Perfume and fragrance chat

[Ninon42]

Thoughts on Joop! Homme? I recently borrowed my parent's very old bottle just to try it out and I don't hate it, I don't just tolerate, I LOVE it. Instant favourite. I really cannot understand the hate for it, other than the fact that it's very strong and I can imagine a lot of assholes overspraying it. Maybe it's just how it smells on my skin - it's spicy, sweet, but not overbearingly girly sweet, unnatural, sexy and androgynous. Fits someone who is simultaneously flamboyant and messy, slobby even. I went out in it a couple times but I don't dare go anywhere with it where people are forced to be close to me in fear of committing olfactory terrorism.

Also I ordered a million tiny samples from Zoologist, Imaginary Authors, Comme des Garçons and something else I can't remember the name of. Super excited, especially about Odeur 53 and Snowy Owl.

Joop is a cult favorite in the frag community, no shame in that. Better than bathing in oud and reeking of animal shit all day. Looking forward to your sample review!

 

[orangecat]

Last year I gave scented faux flowers to my dementia clients and it was a big hit. Does anyone have recommendations for egregiously Christmas-y fragrences of any price point lol? Anything show-stopping, anything fun. Last year I borrowed from a friend's crafty grandmother LOL, and I don't recall what it was, just that it smelled super strongly like sugar cookies.

Eilish 1, Angel's Share, and Whiff of a Waffle Cone all feel Chrismassy to me.

 

[missnaptime]

i love, love love love,,, loewe's 'mayrit'. pricey as hell, but it smells so beautiful. i love anything citrussy and warm, i love smelling like sunshine and lemons.

 

[Mob Boss Barbie]

Last year I gave scented faux flowers to my dementia clients and it was a big hit. Does anyone have recommendations for egregiously Christmas-y fragrences of any price point lol? Anything show-stopping, anything fun. Last year I borrowed from a friend's crafty grandmother LOL, and I don't recall what it was, just that it smelled super strongly like sugar cookies.

I'll throw Dusita "La Rhapsodie Noire" onto the list. It's a coffee/rum gourmand that smells more like fresh cinnamon buns and tonka.

 

[KokoroMcCoco]

So glad I found this thread so my friends can be relieved from my perfume sperging.

How do we feel about Penhaligon’s in here? Discovered them a couple years ago and now I don’t think I’d be able to do without them-their Bluebell scent is my usual go to for daily life but I’ve also found myself obsessed with their Balm Of Calm and Legacy Of Petra perfumes lately.

 

[Deezy]

Does anybody here like Sol De Janeiro and if so, what's your favourite scent?

I really like no. 68 and 62.

YES. I am admittedly not much of a perfume gal—I feel like I’ve never quite figured out what sort of scents work with my body chemistry, and I can’t justify spending $$$ trying them out if I’m not going to use them. I was given a bottle of 62 for my birthday, though, and it’s the perfect scent that smells lovely to me all year long.

I haven’t tried any other SJ scents yet, but I’ve been eyeing 39 and 71 because I really like coconut

 

[Ninon42]

How do we feel about Penhaligon’s in here?

I really like Changing Constance and the discontinued Lily & Spice, but am thoroughly meh on the other few samples from them I have tried (Amaranthine, Luna, Orange Blossom, The Tragedy of Lord George). Great packaging though. I'm certainly open to exploring more of their line.

 

[FarmerKhourtney]

Lord of Misrule by Lush is my absolute favorite.
Calamity Jane by Outlaw Cologne smells amazing
And my cheapie is Pacifica Dream Moon (from Target lol!) it can be a bit overpowering if you spray too much. I love fragrance but just can’t shell out during this heckin economy

 

[KokoroMcCoco]

Lord of Misrule by Lush is my absolute favorite.
Calamity Jane by Outlaw Cologne smells amazing
And my cheapie is Pacifica Dream Moon (from Target lol!) it can be a bit overpowering if you spray too much. I love fragrance but just can’t shell out during this heckin economy

Oh I love Lord of Misrule! Turmeric latte is my all time favourite from Lush though,

It smells heavenly and I’ve been using it near daily.

New Romantics is another favourite of mine from Lush.

 

[Big Miss Steak]

Ordered some (very, very small) Tom Ford decants and excited to give them a sniff; they arrived the other day but I haven't cracked into them yet:

• Vanilla Fatale
• Velvet Orchid
• Rose Prick
• Black Orchid EDP
• Bitter Peach
• Cafe Rose

 

[Mob Boss Barbie]

How do we feel about Penhaligon’s in here?

I think they're a house that doesn't do anything interesting or groundbreaking, but makes pleasant, inoffensive perfumes that are perfectly fine and acceptable for everyday wear. A little on the pricy for a mainstream house owned by Puig.

I own The Revenge of Lady Blanche, which is stuffy and a little "old" for me but I like the powderiness of the white floral. I was on the hunt for a rose perfume a while ago and tried three of theirs (Duchess Rose, Elizabethan Rose, and some new thing, might have been Vra Vra Vroom?) and I was...sorely disappointed by all three. I wanted to like Duchess Rose but it didn't last long and kept fading in and out. Vra Vra Vroom was just weird, and Elizabethan Rose wasn't what I was looking for.

Semi-related to roses, but I'm not loving this new "organic/naturals" trend. What you end up with is an EdP that doesn't last more than a few hours and projects as a skin scent at best. I'm not paying $200+ for something that hides meekly under my sleeves after an hour or two. I've not been so disappointed with a scent as Rose Struck by Liis. It's beautiful, it's green, it's delicate and thorny and sharp, but disappears after two hours on my skin.

Ordered some (very, very small) Tom Ford decants and excited to give them a sniff; they arrived the other day but I haven't cracked into them yet:

I am so curious to know if TF's longevity is actually as bad as reported, or if redditors just seethe about it to feel better about not being able to afford full bottles.

 

[orangecat]

Semi-related to roses, but I'm not loving this new "organic/naturals" trend. What you end up with is an EdP that doesn't last more than a few hours and projects as a skin scent at best. I'm not paying $200+ for something that hides meekly under my sleeves after an hour or two. I've not been so disappointed with a scent as Rose Struck by Liis. It's beautiful, it's green, it's delicate and thorny and sharp, but disappears after two hours on my skin.

I agree. It's a total waste of money to buy something that doesn't last at least 6 hours (unless it's super cheap).

 

[shrimping]

My samples arrived and I tried a few of them (I was curious about trying more woodsy sutff), but, on me, everything with a pine or juniper note dries down to a smell that I can only describe as candy throw up. I'll keep them for a while, try later or just spray them on my hair/clothes.

Spoiler: List of shit I've bought

Zoologist: Bee, Snowy Owl, Harvest Mouse
Imaginary Authors: Cape Heartache, The Language of Glaciers, Every Storm a Serenade, In Love With Everything, Yesterday Haze
Comme des Garcons: Odeur 53, Scent one: Hinoki, Blue Santal, Black, Comme des Garcons 2
Anka Kuş Parfüm: Vétivérité, Los Vientos de Santa Ana

I tried Odeur 53 immediately and this thing did not disappoint. Smells EXACTLY like sterilized syringes and alcohol wipes. I used to get allergy shots very often and this took me right back. This opening is very short lived, though. After that you get a pile of clean laundry, something vaguely large office-like. Perfectly wearable imo. Super clean and slightly sweet. Sadly, after about an hour the sillage is absolutely pitiful, but it stayed on my skin for some 8 hours.

 

[Big Miss Steak]

I am so curious to know if TF's longevity is actually as bad as reported, or if redditors just seethe about it to feel better about not being able to afford full bottles.

I am far from a fragrance expert but I have heard it said that when it comes to complexity of fragrance, you often have to sacrifice longevity. idk if this is true or not but it sounds vaguely logical/

I gave my samples both a quick sniff in the bottle and a small dab on my skin that I sniffed a few mins later. Then I had to go somewhere so I showered. So can't report on longevity yet.

• Vanilla Fatale - boozy, smoky vanilla; not bad but nothing special for me; smoke/leather notes do make this vaguely unisex for the adventurous man to layer
• Velvet Orchid - powdery floral, vampy which I like but a bit too mature for me to wear I think; may layer
• Rose Prick - I am devastated to report that I love it; strong bold rose with a spiciness to it
• Black Orchid EDP - way more masculine than I expected and kinda cloying when it dries down
• Bitter Peach - juicy and warm but nothing special
• Cafe Rose - a drier, woodier rose than Rose Prick; personally cannot detect any coffee but will try it again

My samples arrived and I tried a few of them (I was curious about trying more woodsy sutff), but, on me, everything with a pine or juniper note dries down to a smell that I can only describe as candy throw up. I'll keep them for a while, try later or just spray them on my hair/clothes.

I have heard it said that diet can affect how well fragrances last and how they smell when they dry down. Idk if true.

 

[shrimping]

I have heard it said that diet can affect how well fragrances last and how they smell when they dry down. Idk if true.

Sounds like it makes sense. I do have to have a somewhat strict diet so I'm not exactly surprised that some notes turn weird on me.

Spoiler: More samples

Cape Heartache (Imaginary Authors)
Smells like if I rolled around in pine needles. The strawberry is very synthetic, but subtle enough for it not to cross into cheap candle territory. Still a bit too much for me, thankfully it only lasts about 40 minutes... and then suddenly reappears 4 hours later. Not sure how that happened. Unfortunately I'm getting the vomit sugar pine dry down thing. It's alright. Moderate in both longevity and sillage.

Hinoki (Comme des Garcons)
There's a shop for hippie millennials in my town, they sells cheap chinese oriental-esque new age stuff, incense, and crappy hiking gear lol, and this reminds me of that. Damp coniferous forest on a very crisp morning. This is much more cold and fresh compared to Cape Heartache. Kind of antiseptic, I like it. Very poor longevity on the green notes though, dries down into the same weird pukey sweetness (again, it's breaking my heart), is somewhat redeemed by the strong vetiver. Sillage is ok, lasts a pretty good while.

Bee (Zoologist)
Least perfume-y smelling perfume I've ever smelled. Just honey, with a hint of flowers in the opening. It's also the most realistic honey note I've ever got to smell, and what that means is that it's almost nauseatingly sweet. Smells like a sugary tomb. It lasts a good while, but the sillage is pretty modest (GOOD). I can see it being used for layering, but it ain't for me. Still impressive though.

Black (Comme des Garcons)
Very green, spicy herbal opening. Not medicinal though. Weirdly clean and otherworldly, almost metallic. Super interesting combination of smoky incense and red pepper - neither feels overpowering. Strong thyme note. Feels almost dusty, antique...? Doesn't do anything funky on the dry down. Turns into simple wood, tea and violet. I love this one! Sadly it's pretty weak on both sillage and longevity.

 

[Big Miss Steak]

I am so curious to know if TF's longevity is actually as bad as reported, or if redditors just seethe about it to feel better about not being able to afford full bottles.

I had to press my nose to my skin to detect Cafe Rose after about 4 hours, but bear in mind the samples I have are in super tiny vials that have to be applied with a plastic stick thing, and can't be sprayed. I only wear fragrances for special events so this isn't a dealbreaker for me.

 

[Mob Boss Barbie]

I am far from a fragrance expert but I have heard it said that when it comes to complexity of fragrance, you often have to sacrifice longevity. idk if this is true or not but it sounds vaguely logical

I've not heard this before and to me it seems too vague of a statement to verify. Complexity could refer to composition, molecular structure, number of aromatic compounds, etc. This would be untrue in regards to molecular complexity but potentially true if the perfume has a "complex" opening that dries into a boring base, since top notes are less stable molecules that fade more quickly.

Sounds like it makes sense. I do have to have a somewhat strict diet so I'm not exactly surprised that some notes turn weird on me.

Diet plays a role, but so does time of day, if you've showered recently, the season, hormonal cycles and levels, and your general skin chemistry. Some things just don't smell good on some people. Shot in the dark, but I'm wondering if terebenthine could be the root of your misery. It's a general "distilled trees" aromatic compound present in the CDG Hinoki. IA doesn't like to list their actual notes for artistic reasons, so there's a nonzero chance it could be in that as well. It is not in CDG Black.

Zoologist's Macaque Yuzu has hinoki without pine if you're still looking for a woody smell. And Scents of Wood is a niche house whose whole shtick is wood scents.

I had to press my nose to my skin to detect Cafe Rose after about 4 hours, but bear in mind the samples I have are in super tiny vials that have to be applied with a plastic stick thing, and can't be sprayed

Ah, yeah, those are the worst. You lose a lot of the top notes and silage without an atomizer, I can never judge the plastic stick samples well. How did you like it, though?

 

[Big Miss Steak]

Ah, yeah, those are the worst. You lose a lot of the top notes and silage without an atomizer, I can never judge the plastic stick samples well. How did you like it, though?

I liked it a lot, gonna wear it a few more times before I decide if I want to spring for a larger decant.

 

[one_time_user]

I have a bunch of Tom Ford perfumes and I find that they actually last on my person longer than many other fragrances. Especially the Peach and Rose.

 

[KokoroMcCoco]

The husband came back from work last night with a new Lush perfume for me, one called Chelsea Morning that I’d never tried before and it’s absolutely heavenly. Smells the same as the Sticky Dates shower gel, syrupy and sweet with a vague hint of chocolate and I adore it. Might become a daily wear for me.