Women's Fragrances

[J_J]

Chanel's is probably the worst you can buy...which is a shame for such an exemplary collection.

Best options:
-Estee Lauder Tuberose Gardenia (parfum is better than EDP)
-Tom Ford's Velvet Gardenia (discontinued, but worth asking)
-Acqua di Parma's Iris Nobile (ignore the name)...I prefer EDT to EDP, but both are good

Another discontinued, but was cheap at the time - Yves Rocher's Pur Desir de Gardenia.

For an alternative...not gardenia, but similar vibe - Manoumalia by Les Nez. Fabulously exotic and lush. This would be my personal choice.

ps - every other perfume labelled "Gardenia" is a sham...all are simply tuberose or less. "Real" gardenia oil is virtually unheard of, which is why no perfumes actually contain it, but I've read that Enfleurage in NYC, who sell oils, have come up with something believable.

or, if you're ballin', you can try JAR's Jardenia...

[Faust]

hey thanks, Dane, was hoping for your reply :) would gladly try something more interesting, i've just never had a chance since i rarely go around perfume shops. i don't like sweet perfumes, and i somehow never had a chance to smell spices in an interesting way, so can't say what i think of those. some kind of freshness (in contrast to heaviness) is what i find important.

Maybe you'd like citrusy smells? Anyway, citrus springs to mind when I think of "freshness." Or pine needles.

[Dane]

or, if you're ballin', you can try JAR's Jardenia...

Even I can't justify this one...although I'd kill for a bottle.

Maybe you'd like citrusy smells? Anyway, citrus springs to mind when I think of "freshness." Or pine needles.

Citrus is a good idea...Bergamote from The Different Company is my personal fav.

[Dane]

There is no expiry date if properly stored. I have perfumes that are older than my parents and they smell fine.

Light is the biggest enemy...then heat...then dampness/extreme temperature changes (that create condensation).

[Ahimsa]

I'd like a suggestion for a perfume - I'm not at all familiar with the whole variety of them, and from what I've had a chance to test, Jil Sander Pure has been my favorite one. Any tips for what I could try?

p.s.
Got recently a sample of the new MMM one and while at first it seemed all right, a bit soapy but still fresh, staying close to skin, after a while I've realized I don't like it at all. Reminds me too much of soap and it's just not exciting.

I'm just going to recommend Le Labo partially because they're entirely vegan, but mostly because they (I think anyway) smell incredible..that and they don't agitate my nose. Made to order and labeled with your name. You can order samples for about $5 a pop.(that's with shipping included in Eco-packaging :) ) They have stores in Paris and Amsterdam if you wanna check it out in person.
They also offer a Bergamote as was recommended by the other helpful fellows above.
Their stuff is most definitely contrasted by the way (Quite unisex). The named scent isn't always easy to detect as they can be surrounded by a plethora of others.

As to attest to what Dane mentioned about shelf life...apparently Lubin just recreated Marie Antoinette's perfume with the help of old notes and a secretly stored bottle. Some people do refrigerate perfumes to keep them fresher too.

[Dane]

^ Thanks for this suggestion Ahimsa! I might order some samples to check these ones out :)
Dane, what do you think, given my preferences for fresh, but not overly unisex smells? Worth trying?

I'm quite partial to Bergamote 22 and Iris 39, but the line is worth trying. A few of them are duds, and they're overpriced, but what isn't these days. I mentioned in the boy's thread that they make a bath/massage oil that is reasonably priced and heavily scented, so that's always an option if funds are limited.

[Faust]

Rilu, since you are in Europe, you should just walk into an L'Artisan Perfumer boutique and try stuff there. So many good scents. Or to Santa Marian Novella - they have a store in Antwerp (not sure if L'AP does, but they might). I agree that Le Labo is overpriced but I also like Bergamote 22.

[Faust]

Also, in a very new tradition, L'Artisan Perfumer has started to put some scents on sale - so you can get something really affordable and good now that the sales have started.

[Lypophrenia]

My favorite perfume ever was Yohji from 1996. Sadly I can't find it anymore. Except ebay but I don't trust ebay so I just have this tiny bit left in a bottle and sometimes like to smell it haha
Recently I've been using Diptyque Philosykos.

[Faust]

I still have and use it! Love the scent.

[Dane]

Are we talking Yohji Homme? That one was fantastic...most of the others were meh.

[Faust]

Yes, Yohji Homme! Sorry for the confusion.

[Dane]

I get excited sometimes when I'm at a junky perfume store and a see a Yohji box...but it always ends up being one of the "others".

It sells for a fortune on ebay now. I should have stocked up when I had the chance, but frankly, it's not my style personally, so I would only be being greedy.

I did, however, stock up on Le Feu d'Issey and various others that are hard-to-find now...glad I did!

[kirie]

I love the dark tones of Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab's perfume oils.
they have a sort of dark romanticism in them that's just lovely. The attempt to create a narrative with scent- often based on literature, paintings, or abstract concepts. Some of the scents are hit and miss (f you do order from them I would suggest samplers and then reordering your favourite scents in full bottles).

the two that I always have a supply of are

"Bat"
Dusty amber, grey musk, red orchid, moonflower, night-blooming phlox, stock, honeysuckle, English ivy, toadflax, and purple salvia.

"The Sailor's Den"
Orris, bay rum, palm, coconut meat, oak wood, tobacco, linen, blue lilac, and leather.

I have a tendency to mix Sailor's den with Chanel's Bois des Iles, it takes the scent from veins of Caribbean whorehouse (the coconut can become very strong on certain people) to a victorian era opium den feel.

[Dane]

You're basically raping you Bois des Iles.

[kirie]

I was given a small bottle of the perfume oil as a gift and it turns into far too heavy of a sandalwood scent on my skin. The florals completely disappear by 15 minutes and the vanilla is gone after 30 minutes maybe. If I use it by itself I end up smelling like the hemp store in my hometown after about an hour or so.

I find it adds a lovely feminine touch to the other scent however. I should probably clarify that I don't physically mix the two oils, I usually apply sailor's den, wait about 15 minutes and then apply a small amount of bois. you'd just have to smell me, I guess

[Dane]

Perfumes smell the same on everyone.

Anyway, do what you want...it's your perfume. You just won't get my approval...which probably doesn't matter much to you anyway.

[timber]

I've been wearing Un Parfum des Sens et Bois by The Different Company for a few months - it's a very clean cedar, violet and ginger unisex scent that stays close to the skin. It's nice to wear during the day, so I don't go wafting around too much while I'm at work.

I tried a sample of Comme des Garcons x Stephen Jones a few years ago and fell in love with it - the closest I can come to explain the scent is like violets and cold steel...

And lastly, I just got a few samples from Carnival Wax -- I was looking for a smoky unisex, sort of darker perfume, and Black Amber is fantastic. It smells like cedar and smoke, and faintly of leather - a bit like the Comme des Garcons incense line. The bottle is under $100, so I might find myself compelled to pick one up when I'm in New York next month...

[theseasonofmist]

I have been wearing Amouage Lyric for the past few months. I find it works well on my skin, it lasts all day and I personally like the spiced rose effect that I get - I don't find it too sweet. My ex recommended it to me and I can see that it works well as a unisex fragrance.

I also dabble with Serge Luten's Feminite du Bois from time to time.

I recently sampled By Kilian's Rose Oud and Cruel Intentions, neither seemed to really appeal to me. I want to give Amber Oud a try soon, I just have not gotten around to purchasing a sample.

[Verdandi]

The Kilian perfume's are a bit too generic for me to justify the price tag. The only one I really liked was Back To Black.
Sweet Redemption is also nice if you like white florals but not it wasn't nice enough to buy it.

Speaking of big white florals; I finally managed to get my hands on CB I hate Perfume's Cradle Of Light. I think it is everything white florals should be plus it has that gorgeous musk underneath it.