3x3 Blind Sniff - Summer Fun - August

Yay--Hot Fun in the Summer Sun

Summer fun. I'm thinking everyone should wear their bikini's and I'll bring the suntan lotion - allright?

Are they all summer flankers? :P

My package arrived early, I'm so excited! Itching to start sniffing.

Hahaha nice idea Mike but I'll be sitting here in a thick coat and ugg boots (yes they are ugly but so comfy!), whilst craving summer. Too scared to pull out my 'kini anyway, I believe I require my excess pudge to keep warm in the winter

Oh, this is hilarious--I did not receive mine yet, lol. Love those LA postal sorting centers...hopefully the package won't get re-routed to someplace back east.

MIne isn't here yet either. There's always tomorrow! I will take my shoes off for the occasion. I hate shoes anyway.

Looking forward, but a bit nervous about my ability to sniff out notes. This should be interesting!

Hello, troops ~ I'm looking forward to bearing witness, singing back-up, or serving virtual hors d'oeuvres for the 3x3.

The very special package has arrived. Kudos to Whisper for composing a thoughtful lot--it's all sooo adorable.

I've been so busy I haven't sniffed anything in days, so "going deep" with you fine folks is just the sort of immersion therapy I need to get back in true BN form.

My box arrived today, and it has lots of treats!

I am still laughing about how jillsy got her package half way around the world before ours got to us in California

Well, Asha, SoCal beat NoCal. I'm hoping for my package tomorrow! Looking forward...

P.S. It's especially funny that jillsy got hers first, since the theme is "Summer Fun" and it's winter where she lives!

Haunani, perhaps they cart the mail by mule train up there in the gold country

VERY funny!

I'm now feeling very shocked given I've often had to wait a month for parcels to arrive from the US! Haunani I'm sure you'll get yours soon and it'll be very worth the wait!

It's taking me a fair amount of willpower to refrain from spritzing a little bit of everything on my arms. Can't wait to have a sniff!

It's here!!! It's here!!! I'm told that our Gold Country Mule Train got held up by a masked perfumista -- a Bandit aficionado, I'm guessing. Anyway, they chased that bad girl down and rescued my box. Whew! Everything looks intact...Wow, FIVE little sprayers! I have already fallen hard for the cute little PINK Minnie Mouse bag. Thank you, WL!!! :bounce:

Yay! Time for summer fun, and right on cue for the weekend

First impressions:
Colorless liquid
Feminine floral fragrance, EDT
Aldehydes
Peach
Jasmine (or other white floral)
Rose
White Musk

My thoughts as I do my initial sniffing on paper is that this is a feminine floral EDT in the style of a classic such as Chanel No.5. However, it smells cleaned up, so it is either a contemporary fragrance, or a classic that has been reformulated. The top is soapy aldehydic and peachy, with some faint indoles and white florals. The heart is a creamy rose. The base is a soapy, white musk.

Edit to add: I think "A" is a designer or mass-market fragrance.

Okay, been taking notes like crazy. Will post those, then look at them in light of Asha's impressions..

Color: Clear (even held up to white paper)

Sprayed on back of hand: Lots of alcohol, took maybe three seconds to burn off. Seems definitely alcohol based; however, there is a *very slightly* oily residue on my hand.

First impression is substantial cologne or EDT. Not too sweet, in fact first impression is that it could be a male or unisex targeted product.

First impression of notes: Sweet almond or possibly heliotrope? Maybe even a not-too-successful attempt at lilacs. After a couple of minutes, there's something green like mowed grass perhaps? And a soapiness, I think. It's sheer and clean. It's a bit sweeter than it was at first. Pretty, so maybe I'm wrong about the target not being women. I do not detect any citrus, nor other fruit. Could be a citrus blossom or maybe verbena in there!

Good quality drugstore or niche, I think. Doesn't seem designer. But my experience with designer fragrances is pretty limited.

About ten minutes in... no real changes yet. Too early to say that it's completely linear. I'm also guessing that it will last a while on me. Perhaps some light ("white"?) musk for the base? No wood, spice, animalic or amber that I can smell.

Thinking about the summer theme. This one does not remind me of the ocean or the beach. It's more like bliss in the back yard. Light flowers, grass, fragrant sheets blowing in the light breeze.

I see that Asha and I overlap on EDT, soapy, florals (OK maybe a touch of the indolic - I see what you mean, Asha), and white musk. I do not get peach or rose yet, but I know that Asha has done a lot of study with individual notes, so I sure wouldn't rule them out!

Contemporary fragrance, I think, and I think I would now rule out masculine. Unisex still possible, to my nose.

Still getting almonds...

Looking forward to Jillsy's impressions!

The white musk base makes it seem so modern, but everything that comes before the white musk seems classic.

I am not usually 100% when I try to identify notes, lol! Sample "A", though, has that sort of "face cream" smell that I associate with roses in classic women's floral fragrances. I agree it is light and sheer. The soapyness is quite strong, though.

If I were to try to rush to an answer right away, I'd say it is a reformulated low-cost classic, perhaps something from Avon or Coty. It does not remind me of a Bath and Body Works or Body Shop fragrance, even though the white musk base reminds me of TBS white musk.

I just sprayed it on my husband's hand and he says it reminds him of "soap - good soap - that purple or blue flower that they use a lot in soap". I'm still thinking maybe lilac. I agree that it sort of has that "face cream" smell. You know, there could be some rose, maybe of the tea rose type? Avon is an interesting idea. Or could it be English? A Yardley fragrance, perhaps?

Well, it doesn't smell like lilacs to me, but that doesn't mean much! There are very few fragrances that can mimic a true lilac scent. But, lilac soap...sure, I can get that connection. I think Crabtree and Evelyn had a Lilac line at one time, or maybe it was Caswell Massey. Persian Lilac was the name. I agree it has that piercing "pee-like" note that some spring flowers get.

I agree that lilac is hard to nail in fragrances. Several I've tried dry down to sort of a white rice smell on me. And I'm getting a bit of that now, after some time. But it's mostly that nice light musk, isn't it?

Asha, are you still thinking peach? I'm still not getting any fruit.

I only get peach at the very beginning--it fades pretty fast. There are peachy aldehydes, so perhaps it is just an aldehyde blend that is giving that effect.

I just resprayed it, and I do get the lilac (or spring flower) impression at the start. It is pretty, kind of green and floral at the same time. Could be some muguet...

BTW, Caswell Massey makes Persian Lilac EDC and Crabtree and Evelyn has a Wisteria EDP that has lilac in it.

Maybe we should try to think about how this fragrance fits the theme too...if it is spring flowers, that is not summer fun, in my mind

But, if whisperingleaves is very tricky, maybe sample "A" is a fragrance she wore one summer when she had fun!

Asha, I agree that lilac isn't a summer thing, but I'm stuck on that right now. Hmmm... muguet is possible. Do you think honeysuckle is another to consider? And would you rule out linden?

I am not sure I would recognize Honeysuckle, and I would not rule out Linden--Linden has a sharp spring floral fragrance also.

I really get caught on the aldehydes. But you know, so many pyramids are not complete. Aldehydes are in many, many fragrances, and not necessarily listed as notes.

Jillsy, did you sleep in on your Saturday morning??? I'm wondering what you think!

OK, I put a Canberra clock on my computer dashboard. It is now jillsy's lunch time

Just one more comment for now. This is not as long-lasting as I thought it might be, and there COULD be a light wood (sandalwood or cedar?) in the base.

Oh no, sorry to hold up the party! Sorry Asha, didn't notice my inbox fill so quickly! Continue with your impressions. Here are mine:

Clear, colourless. Lot of alcohol, guessing EdT. Upon first sniff I get musky fruity floral, unlike most of the immature smelling fruity florals launched these days, with a Nirmala kind of vibe. It settles down to a soapy, musky floral. The musk is very clean, I think I detect rose, vanilla, a white floral (maybe jasmine but I don't smell much skank) and subtle leather (leather + florals make me think soap). The leather isn't very strong, quite similar to the leathery undertones of Kelly Caleche.

Hmmm I'm getting some kind of berry smell to it also. Not very strong but kind of a (L'Artisan) Mure et Musc berry. Maybe my sniffer is going haywire.

I'm guessing if this was released in the last 10 years it'd be niche, otherwise I'd think it a designer classic.

Edits: Just reading the previous impressions, I do think it smells like face cream too! What a good way to describe it!

I have trouble detecting some aldehydes but now you mention it, I think this does have some. Not the Mitsouko/nose itch kind of aldehydes but the softer ones.

Maybe it is Caleche, rather than Kelly Caleche...? I understand what you mean, jillsy. Soap plus leather = Hermes.

Edit: It is not Kelly Caleche or Caleche Eau Delicate (I have samples here). I should add--the Hermes scents smell more complex than sample "A".

I agree that it's probably not a Hermes. However the Caleche idea was interesting, and some of the review comments overlap with some of ours!

Yes, and Caleche is primarily an aldehydic floral!

Yes I don't think it's KC, this one isn't as bright and youthful. I can't remember Caleche.

I'm starting to lose some of the topnotes and all I got left is vanilla and soap (floral/leather). Maybe a tiny bit of sandalwood? I'm not sure. I'm trying to figure out the white floral. It does feel a bit watery like lilac. I think. En Passant is very lilac based right? Sample A is not EP but if it's lilac I smell in EP then my money is also on lilac for sample A. Maybe something else as well.. gardenia? LOTV? Watered down tuberose?

It could have some "fake wood" in the base--like iso E super or something like that. I do not think it has natural sandalwood--the base is predominantly white musk to my nose.

Yes it could be Iso E Super. Done well though, not too overpowering.

Sprayed a little more on and couldn't help but smell fig for a second. Odd.

Wondering about the florals still. Mimosa, iris? I can't help but feel like I've smelled this before. Hazarding a guess to Whisperingleaves by PM.

I agree that it could be fake wood, done well. It's subtle. Maybe fig is the fruitiness you get, jillsy! One of the fragrances I ran across had fig -- need to go back.

Fig can be very green, also, and I agree there are some green notes at the very start. If it is fig, it would be one of the more woody and green variety, with lots of stems and leaves.

As I spray my coffee filter "blotter" over and over, sample "A" starts to smell slightly more complex...still not in the niche range for me, though. Or should I say--it is not what I would EXPECT of a niche

Though I had trouble getting any fruit at first, now I'm wondering about green fig and also blackberries. What do you think about blackberries?

I think I have a guess or two to e-mail to whisperingleaves, but I'm not quite sure yet!

Edit: Here's another question for you, Asha and Jillsy... Do you think there is bergamot in the top notes? I think there might be, which makes me technically wrong when I said "no citrus".

I don't smell bergamot or blackberry. However, bergamot can be easily masked if it is used in a small proportion. I am starting to think the green note might be something along the lines of violet leaf. I smelled the greenest fig sample I have (Heely Figuier), and it was much more figgy than sample "A". That doesn't mean there is no fig, but "A" is probably not a Fig "soliflore". Besides, the figgy side of the green note fades VERY quickly.

I'm still in the ladies' classic floral camp...hehe.

I'll add to my list:

Feminine floral fragrance, EDT
Aldehydes
Violet Leaf
Peach
Jasmine (or other white floral)
Rose
Light Amber (I smell something sweet along with the musk)
White Musk

Asha, I don't get violet, though I do buy the idea of violet leaves. I also wonder if we shouldn't consider lime leaf or lemon leaf. I don't smell bergamot either, but it's hard to isolate, I think (and this from a woman who owns a bottle of Divine Bergamote!).

I'm fading now...I don't have any new ideas. Hopefully whisperingelaves can put us on the right track in the morning!

Same here. It's been fun. Good night!

The figgy note I smelled was akin to Philosykos. It disappeared in a few seconds though.

I thought I detected orange but it could well be bergamot.

No lilac hey? Feels like there is some kind of watery accord that smells like lilac.

Hmmm I think I smell orange blossom/neroli in this too.

Edit: there's something in it that simultaneously reminds me of a few Guerlains (powdery floral from Insolence/L'Heure Bleu and Samsara style sandalwood) and Drole de Rose. Is there violet? Violet + rose would explain the Insolence/LHB/DdR.

Every time I smell this a new facet appears!!

Now that everyone has their package and I won't be spoiling any surprises, can I gush about how fun the Minnie-themed collection is? What is it about little things that makes grown women go ooooooouuuu? You ARE delightful and clever, Whisperingleaves.

I'm keeping my lips zipped about "A" except to say it is a summer-suitable scent for the muggy day we're having, and I'm enjoying it, although I'm perceiving it as sweeter than most of you. This is the first 3x3 I've dropped in on, and reading your comments is like watching a thriller movie where I can see the villain sneaking up behind the victim. I'm on the edge of my seat. (BTW there honestly are no hints in that analogy. Wouldn't want to influence you ... yet.)

Hmm...I have been searching this morning, and nothing yet...

I have ruled these houses out because they do not have an EDT that matches the description:
Clean
Jo Malone
Mistral
Occitane (no colorless EDT's that come close)

However...if the frag is discontinued then I am out of luck!

I'd say ruling out houses would be a good way to go here. Is that right, Whisper?

Quarry or whisperingleaves--is there violet, violet leaves or lily of the valley / muguet in this fragrance?

Oh, and one other question--when you say it is a designer frag, does that mean a house that also offers other products such as cosmetics or clothing, and typically is found in a department store?

Good morning! That is one of my questions, too. Also, does the fragrance contain any listed citrus notes? Oh, and is there any amber in the base?

So exciting!! :bounce: Now that it's my day off, I'm with you Quarry, hanging on every word.

Sample A sounds intriguing... does it have a certain feel or mood to it? WL mentioned its supposed to conjure a vacation worthy spot... is it bringing any places to mind?

From the notes I have, the green could be violet leaves, but violet is not mentioned. No LotV. A designer of clothing first and foremost as I understand it.

... whoops just got a PM/email -- Haunani's got it narrowed to two. And one of them's right!

Yes to the citrus.

I have to go out for a while--I'll think about it some more and come back refreshed