Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Female Fragrance Discussion › Shopping for a new perfume - asking the experts for help!
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Shopping for a new perfume - asking the experts for help!

post #1 of 10
Thread Starter 
Ok, so every time I try to find myself a new perfume I know my sense of smell will be deadened after smelling 3 perfumes, after which I have to rely on a shop assistant who's all too eager to sell me something, no matter if it suits me or no. Going back every time to try 3 new scents, remembering what I liked or no, and all this paired with my general lack of knowledge fragrance-wise... I've decided it's time to ask the experts. A.k.a. you guys.

Perfumes I own and enjoy so far;
For day wear I like Jil Sander Sun in summer, or alternatively Armani Remix. For summer nights I like a feminine flowery scent like Gucci Envy Me.
In autumn/winter I switch to Armani Night for day wear, and use more heavy, oriental inspired scents at night; I absolutely adore Pink Pepper/Poivre Rose by The Body Shop and may switch to Burberry Brit occasionally.

So - an eclectic mix, I know.
I like a lot, just nothing too heavy, sugary or overly flowery. Patchouli and soapy smells I generally dislike, too.
So I put it to you; which scent would be worth trying out? Right now, I'm looking for a light autumn winter scent, for day wear. Any suggestions are very welcome.
post #2 of 10
ooh! what fun!

I say hit the Guerlain counter and smell 3 of their finest:
Vol de Nuit
Jicky
L'Heure Bleue

All 3 have lots of reviews here in the Basenotes directory, so take a look and see if you like the sound of any of them.

I don't know how you feel about heliotrope as a note in fragrances (it seems to be love it or hate it) and if you don't know what it smells like, don't worry. It's in L'Heure Blue, which smells a little bit sad and strange but absolutely beautiful. That perfume was my introduction to the world of perfume outside what I'd seen in department stores or magazine adverts.

And you can get a decant of scent to try it out on your skin over a period of time without shelling out for a full bottle. If you get post from the USA take a look at http://www.perfumeposse.com or http://theperfumedcourt.com as they sell decants and have a good reputation as honest upstanding traders.

The only thing is that as you learn more, you want more perfumes. You hear about something that sounds delicious and go miles out of your way to visit a shop where you can try it. Ah well; no calories at least.
post #3 of 10
Try the new Hermes scent, Kelly Caleche!
post #4 of 10
Some mainstream items to try based on the notes in the fragrances you've listed:

Incanto Dream by Salvatore Ferragamo
Eau de Parfum II by Gucci
V by Valentino
Rockin' Rio by Escada (discontinued)
With Love by Guerlain (limited edition, discontinued)
Mitsouko by Guerlain
Delices by Cartier

Niche items to try:

Poivre Piquant by L'Artisan
Pink Jasmine by Fresh
Sugar Lychee by Fresh
post #5 of 10
A little harder to come by, but do read the reviews and think about Feminite du Bois. I'll repeat the Jicky (in the edt strength) recommendation.

My favorite mild, cool-weather scent is Jo Malone Black Vetyver Cafe. It is not as obvious a coffee scent as the name would seem to imply. It's a soft woody fragrance whose notes arise from the sequoia tree and vetiver grass.
post #6 of 10
I agree about Jicky!
And what about Narciso Rodriguez for Her ? Good choice for you I think.
Or maybe Blu Notte by Bvlgari ... Cashmere Mist by Donna Karan ...
post #7 of 10
Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeperez23 View Post

Try the new Hermes scent, Kelly Caleche!

Who knows this ?

Want to buy it as a present, but she likes more light frags.
post #8 of 10
Welcome

Some ideas:
Chanel Chance and Coco Mademoiselle might be to your liking, esp. Chance. Also try Narciso Rodriguez For Her, Yves Rocher Neonatura Cocoon, Prada, Blv Notte, and Bond No. 9 Bryant Park...
post #9 of 10
2nd Cashmere Mist and add another Cashmere by Susanne Lang, sample available at Luckyscent.com. Also try Hanae Mori Butterfly and Bal a Versailles. I wear Sun by Jil Sander, too. My mother wears L'Heure Bleue, I love that on occasion.
post #10 of 10
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the suggestion so far! I will definitely be printing these and taking them to the nearest store to try out my 3 sniffs for the day XD
I sw Guerlain mentioned several times, so yes, I'll be trying those ones out! Poivre Piquant was mentioned under *related* when I looked up my Body Shop scent on here, and that definitely got my attention too.
Narciso Rodriguez for Her I tried, if I'm not mistaken. A tad flowery for my taste, still.
Oh, and the Jo Malone hint I'm definitely taking up. Your description sounded yummy.

And yes, as far as the *wanting more* goes, I'm afraid I'll be at risk for addictive behaviour too
I'll keep you up to date once I get a chance to stop by a perfume store! Thanks!
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Female Fragrance Discussion
Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Female Fragrance Discussion › Shopping for a new perfume - asking the experts for help!