Sephora

Stores & Services
Find a Sephora

Happening at Sephora

View all

Services

From makeovers to personalized skincare consultations

Free Classes

Get inspired, play with products & learn new skills

cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Post in Fragrance Fans
|

The Perfume Challenge

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!

Re: The Perfume Challenge

BeauFort London Coeur De Noir ( Black Heart ) test ride. I wanted to like this. I wanted this to be my new signature scent, for obvious reasons ( my cold, dark heart 😉 ). But, alas... This is bad. This so, so, so bad! So violently unpleasant. I can't even. The notes sound so nice. I am not sure what is making it so terrible to my nose. It's so strong, so in your face loud, headache inducing burnt rubber and plastic, with some strong BO stink ( like... you played basketball for days, maybe even weeks, but never once took a shower. ) It is leathery and smoky, but in all the wrong ways for me personally. I can't get anything else from it for the simple reason - I can't get past that terrible burnt scent. All I see when smelling this is big, thick, black smoke of burnt tiers in the air. Embracing everything. Swallowing the world. Help!

 

Fragrance Notes:

Rum, Ginger, Ink, Paper, Leather, Vanilla, Cedarwood, Tobacco, Birch Tar

Re: The Perfume Challenge

I'm guessing it's the Birch Tar. Have you ever smelled the EO? So intense!! I had a similar experience with the opening of a Beaufort London scent  (Vi et Armis). I loved all the notes but it was so intense and clashing. Smoked meat plus citrus wood varnish?? Why??? But drydown was great, so smooth and gorgeous. It took a long time to get there though... @lyravega

Re: The Perfume Challenge

@pocketvenus  No. But, I could imagine. There is birch tar in some fragrances I like, though, so I am confused. Maybe the concentration off it? Who knows. But, this is bad. Of course, it has excellent staying power. Like everything else I hate. I can't scrub it all off for life! 

 

"Smoked meat plus citrus wood varnish"!!! Oh, my...

Re: The Perfume Challenge

It's always the ones you hate that you cannot scrub off isn't it?!! @lyravega

Re: The Perfume Challenge

Tried Malle’s Music For a While today. Despite what the notes suggest (sugar, caramel), it is not overly sweet. In the opening, a lovely, multifaceted lavender is the star of the fragrance with pineapple being the second strongest note for me – nothing sugary or too tart. It’s very gentle, rounding out and softening the lavender. In the dry down, there is a brief moment where everything is reshuffling and smells dirty, which I don’t mind necessarily, but also confused and lacking direction, like the fragrance doesn’t know where it’s going. It’s not unpleasant but one does have the sense of feeling very lost. This lasts maybe 15 minutes or so before an earthy patchouli emerges to secure its position and hold the pineapple and lavender in place. From a distance, pineapple is stronger, but up close, the spicy lavender and tactile patchouli are at the fore, giving a dark, smoky effect. It provides an excellent base that perfectly marries the lavender and pineapple. Eventually, these three notes seamlessly blend into each other and the lavender is no longer the most prominent.

 

Much better than I expected, easier to wear than the notes pyramid lets on and more playful than the Helmut Newton photographs the scent is inspired by. There is however, a real chiaroscuro effect from the clear brightness of the fruit and depth of the lavender and patchouli that one might liken to black and white photography. Good projection and longevity.

Re: The Perfume Challenge

The lovely @sister13 gave me a bunch of perfume samples during the Galentine's exchange, and I'm testing out Maison Margiela Replica Tea Escape today. My train of thought: ooh, jasmine! I should really replace the jasmine plant that didn't survive winter on my balcony. Okay, now it's a little powdery.  Oh, this totally smells like the grapefruit honey bubble tea I drank last week! I like it. It's a little sweet, a bit clean, and in the end, it just smells like jasmine tea, but prettier. 

 

Notes: Citrus, bergamot, green tea, yerba maté, jasmine, crisped rice.

Re: The Perfume Challenge

Oh my that sounds soooooo good! @txcatx

Re: The Perfume Challenge

I am wearing Dolce and Gabbana Dolce today. This is my favorite white floral! Another top 5 for me. I'm really trying to find a top 8 or so of fragrance so I can better streamline my collection. It's going to be very challenging, but as I start to use up my bottles it will help me decide what is worth a rebuy and what is not. Dolce is worth a rebuy. 

Re: The Perfume Challenge

Wearing Comme Des Garcons Play Black. Been wearing it for a few days. It's so nice! I am really liking this. Such a... serene scent. Fresh and quite peppery ( love pepper! ), woody, incensy, smoky ( but, not the heavy, suffocating, kind of smoke that makes you smell like you were sitting by bonfire all night, which I don't like ). It is actually quite sheer. Very faint floral presence. The fragrance itself is very light and subtle. You'd think something with the notes like this would be violent and wild, loud. But, it is not. At all. Very personal scent. I don't think anyone around you, unless leaning into you, would notice it. I wouldn't mind that if longevity were better. It's very short lived on me. ( It's gone in an hour or so. )
 
It's unisex, leaning masculine. Quite masculine, actually.
 
Notes:
Black Pepper, Pepperwood, Red Pepper, Violet, Thyme, Black Tea, Birch Tar, Incense, Tree Moss.

Re: The Perfume Challenge

I don't know why sometimes the same CdG will fade quickly sometimes and other times, it will last all day on me! Specifically, the Original and Kyoto.... Have you tried spraying more to begin with?.... @lyravega

Re: The Perfume Challenge

I wish I had it in spray. I only have a dabber. But, yes, I did apply quite a lot as it is so barely there light. But, that doesn't help at all. Have you tried this one, @pocketvenus ? Don't tell me it is stronger and longer lasting on you?! Smiley Surprised Because I'll be totally jealous. 😉

Re: The Perfume Challenge

I still have to try it! I think maybe you had suggested it to me 🙂 I'll surely report back when I do! @lyravega

Re: The Perfume Challenge

@lyravega I had a sample of that, oh I did not like it one bit. But than again I work with pepper so I really hate pepper lol.

Re: The Perfume Challenge

02/17/18: Chanel Chance: it's pretty but i dont own it since it is so similar to Chanel Mademoiselle.

02/18/18: Creed Aventus for Her: it's a repeat but this is the first time i use from my spanking new full-size bottle.  I have weird story about this.  I decide to try my luck off of eBay due to the high-price.  I figure "heck i might or might not win the bit plus this seller accept return.  I have nothing to loose.  I can always return if i think the item is not authentic".  Surprise surprise i win the bid at the great price and guess what??? My Aventus for Her come about 10 days later and from Bergdorf Goodman with return label.  

Re: The Perfume Challenge

I was cleaning out my closet and all the handbags in my closet when I found a sample of Kilian Vodka on the Rocks. I think I smell like a Southern bro wearing a seersucker suit and a fancy watch at a bar crawl with the boys. It just has that vibe of, "I'm rich and aggressive, but I have expensive, sophisticated, complex taste and like the finer things in life." The notes are coriander, cardamom, aldehyde, rhubarb, oakmoss, ambroxan, sandalwood.

 

Something in this fragrance also really reminds me of this bar in my city that has margaritas that you can order with a little popsicle.

Re: The Perfume Challenge

I wore Clementine California today. This isn't my *favorite* offering from Atelier, but it's nice. The dry down is much nicer than the initial application for me. When I first spray it, I get a really harsh peppery note, and pepper is probably my least favorite note of all notes haha. But it dries down to a nice, subtle musk with a slight citrus blend. It's not terribly unique, and frankly is kind of forgettable. I don't hate it when I wear it, but there's clearly a reason I rarely reach for it. 

Re: The Perfume Challenge

This one is awesome layered with Cedre Atlas. Cuts some of the sweetness and adds a green muskiness! @alexasteph

Re: The Perfume Challenge

Please forgive me if this has been asked before, but I was sure you ladies would know the answer. How can I get a sample of Proenza Schouler's new fragrance Arizona? I'm not up for $130 for a whole bottle and there aren't any stores within a couple of hours drive from me that would carry it. Thanks, beauties!

Re: The Perfume Challenge

There are sites that sell samples, typically 0.7ml online. A designer scent would be around $3-$4. I haven't seen any with Arizona however, possibly because it's such a new release.

 

I've also emailed a house directly requesting samples, and offering to pay. Sometimes they will just send you samples for free.

 

If you have a good relationship with an SA at a department store, they might also be able to send you a sample.

 

Good luck!! @prettyinpa

Re: The Perfume Challenge

Thanks for the advice, @pocketvenus, I sent them an email. Worse comes to worse I can get a sample next time I'm in Philly (not for a good while, hopefully) if it's not LE.

Re: The Perfume Challenge

You're totally welcome and good luck ❤️ @prettyinpa

4,022 Replies
testing