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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

@txcatxSounds great for the summer ❤️

Re: The Perfume Challenge

Today I tested Cire Trudon's Mortel, a dry, spicy incense given a little edge with cistus. It's pretty fantastic. I was expecting to be underwhelmed by this house. It's nice to be proven wrong!

 

mortel_2

@pocketvenus, I've never tried Cire Trudon but I keep mea...

@pocketvenus, I've never tried Cire Trudon but I keep meaning to. I'm glad it turned out better than you expected!

Re: @pocketvenus, I've never tried Cire Trudon but I keep mea...

@curlychiquitathanks! So far I've tried two and they are both pretty solid 🙂

RE: The Perfume Challenge

I noticed my perfume samples piling up lately so I picked up this super simple apothecary jar at TJMaxx and put them all inside. Such a cute way to store them and have easy access to them when I feel like trying something new instead of wearing my ride or die (Dolce and Gabana Light blue intense)! How do you all store your samples??

Re: RE: The Perfume Challenge

@Haley4356Cute jar! Mine go in a train case. I have one side for my favorites and ones I'd like to get full or travel sizes of. The other side I have my random hand grabs to try next, and in the bottom is all the other ones waiting their turn.

Re: RE: The Perfume Challenge

My mom has something like this, and uses it to store cotton balls. Nice idea!

Re: RE: The Perfume Challenge

@Haley4356cute idea! I don't display my samples, I store them in various boxes depending on how I feel about them. I have a box of samples I plan to give away to the right person, a box for elegant nights and ultra-luxury samples, a box for experimental and niche scents, a box for daily wears, a box for doubles/extras, and a box just for Frederic Malle.

RE: Re: RE: The Perfume Challenge

What a great way to keep them all organized @pocketvenus!! Thanks for sharing!

Re: RE: The Perfume Challenge

This is so cute! @Haley4356 Great idea!

RE: Re: RE: The Perfume Challenge

Thank you! @ZakiyaBT 😊

Re: RE: The Perfume Challenge

This is pretty 

RE: Re: RE: The Perfume Challenge

Thank you 😊 @howconnie

Re: The Perfume Challenge

Tried a couple of Gucci's Alchemist Garden line today. I've smelled them before but was busy and not very excited by them but thought I'd give them another try.

 

Voice of the Snake is basically like a Kilian oud. Nice, polished, soft, and not very lost lasting. Nothing that hasn't been done before.

 

Tears of Iris is a pure and creamy iris devoid of any shades of musty closet, earth, root beer, carrots, cardboard, or bread that you can sometimes find with iris. It's rather plain and lacking in depth, but I believe this line is made to be layered.

 

DiaryHeroArticle_AlchemistGarden-Campaign_001_Default

RE: The Perfume Challenge

So I blind bought this perfume and I didn’t think I could possibly go wrong with it... I love almost every single Guerlain aqua allegoria I’ve tried and I was teetering between Rosa Rossa and Pera Granita and I feel like these are some of the best summer fragrances. I had tried Pera Granita and it’s divine like a fresh fruit ice in the summer but roses are my first love so I went with this even though I had never sampled it and I was bummed when it arrived because it’s just... well it’s not BAD but it’s just kind of boring... it doesn’t have pronounced rose notes - it’s kind of a super fresh very clean floral - peony more than rose IMO and a little fruit but it’s more astringent than sweet - some currants and a little lychee but without the sweetness you would usually get with lychee and I get some clean white tea notes as well even though they are not listed. It reminds me of the cheaper Paul Smith Rose. This kind of makes me reflect on the fact that I love Guerlain but I’ve never found a Guerlain Rose that I love - they don’t really « do » Rose in the way that i like it to be done like either as a beautiful soliflore or as the star in a juicy sweet bursting composition. I bought a devant of Nahema because it’s kind of legendary and I thought maybe this would be my Guerlain rose but I didn’t love that either. I think Rose Barbare may be my favourite Guerlain rose but honestly at that price point I would have to be head over heels for it and I just think it’s a beautiful execution but for my own tastes I would like less Chypre aspect. All in all I think this is a nice and perfectly wearable fragrance but it doesn’t have that bursting juicy-ness that makes me love Pera granita and it doesn’t have the unique qualities that make the citrus fragrances excellent in their own unique ways (my favourite of the citrus would be bergamot Calabria - the cardamom notes really lend it points of interest). It’s a lovely perfume but I just wish that it was a bit rosier and that the fruit was a little more lively and sweet but for anyone looking for a summer fragrance that is extremely fresh and clean - soap/fresh linen/shampoo clean clean with white tea astringency - this would be good. I Quite like a lot of clean scents and this is maybe a bit too clean for me lol.

Re: RE: The Perfume Challenge

Yes, you make a good point, the Guerlain DNA is more about herb and wood. There are other houses that specialize in rose. Hopefully you can develop an affinity for it. Sounds like it’s a great summer fragrance but just different than you expected.

Re: RE: The Perfume Challenge

@RoseCharliesorry this didn't work out for you! If you bought through Sephora, I think you can make a return.

 

Now that you mention it, I can't think of a rosy Guerlain I really like.

Re: The Perfume Challenge

I tried out a few men’s fragrances for summer use. Since I like citrus and woods, many modern men’s fragrances appeal to me. 

 

Dior Homme is a zesty citrus that kinda smells like a gin and tonic. The top note is lime zest spraying into the air. It’s not sweet but very refreshing. Silage and performance are great. I could smell it all day. That’s exceptional for a citrus, in fact for any modern fragrance and the reach in arms length. Don’t expect I’d get a lot of compliments on such a unique choice for a girl, but it greatly improved my productivity.

 

Next I tried Channel Allure Homme: The first note was too macho for me and in fact I smelled like bug repellent spray for half an hour. Then the magic happened the top note receded into the background leaving this sexy man scent. This is the sexiest man scent I’ve ever encountered, it’s a rich Tonka domination that’s creamy from a red rose and blended spices. The man that wears this fragrance is precise, he wears a red rose in his lapel, a crisp white shirt adorns his designer suit, and you can tell he works out. He’s confident and life has been good. 

 

 

CHANEL - ALLURE HOMME Eau de Toilette

DIOR - Dior Homme

Re: The Perfume Challenge

@howconnieThis time of year, I definitely like stuff like

 

HERMÈS Terre d’Hermès Pure Perfume 2.5 oz/ 74 mL Pure Perfume Spray but I enjoy men's fragrances all year. My all time favourite crisp white shirt fragrance to wear is Malle's French Lover 🙂

Re: The Perfume Challenge

Oh, I’ll have to look into that one, I love earthy scents 

RE: Re: The Perfume Challenge

Interesting @howconnie! I know almost nothing about men’s fragrances but now I definitely want to smell that one! Hey - if you like the fresh aspect of traditional cologne there’s a perfume I would really recommend and it’s a fragrance I find so so interesting! It’s « Gentlewoman » by Juliette has a Gun and if you see the ad it’s a woman in a tux/suit I think and gentlewoman is meant to be a play on the word gentleman because the scent is meant to evoke the classic notes of men’s cologne but it’s done in an awfully interesting and pretty way I think. I actually love the scent! It opens with a blend of neroli and lavender and that’s a traditional cologne accord but they add a lovely marzipan almond note in equal measure and that makes it really interesting - gives it an interesting twist I think.
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