Adding to my collection (soliciting comments).

Before I start I’d like to say that if this belongs on the “newbie” section, please let me know and I’ll put it there.

Anyway, here goes. I have a collection. Actually it’s not so much a “collection” as it is a variety on an olfactory theme that smells like me. I like smelling like me so I’m not keen on collecting scents that are outrageously different from the scents I’ve grown accustomed to wearing.

Bottles I own:
·\tChanel No. 5 parfum – actually this is No. 5 parfum combined with a vintage No. 5 cologne. Back in the day before I discovered fragrance boards, I only wore No. 5 and rose musk, and being ignorant, I poured some No. 5 pure parfum into a bottle of No. 5 cologne. It smells pretty great though. I have been wearing No. 5 for more than a decade.
·\tChanel No. 5 Sensual Elixir – don’t worry I won’t be pouring this into anything!
·\tChanel No. 19 parfum – not open yet… don’t know what I’m saving it for but I’m afraid it might get used up and then I’ll have to search the globe for more.
·\tDemeter Sandalwood – for layering.
·\tL’Artisan Patchouli Patch – travel size. I’m not a fan of Patchouli and I have swapped or given away most of it but from time to time I do wear this to picnics.
·\tL’Artisan Ambre Extreme – travel size.
·\tL’Artisan Passage D’Enfer – travel size.

Oils:
·\tTBS vintage tea rose – TBS = “The Body Shop.”
·\tTBS vintage rose musk.
·\tTBS vintage vanilla.
·\tNemat – cinnamon bark, white musk, Egyptian musk, vanilla musk, frankincense, golden sandalwood (smells like an unwashed t-shirt sometimes).
...Also own some lavender essential oil that gets used almost daily in the hottest days of summer.

Minis of:
·\tVintage Mitsouko – ½ ml left in the mini.
·\tOrganza Indesence (spelling?).
·\tWhite Linen

Samples: many samples, some Serge, mostly niche. 30-40 samples.

I love layering. Most of the scents I own are in small, 15-30ml bottles. The largest is in a 50ml bottle. I’m extremely careful with my purchases so I’d like to ask advice about what to buy. This will be my first post-basenotes fragrance so I’d like it to be something special.

I recently turned 30 and I would like the fragrance to convey a certain sophistication, intelligence and timelessness. I still look like I’m 20 so I’d like to adorn myself in a way that will encourage people to take me seriously – I have been described as pixie-like. I am also quite a romantic/idealistic person and I enjoy quiet hobbies such as reading and painting so I can’t see myself pulling off something like Shalimar (although it’s nice, the scent is louder than me). By the way, I’m a creative writing graduate student. I’m also an Aquarius. I like cats. I like autumn. What else do you need to know? I think I’ll stop here before I post my entire CV online!

Here are purchases I am contemplating. I can only choose one. I might want to get it from eBay where it might be cheaper. Can you help me decide?

·\tMitsouko edp – I have been looking for the edp because I’ve tested the edt and it’s too dusty (the parfum is too “dark”.) Does the edp even exist?
·\tParfums de Rosines Pouserrie de Rose – I have tried this and I like it but is it full bottle worthy?

Other suggestions?

Thank you for reading my post.

Dear Margareta,

Thank you! I know that aficionados collect fragrances like some collect art, but for me scent is meant to be worn, and I like to think that whatever scent I wear reflects my sartorial style. I remember that my mother was a bit of a perfumaholic and that she had a lot of perfumes on her dresser - at least five at any given time. Yet there was one scent that really smelled like her and I think she wore it for many years. I used to think that it was No. 5 or L'air du Temps but I recently discovered that it was Madame Rochas. It makes sense that it was Madame Rochas. Madame is/was a voluptuous, aldehydic rose scent with great sillage (I'm talking about the vintage parfum) and my mother always wore a lot of embellishment and colour. I'm planning on buying her a bottle every Christmas from now on. It is a scent that reminds me of my childhood.

I have never thought of buying back-up bottles but it does make sense to have more than one No. 19 around just in case I run out of it.

Thank you TDDanae. I have smelled some Creed but they are extremely hard to come by where I live. Creed (and some other niche brands) used to sell at DNA boutique in the old Post Office but that store is closed now! I should have bought some E. Courday before it closed. I wanted to get Vanille et Coco, Fressia et Musc and a fragrance called "Sun" but I kept thinking that I wasn't sure if I'd wear those too often so they weren't full bottle worthy.

Anyway... Creed... I have been thinking about Angelique Encens but I can't find that anymore. I remember smelling it once a long time ago... it was nice... woody and ambery... now it's nowhere to be found.

Ayala is a basenoter so I suppose I can visit her store if she has one online and ships internationally. What do you recommend from Ayala? I have been enjoying her reviews and posts.

Kewart, Eau D'Italie sounds interesting - do you really think they will give me a sample? I was looking at the website and can't find that feature. One of the things I've noticed about fragrances is that often the modern ones really impress me at first but I fall out of love with them too quickly. I'd really rather wear something that I know will be around for another 100 years even if I won't.

Thank you everyone, these are excellent suggestions.

Thank you for the suggestions.

I've heard about Feminite du Bois - actually I've been hearing about it for some time now - but I have yet to actually smell it.

For some reason I had the impression that it would smell like red wine and so I never bothered to procure a sample since CD Poison is the ultimate grapey-wine scent. IMHO.