Perfume and fragrance chat

[shinto minto]

My scents came in and I'm very excited to try them out! I am a little confused though, how I'm supposed use these little bottles (0.5ml) that don't come with a sprayer?

 

[Ninon42]

My scents came in and I'm very excited to try them out! I am a little confused though, how I'm supposed use these little bottles (0.5ml) that don't come with a sprayer?

Just swipe a bit on your wrist/hand with the cap wand or dab the vial on your skin. Let them sit for a few hours to see how they evolve on your skin.

 

[Bloitzhole]

I don't do dupes/clones of anything. I know that's probably stupid but I don't like chancing it. plus, prices will keep my addiction in check!

Understandable - I rather enjoy "Armaf" as a brand because while their fragrances are very clearly aiming at evoking an existing and well established player to the point where some might buy them for the sake of getting scent X at a lower price, they usually mix it up sufficiently to give them a distinct identity of their own. I have a colleague who owns "Odysee", which very much smells something along the lines of Spicebomb and Tom Ford Noir Extreme but I enjoy it more than either.

Hermes Eau de Gentiane Blanc [...] They no longer make it so my bottle is precious.

I have found that with Hermes, a fragrance sometimes seems to go out of production - seemingly discontinued - only to pop back on the market a year or two later (jardin en mediterranee was rumored to be discontinued about 3 years ago and is available everywhere now) - I believe this might be the case here, as it appears to be available (at least where I live). Maybe check if that is also the case wherever you happen to be. I mention this not because I want to diminish its exclusivity to you, but because sometimes we use a scent less than we might because we think we won't be able to restock.
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I picked up a bottle of Encre Noire A L'Extreme on a whim because a fella in my neighborhood sold it (I live in a city that has a rather strong perfume-trading community). It's much more wearable than the original Encre Noir, all the harsh notes that can be a bit off-putting are a bit more subdued. It reminds me of a darker, more incense-heavy "Terre d'Hermes".

If you're a guy who is disinclined towards both Aventus and L'homme Ideale (The former reminds me of pineapple compost and the latter evokes a mental image of a banker with erectile dysfunction. please don't lynch me, everyone's nose is different), this might be worth a blind buy - though I would not ever put on more than a single spray, it's impressively strong.

 

[EllenDrawsRapeOfHerHaters]

Not a fragrance, but it's related. Has anyone else tried crystal/Thai deodorant? It uses Potasium alum salt instead of out and out aluminum. It kills the bacteria that causes BO so you'll just smell like yourself. Fuck Cobes' pheromone deodorant, this is the real sex stick. Jokes aside, it rules. The only downside for the ladies is that if you use a manual razor it will sting too much (salt based) so you have to skin-shave with a oneblade. For guys it's perfect. Won't fuck up your applied scent with Old Spice undertones. Oh, and it's best applied fresh out of the shower since it's (again) salt, so you need something to get it onto your skin with. I haven't been through a full stick yet but it's literally a salt rock so I assume it lasts longer than regular deodorant.
Word of caution, if you wear aluminum deodorant every day you'll smell like shit for about a week while your pores release all the bacteria in there. Afterwords tho? Pure eau de human.

To keep it fully on topic I use Montblanc Legend Spirit & Dunhill Icon Racing for a daytime and Tom Ford Ombre Leather for an event/date night. The Montblanc clears the Dunhill any day of the week but I like to mix it up, and the Tom Ford smells glorious in general but it's too small of a bottle and too sexed up for a daily. Any other recs that may beat those for a guy?

How does it stick to your skin if it's just salt? How do you know when you're done applying?

 

[oishii desu]

Would anyone be able to recommend a strong jasmine forward perfume? I was originally recommended Chasing Scents' Tea Service, which I bought a sample of and am relatively disappointed by. When I spray it it is exactly what I want, but it lasts 15 seconds and gives way to a strong peach and goji berry that just comes across as spoiled fruit in honey to me.

I'm looking for something that smells as if you opened a canister of loose leaf jasmine tea and stuck your nose in it, to give an idea of what I mean.

 

[Ninon42]

Would anyone be able to recommend a strong jasmine forward perfume? I was originally recommended Chasing Scents' Tea Service, which I bought a sample of and am relatively disappointed by. When I spray it it is exactly what I want, but it lasts 15 seconds and gives way to a strong peach and goji berry that just comes across as spoiled fruit in honey to me.

I'm looking for something that smells as if you opened a canister of loose leaf jasmine tea and stuck your nose in it, to give an idea of what I mean.

Pure jasmine 'Grand Cru' essential oil would give the most bang for your buck.

 

[Klaptrap]

How does it stick to your skin if it's just salt? How do you know when you're done applying?

A bit of water does the trick, that's why it's best applied right out of the shower.
You kind of don't? I just rub it all over my pits and call it good. It seems to work.

I'm going to try @Super Guido 's way and order some of the spray on. I use this one rn (CRYSTAL) but I trust that the Thai Crystal brand works great too.

 

[Barbarella]

My scents came in and I'm very excited to try them out! I am a little confused though, how I'm supposed use these little bottles (0.5ml) that don't come with a sprayer?

You bought a lot of (great) samples but said you were going to go through them in a day or two. I don’t recommend that.

Find a glass dauber if you can and dab it on your wrists and neck and let it sit. If you don’t hate it, reapply and let scents develop over a day. Then next day, try the next one. Some will smell great on you, a few will be scrubbers, some you’ll be neutral about and some you’ll get compliments on. Narrow it down that way.

If you can’t find a dauber it’s ok to just put on wrists from the bottle but the fragrance left will mix with skin and subtly change. Another suggestion might be to find a small sprayer bottle and use a perfume funnel to pour it in and spray that way. Those a cheap on Amazon.

But you don’t have to be fussy about it, just put on wrists and see what you like. Just don’t try them on you all at once.

Let us know what you like!

@oishii desu

A jasmine fragrance I’ve heard good things about but don’t have is Dior Jasmin des Anges. It’s kind of expensive so get a sample. (I also recommend Surrender to Chance) Also, one I have tried is Jadore l’Or; also Dior, but the original Jadore was so popular that flankers are probably in department stores and you can try it that way.

Also, I can’t leave without saying the grandmother of parfum Joy by Jean Patou is a jasmine rose fragrance. The original was very, very beautiful. The reformulation sold today may not be. The history of this fragrance is interesting and it was once called “the most expensive perfume in the world” and was a true luxury item. That and Chanel 5 were what the movie stars of yore said they wore. Sadly, Dior took over the Joy name when Patou went under for an unrelated frag and I have no clue what the old Joy made today even is. This is one you should look for in thrift stores and estate sales. Sometimes perfume doesn’t turn and you can have a lovely treat. You may be able to find a sample from years ago but it won’t be cheap.

 

[Super Guido]

Would anyone be able to recommend a strong jasmine forward perfume? I was originally recommended Chasing Scents' Tea Service, which I bought a sample of and am relatively disappointed by. When I spray it it is exactly what I want, but it lasts 15 seconds and gives way to a strong peach and goji berry that just comes across as spoiled fruit in honey to me.

I'm looking for something that smells as if you opened a canister of loose leaf jasmine tea and stuck your nose in it, to give an idea of what I mean.

There's a dupe for By Kilian's Imperial Tea from Perfume Parlour that smells like bang-on yin hao jasmine green tea. I think they currently call it Empire Coffee. It's pretty linear as an oil, but if you don't want it changing to something else, that one's pretty damn good.

ETA: Aw fuck, they're sold out on Perfume Parlour. I guess you could see if you can get a sample of the real deal elsewhere, then.

 

[Ninon42]

Christmas time is always Hermes Elixir des Merveleilles. Comforting cozy orange.

Love this one. It's one of the few amber-forward scents that I like, mostly because of how well balanced it is with the citrus. Ellena may be a bit safe (and perhaps "boring" compared to more bombastic perfumers) but the man rarely missed for a pleasant, wearable fragrance. His Eau d'Hiver for Frederic Malle is one of my favorite subtle, work appropriate scents for shoulder seasons.

My most complimented scent is Serge Lutens Arabie, followed by Hiram Green Slowdive. Arabie is gorgeous blend of spice and fruit that very occasionally pulls more like curry on me. The first time I tried it I got curry and didn't care for it, but was encouraged to give it a second try and it became one of my favorites that I own in a full bottle. Slowdive is the BEST spiced honey perfume on the market, lacking Zoologist Bee's powdery note and instead is thick, heavy and sensual. It can however tend cloying and tobacco-forward in hot weather.

 

[Super Guido]

A bit of water does the trick, that's why it's best applied right out of the shower.
You kind of don't? I just rub it all over my pits and call it good. It seems to work.

I'm going to try @Super Guido 's way and order some of the spray on. I use this one rn (CRYSTAL) but I trust that the Thai Crystal brand works great too.

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Incidentally, that's the brand of roll-on alum anti-perspirant (idr the stone brand I used) that didn't work on my pits. I wonder what the formulation difference is between Thai Crystal and that one...

Love this one. It's one of the few amber-forward scents that I like, mostly because of how well balanced it is with the citrus. Ellena may be a bit safe (and perhaps "boring" compared to more bombastic perfumers) but the man rarely missed for a pleasant, wearable fragrance. His Eau d'Hiver for Frederic Malle is one of my favorite subtle, work appropriate scents for shoulder seasons.

My most complimented scent is Serge Lutens Arabie, followed by Hiram Green Slowdive. Arabie is gorgeous blend of spice and fruit that very occasionally pulls more like curry on me. The first time I tried it I got curry and didn't care for it, but was encouraged to give it a second try and it became one of my favorites that I own in a full bottle. Slowdive is the BEST spiced honey perfume on the market, lacking Zoologist Bee's powdery note and instead is thick, heavy and sensual. It can however tend cloying and tobacco-forward in hot weather.

I remember Slowdive being fantastic. I haven't tried it in a while, but I wanna try it again.

 

[StarkRavingMad]

Would anyone be able to recommend a strong jasmine forward perfume? I was originally recommended Chasing Scents' Tea Service, which I bought a sample of and am relatively disappointed by. When I spray it it is exactly what I want, but it lasts 15 seconds and gives way to a strong peach and goji berry that just comes across as spoiled fruit in honey to me.

I'm looking for something that smells as if you opened a canister of loose leaf jasmine tea and stuck your nose in it, to give an idea of what I mean.

If you want to get literal with what you want in a perfume, then ...

Check out www.demeterfragrance.com

They make a ton of accurate-smelling colognes, and a lot of them are meant for you to mix and match (for instance, you can get the jasmine cologne along with the earl grey tea cologne and layer them to get that "jasmine tea" scent you described).

Just keep in mind that these are colognes, so they don't have the strongest longevity ... But they are affordable, and a lot of the ones I've tried smell uncanny to the things they are named after.

 

[Chromeo]

Barely relevant, but I wore vanilla body spray to a butterfly museum and a butterfly refused to get off of me. So if you want to attract butterflies, wear vanilla.

 

[Stuckinatoaster]

Anyone who doesn't like Poison on Fragrantica gets downvoted to the point where their comment disappears. I stopped paying attention to their opinions because of that, tbh.

Yeah I've heard that complaint about Play-Doh with Hypnotic. I can't remember if I liked it or was neutral on it, but I liked Pure Poison. Nowadays I mostly buy indies and niches, though.


Suc is absolutely overpriced for the quality. They've had possible sanitation issues in the past, iirc; like letting the cat near the perfume ingredients and the notes the owner takes, so you could be getting cat hair in your perfumes.

IMO you'd be better off with a brand like Sorcereille (probably spelled that wrong), Damask Haus, or Astrid for those kinds of things. I like Nocturne Alchemy's vanillas, but it takes a while to figure out what everything smells like.

If you're specifically looking for perfume sprayers and not oils, you could try something from Fantome.

I think I like the first one a bit! I'll look into them. Do you happen to have any other spooky inspired perfume that you could recommend? I personally enjoy anything with a good smell and a spooky name to it.

 

[Super Guido]

I think I like the first one a bit! I'll look into them. Do you happen to have any other spooky inspired perfume that you could recommend? I personally enjoy anything with a good smell and a spooky name to it.

It's not really my aesthetic, so I can't say. A lot of people like Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab's Snake Oil. I personally don't care for it, but most BPALs don't work for me to begin with.

ETA: BPAL has 10-year aged Snake oil on their website right now. Aged Snake Oil is pretty sought-after, and it gets pretty expensive for how little you get. I bought one to see if the hype is justified and will tell you if it sucks or not once I get it. It should be easy enough to sell if I don't care for it.

 

[shinto minto]

If you don’t hate it, reapply and let scents develop over a day. Then next day, try the next one.

I gave it a thought and I think you're right. I'm going to try a new scent every day for the next while and see what I like. Since they came in I've smelt a few small ones on those perfume strip things but that's not the same as it will be on my skin.

Today was Zoologist Bee.​

I immediately spilled the little bottle it came in all over my desk. I'm going to be much more careful with the next ones. Luckily I think it smells really nice.
Honey, bitter, graphite, incense, muted floral(?), wax-y (like a crayon). I can't smell the ginger that reviewers do. It's lasted a few hours now and I have no fears that it will last all evening.
More of a cold weather scent, more of an evening scent. GF says my nose isn't as sensitive as hers and she thinks I used way too much. I definitely didn't need (or want) to use as much as I did but it's not too overpowering. GF likes it. Definitely more of a masculine scent I think.

Tomorrow will be Le Labo Santal 33. I promise to be more careful with the little bottle this time.

 

[StarkRavingMad]

So this thread kind of influenced me to re-subscribe to Scentbird, because it turns out they have two perfumes available that I have been wanting to try for a really long time:

1. Intense Cafe by Montale, which is supposed to be a rose and coffee scent. Lots of rose enthusiasts like myself seem to love this one so it's been on my radar for a while. Seems unique for a rose perfume, but it also doesn't sound like a safe buy if I got a full sized bottle.

2. Roses Vanille by Mancera Paris, which is another one I have heard a lot of buzz about among rose enthusiasts.

I also finally dipped my toes in finding dupes of long-discontinued fragrances. I keep hearing about The Dua Brand and how they make affordable spot-on dupes of niche expensive fragrances as well as beloved discontinued fragrances. I ordered a bottle of a supposed dupe of the 2005 Miss Dior Cherie perfume. I adored Miss Dior Cherie back in my 20's, and Dior has had a reputation of reformulating Miss Dior Cherie over and over and over again (so if you find a version that you like, don't get too attached, because it's bound to change entirely in a matter of a few years).

Miss Dior Cherie 2005 is an adorable and girly perfume, and I just have the itch to go down memory lane, haha. It's a really interesting mix of sweet fruit notes (especially strawberry), rose, caramel, popcorn (yes ... popcorn), musk, patchouli, and amber. I imagine that this is what the merry-go-round from Mary Poppins smelled like; just adorable. It was a go-to date night perfume for me back in the day. If the Dua Brand dupe smells exactly like it, then I'm going to check out more dupes they have to offer (Their Mugler Alien Essence Absolue dupe is on my radar now-- best damn fragrance Mugler ever made by far and it's been long since discontinued, gah!).

 

[crazedaze]

A long time ago I bought dozens of little 1 ml decants during a moment of autism (and promptly lost interest for the next decade), but this thread inspired me to pull them out again. Thanks op
Mitsouko by Guerlain: I'm just not a chypre person, the description of "old ladyish" on fragrantica nailed it. Didn't hate it but don't really like either.
Lolita Lempicka is always a pleasure though, and eau de minuit 2013 has not disappointed me today. Gorgeous.
Escada cherry in the air is a go to summer scent for me, woodsy fruity ggoodness. LE though.
I once had a decant of laboratorio olfattivo's Nerotic that i finished, it's described thusly: "hypnotic, sensual, erotic, nerotic... a charming and addictive perfume".... I miss that decant and think about it fondly as I would a cherished old lover. I never purchase fragrances but might just splurge for this one someday soon...

 

[shinto minto]

Today was Zoologist Bee.

The bitter carbon scent eventually went away and left a waxy honey. Smelled very nice.

​

Today was Le Labo Santal 33​

Immediate coconut note that quickly fades into... nothing? Celery? I honestly can't really tell. Smells sorta like summer beach air. Boring but pleasant. Not super strong, but in a "not distracting" way. GF says it smells like "public bathroom air freshener." She assures me it's not too bad. Worse than Zoologist Bee, but not worth scrubbing off.
Lasted several hours but was fairly faint almost immediately.

I think tomorrow might be another weird one, maybe MMMReplica Whispers in the Library or Diptyque Philosykos EDT.

Spoiler: Current Rankings

1. Zoologist Bee
2. LeLabo Santal 33

As a side note, I feel like I'm missing the vocabulary to talk about what I'm smelling. Is there an appendix anywhere for stuff like this? I don't want to check Fragrantica when reviewing because that feels like cheating.

 

[Barbarella]

Unfortunately, Santal 33 is one that does very poorly without a sprayer. Not sure why but I had samples and it was a scrubber. Smelled like dill pickles. Somebody gave me a 15 ml bottle and it is gorgeous. Entirely different, now I get the hype. (And bought Another 31, which I have on right now, and Lavande, which I also love. Le Lebo is my new favorite house.)

I’m not sure why Santal 33 behaves that way but I tried several samples, all daubers and ick every time. It was the sprayer that made the difference in my world.

You don’t need language. It’s helpful to know the notes of the fragrances you buy, and they are on the ad or Fragrantica. After that, it’s all what you smell. It’s a very individual experience.

I always wanted to try the famous 2005 Miss Cherie! Let me know if the scent is the same and I’ll buy one too. @StarkRavingMad