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!

[pocketvenus]

@moxiepancakes, thanks for sharing your impressions!! Very interesting about how jasmine changes on your skin. I smelled like a high quality jasmine that became more reminiscent of "warm skin" in the dry down. Hope you enjoy the rest of the samples 🙂

[lyravega]

Tried Mugler Angel Eau Croisière today. It's way, way too fruity for me. All mango and grapefruit and something sweet. Very much sorbet. It's basically like this exotic/tropical chewing gum that I used to like when I was a kid. Very generic. Also, it's nothing like original Angel. 

[pocketvenus]

@lyravega, flankers are really hit or miss aren't they? Sounds like it was made for a younger crowd.

[Titian06]

Yesterday while I was at SiJCP, I tried a few perfumes.  I mostly tried them because I was there and had the opportunity rather than with the intention of giving any of them a really good test drive. 

- Gucci Bloom Aqua:  I really liked this one.  Not overpowering and it lasted a couple of hours.

- Gucci Bloom Nettere:  Not bad; very soft.

- Nest Black Tulip:  This one stinks!  I think I tried it before and felt the same then.  I'm not sure what my nose doesn't like, but I just want to wash it off!

- Nest Wild Poppy:  This seemed really nice.  I want to try again to be sure.

- Nest Cocoa Wood:  As soon as I put it on, I was met with the overpowering smell of cocoa powder!  I do not like gourmand scents at all.  Fortunately it only lasted for a few seconds.  I'm not sure where it went after that; I lost track after the cocoa powder!

[pocketvenus]

@Titian06, I have to admit, I wasn't expecting much from the Gucci flankers but I like the Acqua di Fiori even better than the original. I wish they'd make a 250 reward of it!

[Titian06]

@pocketvenus @greeneyedgirl107 - I received Gucci Bloom gratis from Sephora, but gave it to a friend who really liked it.  I was very hesitant about the other two since I didn't like the first.  I'm definitely going to get the travel size of Aqua.  It would be nice to use some of my points on the scent though.  😄

[greeneyedgirl107]

@Titian06 Yes!  Historically I've only used my points twice.  But now that the rewards have been re-vamped, I keep reminding myself to check out the Rewards Bazaar!  Fingers crossed for some good ones!

[greeneyedgirl107]

@pocketvenus Yes!  I do like Gucci Bloom but I like the Acqua even better!

[pocketvenus]

I finally popped into H&M to try their new perfume line. They really are dirt cheap! 10ml travel sprays for CA$6.99! Honestly, I feel some are comparable to more expensive designer fragrances.

I'm guessing it's easy to cut profit margins for perfume when you can recoup that hit through selling high volumes of units. The profit margins for prestige fragrances are already extremely high. We are talking about chemicals mixed in with alcohol, not garments sewn by human hands.

There are three series with H&M, a single note line, an EDT line, and an EDP/oil line which smelled the best, but I did not test on my skin.

I bought Formentera from the EDT line for a friend. It's basically an ultra cheap dupe of L'Artisan Parfumeur's Premier Figuier. Imagine PF but instead of earthy depth, delete that and replace it with lemony household cleanser. The dry down is a cheap musk but overall, it's a good buy for the price, not just generic crap.

I did not like the singles. I had heard good things about yuzu but it was just abrasive to me.

The other EDTs were alright, all very safe. If you like "fresh laundry" try Above the Clouds.

The EDP line seemed pretty good - the vetiver and ylang were both nice upon first sniff but I didn't do a skin test.

[greeneyedgirl107]

@pocketvenus Thanks so much for the info!  I need to check these out!  I've often wished that there were more inexpensive EDT that were decent.  I'd love to build my fragrance collection, but often the prices are off-putting for me to buy more than one prestige brand at a time.  I just wish my mall had an H&M.  I will have to go north of the city one of these days with a shopping list.  And hit the Nordstrom, too - for all the makeup I've been wanting to try.  🙂

[pocketvenus]

@greeneyedgirl107, there is definitely a lot of inflation going on these days 😞 I find seeking smaller and more independent houses can be a good place to look as they don't have huge marketing/distribution budgets to account for so that extra $ can go toward more expensive ingredients.

Here's a list of my favourite "mid-range" houses for value though they are definitely more expensive than H&M

Chanel

Comme des Garcons

Diptyque (EDT)

Etat Libre d'Orange

Hermes

L’Artisan Parfumeur

LUSH

Papillon Perfumes

Serge Lutens

4160 Tuesdays

[greeneyedgirl107]

@pocketvenus This list is very helpful!  THANKS!  🙂

[pocketvenus]

@greeneyedgirl107, you're very welcome! Hope you get to make a H&M/Nordstrom trip soon 🙂

[txcatx]

@pocketvenus Oh, thanks for the reviews! I may try to stop by H&M tomorrow to check these out.

[pocketvenus]

@txcatx, you're very welcome! I definitely recommend checking them out, especially the Formentera if you like fig. It's got the leafy green, the milky sap. When I'm back, I'm going to try the vetiver and ylang on my skin.

[pocketvenus]

Today I tried Chanel’s newest LE release in their exclusifs line, 1957. It opens up less sharp than I expected, abstractly floral and hespiridic. The dry down grows more powdery from the iris and becomes quite musky and blurred out. Although it’s billed as a clean white American musk, it is vaguely animalistic on me! It is definitely not the dreaded kind of “laundry” musk one gets in a lot of perfumes. Even so, I feel like the fragrance loses its shape too much. I'm not a fan of clean musk fragrances though so 1957 really doesn’t compare to the greats from this line for me like Sycamore and Cuir de Russie.

[lachaton]

I'm trying out Imaginary Authors Cape Heartache. Imaginary Authors is a line that I always want to love, but even though I like some of the scents I wouldn't say I love any of them (yet). But the marketing is wonderfully intriguing. 

On my skin, Cape Heartache is a sweetened leather - smooth and comfortable, like a favourite well-worn suede purse or gloves. The leather scents quickly die down, and then I can smell the woodsy notes (but I don't pick up on any fir or pine). A couple hours in, and the scent has really opened up to sweet berries. 

Overall: it's too sweet (even for me, who generally loves sweet scents and gourmands) and not enough pine. 

[pocketvenus]

@lachaton, I feel the same way, they do have a great concept! But the descriptions never called out to me. I don't know why. Maybe if they did unimaginary authors I would be more enticed ha ha. I would definitely be tempted to test a perfume based on a writer I love.

[pocketvenus]

Tried Zoologist's Tyrannosaurus Rex and it was actually kind of terrifying. Imagine a brief and sudden blast of coniferous green that becomes camphorous and medicinal and makes way for a bizarre, sweet and plasticky bubble gum note pitted against against choking, acrid clouds of leaded gasoline. If that's not enough, as the scent calms down, creamy indolic florals emerge from the wreckage. I do think the balance of all these extremes work well together, but the only thing I could imagine wearing with this is Lady Gaga's meat dress and a rubber gas mask. T Rex gave me a smarting headache to boot. I guess it's aptly named!

[lachaton]

@pocketvenus  I love that you're trying Zoologist! It's a house that I hope to try more of in the future. I have a sample of Camel (which I have yet to try). I'm very curious to try Tyrannosaurus Rex after reading your thoughts. 

Nightingale is one I would really like to try, as well as Civet so I was pleased to read your thoughts on Civet! I think I would likely appreciate Elephant.

[pocketvenus]

@lachaton, I’m definitely thinking of another samples order and trying Camel. Perfume critic Luca Turin gave a four star review to Nightingale 🙂

I'd love to hear what you think of T Rex if you try it! I forgot to mention, the dry down is very unusual on me and reminds me of calamine lotion!