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Can you help more than the perfume zombies at the mall?

post #1 of 23
8/29/06 at 4:26pm
Thread Starter 
OK folks, I'm seriously shopping for a new scent. I've done lots of legwork, sniffed the coffee beans and listened sincerely to the bored zombies at Dillard's. I diligently tried the samples they chose for me. I was lucky to bump into a really excellent Clarins rep while standing at the counter who had me follow her to her car and gave me samples of Angel, Innocent and Angel Violet. I loved all three, but am afraid they may be too sweet and/or overpowering for me. So many people seem to really hate Angel. I'm hoping you'll have some legitimate suggestions.
These I love: (no snickering please, I'm baring all.) For year round wear, I most often choose Design. My kids associate it with me and it does a wonderful mellow out thing so that it smells really warm and sweet after an hour or so. For summer, I like Chanel Cristalle, L'air du temps, Perry Ellis 360 - for cold weather (all 3 months of it) I like Chanel #5, Shalimar and good old Body Shop Dewberry (when I can get it.) On other folks, I've loved Fracas, Chloe (my first big fragrance purchase,) L'Origan, and White Linen, but they didn't love me back. Other old loves, Windsong (yep, really,) Perry Ellis for Women (not for long,) Oscar (adore the scent, hate the headache,) and Gloria Vanderbilt (high school.)
Recent samples I didn't like: YSL Paris (smells like Poison,) and Givenchy's Amariage Mariage - same reaction. I really dislike White Diamonds, Beautiful, and Poison.
I started wearing Design when it was a new fragrance (I'm 42) and just haven't thought about it a lot. Marriage, kids, job, no job, on and on . . . Recently, some checkout girl says "Oh how wonderful, you smell just like my kindergarten teacher!" She had to be at least 20. Wait a minute, Design is a new fragrance, right? I'm still 25, right? So, time to search for something new - I'm NOT the gal who wears the same scent for ever. I should be wearing something more up to date or something more classic.
So - if you've made it this far, thanks! I'd love to hear your suggestions. I have walk in access to Parisian, Belks and Dillard's. Everything else, I'd have to buy online.
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post #2 of 23
8/29/06 at 5:10pm
Hmmm. Likes Angel, but it may be too sweet. Maybe Prada? Hmmm. Stella? Others here are better at this suggestion game than I. Hope you find scents you like, and then come back and tell us about it.
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post #3 of 23
8/29/06 at 5:26pm
Hi Kudzuflower! For non-florals I would suggest:
Prada
L'Heure Bleue- Guerlain
Spark- Liz Claiborne
Shalimar Light
Farnesiana- Caron
and something else I love and wear often...Tabu
I think these scents are good alternatives to Angel.
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post #4 of 23
8/29/06 at 7:57pm
Give Lulu Guiness a try.
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post #5 of 23
8/30/06 at 2:54am
For some reason I picture you wearing L'Heure Bleu! Don't ask me why, just try it-it's so gentle, lovely, poetic, a bit melancholic,middle notes:Carnation, orange blossoms, rose and tuberose. It's sweet , but not in a nauseating way like Angel.

I also recommend Coco (always!), Chanel #19 (perfectly elegant, green and sophisticated) or maybe 24, Rue Faubourg by Hermes.

Prada is worth trying, but I'd stick to L'heure Bleu!
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post #6 of 23
8/30/06 at 3:05am
Hi there!
First of all; I don`t really know what you mean by asking for "legitimate" suggestions. Do you want to wear a scent mostly to please your surroundings?
You say you love Angel, so my suggestion is that you give it a try!
The mentioned Prada is less sweet and overpowering, but have little similarity with Angel imho.
Follow your nose and heart!

My very personal recommendation for nice winter frags are Burberry Brit and Tocade (Rochas).

Best of luck!
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post #7 of 23
8/30/06 at 3:50am
So what if other people hate Angel? Do you love it? Does Angel love you back? Wear what YOU love and if that happens to be Angel, then so be it ...
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post #8 of 23
8/30/06 at 8:30am
Skin chemistry differs from person to person. A lot of women adore vanilla based perfumes. On me they're cloying. A lot of women detest lavender or vetiver based perfumes, claiming they're too sharp or too smoky or too green. On me, those notes are soft and fresh smelling, with hints of spicy sweetness.

Angel can be difficult to wear due to the gourmand notes combined with patchouli, but if it works on you, do it. I could never wear Angel since my skin chemistry would proceed to turn the chocolate to rancid sawdust, the vanilla would have a cloying sulking fit, and the patchouli would turn to weeks old sweat. Far better that someone who turns it to the poetry it should be wear it.

If you're concerned that it may be overpowering, have someone you trust double check it on you.

Emily
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post #9 of 23
8/30/06 at 9:20am
Try L'Instant pour homme if you loved the patchouli in angel. (Or, maybe Angel man is an option? One of my girlfriends wears it wonderfully!)
Lolita Lempicka- if you liked the wooden gourmandness in Angel but don't want so much chocolate & caramel.
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post #10 of 23
8/30/06 at 10:58am
I'd also suggest trying Nanette Lepore, the original in the pink bottle. It's got a kinda goofy bottle, but it always brings to mind a fruity and milder Angel to mind.


It has no chocolate and no patchouli.

top: rose, cranberry, peach

mid: Majenta nectar (blackcurrant), orange jasmine, persian lime juice

base: crushed velvet violet(this is violet leaves) amber, Indian sandalwood

Sounds like fruit punch, but smells good...somehow...
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post #11 of 23
8/30/06 at 12:46pm
Thread Starter 
[QUOTE=musse]
First of all; I don`t really know what you mean by asking for "legitimate" suggestions.

By legitimate, I meant suggestions from people (like those here) who have a more complex understanding of fragrance and what it might be like to be a grown-up shopping for some.

Thanks so much for all the advice. I'm beginning to see some similar threads and get some great ideas about what to sample. Anyone have experience with "perfume outlet" stores? I found a bottle of Fracas there for a friend once - never expected to find that here in the southeast after Gayfer's went away.) I think that may be the only place i can actually get my hands on some of the scents mentioned without having to buy a full bottle from an online retailer.
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post #12 of 23
8/30/06 at 1:36pm
Try the online store www.scentedmonkey.com , you can get samples of tons of fragrances. On the home page click the "try before you buy" on the upper right hand on the page. www.perfumebay.com also sells perfume samples. Good Luck!
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post #13 of 23
8/30/06 at 3:25pm
Thread Starter 
Excellent! Many thanks. I'll keep everyone posted on the search.
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post #14 of 23
8/30/06 at 8:21pm
A student in one of my classes wears Design and it smells really great on her- very pleasant perfume.

I too would suggest giving Angel a try if you like and and it works on you. I hate Angel on myself but love it on others. I was so disappointed to find out I couldn't wear it.

I also will second Coco- gorgeous spicy Floriental that's appropriate always. I personally favor the parfum, but EdP is close to it and some people love the EdT too.

Also thinking the Jean Paul Gaultier Classique might be a good one to try. It's another Floriental. The EdT and EdP are different formulation, so try them both out. The EdP has a rum accord with rose and sumptuous bourbon vanilla- it has a gorgeous, soft, warm dryout.

Fendi's Asja- it's discontinued, but you can still find it on-line and on ebay for reasonable prices still I believe. It's another spicy Floriental with plummy opening tones and lots of warm, spicy sweetness into the heart.

Since you like Shalimar, I think you'd also like Etro's Shaal Nur and Serge Lutens Fumerie Turque. You'd have to go on-line for both of those and the FT you'd have to buy a decant on ebay for now- until it hopefully becomes available in the US soon.

Also, don't turn up your nose at the ones you already have- it sounds to me like you have the start of a good collection already.
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post #15 of 23
8/30/06 at 9:20pm
I'm going to try to keep it all in the realm of what might be at a mainstream department store:

For Angelesque scents, I have to say, Prada sounds like a winner of a suggestion. I'm going to add to the chorus here. I'll also chime in with Viktor & Rolf's Flowerbomb; a lot of the women to whom I passed along Flowerbomb thought it smelled a bit like Angel. I think it's the touch of patchouli with the amber; to my nose, Flowerbomb is what the Prada Eau Tendre should have smelled like rather than what they actually released. If you'd like to find that lovely chocolate smell without the tell-tale neon fruits and patchouli, maybe look for the new Missoni, which might not have made it out of the higher-end Saks and Neiman Marcus stores yet. It's gianduja (that rich Italian chocolate-hazelnut blend) with orange and orange blossom. It's not too sugary or rich, the best non-Angel foodie.

Since you like Cristalle and Oscar (though it bothers you), maybe you should try Envy by Gucci. And while I'm at the Gucci counter, a lot of women in real life I know adore Gucci Eau de Parfum. I don't know why it's so unpopular on the boards and didn't sell well because I know four people at least who are nuts about it. It's hard to describe - sweet, powdery, a little leathery, almondy - but I think it's worth going out on a limb to test. Also, the new Burberry London (with the fabric wrapping) is a really elegant white floral that never goes bombastic, musty, or overpowering. It's classy yet vibrant.

And, for my last recommendation, I'm bound to get clobbered here, but a coworker recently got Very Irresistible by Givenchy, and I know - it smells so wishy-washy on the strip, but it smells so lovely on her. It has depth and character it never had on paper. I was so taken aback. She had been testing Stella, but Very Irresistible was much better on her. It's a lovely light rose scent that straddles the line between sobriety and sexiness.

Oh, and Paris and Poison? Sorry, but they're not even close...
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post #16 of 23
8/31/06 at 12:08am
I know how you feel about the zombies. I live in a fairly small town and the assistants can be quite vague and not even know about new scents just released.
Anyway - my thoughts on your crisis are!

Summer: Estee Lauder - Intuition Mont Blanc - Femme Presence (Has a lovely pineapple tang to it). Calvin Klein - Euphoria Wish - Chopard Hypnose' - Lancome

Winter: (Some spice is always nice!) Gem - Van Cleef and Arpels Coco - Chanel Casmir - Chopard (But only if you REALLY like vanilla) Stella - Stella McCartney Maroussia - Slava Ziaetsev Tresor - Lancome

Don't worry I also love some of the cheaper perfumes. Maroussia I lvoe and some of the Revlon fragrances are good too!

Good luck and trust your own instincts!
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post #17 of 23
8/31/06 at 7:02am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Serpent


Oh, and Paris and Poison? Sorry, but they're not even close...

No disrespect intended - just awfully disappointed when Paris, which smelled so lovely, hit my skin and did that acidic, toxic, fingernails on a chalkboard, . .. just stanky thing that I think Poison did on so many back in the 80's. I so wanted it to be mine . . .
Thanks for all the great suggestions.
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post #18 of 23
8/31/06 at 7:08am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gumoosh

I know how you feel about the zombies. I live in a fairly small town and the assistants can be quite vague and not even know about new scents just released.

Wouldn't it be great to still be guided by the grand dames who worked the perfume counters in the 70's and 80's? Those gals knew their stuff and would probably still be around if all our department stores (especially here in the south) hadn't been bought out by bigger corporate monsters who don't value longevity, knowledge and loyalty. No more D.H. Holmes, no more Gayfers, no Bon Marche, all gone. They'd rather hire 19 year old Hooters girls who don't yet care about pensions and health insurance. So sad . . .
Thanks for the advice. I'll keep everyone posted.
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post #19 of 23
8/31/06 at 7:14am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by tinker424

Try the online store www.scentedmonkey.com , you can get samples of tons of fragrances. On the home page click the "try before you buy" on the upper right hand on the page. www.perfumebay.com also sells perfume samples. Good Luck!

What great advice. My (first round of) samples are on their way! Here's the list: (a couple of these are for my 14 year old daughter - after I pass on them . . . )
LHeure Bleue, Michael Kors, Lolita Lempicka, Prada, 24 Faubourg by Hermes for
Women, and Marc Jacobs
I'll report once they've arrived and we've gotten to know each other.
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post #20 of 23
9/7/06 at 1:01pm
I've worn quite a few of the fragrances you listed over the years. Chanel Gardenia is my current favorite from that line, it was a limited edition, but you can still find it a few places.

I'm waiting for some samples from scentedmonkey, too. I got 24 Faubourg (she called it legere, meaning light, but I'm hoping it's the Eau Delicate version,) Precious Heart is a white floral by Guerlain, My Couture by Givenchy which is a white floral with an almond note, Eau des Merveilles by Hermes, Flora Bella by LaLique (it wasn't on the list, but I ordered LaLique and then told them to substitute) and Secret Wish by Anna Sui. I also got my mother a bottle of L'Heure Bleue EDP for her birthday. It's been years since I smelled it, but it is one of her favorites. Angel is too heavy for me and I didn't care for the patchouli note. I love the cologne I tried of Guerlain's and would like to check out more of those.

Also waiting for some bottles I ordered untested of Yves Saint Laurent's Paris Springtime fragrances. I know I'll like them and have really been in the mood for roses, now that the weather is cooling down. Another rose fragrance I love is by L'Occitane called Eau de 4 Reines. You can buy small travel size bottles of that on their website.
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post #21 of 23
9/9/06 at 7:14am
I just got my sample package this morning from ScentedMonkey. (Withdrew comment about My Couture by Givenchy. This smelled yucky on me, washed it off! The others smelled nice, but none of them suit me for full bottles. Next!)

PS I am trying to pretend I don't want Eau des Merveilles, but I don't think it's going to work. After I washed off all the other samples, I re-applied it and wow. It is really fab. Okay, I'm going to get out of here and enjoy wearing it this weekend, perfect weather for it, I must say.
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post #22 of 23
9/9/06 at 7:11pm
Whenever I apply Eau des Merveilles, it smells just like me until it dries down, then it smells like someone else and my husband said the same thing. It's really beautiful though and those other suggestions are great, too. It just goes to show you can't really tell about something until you wear it for a while, so samples are good. I got mine at scentedmonkey.com. She also has samples of some of these other ideas, you could try going that route, wear things for a while, and see what suits you best. They're $3 each, if you can't get them for free at Sephora. I was going to buy a full size of this, but I think I'm going to wait until Tocca comes out with Stella, a blood orange fragrance, also like Orange Leaves by L'Occitane.
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post #23 of 23
9/10/06 at 2:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by beachroses

I just got my sample package this morning from ScentedMonkey. (Withdrew comment about My Couture by Givenchy. This smelled yucky on me, washed it off! The others smelled nice, but none of them suit me for full bottles. Next!)

PS I am trying to pretend I don't want Eau des Merveilles, but I don't think it's going to work. After I washed off all the other samples, I re-applied it and wow. It is really fab. Okay, I'm going to get out of here and enjoy wearing it this weekend, perfect weather for it, I must say.

Eau des Merveilles is a fabulous scent, and the parfum (Parfum des Merveilles) is even better!! I know they have both at Imagination Perfumery for reasonable prices. . . Just sayin'
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