I'm sample shopping! Noob seeks recommendations

Hello, everyone! I'm new to niche fragrance, and frankly, I'm rather surprised about that! I've always been "sniffy" (as a child I was very particular about the way different houses smelled to me, for example, and so many of my memories are very scent-specific) and my general tastes have always been particular. (For example, I always thought I hated Scotch because I hated the taste of most of the "entry level" blends I tried...but then I sampled a "difficult" Islay single malt and it was LOVE!)

At any rate, I'm in the process of filling up a shopping cart over at TPC as part of my ongoing quest to find a favorite scent. (or five!) What makes it difficult for me is that my tastes are a bit different, and also I think that my body chemistry does not interact with many fragrances the way that others' do.

Certain terms like "wearable" and "light" don't work for me...they are subjective for anyone, of course, but on my body sometimes it seems like Opposite Land. For example, my last batch of samples included a variety of the Chanel Exclusives. Bois des Iles, the "wearable" choice, fades quickly to a headache-inducing flowery powder for me, while "acquired taste" Cuir de Russie sinks in to my skin and smells natural and wonderful all the way to the last. My mother-in-law smells lovely in her favorite florals like Amazing Grace and Calvin Klein Escape...they smell like dish detergent on me! And, contrary to common wisdom, I actually find florals to be even more difficult in the summertime, when they seem to hang in the humid air. I'd prefer a subtle spice that merely smells warm and rich to the "sweaty chick bathed in air freshener" that I get from most so-called summer scents.


In general, I think that I like a Woody Oriental type scent, but preferably one with little to no powder. I like only a few types of flower, and am VIOLENTLY opposed to so-called "white florals." Not difficult enough? I'd also like to smell somewhat feminine! I have no problem with truly unisex fragrances, but many tend to lean a little too much to the masculine side. I just don't want to smell like a lady in aftershave, you know? (I'm looking at you, CK One!)

I have tried two Serge Lutens scents, and I suspect that I will enjoy many of his fragrances. I love Cedre and so already have Feminite du Bois in my shopping cart. Are there any others in particular that you'd recommend? (The other I have of his is 5 O'Clock au Gingembres, which I did like on me OK, but loveloveLOVED on my husband.)


Phew. Sorry about that long-winded intro that is doubtless very confusing. I appreciate your recommendations!

Oooh, thank you! I haven't even heard of some of these, which gets me excited!

I'm not sure if I like the Gourmand Orientals or not. Those are food-noted, right? I suppose I like certain spices, like ginger, clove and cinnamon, and I don't mind a hint of vanilla. But I really don't like sweet or syrupy scents, and I'm not in to chocolate at all. No offense to the 8000000 (or so it seems out there in the wild) ladies who wear it, but Angel smells cheap and trampy to my nose.

I do enjoy some amber. It has that nice, warm feel to me that draws me to the woody scents.

I'm still trying to learn to isolate and identify certain notes. My internal description of fragrance usually is much more impressionistic, with references to color, tactile sensations, and climate. Evocative for me, but nearly impossible to describe to another person!

OK, kiddies. I've gone through shipments from Luckyscent and The Perfume Shoppe over the last few weeks, as well as hit up my local Sephora for freebies of the few classics they still carry. (Opium, Shalimar, Chanel No5...)

I'm almost up to $75 at TPC for a discounted order, when I get there, I'll be staring at my mailbox again! Eep. I'm an addict. Since you asked, here are my notes so far:

Chanel

Once upon a time, there were three sisters.

No.5 was the belle of the ball. Perhaps she seems a bit abrasive at first, but once you get to know her she is the epitome of elegance. She is well-known, and recognized immediately. She is the queen of high society.

Her sister Bois des Iles is more sweet, more gentle. She's a more retiring beauty, and is content to aspire to nothing more than president of the Garden Club.

Meanwhile, Cuir de Russie wears her leather riding boots everywhere, even in the house. This is because it's where she hides her flask of Scotch that she nicked from Daddy's study. She has frequent affairs with the stable boys, and possibly the chambermaids, but she says that was just a rumour.


I refuse to consider what it means that I like Cuir de Russie best of all.


I also tried the Parfum formulation of Coco Mademoiselle. I had sampled the EDT in the past, but like all Chanels, it had TERRIBLE longevity on me. The good news was that the fragrance does last longer than an hour or two in the parfum formulation. The bad news was that I really don't like Coco Mademoiselle for more than an hour or two! Too floral, too sweet.


Serge Lutens

Well, I was right, Mr. Lutens has a fan in me! I found something to like about all the scents I've managed to get so far:

5O'Clock Au Gingembres -- Nice, fresh, but too masculine for me and too feminine for my hubby. Oh, well.
Cedre -- my fave Lutens so far...
Serge Noir -- Black Licorice and Patchouli. Like Bassets Allsorts at a Phish concert. Freakishly long lasting on me. Like, DAYS and showers and other frags and it's still there!!
Santal Blanc -- Nice, clearly in the Daim Blond family...but very poor longevity on me.
Daim Blond -- Very apricotty to my nose, I definitely get the bitterness of the stone, even. Quite nice, though.

I am still tracking down Ambre Sultan and Feminite de Bois.




Montale

Wood and Spices: The name seemed descriptive enough of what I'd like, and I like it OK, I guess....but it really smells like Cherry Pipe Tobacco to me more than anything else.

White Aoud: This smells EXACTLY like the very first perfume I was allowed to wear as a child, and so all I get here is nostalgia and a powdery rose.





Comme des Garcons

THANK YOU to those who recommended this line...I didn't even know it existed, and I love it! These are not the scents I chose to create an impression, these are the scents I wear because of the feelings they evoke in me when I smell them. I have Incense: Zagorsk, Incense: Avignon, and Red: Sequoia. I like to put them on right before bed and I drift to sleep smelling ancient churches and forests. Amazing. I wish they had more sillage and longevity on me, though...



Also, thanks for reminding me of EL Knowing...I remember back in High School, all my classmates were obsessed with "Beautiful," but I always preferred "Knowing..." I can't recall the smell, I just remember thinking that it smelled like the kind of elegant, sophisticated woman I hoped to be someday...



ON THE LIST:

Diptyque Tam Dao
Ava Luxe Opoponax Intense Eau de Parfum
Ava Luxe No. 23 Eau de Parfum
Dior Dolce Vita
Shiseido Feminite du Bois
Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan
Serge Lutens Cuir Mauresque
Estee Lauder Knowing EDP
The Ten Party
i Profumi di Firenze Sandalo Misore EDP
Caron Tabac Blond Pure Parfum
Caron Tabac Blond Eau de Toilette
Chanel No. 5 Eau Premiere EDP
Bond No. 9 Chinatown