Why don't makeup companies ever release any quality perfumes, just cobbled together ones?

I'd have to disagree with Estee Lauder, they've done some great fragrances. Have you tried any of their Private Collection? Tuberose Gardenia is definitely worth trying. They've released some solid mainstream
fragrances such as; Beyond Paradise, White Linen, Beautiful and Pleasures etc.

I do agree that Lancome are a bit naff though

Estee Lauder make some fantastic and more importantly, distinctive, scents. Few non-niche companies would dare to make fragrances as austere as Azuree or White Linen, and to my nose, PC Tuberose Gardenia is the ultimate gardenia. Count me as a fan.

Meh, I guess they're already rich...might-aswell use their name as a benefit...some people appreciate those scents though...not me...yet with the exception of Shiseido!

Cheers!

- Balava

I think you're painting with some rather broad strokes - you didn't give us any specifics about your experience with these lines. Which fragrances have you sampled, what are some of your grievances with them, which ones seem "cobbled together" and why?

I'm not familiar with Bobbi Brown, but both Estee Lauder and Lancome have several fragrances that I'm thrilled to have in my wardrobe and wouldn't want to be without. Estee Lauder in particular offers a high-quality and diverse line of fragrances, along with a full range of body and bath products for many of their classics (plus gift sets and perfume solids in collectible decorative compacts!) I love Estee Lauder.

Some of my favorites from Estee Lauder are Youth Dew, Knowing, Azuree, Aliage, Private Collection, Estee...these are generally considered classics, and with good reason as far as I'm concerned. I also like Sensuous, Spellbound, Cinnabar, Pleasures, Pleasures Delight, Pure White Linen and even the frequently maligned flanker Pure White Linen Pink Coral. Galamb_Borong and libertine mention Tuberose Gardenia, one of the Private Collection line which also includes Jasmine White Moss and Amber Ylang-Ylang, each of which are extremely nice. Bronze Goddess and Youth Dew Amber Nude also get a lot of love, around here and elsewhere. I think there really is something in the house of Lauder to please everyone, you just have to find the one that suits you.

Regarding Lancome, I love Climat, Magie, Magie Noir, Mille et Une Roses, Sikkim and Cuir de Lancome (...I think I'm forgetting one or two.) I'm not a fan of Tresor, and I'm not familiar with the somewhat newer releases such as Hypnose, Miracle and Magnifique so I can't judge, but they seem to be doing a good job for for Lancome.

I suppose it's also possible that they just don't have anything that suits you, but I doubt there is any connection to the fact that they also make cosmetics. Guerlain, Chanel, Christian Dior, Yves St. Laurent, and Clinique (among others) each have make-up and skincare lines in addition to high-quality fragrance.

Estee Lauder is a first rate, extremely solid house perfume-wise (men's OR women's). Incidentally, Presciptives IS Estee Lauder, as is Origins, Clinique and Aramis.

Lancome I think sits on its laurels and hasn't had anything new that was notable--only some of the classics and re-releases are worthy, IMO. Magnifique and Hypnose Senses were pretty awful.

If you remove SL from the Shiseido equation, they have alot of misses and forgettable reformulations (Zen).

Lancome do have some great vintage fragrances. After 1990 its just boring. Magie Noir was the last really great fragrance from them, now its been ruined with reformulation. As mentioned Cuir, Magie, Sikkim are worth a search to find.

Estee Lauder have some great classics, I am not a fan of the house but hey. The thing is these are cosmetic houses not perfume houses, their money comes from women buying lipsticks not bottles of fragrance. I found Calyx awful stuff, never had the urge to walk round smelling like a fruit salad.

Bobbi Brown owned by EL is a makeup artist not a perfumer. She has a vision of who buys her makeup and just brings out something to find that ideal.

also disagreement with EL and Lancome, they both have made a few good scents, maybe not contemporarily but vintages are definitely worth to be honored.

I have to say that I disagree with your statement - I think Estee Lauder, particularly, is a great perfume house! Both the original Youth Dew and the newer Amber Nude version are great perfumes, as is the PC Tuberrose Gardenia and Pleasure Delight, showing too that the house can cater to a variety of markets. They might not necessarily appeal to every single person's tastes but then again no fragrance/makeup house can do that.

Lancome is less successfull, IMO, with their fragrance but I quite like Magie Noir and am keen to try their re-releases. Plus other houses such as YSL, Chanel, Guerlain all make amazing fragarnces and even Mac, which is makeup above all else, did really well with their Naked Honey fragrances.

Of course! I had completely forgotten that those were Estee Lauder brands. I wanted to investigate further possibilities, so I went to their corporate website to do a bit of light research. The Estee Lauder companies consist of over 25 other brands, some of which are very highly regarded fragrance-wise, including Donna Karan, Jo Malone and Tom Ford.

(Here is the complete list of Estee Lauder brands - Estée Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Lab Series Skincare for Men, Origins, Tommy Hilfiger, M·A·C, Kiton, La Mer, Bobbi Brown, Donna Karan, Aveda, Jo Malone, Bumble and bumble, Michael Kors, Darphin, American Beauty, Flirt!, GoodSkin Labs, Grassroots Research Labs, Sean John, Missoni, Daisy Fuentes, Tom Ford, Coach and Ojon.)

(Edited to delete Prescriptives - thanks for the updated info, donna255.)

Remember that Ms. Estee Lauder started her business with Youth Dew, not lipstick. EL fragrances are wonderful, mass market fragrances. I own several, and I never mind smelling them on others.

But Youth Dew started as a bath oil for a number of years before becoming a fragrance. I read a biography of EL, she actually started out selling skin care and that was her main stay. Prescriptives is no more since last month.

Bobbi Brown,EL and Lancome make their bread and butter money from the sale of lipsticks etc. Roja Dove even said that more people bought a lipstick from Guerlain that ever bought a fragrance. This was when he worked for the company and I attended a few of his talks. He had to under orders from Guerlain(not owned by LVHM then), to do a makeup demo for 30 minutes before he could talk fragrance. When LVMH bought the company out it got even worse and he left.

Agreed that Lauder has many fine scents under its belt. I'm not as keen on Lancome, although I do love O' De Lancome and even that is getting hard to find. This discussion ties in with that in the Men's side on Niche vs. Dept store/Designer. http://www.basenotes.net/threads/245...le-avoid-niche While it is hard to generalize. I've notice the overall chemical smell in Dept store stuff is very strong. It seems that the ingredients in, say, Serge Lutens or Profumum has much more floral/spice development and richness rather than the chemical topnotes and peculiar plastic drydowns.

I didn't know Bobbi Brown had any fragrances? I can't really say about EL, as I haven't sniffed any of their Private Collection. Tuberose Gardenia does sound fabulous, though. I used to wear Dazzling Gold, which was pretty humdrum and never one of my faves. I think I bought it purely off their marketing scheme, so that's what I got. As for Lancome, the same time I had Dazzling Gold, I loved Tresor. I've also recently discovered and like Cuir de Lancome. I get what you're saying, I think, and I guess that's just mainstream for you, more miss than hit, depending on your tastes. There's a new Tresor flanker out, per Now Smell This. I don't remember what it's called, only that it is younger, fresher, blahbedyblahblah. When I read about that I thought they were sooo far off the mark, because I was 19 when I wore the original, 'younger and fresher' my behind. lol.