus]

@QueenMarceline Looking forward to hearing about these discontinued scents!

[QueenMarceline]

@pocketvenus Coming soon 😉

[Titian06]

@QueenMarceline - This one sounds nice!  I don't have a Lush near me.  The closest one was an hour away, but wasn't there the last time I went to that mall. 😕

[QueenMarceline]

@Titian06 Aww, that's a bummer. I have quite a few kind-of-sort-of near me currently, but I believe one did recently close. I probably wouldn't have went in there if I didn't have a ridiculous amount of black pots to return TBH.