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December Blind 3x3 Sniff - Page 3

post #121 of 267
12/18/09 at 11:56am
Thread Starter 
Seems like Mr.R is not particularly keen on A either. Somehow, A is niche that smells all synthetic and, overall, cheap on me, that is the reason -- together with the limited amounts! -- why I do not wear it very often.
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post #122 of 267
12/18/09 at 11:58am
I am suspecting that this might be our "Designer" entry. If it is "Drugstore," than this is one of those "inexpensive secrets" that people look for. I don't know that it's a fabulous favorite, but it's interesting and complex with good longevity for a lower-priced scent, if that is what it is.

I think that some of the notes are in common with the first...but there is a definite different feel to this blend of notes. No mint to me, which seemed strong in A. Of course, A didn't end up having mint, so B is probably all mint, just to screw with me.

I do get some faint orange. A fair amount of spice...more cinnamon? The clove is less carnation-y and more like one of those sharp-smelling orange and clove pomader balls. No amber for me. Could the drydown actually be cedar/almond/vanilla? Would someone actually do that?

ETA: Oh, is our "British" clue carrying over?
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post #123 of 267
12/18/09 at 12:00pm
Hmmm...hazelnut?

EDIT:

Quote:
sharp-smelling orange and clove pomader balls

This is EXACTLY the image I had in my head during the first few moments of sniffing this. I forget what thosr things are called but we used to make them when I was a kid to hang around the house at Christmas.

The apple-y note I'm getting is a sort of alcoholic/cider note, too - it's not fresh, cheery apple. Maybe it's the peach??

Is there jamminess here? The aforemention plum? Raisins? Booze-soaked raisins?

CallMeMo - do you get booziness from this one?
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post #124 of 267
12/18/09 at 12:06pm
Quote:
Somehow, A is niche that smells all synthetic and, overall, cheap on me

Twolf, I was convinced A was a mass-market scent. That drydown, especially, was Meh with a capital 'M'.

The reason I'm associating Sample B with niche is because it's reminding me slightly of Botrytis (which sample A did as well, in some ways) and I have never smelled a mass market scent that is like this. Which isn't really that meaningful as most of my experience is with niche frags.
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post #125 of 267
12/18/09 at 12:12pm
It sounds like a Frapin.
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post #126 of 267
12/18/09 at 12:15pm
I'm now drinking the peach tea. HA! Yum. My teabag tag advises, "Reward Yourself." I trust you will all respond accordingly.

I am terrible at "boozy." Maybe because I like a nice cocktail now and again? Hee. No gin or scotch. But, maybe that little nose-burn I get is from a bourbon or brandy, and not eucalyptus after all?

I'm not getting any apple or peach, I don't think. More like...dates? That cedary smell is strong on me. Not pencil shaving cedar or hamster cage cedar...more synthetic and almost aquatic. Camphor-like, without the minty touch.
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post #127 of 267
12/18/09 at 12:18pm
Brandy and bourbon are great guesses - cognac popped into my mind but it could just as easily be either one of those now that I actually think about it. Brandy especially. Apple brandy. Heh.

And dates, CallMeMo - that could be the jamminess I'm getting? Do you like this? I'd like this on a be-sweatered man, but not on me.

EDIT: This could be a Frapin - 1270 or Caravelle Epicee?

EDIT EDIT: But Twolf is hinting it's mass market-ier? Or is she toying with us? Gah.
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post #128 of 267
12/18/09 at 12:21pm
Thread Starter 
More rapid than eagles we've figured A out,
The Mouse got mad, he thought he could do without.
"Here's your bottle, I don't want this clatter",
He said, and Nutcracker knew it would be the matter.
A wink in his eye and a twist of his head,
He is so determined, we are moving ahead.
Let's see while we are on it, the Snowflake Dance
And fall in love with B -- to a wonderful romance!

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/vid...0A62AA04306305
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post #129 of 267
12/18/09 at 12:23pm
I have always been crap at cryptic crosswords.

Are you giving us a snowflake-y hint, Twolf?
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post #130 of 267
12/18/09 at 12:25pm
I like it well enough. I actually didn't even consider the masculine option until you said it! That crisp aquaticish cedar (watch there be no cedar in there, now that I've said it 800 times!) seems to young and "metro" for a be-sweatered gentleman, but, then, I'm old -- half the stuff at the men's counter these days smells more girly than my old "pour femme" stuff!

The more I huff at my wrist, the more my nose itches. It hasn't made me sneeze yet, but it does have a certain harshness. My first sampling had me saying niche, but now I'm suspecting otherwise. It could very well be a mass-market masculine.

I agree with the other assessments of Scent A. Definitely linear and synthetic for a niche offering, with disappointing longevity. Kind of boring.

There is some floral note lurking in the middle range of B...any idea what that is, LBMN?


ETA: You people keep posting while I'm typing! Snowflakes...and Romance? Hmmmmmmm..........
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post #131 of 267
12/18/09 at 12:46pm
Did Tchaikovsky do a celebuscent?
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post #132 of 267
12/18/09 at 12:48pm
Thread Starter 
Ok, ladies, Mr.R PMed me his guess and it is correct -- he sniffed B briefly in the morning before he had applied A to wear it to work again. So he will be suffering until the end of the day when he can come home and enjoy B as much (or even more!) as you are all enjoying it.

All you descriptions are correct! Especially, boozey and "fabulous favorite" (Mo in #122). There are plnty of reviews of B in the BN Directory for this, but (aha!) there is no pyramid. That said, all the pyramids for B that I have seen are very close, including that on NowSmellThis and OsMoz.

Here are the notes -- out of what you were able to identify -- that actually are present in B:
-- benzoin,
-- vanilla,
-- honey,
-- cinnamon,
-- booze of sorts,
-- seeds of sorts (you were both talking about nutty and nuts).

Other that I smell in B as well as you do, but are NOT in the official pyramid are:
-- amber,
-- tobacco,
-- dry cedar.


So, how much do you think is the fair price for 100ml of B? Depending on this, we can, perhaps, classify it as designer, mass market or niche again?


.
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post #133 of 267
12/18/09 at 12:48pm
I don't know, kumquat. There are some frags out there that hit you like the 1812 Overture, though.
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post #134 of 267
12/18/09 at 12:51pm
Thread Starter 
LOL at my neighbor kumquat! Guys, I have just received a fabulous news -- my package to Italy I thought was lost for ever -- has arrived, after about 5 months on the road! Yeeppee!
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post #135 of 267
12/18/09 at 1:04pm
Again, with the typing at the same time! Hooray for Twolf finally getting her goodies!

Oh, lord. I guessed scent A by basically guessing EVERY FRAGRANCE EVER and eventually hitting on one, and Mr. R goes by memory and guesses B right out of the gate. Sigh.

I'm not ready to say that this is an expensive frag. It's actually pretty synthetic, and there is something suspiciously nose-tickly going on here. My bet is that it is an older designer scent or a drugstore option, but that it is actually a great buy for the money. Does anyone remember Fila's scent that they had out in the 1970s? (It isn't even in the BN directory) It reminds me of that a bit. I always think of it as a "dry aquatic" which makes no sense, I know. I think it's the cedar. Which isn't officially there. But, I say it is.


If LBMN agrees to very slight hints, these would be two questions I'd ask:

Is this fragrance still in production? Is it a flanker of any sort, or is it the "main" scent?
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post #136 of 267
12/18/09 at 1:09pm
Thread Starter 
It is still in production. It is one of the main scents in the series.
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post #137 of 267
12/18/09 at 1:11pm
Thread Starter 
The name of the scent or the house has not been mentioned on this thread so far.
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post #138 of 267
12/18/09 at 1:26pm
Giorgio for men?


(STOP LAUGHING. It keeps coming up when I search!)
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post #139 of 267
12/18/09 at 2:22pm
What great fun! Poems and teas and videos. . . .

I don't know what B is, but I want me some given the (unlisted) pipe tobacco note.

I tried Femme de Dandy early on in my fragrance journey. I didn't like it then, but I didn't much like cinnamon or powder then. Good to know there's no rush to try it again.
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post #140 of 267
12/18/09 at 2:37pm
Twolf and DD are doing a great job with the clues and treats for the senses along the way, aren't they?
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post #141 of 267
12/18/09 at 3:32pm
I hope you guys are enjoying Sample B!

It's funny - knowing this one, Twolf is giving plenty of hints - they're just very sly. She doesn't give a whole clue, just the essence of a clue...
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post #142 of 267
12/18/09 at 3:38pm
>Narrows eyes< I'm starting to think that perhaps the package to Italy was metaphorical?

Cimabue by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz also comes up every time I search....but, we already had our niche, and it's one of each, right? Cimabue was a great Italian artist, if I'm remembering right.

How about Aimez-Moi by Caron? How do we classify the big old houses? Kumquat is the queen of Caron, so the "kumquat, my neighbor" could be....

Now I'm just grasping.
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post #143 of 267
12/18/09 at 4:26pm
Thread Starter 
Sorry, Italy and "my neighbor" things were just in the spurr of the moment and have nothing to so with B, I promise.

OK, since you would not give me the price range (and I promise, B is not one of the Axes), how about the country -- does B evoke any images? Could you say that it is French, American, Japanese in style, and we have decided that it is not Italian -- see the very first line of this post?

Does it remind you of something you have smelled before?

Who could be the nose behind that "aquatic cedar" (which, in its turn is "dry cedar" to me)one of you has mentioned, or could it be attributed to one of the existing noses that we know of, again, in style?
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post #144 of 267
12/18/09 at 4:35pm
It is dry...but there is a crispness to the dry cedar that I associate with scents like Ava Luxe's Tao...'

Anyhoo, my go-to guy for cedar is Serge Lutens. Is it from him?
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post #145 of 267
12/18/09 at 5:57pm
Thread Starter 
No, it is not from Serge Lutens or Christopher Sheldrake.
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post #146 of 267
12/18/09 at 6:01pm
Thread Starter 
BTW, in #141 Mr.R is trying to help out and giving us another clue as to B's identity. His word choice could not be any better. Right, Mr.R?
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post #147 of 267
12/18/09 at 6:25pm
Hey - clues aren't in my job description either!

I'm just quietly enjoying my evening at home with some delicious spiced tea (thanks Twolf!).

(no clue here - just being friendly!)
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post #148 of 267
12/18/09 at 6:41pm
Based on the word "essence" and veuve amiot's review (nose tickling!) I'll guess Essence by Narciso Rodrigues?

And, now I need LBMN to heeeeeelp meeeeeee.
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post #149 of 267
12/18/09 at 6:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Twolf View Post

It is still in production. It is one of the main scents in the series.

This clue sounds extra-helpful. Also, Twolf mentions that there is a booze and a seed among the ingredients. I'm thinking of seeds: anise? cardamom? coriander? cumin? sesame?

Quote:
Originally Posted by kumquat View Post

Did Tchaikovsky do a celebuscent?

Ha!

I just sent in a guess, but don't have much confidence in it.
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post #150 of 267
12/18/09 at 7:18pm
Thread Starter 
Mo, "essence" is the right choice, keep on moving in this same direction.

Had to edit here, Ms.H:
Ms.H -- thanks for participating! We need more participants like you. *kiss* All seeds that you have mentioned are not found in the official pyramid for B, sorry, except for one -- sesame, I also heard the description of them as "grilled" or "roasted' sesame seeds.
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post #151 of 267
12/19/09 at 4:30am
Thread Starter 
Good morning, everybody. Last night I have received another correct guess via PM, so we are getting there, slow but sure.

To make things easier for our sniffers:
1) Yes, it is a Designer scent, but it falls into the price range of niche (alike Armani Prive line -- a designer whose house released a series of scents for connoisseurs).
2) You both, ladies, noticed that there is something masculine about it. Actually, it is aimed for the both genders by the manufacturer.
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post #152 of 267
12/19/09 at 6:23am
OK, I'm pretty sure I found it. Once I started reading the reviews, I felt quite confident that the reviewers were smelling the same scent I was! I'll pm Twolf so LBMN has a chance to guess again if she wants....
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post #153 of 267
12/19/09 at 6:43am
Thread Starter 
By now we have got FOUR people who PMed me their correct guess as to B's identity. We are waiting for Ms.L to wake up and start guessing.
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post #154 of 267
12/19/09 at 7:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Twolf View Post

We are waiting for Ms.L to wake up and start guessing.

Does anyone have her phone number?

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post #155 of 267
12/19/09 at 7:51am
Thread Starter 
I do not, and she is in Canada. Perhaps, also getting snowed in as a big storm is going on on the East Coast, I have heard.
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post #156 of 267
12/19/09 at 7:57am
I'm in New England, word has it that the snow is still in the Mid Atlantic region right now. Snow is supposed to hit here tonight, so it probably won't get to LBMN until tomorrow.

Besides, being snowed in is the perfect excuse to sit around on the computer, right?

>jumps up and down on LBMN's bed like my kids on Christmas Morning< GET UP AND SNIFF, MADAME!

Hee!
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post #157 of 267
12/19/09 at 9:25am
Thread Starter 
Ms.Mo and Mr.R, you can actually start smelling Sample C, but please refrain from posting your impressions here, let's be nice and wait for Ms.L.
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post #158 of 267
12/19/09 at 10:51am
Good Morning everyone!

I had a great time wearing B last night, even if I wasn't participating. It's probably my favorite perfume - I save it as a special occasion scent, preferably for cold weather. I can't imagine a better scent to be snowed in with!

It was actually my last full bottle purchase, a couple of months ago. As Twolf said, it's not cheap and I had to save up for a while to afford it, but in a way, that makes it feel more special.

(BTW, I've hidden my wardrobe, so no cheating!)

We know C is going to be the drugstore cheapie of the group. I'm hoping it's not too much of a letdown, but today is basically just a cleaning and errand day anyway. Oh, and I have to cook baked ziti for 20 people. So my apartment will smell like Italian food, no matter what I wear...

Off to sniff C!
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post #159 of 267
12/19/09 at 11:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by rogalal View Post

...We know C is going to be the drugstore cheapie of the group. I'm hoping it's not too much of a letdown, but today is basically just a cleaning and errand day anyway. Oh, and I have to cook baked ziti for 20 people. So my apartment will smell like Italian food, no matter what I wear...

Rogalal, wait! That will be 21 people (H getting in car and heading for SF Bay Area).

Question for Twolf: Is this accurate, that C must be the drugstore cheapie? In the rules of the game, does the host necessarily have to do one niche, one designer, and one "cheapie"? Or can the host mix it up as she/he wishes?
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post #160 of 267
12/19/09 at 1:08pm
Apologies, apologies.

I don't know what B is so go ahead and reveal, Twolf. Well done to everyone who got it, too. Before the big reveal I'll just say that a)the drydown was much less interesting (and again, masculine) to me than the initial impression and b)another one I didn't like - not a scrubber, but not something I would wear again. Oh, and c)yes, I stand by my opinion that this would suit a besweatered man very well.

Will apply C now and await my fellow sniffers...
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post #161 of 267
12/19/09 at 2:08pm
Thread Starter 
Oh great, Ms.L is here with us now. Any ideas on what B might be? Give me a couple of names either here, or in a PM. I have it somewhere in My Wardrobe again -- I did not hide anything this round.
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post #162 of 267
12/19/09 at 2:36pm
Thread Starter 
H., we do not actually have a rule set in stone about niche, designer and mass market, but so far every host was doing it except for Lt.MikePerez and SMM round, which did not diminish the quality of the sniffing discussion at all. Their three fragrances were all designer scents, but low end, mid-end and higher end designer.

By now we have had two people saying "not in my job description" -- it makes me giggle every time I read it as I always stress the point of gentle moderating, or just trying to attain the goal and all means are good in war or love, Perfume love, in our case. I loved it how my partner DD said "I do not think Twolf would mind" -- I did not mind indeed.

To give you a huge clue about C's identity: drugstore is not necessarily mass market, as some very respectable designer scents can be purchased at the drugstore. Or, even better, mass market does not come out of the drugstore doors only -- sometimes it is a limited distribution fragrance, like these by Oriflame or Mary Kay, or Target store brand, etc.
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post #163 of 267
12/19/09 at 2:41pm
Thread Starter 
We checked the notes here and Googled B there,
We've hunted it almost everywhere --
That subtly harsh amber, so hard to duplicate.
Ready for more treats from the Land of Sweets, to compensate?

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post #164 of 267
12/19/09 at 2:58pm
OK, I have thoughts on C....but, first, I'll dole out a few less-subtle clues for any remaining guessers on B...

1) It is from a line akin to Armani Prive...but is less distributed, I think. My local Nordstrom carries Armani Prive, but not this fragrance or its friends.
2) This designer house does not have a "low end" line. It's not like Ralph Lauren or Donna Karan or Calvin Klein. You will find plenty of counterfeits of their accessories on the street corner, but no "accessible" legit stuff at TJ Maxx.
3) Mr. R's "Essence" clue was helpful to me.

Thoughts on C coming soon!
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post #165 of 267
12/19/09 at 2:58pm
Thread Starter 
Sample C Arabian Dance

The Mouse King had enough, he almost lost his mind!
"That rum and tobacco? Not for mice! Will I ever find
Something pleasantly cheesy? Or, have I been deceived?
I need me more juice of which mouse dreams are weaved!"
"We cannot guarantee it", Nutcracker replied,
"Here's the intimate elixir, to keep you satisfied!"
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post #166 of 267
12/19/09 at 3:01pm
Twolf, is B Mauboussin?? It's listed as a female frag! It def. smelled 'manly' to me. (if it IS Mauboussin, that is)

OK, going to apply C right now and post initial impressions...
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post #167 of 267
12/19/09 at 3:06pm
Thread Starter 
No, it is not Mauboussin. Please read all our posts between yours first post today and this last one, there are many more clues there. Especially, in Mo's, about fake accessoires -- like in belts, gloves, purses and scarves.
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post #168 of 267
12/19/09 at 3:07pm
Gah, it's not Mauboussin is it? Is it a Chanel?? I'm trying to think of lines that don't have a 'lower end' line and also don't sell anywhere other than their own boutiques. I think you all should reveal it to me, lest I explode. EDIT: Hermes???

Very initial thoughts on C:

candy! cotton candy sweetness!

Hard to get past that at this point - but is there a jamminess, a very sweet fruit to this at this point as well? The juice is the same white wine-y colour as the others but it smells like it could be pink or purple. At this point I'm going to say marketed to the femmes, too.

Hmmmm. Almond? Powder? This is about 2 mins in and i think I am getting powder.
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post #169 of 267
12/19/09 at 3:21pm
Happy sniffing for sample C!


Dance an "Arabian Dance" to the King Mouse's lair:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtg8wHTlXEA"]YouTube- The Nutcracker - Arabian Dance ("Coffee")[/ame]
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post #170 of 267
12/19/09 at 3:30pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you, DD! Today we have listened to the whole Nutcracker CD here, and this Arabian Dance video is the best, IMHO, to reflect upon the essence of C. Mind you, it is not Maryinsky and Bolshoy, and there are more than 5 videos of Arabian Dances on YouTube.
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post #171 of 267
12/19/09 at 3:37pm
Thread Starter 
Ms.L -- B is a Hermes, sorry I have not seen your editing up until now.

Now, Hermes + Essence + rum + tobacco + grilled/roasted sesame seeds + amber = ??????
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post #172 of 267
12/19/09 at 3:38pm
This still smells of cotton candy - what it reminds me of is the 2 'loukhoum' frags I've sniffed. Is that the Arabian connection? Or *an* Arabian connection?

EDIT: B = Amber Narguile???
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post #173 of 267
12/19/09 at 3:40pm
EDIT: LBMN got Sample B!!!!

OK, on to sample C

I agree, it goes on like vanilla cotton candy. I've seen this note called vanilla bourbon in pyramids before.

It's definitely got that artificial chocolate/cocoa note in it that I don't care for.

It kind of smells like paper, which is usually because of rosewood or tobacco.

I can totally see LBMN's almond and powder, too.

Maybe cinnamon? nutmeg?

On clothing, it's sweeter and fruitier - possibly orange or cherry or pomegranate. Dabbed on my shirt cuff, it smells entirely different than on skin. Strawberry?

It's weird - on skin, it's a gourmand. On clothes, it's a fruity super-sweet little girl scent.

House guesses: Comptior Sud Pacific? Laurence Dumont? Bath & Body Works? Avon? Disney???
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post #174 of 267
12/19/09 at 3:43pm
Thread Starter 
L, you got it, B was Hermes Hermessence Ambre Narguile with the notes of:

Benzoin, labdanum, musk, vanilla, caramel, honey, sugared/praline coated tonka bean, grilled/roasted sesame seeds, cinnamon, rum, coumarine and white Faham orchids.

Congratulations, you got it done, girl!
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post #175 of 267
12/19/09 at 3:46pm
Thread Starter 
Look at Mr.R's house guesses! We got lower end niche down to infrequent Avon. Jokes aside, Mr.R, -- one of the fragrance houses that you have guessed is correct!
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post #176 of 267
12/19/09 at 3:48pm
Thread Starter 
Loukhoum is not listed as one of the official notes of C.
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post #177 of 267
12/19/09 at 3:56pm
Is there a red fruit in here, Twolf? Strawberry? Raspberry? Blackberry? Cherry?

It has dried down a bit now and is still very candy-sweet.

EDIT: Yes, I did get B, after much tight hand-holding.
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post #178 of 267
12/19/09 at 4:11pm
On C, I get an immediate blast of chocolate, and I think...meh. I am one who is a bit anti-gourmand,

But, then, ten minutes in.....what? Is that....FRANKINCENSE?? Oh, Mama Like!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Unfortunately, this phase only lasts about 20 minutes, and then we get to a drydown that is generically sweet and unidentifiably perfumey. A little vanilla, a little something else, just meh.

If I could get that 20 min of Frank, though, I'd be sold.


I'd like to add that on me, this frag has the most interesting progression over time...which, I have a hunch, will be ironic in the end.
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post #179 of 267
12/19/09 at 4:28pm
Thread Starter 
Do you guys all agree that C is a Gourmand? Or, is it more of an Oriental?

Out of the notes you have been sniffing so far, we have got several matches with C pyramid:
-- vanilla;
-- spices;
-- flowers (one specific flower).

A hint: look at the video again.
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post #180 of 267
12/19/09 at 4:40pm
Coffee? Is there supposed to be coffee here? Huh. I need a FOURTH reapplication, obviously.

I get chocolate...FRANKINCENSE!!!!....chocolate/vanilla/marshmallow/unidentified floral.

Maybe I'm missing something.
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