Choose The Windfall Bottle

[bluesoul]

So I ended up with a little extra money from some sidework and I'm thinking about splurging and buying a bottle I normally wouldn't consider. I've got around $100 to $150 to play with so feel free to write something in under that price cap.

[T. Rex, Esq.]

MPG "Eau Pour le Jeune Homme". I'm wearing a sample of it right now and if I had the money I would buy it immediately. It's a lovely neroli and citrus combination that goes on like an eau de cologne, but lasts for hours and hours.

[KMF]

The two I'm looking to buy soon are...

Domenico Caraceni 1913
L'Air du Desert Marocain

[bluesoul]

Oops, took a little while on the poll, it's up and I'll admit I forgot about LdDM.

[Leifer]

I'll second DC1913. Fantastic scent.

But honestly, if I had that kind of dough... I'd probably buy Menthe Fraiche, by Heeley. It's definitely a treat during the summer, if you like minty-fresh goodness that doesn't resemble toothpaste.

[Redneck Perfumisto]

Hey bluesoul! How did those samples of OS make out for you? Personally, I would say that, if you love it after wearing it a bunch of times, great, but otherwise be careful. I don't love it any more - at least not like I did - and I'm looking for a new Creed.

I've heard good things about Vetiver Tonka, from noses I trust. I also see you're interested in M7 - I'm of the opinion that you can't really go wrong with YSL scents.

I'm still working on some recs for you on that other thread. Hopefully I'll have something for you there soon!

[Diverdown]

L'Air du Desert Marocain is my vote

[bluesoul]

RP, I really do like Original Santal (I combined the vials into a 5mL spray, fit perfectly) but I can see it getting neglected while I've got Antidote, they're not dead ringers but pretty close, and I'm also considering BdP for the fall and winter and it could really crowd out Original Santal.

Bond No. 9 Wall Street I've worn 2 or 3 times out of a generous sample provided by thebark, and the first time I overapplied and put it away for months. I revisited it last month and really enjoyed it, wore it two days ago and it's still got respectable sillage off of my clothing, which really impressed me. It's an alternative green scent and I am sorely lacking in that department.

CdG Series 2 Red: Palisander became a target of mine after the Rosewood thread I put up and mikeperez even sent me a sample, which was either lost in transit or (more likely) stolen out of my mailbox. I love the smell of a rosewood guitar and it honestly sounds divine, and I'm prepared to buy it blind and if it doesn't work out hopefully I can find a receptive party in the Marketplace.

Baldessarini and M7. Not at all alike but together they work out to about the same price as a higher-end frag. Baldessarini is a cheap frag that I keep letting slide for some reason or another, despite that I love the tobacco and fir, "winter" accord in it. It really is a super-refined fragrance. M7 I've let sit for about 2 months and I may wear it tomorrow. It was one of the very first samples of mine and I really didn't "get it" then.

Vetiver Tonka is one of my absolute favorites (and my favorite Ellena creation by far) but it suffers from longevity issues. If it packed a slightly bigger punch I would jump on it without question.

L'Occitane Cedar I will honestly probably wait on as I'm becoming friendly with a girl that works there and maaaaaybe she'll let me sneak in an employee discount (40%).

I may spring for a sample of LdDM instead of a bottle as I've seen several people report as being significantly underwhelmed.

[mikeperez23]

Vetiver Tonka, of course. Your wardrobe deserves a Hermessence scent in it. Plus, now that fall will be shortly upon us, VT should work perfectly.

I like L' Air du Desert Marocain also, but I always think of it as a great summer scent.

Whichever you pick, good luck!

[deadhacker]

Wall Street... I'm Sampling this right know, and it smells like Caavaa with hints of lemon and some orange-(brown green tea)...but thats on my skin, I wonder what other ppl have to say about this...

[Kevin Guyer]

I certainly wouldn't tell you what to do with your hard earned money by adding a write in. Out of the ones you listed and after looking at your wardrobe I picked Wall Street. Every good boy deserves favour. A nice, expensive bottle of Bond does wonders for one's self-confidence and sense of well being.
I must add, I had OV and after a month or so I found it to be very monotonous. More like wearing a wallpaper than a fragrance.

[mikeperez23]

So, I'm wondering how the M7's working out for you today bluesoul? Personally, I don't like it.

[Bromo33333]

L'Air du Desert Marocain

I agree with this one.

[bluesoul]

Well, M7 started the day with a funky opening, and not in the good sense. That quickly dissipated and I got the oud and "cherry cough syrup" vibe (definitely an accurate description as far as I'm concerned), though this time around I also detected some other dry woods and it had a very camphoric smell, Atlas cedar or something similar. That note persisted for about 6 hours and the drydown is amber with just a trace of oud. It's strange, it's out there, and it's probably mini-worthy but I don't think I'm buying a full bottle any time soon.

I did even better than I expected on the windfall so I may get some samples as well. Vetiver Tonka seems to have it's fans. It's also probably the hardest (next to Palisander) to find discounted.

[Sorcery of Scent]

I've already got Amethyste and a bottle of Black Tourmaline en route, but if I had a sudden windfall, Id get a full bottle of Olivier Durbano's Rock Crystal. My 10ml decant isn't nearly enough.

From your list though, Id say the Vetiver Tonka. Delish!

[mikeperez23]

I'm assuming you know that certain online retailers, sell the 15 ml travel size of Vetiver Tonka seperately from the 'Discovery Set' set of four atomizers, that Hermes boutiques sell.

If you don't want a whole 100 ml bottle of VT, the travel size bottle (15ml) is going for around $55 (at The Perfumed Court) and you could buy it and then get another bottle of something else that you want.

Of course this is the most expensive way to buy a Hermessence (per oz), but it is an option to consider.

[jenson]

i havent tested any of it...only Baldessarini+M7 and they are not bad choices by any measure.

[bluesoul]

Well, I got part of the party going with a round of samples from Luckyscent.

CdG Monocle: Scent One - Hinoki
Amouage - Jubilation XXV
By Kilian - Cruel Intentions
By Kilian - A Taste of Heaven
By Kilian - straight to Heaven
L'Artisan - Tea For Two
L'Artisan - Mechant Loup
CdG Series 3: Incense - Kyoto
MPG - Santal Noble
Tauer - L'Air du desert marocain
Montale - Black Aoud
Montale - Attar
Cereus - No. 7

Still to be sampled:

Guerlain - L'Heure Bleue
Serge Lutens - Gris Clair
Frederic Malle - Bois D'Orage (French Lover)
Domenico Caraceni 1913
AdP Colonia

[deck89]

Bond no 9-Wall Street..

[bluesoul]

Giving Vetiver Tonka another wear tomorrow.

[Amit]

I'll third or fourth the L'air du Desert Marocain.

[mikeperez23]

Well, I got part of the party going with a round of samples from Luckyscent.

CdG Monocle: Scent One - Hinoki
Amouage - Jubilation XXV
By Kilian - Cruel Intentions
By Kilian - A Taste of Heaven
By Kilian - straight to Heaven
L'Artisan - Tea For Two
L'Artisan - Mechant Loup
CdG Series 3: Incense - Kyoto
MPG - Santal Noble
Tauer - L'Air du desert marocain
Montale - Black Aoud
Montale - Attar
Cereus - No. 7

Still to be sampled:

Guerlain - L'Heure Bleue
Serge Lutens - Gris Clair
Frederic Malle - Bois D'Orage (French Lover)
Domenico Caraceni 1913
AdP Colonia

Giving Vetiver Tonka another wear tomorrow.

That's a fantastic assortment of samples. More than a few that I highly recommend. Jubilation XXV is in-credible. Enjoy!

BTW - how's the Vetiver Tonka wearing for you today. Here in Miami it's about 200 degrees outside and I can't imagine even standing next to someone that has Vetiver Tonka on.

[bluesoul]

Same old, though I did finally take the 4mL Hermes vial and decant it into an atomizer. It's so damn faint, I've had it on for three hours and it's already about gone. It's wonderful but so short lived that I'm having trouble justifying the pricetag. Maybe a 1/2 oz bottle is the course of wisdom.

And of all things to find in Kentucky I found a niche dealer that sells L'Artisan, Amouage, and a lot of other stuff and I hear that there may be some Havana knocking around in the back room for $37. Checking it out tomorrow or Wednesday.

[bluesoul]

Original Santal is now mine! Or will be soon, anyway, as the Today I Bought thread shows. I really do love the rich vibrance of OS and don't see myself ever regretting buying it. But that's not gonna be the big buy as I just bought a little bottle.

Wall Street seems to be caught up to Vetiver Tonka. I may postpone the buy at least until I get through the luckyscent samples, I may find something I really like.

[bluesoul]

Look what the mailman brought!



Suffice it to say I'll be busy for a little while.

[bluesoul]

Initial thoughts just on smelling the vials...

L'air du desért marocain - Quite a bit heavier than I was expecting, looking forward to it.

Cereus No. 7 - Got a big old whiff of Green Irish Tweed right off the bat.

Méchant Loup - Light and sweet, I'm getting honey and something sort of crisped, actually it reminds me of a lighter Jubilation XXV.

Jubilation XXV - Every single bit as good as it was when I wore it two days ago. Simply incredible.

Black Aoud - Interesting, rather addicting, but I don't know if I'm actually going to like it on me.

Attar - Must be a trick off of just smelling the vial/dipper but that's got a really sterile vibe that puts me off. Hoping to be won over when I actually wear it.

CdG Incense Kyoto - Very nice darker incense, my first experience with such a creature. Looking forward to wearing it.

A Taste Of Heaven - I was about to say that I don't really understand what's going on, but when I closed the vial I got a little bit on my hand; it's got a sugary sweetness to it that I think I may be just as well served by (significantly) cheaper options.

Tea For Two - Good lord Luckyscent filled this thing to the very top, again I got a little of it on me, this time trying to open it. I don't really know what I was expecting out of it, but it's a nice, semi-sweet aroma; whether I want to actually smell like this will be determined later.

Santal Noble - Picked this one up on a whim. Interesting, probably a more faithful recreation than Original Santal, so we'll see.

Cruel Intentions - Picked this one up solely because it was mentioned for me on the match a scent with the person above you thread. Actually it's quite nice! Looking forward to this one.

CdG Hinoki - Very nice, in the same vein as Dirty English but possibly a bit more refined. Interesting.

Straight To Heaven - Does By Kilian have a house note? It's a bit deeper than A Taste Of Heaven but I'm encountering that same sugary sweetness.

CdG Palisander - Will be my SotD today. Something altogether different from the woods in my collection, and the rosewood is very prominent. Further review to come tonight.

[mikeperez23]

Wow bluesoul - looks like you're taking notes from dr. creed and 'gang sniffing', huh?

I'm very interested to see how these smell on your skin. Remember, be patient...don't try to overwhelm your nose or your're not going to get any kind of olfactory impression and you'll be giving some great fragrances the 'short end of the stick' sort of.

The only two you've listed that I haven't smelled is Cereus 7 (but I have a sample at home...untested) and Cruel Intentions. The rest of the list contains some real winners, in my book.

Report back!

[bluesoul]

Wow bluesoul - looks like you're taking notes from dr. creed and 'gang sniffing', huh?

I'm very interested to see how these smell on your skin. Remember, be patient...don't try to overwhelm your nose or your're not going to get any kind of olfactory impression and you'll be giving some great fragrances the 'short end of the stick' sort of.

The only two you've listed that I haven't smelled is Cereus 7 (but I have a sample at home...untested) and Cruel Intentions. The rest of the list contains some real winners, in my book.

Report back!

Oh yeah, and that's more than I usually would sample, but I couldn't resist a little mini-test of each of them , it's nothing more than first impressions and believe me, I'm not putting all that much stock in these preliminary testings. The real magic happens when I go for full wearings of them.

BTW I'm about 6 hours into Palisander and still loving it, it's dried down and picked up a little extra spice to go with the sweetness. This is really nice.