Who is into parfum? Tell us about your favorite fragrance...

Fragrance thread:

Cologne thread:

Great thread on perfume advice

Need more, OP?

No, dear... this is about PARFUM, not your Drakkar Noir obsession.

Eau noire, by Dior

I really love parfum extrait. I have Guerlain's Vol de Nuit, Caron's Fleurs de Rocaille, With Pleasure, Poivre, Tabac Blond and Alpona, Chanel No 19, and a little set of Fragonard parfums. It feels almost sinfully luxurious to dab a tiny bit in the evening. I would LOVE to see the actual Caron Baccarat fountains at some point.

Eau Noire is so vibrant. It's such a pity that a lovely "sunny and stunning" fragrance like that (obviously a signature scent for some) is long discontinued.

One would think that producers would be looking back to cash in on the "retro" craze.

Sorry, didn't answer the question properly. My favorite parfum is Tabac Blond. Many perfumes that were introduced in the 20s were developed because that was when 'fashionable' women first started smoking in public, so there came about a whole series of perfumes that were compatible with cigarette smoke. Tabac Blond is really pretty unisex: sort of a mix of tobacco and leather, with the rich Caron base. And I forgot to add that I also have Nuit de Noel parfum. Wonderful mossy scent with amber. I've read that it's supposed to capture the scent of a woman's fur coat at Midnight Mass.

[quote] I really love parfum extrait. I have Guerlain's Vol de Nuit, Caron's Fleurs de Rocaille, With Pleasure, Poivre, Tabac Blond and Alpona, Chanel No 19, and a little set of Fragonard parfums. It feels almost sinfully luxurious to dab a tiny bit in the evening.

Mary!

I have two completely boxed and unopened bottles of Gucci One (Circa 1974). They've been kept in a space that is kept 'cool' for other temperature sensitive pieces of art (and the likes).

I've heard that it smells "glam" and like "disco", so I'm very tempted. Anyone care to weigh in? I'm tempted to try it.

P.S. I inherited at least 75 unused bottles of Chanel #5 when my grandmother died. (Some contain the now verboten "musk oil".) Most are completely unwrapped bottles. Would it be tacky to re-gift them? She never wore fragrance, but she smelled amazing.

OP, Enjoy your Gucci One NOW! I command you! (with a hug). Use the things you like and love, and don't just put them away for later, since later gets here sooner than most of us think. R10, Yes, no shame in that. I like perfumes (and parfums) orchids and antiques and other nice things. I'm too old to care about being judged. I'm happy to fly my freak flag at this point in my life.

OP, That's a shame that she accumulated so many bottles of Chanel #5 without using them. As far as "re-gifting" goes I, for one, would be thrilled with such a gift, but let's face it, I'm an oddball. I honestly don't know how eBay sellers manage to sell all sorts of vintage scents, when the USPS always asks if you're shipping something "liquid, perishable or flammable". Maybe they lie. I never understood how the online fragrance retailers do it either. But if you would put them up for sale on eBay (after figuring out the shipping details), you'd make some money off those. Real perfume nuts can recognize even the boxes and bottles to recognize different reformulations, so your older bottles would be worth quite a bit.

I used to wear Le Must de Cartier, sometimes with Eau Sauvage. I got a lot of compliments on the combo, but I sometimes wondered if what people really meant was "Could you have worn more cologne?"

All of the vintage fragrances came as bits I inherited. I will test out the Gucci One poste haste. If it smells of popper and sweaty sex, I'll call it Disco.

Aramis 900 -- a green chypre bomb that's basically the men's version of Clinique Aromatics Elixir.

I just spritzed on some Caron Alpona, a very old scent based on the fragrance of grapefruit, and it's amazing. I don't know if they still make it: if they don,' I'm so grateful.

Ils m'en manquent, mes vieux parfums.

Tom Ford Black Orchid.

my two cents is you guys don't deserve this thread, since they are covered by the others. and some idiots can and already have posted about colognes.

I wouldn't insult my skin and nose with commercial perfume or cologne. I make all my own. This evening I'm wearing one of my favorites, a quick lime top note with a strong middle of leather and bay and a surprising (if I say so myself) earth bass note. The blend is perfect. I wear it Saturday nights because it's quite masculine.

and what woman who doesn't wear perfume dies with 75 bottles of unopened Chanel? Hmm?? She got a bottle a year from a beau, for 75 fucking years, and he never figured out she never wore it? She was a klepto?

mary masculine please

No one cares about your bitch tits r19.

Please don't take that as an invitation to go postal.

whats the answer to the mystery at R21 and R11?

[quote]I wear it Saturday nights because it's quite masculine.

Sunday through Friday it's your more personality-appropriate La Sissoise Prissoise.

The lazy illiterate cunts here who can't capitalize because of their fat paws smell like lazy illiterate cunts. Of course.

Who else isn't dying to know what r26 smells like?

R26 no amount of mother's Faberge Tigress can mask the smell of your vulgar potty mouth

Nothing is more vulgar, R28, than the expression "potty mouth." Think about it.

which is why it perfectly describes you

I'm not r26, though, cunt.

Our work is done here fellas, we have successfully trolled this heinous thread.

Only a woman would use the phrase "potty mouth."

R33 is one of the original, tone-deaf Queen Marys of this purple poison by dior thread, yet posts that?

so you can use perfumes that are decades old? I had no idea! I used to throw them away!

Gentlemen, please! No need for such acrimony!

I love the parfum version of Samsara! So exotic, yet almost woodsy enough for a man to get away with. Sometimes I layer it with a little Middle eastern Oud Musk to heighten the woodsy and animal vibe, so sexual!

Chanel Cuir de Russie ... MMMMM!

Souvenirs de Smegma

Samsara is one of the very few Guerlain scents I've never been able to wear. Even the tiniest drop is screechingly loud on me. But, in honor of this thread, I dabbed on a tiny bit of Chanel No 19 parfum, with its crisp, green scent, and it feels luxurious.

R13, less is more.

Love Chanel no. 19.

Love Guerlain Heritage.

Creed Fleur de the rose bulgare = Love but it's OVERPRICED! Armani Prive Eclat de Jasmin = Love but it's OVERPRICED! Vintage Caron Chamade edt Vintage Hermes Caleche edt or parfum I love the vintage versions of these before they did the substitution of tree moss for REAL oakmoss, Ugh! Guerlain's yearly Muguet = Love, OBSCENELY PRICED!

Just a few of my many, many, many loves.

[quote] It feels almost sinfully luxurious to dab a tiny bit in the evening.

This is one of my favorite Mary! comments ever.

Angel Parfum de Cuir by Thierry Mugler—Angel flanker with a powerful leather note that cuts the sweetness.

Voyage d' Hermès, spicy and fresh, perfect for hot weather

“A woman who doesn’t wear perfume has no future.”

Balmain Ivoire—clean, soapy-fresh unisex with a hint of vanilla.

L’eau D’Issey (Miyake) for men.

Prada Amber Pour Homme

Dior’s Bois D’argent.

Tom Ford Tobacco Oud

OP, that’s what Morrissey wears. I love it, too.

By Parfums de Coeur.

I prefer Comme Des Poissons.

OP, I’d use the Gucci if I were you, even if they’ve been stored properly, they may still be significantly degraded. They’re not going to get better with time. You can probably make a fortune selling the Chanel bottles to collectors on Basemotes, vintage is always in demand, provided they’re still OK.

My mother's only real perfume was Shalimar, by Guerlain. She wore it most days. Just a whiff.

I visited Grasse in May.

OP would have gone nuts.

R58, That sounds lovely. Many people don't realize that the French perfume industry was actually an offshoot of the tanning/leather industry. Back when elegant ladies (and some gentleman) wore leather gloves, the leather had to be scented to make it wearable in respectable society. Marie Antoinette supposedly carried Houbigant scent with her to the guillotine.

My mother used to wear something called Bandit, that i thought was lovely. She discovered it in Paris before I was born. Never see it around I guess it is passe.

Love’s Baby Soft- of course. This commercial would never be allowed on tv today.

Creed Royal Delight

When I am rinsing my pasta I give it a quick spritz with Viktor & Rolf Antidote.

When I am making my lasagna sauce with pork breakfast sausage, I spritz the sausage with Tom Ford Black Violet.

Dreamy, creamy and heavenly.

Bandit is a wonderful unisex leather scent. It's still around in reformulated form, but you can still find the vintage on eBay.

I love the scent threads. It reminds me of the time I walked in a rainforest with some expert bird-watchers—I know nothing and care less about birds but the birders’ knowledge and enthusiasm were a joy to be in the presence of.

I rarely wear cologne but when I do it’s Musgo Real, which I’m guessing is too low-rent for you experts/bitches.

I highly recommend Feu de Graisse to all of you.

R65 I love Musgo Real... especially the shave cream in the tube. Portugal makes some of the best smelling soaps in the world IMHO. J'adore all the Claus Porto, Vetyver, and Favorito the most. Alfazema de Portugal is another favourite of mine. All of these products are quite expensive in Chicago.

Dune by Dior

Earlier this year, I purchased a small bottle of 'Deneuve' parfum on eBay: it's the only 'celebrity' scent I own. It's a rich green chypre. It was so well-regarded that 'Long Lost Perfumes' introduced a facsimile of it.

R69, what is Long Lost Perfumes?

R67 I used to buy it at the perfume place in Ptown. The guy once told me that he would have had more in stock but it had been snapped up by DL fave Deb Messing.

R70, I'm not sure they're still in business, but they used to produce a facsimile of Oh! De London, The owner of the company (Jeffrey Dame) used to host a discussion forum (PerfumeofLife.com) which is now defunct. I learned an enormous amount about fragrances there, and met some really fascinating people there.

I know we have a DLer who has been looking for Woodhue. It turns out that it's available!

Every now and then you can find the original Oh! De London on eBay, but the sellers want an arm and a leg for it.

Omg I live for these threads, I’m a woman but I loooooooove all scents and wear many kinds. Right now it’s Portait of a Lady......heavenly. A male scent I love too is YSL Spendid Wood.

Lili Bermuda has some nice scents for men - I like Somers and Navy

Souvenir de Grenouille

R49 one of my all-time favorites is L'eau Bleue D'Issey Eau Fraiche(sp?), the sweet dewy herbaceous unisex spray in the clear diamond-shape flanker.

I'm almost out of my years-old bottle now, using it sparingly as I can. I'm looking for a dupe or a very similar replacement if not a new bottle of the same. Recs?

Bbbnnny

Muelhens 4711 is a lovely light, citrusy cologne made in....wait for it.....Cologne. It's very affordable as well.

Shocking

Santal by LaLabo

Black Irish Tweed by Creed

I love splendid wood, too.

R78, I swear to God I just bought a big bottle of that Issey at Ross two days ago. $24.99. Thought I might take it back (it's a bit light) but since it's my only Issey and didn't cost much, probably not. It's even the Fraiche and looks just like the bottle you have pictured.

I don’t use any. I unas able to as a teen, then I developed an allergic reaction to most. I end up with horrible headaches, and have even vomited as a result of parfum or cologne. The first time I had a reaction, I was sitting in a movie theater, on a date, and threw up all over my popcorn, and myself. It was pretty spontaneous.

I’ve had to go to HR in several situations regarding this. I genuinely cannot handle it, and it’s a shame, because I love a good scent.

"Black Irish Tweed by Creed"

There is on such thing.

--

"Santal by LaLabo"

There is no such thing.

Is YSL Kouros as dirty and skanky as it sounds? Reviewers frequently reference a "urinal cake" or "unwashed crotch" civet note. I just found a good deal on an early-'80s bottle on eBay.

Kouros; I likde it in the 70s, I like the last bottle I bought.

Kouros and Opium were the first PR fragrances.

[quote] Kouros and Opium were the first PR fragrances.

What's a PR fragrance?

Back in the 70s the designer revolution began and YSL coopted the fragrance market.

Opium and Kouros had scandalous campaigns.

They made news and people were in line to purchase them MONTHS before release.

When Opium was launched in 1977, YSL held a big party aboard a yacht in New York Harbor, attended by the likes of Truman Capote, Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall (the face of the ad campaign), and Diana Vreeland. Supposedly it was just like Studio 54 on the high seas, with lots of coke snorting and fucking in the bathrooms. At the time, "Opium" was considered an offensive and controversial name choice because of the blatant drug reference.

When asked what she thought of the scent, Diana Vreeland just said, "I like the smell of money."

Dear asshole (36)....................

Excuse me! It's Green Irish Tweed.

Dear basement dweller at (36)

I just got a vintage tester of Mitsouko that I ordered last week. Strange but wonderful scent—kind of a chypre–oriental hybrid. Sweet and spicy yet dry and bitter at the same time.

I might be allergic to parfum, but I know a good one when I smell it.

Let me just say that some of you here have questionable taste.

R94 sounds lovely. The backstory to Mitsuoko is so romantic....

[quote] The creation of Mitsouko was inspired by the heroine of Claude Farrčre's novel 'La bataille', a story of an impossible love between Mitsouko, the wife of Japanese Admiral Togo, and a British officer. The story takes place in 1905, during the war between Russia and Japan. Both men went to war, and Mitsouko, hiding her feelings with dignity, waits for the outcome of the battle to discover which of the two men will come back to her and be her companion.

R92 and r93, ask the dolt at R82 who posted BLACK Irish Tweed.

I repeat, there is no such thing as BLACK Irish Tweed.

And there is no such thing as LA Labo.

R94 I love Mitsouko too. It is the only ladies fragrance I was ever inspired to wear. It is a lovely sexy scent that doesn't work on everyone. I find it smells better on men.

Fuck off 97! Check the websites. What a cunt.

It's LeLabo. It's Green irish Tweed by Creed.

Creed is for parvenu chavs.

Wife beaters go with Aventus...

Try something sophisticated from Guerlain, like Héritage or Coriolan.

Or Mitsouko! Guerlain is LUSCIOUS and smoulderingly sexy.

R87. Kouros has been reformulated a bunch of times, it’s not as skanky as it used to be, so vintage is usually better. Avoid the current mostly white bottle, any older bottle with chrome base, and shoulders will be good. Getting an 80’s bottle may be too old, and risky, unless cheap.

Habit Rouge - one tiny dab with the tip of a swab, or you’ll clear a room.

And Grey Vetiver, by Tom Ford

R103 I wish Grey Vetiver lasted longer. I prefer Guerlain or Carven for their stamina. I use the Guerlain deo stick and Claus Porto Vetyver soap with the Ford to augment its longevity. Sometimes I use a bit of Hove' Vetiver talc too.

Creed = Horchow

Guerlain = Restoration Hardware

Tom Ford = West Elm

Le Labo = Room & Board

by Kilian = Pottery Barn

r105, you made me laugh out loud.

So what meets your high standards, Miss R105 Thing?

I have a couple of small vials of Aventus - nasty stuff. I love Diptyque Fleur de Peau and Armani Cedre.

R105 I buy scents I like regardless of brand. I don't pay attention to image or marketing either. I seek out the scents that contain the notes I know I'm fond of. Your hierarchy is amusing, yet doesn't register any equivalencies in my brain regarding those showrooms, and I'm formerly from a furniture background. You could have done much better creating your analogies, or explain your reasoning.

Claude Montana Parfum de Peau: powerhouse rose–leather chypre. Marketed to women but unisex-leaning-masculine in the tradition of Bandit, Cabochard, and Jolie Madame.

I have two scents that I get positive comments on.

M7 and TF Black Violet

dior ambre nuit is a new-found love of mine. i don't have it yet, though. normally i wear rose perfumes - fille de berlin (serge lutens), delire de roses (caron), la colle noire (dior). love wearing frederic malle en passant in summer - no rose there, though.

however, as far as recommendations go... if you can, check out andy tauer perfumes. their quality cannot be bested by any other house in my experience. his PHI is a masterpiece, too.

r100 made me laugh. i don't like aventus, either, and now i cannot get that wife beater image out of my head. hilarious stuff

(from the great classics marketed to men, fahrenheit is my favourite... but people are different and like different things)

Has anyone smelled Tom Ford's Fucking Fabulous?

Hey, do they sell fake perfume on overstock.com? The perfume I want is 200 on the brand's website but it's only 73 on overstock. I know Amazon sells fake perfume (sometimes). Advice please! Versace oud oriental is the item.

I love a man man who smells of Old Spice and a few too many beers.

Is Roja Dove's stuff any good? Diaghilev sounds interesting.

I got this masculine-leaning women's scent, a chypre-floral-oriental hybrid, as a Christmas present to myself. It smells a lot like old-formula Bounce dryer sheets.

I am with you; OP. I have gone through a few bottle of Avignon, not an easy task considering how potent it is.

Here is one you must try - the ORIGINAL Etro Messe de Minuit, the one with the round label, not square. They changed the formulation. You have to buy it at great expense on Ebay or perfume sites. Read the reviews on Makeup Alley or Basenotes.

Cuir Cannage or Mitsouko in the winter. JHL by Aramis in the fall (Estee Lauder's private blend made for her husband and is bearing his initials). I wear a very inexpensive concentrated green juice in summer time called Jannet El Firdaus, it's my most beloved scent and as finely blended as the best Caron.

[quote]I wear a very inexpensive concentrated green juice in summer time called Jannat El Firdaus, it's my most beloved scent and as finely blended as the best Caron.

The Swiss Arabian version is indeed dirt cheap (around $10) but potent and magnificent. Scentwise it can compete with $100+ fragrances. The ultimate soapy-green chypre. And it's pure perfume concentrate, not EDP or EDT.

Does Tom Ford have a massive hard on for Chanel No.19 or just OCD? I've noticed repeat attempts to try and reinvent it throughout his collection.

Vert Fleur - this is like a very pure copy of 19 parfume. A harder, colder version.

Arab Wood - this to me smells like No.19 Poudre, it's powdery and more refined.

Vert Boheme - this is an interesting copy almost if 19 had been a 1920's scent.

Vert d'Encens - Like an attempt to modernize or blend No.19 into a more amber spice scent like One Million.

There are other homages in his collection like Nu for YSL (an unabashed Opium clone), or Fleur d'Chine (vintage Caleche /Arpege)

Scored a few vintages the other day:

Eau Sauvage Extrême (the original with the black cap, not silver)

Balestra pour homme - I suspect Givenchy Insense was inspired by this, but Balestra is less soapy and far more subtle.

French Line by Revillon - so unusual! I don't get the comparisons to Antaeus at all; it's very discreet and reminds me a bit of Aramis Devin.

Oooooooooo r123, those are exciting!!! Anyone have any other recommendations for summer? Once in a great while I’ll pop on a summer scent to get me through the long winter days. During winter I’m in ambers, musks, and woods.

I am in Italy now, the land of La Bella Figura (looking good) and even though there are many specialist boutiques selling extremely expensive niche fragrances, I never smell perfume on anyone, men or women.

I'm obsessed with '70s chypres and I just scored a big bottle of the original Giorgio Armani for women. Not girly-smelling at all, but a strong, dry, super-green oakmoss bomb.

Just got a couple of eBay purchases in the mail: Yatagan by Caron and Jicky by Guerlain.

Yatagan smells like dirt and pine needles. I like it, though. Jicky smells like a creamy lemon dessert—it reminds me of Shalimar without the vanilla.

R127, which concentration of Jicky did you get? The extrait /parfum? I love all the different concentrations of Jicky, the current edp being possibly my least favorite, but the current edt is not at all long-lasting. The extrait is my fave and I have vintage and the current version of it and love both for different reasons. A couple years ago they started making current Jicky edp and edt available on eBay and you can get a 3.3 oz bee bottle for only $50 or so. Huge change as the edt was around $110 before.

I wear Grey Flannel occasionally.

I got the current EDP in the bee bottle. I love it except for the longevity, which seems weak to me.

As trashy as it may be, I recently fell for Tom Ford's Lost Cherry. Probably almost a little too sweet/fem for some, but on the right person, it smells amazing.

R114 I don't own it, but I did like this also.

If you're in LA, there is a 'celebrity florist' named Eric Buterbaugh who has his own line of fragrances called EB Florals. Billed as unisex, there is one particularly masculine one called 'Apollo' (light green color) that is unique. Saks carries this line also if you're not in the LA area.

Claiborne for men was one of the best.

My all time favourite for the past 12 years is Terre d'Hermès by the great Jean-Claude Ellena (I think perfumers should be acknowledged as artists).

I have an obsession for Vetiver based perfumes and have a growing collection that include: Guerlain, Encre Noir, Craven, Tom Fords Grey Vetiver, and a many others.

I just got (literally now in the mail) my vintage mini of Chanel No. 19 edt and easily see this as unisex. This one is very celebrated in the fragrance world, and someone up thread seemed to be a huge fan of it. Has anyone tried the current edt or edp? I hear the edt is the most unisex of the current versions. Also I do love Cuir de Russie edt, but it's just too expensive and fleeting performance-wise. I also just got a handful of niche samples from Lucky Scent, many from Parfums de Nicolai, will give my thoughts on those, I LIKE that house.

R133, since you love vetiver, have you tried Chanel Sycomore? I thought that it was a great, nuanced vetiver. I'm not huge into vetiver being the main note, but I did like it. It does fall under unisex, so maybe that's why I like it.

The Tom Ford Beau De Jour wears better on me than Lost Cherry.

But I really do not like talc notes.

R135 Thanks for the tip! I have tested long time ago - before I started the collection - and remember I like it, so now I know.

R58 I also been to Grass, on my way back from the Venice Biennial, and loved it, its really the worlds capital of perfume, full of historical houses and beautiful landscapes. My boyfriend did the workshop to make its own perfume, I regretted not to have taken it.

[quote] My all time Number one is Comme des Garçons Incense Avignon. It smells like the most luxe cathedral ever built.

Nothing turns gay men on more than other men who smell like luxurious cathedrals!

Mmmm... the scent of expensive masonry!

Summer's Eve. But it's been a while since I've used any.

[quote]In the dawn of the aero-spatial era, a plane takes off from Paris for Buenos Aires. Suddenly, the radio loses contact. A tornado rushes through. Every second takes the recently married pilot a little farther from his loved one... A homage to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, whose celebrated novel exalted courage, Vol de Nuit is a perfume of mystery. Brimming with audacity, it is one of the most sophisticated faceted creations. With its assertive personality, its floral and woody facets blossom in a bold oriental trail. The relief of the smoked glass bottle evokes a propeller in motion and represents the drawing of an airplane wing in flight. A symbol of modernism, the square metallic stopper evokes a mechanical part and celebrates the triumph of the conquest of air.

I love Guerlain's Vol de Nuit extrait. A bit reminiscent of Shalimar, but a much darker, woodier scent. The original Baccarat bottle is a work of art.

R7 , I've never tried Vol De Nuit, but it's on my list of classic Guerlains to try. I have heard that vintage shalimar eau de cologne is the most masculine version of Shalimar, so I have bought a medium sized watch bottle of it-ALWAYS wanted the large watch bottle, but this will do. New condition, sealed and with box which I can date as being 1987- 1998 ish. CANNOT wait to test it out. They say the vanilla is very toned down and that the citrus is turned up and the civet and woods are more noteworthy in the vintage eau de cologne. Will report back. Even if it's too femme to wear out, I'll be happy to have it, and the bottle around because I LOVE Shalimar.

I've looked for Comme des Garcons Avignon, but nowhere carries it. Can it be purchased only online now?

I bought a bottle of Tom Ford's leather fragrance. The scent was fantastic but it lasted so briefly, just a couple hours at best. And it was an eau de parfum too. So for the money ($200+), it was a total ripoff. The sad truth is that I love the scent so much, I actually want to buy another once I run out. Hoping I just got a bad batch. I do love Bond No. 9 Bleeker St. It's girly but such a pretty scent. And that crap lasts forever. I wear it one evening and wake up the next morning with the scent still strong. They make a damned good fragrance. The other one I really like is Aramis. It's cheap but I just love the scent.

Fracas. I keep trying other scents, and some of them are lovely, but none of them are Fracas.

I wonder what the original smelled like!

I LOVE FRACAS!! Such a great tuberose, upbeat and lively scent. I find it energizing, but could not see wearing it myself. I love it on a woman, and have sold my best friend on wearing it, plus I have a small decant of the original formula just for at-home sniffs. It's like crack! I do the same with Shalimar and that gaudy, tacky but amazing......Giorgio of Beverly Hills (reminds me of my childhood, plus it's legendary). I like collecting my fave feminine scents and use them as air freshener or to spray on a corner of a sheet.

R142, LuckyScent sells fragrance samples, usually for $3-4 a pop.

I’ve fallen in lesbian love with Jardin d’Ecrivains GEORGE. It’s warm louche laquer & booze, tinged with something carnal & sacral beneath (think silk altar cloth on a leather bondage chest)...

I imagine a rich strapping English girl starting at Oxford in the ‘70s or ‘80s, obnoxiously aware of her academic intelligence & confidence but not of her physical sexual appeals which in a few short years will take her to some dark seductive and maybe painful places. The cigar smoke arises from the smell of hockey sticks so slowly it take one by surprise...is this woman getting into the drag clubs, or has she given herself to an older man? She’s been up to something naughty, whether it’s going out on the arms of men her father’s age or letting her Domme Lit professor spank her for a pass mark or fucking her rugger-playing cousin in the Cotswolds cottage on the summer hols..

There are also grassy spicy near-stuffy accords, which evoke Georgian England, and call to mind a certain sharp miserere ominipresent in Merchant Ivory’s darkest most erotically-charged film MAURICE. You can catch a whiff of saddle-soap and the thought of young sweated flanks rutting on old furniture swirling on the skin amidst the more polished buttoned-up notes.

I think what fascinates me about GEORGE is how truly gender-bending it is, and how it seems to tell a narrative that easily shifts between straight & gay depending on the day or the mood. The only real definites this scent can invoke are English upper-crust.

Currently i am loving "poison girl"by christian dior it smells like cake.But i find giorgio armani's "acqua di gio" has more staying power!

R148 if you enjoy gourmand scents of cake, you’ll adore HASU-NO-HANA by Grossmith. Expensive & dated, but worth it if you live and die by the edible fragrance sword.

HNH has a mega-floral top like a bouquet sailing through the air, but give it an hour and it dries down to the smell of pure creamy white wedding cake, sugared almonds and warm sweet vanilla cookies. It is a lovely scent, almost Austen-sequel.

I got a sample recently, and while it’s far too feminine & sweet-tasting & flowery for my tomboy-dapper taste I think a nice blond-natured high-femme lady who wears pretty dresses all the time would smell divine in it. It’s what I’d ideally want one of my ‘acceptable’ dates to wear when she first meets my folks or when we go to visit elders. Otherwise I’d give it to a very young debutante or new bride as a gift.

Argh, I meant ’GOOD-natured’, not ‘blond-natured’! A Marilyn-type would not enjoy HASU-NO-HANA, I don’t think.

[quote]The other one I really like is Aramis. It's cheap but I just love the scent.

Aramis is essentially the male version of Azurée by Estée Lauder. Likewise, Aramis 900 = Clinique Aromatics Elixir, Devin = Aliage, and JHL = Cinnabar. All of these were created by the great Bernard Chant, who also created Cabochard and Lauren.

Any have a pleasurable experience of a recent niche scent that favors smoke & resins with oakmoss in the base?

Bonus points for inclusion of: hay; tobacco/incense; gunpowder; rosewood/sandalwood; poppyseed; lily-of-the-valley; or caraway in the mix. Do please note that I already own and adore both L’artisan Dzing! & PG Querelle (@the latter RIP, G2S, deeply missed) and tried but disliked Etat Libre La Fin du Monde.

Loved the Nicky Verfaillie Grains perfumes but unavailable for years now. I see them on eBay but wouldn’t chance it. Agree on the Cuir de Russie. Lovely but expensive for the lack of staying power. Amarige de Givenchy was my coming of age scent.

I used to wear Geoffrey Beene’s Grey Flannel. I’m a woman. Got many compliments.

Lanvin: Rumeur 2 Rose. You simply have to try it. Roses. Mmm.

I live and die by DL fragrance threads. It has opened an entire universe to me, thank you all.

I have a question....can vintage perfume spoil or go bad? How do you know if a vintage scent is still good? I’m asking because I’ve purchased some online that I think were “off” but so many of you swear by certain batches of a scent, please tell me what I need to know to safely purchase vintage fragrance.

R156, go to Fragrantica or Basenotes, you will learn a lot.

Oh I do visit Fragrantica thanks to DL, I’ll check out Basenotes too, appreciate it. Still learning, it’s really no different than studying art.

R157, what I’ve been told is that because every fragrance is a different combination of ingredients, it’s impossible to guess at how long any particular one can last without deteriorating. Ideally, the fragrance should be kept boxed and in a cool, dark place, but that doesn’t guarantee that it will not change over time. Unfortunately, it’s always a gamble if you buy something without smelling it first.

BRITNEY SPEARS FANTASY Y'ALL

Thank you r160, that is super helpful and makes sense.

I was sad when the vintage stuff I purchased smelled off, but I honestly enjoy the hunt just as much as the find, so that’s part of the joy. I will adjust my expectations accordingly.

R156 The cunts at Basenotes think they know a lot more than they do and, as I said, are cunts. They have a negative reputation in the perfume industry for banning several actually working, trained noses/perfumers. I think one of them made a perfume called "Fuck you, Basenotes" in response. Lots of no lifes and at least 1 millionaire that obsessively replies to every thread first and brags that he buys pretty much every perfume released each year.

Someone upthread mentioned a great parfumer, a man, Franco or something (of course I can’t find the post). Anyway, my question for those “in the know” is who are the greatest creators out there, in the modern era? I’d love to hear about the stars in the fragrance world.

R163, good to know, that’s the first I’ve heard that.

For the poster obsessed with chypres, can you tell us your favorites? I had to look that word up and realized that that type of scent is my favorite too, I just didn’t realize there is a name for it! I adore those scents beyond all others, they are dreamy, sexy, and often sweet and smoky, and the word I always have in my head when I smell them is “Chord” as in a major musical cord. If sound had a smell, chypres smell like a complex yet major musical chord to me. I knew classically trained musicians who saw particular colors with musical notes — E sharp, for example, was silver. I believe that fragrance can cause the same phenomena in some people. Most musicians don’t see colors associated with notes, and it can’t be taught, you either have it or you don’t.

Anyone here ever try any Ormonde Jayne? I bought several samples, became obsessed with Tolu, and once I ran out and tried to replace it directly from the maker — it didn’t match!!!! So whatever I purchased was a grand mystery that I can never solve. If you’ve ever smelled Portrait of a Lady, it had some similar notes.

Any particular recommendations for Caron or Bond No. 9?

Last question — let’s talk long lasting scents. What scent do you own that has truly impressed you with not only it’s strength, but it’s staying-power? What scent(s) lasts forever on you? I bought a little set of perfumes at the Conservatory in SF, and several of them carry for many many many hours, they are delightful.

R164 Francis Kurkdjian, probably. Definitely "star" status and has paid his dues in the industry. He now has his own private line. Patricia de Nicolai is also a big perfumer and great granddaughter of Pierre Guerlain and niece of Jean-Paul. She was unable to take over the business because she's a woman so they gave it to Thierry Wasser who ain't even in the family. Big shame. Check out her company Parfums de Nicolai and sample New York intense if you like Chypres.

For Bond No. 9 the best I have smelled is Chinatown. Leans a bit feminine to some but I think it's completely unisex and even on the more masculine end. Bleecker St. is also incredibly popular with men but I think it's a very mediocre aquatic scent with some nice fruity elements to it. Could easily be in one of those Ed Hardy bottles.

If you're looking for niche houses that make consistently long lasting perfumes with massive sillage I would recommend Mancera to start. They make a good clone of Ormonde Man for half the price called Kumkat Wood. Ormonde Man might be your mystery perfume.. Cedrat Boise is also a clone of Creed Aventus and IMO is better. You basically can't go wrong with this house, but I really dislike Pierre Montale's seperate brand, Montale. Very cheap and synthetic arabic style oud perfumes.

Other houses to look at include Histoire de Parfums, Amouage, Tom Ford, Slumberhouse and Xerjoff-- with Xerjoff on the more expensive luxury end. I think you'll really be impressed with Amouage's offerings. Luckyscent is a great place to sample niche fragrances for cheap and scentbird is also pretty good if you utilize it well and avoid the designers that they mark up by 4000%.

Gucci by Gucci China Rain Aventus by Creed Cartier Declaration D'un Soir

My taste is banal but I like what I like.

^Not banal at all.

My favorite scents are all not very long-lasting, unfortunately: Aventus by Creed, Terre D'Hermes, L'Instant de Guerlain, English Fern by Penhaligon. They are very different, and I wear them for different occasions, but they all smell divine.

Creed last FOREVER on me, R168.

[quote] i don't like aventus, either, and now i cannot get that wife beater image out of my head. hilarious stuff

[quote] (from the great classics marketed to men, fahrenheit is my favourite... but people are different and like different things)

Your last statement is so true! We have almost exactly opposite tastes in scent.

i love Aventus. As for Fahrenheit: I remember almost suffocating when i went to a play ion NYC years ago and my date doused himself in Fahrenheit (it had just come out that year, and apparently he was trying to impress me). Ever since I cannot stand the stuff.

Aventus by Creed. Say what you will but I love it and people crawl out of the woodwork to sniff me when I wear it. They do the same when I wear Maison Francis Kurkdjian's Lumiere Noire pour Homme.

I wear only Donald Trump: The Fragrance.

I'm with you, OP I adore Comme des Garçons Incense Avignon- it really does smell like the cathedrals in France. I used to wear Coco (I'm female) in the 90's- everyone used to say how well it smelled on me- now I find it overwhelming. I use Kiehl's musk oil occasionally, and have tried to wear City on Fire by Imaginary Authors, Margelia's Replica's Fireside and Jazzclub, but there is always something too sweet for me.

I love smoke, fire and leather based scents.

[quote]As for Fahrenheit: I remember almost suffocating when i went to a play ion NYC years ago and my date doused himself in Fahrenheit (it had just come out that year, and apparently he was trying to impress me). Ever since I cannot stand the stuff.

I had to ask a friend to stop wearing it. I'm not normally asthmatic, but there was something in that cologne that made it hard to breathe. Plus a migraine. Like an expensive version of Ask (which came later, IIRC).

I've never taken part in the Basenotes forum except to ask a few questions. They were very knowledgeable and helpful. The database is comprehensive.

Thanks r175, that is equally helpful.

Alright, I’m cracking the whip. Any other long-lasting scents you all care the share? Last night I was busily researching some of your suggestions, so much fun.

R176, Since you're cracking the whip, I'll suggest Caron's 'Coupe de Fouet' (crack of the whip) which is the EdT version of 'Poivre' (pepper), one of Caron's great parfums. Caron also put out 'L'Anarchiste', which comes in a copper-colored petrol can: think about that. For true parfums, there's Bellodgia, which is based on carnation, and Alpona, which is a grapefruit-based scent. Bellodgia is an old, classic scent, while Alpona is supposed to suggest a holiday on the Riviera. I think Luca Turin make the distinction between Guerlain (which I also love) and Caron, that Caron is the chicest 'house' while Guerlain is what courtesans would wear.

R176 for me, vintage Paloma Picasso. It’s the ultimate pissy civet chypre loaded with enough sweaty spices & rough hot patchouli to send people reeling a few steps back. I love how it screams aggression (but an artificial, feminine, seductive anger).

There should be a concentration camp for people who wear either patchouli or Axe, and their derivatives.

I would appreciate a suggestion for a warm, creamy vanilla based perfume that’s not too sweet

I HATE STRAIGHT ON PATCHOULI. Smells like mold to me...is that like the soap/cilantro gene?

I’ve heard good things about L’AP HAVANA VANILLE, R180, but I’ve not tried it myself.

Personally I prefer to go to cashmeran or sandalwood for warm creamy savory notes.

I like Gaultier 2, although it may be too sweet for some tastes.

But are these vanilla scents long-lasting too? I’m not Vanilla Girl, I’m the Whip Cracker.

I wore Acqua di Gio today (sp?) and I definitely get a lot of mileage out of it, I applied it over nine hours ago and I still smell it. I smell good. It makes me happy.

Metropolis!

R180. Try L’Occitane’s Eau des Baux, which is a woody vanilla, with a bit of incense. It’s quite addicting, and fairly easy to sample at one of their stores.

Midnight Candy by Byredo

R179 R181 Patchouli as a raw material in perfumery is completely different to the low grade patchouli essential oil you associate with hippies. It's one of the most beautiful and versatile ingredients.

"Blue Mimeo" by A.B. Dick

Thank you for the suggestions

R180, Laura Biagiotti's Roma Uoma is a mellow vanilla-based scent, and is pretty inexpensive. I also enjoy Shalimar Light, although the original Shalimar is gorgeous. If you ever come across a vintage bottle of Shalimar (I have one from my favorite antique mall), it's really amazing. People have made fun of me (a guy) for wearing Shalimar, but everyone seems to love smelling it. Guerlain was the first perfume house to use large quantities of vanillin in their scents. Also, many of Jaques Polges' fragrances feature vanilla. The original Chanel Pour Monsieur is a chypre, while Chanel Pour Monsieur Concentree features vanilla notes. So does Allure, and Tiffany for Men (which I own, as well).

Always test before buying. A good perfume counter and smart salespeople are a great help. BTW, if you're helped by a good salesperson, please don't just go home and buy it online. They need a commission. If you get three great suggestions, at least buy one from your salesperson, then buy the other three online. I'm thrifty, but I know the deal. Respect the salespeople, and they'll respect you.

R191, I meant, "buy the other two online".

R187 are you SUUUUURE? I’m asking because I purchased a small sample of a Byredo (the exact one escapes me) and it was truly, without exaggeration, the most God-awful perfume I’ve ever smelled. I did not care for it at all!!! It smelled unsexy and “too real”. Like, Eau de Doctor’s Office, just yuck! But it was so bad, I knew I may have chosen one so exotic that it was just too much as I know they’re supposed to produce some good scents. Maybe I just made a selection of one of their not-so-great ones? I don’t know, but I was actually shocked when I smelled it.

R191, I often just read a lot and then I’ll take the plunge and order some. I’m sure you’re right, obviously it makes so much more sense to try before I buy, but my work life is so busy that I don’t have much free time, so making it to Nieman’s or wherever is just a huge effort.

[quote] It’s the ultimate pissy civet chypre loaded with enough sweaty spices & rough hot patchouli to send people reeling a few steps back. I love how it screams aggression (but an artificial, feminine, seductive anger).

It sounds like my kind of scent!

I wish people would distinguish here between scents that are for men, those for women, and unisex. there's a huge difference, and just the name of the scent doesn't hklp.

R195 Use the fragrantica database

No, r196: I'm saying I wish they did it here.

R197 If you have a name of a fragrance, you have enough to go on. Stop being lazy.

R198, actually I think it would be interesting to hear from posters whether they think a particular scent would work well on a man.

Bye bye, r196/r198.

Both of you need to knock it off — you each have valid points, now let it go.

Here is the Byredo scent that I thought was putrid, Mojave Ghost:

The Ghost flower is a rare specials that dares to blossom above this baked hard ground. Despite its arid surroundings and inability to produce nectar, the Ghost Flower, or Mohavea Confertiflora, maintains its perfect, majestic beauty and thrives year after year. In an astonishing feat or ingenuity the flower uses mimicry to attract the pollinators of a neighboring plan specials by developing markings that resemble those of a female bee genus attracted to its subject and duping the male bee into following suite. This moving human-like behavior and captivating tale of survival lies in the foundation that inspired 'Mojave Ghost', an homage to this most bewitching flower.

Top: Amrette, Jamaican Nesberry.

Heart: Violet, Sandalwood, magnolia.

Base: Chantilly Mush, Crisp Amber, Cedarwood.

^^ Okay, Dad -

I should have clarified, the Mojave Ghost description is from Neiman’s.

That’s right r202. Know your place child [playfully swats Junior].

Thanks a lot r191

Any thoughts on Prada’s Infusion d’Homme?

R200 No one fucking cares.....

I’m going to take a risk and be vulnerable with all you cologne-y parfumerie people....how does one actually pronounce “chypre”? Naturally I looked it up, but I don’t feel confident about it and I’m not too proud to admit, this is a new addition to my vocabulary.

make someone else say it for you:

Molinard Vanille Patchouli. No, it does not smell like patchouli. Or Serge Lutens Bois de Vanille. Most creamy vanillas are sweet and smell like cake.

[quote] Molinard Vanille Patchouli. No, it does not smell like patchouli. Or Serge Lutens Bois de Vanille.

I will not make those mistakes again, Mary!

You're very welcome, R210.

Bleu de Chanel: does it smell as good as Gaspard Ulliel looks?

Got some samples of Bryedo's fragrances, and very unimpressed.

Also have you heard of Canvas & Concrete? It's a "primer" for your fragrance, to make it last longer.

Jo Malone's Earl Grey and Cucumber. I believe it's a ladies perfume but oh well.

[quote]First, how to say it: ‘sheep-ra’. (From the French for Cyprus – not, as is often suggested, the cypress tree.) There are suggestions that chypre fragrance construction dates back to Roman times, and ‘chypre’ as the name for an accord is often mentioned in 18th Century perfume manuals. (This family was named after the island of Cyprus – birthplace of Aphrodite, the goddess of love – hence the slightly baffling category name; a lot of the aromatic plants which feature in chypre scents flourish on that island.)

R207, here you go. Chypres are my greatest weakness. I have a small bottle of Coty Chypre, and a large range of other chypre scents. Two of my favorites are Clinique's Aromatics Elixir and Wrappings. On another now defunct chat board, I was friendly with a Scottish countess, and she couldn't obtain Wrappings in the UK, so I bought a gift set (it doesn't seem to be readily available except around Christmas) and sent it to her.

I love big chypres of the 70s and 80s too. My favorite is Niki de Ste Phalle. Are there any perfumes currently in production that smell anything like it?

Oh Niki's fragrance was beautiful in all aspects.

I love that Karl Lagerfeld's favorite scent to wear is not one of his own colognes, but Heure Exquise from Annick Goutal, which is as girly as girly can be.

Can someone please explain oil-based perfumes? How does it work compared to other formulations?

Byredo La Tulipe is one of the very few fragrances that smell like wild flowers, not strong florals like rose, jasmine, gardenia or tuberose.

The perfume that had the ad showing the bottle up a guy's ass.

A bottle can still make or break a scent but it’s not as bad as it used to be. I think scents like Lauder BEYOND PARADISE only ever did so well because the bottles were sparkly Frau-bait and you could get them in airports and at Macy’s for $50 plus tax.

Stg HYPNOTIQ brand French vodka has the same bottle as an old perfume they used to sell in Bloomingdales. I can’t remember the fragrance name but there def used to be a mid-range one in a similar blue flaçon.

Mortel

Kuros

Until the '70s or '80s, Guerlain used to produce a fragrance that was available only to its employees: an after-bath splash called Veritable Eau de Cologne Pour le Bain. It was produced by using alcohol to rinse out the vats where the perfumes would steep. The scent of each batch would vary depending on which fragrance had been in a particular vat.

Why did they stop, r227?

Fracas

A couple of years ago I sent the spouse to a 3 day class on perfume making. One thing that emerged, other than $4,000 in oils and lab gear was that my allergies to perfume tend to be to the synthetic fragrances. Natural oils don't bother me at all.

We also found out about a company in India that has good pricing for oils, two day shipping to the U.S. and all materials come with Provenance documents and MSDS sheets. Pretty good.

But he has made some knockout perfumes. Now getting people in the Newport, RI area to buy said perfume at $40 per bottle - well not so simple.

Wait a minute. Tell us where to buy this perfume, I would buy some in a heartbeat. I always thought you are in Atlanta? You are right, it’s a niche market for sure, but I’m in love with it....

It’s nice to know longtime posters are still here: and have made themselves known: Della, RWOAC and now Lucifer :)

Can you get oakmoss from India?

So many questions, but it looks like our experts are gone to the other thread.....🙁

Fragrance people are an intense, excitable lot, R234.

Oh r235, you don’t have to tell me! That’s why I’ve enjoyed these threads so much! Maybe someday *I* will be one if our in-house experts....

R234, I don't think so. Oakmoss is a type of lichen that's found in Europe and North America. I wouldn't surprise me if it's also grew in the Himalayas, but I've never read of it being harvested there. The International Fragrance Association has worked to ban it for use in modern perfumes, since it can cause skin sensitivities in some people. They're also worked to ban civet (from the civet), castoreum (from beavers), musk (from the endangered musk deer) and ambergris (from sperm whales, but it's just a waxy secretion the whale produces to protect it from squid beaks, and is vomited up). In Europe and the US, most fragrances no longer use these ingredients, which is why perfume fans complain about the difference between modern scents and their older equivalents. I think they're still used in scents made in the Near East, though.

Sorry, R237 was replying to R233.

R59 thanks to a secret recipe m@‘s original scent is actually available to buy as a retro reformulation, as Lubin’s BLACK JADE. I’ve been advised by people who’ve tried it that it acts like an aphrodisial siren-call to men.

[quote] Thevenin was struck with a breakthrough. A perfumer who had started her career at Lubin in the 50s put him in touch with the house’s previous owners, who agreed to provide a copy of Lubin’s original formula books. In these relics, which Lubin began at the age of 10 and continued throughout his life, Thevenin came across a formula from the 1780s called Bouquet de la Reine (Queen’s Bouquet), dutifully re-copied, as per custom, by a loyal apprentice. He mentioned the potential project to a friend of illustrious aristocratic stock. As it happens, she already knew the story: One of her ancestors, the Duchesse de Tourzel, had been lady in waiting to the queen and guardian of the dauphin. On the eve of her departure to the Conciergerie, the queen entrusted the duchess with her last vial of perfume, which she had worn around her neck. The duchess survived the revolution and, in her memoirs, spoke of the shiny black vial as a talisman. Over the generations, the family came to call it "jade noir," or black jade. “The queen’s story was so dramatic and upsetting—we French are not so comfortable with that,” Thevenin points out. “But the fact that the talisman brought good luck to someone gives it a hopeful note.”

It sounds a divine scent, and I really want to to try it one day though it seems very ‘heavy’ and likely smells old-fashioned to our conditioned & sterilised nostriles..

[quote] In its modern, spicy “floriental” incarnation, Black Jade associates two staples of the classic French garden—rose and jasmine—with spices found in French colonies of the day, such as cinnamon, incense, sandalwood, and patchouli.

R58 please come back and tell us more about your Grasse trip! I might be headed to France in the summer and want to make a perfume pilgrimage if I do. Where should I visit and what should I be sure to do as a fan of traditional French fragrance houses?

I checked my fragrance cabinet, and I also have small bottles of 'With Pleasure', 'Fleurs de Rocaille', and a bottle of 'Narcisse Noir' from Caron, and two small bottles of Balmain's gorgeous 'Vent Vert', all in parfum extrait. All eBay scores. Parfum seems to hold up longer than EdT or EdP.

Grasse is nice. You do the Fragonard perfume museum which has antique tools. There is a perfume museum in Paris which I think is better. Fragonard and Molinard have big stores in Grasse as well.

A couple of years ago I went to Exscense, the big fragrance fair in Milan. This was very exciting. I met Keiko Mecheri and Mark Buxton who created the Comme des Garçons incense line as well as many other fragrances. I had a huge bag of samples at the end.

I would say that Paris is the best place to visit for fragrance cognoscenti.

fragrance cognoscenti = fragrascenti

Or scentascenti. But say it right.

Chloé (RIP Miss Lagerfeld Thing) is an underrated classic and a forerunner of the "big" fragrances of the '80s. Sweet, heady tuberose tempered by sharp, hairspray-like aldehydes and spicy green notes.

That sounds awful, r246.

I was at Neiman Marcus to get Acqua di Parma Colonia Club. The lady at the men's fragrance counter also shared a scent new and unheard of to me. Masculin Pluriel from Maison Francis Kurkdjian. A lovely scent, clean and understated. I did not buy it since I try to limit myself to two bottles a year, and I had purchased Eternity Now by CK just before Christmas. Anyway, you should give it a try when at Neiman Marcus.

Acqua di Parma is awesome

R247😂😂

I loathe (!) tuberose and sometimes feel like a blasphemous female for saying so. But I do. Give me more sapphic flowers like crocus & daffodil & orchid any day...

[quote]I loathe (!) tuberose

I don't know if I would recognize the smell. The word is so ugly, I don't want to know anything more about it.

I hate all the loud, attention-seeking fragrance notes - gardenia, jasmine, tuberose, lily of the valley, amber, lemon, musk.

WHOA r252, slow your roll. I grow actual lily-of-the-valley (due to see their dainty little downward tea cups in 8 weeks!!!!!!) and they are the *opposite* of in your face. Each little bloom is the size of a pea, and one must hold the airy little pearls right up to one’s nose to inhale their delightful fragrance. I agree with every other scent you mentioned, but LotV that comes from nature is not in your face — it’s the synthetics that are....

When you read lily-of-the-valley as an ingredient in a modern scent, it is an aroma-chemical, and it never ever matches the real thing. I’ve ordered several new scents with this note so I’ll ket you know if these perfume deliver a realistic LotV note. I’m waiting for Hummingbird by Zoologist and Hermessence Muguet Porcelaine Hermès.

Sorry, R253, I find LotV fragrances, eg Diorissimo. over-sweet and cloying

R253 slightly OT from discussing Parfum but; French house MAISON DU SAVON DE MARSEILLE do a very old line of divine all-natural scented soaps, one of which is a very realistic and affordable Lily-of-the-Valley (called ‘Muguet’). It smells like you describe, airy & pearlescent & delicate. It has almost a tender wet sweetness to it, and something timeless & feminine.

I personally love all MDSavon soaps but this is one of my favorites of theirs, up there with the Donkey Milk blend (way better than it sounds) and the Opium blend.

If you want to go more upscale then I believe the English perfume houses FLORIS & YARDLEY also have decent LotV soaps. I find that using a soap over a spray or oil scent can sometimes be a more subtle and attractive way to alter my scent, and can make for a more intimate ‘skin-level’ note. I suppose a soap smell is old-fashioned to the modern nose, now, though.

I recently tried a sample vial of Sublime Vanille by Creed, and it was the first time I was really turned off by a Creed scent. It was like a lemon vanilla cake--cloyingly sweet.

However, I also tried Millesime Imperiale by Creed, and it may be my favorite Creed scent ever. I've never smelled any fragrance that more perfectly realizes the scent of an ocean beach.

I’ve been trying a new scent called Black Jade by Lubin.....it is sweeter but a sophisticated man can wear it. The smell almost brings me to climax. My only complaint is I wish it lasted longer, but that’s true of almost all modern scents.

I’m also reading “Perfumes: The Guide 2018” by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez. It’s changed my life. Also on Fragrantica I learned about The Perfumed Court where you can purchase small decants from an incredible number of niche houses. I’m embarrassed to say what I spent there, I need to intercept the package before my husband sees just how much I dropped to play with perfumes!

Thanks for the book recommendation, r257. It's on my list now.

I was into fragrance for years, big contributor to Perfume of Life forum. Still have a big collection of bottles and decants. But I lost interest for 2 reasons - hardly anyone wears fragrance and wearing it is almost an oddity. It has become something like tulip fever. Every time you go into a niche perfume shop or even the department stores, there are several new ranges, everything exorbitantly priced.

r259, We probably cross paths back on POL, when it was still active.

Can't believe that I've only just stumbled across this thread! I started my fragrance journey, I guess you could call it, around 5 years ago on a quest to find my signature fragrance.

Fragrantica pretty much became my bible and reference library for a good while, and whilst the full-blown obsession phase has died down now, I maintain a collection of around 200 bottles from the maybe 2000 that I sampled or bought, tried and resold (you gotta love eBay!) and still occasionally add a new one to the mix. Most are niche since these are invariably more innovative and exciting, but I'm not anti-designer on principle by any means.

I must say that I learned a huge amount over the last few years and the use, possibilities and playfulness of perfume is now totally integrated into my life and daily routines.

After everything, I did eventually find what I now consider to be my signature fragrance - Esprit du Roi by the British house of Penhaligon's. It is by no means the most expensive, exclusive or rarified, but I came to realise that it brought me more joy than any other fragrance that I'd tried and is truly "me".

"signature fragrance" = poncetalk

Even when I had a signature fragrance, I would never have called it "my signature fragrance."

The "signature fragrance" thing is just a Fragrantica-ism, chill your boots...

R253 Have you tried the vintage Insensé by Givenchy? I also grow Lily of the Valley and this Insensé is pretty much the only masculine that I've tried with a pretty realistic and unmistakable LOTV note that actually works.

[quote]The "signature fragrance" thing is just a Fragrantica-ism, chill your boots...

"Signature fragrance" has been around longer than the internet, Douchessa ("Chill your boots," indeed).

"The notion of a signature scent is always appealing, creating a sort of olfactory fingerprint that instantly associates you with your fragrance. But can the thrill of the new ever be underestimated?"

Not yet r265, but thank you for reminding me. That will be for my second round of purchases from the Perfumed Court.

I recently purchased a vintage Caron off ebay, and this has never happened before, but the damn stopper is stuck! Like glue! It’s very very old, there is almost a sediment clinging to the glass, I’m sure it smells like piss, but I still want that stopper out. I’m afraid if I do hot water that water will get into the parfume...

R265, I’m going to start a list and add that one.

R259, it is true that there aren’t nearly as many connoisseurs of fragrance any more, I would love to share my passion with several close friends (I have one close friend who is into it too) but I never got into for other people, it really was for ME. When I wear a scent I love, I cannot explain how much this effects me.

In fact, as I’m writing this, I’m thinking about my severe depression that’s been a lifelong battle, it hasn’t responded to most medicine. I’ve considered shock therapy, thank you Kitty Dukakis! I would posit that someday, someone will run a study proving that wearing a fragrance that stimulates your pleasure center in the brain actually helps combat depression. Tag this thread, I predict this research to come out in less than ten years.....it really and truly affects me, I don’t care if anyone is into it, it brings me sublime joy.

Ooo r259.....in someways it’s good that not as many are into scents. Only the die-hards remain, we can horde this world to ourselves.

[quote]I recently purchased a vintage Caron off ebay, and this has never happened before, but the damn stopper is stuck! Like glue! It’s very very old, there is almost a sediment clinging to the glass, I’m sure it smells like piss, but I still want that stopper out. I’m afraid if I do hot water that water will get into the parfume...

Try putting the bottle in the freezer for about 10–15 minutes. Or try this tip from a perfume reseller on Fragrantica:

[quote]One of my tricks is to use an Xacto knife to cut away any existing onionskin or gelatin seal around the mouth of the bottle that might remain, and scrape away any dried perfume residue. Then after this is removed, I use a cotton swab to apply some hand sanitizer around the mouth of the bottle and the stopper where it needs to be removed. I let this sit there for at least an hour. Then I wipe away the hand sanitizer and see if the stopper is able to move freely. If it is not budging, it gets the hand sanitizer treatment again for another hour or longer. I have been able to free various vintage and antique perfume bottles this way. It's the alcohol in the sanitizer that does the trick.

[quote]In fact, as I’m writing this, I’m thinking about my severe depression that’s been a lifelong battle, it hasn’t responded to most medicine. I’ve considered shock therapy, thank you Kitty Dukakis! I would posit that someday, someone will run a study proving that wearing a fragrance that stimulates your pleasure center in the brain actually helps combat depression. Tag this thread, I predict this research to come out in less than ten years.....it really and truly affects me, I don’t care if anyone is into it, it brings me sublime joy.

Fellow depression sufferer here ... this is exactly why I love to collect fragrances. It's aromatherapy of the best kind!

I [italic]loved[/italic] Insensé, R265. Unfortunately, it didn't sell well because most guys thought it smelled too girly, and it's rare that you can find the original (not the Ultramarine) on eBay for less than $100 a bottle.

Do you know what years that was produced r272? I do indeed wish there was a master list if when formulations were changed.

I have 13 Tom Ford samples I bought from LuckyScent next to me.

I am surprised how many I do not like.

LS is a decent company to deal with. Reasonable prices and you do not have to deal with retail whores.

Forgot the link...

R265 here, glad to find another Insensé fan, R272. It must have been such a bold fragrance to market towards men (in 1993, R273. I think it only lasted a season or two before being quietly dropped in favour of the more commercial flankers).

Hummingbird is beautifully put-together but far too pretty and sweet for me, although I love Victor Wong's Zoologist on principle (and the fact that you get his hand-written notes when you but his bottles) but really only ever reach for Civet, which is sweet too, but also super-ballsy and certainly much more unisex. It's the only Zoologist I've committed to buying a full bottle of.

I’ve heard so much about Civet but haven’t smelled it yet. What is it like? The two or three big ones that have gotten the most press from that line seem to be Civet, Bat, and Rhino.

I just bought an old bottle of Bat-Sheba from Ebay

[quote] I started my fragrance journey, I guess you could call it, around 5 years ago on a quest to find my signature fragrance.

You were a veritable Mary.... er, I mean Lawrence... of Arabia!

I was also looking for a signature scent. I would sample various scents at different department stores, and I thought they all smelled awful on me. It was during my research that I discovered Basenotes, and Guerlain's Mouchoir de Monsieur, which reminds me a bit of Jicky.

I'm told I have a signature scent.

R276 I keep getting Elephant recommended to me for some reason, but I’m anti-frutchouli & white floral indolics. Amber smells like vom on me too, so idk what people are thinking saying I’ll love it. Maybe they mean the listed tea-leaf & incense accords but I can go to another scent for that. If Fragrantica is correct in saying it’s like the Jo Malone Green/Tea room sprays then miss me with it, I don’t want to smell like a Frau’s living room.

I like the concept of Elephant and all the other scents in that collection, I just don’t think it’s for me looking at the breakdown.

R277 The word I'd use for Civet is narcotic. It has an aspect that I've not really encountered before, very heady, quite addictive. It's essentially a deep floral, which I usually can't tolerate at all, but this is not in any way shape or form a "girly" fragrance, and I get mainly Hyacinth and Heliotrope sitting on a deep bed of resin with woody/coffee notes that are present from the outset but which increase in dominance & develop over time...that's a very simplified description. There is absolutely no trace of powderiness or amber, nor (to me, at least) of any Civet or other animalic, though I'm sure it's lurking in there providing the sense of depth. It's also hugely long-lasting (I can detect it on my wrist this morning after applying last night and I had a bath in between) but It's definitely not for everyone (my husband doesn't like it much at all, for instance!) The quality and style is phenomenal & it would be great worn at a dressed-up formal outing.

I originally bought two sample sets direct from Zoologist, from which I chose Civet as the only keeper, so I also have an Elephant sampler here, R282. It opens with a bitter blast of grassiness but then rapidly switches to a coconut/sandalwood blend, which is fine, as it goes, but not hugely distinctive. I don't get noticeable tea-leaf or Darjeeling Tea, both listed as top notes, but nor do I get much of the listed white florals either....the woody, musky and amber base blend then emerges over time along with a hint of cocoa. Would work well on a hot sunny day.

Here's a little nugget for DL perfumisti: if you ever go to Bologna, Italy, in the main square, Piazza Maggiore, there is a pharmacy that has fragrance ingredients from the past that are now banned, specifically civet and castoreum.

I just joined Nose Paris, which is a website that will do a little cherry picking for you (from their very expensive library) if you take their brief profile test. Bonus: i like to read the site in French (English is an option as well). After the profile is done, you can purchase the 5 sampler kit of the fragrances they suggested for €10 and around €4 shipping.

Nose is Mark Buxton, creator of the Comme des Garçons Incense series and numerous other scents. I wrote above about meeting him at a Fragrance fair in Milan.

r286, I was reading reviews of his eponymous line, and the consensus is that they seem to prefer the ones he creates for other companies. I know fragrance is subjective, but a lot of people seem to have the opinion. What do you think?

[quote] Millesime Imperiale by Creed, and it may be my favorite Creed scent ever. I've never smelled any fragrance that more perfectly realizes the scent of an ocean beach.

R256 or anyone else, hook a bro up with a tester/sample? I have someone special in my life who is obsessed with the sea and is working toward relocating to the coast, and this would be the perfect gift (only I can’t afford the full bottle Rn).

r288 I found it for you for $129.99 on maxaroma (i've checked and it's a legit website):

Never tried any of MB's line, R287.

[quote]It smells like the most luxe cathedral ever built

Dank and damp with old death buried beneath the stone floors and a whiff of incense?

That would be vintage Etro Messe de Minuit; read the reviews on Makeup Alley. Avignon is like an opulent Roman basilica, gleaming with marble and gold.

R289 Holy shit it’s $20 for a couple ml. Isn’t Creed what Frauen buy for their DH?

Fraus don't buy Creed they just buy shit at the local mall

My newest love is Coriandre by Jean Couturier. Classic green, rosy, unisex chypre with a civet drydown that's only slightly less dirty than vintage YSL Kouros.

R295, That was a long-time love of mine. I still have a bottle. It's a very powerful rose-chypre. I think I originally bought a bottle at Marshall's, a very long time ago. I've since replaced it (the old bottle had turned). It takes me back to when I worked for P&G (back in the 80s, and I took the bus to work. I think I annoyed the hell out of the other bus passengers with it. Either way, it's one of those scents that really grabs you; it's not one you can just spritz on and hope to fly under the radar. You almost need shoulder-pads, and a mink stole for that.

Was in Neiman Marcus the other day, first time in a long while, and stumbled across the House of Silage brand, the one with the cupcake bottles. The opposite of cheap and smelled amazing. And lasted a very long time. I want one (and I'm a guy).

Just got my Nose samples from Paris:

HEELEY eau sacrée

TRAIT DE MUSIQUE voix humaine 8

HISTOIRES DE PARFUMS irrévérent

MEMO shams

MEMO tiger's nest

Explosive by Etienne Aigner: spicy, leathery Gothic rose chypre. Very, very similar to the late lamented L'Arte di Gucci but far more affordable.

Ohh the Heely eau Sacrée and the Memo's Tiger's Nest are similar to CDG Avignon. The Heely is a more gentle incense, and the Memo is a little sweeter. Both have better siliages than the CDG.

It's a cologne not a perfume (using the proper meanings of the words) but DR Harris' Windsor is my favourite, not overly expensive, not poncy, no stupidly elaborate bottle design, just a lovely scent.

Just saw the Gucci 'The Alchemist's Garden' range at Rinascente in Rome. The bottles are gorgeous, all porcelain, and the fragrances are lovely.

I've heard Green Irish Tweed makes you smell like you've just been fucking Colin Farrell.

Arabic attar. I thought it was just rose water which I dislike. But turns out there are many woodsy and musky varieties too. Very sexy. Reminds me of Muslim cock I've had.

“Wear the finest perfume money can buy/keeps me smellin’ like a Rose.../you wonder how I do it? There’s one simple rule - I’m just COOL.”

R123 here: I found a NIB sealed bottle of Christian Dior's [italic] Dior Dior[/italic]. I'm wondering whether to sell it, or open it and sample it.

Anyone had experience with this scent?

It's worth a lot more if unopened. I'd get a sample and then decide whether to keep or sell.

In the wake of his death I’m trying to remember how Lagerfeld’s SUN, MOON & STARS in its original formulation smelled.

I recall loving it as a young teen for its cute tangy candyfloss accords, then hating it a few years down the line because I became more gothy and cynical. I’ve read reviews but nothing is chiming with my memories. I’ve lost my old bottle (and that was my favorite thing about it, it was so witchy) but it would have long soured by now anyways.

I used to wear and love Art of Shaving's Sandalwood but it has changed to Sandalwood and Cedarwood and it does nothing for me. Can anyone recommend a sweet Sandalwood scent? Thank you in advance

Floris SANTAL EdT in the blue gilt box, R309.

Thank you 310. I will check it out.

Believe it or not, Kim Kardashian makes really good fragrances. Her original scent is a fresh, realistic gardenia that isn't overpowering. Frequently compared with Michael Kors and Estée Lauder Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia.

Ever since being reliant informed that the perfume Prince (RIP) released smelled like cleaning products and Grandma’s house I have been put off celebrity scents.

My latest love is Replique by Raphael, a vintage chypre that you can find for a song on eBay. I've seen sealed 2-ounce bottles of the extrait for as little as $50. It was Rita Hayworth's favorite fragrance, but like so many classic scents, it's perfectly unisex.

A decade ago, Morgan Fairchild came out with her own scent, Fabulous. I found the pure perfume on eBay for $12 and figured, what the hell. It's gorgeous—a tuberose-gardenia that's really close to Fracas (one of her favorites).

I love the smell of Jasmine. any recommendations?

^ Alien by Thierry Mugler

Lust by Lush Cosmetics

Joy by Jean Patou

CREED Bois du Portugal

Acqua di Parma colonia club

I love Magie Noir by Lancombe. It's heavy but it's beautiful.

Are we speaking of real "parfum" not EDT and EDP?

1000 - Patou

Shalimar

Jicky

Jasmine de Corse - Coty

Maja - Myrurgia

Bandit

My current favorite is Overture Man, one of Amouage's newer scents. I found a good deal on a decant on eBay and it's amazing. Like all Amouages, it's unisex. It has just three official notes -- Cognac, myrrh, and sandalwood -- but smells like it has many more (think tonka, labdanum, honey, and tobacco).

Which scents from Creed is good? I'm thinking of getting it as a xmas gift for a friend. hopefully it's long lasting.

I'm hoping there are some good fragrance sales - stores trying to make up for all the last revenue. I saw a huge table at a pharmacy in Geneva with 1/2 off, but the problem in Switzerland is everything is marked up to the stratosphere to start - Guerlains that are 140 maybe in a US department store retailing at 250 in Geneva. Meanwhile, online discounters have been selling the Guerlains for 80 bucks. Sometimes less. Some cat in deep Switzerland put some great EDPs on a local auction price at 30-40 bucks a bottle, so I bought a few Patou and Lancôme. I'll never be able to use everything I own anyway before I die. And you can't be comprehensive about a fragrance collection because there are 10s of thousands of them. And then vintage. I think 30-60 is a sweet spot for pricing of great scents. I've stumbled on Creeds in charity shops so I'll buy. I won't buy at 300 a bottle. R323 - its very rare for a Creed to be long lasting nowadays. You'd have to find vintage. That brand still produces lovely scents but they have all been reformulated and they are not powerhouses. If you have the cash for Creed and it's not "pricey" for your budget, then by all means offer it. But they really are not "value" for the price. Chanel, Guerlain and Dior's men's scents are cheaper and in many instances better. Choose a crowd pleaser like Vetiver or Allure or Sauvage and buy online for a great price. Unless you know your friend loves Creed.

Bump.

Lots of stores are going out of biz for good so expect more sales. I picked up some scents during the Barneys New York's closing sale...Brands that are never discounted like acqua di parma.

It was fun finding this thread! I got into fragrances during the shutdown and they've really been a godsend for me--as someone posted above, it's aromatherapy, but of the best kind. it is an expensive hobby though, and since you'd go broke buying whole bottles, the wisest thing to do is buy samples--but even they add up (most 2-3 ml. samples are close to $10) after time.

Someone above also mentioned 2 books by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez, and I highly recommend: perfumes, the A-Z Guide, from 2008, and its sequel, Perfumes: The 2018 Guide. Turin is considered the greatest writer about scent in the business (plus he is a trained biophysicist), and he and Sanchez are very smart and very funny. neither of them goes in for that kind of ridiculous talk on Basenotes.com or Frangrantica.com where the reviews have to tell you a long boring life story about someone you don't care about and how they came to wear a fragrance that reminded them of their childhood in South Dakota; they just talk about the fragrances. And one thing I also love is that they call out the ridiculously inflated reputations of many perfume lines. They don't like almost any of the Creed line except Green Irish Tweed, and they openly mock some of its most famous fragrances like Love in White. And they make so much fun of Tom Ford and his ridiculous ego. Yet they're not reverse-snobs either--they will call out mass-produced crap too (they hate sport fragrances).

There are great essays at the beginning that explain the history of perfumery, and there's also a nice glossary at the back to explain some of the really often-used terms that are confusing for most newcomers to the field: chypre, fougere, oriental, drydown, heartnotes, basenotes, etc. Thy have a fascinating set of top ten lists of what they think are the best scents of each genre and for the different genders (Turin's favorite scent of all time is Guerlain's Mitsouko, which he recommends for both men and women, and his favorite scent for men is Chanel Pour Monsieur), and also what are the best bangs for your buck (they love Tommy Girl, of all things) and the best splurges. They are really informative guides.

I used to love Sung, by Alfred Sung, in the ‘80s, but it’s too heady & cloying for me now. I also really liked Santos de Cartier. Lately I’ve been getting by with Gucci Guilty but it’s not my fave.

I should note: two classic perfumes I bought first as samples then as full bottles, because of Turin's and Sanchez's advice, were Habit Rouge edp and Pour un Homme de Caron edt. Both are more than a half-century old, and both are true men's classics... but somehow I had never heard of them. They give them both five stars.

I bought them each on ebay for less than $50 for a 3.3 oz. bottle. They are both just fantastic--I now wear Pour un Homme everyday to the office (the lavender is so creamy and comforting), and Habit Rouge (a fascinating mixture of lemon, rose, geranium, and vanilla)for special occasions.

Does anyone wear Le Labo? In the mid 2010s you could not walk into a Manhattan creative office without smelling every man and woman between the ag4s of 22 and 39 wearing Santal '33. it was so lovely when it started, but then after a while I began to associate it with bicycle messengers

saw an ad for ysl beauty...perfume 25% Off L'Homme fragrances.

anything good from YSL to buy?

YSL Rive Gauche Pour Homme is excellent, r331`, if you like fougeres (woody scents for men that are strong on lavender).

Currently trying to decide what scent Karen Walker & Beverly Leslie (“she organised my imposter fragrances!”) wear. Ideas?

Amouage Gold pour homme. A shout-out here to the Emir of Oman: "Merci!"

R334!!! Habibi Shoshani😂😂

More, more! How about Loretta Castorini? Or the Flax mermaids? Cher has several of her own fragrances, but I’m not sure they suit.

Pheromone by Marilyn Miglin. Fresh, green, and unisex. The vintage formula can be found for a song on eBay.

[quote] Like all Amouages, it's unisex.

Actually only some Amouage fragrances are unisex. The one you listed liking, "Overture Man," is actually marketed to men, which is whyn "Man" is in its title. There is also an "Overture Woman" from Amouage (see link) marketed to women.

Somebody above asked about chypres, which are my own favorite genre of perfume. I have collected tons of them.

I mostly prefer those made prior to 2009 when tons of oakmoss could be used, the most common element of the base of a classic chypre--most chypres today only use hints of oakmoss, or replace it altogether with patchouli (one of the latter that actually is just gorgeous is Chanel's Paris-Deauville--Terre d'Hermes is another fine example of a "new chypre").

There are still a few chypres made today by houses that refuse to follow IFRA compliance and still use lots of oakmoss, and I love them, particularly Chypre-Siam and Flora & Fauna, both made by a small niche house in LA called Rogue Perfumery.

There are also a few chypres that are made that still seem to have plenty of oakmoss in them still but I do not know how they are IFRA compliant: favorites of these include Aramis 900 (a huge bargain, available at less than $35 a bottle), Versace L'Homme (another huge bargain at under 440 a bottle), Eau Sauvage from Dior, Hacivat from Nishane (very expensive, but so worth it--like a subtler and smarter and more elegant version of Aventus), Chypre-Mousse from Oriza Legrand, Cravache by Robert Piguet, Chanel Pour Monsieur, and Cabochard by Grès (technically a woman's fragrance, but easily worn by a man).

I also hunt down some older discontinued chypres and older formulations of chypre (pre-IFRA regulations) on ebay that have plenty of oakmoss. My favorite of them all is a celebrity fragrance (of all things), which is just glorious: Luciano Pavarotti by Pavarotti. It is just incredible, with white honey at the top. I also love the older, pre-2009 versions of: Eau Fraiche by Dior (also technically a woman's scent, but easily worn by a man), Monsieur de Givenchy, Bel-Ami by Hermès, and Kiton by Kiton.

Very expensive chypres I have sampled and loved but cannot yet afford full bottles of (but some day!) include Chypre-Palatin by MDCI Parfums, Diaghilev by Roja Parfums, and Dryad by Papillon Artisan Perfumes.

*Sorry, "Versace L'Homme (another huge bargain at under 440 a bottle)," should have read instead, "Versace L'Homme (another huge bargain at under $40 a bottle),"

BUMP

doesn't the scent change after a long time?

r341, it depends on how you store the scent, and which ingredients are in it.

You need to keep scent in a cool and dry dark place with the cap firmly in place. Citrus notes tend to decay faster than spicy notes.

I love good old White Shoulders. It came out in 1949. The cologne is a better buy than the perfume and smells just as good. Oddly enough I came across an old can of Renuzit "Fresh Cut Flowers" bathroom spray in the cupboard. It smells exactly the same.

Acqua di parma has flooded European online discount stores with "tester bottles". that come with caps and no tester engraved in the glass. Several of their colognes become quite lovable when they are only 40 bucks a 100ml bottle.

R344, where?

I once scored Chanel tester bottles (brand new) when a dept store was going out of biz They look just like the new bottles except for packaging.

Dior EAU FRAÎCHE from the 50s, the newest bottle, newest formation. A unisexe chypre - so easy to wear.

Some of the newest Chanel bottles smell weak but if you spray them every month or so, they smell much better after a year. No. 19 EDT, No. 5 EDT, Monsieur, etc.

Amouage labels their scents as "Man" or "Woman," but most really are unisex. Gold Man and Gold Woman, for example, are both heavy animalic florals that smell very similar to me (although Gold Man has a more pronounced civet note). Likewise, Lyric, Epic, Fate, Memoir, and Interlude can easily be worn by men or women in their respective versions. The Library Collection is specifically marketed as unisex.

The only ones I wouldn't wear as a guy are Lilac Love and Love Tuberose.

R347, I recently bought this too and so good for the summer

Looking for an updated winter scent—something that feels forward-thinking, optimistic, vibrant and encouraging in these dark days, but also that gives a ferocious ‘bring it on’ baring of teeth to the coming challenges. Recently I have been too apathetic and dull and passive about everything, including my scents, and that needs to change.

For the last few years I’ve worn and loved DZING!, LA FIN DU MONDE, and FLORIS SANTAL, so as you can tell my taste leans offbeat but also rich and niche. I like a masc/unisex though I’m female, but I’m feeling a little more femme-of-center lately. Love to get any recommendations.