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Pick a two-week signature scent for me!

post #1 of 19
6/29/09 at 10:57am
Thread Starter 
OK, this should be fun!

My sister is getting married this summer, and we are taking a two week vacation for the surrounding festivities. Most of my collection consists of smaller decants, so I've decided to buy a full bottle of a favorite frag to wear exclusively for the two weeks. (I don't want to fuss with packing all those little vials!) Here are the specifics:


The wedding will take place at a Southeastern US beach resort town in late July.
I am a 40 year old mom of 3, my sister is much younger.
Brother in law to be is from a bit of a society family, lots of posh parties shall ensue.
I tend to like richer frags, with notes like leather, woods, and spices. I'm not a fan of sweet or sharp notes.


So far, my top candidate is No5 Eau Premiere...so that's the vein I'm thinking. The thing is, I have a few scents I've been coveting more, and I'm trying to work my head around what I'll spend that $100 on. Sigh. I suppose I am hoping that one of your suggestions will give me an "AHA! I want THAT ONE!"


And, yes, I seem to ask for recommendations with alarming frequency. Sorry if it's annoying...I love to see what everyone comes up with, and I must blame you all for the aforementioned massive collection of wee decants.
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post #2 of 19
6/29/09 at 11:05am
Gosh, that should be fun!

What are your other candidates, besides EP?

I've recently rediscovered No 5, and I need to test EP more... but it's a lovely choice if you are going for a full bottle. But I wonder if maybe EP would be a touch too formal for a resort setting? Maybe go with EP for the evenings, and bring a few other decants for the daytime activities?
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post #3 of 19
6/29/09 at 11:17am
Thread Starter 
See, that's the big silly thing about me...what makes the EP an unusual choice for me is that it is lighter, fruitier, and more casual than my usual choices, even for summer and day. I'm just not a "light" perfume type! My last everyday signature was Fendi, which I wore for 10 years, all day every day and evening!

So, the EP is about as big a "light floral" as I go!

My other I WANTS are Cuir de Russie (just not a summer beach scent, I'm afraid, even for me!) and something Serge Lutens...(I love Cedre, but I'm waiting on a decant of Feminite de Bois because I have heard I may like that one even more)

I also have a bunch of Guerlain minis en route, so perhaps I'll fall in love with one of them...

I'm also craving CdG Zagorsk, but that is just not even in the realm of what would work here!
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post #4 of 19
6/29/09 at 11:30am
I was going to recommend Daim Blond, since its lightness seems suited for summer, but I see you already have it in your wardrobe!

Good luck with your FB quest. :brolly:
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post #5 of 19
6/29/09 at 12:31pm
Don't think you can go wrong with Eau Premiere. Curious to see what you think of your Guerlain samples. Mitsouko can take you pretty much anywhere, and not too sweet.
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post #6 of 19
6/29/09 at 12:58pm
Eau Premiere is lovely. My reservation on it is that you might smell yourself coming and going.
I was in SC last week and wore Cristalle almost the whole time. Fresh and classic. After looking at your wardrobe, you might want to check out Chinatown by Bond no 9, too.
Have a great time!
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post #7 of 19
6/29/09 at 3:38pm
Thread Starter 
Hee! Chinatown is on my order list...I have a list at TPC that is growing, when it passes a shamefully high-but discount inducing mark, I'll hit "order."

I just got a beautifully packaged and wonderful smelling packet from Czech & Speake today, with nice samples of the whole line. I'm excited to give those a whirl, too!

As far as the others:

I do love Cristalle, and it brings me fond memories of a horsey young heiress I was friends with back in my teens. We'll be in Myrtle Beach, so your SC notes are relevant!

I do wear Daim Blond occasionally. It's become my "mommy helps at school" scent, though, so I don't feel quite so party-licious when I'm wearing it, I'm afraid.

I'm glad to hear that Mitsouko might fit, as it's one of my incoming set. I have yet to find "my Guerlain," as I have spent years struggling with the fact that I keep being told that I "should" love Shalimar because of my other favorites...and I literally gag when I smell Shalimar. I think part of me thought I had to learn to love Shalimar as a kind of Guerlain gateway drug. I've given up on that and look forward to Samsara and Mitsouko perhaps being my poison.
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post #8 of 19
6/29/09 at 4:16pm
I recommend ... that in your head you play this game just as you started--tempting yourself with a meaningful purchase. Then, at the last minute, choose to take decants/samps with you so you can suit your mood and each event while flaunting your perfume sophistication under the noses of them thar society types. (You and I are scent opposites, so I can't even suggest anything.)
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post #9 of 19
6/29/09 at 4:49pm
Thread Starter 
Quarry, you must be like my mother in law, who always smells divine in heady florals...and then I try a spritz and am completely wretched. I have very odd body chemistry or something!

Your advice to bring my decants is sound and sage. But....I wanted an excuse to BUY something! I already used this wedding to buy a pair of wildly unpractical but fantastically sexy Italian stiletto sandals, I wanted perfume, too! (/whining)
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post #10 of 19
6/29/09 at 6:09pm
I stand by that EP. I've been wearing it for several months now and I never tire of it. One of the negative features of having/knowing so many scents is that you become very finicky and more aware of your scent than the non-aficionado is; also, you become far more critical of your scent.

I've not had a bad day with Eau Premiere. It is extremely easy to wear, light enough for summer, and doesn't turn in sticky weather.

I would also suggest Cristalle EdT, but this is more an acquired taste (Mediterranean herbs and tangy lemon) than the EP is.
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post #11 of 19
6/30/09 at 12:07am
Try Escale a Portofino by Dior
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post #12 of 19
6/30/09 at 4:03am
I would defenitely go for Feminite du bois. It suits any occasion, in my opinion
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post #13 of 19
6/30/09 at 4:12am
I would like to suggest Serge Lutens Fleurs d'Oranger
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post #14 of 19
6/30/09 at 7:11am
I'm a florals girl, too, so not likely to have a recommendation that you would enjoy. Just want to add my voice to the chorus for EP. Like Orion, I've been wearing it for months now and haven't grown tired of it yet, which is really saying something. It's just beautiful, especially in hot weather I'm finding, and is appropriate for all occasions. That said, I think I would want something a bit headier for those sultry southern nights. Can't you just throw in a handful of decants as well to choose from? That's what I do when I'm traveling. I just never know when I'm going to be in the mood for something entirely different.
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post #15 of 19
6/30/09 at 10:10am
No.5 EP is certainly great, and it's now available in 75ml, meaning you won't have to buy or lug around that 150ml jug. I realize my next suggestion violates the entire purpose of this thread, but tossing a few minis and/or 5ml decants doesn't take up much room, and it will give you a chance to give full wears to scents you may otherwise not try to wear. Before I go away I'll sometimes just reach into a bag of decants, grab a handful and what I grab is what I pack. I would find a week with one scent very boring, and two weeks would kill me. Just an idea.
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post #16 of 19
6/30/09 at 1:35pm
Go in totally the opposite direction and order a little bottle of The Gingerbread Whorehouse from Possets.com, just so that if it all gets too 'tony' you can a) snigger to yourself and b) have a really really amusing answer if someone asks you what perfume you're wearing.

Sorry.
Couldn't help myself.
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post #17 of 19
6/30/09 at 3:25pm
Thread Starter 
Oh, Wordbird, you are a deviant. But, you are just my kind of deviant. (Slides over on the setee and passes you a cocktail)

Maybe I'll just douse myself Serge MKK and let everyone wonder what I was up to in the coatroom. Muss hubby's hair up a bit for good measure....
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post #18 of 19
6/30/09 at 5:10pm
Although it's pretty, EP is conformist and safe and ubiquitous. Kind of an office scent rather than festive, in my opinion. More like a cologne.

If you want something ladylike and powdery, like EP, how about Iris Poudre (I don't remember it as sweet, but I haven't sniffed it in quite some time)? Amouge Lyric is a beautiful deep floral without sharpness or sweetness, but it isn't that powdery, either, and I'm thinking you may like that aspect of EP. Amouge Dia is powdery and classy, like EP, but even richer and fancier; big sprays of Dia might be a bit much in the heat, but just two little dabs might be fantastic!!

I'd say Iris Poudre and/or Amouge Dia for your festive two weeks. Have fun! Let us know what you choose!
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post #19 of 19
7/13/09 at 6:32am
Thread Starter 
UPDATE:


My vacation starts tomorrow, and I jsut wanted to share the findings for you!

In the end, ebay made the decision for me! I won an auction for a pair of EDTs...The rechargable Mitsouko canister and a barely-used tester of Givenchy III. So, basically, we are having a Chypre vacation, WOOT! I'll wear the Givenchy for days by the pool and ocean, and the Mitsouko for more dressy events. I'll also bring along some of my decants of various woods, etc, for my sleeping/bedtime juice, just to break it up, but I am probably going to stick to my pretty, huge FBs!

Now, chypre will always remind me of fun and relaxation! I hope.
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