New here, need suggestions please

Welcome!

How about Guerlain Vetiver?

Try some Creeds. They are made with some of the highest concentration of natural essences in the perfume industry, so they work well for those with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.

Big noob here too but have you heard of the CB I Hate Perfume line? I'm thinking specifically of In The Summer Kitchen, Memory of Kindness and possibly Black March? Site is cbihateperfume dot com.

Quite simply, a noob is a newbie. Though some would have you believe it means a hopelessly clueless newbie--but that's just a reflection of how uptight some people are . . .

Welcome to the Forums.

Usually you can tell how good a site is by the way noobs are treated.
This, the JUST STARTING OUT is the right forum to ask newbie questions

Really, you're not all that confusing

You don't know what you're allergic to. Might be synthetic, but then hemlock is a natural plant . . .

Answer: Don't buy a bottle, get a sample.

You're an ex-hippie and an unrepentant Patchouli freak. I wear Givenchy Gentleman and Michael Kors for Men myself, though at times I do get lava lamp flashbacks.

Let's see:

" I dont care if its a male or female fragrance.
Love vetiver and grassy things, not lavender, grassy like dry weeds. "

Hm . . .
Versace L'Homme (1984) Eau Sauvage? Possible. Dry weeds I equate with Fougere (fern). Azarro PH? Penahaligons' Blenheim Bouquet? They're men's scents but they might fit the bill.

As to Vetiver:

The Mother of all vetiver threads is: http://community.basenotes.net/showt...=vetiver+redux

" Dont like sweet or overly grown up lady scents"

I guess you should skip Chanel # 5 and anything with vanilla.

" I love green tea, pepper, tobacco, I love rose and Gardinia and Neroli and many florals. "

Wow! Tons of choices. Go to " Fragrance Reviews" , scroll down and look up ubuandibeme, Purplebird 7, Tovah, Taolady, Ayala and the other lasses with excellent noses. Some of their reviews might lead you to exactly what you want.

" I Like mysterious scents, old, dusty,sensual,weedy,but with a beautiful floral that floats through occasionally."

Definitely read those reviews--there's over a thousand in total, but you might find them fun to peruse. . .

If no one comes through for you here with anything specific and outstanding, wait a week and post this on The Female Fragrance Forum
Tell 'em you tried to follow the rules and posted here first, but all you got was Mario saying you should try Eau Sauvage.

Cheers, and welcome once again.

Mario

hi,

im pretty new here myself, i love Hermes's Hiris, and i own it despite it being a female frag. Another one i like on a woman is Ferragamo by Salvatore Ferragamo, i believe this one is very elegant and timeless and would suit your profile just fine. Applying some nonscented waterbased moisturizer before applying your scent could help with longevity. btw noob would stand for newbie or newcomer.

Welcome to Basenotes Juniemarie!

Agree with everything Mario said

If you are a fan of vetiver I recommend you try Ayala Moriel Vetiver Racinettes. It is more herbal and less citrusy than Guerlain Vetiver. The price may be a bit steep, but they are all natural fragrances and so hopefully should not trigger the sensitivity to certain chemicals.

As always, please don't forget to test before you buy. Have fun!

What part of the southwest? I live in northern New Mexico at 8,100 feet, and I have no problem with scents lasting on me at this altitude.

Has anyone mentioned Mitsouko for you? My guy is nuts for it, and it seems to fit some of your criteria. Another suggestion is Robert Piguet's Baghari. Also Fracas...great gardenia scent - for me, anyway.

Welcome aboard Basenotes!

Janca by Acqua di Biella might work for you. Its sort of mysterious, floral, and has a base of patchouli that brings it all together. My wife tried it and both her and I liked it very much. However it doesn't have the greatest longevity.

Hi Juniemarie! I'm pretty new here too. This place is amazing - I have learned so much in a very few months. I agree with Mario about reading the reviews. They are a gold mine.

After reading your preferences, I suggest that you consider sampling three of my favorite finds, all rose-based fragrances that are natural-smelling, not too sweet, and very beautiful:

Miller Harris FLEURS DE SEL

The Different Company ROSE POIVREE

Frederic Malle UNE ROSE

Each one of these, in its own way, intertwines roses with earthy notes. The last two are downright sexy, in my opinion. Check out the reviews, and best of luck to you in your quest!

ABQ! I'm north of Santa Fe, but I come down to ABQ at least a couple times a month. I just discovered the BEST little drug store...Model Pharmacy at Lomas and Carlisle. They have an unbelievable selection of import scents....bunch of Caron, decent selection of Creed, bunch of Annick Goutal....you have to check them out. Best place yet. At least in NM! Also the L'Occitane store in ABQ Uptown is nice for L'Occitane stuff...the people working there were quite a refreshing change from department stores! And the scents are CHEAP.

Great to see someone from NM here!

If you like vetiver and gardenia, you probably might like Cartier Le baisier du dragon. For a green rose I suggest you to try Diptyque L'ombre dans l'eau. For green tea you can try with L'artisan Tea for two or Bulgari pour femme.

Ah, L'Air du Temps, be still my heart

I would also like to suggest Dune by Christian Dior.

Hi Juniemarie. I am Hawaiian at heart only, having been born and raised in Hawai'i. Aloha to you and hubby. I'll look forward to hearing more about your fragrance search!

Hi Junemarie - welcome!
You might try the L'Occitaine vetyver soap, cologne etc. It's a deep, dark vetiver that reminds me more of the EO than Guerlain's Vetiver, which I love because it's fresh and sparkling. (Actually, you might try the Guerlain on your hubby! It's a men's fragrance and the only one my scent-phobic husband would grudgingly allow me to buy for him.)

How do you feel about licorice and anise notes in fragrances? If you like them, you might try two of Guerlain's Aqua Allegorias: Anisa Bella and Laurier Reglise. They're fresh and summery and don't last long, which might be a problem, but they might smell good to you, in which case we can point you towards more things that might interest you.

My big punt on 'strange, vintage, mysterious' perfume would be Guerlain's L'Heure Bleu. Please try it. You'll have to ask at the Guerlain counter as they usually keep the old stuff under the counter, but it's worth a smell. You might try Guerlain's Parure as well. It has oakmoss in it, which might just fit the bill with its bitter earthiness. Possibly Gres' Cabochard too. And if you get the chance, give Piguet's Bandit a try - it's green and spiky and strange (especially in edt). And for real boombangabang womanliness, what about Rochas' Femme? She's got oakmoss too and is plummy and rich and spicy.

Divatologist (on the ladies board) explained how important she finds really good exfoliation and moisturisation to helping fragrances to last on dry skin. Hope that helps.

Juniemarie, beautiful post. I mainly just wanted to say welcome and to wish you pleasure in your search. And to suggest that you try Serge Lutens Vetiver Orientalif you get a chance. And if you love essential oils and want distinct, earthy notes intact rather than melded in the French designer fashion, Lorenzo Villoresi's stuff might be worth a sniff. His Vetiver has the smoky, earthy quality of the oil but also a lovely rosewood/lavender accord.
I'd wish you success but not immediate success: the search is also a search for home in this great way.

Hi Junemarie,
I'm also new, and Ive been reading this site and forums for weeks , trying to find a replacement for one of my very favorite fragrancessadly discontinued. And Ive been sampling lots of fragrances from Luckyscent, sephora, DSH... So I sympathize with the search for something that works on you and that you really love.

Interestingly, while I havent found anything close to a replacement for Freshs Lucia/ Fleur de Chocolat, I also went back through my scent collection, and renewed my aquaintance with several fragrances from Santa Fe Fragrances. And I was blown awaythese are so much better (at least for me!) than all of the high-end/ investment quality everything Ive been sampling (though there is nothing close to that orange/slight chocolate that I loved about Lucia). Made me wonder: why did I ever stop wearing the SFF scents?? On me, they surpass just about everything else I've tried.

If you are worried about synthetic notes that you hate and cant erase, this is a great resource. Christine Malcolm still uses only natural botanicals, and she trained as a traditional perfumer. I find her fragrances completely intriguing (even the ones that wouldnt work for me everyday), and Ive found that when the fragrances are true botanicals you wont have that gut-wrenching GET THIS OFF ME!!!, even if you dont particularly love the fragrance.

My personal favorites are Blue Sage a chypre-type, and just a perfect balance of elements, so perfect that I cant put my finger on any particular one. Its great for everyday, summer and winter, longlasting, interesting through all of it's stages. I love Snake Oil, but reserve it for cooler weather and eveningsit is an incredible spicy/sexy neroli/orange absolute base, a wild combo of spicy floral and gourmand. Intoxicating, but worn judiciously, not inappropriate for day-wear. Her massage/body oils are INCREDIBLE, and might replace any need for a perfume or cologne. (I guess the 1970-ish names indicate that this woman is dedicated to botanical fragrances...but not to marketing!)


She has a website, www.santafefragrance.com, but if you are near Santa Fe, perhaps you can contact them and find a retail outlet where you can test the fragrancesunfortunately that is the one limitation, no samples.

Anyway-- good luck in your search! I'm going to call SFF tomorrow and order a couple new scents. I don't live near Santa Fe, and no retail outlets near me, but I'm so happy with everything I've received from them, I'm willing to buy untested!