What scents do you trust in extreme circumstances?

[mumsy]

Here is just a silly quiz to try and weed out the scents you really trust in social extremes.

If you had your huge collection to grab from... What scent might you reach for in these situations

a) You were a bit apprehensive about a huge and quite dressy evening ahead. There are people there you don't know well and you want to make a good impression but not show off. It would be a very dressy occasion with suits and gowns. You need to really feel comfortable in your own skin.

b) You were a bit apprehensive about a casual evening. It is in a pub or the equivalent and there are people there you quite like but don't know and would like to know them better.

c) You are being put to task because you have to go somewhere a bit formal and really boring and you really don't want to go. You have to be on best behaviour to please someone you are fond of but it is going to be a three hour minimum ordeal that will need a stiff drink afterwards to recover from. Evening and terribly dull.

d) Meeting OH's parents for the first time.

e) Meeting the Queen or suchlike


For myself it would be
a) Coco Chanel
b) Yendi
c) Experimental samples of a not too stinky sort.
d) Yendi
e) Yendi or Chanel 22

[nfn1983]

For the A and E, I'd go with either Givenchy Xeryus Rouge or Dir Homme Intense.
For C, I'd go with Costume National Scent Intense.
For B, I'd go with Aventus.
And for D, I don't know what to wear!!!

[bonsai]

Fun thread, mumsy!

Let's see (based on my FB collection):

a) Isabey Gardenia
b) Basically anything I feel like putting on at the moment
c) I think something formal, on the masculine side, maybe Fou d'Absinthe or Terre d'Hermes.
d) Something pretty and inoffensive: e.g., Drole de Rose.
e) Isabey Gardenia

[Nosebud]

A. Tobacco Vanille
B. Fahrenheit
C. Speakeasy
D. Bleu de Canel
E. M
or GIT for "all of the above."

[badarun]

Nice thread!
A - Any Maitre Parfumeir et Gantier's fragrance, almost all of them are wonderful and don't project like a monster, but does just enough...
B - DHI or TV - the vanilla in both to compensate for the smoky pub environment (considering smoking's allowed), if its a non-smoking pub, then I'll go with Nasomatto's Duro.
C - Slumberhouse's Rume - grows on you as the hrs progress and will keep at least part of mind occupied...
D - Guerlain's Mouchoir de Monsieur or Malle's French Lover
E - Pure Distance M (to show the distance betn normal people & the queen, at least on the frag's name!!!)

[sjg3839]

a) Dior Homme Intense
b)Aventus
c)Midnight in Paris
d)Ted Lapidus Altamir
e)Millesime Imperial

[kewart]

A) Y by YSL since it is has impeccable manners.

B) Ambre et Vanille by E.Coudray because it makes people warm to you.

C) Eau Ressourcante (Clarins) - to give me strength through the evening!

D)Idylle EDT - because no-one could object to it.

E) Diorissimo (although that mind remind her of Princess Diana) so maybe Asprey's
Purple water instead.

[silvermountainhigh]

Silver Mountain Water: is my comfortable "any" situation scent, probably because it calms ny nerves.

[kitsch]

Ooh, that's a tricky challenge, mumsy! I'd probably opt for other scents depending on the time of the year for these encounters but I'll go for these right now.

A, C and E strike me as needing quite similar scents: I'd choose Le Couvent des Minimes "eau de Provence Lavender & Acacia" edt, both to help me feel relaxed and to ensure that I'm not overwhelming anyone with my scent.

B and D (and E possibly): I've commented on the "back of the wardrobe challenge" that "Just Grapefruit" by Arran Aromatics is long-lasting, unobjectionable and uplifting, and I think those qualities would make it a good choice here. If I remember correctly, I've read that the scent of grapefruit creates favourable feelings in those around the wearer too!

[sfmedusa]

I'm with silvermountainhigh on this one, except my fragrance for this is vintage Miss Dior. I could wear it walking the dog or meeting the queen, in fact when I did meet the queen that's what I was wearing, along with my pale blue cashmere swing coat and dress. I towered over the poor woman too (in real life she's really tiny and I'm ridiculously tall and was in heels too).

[Foustie]

1. Coco. No contest.
2.CDG Kyoto, to be cool.
3. I would nip over and borrow Bonsai's Fou D'Absinthe.
4.Portrait of a Layydeeee.
5. Royal Scottish Lavender. I think she would like that.

[Evangeline]

Intriguing mumsy ...I like how you make some of the circumstances only subtly different, which can make all the difference in the world when choosing a perfume.

a) Either Deneuve or Amouage Lyric Woman would be my pick for something luxurious, opulent and glamorous but still completely comfortable.

b) Coromandel is casual but chic and elegant ...and I also think it's interesting.

c) I think my new love Chanel 1932 would fit the bill perfectly here, and perhaps Cartier's So Pretty as an alternate. Both are impeccable.

d) Coco, since it's confident and beautiful while still being warm and gracious ...nothing aloof about it. I probably feel more at home in it than in any other fragrance I own.

e) Chamade ...or maybe Creed Fleurs de Bulgarie.


Btw mumsy, I love your vivacious Yendi too!

[NineInchNell]

vintage Miss Balmain
Creed Fleurissimo
vintage L'heure Bleue
vintage Miss Dior
Chanel Chance
Jimmy Choo's Flash

[cazaubon]

SL Feminité du Bois is my go-to scent for all taxing situations. It is elegant, calming and personable.

[Kagey]

Fun!

a) Fracas
b) Many, but I'll say Dries Van Noten or Knize Ten. Or Ormonde Woman
c) Chanel No 22
d) Dries Van Noten
e) Fracas

[Sapfir]

Thanks for thread!

A. La Pausa / Rue Cambon Chanel
B. Seville a'Laube LaP
C. Jabu Mona Di Orio
D. J'ador Dior
E. La Pausa Chanel

[Letitbenose]

A- Hommage à l'Homme
B- Charriol pour Homme EDT
C- Bogart pour Homme ( maybe 6+ sprays, yup! On U can't test mode! )
D- Désir de Rochas Homme
E- L'Eau de l'Artisan

[Francolino]

Encre Noir / E Sauvage intense!

[pebe]

a) Chanel No. 19
b) colder months: Bulgari Black, Lalique Encre Noir ph or Balmain Jolie Madame
b) warmer months: Dior Eau Savage, Chanel pour Monsieur, AG Hadrien or Sud or any other citrusy chypre or Eau de Cologne like scent
c) YSL Y or Dior Diorella to lift me up or Chanel No. 19, Balmain de Balmain or Hermes Gentiane Blanc to keep my distance
d) Chanel Cristalle
e) Carven Ma Griffe or Hermes Caleche, both vintage

[cello]

oh, fun thread!

a) FM Iris Poudre - because it is beautiful and comfortable at the same time
b) Chanel Coromandel - bold but beautiful, to booster my confidence
c) Chanel 31 rue Cambon - beautiful but a little bitchy
d) Chanel Bois des Iles - they may as well get to know it as well as me, since we come as a package
e) FM Iris Poudre - I find this formal, but yet comfortable so here it is again.

True to form, these are 4 of my top 5, and also interesting is that Dior Homme rounds out my top 5, and yet I do not seem to trust it in difficult circumstances. Maybe I need to reassess.

[Nosebud]

C- Bogart pour Homme ( maybe 6+ sprays, yup! On U can't test mode! )

:rofl:

[Scentsucker]

a) Chanel Coromandel

b) Profumum Roma Vanitas

c) Must de Cartier

d) Creed Jardin d'Amalfi

e) Amouage Lyric Woman

[ExtremeK]

Fun thread indeed! Let's see here ...

(a) I'm apprehensive, and I want to feel comfortable at a large, formal-ish occasion ... I'd wear Tam Dao for the comfort factor, but I also find it to be an elegant fragrance.

(b) Still apprehensive but in a casual environment with people I want to get to know ... that has the potential to be a fun evening, too, without the restrictions of a formal event ... so I'd wear ELdO Divin'Enfant. I tend to relax and focus on fun (and even deviltry) when I wear that one.

(c) Formal, boring, best behavior but you're doing it for someone you care about ... either Une Fleur de Cassie or Parfums delRae Mythique -- they're both chic enough for the formality but also interesting enough to keep me entertained.

(d) Meeting OH's parents for the first time -- Ambre Sultan (if I meet them in the cooler months) or Chergui (if I meet them in the warmer months)

(e) I'll substitute POTUS here -- Tubereuse Criminelle. I'm not shying away from anything or anyone.

[jacona]

I'll play....

a) dressy evening - Parfum Sacre
b) casual evening - Organza Indecence
c) formal evening and terribly dull - Mauboussin
d) Meeting OH's parents for the first time - Kuumba Made Persian Garden
e) Meeting the Queen or suchlike - Theorema

[iivanita]

a) You were a bit apprehensive about a huge and quite dressy evening ahead. There are people there you don't know well and you want to make a good impression but not show off. It would be a very dressy occasion with suits and gowns. You need to really feel comfortable in your own skin.

Liaisons dangereuses by Killian

b) You were a bit apprehensive about a casual evening. It is in a pub or the equivalent and there are people there you quite like but don't know and would like to know them better.

Samsara vintage or Sacrebleu
c) You are being put to task because you have to go somewhere a bit formal and really boring and you really don't want to go. You have to be on best behaviour to please someone you are fond of but it is going to be a three hour minimum ordeal that will need a stiff drink afterwards to recover from. Evening and terribly dull.

28 La pausa, 31 Rue Cambon, Timbuktu, Sycomore

d) Meeting OH's parents for the first time.

Liaisons dangereuses or Homage by Amouage

e) Meeting the Queen or suchlike

New Frederic Malle Dreifus

[L'enfer]

A) Chanel ~ Cuir de Russie

B) Chanel (again) ~ Sycomore

C) Caron ~ Tabac Blond or Prada ~ Infusion d'iris (seasonal)

D) Guerlain ~ Vetiver (vintage)

E) N/A I would refuse to meet the Queen or suchlike Vive la Republique!

[Robin-in-FL]

Hmm, when in doubt I actually just go with the Mure Et Musc Extreme, and that's what I'd wear in all those situations. Except maaaaaybe #C, because I might feel like intentionally being a little bit offensive, and a more unusual smell might be a good stealth way of accomplishing this; or in solidarity with the SO might wear whatever he liked best. Which, coincidentally would be the Mure Et Musc Extreme. It is also good for job interviews, just sort of a stealth 'you smell good' smell.

[voodoodanny]

a) Guerlain Héritage
b) Guerlain Héritage
c) Guerlain Héritage
d) Guerlain Héritage
e) Guerlain Héritage

[Nefret]

1. Chanel No. 19 or Caron Pour Une Femme
2. L'Artisan Passage d'Enfer or something similarly incense-y, but light
3. A La Nuit or Carnal Flower, a big white floral to entertain myself
4. Infusion d'Iris or No. 19, something cool with iris
5. Chanel Bois des Iles, very discreetly

[tdem1961]

Fun!

a) Chanel #22
b) What We Do in Paris is Secret
c) vintage Rive Gauche
d) Toni Gard
e) vintage Shalimar extrait

[NineInchNell]

Miss Balmain perfume, the vintage version
It IS extreme. GUTS IN A BOTTLE, really. I don't know, I just feel kind of tough wearing it. It cuts to the chase, like a liquid switchblade. It must be all the leather and tobacco, but not too much tobacco.

[L'eaulita]

A: Sublime by Jean Patou. No woman could ever feel less than elegant in this.

B: Boudoir. Always a conversation starter.

C: Fracas. This one keeps me entertained and by over-applying, its acts as a shield to repel others so you can be left alone to take advantage of the open bar.

D: Chanel No.5. They're meeting a lady and one should smell as such.

E: Fracas. The only thing bigger than the Queen herself.

[NoMoreMiasma]

a) Chanel Cuir de Russie. Classic, but not overwhelming.

b) Bal d'Afrique. Happy, noticeable, not overpowering, and will not offend.

c) L'Artisan's Safran Troublant. It's mild and comfortable.

d) Chanel No. 5 Eau Premiere, so they will think I am a lady.

e) Vintage Jolie Madame. I wouldn't QUITE have the gusto to wear Fracas, but I love L'eaulita for it.

[Genie Jeanie]

How fun, mumsy! Hmmm...comfort my nerves, but be appropriate...

a) Coromandel
b) Ambre Narguile
c) Lyric
d) L'Eau d'Hiver
e) Coromandel (can't ever lose with this one)

[ChickenFreak]

a) Dressy evening: Chanel No. 19 extrait. Not so much to feel comfortable in my own skin, as to change that skin to have teeth and claws, so that I feel beautiful but formidable.
b) Casual evening: Bois 1920 Sushi Imperiale in winter or Lostmarch Din Dan in summer. Happy and affable, but they also feel powerful.
c) Formal and boring: Parfumerie Generale Tubereuse Couture. I want to feel beautiful, but I don't need tooth or claw.
d) Parents: Chanel No. 19 extrait, for the same reason as above.
e) Queen: And again, Chanel No. 19 extrait.

I often wonder (1) why I own any perfume other than No. 19 and (2) why I don't wear it more often.

[Blue_Eyez]

This is fun

a) Rue Cambon Chanel - power and elegance. I love it!
b) Black Vetyver Cafe Jo Malone - my idea of casual.
c) Bal a Versailles - at least I am going to have some fun with this raging animal
d) N5 eau premiere - tried and true
e) Miss Dior extrait - the old version is the best

[teardrop]

Picking only from my wardrobe;

a) Fracas, because it makes me feel supremely confident & elegant.
b) Chergui, because it's cuddly & friendly.
c) Habanita, because for me it's comforting, interesting & a form of armour all at the same time.
d) Allure, because it's Mr teardrop's favourite, & if he is at ease, then so am l.
e) Stella, for that English Rose vibe, & because it's not too overpowering.

[Ken_Russell]

For me:

a), c) and e): Armani Eau pour Homme, Blenheim Bouquet or Boucheron pour Homme EDP

b) Keep it simple with something like Kenzo pour Homme, Hermes Eau d'Orange Verte, YSL Live Jazz or Mugler Colgne, allowing me to feel casual and relaxed while meeting new people

d) Even more inoffensive than b), so I'd say Bleu de Chanel or something along these lines, however, if I have clear and verified information (not just from the OH, but from additional mutual acquaintances) that the future parents-in-law are intellectual, artsy, bonvivant, connoisseur, fashion-conscious etc. people, something with slightly vintage, slightly extravagant or slightly opulent chic, like Guerlain Habit Rouge or almost any other Guerlain for that matter, Caron pour un Homme, Hermes Rocabar, Creed BDP could become my SOTD

[Whitefluffy]

I often wonder (1) why I own any perfume other than No. 19 and (2) why I don't wear it more often.

Same here

1. Ubar - gorgeous, formal.
2. White Aoud - pretty, interesting
3. Shalimar - for comfort and strength to get to that drink afterwards
4. 28, La Pausa - quiet, but not without character
5. 2000 et Une Rose (original issue) - pretty, light, yet no less royal.

[leffleur]

a) You were a bit apprehensive about a huge and quite dressy evening ahead. There are people there you don't know well and you want to make a good impression but not show off. It would be a very dressy occasion with suits and gowns. You need to really feel comfortable in your own skin.
Quelques Fleurs

b) You were a bit apprehensive about a casual evening. It is in a pub or the equivalent and there are people there you quite like but don't know and would like to know them better.
Mimosa pour Moi


c) You are being put to task because you have to go somewhere a bit formal and really boring and you really don't want to go. You have to be on best behaviour to please someone you are fond of but it is going to be a three hour minimum ordeal that will need a stiff drink afterwards to recover from. Evening and terribly dull.
Lauren

d) Meeting OH's parents for the first time.
Chanel No 5 Eau Premiere

e) Meeting the Queen or suchlike
Verte Violette

[Primrose]

For me, it's PdE Cuir Ottoman.

It's not too floral, and it projects just enough to be noticed.

[anomie et ivoire]

Fun and useful thread idea. I'm only beginning to learn occasion appropriateness having mostly delighted in perfume's transgressive side.

a) Vol de Nuit -- much obliged to share in its formal perfection.

b) CDG 2 for spring-summer-fall or Shalimar EDC for winter -- most often worn scents and others seem to really like them. The first expresses my personality well while the latter is more of a security blanket.

c) vintage Rochas Femme -- haughtily, slightly defiantly formal for the duller occasion.

d) Ombre Rose -- innocence, complexity, a bit sheer and understated so as to honor the people who spawned my beloved.

e) vintage Caron N'Aimez Que Moi -- the Queen is pretty eccentric.

[rtamara41]

a) Chanel no. 22, always beautiful, always elegant
b) Anima Dulcis, because it would create my own little comfort zone
c) either No. 19, for "liquid armour" or I'd go the complete opposite and unashamedly wear Shalimar for sheer beauty factor
d) same as c
e) Chanel no. 22, I'm with you, mumsy!

as a footnote, I just asked hubby what perfume he'd wear to meet the Queen, which is a joke since he only ever wears Third Man by Caron...
he just ignored me. when I pressed him, he said, " well there is just so much to consider, ... do you mean the Queen of England, or the rock group Queen..., ?
you gotta love our basenotes' spouses