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!

[itsfi]

I’ll let you know how it goes @Titian06. It should arrive mid-to-late next week; if it arrives on schedule, I should be able to give it a couple of all day wear tests before New Year’s Eve. 

[haleyvvvv]

Same, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the red one @itsfi!! 

[Titian06]

@Margalee - Here are the notes for Black Opium Over Red:

• Top Notes: Cherry and Green Mandarin
• Middle Notes: Jasmine, Orange Blossom and Black Tea
• Base Notes: Coffee, Madagascar Vanilla and Indonesian Patchouli Leaf

I anticipate it having it's own scent like with Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium Illicit Green Eau de Parfum 2.5 oz/ 75 mL .  You can tell it's in the same family, but it smells different from the original.

[Margalee]

@Titian06 I can only wear the Le Parfum. Maybe Illicit Green. I only tried Illicit Green once but I don't remember if I didn't prefer it or it set off my allergies. The rest are nose tweakers. I don't know why Le Parfum doesn't bother me and the others do. So mostly I guess I was wondering about the formulation relating to my sensitivities/allergies. I was hoping someone knew if Over Red was formulated like Le Parfum or the OG Black Opium. I did realize it was and EDP but I like cherry perfumes so I was hoping formulations had changed to my benefit. But thanks for the input.

[Titian06]

Oh, @Margalee , I didn't realize that's what you meant!  I have no idea.  If I see something, I'll be sure to let you know.

[Samtian]

The travel spray for this month is Floral Street Sweet Almond Blossom Eau de Parfum 1.7 oz / 50 ml eau de parfum spray 

3/5- The Almond Blossom perfume is a captivating olfactory journey that commences with a very powerful burst of fragrance upon the first spray. Opening with invigorating notes of apple blossom and a sparkling pomelo scent, it swiftly evolves within minutes to reveal a sophisticated blend of tonka and matcha tea. The dynamic layers of apple blossoms and matcha create a multi-faceted experience, maintaining a strong and delightful presence for a solid six hours of wear. The perfume culminates in a gracefully creamy almond base, seamlessly blending with the preceding notes. Perfect for those who love a bold fragrance.

[pocketvenus]

Loving these detailed reviews @Samtian ❤️

[Samtian]

@pocketvenus Thank you!! 

[Titian06]

Thanks for the review, @Samtian !  I've seen very few little about this scent.

[Samtian]

@Titian06 I was really confused for a while because I was expecting like mostly almond but it was ok. I'm glad I don't own a full size, it was really too strong for me. 

[Samtian]

Each month I am taking one mini and one travel size to use for my use it project. This month the mini randomly chosen was La Chasse Aux Papillion's by L'Artisan Parfumeur. Back when Sephora carried them. 

Not my Image

1/5- It begins with a delightful burst of orange blossom that transitions seamlessly into an earthy cotton note, creating a unique opening.  After about 5 minutes, it evolves into a refreshing lemony cotton aroma, adding a vibrant twist to the fragrance. As it dries down, the scent gradually settles into a very faint, earthy cotton again, leaving a subtle trail that lasts for about 5 hours. 

[Margalee]

@Samtian so what are you doing? Are you using these the entire month?

[Samtian]

@Margalee I'm rotating them during my work nights each month.

[Titian06]

This scent sounds nice, @Samtian ! 🥰

[Samtian]

@Titian06 To some people probably lol but earthy cotton to me was a bleugh face making scent lol.

[pocketvenus]

Tried the new Tom Ford Cafe Rose. I'd tag it but only the old private label one shows up! To be honest, I don't really remember the original well so I'm not going to try to compare. Opens with a fresh, luminous rose with a hint of spice but not coffee. It takes quite a while for the coffee to kick in, and it's never very strong. Just a kind of deep bitterness that I probably wouldn't have described as coffee unless I knew the perfume's name. It's a nice rose in a similar vein to Serge Luten's Fille de Berlin. If you want a more caffeinated rose-coffee, you're going to have look for something more like Pekji's Ruh.

[Cherron28]

I like this one a lot. I’m mad I didn’t get a bigger bottle of it 🙃

[Margalee]

@pocketvenus I smelled this in store and was soooo glad I didn't blind buy it. Tom Ford has a favorite or two of mine but the brand isn't really good for blind buys for me.

[QueenMarceline]

@pocketvenus Thank you for your review, this is one of the new releases I was interested in 🙂 @Margalee I agree about that, I feel like TF is honestly one of the most hit/miss brands for me (mostly misses...) 

[cianni]

I purchased By Rosie Jane Dulce Eau de Parfum 1.7 oz / 50 mL Eau de Parfum Spray as a blind buy after seeing it 10000 times on FragranceTok. Am I the only person who doesn’t like it? It really should be right up my alley in terms of notes, but I find it doesn’t last very long and almost has a plasticky scent. This is might be too niche, but it’s a sweet plastic smell if that makes sense - weirdly nostalgic scent that reminds me of opening a new Barbie as a kid. I don’t hate it, but it did not live up to the hype for me unfortunately 😞 I’ll still use it layered though!

[Margalee]

I tested Coach Love. This is one of the few Coach fragrances I enjoy. It reminded me of Daisy Intense but intensified. I do like strawberry bubbly scents. Coach Love lasted 4-5 hours on me. Somewhat disappointing since all the others lasted much longer but maybe I was looking for strawberry rather than the drydown which is really light in comparison to the opening. I did respray. It was nice to get that opening again. The start of this fragrance lasts quite awhile in comparison to other fragrances. I did end the day with a bad headache but I have sampled this twice before (no resprays) so I'm unsure it was the perfume. There was less of that dull Twilly sort of undertone scent that the full size bottle gives so maybe that is a grounding point the vial was missing. I still enjoy Coach Love and will retest but if I end up with a raging headache again then I think I should stick to Marc Jacobs Daisy Intense!

As a side note, the other day I woke up smelling like a bar of soap. Haha *Nerolia Vetiver*