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]

@Titian06 

Yes, that's the thing about aromachemicals - you can't blend them predictably like paints!! I don't know why I try because I always tell myself I will and the worst that could happen is having to scrub off a bad scent lol.

[nikki]

I tried by the fire by Maison margiela and surprisingly loved it. I thought the woody notes and Smokey nature would lean too masculine for me, and i was fearful of smelling like a campfire. However, this was a pleasant woodsy fragrance balanced by the vanilla notes to give a sweet tinge. It conjures delightful memories of hot cocoa by the fireplace and s’mores over a campfire. The wear time is good, i applied at 9 and can still smell it now. It’s not an overwhelming scent though, just softly wafting to delight those who pass you by. I don’t know why I doubted replica, their fragrances are a delight. 

[txcatx]

Most of the Replica perfumes aren't the types of fragrance I'd reach for every day because I tend to wear more conventional scents, but I always love getting samples of them because it's so fun to try them. They really tend to evoke a certain feeling or memory. Lipstick On, for instance, reminds me of glossy magazines, an old-fashioned face powder with a fluffy puff, and waxy lipstick. 

[howconnie]

I tried a sample of by the fireside and it smells so good right now. Gotta get a bottle next Christmas.

[pocketvenus]

The new Atelier Cologne release, Iris Rebelle, is a pretty, feminine fragrance. It opens up with a smooth, earthy iris with a gentle lift of bright citrus, as is typical of this house. The citrus fades quickly and the iris softens, making the scent feel warm and cosy, like a cashmere wrap against the skin. Definitely a gentler wear than the house’s Iris Silver. After about an hour and a half, floral notes (rose, lavender) come to the fore, shifting the scent from cosy to pretty, supported by a foundation of soft, iris earthiness that keeps things from being too clean or soapy. However, by the third hour, you are left with a soft, vague soapy blur – so this is not a long wear on my skin. Also, it’s not what I was expecting for a scent with the word “rebel” in its name – certainly nothing inventive like Café Tuberosa!

[purly]

Oh wow, that sounds amazing. Might be worth adding to my collection.

[howconnie]

Cafe Tuberose is one of my favorite I love a good gourmand in the winter. I love the way you describe a fragrance it sounds like opening a scent poem 

[pocketvenus]

@howconnie 

Yes, it's definitely one of their more daring scents! And thank you for your kind words ❤️

[Titian06]

@pocketvenus - This sounds really nice!  Thanks for the detailed description.

[pocketvenus]

@Titian06 

Thanks for reminding me to explore more iris-based scents 🙂

[alexasteph]

@pocketvenus Thanks for your review! It sounds really nice and a perfect transitional fragrance for spring. Did this one seem to last less time than what is typical for you when you wear other Atelier fragrances? They are pretty long lasting on me. 

[pocketvenus]

@alexastephLucky you! Scents from this house generally do not last that long for me.

[blackkitty2014]

1/13/18: I tested out Maison Francis Kurkdjian Oud. The Oud was very subtle and then gave way to super sweet rose scent after couple minutes. I normally couldn’t  wear Oud anything but I decided this I could wear so I sprayed a little on myself before heading out for lunch. I could still smell it late at night. Tonight when we went out for dinner I could smell it on my coat. I quite like it very mature very nice. Don’t think I will ever  purchase this though due to the high cost.

1/14/18: I tested out Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady. Nope not for me. I went wash my hand after 15 minutes. Too bad I like the name. 

[pocketvenus]

I have heard many good things about Kurkdjian's ouds, I really should try some! I love his Absolue Pour Le Soir.

[fieldsofclover]

Welp, I'm dropping out because a thing I was expecting happened unexpectedly early 😂

I've been on the hunt for a new signature scent, but I knew once I found it I wouldn't really be able to wear anything else (I feel the need to do this about once every 12 years, almost like clockwork). I had a suspicion that AC Blanche Immortelle would be a good fit but none of the shops in my state stock the Metals, so I was planning to order a 1.7mL vial at the end of the month and figured the challenge would be a last hurrah until then.

Well, I went to Vancouver unexpectedly and the one Sephora I stopped at had a full AC display, so I had to try it and now I'm obsessed and can't wear anything else. My sample of Santal Carmin is tiding me over until I can get back up there this week to buy a bottle... only a few of the notes are similar, but the overall vibe is related.

Anyway I was "instructed" that this is my new gig, so I guess that's that!

[pocketvenus]

@fieldsofclover  Congrats! It's wonderful when you can find a fragrance that so captivates you ❤️

[Titian06]

Congratulations, @fieldsofclover!  I think it's great that you can choose one scent and stick with it.  There are so many I like that I couldn't pick just one and wear it every day.

[blackkitty2014]

We forgive you @fieldsofclover 😉 since you found your new love scent 🙂 Enjoy!!!

[pocketvenus]

Today is a bit of a cheat because I'm familiar with Serge Luten's La Fille de Berlin but because I'm not a big rose fan, I haven't smelled it in months (years?) and can't even remember if I've ever tested it on my skin....

La Fille is not as spicy,  sweet or mature as I'd remembered it. It opens with a gorgeous plush rose that's given a complimentary boost with violets. As the fragrance dries down, the floral notes fade and a gentle musk becomes more apparent, giving the impression of flesh. It's not in any way skanky though; in fact it's quite approachable.

I've read this described as a femme fatale scent and if it is, she's a subtle one. The fragrance conjures for me a self-contained, open-minded woman who is enjoying her new independence in an imaginary, romanticized, pre-war Berlin. Overall, it's quite alluring.

[lachaton]

@pocketvenus Oh, I just adore La Fille de Berlin. It's one I keep coming back to. 

Your description of it is so lovely.

[pocketvenus]

@lachaton  It's both approachable and sophisticated - I would definitely spring for a full bottle if I was more of a rose or floral fan 🌹