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Buying Perfume for Your Mother

post #1 of 12
1/13/06 at 8:12pm
Thread Starter 
Ok gals...this is my first post on this side of the gender line.

I am thinking about buying a perfume for my mother. She's only worn one that I've ever known of and thats Chanel No 5. She doesn't wear it often either. Just to tell you something about her personality she's Korean she can cook really good but her passion is gardening. So I'm thinking sometype of floral oriental. What have the lovely smelling ladies got for me?
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post #2 of 12
1/13/06 at 8:33pm
Buy her smell decants of lots of stuff and let her decide. I have learned the hard way. I never buy full bottles of perfume for my mom anymore. I bought her Amarige once and one day saw it sitting next to the toilet.
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post #3 of 12
1/13/06 at 9:07pm
oh how fun can't go wrong with shalimar right? and as far as gardening goes, well lemon and vanilla sort of relates to that

edited: since shalimar is considered such a "romantic" scent would it be weird to buy it for your mom? i personally don't think so but the thought just occurred to me. hmm maybe another chanel
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post #4 of 12
1/13/06 at 9:33pm
Read my post on Imperial Jade Empress by Agatha Brown! I love #5 and I love IJE as well- my first oriental.

I think you could take advantage of the samples that were mentioned to be available as well.

I 'd also suggest Bulgari pour Femme which is a gentle pepper, jasmine, rose, and tea. She might wear a softer subtle fragrance more often--the ones described as 'easy to wear' really are just that.
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post #5 of 12
1/14/06 at 8:18am
I like the idea of offering her a "bouquet" of sample vials, presented in a festive fashion along with a homemade gift certificate for a full bottle of any scent she finds lovable. Follow the thread below for sample sources.

http://www.basenotes.net/community/Y...num=1098492212

For simple, sweet florals, I recommend Highland Lilac or Jo Malone Orange Blossom. L'Artisan's La Chasse aux Papillons is also very popular and beautiful. Once you get into the more complex florals/florientals, personal tastes can range in any direction, so it's hard to nominate scents. Oh, one more thing--try Demeter's Wet Garden. More than one nature-lover has associated this fresh, carnation-like frag with real-world gardening.

Please cross the gender gap again and report back to us how this all plays out. Thanks!
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post #6 of 12
1/14/06 at 9:05am
If you want something special than you might want to try Givenchy Amarige Harvest (limited edition). It's a similar scent to No 5 (jasmine and ylang-ylang all the way) but a little smoother and mellower. It's only going to be a around for a few months, however, so if you're looking for something that she can find in the future this might not work.
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post #7 of 12
1/14/06 at 9:36am
This is difficult - it's so hard to get right. The most success I've had with buying a perfume for my mother was where I knew she'd been after a soliflore rose. She'd already tried several (the Annick Goutal Rose Absolue, a Penhaligons and Serge Lutens' Sa Majeste la Rose) and said they weren't exactly what she was looking for - while they were all really good roses, they didn't smell of the rose she was imagining.

I bought her Jo Malone's Red Roses, and she loved it. She's now on her second bottle.

Unless you're lucky enough to be in a situation like mine where you know what she's tried and exactly what she's looking for, I'd go with the decants idea. (Having said that, I've yet to meet someone who likes No 5 and doesn't like No 19 - perhaps you could try that?)
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post #8 of 12
1/15/06 at 10:50am
Samsara is warm and motherly.
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post #9 of 12
1/19/06 at 3:29pm
http://www.sephora.com/browse/produc...categoryId=B70
Flower By Kenzo Oriental
Inspired by a traditional Japanese ritual that cultivates the magic of incense made with rare and precious woods, and where experiencing incense is a form of art. FlowerByKenzo Oriental blends the softness of a sensual, melting floral bouquet with the strength of Asian woods, rare incense, and fragrant notes imbued with the history of Japan.

For centuries in Japan, Kyara has been at the heart of a unique ritual dedicated to the appreciation of incense: the Kôdô ceremony (translation: "listening to incense&quot. A ritual that expresses the art of incense; of the mingling of woods and their mysteries; where in a shared moment suspended in time, participants are invited to smell, feel, and identify the burning woods - to "listen to the incense." Born of this union, FlowerByKenzo Oriental blends the essence of FLOWERBYKENZO with Kyara, the noblest of the woods used in the Kôdô ceremony. The result: a spicier, more sensual version of the original. A floral, woody fragrance, invoking a Zen-like quality ...

Notes:
Bulgarian Rose, Violet, Vanilla, Musk, Sichuan Pepper, Kyara, Chinese Incense.
Style:
Mysterious. Sensual. Unique.

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post #10 of 12
1/20/06 at 5:36am
Subtil by Salvatore Ferragamo
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post #11 of 12
1/21/06 at 5:31pm
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I really like shycat's suggestion of offering her a "bouquet" of scents to experiment with. Take advantage of the sample programs offered at many shops both online & storefront.
Many websites offer a search function on specific notes. Take the notes from Chanel #5 & see what "pops" up. I'm thinking your mom may enjoy branching out into some Rosine fragrances. Check this out:
"Inspired by the rose gardens of Andalucia, Marie-Héléne Rogeon created Rosa Flamenca, a floral and hesperidic perfume, sensous, luminous and lightly sweet. The top notes are light and fresh with essence of neroli, bergamot and mandarin; then comes the sweet and flowery heart note with orange blossoms, honeysuckle, jasmine, rose oil and rose absolute. The bottom notes is sumptuous with sandalwood, white musk and figwood.." from the Aedes website.

A Guerlain classic such as L'Huere Bleue sample shouldn't be hard to come by. I'll send you a decant, if you like.

Have fun shopping around.
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post #12 of 12
1/25/06 at 8:07am
My Mom's been using
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