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For me hard choice between BoG and Smuggler's soul, eventually went for Smuggler's soul. But I enjoy others as well.

As hednic was saying, name, it's a traditional citrus recipe of eau de cologne (ie in the tradition of the original recipe etc).

However, the edp concentration seems a bit of a misnomer. All...

Not sure Lush gives out samples. Plus one never knows during these covid times.
cacio

Some people find death and decay quite dark and gothic, as per name. Not me, what I get is the tonka/heliotropin base. Which is in fact sweet, so if you like sweet it could be ok. If you get the...

Welcome!

$$$ Lys by Le Labo is a lily over a dark woody base. I wouldn't describe it gothic in the least, but it's really not a plain white floral.

Tauer Carrillon pour un ange (lily of the...

Welcome!

If you are ok going into niche territory, Lutens (the older ones) is the king of elegant sweet-woody gourmand. Feminite de bois, Ambre Sultan, Bois vanille, Jeux de peau, and others. If...

What casper was saying. Spraying generates much more evaporation early on. So it will be stronger and more notes will come out.

Amouage and Malle have nice sample sets-expensive though.
Etat Libre d'Orange has (not sure if still) a very reasonably priced and large sample set.

cacio

I like all of them and I think they are worthy. On me, i think the AdP colonia lasts longer and in a way that's closer to the opening, but that's because it is less citrus fruity and more floral than...

Congratulations!

I imagine it will be hot, so something fresh and long lasting, as others were saying. Great niche vetiver include Malle Vetiver extraordinaire and Chanel Sycomore. If the party...

Welcome!

Most perfumes contain synthetic aromachemicals that give strength and persistence, and usually one cannot understand what they are from the "notes" list, since "notes" lists are primarily...

These terms (as many others) are not regulated or industry standards, so companies can do what they want. In other words, they are interchangeable, but there will be a lot of variation among brands...

If it still exists, I second the pretty large and not too expensive ELdO sample set.

Parfums MDCI also tends to have that classic, complex, a bit hazy style.

Oud is a complex material that can smell very different, and usually in perfumes it's accompanied by other notes. It's one of the most complex materials (that is having different facets) and it is...

As others were saying, while not an explicit policy, US stores tend to accept returns quite often. I think that large stores (broadly, not necessarily in perfumery) have algorithms to keep track a...

I thought about Zagorsk as well because of the pine note. However, it is a woody incense, so it could come off as warm-depending. In the style, I'm thinking about CDG2 man as well-which feels quite...

Perfumery French must be a unique language indeed!

Re: the Bulgari, I wonder whether they actually intend it to be italian-where it means The Gems (plural). Which raises the question of how they...

This was a more common occurrence when bergamot and similar materials were allowed. IFRA has severely regulated the use of citrus materials for this reason, so this reduces the probability of...

I have not tried this one, and now I'm curious. Indeed, some of these herbal liqueurs sometimes feel more like perfumes than something to actually drink (examples that come to mind are Strega and...

I agree with dougczar. I find Colonia leather to be quite sharp and if any, dry/clean rather than earthy, closer to Tuscan leather in style. There are many several dirty leather perfumes (said...

I agree with others that this is not dark in the sense that you seem to want. I must be hypersensitive to some note because I find its moss a bit too rough and unpleasant,this is not the usual chypre...

Welcome!

As you know, Molecule 01 is mostly a woody substance called iso-e. CDG has several perfumes in the style (ie abstract woody): Hinoki, plus a whole series of perfumes with -wood or incense...

Montale is most known for its oud perfumes. Black Aoud is probably the most representative. If you like like, you're probably enjoy most other ouds of the house. And viceversa.

cacio

Interesting. so for Y they did indeed only keep the eau fraiche designation.

Not sure hair mist is the same as eau fraiche. Because it goes on hair, I suspect the base has less alcohol and more...

Welcome!

I think it's a combination of a-c. (A) is the main reason for change. Together with (B) and (C), it means companies didn't pay proper attention to reformulations and were happy to just...

Not sure about the exact versions. But vintage New York (ie pre-IFRA) had oakmoss and a chypre drydown. When IFRA hit, it lost its oakmoss, so it felt a bit weaker and not as long lasting. NY Intense...

Not a fan of watermelon in perfumes, but who knows, say, Jasmin et cigarette plus watermelon could be a nice flanker for Etat Libre d'Orange.

I think that people would like it-but it's the usual problem of fresh citrus, it doesn't last. The only perfumes I can think of are the traditional edc recipes, which do not have a herbal drydown but...

Terms like eau fraiche and the like are to indicate flankers, that, is, a lighter, fresher version of the basic perfume. It's not about the concentration. EDC, EDT, and EDP tend to refer to the...

I have never seen a perfume carrying a concentration of eau fraiche. I usually only see EDC, EDT, or EDP as concentration, even if the perfume name has an added eau fraiche.

Interesting. So cashmere is usually cashmeran. I wonder pashmina. Next, it should be oud shatoosh.

I concur that the place-name Chanel eau disappear in no time, at least on my skin.

I concur that Eau de magnolia is a wonderful floral citrus perfume in the style. Expensive though. I find my...

If you are ok with some aquatics, the Community by The Zoo. It's a citrus-aquatic, but in keeping with the avant-garde, experimental twist of the house.

Caron Pour Un Homme
Givenchy Insense
HdP 1740

Bandit is one of the big classic perfumes and my favorite. Butch leather with green notes. (I have not smelled the latest iteration, so I don't know if it has changed a lot. Up until a few years ago...

I only know the CDGs incenses. They do contain a lot of Iso-E and similar woody materials, but not any more than Avignon, say, so if you are ok with that, you should be ok with the other incenses as...

Whom should I send the Bon Monsieur sample to? I think jujy wants to skip at least for now.
cacio

I agree with voronoi and with what's been said so far.

These two were always close, but it would be interesting how things have changed after the oakmoss restrictions. As voronoi was saying, the...

NO 1: to my nose, sweet deep citrus. floral lemony top, then very long lasting, sweetish hearth, probably with a light chypre base.

I agree that color is not a particularly informative sign. Smell of course is different. The first few sprays out of a bottle can be off. But if that continues, then the top notes could be a bit off....

Surely MGM must have done some little marketing research on this-who knows, it reminds one of expensive cars?

Interesting. So clearly leather associates with spending money (and luxury).

Projection also depends on temperature, humidity and so on. After staying in bed under the covers, the body gets warm and it's humid. Dry air is bad for projection.

There was a Lush perfume with a strong geosmin/petrichor note, I think it was Tank battle.

cacio

The color is not necessarily a good sign-the color can change with exposure to light and for other reasons. The fact that it doesn't smell good is a bit troubling, though. I don't know if there were...

They last very well on me too, and I tend to have problems with longevity. Who knows, perhaps the brand uses musks to which you are a bit anosmic. After all your wife seems to be able to pick it up.

I suspect that the crowd here is unrepresentative, so the most talked about female perfumes would be old classics (like Mitsouko, Chanel no 5, and in general most old Chanel, Diors, Guerlain, and...

For not too woody sandalwood, I’d say Chanel egoiste (though perhaps it’s a bit too warm for the summer). For something creative, though not with the notes you mention, cdg2 man, which is incense and...

I second Caron pour un home. Lavender and vanilla in perfect balance.

I also have a fondness for Chanel jersey. A lot of lavender though it doesn’t register as such.

I finally got this, just before Christmas. I concur with the other people. This feels like a classic clean aromatic masculine fougere-type perfume. Very well balanced, plesant, and it remains crips...

I like some of their products as well. Including the liquors, which I don't think are sold abroad though (as they would require a liquor license).

cacio

I wonder whether the perfumes were French or American. As you point out, France had a good tradition by that time, mostly perfume companies (like the ones you mention). I believe that the first...

I have tried a couple. They burn ok, but they are very subtle (eg say they are not as strong as Dyptique). I have not tried to compare their duration-I suspect that without glass they will not last...

I find Cuir mauresque very different in style-it's not floral and it feels darker and sharper than CdR. Cuir Cannage, when I smelled it when it came out, was instead in the floral style of leathers...

Warm for me too-thanks to the musks and leather.

I had not connected. I used to live in Chicago and have visited the museum quite often. But I never paid attention that the doll house came from this actress.

By chance I came across a random video of a funny movie from the 1920s, in which the actress douses herself in perfume.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_yvPVxZgGM

Of course, perfume lovers are...

Very many worthy vetivers. Freshest (and perhaps favorite) is $$$ Malle Vetiver extraordinaire. Sycomore has woods so it's warmer, so to speak.

I find vetivers quite fresh, classic and versatile. The Guerlain is an excellent one. many more exist, especially in expensive niche territory (eg Chanel Sycomore, CDG Vetiveru). Mugler cologne is...

New signature mainstreams are released very infrequently. Evidently sauvage and bleu still sell very well, and this year is not the best for a new big launch.

They have a good lineup, and I have not had bad experiences. The times I go I have dealt with some women rather than the owner. Occasionally they offer a good discount, but it's a bit random.

cacio

Also mentioning Tom of Finland, for saffron over a pretty dark leather.

cacio

Glad that you like your no 5. Interesting that you don't find much aldehydes (even though I understand you got a spray).

GWM
yes, nitromusks are not civet, nor dirty in an animalic way. Still,...

Hard to beat Eau d'Hermes.

Artisan Parfumeur Al Oudh used to be quite cumin heavy as well, not sure it still exists.

I like Patch intense. Agree that it's not as patch centric as the name suggests, or better, it's a different patch than the usual big ones. A bit acidic, a bit of fruit, quite enjoyable.

Resurrecting this because the Corriere della sera, one of the main italian newspaper, has an article on the founder, Filippo Sorcinelli. I had missed the whole story, and the fact that his atelier...

I had never paid attention to this. So I just digged in my drawer and noticed that mine has "pour" homme and looks old. It is as others were saying. Fresh aromatic masculine, but with a dry mossy...

Agree with juxtapozbliss, fig is not stereotypically feminine (in the way that, say, flowers could be). In fact, I would say the sharp green note, if any, would strike many as more masculine (in the...

Hard to say. Usually it should be fine. But it is true that a defective inner mechanism could make the perfume evaporate over time. I had that happen to a bottle once. However, the defect looked...

NO 5 from pre-60s must have had nitromusks, so certainly much more persistence and heft.

Re: bois des iles, I bought a 15ml of extrait a couple of years ago in Paris and it has great persistence....

I'd say the edp is the heaviest/darkest, it probably contains synthetics for sandalwood and the like. The parfum used to be crisper than the edp, but more substantial than the edt, especially in the...

Celeb perfumes had their heyday a few years back, so who knows about this one. Makeup has boomed more recently, so I wonder whether she has a makeup brand in store (or perhaps she already has-I'm not...

As you point out, for no reason should you try to force. I once cut my finger badly when the cap of a parfum broke.

I forget whether the bee bottle comes with a seal (ie a transparent thing around...

Any target budget? Usually, without knowing particular tastes, something from the famous brands (eg Chanel, Guerlain, Hermes) might just look good. A classic for the 50 year old, like Cristalle...

Your description of: " I am looking for something that has more of a scent of an atmosphere like a fancy wooden hotel lobby but with other notes as well."
makes me think about the Ellena Hermes...

So are you thinking of something in niche, at a more expensive price point, but remaining within a floral/slightly sweet/not heavy style?

Something in the Hermessences comes to mind, they are...

I really forget what the other was... I'm probably mixing up the names.

Resurrecting this because today I saw Neroli woods at my local TJ Maxx ($22 fr 75ml) and given the recommendation of the group, I bought blindly.

Neroli overall is not entirely my cup of tea, but...

I concur with the idea of an oud. Dark, strange, a bit mysterious.

Otherwise, in mainstream, I would go towards things like Fahrenheit.

cacio

1805 beaufort is most definitely not a safe blind buy. So it's great that you love it.

I almost never buy blindly. I've only done a few exceptions when the perfume had strong recommendation from...

I tried Lush shampoo, which was marketed on the same idea of eco-friendliness. I found them perfectly ok.
Not sure anyway what the composition difference between soap and shampoo ought to be.

As others were saying, our noses "cancel" out smells after a while. It's like when you are in a room and you don't smell anything. Then you go out for a while, come back and now you smell. I guess...

GWM
I have yet to try the latest Mitsouko parfum, which people had talked about. One always hopes...

I agree with some of the previous points. I was considering chypre in the specific old meaning. But there are modern perfumes that use other materials and still manage to produce similar effects,...

Oakmoss restrictions make this a very restricted field. I agree with your choices. Chypre Siam for a straightforward chypre, and Maai for a more complex perfume on the chypre structure. To me, Chypre...

I recall Cologne pour le soir as being a soft benzoin.

cacio

Colognoisseur

yes-that's it! I don't really see Blackrock holding a perfume company for long, so it's possible they bought it to resell it later to a big beauty co. Covid has obvioulsy slowed down...

We shall see when the economy recovers...

Is JHAG is already owned by anybody, since one can find it at Sephora? Sege Lutens was a Shiseido thing, though not sure how it's evolving. I also...

I haven't heard of it. But there are so many Dali something that-who knows-it could be possible. Or more likely the person wrote incorrectly, and he was referring to Dali something else...

Yes, Tom Ford beauty is in the list at the link above. (Tom Ford beauty includes both makeup and perfume). They own even more makeup brands than I knew.

Naylor
thanks for the info! This makes sense, given that TF started big, at least in the US, in the sense that it was launched in all high-end dept stores at once, where it had substantial space....

I noticed a bunch of Hermes (Twilly, Jardins, et al.) at Nordstrom and the like in NYC, though prices weren't really that low. A lot of Gucci memoire d'une odeur-would that mean that I wasn't the...

As others said, a few years ago, flush with cash, EL went on a niche acquisition binge with Le Labo, Malle, and a little later By Kilian. Earlier, it got Jo Malone and Tom Ford (though I'm not sure...

Speaking of classics, not new, but Dior brought back Jules (in the US at least) after years of limited distribution.

I think I remember reading that the paper for smelling strip is particular in terms of its acidity or better lack thereof, but I don't remember the details. But I don't think it's to replicate...

Does that mean that beetoroot has geosmin in it?

Clearly, something I need to try.

I guess it depends on whether one likes functional products. I do like perfumed shower gels or body creams, so they are a good idea for me. As you say, the price of the set is typically that of the...

In your list, my favorites are Fahrenheit and Kouros. Both very masculine and they are not sweet. Kouros, as others were saying, can be challenging to some, though the current version is safer than...

Thanks for the heads up! And at Carrefour...