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!

[Titian06]

I'm sorry you don't like this one, @Samtian !  I can understand though.  I think it sounds wonderful.  I'll have to find a sample to test drive.  Have you tried The 7 Virtues Orange Blossom Eau de Parfum Rollerball 0.33 oz/ 11 mL ?  Is it anything like that?  I would assume not.

[Samtian]

@Titian06 Ooh that one sounds amazing! I haven't tried any of that brand yet. I have the discovery set on my wishlist, too bad that one wasn't in it. 

[Titian06]

@Samtian - I have several from this brand in the travel size.  About the only ones I didn't like were the vanillas because they triggered migraines.  I hope you like these...except maybe the one with patchouli. 

[pocketvenus]

Got my nose on the new Tom Ford cherries today 🍒

TOM FORD Electric Cherry Eau de Parfum Fragrance 1 oz / 30 mL 

Cherry, Ginger, Jasmine Sambac, Ambrettolide, Pink Pepper, Musk

To be honest, I don't really smell the notes as presented in the pyramid. It's definitely a fruity floral but more generic than the pyramid suggests. It has a fun opening that's bright and juicy. The fruitiness kind of has a passionfruit tinge to me in addition to cherries and this is paired with a more abstract fresh floral, not what I was expecting from jasmine. The florals get more fleshy in the dry down with the musk, but it's never dirty or indolic. It's a more grown up fruity floral than your average scent but for the price, I personally don't think it's worth it. I'm also not a huge fan of the genre and this sits very squarely in it so it's a pass for me.

TOM FORD Cherry Smoke Eau de Parfum Fragrance 1 oz / 30 mL 

Sour Cherry, Saffron, Olive, Leather, Chinese Osmanthus, Apricot; Woods, Smoke, Cypriol

This is a much darker scent and a wearable twist on the typical woody smoke genre. Opens with dark, sticky or gummy cherries with a kind of macerated syrupiness to them. Imagine the texture of chewy maraschino cherries. The smoke is also present right off the bat. It's woody like a synthetic oud, but not at all scratchy, nothing aggressive like some niche smokes can be. It's more like a kind of tempered growl. The dry down has quite a gourmand, desserty character to it despite the smoke. One of the better, more creative releases from TF in recent years.

[tastelikewater]

@pocketvenus Thanks for the reviews! I was more curious about Cherry Smoke, but I just received my travel spray of Room 1015's Cherry Punk which has a similar profile. Considering the OUTRAGEOUS price for TF, I'm sticking with Cherry Punk. 

[pocketvenus]

@tastelikewater Ooo, I haven't tried that house yet but Cherry Punk sounds fun!

[Samtian]

@pocketvenus I love how you described them! Definitely some I want to sample. 

[pocketvenus]

@Samtian Would love to hear your thoughts on them!

[Samtian]

@pocketvenus Someday haha. 

[Titian06]

I'm so glad you were able to review these, @pocketvenus ! 🙂  I'd still like to give them a test drive just 'cause.  The price is way out of my league, even if you had said they were the best ever. 😄

[pocketvenus]

@Titian06 They're worth a test drive but I agree! There has definitely been intense "inflation" in the Estee Lauder lines including Tom Ford as well as other luxury houses. Though I think it's basically price gouging at this point. We haven't seen nearly as rapid a hike in independent houses who are less able to absorb inflationary costs and rising prices in the logistics sector.

If we rewind five years, or even three years, current prices for EL houses are totally ridiculous and to add insult to injury, we can detect an objective drop in quality and creativity over that time period. In 2015, you could purchase something like Amouage's greats for US$250/50ml. In eight years, a vastly inferior offering from Tom Ford is US$390/50ml. I mean, come on. If only wages rose that quickly! But it's a bit of a fruitless exercise to compare prices from today to those from a past that doesn't exist anymore.

If one falls in love an expensive scent and can afford it, I say go for it! But at this point, I don't think anyone is missing out by not being able to afford or even test these $400-500/50ml perfumes from EL houses and peers like Memo or Ex Nihilo and so on. If one has some time to spare, discovering gems from small, independent houses or chasing great vintages are alternatives routes that are much more affordable. Sorry for the ultra long post, I guess I can be a little bummed over how it all washed out in this industry!!

[blackkitty2014]

@pocketvenus I’m glad you able to try these out. I’m hunting down samples too. 😘 I’m biggest TF beauty fan but I agree everything is money grab in the past 5-7 yrs and the quality seems to be going down hill fast. Sad 😞 

[Titian06]

Thanks, @pocketvenus !  I appreciate your "ultra long post" because I don't follow the scent industry like you do.  I understand and agree with what you are saying.  Us average, everyday people don't have that kind of spare change to drop on...well...anything. 🤑

[pocketvenus]

@Titian06 ❤️ I always say scent can be enjoyed by everyone as long as you can smell. You don't need to drop a lot of cash to enjoy excellent perfumes and perfume is not the only way to enjoy fragrance! Blending essential oils can be lovely, and there's nothing like real flowers and ingredients. There are also lots of great smelling scented products like soaps 🙂

[bakeamuffin]

Fragrance no. 2

In the cold winter, with Valentine’s Day around the corner, I’ve been reaching for my spicy, hot and heavy implying fragrances more and more. It’s chilly outside but there’s no shortage of heat 😏🔥

The fragrance of Carolina Herrera Good Girl Supreme Eau de Parfum Rollerball 0.33 oz/ 10 ml has enthralled me and climbed to the top few of my favourite fragrances. 

The story that Good Girl tells is one filled with duality, offering a sense of sensual play with a hint of mystery. It holds a balance between a friendly smile and captivating gaze; it’s the classic tale of unrequited love or a love that keeps you wanting and needing more.

Good Girl has a sweetness to it but not a child-like candy sweetness; this is one that feels delectable, almost forbidden. It has a mature and even toned presence thanks to the grounding notes of coffee and sandalwood with the feminine addition of geranium rose and jasmine. This is the fragrance of a women who knows what she wants. 

In my experience, it’s long lasting with notes that are still detachable with 6-8 hours of wear time. It has a moderate to strong silage leaning more toward moderate. Those around you will be able to pick up the fragrance but it’s not overly vivacious. I wouldn’t place this scent in any season category but it does carry a flirty and zestful demeanour so it feels more romantic and evening friendly than it would for the office. 

I have the full size bottle of this fragrance on my loves list that I am seriously considering purchasing for the Spring Sale because I know I’m going to go through this rollerball faster than I’d like to. This fragrance is for any woman who’s ever heard the phrase “… but you look like such a good girl.” 

 

Carolina Herrera Good Girl Eau de Parfum 

[Samtian]

@bakeamuffin Whoo what a write up lol. Makes me want to get some and I don't like some of those notes.

[tastelikewater]

Looks like I've come to the right place! I'm very new to the fragrance world - my only full bottle purchase ever was Armani Code Femme over 15 years ago - and I've now overwhelmed myself with decants from Scent Split. I also asked for the Kerosene sample set for Christmas, which came with all 21 of their fragrances. Needless to say, I've really thrown myself into the process!

Yesterday: Kerosene Sacred Memory. Red berries, bergamot, whiskey, tobacco, amber. Mostly cranberry upfront, then settles into some oak and smoke. Pleasant, but not a standout. Unfortunately the sample bottles are dabbers and not sprays, and the bottles are so small that my sample-size spray tops don't fit on them. I might need to transfer my favorite Kerosene samples to small spray bottles so I can get a better idea of performance.

Today: PDM Delina. The first time I sprayed this, I thought the rhubarb disappeared too quickly into powdery rose, but I'm having a totally different experience today. Now I get the hype! Not sure I could spend the $$$ on a full bottle, especially considering that I have a rollerball of the very similar Very Good Girl, but this is more sophisticated and nuanced. 

[Samtian]

@tastelikewater Huh those sound interesting. Not the powder rose part though. 

[pocketvenus]

@tastelikewater Welcome! Would love to hear your other thoughts on the Kerosenes. I quite like Broken Theories 🙂

[tastelikewater]

I think Kerosene is killing it on the gourmand front! Interesting, layered, amazing longevity.

Standouts: Follow, Followed, Sweetly Known, Unknown Pleasures, Walk the Sea, Winter of '99

Nice but not an immediate love (potentially because of the dabber issue): Blackmail, Dirty Flower Factory, Pretty Machine, R'oud Elements, Sacred Memory, Triptych

No: Unforsaken (smelled like BO after a while)

Haven't tried: Black Vines, Broken Theories, Canfield Cedar, Copper Skies, Fields of Rubus, Santalum Slivers, Wood Haven, Summer of '84

[greeneyedgirl107]

@tasteslikewater I also dislike dapper bottles!!! @Titian06