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L'Artisan, to buy unsmelled

post #1 of 20
3/4/08 at 8:18pm
Thread Starter 
Okay, I give up: I am very intrigued by what I've read about L'Artisan scents and I going to pull the trigger on one, nose unsmelled, as it were. So I'm feeling a it impulsive.

It will be either Dzongkha or Dzing! Help!

My "current rotation": the regular stuff includes Chanel Pour Monsiuer, Davidoff Blue Water (have no idea why I still use it...it's boring) and, Malle's Vetiver Extraordinaire and Musc Ravageur, CdD 2Man, CdG Incense D'Avignon, Luten's Cuir Maureque and a few other things. Kouros is one. Here are some notes:

When I want to feel casual, clean, conformist, whatever, I wear Chanel. Vetiver...I always have mixed feelings about any vetiver but I still wear it. I like musky and dark scents with some floral overtones. I'm not much into citrus, especially strong citrus. And, CdG notwithsanding, I don't much care for peppery and especially strong (Avignon) type fragrances. I like a hint of powder, a feel or scent of body, something refined but strong. But, I'm also looking for unique. Sweet isn't one of my things and that worries me about Dzing!

Ideas?

Thanks!
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post #2 of 20
3/4/08 at 8:25pm
For what it's worth, you can usually contact L'Artisan and they'll gladly send you samples. I just requested samples of Fou d'Absinthe, Tea For Two, Mechant Loup, Vetiver, and Dzing!
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post #3 of 20
3/4/08 at 8:27pm
mure et musc was something i purchased blind...it was ok, but at the same time nothing special....i would advise you not to buy dzing blind...its very strange to say the least.
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post #4 of 20
3/4/08 at 8:45pm
Dzing! is not sweet. It is very dry if fact. I don't think it really fits into your grouping of fragrances that you already own, however, something new might be worth trying. Avignon is similar in a way, I guess.

Although it is not a L'Artisan, I would suggest Azzaro Visit.

From L'Artisan I would also consider Tea for Two, Mechant Loup, Patchouli Patch, and Voleur de Roses. I would deffinately think twice before going out and buying one. Ordering samples would be the way to go. They are expensive...
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post #5 of 20
3/4/08 at 9:22pm
Test them if you can! Of the two you mention, Dzongkha is marvelous, but might occupy the same wardrobe niche as Avignon. On the other hand, if you really like Avignon, you're liable to enjoy Dzongkha, too. Both are primarily incense fragrances, and both are by the same nose: Bertrand Duchaufour. I find Dzongka more complex than Avignon, due perhaps to its distinctive iris, peony, and lychee notes.

Dzing! is a fascinating fragrance, but I've had real longevity problems with it. By that I mean gone in two minutes. I know that this experience is not universal, or perhaps even common, but it does further the argument for testing before purchase.
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post #6 of 20
3/4/08 at 9:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vibert View Post

Dzing! is a fascinating fragrance, but I've had real longevity problems with it. By that I mean gone in two minutes. I know that this experience is not universal, or perhaps even common, but it does further the argument for testing before purchase.

I agree with it, but be careful, the juice in the sample vial is not the same as in the bottle. You may have a false impression just by sampling.
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post #7 of 20
3/4/08 at 9:59pm
Haven't smelled Dzongkha myself, but Dzing is defnitely something you should try before you buy.
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post #8 of 20
3/5/08 at 12:50am
Dzongkha is probably slightly masculine - at least my wife thinks so, as she said she wouldn't wear it. I'm not that sure myself.

Ditto for Mure et Musc.

Dzing is pretty interesting. After the initial zing wears off though, it reminds me a bit of Bvlgari Black.

Voleur de Roses I like quite a lot now - but if you check my posts it wasn't always so, I used to dislike it intensely.

Tea for Two is okay, but lacks anything masculine.

Eau de L'Artisan smells very good, but totally lacks any lasting power on me.

Ambre Extreme is very, very good providing you can put up with smelling a bit feminine for the first half hour or so before it becomes more acceptable.

I'm not a great fan of Mechant Loup, but it's probably the safest blind buy.

Good luck with whatever you choose.
Renato
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post #9 of 20
3/5/08 at 1:13am
I can't imagine buying any L'Artisan blind, I feel that while they are well crafted, that many are polarizing. If anything though, Passage d'Enfer is your best bet.
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post #10 of 20
3/5/08 at 4:00am
I have to echo the many "don't buy L'Artisan blind" voices. I love this house, but these frags are complex and difficult to describe, and therefore are not good blind buys. I also agree that despite the so-called "candy" note in Dzing! it isn't what I would call sweet.

My current L'Artisan favs: Dzing!, Fou d'Absinthe, and Passage d'Enfer.
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post #11 of 20
3/5/08 at 12:45pm
If you are listening to most of our recommendation, then I agree, don't buy either of these blind.

If you aren't, then get Dzing! I love it. I don't think it's too sweet.

I don't like Dzonghka even though I love incense scents (CdG and many others), but to me Dzonghka smelled sour on my skin.
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post #12 of 20
3/5/08 at 1:27pm
Oh, don't blind buy.

For US$3/each you can get samples form Luckyscent. With the code "MUA" you can avoid shipping charges. They tend to be quick, too.

Why drop $95-135 unless you are really going to like it?

Dzing! is great, I second mikeperez23's nomination, but from L'Artisan you really ought to sample, I do not view many of their stuff to be "safe buys" - I head to wear Dzing several times before deciding if it was right for me.
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post #13 of 20
3/5/08 at 4:13pm
I think L'Artisan is one of the great frag houses, but I second what everybody has said on the blind buy thing...its a bad idea. After hearing good reviews of Tea For Two on BN I thought it would be great so I went to the store and tried it out. I found nothing in the frag. to merit purchasing it, boy am I glad I went and sampled it. Sorry all you Two For Two lovers. Dzongkha is one of the frags you are interested in and I own a bottle, but this was another one that I was really glad I sampled at first. I did not really like it that much the first go round, but eventually it grew on me and now think it is one of my best frags. Maybe the same could happen for me with Tea For Two, who knows. Anyways, L'Artisan is definately not a house to go into blindly, try as much as you can because you might end up finding a frag of theirs that you will like even better than Dzongkha and Dzing. Good luck.
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post #14 of 20
3/5/08 at 4:38pm
No need to repeat (so why am I repeating?) - don't blind buy. Also repeating others, I very much respect l'Artisan and own two myself: Fou d'Absinthe and Voleur de Roses. Both are fabulous and I'm glad they're in my wardrobe. But... looking at your wardrobe I see nothing similar to the l'Artisan "experience" so be prepared for a different palette of notes. Much of the l'Artisan line is heavy on gourmand notes, which I don't care for.

p.s. Nice nickname. By pure coincidence, I received an email today from a friend who used it in her message. I had never seen the term before and had to look up its definition, which was humbling to say the least.
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post #15 of 20
3/5/08 at 7:43pm
I had the same problem as mikeperez with Dzonghka. As soon as I put it on my skin, I got a sour punch to the nose. You DEFINITELY want to try that one before you buy!
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post #16 of 20
3/5/08 at 7:47pm
no one mentioned Timbuktu yet....to me that is the safest blind buy from L'artisan.
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post #17 of 20
3/6/08 at 4:21am
if you like safe scents and tea notes go for Thé pour un été
if you want to dare with a onirical stunning scent go for Dzongka (hard to tell a note as they are so much, floral, leather, green, woody, incense etc etc... lol)
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post #18 of 20
3/6/08 at 4:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Magnifiscent View Post

if you want to dare with a onirical stunning scent go for Dzongka (hard to tell a note as they are so much, floral, leather, green, woody, incense etc etc... lol)

Thanks, I was wondering what on earth I was smelling in Dzongka.
Renato
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post #19 of 20
3/6/08 at 4:48am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Renato View Post

Thanks, I was wondering what on earth I was smelling in Dzongka.
Renato

Prego Renato!
But I advice you absolutely to try it since it's so complex and caleidoscopic as for its notes that any review wouldn't give it justice. On my skin it starts dewy green and floral to end as a dry high peak of incense over muted dark roots and a teasing magnolia hint.
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post #20 of 20
3/6/08 at 5:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by acceptfacts View Post

no one mentioned Timbuktu yet....to me that is the safest blind buy from L'artisan.

I have a sample and amongst the L'Artisan samples, I would tend to agree. It gets kinda soapy on me (clean soapy scent) after a bit so I said nothing, but it really is the "safest" one I have smelled from them.
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