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!

[QueenMarceline]

Not A Perfume by Juliette Has a Gun is such an underrated perfume in my opinion. Wish the bottle was more exciting but I genuinely want a full size after getting many, many samples of it at Sephora.

[Bohemianhijabi]

I was pleasantly surprised by Armani Beauty My Way Eau de Parfum Intense . The original was a bit too sweet for me, but this one is less sweet, and the orange blossom really shines through. I honestly didn't expect to like it, but I'm glad I gave it a shot. 

[Guessgal]

@Bohemianhijabi Thanks for sharing your take on the intense version. I agree, the original was a little too sweet for me too, although I did notice some musk peeking out at the end of it. Not sure if that’s because I read that there was a white musk base so was subconsciously searching for it.

[Bohemianhijabi]

I’m the same way after reading the description of a scent! There was definitely musk at the end, though. 

[Bohemianhijabi]

It didn't really seem all that intense to me. I don't usually love intense scents because they tend to be overpowering. I spritzed this one on after a shower, so maybe that's why it didn't seem super strong. I wore it to bed, and could still smell it when I woke up in the morning. I don't know if I would describe it as lush, but definitely not very sweet. 

[MissMisato]

@Margalee I just discovered that I was allergic to tiare oils. It was horrible. My hair products had tiare  in it and I had a rash around my eyes. My dermatologist told me I was allergic to my cologne. I stopped wearing my SDJ ‘71 for a week with no change. Then 2 weeks later, I tried a perfume sample with tiare. My eyes watered and I got extremely sick to my stomach. So, my dermatologist was right. I might have secretly teased people with allergies discounting the effects but never again. I “feel” that you can’t wear a fragrance you enjoy.

[MissMisato]

@Margalee My eyes thank you for the warning.

[MissMisato]

Happy Fall, y’all! I contracted Covid three months ago and my sense of smell was affected. Since the disruption, I have been on a journey to rediscover scents. I have collected 30 samples to share with you in November. I am a novice so the impressions won’t be technical. I just think it’s a fun way to share and give ideas for holiday gift giving. I missed yesterday so here’s my first post. 

Maison Margiela REPLICA' Autumn Vibes Eau de Toilette with Cedarwood & Cardamom makes me feel like a fairy in a forest. This is an intoxicating fall scent.  It has an earthy, woody aroma that is captivating. (For those in the know, is this an oud?) It smells like camping without the fire smoke. This is definitely a unisex scent but it’s not masculine.

I apply new scents before bedtime to gauge their lasting power. This morning, Autumn Vibes were still active on my wrists. I caught the aroma from my wrists while doing push-ups. So wonderful, I’m definitely scoring a full-size! 
 
Do you have a favorite fall scent? Please share so I can try it. Have a great day.

NOTE: Not best pic. Overcast so used light box. 

 

[Bohemianhijabi]

I really didn’t expect to like this one at all, but I love the woody earthiness of it! It doesn’t really give me oud vibes  

[MissMisato]

@Margalee You’re so right! Need a ‘71 butter. I will send a request to SDJ. And, I don’t like Bom Di either. I really want to but really can’t. Lol. 

[MissMisato]

@Margalee thank you for your interaction. My go-to is Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Crush Cheirosa ’71. I think it covers all seasons. I layer it with the other SDJ fruity or floral mists during spring and summer. You should definitely make a Sephora trip to test Maison Margiela REPLICA' Autumn Vibes Eau de Toilette with Cedarwood & Cardamom 1 oz/ 30 mL and Maison Margiela ‘REPLICA' By the Fireplace Eau de Toilette with Chestnut, Vanilla, and Clove Oil for fall scent inspos. Be aware, they are pricey. Hope you’re having a great day. 

[MissMisato]

@MargaleeHeading to Sephora to try the Killian! Thank you for the suggestion. 

[Charlynnx]

Today I tried DIOR Hypnotic Poison Eau de Toilette for the first time. I’m late to the game, but I’m glad I joined. It has a potent sweet almond scent, which may not be favorable to many, but I enjoy it. I own the mini roller ball version, so I place the product behind my ears, nape of the neck, and inner elbows. Since I wear a mask, the aroma from my neck wafts inside my mask anytime I turn my head. I also combined it with a spritz of philosophy Fresh Cream to make an ever sweeter scent. 

[pocketvenus]

Tried Interlude Woman by Amouage a few days ago. It is a strange incensey scent. A little too odd-ball for me to describe as mysterious but it is really hard to pin down. I read it has a green opening, kind of like pickles, but to me the opening has an accord that smells more like an  adhesive, with a kind of slightly gummy texture. It is not nearly as pickle-like as Epic Woman to my nose.

I know adhesive sounds weird but when that dies down it's quite warm and enveloping and sweet. Off the beaten track and something of a dog's breakfast with a bit of everything. There's fruit, florals, amber, smoke, spice, wood and so on and I feel it lacks some cohesion because of that, but it does eventually meld together into a unique, sweet and smoky wear.

It has great lasting power and project but it's not as brash and in your face as Interlude Man. Despite that, I'd still say Interlude Man is the easier wear of the two because it's a more straightforward incense. Like if you want a very classic, powerful ambery incense, Interlude Man would be one of my top choices.

[Guessgal]

This is my first time posting in this thread, but I wanted to share an exciting discovery! I was downtown the other day and stopped by Sephora to do an exchange. They had a Juliette Has a Gun fragrance event going on where you could get a nice gift with purchase if you buy one fragrance from the line. I took a peek out of curiosity and the SA sprayed so many on the tester sticks for me that I was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed 😵‍

The second SA understood the assignment a lot better, asking me what my signature scent was. I told him Narciso Rodriguez for her Eau de Parfum and he sprayed 2 fragrances directly on me, one on each arm: Juliette Has a Gun Miss Charming and Juliette has a gun Lady Vengeance. I was instantly drawn to both fragrances, especially Lady Vengeance, which is such a warm, mysterious scent. Miss Charming is similar in the warm and musky aspect, but less dark & complex than Lady Vengeance. He also told me the concept behind Juliette has a gun Not A Perfume , which I had always wondered about. It’s for people who may be sensitive to fragrance and is much more muted than most perfumes. He sprayed that one on top of each arm that I already had the two fragrances on and said layering it would make the underlying fragrances more subtle, which it did!

I was running late for dinner so I left and did some research on the fragrances when I got home. And what’d ya know?!?🤭 The nose behind Miss Charming and Lady Vengeance is none other than Francis Kurkdjian. @pocketvenus previously enlightened me that Francis Kurkdjian is one of the noses behind Narciso Rodriguez for Her in the RE: BIC Fragrance Finder thread. I can’t believe my nose actually found his scents out of all the ones I tested that day! 💕 I never thought any of the Juliette Has a Gun line was for me - the brand story and bottle design just never stood out to me. But these two are definitely going in my basket!

[pocketvenus]

@Guessgal I'm so glad you found new scents that work for you and that is really cool they're all by the same nose ❤️ The really interesting thing is they all work for different brands and they bring their style with them 🙂