Perfume and fragrance chat

[Luna hates niggers]

Would anybody know about perfumes similar to Rabbit by Zoologist and Lady million by Rabanne? I'm a really huge fan of both and have been considering buying something new but similar.

 

[orangecat]

I hate Angel and Black Orchid

I think it's the patchouli in Angel that I detest (I liked Angel Nova well enough). I also hate Black Opium. Tried three of those now and every one of them was gross.

 

[Unhindered Clown]

I have a love-hate relationship with Angel. each time I try it, my opinion changes. Sometimes it smells perfectly to my tastes, other times the honey note smells too honey-like on me or the patchouli is too overt. Supposedly the lotion for Angel smells better than the EDP I've read?

Flowerbomb by Tigerlily was pleasant but after about 2 hours of wear on my sternum (where I usually dot a rollerball to not assault my own nose with fragrance), I was getting a headache-mild nausea combo and couldn't wash it off. It was stuck to me for the rest of the night and also stuck to the sweatshirt I wore over it, but thankfully it washed out. I noticed I really don't like perfumes with what I believe is Jasmine because for some reason I always pick up a "used bathroom masked by potpourri/super cheap PINK perfume" kind of smell after a short while. I don't want to be so crass as to call it a "fecal note" but it ruins my ability to like perfumes with that certain ingredient.

 

[Ninon42]

I noticed I really don't like perfumes with what I believe is Jasmine because for some reason I always pick up a "used bathroom masked by potpourri/super cheap PINK perfume" kind of smell after a short while. I don't want to be so crass as to call it a "fecal note" but it ruins my ability to like perfumes with that certain ingredient.

We call that an indolic note lol. Common in ouds and animalic men's frags, and can indeed smell like shit. An example is Zoologist Hyrax.

 

[StarkRavingMad]

Rate me a log, but I hate Angel and Black Orchid so much. Especially Angel. It smells disgusting and suffocating. Black Orchid smells like a roach spray.

Angel is just too much. If Angel were a television series, it would be Dynasty. Total drama in a bottle. I'm definitely more of an Alien girl. Angel Muse, though, was great ... And I have no idea why it was discontinued.

And yes, Black Orchid is straight up nasty. It smells like a bag of cheese doodles to me. The popularity of that perfume has died down, but I remember smelling it in the store at the height of its hype, and it literally made me cough. It's gross.

 

[alpro whore]

I have a love-hate relationship with Angel. each time I try it, my opinion changes. Sometimes it smells perfectly to my tastes, other times the honey note smells too honey-like on me or the patchouli is too overt. Supposedly the lotion for Angel smells better than the EDP I've read?

Flowerbomb by Tigerlily was pleasant but after about 2 hours of wear on my sternum (where I usually dot a rollerball to not assault my own nose with fragrance), I was getting a headache-mild nausea combo and couldn't wash it off. It was stuck to me for the rest of the night and also stuck to the sweatshirt I wore over it, but thankfully it washed out. I noticed I really don't like perfumes with what I believe is Jasmine because for some reason I always pick up a "used bathroom masked by potpourri/super cheap PINK perfume" kind of smell after a short while. I don't want to be so crass as to call it a "fecal note" but it ruins my ability to like perfumes with that certain ingredient.

my mum hated jasmine for that reason - she was a one-perfume-at-a-time woman but loved candles and diffusers, and anything that claimed to have jasmine in it wasn't allowed through the doors. i love angel though; it's very chocolatey on my skin without being super edible, which i don't like. i've heard the EDT is less polarizing but haven't smelt it myself as the EDP is already firmly to my personal taste.

i got sent a freebie sample which i passed over to my other half as it had a similar scent profile to his beloved Megamare - Wad, by Van De Zotte. Dutch company and i'd never heard of them but Wad is one of the best things I have smelt. it has this gorgeous, fresh, salty seaweed opening - a really bright, aquatic smell - and underneath this fresh, gritty smokiness starts coming through. the notes are Sisal Rope, Sand, Salt, Seaweed, Pine, Ambergris and Nutmeg, and all of that comes across and comes together into a really fucking nice fragrance. Couldn't stop smelling him and I kind of want it for myself now, even though it's a far cry from my usual tastes. I think it's also about £65 or so for a bottle, which is an incredible price for how nice the juice his.

Stercus by Orto Parisi was kind of horrific though, a strong rose + oud combo that is really, really barnyard-like. I can smell other... stuff going on, but it's overpowered. he thought it was nice though!

 

[Ninon42]

Good jasmines are hard to find, but my favorite is Sarrasins by Serge Lutens. It's dark and dirty with amazing dark purple juice.

Thierry Mugler has nothing that I have ever found worth wearing, though I would do highly questionable things to get ahold of the series he did in connection with the movie Perfume (based on the Suskind book).
Did anyone else try the Best of 2024 set from Luckyscent? I'm flummoxed at why so many they are pushing smelled like popcorn. The Cirque du Soleil EdP smelling of popcorn kinda makes sense, but it's a weird scent profile to highlight. My favorite of the 16 was Mantes la Jolie by Astier de Villatte, which is a refreshingly natural herbal with top notes of mint and tomato leaves. It smells like sitting in a garden in full bloom on a warm summer day.

 

[shinto minto]

I finished the set of samples I ordered last year + some over the holidays. My girlfriend and I have been having lots of fun trying these out for different occasions.

D.S. & Durga Debaser (0.5ml Dab): Slight coconut followed by citrusy push. A little grassy? I honestly couldn't really put my finger on what it smells like as it fades. Pretty decent though.

Tom Ford Lost Cherry (0.5ml Dab): Doesn't really smell like anything? Fades into a warm sweet smell with a slight cherry candy. The "Cherry" is very vague. Occasionally I get the smell of playdoh. GF likes it.
Longevity: Stayed warm sweet smell almost all day

Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille (1ml Spray): Tobacco, woody, vanilla, very sweet. A very christmas-y scent. Pretty linear throughout the day. Smelt like someone had baked cookies.
Longevity: Another all day scent, Tom Ford seems pretty reliable there

Zoologist Squid (0.5ml Dab): An inky leathery rubber, a little like the smell of a rubber stamp or a bouncy ball. Fades into the smell of car tires. Very nice.
Longevity: Was still going strong 6 hours later. The rubber smell fades into an inky leather and eventually just leather/musk.

Olympic Orchids DEV #2 (1ml Dab): Cinnamon, charcoal, a little waxy. Like a traditional mens scent.
Longevity: A few hours. In line with all of the other OO scents. Faded into a waxy leather.

Olympic Orchids Rainforest (1ml Dab): Christmas bathroom air freshener. Not as bad as YSL Kouros but not something anyone should wear.

We call that an indolic note

^^ Pretty sure this is what I get off of rainforest^^
Longevity: A few hours. Wouldn't re-apply though

Olympic Orchids Kyphi (1ml Dab): Christmas shop scent. Girlfriend called it "Spicy." I honestly hoped it would be more parchment but I was mistaken.
Longevity: ~5 hours. Stuck longer than I expected. Wouldn't wear again.

Olympic Orchids Woodcut (1ml Dab): Fresh cut pine. Still very green woody with a cinnamon. Strictly better versions of Kyphi and Rainforest. Girlfriend approved of this one. She's referred to it as "winter fire" a few times so far.
Longevity: ~5 hours. Would need to reapply if I wanted to wear all day.

Olympic Orchids Blackbird (1ml Dab): Very fruity blackberry. A pretty light scent, perfect for spring or summer. More women's than not.
Longevity: A few hours. Didn't really develop into anything more than fruit.

Spoiler: Updated Rankings

"FW" = Frequent Wear. Seemed to make more sense than an "S" tier.

| Tier | Items
| ---- | ------------------------------------ |
| FW   | 1. DS Durga Cowboy Grass
|      | 2. Lalique Encre Noir Pour Homme EDT
|      | 3. MFK Baccarat Rouge
|      | 4. TF Tobacco Vanille
| ---- | ------------------------------------ |
| A    | 1. TF Neroli Portofino
|      | 2. LV Imagination
|      | 3. Creed Silver Mountain Water
|      | 4. Zoologist Bee
|      | 5. Aedes de Venustas Signature
|      | 6. OO Woodcut
|      | 7. OO Dev #2
| ---- | ------------------------------------ |
| B    | 1 (tied). Creed Aventus
|      | 1 (tied). Dior Eau Sauvage
|      | 2 (tied). Hermes Terre D'Hermes
|      | 2 (tied). MMR By The Fireplace
|      | 3. Creed Millesime Imperial (current)
|      | 4. OO Blackbird
| ---- | ------------------------------------ |
| C    | 1 (tied). DS Durga Bowmakers
|      | 1 (tied). DS Durga Debaser
|      | 1 (tied). Aedes de Venustas Iris Nazarena
|      | 2 (tied). Aedes de Venustas Corfu Kumquat
|      | 2 (tied). Diptyque Philosykos EDT
|      | 3. MMR Whispers in the Library
|      | 4 (tied). Montale Black Aoud Intense
|      | 4 (tied). Zoologist Squid
|      | 4 (tied). Aedes de Venustas Amnesia Rose
|      | 4 (tied). TF Lost Cherry
|      | 5. YSL L'Homme
|      | 6. OO Kyphi
| ---- | ------------------------------------ |
| D    | 1. Le Labo Santal 33
| ---- | ------------------------------------ |
| F    | 1. Hermes Eau D'Orange Verte
|      | 2. YSL Kouros
|      | 3. OO Rainforest

I've settled into a few comfy scents this winter. Tobacco Vanille has probably been on my skin the most the last few months since it's so christmas. I'm very excited to break out more of the clean citrus scents this spring.

 

[Charnel Ground]

For funsies, I've been going back to Fame by Lady Gaga (which I bought for cheap at TJ Maxx back in the mid 2010s) since the return-to-form of the Abracadabra video release. It was supposed to be a unisex fragrance when it came out which I never understood because it's very sweet. It's not a favorite scent of mine by a longshot, but it's a fun bottle to have on my shelf and when I do use it sparingly it's kinda nice. I sometimes wear it when I'm not going for any particular vibe and just want a hint of something to help me feel polished walking out the door.

Glossier You

I just tried this the other day and had a similar experience! I'd like to try it in warmer weather for sure.

This week I wanted to treat myself to a new little on-the-go bottle and I ended up picking Valentino Greenstravaganza. On the card it smelled a lot warmer and more floral but on my skin I really got a more fresh scent with the warmth underpinning it perfectly, and not too sweet. I've only worn it around the house on my wrists yet, I think it'll be another great spring/summer choice for me.

 

[isalaide]

Angel should always (including before the reformulation) have come with a health warning: I cannot think of a single other fragrance which is so dependent on someone's individual body chemistry. You need to get a tester and wear it for a few days before you even think about it. Anecdotally if you tend to feel fairly cool to the touch the middle notes don't develop fast enough and it starts to smell faintly rancid. On the other hand on people who run very warm it seems to turn into some awful mashup with some kind of BO vibe. You can wear it or not wear it but no matter how much you like it in the bottle, it is not consistent from wearer to wearer. I still sling ridic amounts of it on but it has always quickly settled to mainly the middle notes on me and stayed there. My youthful bestie on the other hand had an identical bottle and it literally smelled of recently cleaned public toilets on her. I have never smelt it develop worse on anyone. it was genuinely unrecognisable and an unwearable waste of money on her.

 

[isalaide]

btw that new Tom Ford Bois Pacifique genuinely smells of those toilet blocks you put in the cistern that colour the water blue, it is beyond minging, I have no fucking idea who is buying it. If anyone has managed to find it wearable I am interested in your review

 

[StarkRavingMad]

So I recently did a Bath & Body Works order because they released an entire body care line and an EDP of "Covered in Roses" (the spot-on Delina dupe). I'm still blindsided by how B&BW pulled off the dupe so well ... Every other Delina dupe that's been recommended to me didn't smell anything like Delina, in my opinion. B&BW of all places managed to make a slam dunk of a dupe though. I'm glad they listened to their customers over the popularity of these perfume dupes and released more products for them.

I also bought a few things from the Disney Princess collection since I had a gift card from Christmas and there was a sale going on. I only bought some things in the Ariel and Belle scents.

Since I'm obsessed with rose fragrances, I figured that Belle would be a safe blind buy for me. Meh, the rose is so weak, and it smells so much like Viva La Juicy. I don't like it, sadly. The Ariel one is nice though-- it's nothing special, but it smells fresh and citrusy, which is super easy to wear during the Summer.

Angel should always (including before the reformulation) have come with a health warning: I cannot think of a single other fragrance which is so dependent on someone's individual body chemistry. You need to get a tester and wear it for a few days before you even think about it. Anecdotally if you tend to feel fairly cool to the touch the middle notes don't develop fast enough and it starts to smell faintly rancid. On the other hand on people who run very warm it seems to turn into some awful mashup with some kind of BO vibe. You can wear it or not wear it but no matter how much you like it in the bottle, it is not consistent from wearer to wearer. I still sling ridic amounts of it on but it has always quickly settled to mainly the middle notes on me and stayed there. My youthful bestie on the other hand had an identical bottle and it literally smelled of recently cleaned public toilets on her. I have never smelt it develop worse on anyone. it was genuinely unrecognisable and an unwearable waste of money on her.

Did you ever try out Mugler Aura?

That shit was nasty. I like to try perfumes with an open mind, but Aura straight-up smells like a toilet that was just cleaned with Pine Sol to me.

"Where'd you get that perfume ... From the toilet store?"

The bottle for Aura was really cool though. Green is my favorite color, and I admittedly tried it out because of how cool the bottle was, haha. Thank God I wasn't dumb enough to blind buy it.

 

[alpro whore]

the discourse and wildly differing opinions surrounding angel are fun to me, i think you hit the nail on the head with it being so dependent on skin chemistry. for me it's cocoa, honey and patchouli - if cocoa or chocolate is in a fragrance, then my skin runs with it. even the £2 aldi travel size dupe for angel (called ~guardian~) is chocolate and patchouli. patchouli is polarizing anyway.

speaking of chocolate, Regime Des Fleurs - Fleur Eclair is top of the leaderboard for the best perfume i've tried this year so far. it begins with a cocoa & rose combo (much like guerlain's feve gourmand) but quickly moves into the headiest, most intoxicating jasmine i've ever smelt. it's chocolate covered jasmine and it's so damn opulent and extremely rich.

and speaking of polarizing fragrances, some wet wipes over at fragrantica got my review for dior's tobacolor removed because i said that it stank of pissy sweaty jogging bottoms and is nothing like guerlain's tobacco honey. smells are subjective and the ad-clogged state of a website that is fragrantica is not that serious (still the biggest database though)

btw that new Tom Ford Bois Pacifique genuinely smells of those toilet blocks you put in the cistern that colour the water blue, it is beyond minging, I have no fucking idea who is buying it. If anyone has managed to find it wearable I am interested in your review

ah the joy of urinal cake fragrances! burberry her elixir is my choice for Piss Covered Urinal Cake, though pink and screaming at you. some people are getting lovely fluffy pink strawberry marshmallow though. i'd love to find a good strawberry perfume that actually smells like the fruit and not something vaguely strawberry flavoured. if you smell an actual strawberry it's quite green and tart, not overly sugary and sweet like so many perfumes interpret it as

 

[Dick The Birthday Boy]

A friend of mine introduced this to me during the summer and I have been borderline bathing in it ever since.

 

[Wu-Terf Clan]

anyone have some recommendations for some cheap lactonic fragrances? i really don't want to spend 200 dollars to smell like boba tea but i love that vibe

bonus points if it smells like generic milk and honey soap

 

[Major]

Is Oudh a good scent? I kind of like it, but it's seems quite powerful, perhaps too much.

 

[Ninon42]

Is Oudh a good scent? I kind of like it, but it's seems quite powerful, perhaps too much.

Oudh (or Oud) is not a singular scent profile, there are a bunch of different types. I believe the fanciest and most "authentic" is agarwood oud, but it's likely that anything available to the market (or even buyers without a knife to the neck of the seller) is going to be cut down to a low level of purity. It's not terrible in small doses, and is supposed to project a masculine, animalic, forceful aura, but the men who wear oud are typically Middle Eastern or Indian and fucking bathe in it to a gag-inducing level that can be smelled a continent away. It smells like a camel's swamp ass in large doses. That said, Creed Royal Oud is a nice "oud but subtle with it" that smells amazing on most men willing to pay the price for it. My recommendation would be to pick up a 5 or 10 mL decant, apply a single spray to the chest after a shower, and see how it sits with you and anyone who'd get close enough to smell you. Try it three times to make sure your reaction the first time isn't an aberration (unless it makes you gag, then ditch it immediately).

 

[fist_of_khonshu]

Any good fragrances for coffee or blueberries? Most of what I find is chemical scented and nasty.

 

[Ninon42]

Any good fragrances for coffee or blueberries? Most of what I find is chemical scented and nasty.

Can't think of any blueberry, but for coffee, it depends on what kind of scent profile you are looking for. Follow by Kerosene opens with a realistic scent of coffee grounds, but has poor longevity. Coffee Addict by Theodoros Kalotinis smells like freshly brewed black coffee, then moves on to the grounds followed by a green herbal note. For more of a sweet coffee note, Madeleine by Masque Milano smells like a tiramisu and is a really nice gourmand. In a similar vein, both Le Participe Passe and Five O'Clock au Gingembre by Serge Lutens smell like lattes but LPP is a caramel latte while FOCaG is a Starbucks Christmas latte followed by a masculine patchouli drydown.

 

[PuffyGroundCloud]

Bought Diptyque Orpehon yesterday.
Surprisingly, it became my favorite scent from the house, since I never have good luck with Diptyque before.