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23 year old, bought 'Kingdom' at 18. So where do we go from here?

post #1 of 15
Thread Starter 
Hi guys, I'm new here. 23 year old woman from England, literature and fine art graduate...blogger, bookseller, amateur magazine editor etc.

My 'problem' (delightful problem that it is) is that I'm searching for a perfume that's complex and striking, preferably without a big vanilla note squatting in the middle like the usual suspect. I adore vanilla in food, in the home, but I want a perfume that's built differently.

'Kingdom' is close to my idea of perfection. Except I can't wear it! It's the scent of a room. Not a human being. Particularly this one. Last night i sniffed my shoulder, then the bottle. I thought: "that's why". My skin and 'Kingdom' seem to have nothing in common.

I like to taste/smell...

licorice & anise
woodlands and 'cold' smelling flowers
lavender
cedar, sandlewood and pine
cut grass
petrol
'new car smell'
medicinal smells


Yesterday I tried and liked:
Byredo - Bal D'Afrique
Byredo - Pulp
Penhaligons - Artemesia
Penhaligons - Lily and Spice
Serge Lutens - Cedre
Serge Lutens - Fille en Aiguilles

Byredo - La Tulipe <-- which sits somewhat outside of the above group perhaps? It's so wispy and lite. Maybe this is where I need to go to find something wearable. I love an unusual perfume, however.

Any ideas folks?

Iggy x
post #2 of 15
Welcome to Basenotes! You have great tastes and Kingdom is such an amazing start! I am sure you'll receive lots of recommendations but I'd like to start with:
Black Aoud or Aoud Rose Petals by Montale. ARP is more feminine than BA but still wearable by a man.
post #3 of 15
Thread Starter 
I'm a girl! I wouldn't blame you, I've listed very masculine ingredients!
post #4 of 15
Well, I am a girl too and I love the ones I recommended! And most of the ingredients you mentioned.
Another one I would add (and another one of my favorites): Feminite du Bois by Serge Lutens (originally by Shiseido)
post #5 of 15
petrol
'new car smell'
medicinal smells


Santa Maria Novella Nostalgia
post #6 of 15
Keiko Mecheri Cuir Cordoba would be worth trying if you can get a sample (Liberty stocks KM, but I don't think has the new ones in yet). It's soft skin-scenty suede, with iris and violet adding cool florals, elemi and sandlewood for a touch of woody resins. Very wearable but perhaps not quite as challenging as it sounds like you are up for!
post #7 of 15
Thread Starter 
Thank you for those tips darkdreams, i'm beginning to put together a list of samples to get. I looked up aoud - medicinal/sandlewood...which sounds very me. Roses would be an unorthodox choice for me, but perhaps the aforementioned aoud would un-priss them a little for me

The expertise and passion on this forum is really inspiring. Keep 'em coming!

x
post #8 of 15
Thread Starter 
Just to add, my initial perception of La Tulipe by Byredo was 'vegetable stand in front of corner shop on a hot day in London'. Which is a gorgeous smell! The sales assistant told me that the scent is not quite tulip, as the flower itself is reluctant to be sampled. Explains the green smells.
post #9 of 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by iguanodon View Post

Thank you for those tips darkdreams, i'm beginning to put together a list of samples to get. I looked up aoud - medicinal/sandlewood...which sounds very me. Roses would be an unorthodox choice for me, but perhaps the aforementioned aoud would un-priss them a little for me

The expertise and passion on this forum is really inspiring. Keep 'em coming!

x

I did not try all the perfumes you mentioned. I love both Cedre and Filles en Aiguilles.

The roses in Black Aoud are anything but prissy! Really worth sampling. It's nothing like a classic rose perfume. I prefer Aoud Rose Petals, but it is probably because whenever I wore it people would get a dreamy look and start talking about beauty and poetry.
You probably know this already but Kingdom is rose based too and quite naughty (I love it)!

How do you feel about iris as a note? There is a great thread on the Female board right now if you'd like to try some.
post #10 of 15
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by darkdreams View Post

I did not try all the perfumes you mentioned. I love both Cedre and Filles en Aiguilles.

You probably know this already but Kingdom is rose based too and quite naughty (I love it)!

How do you feel about iris as a note? There is a great thread on the Female board right now if you'd like to try some.

Couldn't tell you what Iris smells like. I am curious! I'll go check it out...

Kingdom on me (I'm wearing it today) smells like much much much cumin...
post #11 of 15
Oh, wow! Great thread from a new poster - it's fun to recommend you things to try.

Caron - L'Anarchiste

Very cool and spicy, cedar leaves, satsuma, and musk. There's really nothing else that smells like this, but unlike many from Caron, this isn't too hard to find.

Caron - Tubereuse

One of the odder tuberoses out there. Buttery and creamily floral, but overshadowed by a green, herbal, almost medicinal note.

Comme des Garcons - Hinoki

Minimalist cedar - woody, green, and rather comforting in an odd way. I really enjoy this in warm weather.

Czech & Speake - Oxford & Cambridge

Cool, minty, green lavender. Extremely clean-smelling, almost eucalyptus-like.

Domenico Caraceni - Domenico Caraceni

Frankincense, geranium, and cypress, yet, this strongly reminds me of the smell of new magazines, in a good way.

Frederic Malle - Carnal Flower

A number of people describe this as tuberoses left in a florists cooler, and that's quite apt. Cool, heady, serene tuberose with a green side. Quite a forum favorite around here, male and female.

Frederic Malle - Vetiver Extraordinaire

Grassy, green, powerful vetiver modified by an airy note throughout.

Laura Tonatto - Oltre

Smells like a cold, rainy day in a forest, by the sea. Lily-of-the-valley, pine, seaweed, and aquatic notes.

Montale - Aoud Cuir d'Arabie

Chilly, leathery, medicinal oud, leather, and rose combination that is one of the edgiest frags out there.

Santa Maria Novella - Nostalgia

Seconding this one. Very alien and synthetic-smelling, not unpleasant. Very much like new car smell.

Serge Lutens - Iris Silver Mist

THE iris fragrance to my nose. Deep, dark, cool, spicy, and earthy. It opens smelling like roots pulled out of the earth, and gradually becomes warmer and spicier in the drydown. There's nothing else like it.

Serge Lutens - Tubereuse Criminelle

Crisp, wintergreen-tinted tuberose. Given you like tuberose ( Cedre is loaded with it ), and chilly, medicinal smells ( as wintergreen is often perceived as such ), I think this one is must-try.

Serge Lutens - Un Lys

Cool, transparent, lightly spicy lily. One of the best lilies on the market in my opinion.

***

Anyhow, some of the ones I've recommended are rather obscure, so if you need help locating samples of these, just let me know.
post #12 of 15
Thread Starter 
Just an update on what scents I've been sussing out...

I've fallen for Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan. Of course it's dark, heavy and calming, with that 'intelligent' medicinal note that prevents it from being syrupy. Wearing it, I feel as if I've fallen asleep on a really plush carpet. The carpet is covered in caramel. Comme Des Garcons Zagorsk is less sexy but just as much about fantasy. It's very serious and meditative. Hoping to get my sample vial in the post soon, then I can test drive it properly over a week or so.

Other things I've tried:

Comme Des Garcons Wonderwood

This is so dry! Nostrils are raw from this sucker. Does anyone here like to wear it?

Gucci Guilty

I knew this wouldn't really speak to me. To be honest I wondered what sort of fragrance Evan Rachel Wood would endorse. It isn't bad. Extroverted, sparkling, pink and warm. They got the 'party girl' vibe dead-on.

Lolita Lempicka

Tracked this one down today because I'm a big licorice and anise fan. I love to eat it. This fragrance is saccharine and aggressive and no.

Guerlain Mitsouko

Now now now... candles! Melty, just blown-out candlewax dripping down my wrist. I only got candles. Nowhere online have I read that it's supposed to smell like that. Is it just me?



Iggy
post #13 of 15
I also adore Kingdom. The Different Company Rose Poivree is somewhat similar but many consider it more wearable than Kingdom. Don't let yourself be scared off by the "Rose" in the name, it's not a typical rose fragrance.

If you do like the cumin in Kingdom then Rochas Femme might be something for you.

For fresh cut grass try AA Herba Fresca and A. Goutal Eau de Camille.
For medicinal Olivier Durbano's Jade
For liquorice and pine: Hermessence Brin de Reglisse
For pine and smoke: AA Winter Delice
Woods: CdG Sequoia and Palisander for dry woods (but a tad less dry than Wonderwood), Feminite du Bois, Miller et Bertaux #1 for softer, more feminine woods

If you liked SL Ambre Sultan you could also try Arabie from him. Rochas Absolu is also a good amber fragrance. Ormonde Jayne Tolu and Ormonde Man are big hits in the amber-resin category for me.

Ormonde Woman is a wonderful green fragrance, very special, very unique, surely worth a sniff.

Keep posting your opinions about scents you have tried, it will help us come up with more recommendations.
post #14 of 15
Thread Starter 
Thanks Bonsai!

So I got my vial of Zagorsk in the post. So disappoint! It's soapy and meh. It even makes me feel slightly sick. I've tried it in a department store about six months ago and I remember enjoying it. Oh well.

I'm very keen to try some of the pine/wintry ones listed above. Particularly 'Oltre' and AA Winter Delice. So more cold, cold, chilly foresty fragrance recommendations would be appreciated!

Also going to try out Diptyque's Philosykos properly. Tried some of the solid perfume the other day. Does anybody know what the lasting power of solid perfume is compared to a spray?

x
post #15 of 15
You might like Fleur de Sel by Miller Harris. But maybe you find it too harsh or dry. Many women like it, though, and i see no reason why you shouldn’t like it on a woman. Good luck!
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Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Just Starting Out › 23 year old, bought 'Kingdom' at 18. So where do we go from here?