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]

@curlychiquita, You're most welcome! ❤️ I'm so glad these can be helpful 🙂 If you are looking for perfume reviews, a number of perfume bloggers write really good ones, much more detailed and experienced than what I can write. My favourite blogs are Kafkaesque and Bois de Jasmin.

[Titian06]

My mom went to Bermuda and came back with a travel spray of Oleander from Lily Bermuda.  As I spritzed it on, I could smell light and very powdery.  Once it was on, I couldn't smell it at all--nothing.  Mom really likes the scent, which didn't surprise me.  She gravitates towards light, powdery scents.

[pocketvenus]

A very sweet SA gave me a couple samples of Clive Christian's women's perfumes. She asked me to choose a couple, but I asked her to pick what she thought were the best in the house. So today I'm testing V For Women, which is described as a fruity floral. Fruity florals are definitely not to my taste, but V really surprized me!

The notes pyramid differs from site to site. The official CC website description is as follows, "With bergamot, black pepper and frankincense it is brimming with aromatic allure. At its heart is a clean jasmine note, complimented by top notes of cassis and palmarosa. The perfume is light and clean before richer notes of dark plum and ylang ylang take over." It also identifies palmarosa and cedarwood as key notes.

I don't know where Basenotes got its pyramid from but it does read as more complete, even though it repeats the cistus note.

• Peach, Neroli, Bergamot
• Jasmine, Carnation, Ylang-ylang, Rose, Gardenia, Orange blossom, Pink pepper, Black pepper, Chamomile, Lavender, Liatris, Heliotrope, Coriander seed, Cistus
• Honey, Sandalwood, Ambrette seed, Benzoin, Amber, Cistus, Oak moss, Patchouli, Leather, Frankincense, Labdanum, Musk 

edit: There are two CC scents with the name V! Apologies for any confusion, I smelled the 2017 release and this pyramid was for a different scent!

Rather than the insipid, generic opening I associate with fruity florals, V began with a strange, cool and damp, melony accord. The suggestion of fruit on the verge of going bad, but without any rotten sweetness. There were no strong and clear hespiridic notes. A hint of citrus was paired with something grassy or dark, which I'm guessing was the oakmoss. ed: I think what I had attributed to citrus and moss was the palmarosa which is described as lemony with green nuances. There was nothing here to remind me of sweet fruits or pretty florals. So, off to a good start.

After the initial opening, the scent shifted, with the jasmine blossoming onto the scene. It's a beautiful jasmine although I wouldn't describe it as clean. You get a delicate jasmine tea like aspect as well as a touch of jasmine's leathery side. If by "clean" this means no ripe bananas, mothballs or rotting indoles, then yes, this jasmine is clean. But it is also lush, complex and sensual and filled out by accompanying notes.

After roughly half an hour, the fruit starts to come to the fore. One pyramid states the main fruity note is peach and the other plum. I would say there is the weird melon accord from the opening that remains throughout the scent's development and then a dark rich plum emerges, bringing a sweetness. And it is the mellow sweetness of plum offset by a bit of tartness. It's not sugar sweet, honey sweet, nothing like that at all. As the plum strengthens, it brings with it a surprizing turn towards something smoky, incense-like even. How delicious!

I have to admit, at this point in the scent's development, I took a mid-morning nap and woke up to a more generic fruity floral, albeit, a very nice and nuanced one. At this point the fragrance becomes very pretty and feminine. You have a creamy fleshy-fruit and woods base enlivened by sharper aromatic facets and the barest whisper of smoky leather. I more impressed by the fragrance's early development in which the notes were continually shifting around, making it very interesting and exciting to wear. I have the sense that every time you wear this, you'll detect different notes.

I should probably note here that CC's perfumes are exorbitantly expensive, and in what I find to be a rather crass move, the house's tagline is "the most expensive perfume in the world." Which I'm not even sure if that's true with what fellow British house Roja Dove charges and all the ultra-expensive attars and what not on the market. Regardless, at US$395/50ml, this is at the high end of what the market will bear. Is it worth it??

Value is really subjective, especially with perfume which commands very high margins and much of the price going toward factors like prestige, marketing and the actual bottle itself. Kafkaesque wrote an article awhile ago stating a "Roja Dove rule" which I'll paraphrase as "if the fragrance is opulent with quality ingredients that are expertly crafted together, yes, the price is flagrantly exorbitant, if not arrogant, but that's just a part of the prestige of the scent and the price is justified."

So I'd almost give V a "Roja Dove rule" pass were it not for the less than interesting dry-down and the fact that V smells remarkably like a much more affordable scent, Frédéric Malle's Le Parfum de Thérèse which retails at almost half the price of V at US$225/50ml. LPDT shares the odd melon note, a soft peppery spice, a beguiling, sensual jasmine, a sweet plum and a leathery base. Notably, the pyramid on Basenotes is very similar

• Mandarin, Melon, Jasmine, Pepper
• Violet, Rose, Plum, Nutmeg
• Cedar, Vetiver, Leather

LPDT was released 12 years prior to V and while you don't get the twists and turns of V, I think it is the superior fragrance. It's like V takes LPDT and adds all these unnecessary bells and whistles. They're nice, and I'm guessing V uses more expensive ingredients, but V lacks the emotional tenor of LPDT that makes the latter fragrance in my mind, the better perfume, as well as one of the best from Malle.

[pocketvenus]

I tried Juliette Has a Gun's Moscow Mule yesterday on a piece of paper. It really does open up like a refreshing cocktail and the copper note blends in nicely. It's not overly metallic or harsh. I did however, find that the dry down lost its fresh quality to a heavier "clean musk" that I'm guessing is ambroxan. I really wish the perfume had maintained its fresh, crisp and dewy opening rather than becoming fuzzy and musky.

If that development from refreshing to musky sounds good, I'd give MM a try 🙂 If you'd rather a cocktail that remains light and sparkling, I'd recommend Frederic Malle's Angeliques Sous La Pluie.

[Titian06]

@pocketvenus - I'm glad you were able to finally give Moscow Mule the sniff test.

[pocketvenus]

Thanks, @Titian06, me too 🙂

[LCResz]

@pocketvenus Thanks for the details, the scent hasn’t been stocked at my local Sephora yet and I’ve been dying of curiosity! Your review reminds me of how I felt when I tried JHaG’s Sunny Side Up, the opening is very bright but it quickly morphs into something muskier as it dries down. JHaG doesn’t really do light and fizzy scents, it’s more of a roses and woods kind of house. 

[pocketvenus]

@LCResz, You're most welcome and yes, this was my impression of the house too - woody and musky on the dry down. I figure they must love ambroxan as Not a Perfume is based on it. I was reading up on MM and indeed, the base has ambroxan! I really like that they are clear about which aromachemicals they've used in case people are sensitive to them. Usually, houses will just write something more romantic like, "woods, cashmere musk and amber" instead.

Top notes Lime Bergamot Ginger

Heart notes Jasmine Apple Essence

Bottom notes Ambroxan Norlimbanol Ambretolide

I had to look up norlimbanol and ambretolide. Norlimbanol is described as dry, woody and patchouli-like which might explain why the scent no longer seems dewy. Ambretolide is described as soapy and musky with a sweet, fruity touch, so again, clean musk.

[pocketvenus]

I tried Maison Francis Kurkdjian's Grand Soir yesterday (on skin) and Ex Nihilo's Viper Green (paper).

Grand Soir is a lovely deep amber that's rich but also soft and slightly powdery so it's not too dense. There is a strong sweetness but it has a mellow quality, nothing overwhelming or harsh. The benzoin lends some shape and darkness which helps. I'm not really an amber fan but this is done well. Personally, I'd like something more up top, a dusting of cumin perhaps - but I think what I really want is another Absolue Pour Le Soir. Grand Soir is simple and that on its own can be difficult to do well.

Great projection that lasts. The longevity is just incredible. I gave this one spray at 7pm yesterday and I could still smell it on my skin when I woke up at 10. That's 15 hours!

Viper Green is a bright scent that is very high pitched, uncomfortably high for me. The opening is piercing. I love galbanum and appreciate its sharpness but I'd like it at least an octave lower. I also love vetiver but when it's very grassy and earthy. It feels like any trace of that has been stripped away with an industrial cleanser. The scent that remains is fresh and its floral notes unsentimental. It softens up in the dry down and the iris helps to tame the edges somewhat, but the scent continues to irritate me, like the whine of a mosquito. I'm relieved I didn't spray this on my skin. Just the thought of smelling it for hours is exhausting.

[blackkitty2014]

@pocketvenus, thanks for the review.  I have the soft spot for Maison Francis Kurkdjian.  If it aint for the cost, i would probably own a bottle or 2.  The samples that i tried out are excellent ... just a tiny bit lasts me all day ... and guess what it lingers on my coat for days 🙂

[pocketvenus]

@blackkitty2014, You're welcome! I also find MFK scents very long lasting 🙂 I wish he made smaller sizes. I would buy Absolue Pour Le Soir in a heartbeat if it came in 7.5ml or even 30ml. It's just too difficult to wear for most occasions!

[howconnie]

Tried a few different fragrances, sometimes this site is hard to log into 

versace Bright Crystal requires a lot of sprays for me to smell, but last 12 hours once on. Love the mix of Peony and yuzu for spring.

d&g Light Blue intense This scent is more linear than the original. It last longer, but I prefer the more complex original.

Commodity Nectar smells so good to me now. Just finished my sample and loved the honeysuckle and Neroli 

[Titian06]

Yesterday, I wore MMR Jazz Club.  I really liked this one.  I've made the first pass through the MMR sample set; now I'm on to round two.

Pink Pepper, Primofiore Lemon, Neroli Oil, Rum Absolute, Clary Sage Oil, Java Vetiver Oil, Tobacco Leaf Absolute, Vanilla Bean, Styrax Resin 

Today, I wore Juliette Has a Gun Moscow Mule.  I liked it better this second time around.  It has an astringent-like smell that I noticed the first time but could not identify.  Like the first time, the scent mellowed quite a bit over time.

[pocketvenus]

@Titian06- Moscow Mule is def on my to try list. I wonder if the astringency is the "copper" note?

[modernwarpaint]

Today I am wearing Atelier Vanille Incensee on one wrist, and Diptyque Eau Duelle on the other.  After a couple months of sampling literal gourmands and vanilla noted fragrances, I bought Eau Duelle this weekend.  I couldn't help but pick up a sample of the Atelier just to compare on the skin.

I am so happy I am not enjoying Vanilla Incensee as much as I wanted to because then I'd be going through buyer's remorse right now.  VI does not smell good on me at all; it's very powdery and woody and I believe the coriander and lime are too biting.  So far, the opening and midnotes are not working for me. 

Eau Duelle is just absolutely beautiful.  The duel between light, sweet vanilla and the spicy warm vanilla is captivating.  At one point it smells of paper, old books, giving it a vintage vibe.  Then minutes later I smell a creamy, sweet Chai, black tea.  My only gripe is that it lacks projection.  It could stand to project just a little more and still not overwhelm people. 

[pocketvenus]

Glad you chose the right fragrance for you @modernwarpaint 🙂 The Eau Duelle sounds amazing

[pocketvenus]

I've been away with login troubles but am happy to say that I have tried a lot of new scents in the meantime. Happy to share some brief thoughts!

• Finally got around to trying the Demeter line with thanks to other BIC members for bringing it to my attention! The concept is like Commodity in that you are meant to layer the scents, but they're a little more playful and gimmicky. There are a number of oddball scents like sushi and tomato. Some scents were bang on, others were not. Thankfully, sushi does not actually smell like raw fish and vinegar rice. The cannabis flower fragrance however, was closer than I thought. Imagine weed, take out all the pungency, grassiness, oil and skunk and pile on generic floral notes. It's still miles off but I have never smelled a perfume before with a "canna" note that bore a remote resemblance. No skin testing.
• Sniffed the new Jo Malones in the fluorescent bottles - none really interested me so I didn't test on the skin. They smell very pleasant though, and good for the summer.
• Skin tested Aesop's Hwyl. Long lasting with decent projection. Somewhat reminiscent of CdG. Warm and spicy woods. Played it too safe for my taste, but this is primarily a bath and body brand so it makes sense they wouldn't make anything really creative boundary-pushing.
• Not a perfume, but I tried Le Labo's Hinoki shampoo. The scent is very long lasting. It does not smell like your typical shampoo but it reminds me of how Le Labos fall apart on me, starting off with a structure that collapses into a generic cloud of musk. So it smelled interesting in the bottle but imagine an amorphous musk floating around your head for hours... I'd much rather spray perfume right into my hair. I'm disappointed but not surprized.

[modernwarpaint]

@pocketvenus - thanks for the reviews.  I, too, smelled the new Jo Malone Tropical Cherimoya and Cattleya Flower Body Mist.  Smelled them on paper, and I was not interested enough to spray on my skin.  Tropical Cherimoya smelled like another summer floral fragrance that has been done before many times.  The body mist smelled like another body mist, in fact the sprayer was malfunctioning on the bottle.  The bottles were really pretty, but the fragrance did not excite me, especially at the price point it's at!

[pocketvenus]

You're welcome! And if you're paying that much, the product really should have a better quality spray nozzle!! @modernwarpaint

[howconnie]

Today I'm wearing Tom Ford Neroli it is a soft orange zest scent.  I'm riding a bus to the festival today and wanted something unique that would not offend. The fruit smell blends nicely with the fair and is uplifting. Silage is arms length. Hopefully it will bloom in the sun and keep me fresh all day.  

Wore Hermes Jardin sur DE nil yesterday it's a lovely sweet Mango scent. Fruits are my favorite this time of year.  It has some complexity and last over four hours with layering. This smells like what I expect to smell in Egypt.

[RGbrown]

@howconnie

This popped up on Ulta a day or two ago, and I immediately thought of you 😃