Curious to get fragrance recommendations

Hi all, I'm new here but I have read around the site quite a bit and am so impressed with the level of expertise to be found here. I'd love to get your recommendations for new fragrances for me to try. I can tell you a little about me and what I like.

I'm 25, female, from the US. I'm quiet, intelligent, sexy, a bit reserved on surface but with hidden depths. I'm drawn to all things mysterious, sensual, and a bit edgy maybe. I'm an archaeologist, love books, salsa dancing... don't really know what else to say about my personality.

Current fragrance loves: Burberry for Women is my go-to fragrance, and I wear Victoria's Secret 88 sporadically. (Of course, that's been discontinued and I have about 1/3 of a bottle left.)

Past fragrance loves: My first "real" perfume was Ellen Tracy. I still like it but it feels a bit innocent for me now, and anyway, it's been discontinued too, as far as I know. After that, I went through a phase of wearing Burberry Brit before I "graduated" to the original Burberry. Again, I still like it, but it is just not what I'm looking for. It feels a bit sharp to me, and also there's a powdery note in there that I'm not fond of. Altogether it just doesn't feel sophisticated enough or dark/mysterious enough for me now.

I imagine I'll continue wearing my Burberry quite a bit, but I wanted to find something (or several somethings) new and exciting to catch my fancy. I did a quick breeze-through of a department store fragrance section and was intrigued by Estee Lauder Sensuous, CK Secret Obsession, Unforgivable Woman Black, and even Gwen Stefani "L" though I don't see myself ever buying a celebrity fragrance. I haven't had a chance to try any of these and really see how they do on my skin, however.

As far as I can tell given my limited knowledge, I'm drawn to notes like vanilla (but NOT something like Vanilla Fields lol), sandalwood, musk, amber, and spices. I like it to be deep and soft, not too acrid, but certainly not powdery or syrupy sweet. And I don't think I like hugely floral scents. I'm also not a fan of "clean and fresh," sporty, oceanic type scents.

So from this info, I'd love some suggestions for new scents to try, preferably a little out of the mainstream, though I don't want to go to unreasonable trouble or expense to obtain them.

And if you need any further information or clarification, just ask.

Thanks so much in advance,

R

Thanks everyone for the interesting recommendations so far! Odysseum, I've been curious about oud. Can you describe it a bit more? I've read that it can be very pungent and medicinal, and that doesn't sound too appealing to me. Could you recommend a scent that would give a gentle introduction to oud?

I shall definitely have to check out the Comme des Garcons incense series, since it has now been recommended twice.

Thanks again,
R

Hi again. I have amassed quite a list of fragrances that I'd like to smell, thanks in large part to your excellent recommendations. I was wondering if you can help me separate out the ones that are readily available/testable in department stores such as Younkers or Macy's from the ones which need more work to hunt down. For reasons of convenience, I'd like to start my journey with those that I can find in Younkers.

Here's my list (copied from my fragrance wardrobe test list).

\tAcqua di Parma Profumo (1930) Acqua di Parma
\tKingdom (2003) Alexander McQueen
\tPerle d'Aubusson (2000) Aubusson
\tBulgari Black (1998) Bulgari \t
\tAmor Amor (2003) Cacharel
\tSecret Obsession (2008) Calvin Klein \t
\tParfum Sacré (1990) Caron
\tAllure Eau de Parfum (1999) Chanel \t
\tAllure Sensuelle (2005) Chanel
\tDior Addict (2002) Christian Dior
\tparfums*PARFUMS Series 3 Incense: Kyoto (2002) Comme des Garçons
\tparfums*PARFUMS Series 3 Incense: Ouarzazate (2002) Comme des Garçons
\tEau Lente (1986) Diptyque
\tGoldmund Dorissima \t
\tPaestum Rose (2006) Eau d'Italie
\tPrivate Collection Amber Ylang-Ylang (2008) Estée Lauder
\tSensuous (2008) Estée Lauder \t
\tMesse de Minuit (2000) Etro
\tArmani Mania for Women (2004) Giorgio Armani \t
\tOrganza Indécence (1999) Givenchy \t
\tYsatis (1984) Givenchy \t
\tL'Heure Bleue (1912) Guerlain \t
\tSamsara (1989) Guerlain
\tPomegranate Noir (2005) Jo Malone \t
\tAmbre Extrême (2001) L'Artisan Parfumeur
\tDzongkha (2006) L'Artisan Parfumeur
\tPremier Figuier Extrême (2003) L'Artisan Parfumeur \t
\tHypnôse (2005) Lancôme \t
\tMauboussin (2000) Mauboussin
\tHabanita (1921) Molinard
\tPremier Jour (2001) Nina Ricci \t
\tXS Extreme Girl (2001) Paco Rabanne \t
\tAomassai 10 Parfumerie Generale
\tCadjmere 18 Parfumerie Generale \t
\tIris Taïzo 14 (2002) Parfumerie Generale
\tL'Oiseau de Nuit Parfumerie Generale
\tL'Ombre Fauve Parfumerie Generale \t
\tMusc Maori 04 (2005) Parfumerie Generale \t
\tPadparadscha (2006) Satellite \t
\tUnforgivable Woman Black (2008) Sean John \t
\tFeminitè du Bois (1992) Shiseido \t
\tL'Air du Desert Marocain Tauer \t
\tLe Maroc pour Elle Tauer

Thanks so much!
R

You are all so obliging! I really do appreciate it. And I shall indeed keep you posted as I continue my journey and learn my tastes better.

R

Good to know! Thanks for the info. How do you like it?

R

Update: I've fallen in love with Bulgari Black! I tracked it down in the men's section, sniffed it, sprayed it on a card, immediately sprayed it on my forearm and could not take my nose away from my arm for the rest of the evening. So, I found a good deal online, ordered it, and it should arrive tomorrow! What do I love about it? On me, it's very sweet and feminine, a demure, warm vanilla. Then you breathe a little deeper, look beneath the surface so to speak, and you find the naughty, kinky black rubber side. Based on all of the reviews here, I really wanted to love it but I was sure that I wouldn't find it wearable. Car exhaust and burning rubber don't sound too attractive to me. But on my skin, the rubber is lurking beneath the warm, subtly spicy vanilla and it adds an irresistible dark sexiness to what would otherwise be too sweet. One of the reviewers said "I describe this scent as a room lit up with vanilla scented candles and you can find leather whips under the bed." Add rubber floggers to that description and that's exactly the feeling I get. Not that I'd know anything about all that, of course

I tried a couple of others on my skin as well: CK Secret Obsession and Estee Lauder Sensuous. I was expecting to really like both of them, but both disappointed. Secret Obsession was much lighter and more innocent than I imagined it would be. There's something about it that actually reminds me of my old Ellen Tracy. The scent doesn't match the image of the bottle and the name at all. I like it, but I don't love it, and it didn't last at all on me. I liked Sensuous too, but it was just too big for me. I think it might do better on an older woman, but I kind of felt like it was wearing me.

I sprayed several others on test cards. Givenchy Organza Indecence really is just like VS Secret 88, as some reviews mentioned. I'll have to test it on my skin and see if I like it as much. It could be a replacement for when I run out of 88 ...although as far as vanillas go, I'm not sure I have room in my heart for anything but Bulgari Black right now!

Armani Code and Mania were generic and boring to me, though both quite pleasant. Bulgari Blu Notte smelled just like baby powder to me, and that's not something I find at all attractive. Omnia, on the contrary, was a little sharp for my tastes. Chanel Allure and Allure Sensuelle were nice, but maybe too typically perfumey and not me. I sprayed My Insolence on a card because it was the only Guerlain they had besides Shalimar (which I dislike) and I was immediately sorry. It smelled like cotton candy, or a 14-year-old girl wearing body spray, or a 14-year-old girl wearing body spray and eating cotton candy. Ugh. Nina by Nina Ricci was similarly candyish and off-putting. Dior Addict smelled like cleaning products to me; oddly, I didn't smell much vanilla in it.

Anyway, I just thought I'd give a little update on my progress. I'm sure that before too long I'll feel brave enough to start ordering samples of some of the "niche" scents on my list. Any more recommendations for me?

R