A perfume indulgence thread

[spanglechick]

We had one of these threads before (Perfume addict), but it was quite old and the world of niche perfumes has exploded in the last decade.

Inspired by my haul today from 4160 Tuesdays, I thought it might be fun for us to talk about our current olfactory obsessions and potentially organise swaps etc. Alternatively I’ll just bore on about my perfumes.

I bought 9 different fragrances from 4160 - most as testers. Today I’m trying out “What I Did on my Summer Holidays” which is supposed to smell of mint, salt, coconut sun lotion and ice cream. I get all of that except the coconut, though there is a warm-skin smell. Mint is still top-most, about 90 mins in. I’ve seen people describe it as mint choc chip, but I don’t get chocolate at all.

It’s a much fresher oerfume than I’m used to. Very daytime. I rather like it and might take up an offer of a bigger bottle from a friend selling.

 

[izz]

Gorgeous idea spanglechick, although I'm more into yer classics at the moment. I got a 1930s decant of L'Heure Bleu from 4160 Tuesdays years ago and it's pride of place in my collection. I love a good niff, me.

 

[trabuquera]

This is my secret vice and it got well out of hand during 2018. I did get better at not blind-buying things, and swapping or buying small 5 or 10ml decants instead. There's a whole world of UK fragrance groups on FB and some excellent deals on eBay if you are not looking for big-name stuff (which is very often fake.) So PM me if there is anything particular you want to try or explore - or we can bore on publicly on here! My own taste is mostly for pretty dark woody spicy things and lots of weird unisex niche labels (rather than ladies' classics) but I've got stacks of samples to get rid of / get through and have quite a wide range of other stuff too.

Mint is one of my scent nemeses - just ruins everything else about a fragrance for me. Which is weird because I love the smell and taste of mint in food & drink but can't stand it on me. Same with chocolate.

 

[Baronage-Phase]

For the past few years I have stuck to one scent only.
I love Elizabeth Arden's Untold..it's the only perfume I've actually finished and renewed multiple times. I think it is absolutely gorgeous and not too strong. Quite subtle in fact.
"Egyptian jasmine, bergamot citrus, rosy pink pepper and pungent cassis leaf."
Having said all that...I think I would love to have a bottle of Flower Bomb by Viktor and Rolf...at some stage.

 

[polly]

Great idea for a thread I hadn't heard of 4160 Tuesdays before.

I wear Wildwood by Comme des Garcons at the moment (woody, spicy and unisex trabuquera but you probably already know it) or Lumiere Doree by Miller Harris, which is pretty feminine for my taste but has lots of neroli, which I cannot get enough of.

But this is what I really want at the moment... Out of my price range though

 

[spanglechick]

For the past few years I have stuck to one scent only.
I love Elizabeth Arden's Untold..it's the only perfume I've actually finished and renewed multiple times. I think it is absolutely gorgeous and not too strong. Quite subtle in fact.
"Egyptian jasmine, bergamot citrus, rosy pink pepper and pungent cassis leaf."
Having said all that...I think I would love to have a bottle of Flower Bomb by Viktor and Rolf...at some stage.

I’ve spent maybe five years just wearing Jo Nalone’s red roses but have got a bit bored of it, so decided to look around and then got sucked in...

ETA - I used to have flowerbomb, but it just wasn’t me.

 

[spanglechick]

Gorgeous idea spanglechick, although I'm more into yer classics at the moment. I got a 1930s decant of L'Heure Bleu from 4160 Tuesdays years ago and it's pride of place in my collection. I love a good niff, me.

Ooh now, do you wear it on your skin? I saw that they warn against that, but it had a touch of the legal disclaimer about it...

 

[spanglechick]

This is my secret vice and it got well out of hand during 2018. I did get better at not blind-buying things, and swapping or buying small 5 or 10ml decants instead. There's a whole world of UK fragrance groups on FB and some excellent deals on eBay if you are not looking for big-name stuff (which is very often fake.) So PM me if there is anything particular you want to try or explore - or we can bore on publicly on here! My own taste is mostly for pretty dark woody spicy things and lots of weird unisex niche labels (rather than ladies' classics) but I've got stacks of samples to get rid of / get through and have quite a wide range of other stuff too.

Mint is one of my scent nemeses - just ruins everything else about a fragrance for me. Which is weird because I love the smell and taste of mint in food & drink but can't stand it on me. Same with chocolate.

I think boring on publically is very much in order.

The decants and/or trading seems so very civilised and makes me feel like I might not have launched myself headlong into a horribly expensive new habit. Except I can’t find a uk decant of Tom Ford’s Lost Cherry... and I’m a bit worried I might go mad and get someone to buy me a whole £250 bottle from the states.

 

[trabuquera]

Don't do it spanglechick! I'm sure I've seen people selling decants of TF Lost Cherry on fb UK fragrance groups or eBay (I wouldn't be too happy with eBay for Tom Fords though as it's one of the most-often-faked brands.) Generally the decant groups are really surprisingly well behaved and mutually policing, you're much less likely to be ripped off. Are you specifically after the TF because you've tried and loved it, or something/anything with sweet and cherry smell? Because if it's the second, there are other options than Mr Fancypants Ford! (I absolutely love some of his stuff but as a brand it's all horribly over priced and a bit hype-y for me).

 

[izz]

Ooh now, do you wear it on your skin? I saw that they warn against that, but it had a touch of the legal disclaimer about it...

Yeah fuck THAT !!!! I do and its fine for me. And although they've had to change the formula it smells very similar to the modern-day equivalent but it just doesn't last as long.

 

[moose]

Trying to justify £117 for 30 ml of this

or the cheaper L'Eau d'Hiver from the same place, which I also love.

 

[spanglechick]

Trying to justify £117 for 30 ml of this
View attachment 157770
or the cheaper L'Eau d'Hiver from the same place, which I also love.

Ooh, what’s it like?

 

[spanglechick]

Don't do it spanglechick! I'm sure I've seen people selling decants of TF Lost Cherry on fb UK fragrance groups or eBay (I wouldn't be too happy with eBay for Tom Fords though as it's one of the most-often-faked brands.) Generally the decant groups are really surprisingly well behaved and mutually policing, you're much less likely to be ripped off. Are you specifically after the TF because you've tried and loved it, or something/anything with sweet and cherry smell? Because if it's the second, there are other options than Mr Fancypants Ford! (I absolutely love some of his stuff but as a brand it's all horribly over priced and a bit hype-y for me).

It’s apparently a cherry without too much sweetness- notes of leather and stuff. I saw it reviewed in one of the perfume blogs roundups of the year and it sounded amazing. Dark fruit and sex.

 

[May Kasahara]

I find myself getting more into perfume as I get older. My preference is for fresh, citrussy 'clean' smells with a touch of spice - wore a lot of Jo Malone Grapefruit last year and loved it, but couldn't afford to restock at the time and am currently wearing a cheap and surprisingly pleasant M&S scent.

I try and stick to cruelty-free cosmetics which limits my options, but in a good way. Have enjoyed several Library of Fragrance scents in the past, but they don't last long on the skin.

 

[spanglechick]

End of the day with “what I did on my holidays” (so, plus ten hours). No real sillage but skin smells utterly gorgeous - the mint has softened into the vanilla and it smells dusty and not especially sweet. Unfortunately my friend sold her big bottle on eBay while I was prevaricating... so, one for the wish list.

 

[moose]

Ooh, what’s it like?

Portrait of a Lady's an oriental, lasts for hours and hours, and gets many compliments. Rose, patchouli, sandalwood - all the hard hitters, but also a bit fruity. Definitely for evenings/nights.
L'eau d'Hiver is the exact opposite - very unusual, almost almondy with iris and honey, and quite ethereal. I've had several sample bottles of both, and they are delicious.

 

[spanglechick]

Portrait of a Lady's an oriental, lasts for hours and hours, and gets many compliments. Rose, patchouli, sandalwood - all the hard hitters, but also a bit fruity. Definitely for evenings/nights.
L'eau d'Hiver is the exact opposite - very unusual, almost almondy with iris and honey, and quite ethereal. I've had several sample bottles of both, and they are delicious.

Ooh - both sound delicious.

 

[spanglechick]

Where do people like for samples?

 

[moose]

Les Senteurs

 

[Edie]

Anyone given this a go:
Molecule 01
I smelt it on someone (a woman) and it had a really odd effect on me (not smelt it since).

 

[baldrick]

I have a subscription to the fragrance shop Discovery club and about ten million samples collected over the years. Initially I was super enthusiastic and made sure to try them all, but a) 90% are new and fairly derivative, or b) a flanker for a scent I have no interest in. I still have the subscription but I haven't kept up with them all. I might make a list though, for interest.

I did make a few discoveries from it, but the decant sites had a better hit rate as I was looking for specific kinds of smells. I try not to buy full bottles as they're expensive and so my wish list keeps getting longer and longer.

 

[trabuquera]

Jovoy are brilliant for samples but the shop and the prices on full bottles can be intimidating (the staff I've dealt with there are not snooty or nasty at all though.) Bloom in Covent Garden are good for online browsing (of weird pricey niche stuff, not mainstream) and samples and has good themed sample packs. For mainstream samples the "Pick and Mix" option on feel unique .com are brilliant and cheap. From France, nose.fr and lulua. com from Poland not bad for strange weird designer gear either. Best of all are US samples sites like Perfumed Garden, Surrender To Chance and so on but postage gets stupidly expensive. (tried to break all links in this post as it reads a bit endorsement-y).

 

[Manter]

I’ve gone full retro and am currently wearing Creed. My gran wore Creed

I adore their Royal Oud- it’s not thick sickly oud like the ones by the door in selfridges... it’s a unisex one so has leather and wood and citrus in it. I have had compliments from strangers on it, and it lasts all day on me. And warms up nicely.... and lingers on things like scarves, in a nice way.

I also bought a Byredo, Gypsy Water, from tkmaxx. God knows why they had it. It’s lovely , really complicated smell. Supposed to be wood and campfires. But it fades really fast on me

 

[spanglechick]

Today I’m testing New York 55 from my haul. It smells like a raspberry rose, but a bit nicely dirty. Not too sweet, but probably still more sweet than I’d choose.

It’s clever though. Really well blended.

 

[wayward bob]

But this is what I really want at the moment... Out of my price range though

View attachment 157764

my big xmas indulgence was the atelier cologne advent calendar a whole month of smelling like different kinds of orange still debating whether to get a cheapo big bottle (Galaxy Perfume - Cheap Perfume, Cologne, Skincare, Makeup, Haircare, and Fragrances!) but they really don't last very long at all...

 

[polly]

Anyone given this a go:
Molecule 01
I smelt it on someone (a woman) and it had a really odd effect on me (not smelt it since).
View attachment 157773

My sister wears it and me and my mum laugh at her for it It smells of nothing in the bottle, so I've always assumed it's just bollocks and marketing, but she's on her second bottle and loves it. Sorry, that's not very helpful really, except that you have my sister's endorsement

 

[polly]

my big xmas indulgence was the atelier cologne advent calendar a whole month of smelling like different kinds of orange still debating whether to get a cheapo bottle (Galaxy Perfume - Cheap Perfume, Cologne, Skincare, Makeup, Haircare, and Fragrances!) but they really don't last very long at all...

Ooh, I didn't even know they did one! Jealous. That's interesting that they don't last. They're a bit too expensive anyway so that's another good reason not to, I suppose

 

[wayward bob]

Ooh, I didn't even know they did one!

you can prolly get them on sale by now it was lovely tbh - everything they do is unisex and/or citrussy so there were hardly any i had to wash off!

 

[polly]

you can prolly get them on sale by now it was lovely tbh - everything they do is unisex and/or citrussy so there were hardly any i had to wash off!

I've had a quick look and neeeeeeeewp. Not this year, even at a knocked down price Looks beautiful though.

 

[wayward bob]

I've had a quick look and neeeeeeeewp. Not this year, even at a knocked down price Looks beautiful though.

they do two! i have the cheap(er) one