May Sniff in July: A Bouquet of Mysteries

Nice intro, Haunani! so, 7 pm in my neck of the woods (EDT)—phew! Moving an elderly neighbor from rehab for a broken hip back to her home that afternoon.

Hello, Haunani and everyone else. I am still away from home. I am supposed to get home on Thursday evening, but no one was there for about three weeks. I don't know if the samples will be there, if the internet will be working, if we left behind some fruit to rot for weeks ...Also, when I get home, it will be after some 36 hours of not sleeping, and I usually don't react well.
So there is a chance I won't be able to join in until the following day. Everyone, go ahead and have fun without me.

Hi everyone,

Things are very hectic for me too at the moment. Two problems, weekend as I have said before do not work for me and on top of the usual I have business clients visiting this Saturday and family on Sunday (family from abroad). Sooo it will not work for me. Friday is not very likely either unless during the day for me but this 4 p.m. is no good as that means it is the middle of the nite for me. I could start writing tomorrow (Thursday) but not a lot of time this week. I am moving unexpectedly and going on vacation the 20-28 so that will not work either. I do not need much time though. I can do tomorrow and Friday partially and then Monday-Wednesday next week but not this 4 pm thing. But... we can all write when we can I guess, just need to know when we can start. Sounds like a lot of fun!

I am available Monday through Wednesday and it may be better to start then IMHO as then we can all be here and Dd can get her rest as well. Over the weekend I am definitely not available now and tomorrow is sort of iffy but I could do some sniffing and post impressions today on A if you like. Let me know please.

- - - Updated - - -

Ok, well, I can start before I leave for the evening here... and then do some tomorrow and next week but over the weekend is not going to work, so we could all do as best for us...

I can start today as well since my workshop got cancelled (boo) and I am not leaving home (yay). Will definitely ready by 4 -- unless you're starting earlier, OV. When can you start?

I can start now, I will write down my impressions. Here are my thought, I really disliked this fume at first as I feel I am anosmic to some of the flowers in it. This is a complex floral fume in my opinion with many notes which may include lily that I normally dislike. I disliked the opening which seemed really odd to me, there seems to be the usual citruses, more specifically bergamot in my opinion but other stuff I cannot identify, somehow the opening is really alcoholy, strong and not to my liking, sort of cheapish smelling.

Lots of flowers in the middle in my opinion, which include jasmine for sure and rose I believe, more flowers to come later...

The base is the most characteristic and it has a strong resemblance to Creed Jasmin Eugenie ... so I am as positive as I can be about the amber-vanilla-sandalwood trio. Also add perhaps musk and incense?

Ok, within a few mins I got a guess which I will PM and could be totally wrong.

- - - Updated - - -

But this is fun, as to the questions this is most definitely a feminine entry, extremely sweet in character (too much so and I like sweet), EDP, definitely triangular in composition, old-fashioned and I do not like it.))

- - - Updated - - -

Sorry and one more thing, I think this is a floral oriental.

Good morning, everyone. I arrived home yesterday evening and the samples were awaiting. Basenotes was down but I sprayed a little A anyway. I fell asleep at 7PM so I need to re-test today when I am a bit more alert.
My vague recollection of A is that it is a bit old-fashioned. There is a slightly bitter and herbaceous smell soon after you spray it. But the strongest impression for me is musk. Overall, I could not say I like it much. Also, I would be very surprised if this were an expensive perfume. I will re-spray now and wait for others to wake up.

I agree with Dd a lot. Sorry guys but today I will be off and on. Tomorrow I can try to come in for a few but that is it, not sure. I need to think about this more, I could be wrong about things.

Good morning OV. For me, today is the day when I have the most time. I need to unpack, clean the house etc, but overall I am quite free. On weekend, I am not going anywhere but we need to buy food and others.
On Monday, I am starting my new job. Most likely, I will not log in from there, but I will definitely sniff my arm and make mental notes when no one is looking. I am sorry that timing is such an issue this time. But we will work it out somehow even if it takes longer.
Also, I forgot to thank Haunani for the cute pouch. I will use it to carry my lipstick and avoid searching for minutes in my disorganized bag.

Now, about A. Let's follow Haunani's suggestions.
The color of A is almost perfectly clear.
It is not very sweet, but the longer it stays on skin, the sweeter it gets. It is never a gourmand or a truly sweet perfume though.
In my opinion is is an EDT. Fairly thin and relatively light. However, there is a chance I cannot smell all of it. I believe it has a lot of musk and I may not be able to smell it fully.
I cannot really say how much it changes over time, as I did not have it on my skin for long. But I think it does change. It becomes a bit sweeter and the "herbal" note I mentioned disappears quickly (it might in fact be because the perfume itself is a bit older?).
Quite certain it is feminine.
Not very modern, maybe from the 90's?
I will think more about the what do you like, dislike about it part. Actually, what I dislike is the association with white musk, drugstore type of perfumes and the sharp opening.

As I sort of mentioned before I dislike the same things as you do Dd, I truly dislike the opening, which is extremely sharp like sort of being hit in the head with it. And to me it does smell very sweet but yes it smells really sweet later on. Could be EDT, I guess EDP but then I sort of thought I could be wrong. There is something I am really anosmic to in it as mentioned before. Is it that it is that much white musk? I am not sure as I usually like musk but perhaps it is a bit too much. There are white flowers in it that I really do not like. I am sort of rethinking my ideas about the base now and wondering if there is benzoin? I was not quite sure about the sandal at first and/or the vanilla. What do you think about the amber Dd? Unfortunately I have no time today, gotta go pretty soon, sorry everyone. I really want to respray it and sniff again, will see if I can come back in the middle of the night and check in with you guys.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh and yes the cheapish smell I described like you said Dd sort of a drugstore type of perfume.

I'm here to play... just visually sniffing all your words.....

Good morning! Co-host here. The sun shines, hot coffee, and Basenotes is up—all is well.

Notes gotten for sample A: rose, sandalwood, vanilla, musk (white musk re: notes), and (clear) jasmine. There are two more floral notes, one is lily-ish.

Here's a question to ponder, where do you think this scent comes from, and is the house primarily fragrance or something else?

Happy sniffing. I will be in and out throughout the day.

Good morning, hosts!
I think this perfume could be maybe from Victoria's Secret or Avon or Coty, or something similar. So, in other words not necessarily a perfume house.

- - - Updated - - -

As OV mentioned, the base gets a bit sweet. Is there also vanilla? Or are we only missing the two florals?
As another flower, maybe muguet?

I sent in a tentative guess. If not correct I will try to smell it on paper. It lasts well on skin, but it has very low projection.

Either option works for me on B. I sprayed a little bit on my arm, but I still have A on and I am coloring my hair with henna, so the smell I get is quite adulterated. I will not say anything about B until everyone can join in.

Saturday afternoon is good, as is Sunday afternoon. I may go out Sat night for a drinkie, and I'm off to see the Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom on Sunday nite; Bernstein + Gershwin = irresistible to this American Jewess (:

A-ha, I see that there's a list of notes... nope, I am not looking at it yet, but I have already started and I will post my first impressions. Then I will wait a little bit before the drydown and will complete, then reread. I don't want to have the notes confirmed.

... out of a pretty pouch I got the sample with clear almost white liquid and sprayed in my journal and then on my arm. What will that lovely guy from the top picture bring me? Isn't he knocking at my door?.. My journal is afraid that he does not really know my tastes. The top notes smell like one of those low-end designer fragrance which smells like the one next to it and the one across from it, too. Some kind of generic citrus, a lemon drop made with a poor quality base. Lemon-sugar-hard cider... oh, frooty. The my journal stopped talking to me at all. All I could smell was its paper. My skin first gave me a blast of alcohol. Come on, buddy. I do not drink THAT. I use that to clean. Did you think my house isn't clean enough? You haven't been in, and might not ever enter, if this is how things are going. Well, maybe not. I can smell some of your flowers finally -- still with fruit, well, that's better than rubbing alcohol, whaaat? A little powder? Well, that's better, but will it stay?.. I see what you brought me, young man. It is some fruit and flowers made from turkish delight, cut out crudely, the way a child would. I should have known. You're knocking at my door earlier than it is decent to make visits. I am sorry, I'm not at home. Bye!

H., I am surprised and not, at the same time. So often it happens that we all smell something -- and that effect is done by another note. So I need to think of what could be the citrus I'm smelling -- theoretically, it can be some green/citrus note, like melissa or lemon verbena. I'll spray again on paper and smell in a sec.

As for the powdery, didn't Wolfie say that powdery is iris+moss? This perfume doesn't seem to be old enough to have oakmoss. I may have not remembered correctly the formula she told us.

Flowers. For a sec I thought I smelled ylang-ylang, at the height of most powderiness it had a slightly banana note like ylang does. Clean jasmine. And I guess since I said rakhat-loukoum and it contains rose water -- rose... BTW, Ju, I still owe you some Loukhoum by KM, I did not forget!

- - - Updated - - -

The drydown starts to get musky, the top on the paper is very much an alcohol blast -- and then something slightly well... fruity and fresh at the same time. Will need to meditate on these top notes again when the drydown off my arm is not so much in the way.

- - - Updated - - -

Definitely smelled banana on paper in the heart notes, still stumped with the top note -- or cannot get it from the alcohol smell. It reminds me most of Mariella Burani -- they say it smells like #5, but it doesn't to me because of this frooty vibe. It tries to be classic, but it is not. Eau Premierre does the same to me, please excuse the fans of that one.

heh, Warum, I thought lemon drop, too, which always signifies cheep to me, well, unless some really peppery basil were to accompany it.

Oh, yeah the Loukhoum! I must have 100 vials of this and tha in my house. This has been my Big Spring and Summer of sniffing. I'm also doing a Weil pass around. If I'm generous and fill my 2 ml vials, it could make it's way around to quite a few, tho I think 5 are signed up already.

I may recall that TWolf mentioned vetiver as well -- and that's a wood note.
The drydown is actually reminding me of #5, that's why I mentioned the flanker and MB. It is cool that OV was thinking along the same lines.

I am not sure what makes this and #5 be in common, but both have a floral I am smelling not from my arm but from the paper right now -- LOTV.

Whew, sample A is conquered.
I am not sorry that I turned the pretty youth away from my door, but I am looking forward to another visitor

I can do EVERYTHING. Weekend (not all day but some time in the afternoon and evening, times not set, I can be flexible). Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday -- all day. I'm easy!

Good job, Warum!
I already sprayed B and I like it much more than A, so who knows? Maybe you'll want to open the door this time.
Tonight, I need to go out to buy some food. I will be available both on Saturday and on Sunday, but most likely not all day. On Monday (And in fact through the entire week), as I mentioned, I will only be available in the evenings.

So we're not doing B today and I can use another arm to try some samples that just arrived in the mail?

I haven't sprayed B yet! I'll wait for OV or tomorrow, whichever comes first

Yep. if you post consecutively, it rolls it into one with the grey "Updated" thingie.

- - - Updated - - -

Like this (;

Hi everyone,

Things have gotten really hectic here. Sorry for not being able to check in last night. I will try to guess now but otherwise you can reveal it. I too thought powdery. Yes powdery can be iris and moss agreed, moss is likely to me as well, also I initially thought muguet and not lily... no guess yet. If it is a problem then you can reveal, I am really sorry but over the weekend I am extremely busy with guests and will have no time till Monday, hope you can understand. Have a great weekend everyone.

Hi ladies. I am getting ready to try sample B. But I may have sprayed C by mistake. Not sure...

They ARE clearly labeled! And I thought I sprayed the correct one. Only now that I re-sprayed a tiny bit...it sort of smells different. Do not worry, I am spraying it on paper again.

I am remiss not to take note of Haunani's elegant presentation, with a beautiful note and the darling floral zip pouch. Just lovely!

Some first impressions about B. It is again clear. It seems fairly strong, so it could even be edp.
I believe it is a higher end designer, the kind that might be sold in a department store. The flowers are much more evident than in B. It does not seem terribly original or ground breaking, but good nonetheless. It strongly reminds me of something I have smelled before but I can;t remember it at all. I am sure it is feminine.
I cannot say I necessarily smell any specific citrus but there is something. The first flowers I would like to suggest are violet and rose.

Rock on, sounds perfect to me. I will smell the sample B over the weekend and will post my impressions, and we'll get to wait for OV to add to our impressions. Her Monday will be our Sunday night/veeeeeery early Monday morning anyways. Awesome!

I think I would add jasmine. Maybe it is an edt after all. It disappeared almost completely by now.

Hi ladies. Nice to be with you all, just got our Internet hooked up last night, some of you know that we have moved, same town, two streets down.

B is very very nice, I want tons of it right now, no matter what the price is (I agree with DD about the higher end and will add that it might be over $65 for 50ml). Long lasting.

Now that Twolf is here, she is gonna whip us into shape in no time!

I will add lemon (?), bergamote, musk and an yet unidentified wood.

God, dear God, please please please damn the blind dates. Forever.
...my friends set up that one for me. They did not know what will happen. And everything started out so nicely...

So he knocked on my door and I opened and looked outside. A perfumista and a guy who's wearing a lovely cologne! What a good start! A young man with a winning smile, smelling like some grass, verbena and lemon rind. His green eyes are shining and I almost fell and drown in this gaze. Trying to stop staring, I look aside -- and see a bouquet of flowers he is holding behind. Oh... should I not have looked? Did I spoil a surprise? His eyes give me a long stare, not green, grey, all of a sudden. He pulled out a bouquet -- what a strange bouquet. Violets, irises and one calla lily. Dark purple and bright white. Elegant, extremely elegant. Cold. Why did his stare get so cold?..

"Wouldn't you like to go to the Opera," he says. No matter what I do, even if I put on my best dress, I will not be able to match that bouquet. Help me God! I will stay the whole night at the Opera, suffocating both by the feeling of inadequacy and by the smell of powder and amber. Every one of these women is more elegant than I. All of them know what to do, what to say, how to smile.

God damn the blind dates. I know he will not call again.

- - - Updated - - -

Aha, DD and I both landed on a violet. And I daresay if Wolfie likes it, that confirms my iris guess (congrats on moving, surviving and getting online! Russians say that moving equals one fire and one flood).

Higher end designer, yes. Very refined, as you probably had gotten from my story. Very very refined and elegant. Somewhat subdued. Drydown lasts forever on me. DD, it may have disappeared from you, or it may have become a skin scent. I find the drydown very much of a skin scent -- but it is a skin perfumed with ambery powder.

It does have a pyramidal structure -- green/lemon verbena/lemon top, floral, mainly irisy heart and ambery powdery drydown.
I would also say modern, sheer, can be Prada style and aesthetics.

What a cute little story!

I agree with Warum on the iris.