How often do you change your perfume... And how do you find a new one?

[Dee*Jay]

I am in a scent rut... I've been using Angel since I started law school, so literally over 15 years ago (YIKES!). Within the past few weeks I've decided to find a new scent (of course I JUST spent $100 on a new bottle, and *now* I want something different

) but nothing I have smelled lately really appeals to me. I was in Tiffany's yesterday picking up a closing gift for one of my clients and they gave me two different samples, one of which I was excited about in the store, but now after having them both on (not at the same time LOL!) neither one is really doing it for me. Before I found Angel I used to wear Shalimar, but that reminds me of an old boyfriend, so that doesn't really appeal to me from a mental standpoint. So, ladies, how do you find a new scent? Do you just sample things in department stores until you hit on one that really grabs you? Do you tend to stick with things in the same general "family" (i.e., Shalimar smells like cinnamon to me, and Angel is made with cholcolate and vanilla, so I'm seeing a connection there!)? Something else? Help me out of my rut! And if you can think of something that might appeal to me based on my liking for Shalimar and Angel I'm game for suggestions!

 

[Haven]

I''ve been using Fresh''s Fig Apricot perfume for several years now.
I''m crazy for fig-scented anything, and the day I found it I knew I had found my new scent.
I''ll wear it until it''s discontinued. It smells like the best day ever.

I wore Body Shop''s Ananya until they discontinued it.

 

[musey]

I don't really wear perfume. The only bottle I've ever finished was Bond no.9 Scent of Peace.

When I get the itch to try a new one I just head to sephora and sniff, sniff, sniff! There are a couple of boutiques in my area that carry some of the more obscure 'designer' fragrances that are fun to go sniff in too

 

[fieryred33143]

In the 6 years my FI and I have been together, I changed perfumes once. I went from my usual Lancome Miracle to Dolce Feminine. I wore it once, he smelled me and said "you don''t smell like my baby"

I''ve never changes since

 

[Dee*Jay]

Date: 8/27/2008 9:46:33 PM
Author: fieryred33143
In the 6 years my FI and I have been together, I changed perfumes once. I went from my usual Lancome Miracle to Dolce Feminine. I wore it once, he smelled me and said ''you don''t smell like my baby''

I''ve never changes since

Ha ha -- it''s funny you say this! I told the HH I was going to look for a new perfume because I was tired of Angel and he said "No! That''s the Dee smell!" Hopefully he''ll adjust...

 

[Dee*Jay]

Date: 8/27/2008 9:18:31 PM
Author: Haven
I''ve been using Fresh''s Fig Apricot perfume for several years now.
I''m crazy for fig-scented anything, and the day I found it I knew I had found my new scent.
I''ll wear it until it''s discontinued. It smells like the best day ever.

I wore Body Shop''s Ananya until they discontinued it.

Did you find a similarity between Ananya and the Fresh''s Fit Apricot perfume or were they totally different?

 

[Dee*Jay]

Date: 8/27/2008 9:20:44 PM
Author: musey
I don''t really wear perfume. The only bottle I''ve ever finished was Bond no.9 Scent of Peace.

When I get the itch to try a new one I just head to sephora and sniff, sniff, sniff! There are a couple of boutiques in my area that carry some of the more obscure ''designer'' fragrances that are fun to go sniff in too

OK, I have to make a confession here... I''ve never been in a Sephora. There is one on Michigan Avenue that I walk past all the time but I''ve never been in. (I also don''t own a single tube of lipstick, but that is a whole ''nother thread... ) So what''s going on in there? Is it literally a shop full of perfume, including all the designer brands, or is it something different?

 

[MonkeyPie]

I don''t wear perfume too often, but when I do, it''s either Glow or Aeropostale. (Yeah I am such a kid.) Anything I wear has to be very subtle and soft. I hate musk of any kind, I prefer flower and fruit scents.

The rest of the time, I wear Bath and Body works lotions. They last as long as perfume and smell yummy.

 

[Libster]

I will get in a perfume rut from time to time and I have to go and "sniff" and "sample". I also am guilty of opening the strips in the magazine ads and giving them a go.

There are times I will love the way the perfume smells in the bottle and then I try it on and it smells awful after it begins to blend with my skin.

I've pretty much stuck with Burberry Brit for the last couple of years...but now you have me wondering if there is something else out there........

Good luck with your search and lets us know what you find

 

[Allison D.]

Dee, Sephora is the perfume MECCA. LOL

Here''s what I''d do. Go there with NO fragrance on. Spray the perfumes onto the little tester until you find a few serious contenders. Then put a contender on each wrist and wear for the day to see how it ''ages'' on your and melds with your chemistry.

If neither one is a winner, go back another day fragrance-free and move down your list of possibilities, trying two more until you find something that''s a win.

 

[Skippy123]

I use to wear Pleasures for a few years and then wore Poison, Happy, and Tresor. Now I worn for the past couple of years a splash of vanilla body spray and a spritz of Gap Dream; which is a very fresh scent. I am a creature of habit too, D!!!

eta: I agree w/Alj on Sephora but only smell a few at a time because I get scent overload and the sniffer stops working. hehe

 

[vita*dolce]

lol, sephora IS the perfume mecca!! i currently love burberry brit, gucci envy me, and my ever faithful ralph by ralph lauren.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Date: 8/27/2008 9:59:42 PM
Author: MonkeyPie
I don''t wear perfume too often, but when I do, it''s either Glow or Aeropostale. (Yeah I am such a kid.) Anything I wear has to be very subtle and soft. I hate musk of any kind, I prefer flower and fruit scents.

The rest of the time, I wear Bath and Body works lotions. They last as long as perfume and smell yummy.

Monkey, I think I lean the other way because the musky scents always appeal to me. When I was young (and I mean REALLY YOUNG) there was this scent called (I think) "Lady" and you bought it in the drug store. Ooh la la -- I was in heaven!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Date: 8/27/2008 10:13:18 PM
Author: Libster
I will get in a perfume rut from time to time and I have to go and ''sniff'' and ''sample''. I also am guilty of opening the strips in the magazine ads and giving them a go.

There are times I will love the way the perfume smells in the bottle and then I try it on and it smells awful after it begins to blend with my skin.

I''ve pretty much stuck with Burberry Brit for the last couple of years...but now you have me wondering if there is something else out there........

Good luck with your search and lets us know what you find

Libster, oh I totally agree! Things smell so different in the bottle than they do on. And I really think things smell so different from person to person too.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Date: 8/27/2008 10:34:20 PM
Author: Allison D.
Dee, Sephora is the perfume MECCA. LOL

Here''s what I''d do. Go there with NO fragrance on. Spray the perfumes onto the little tester until you find a few serious contenders. Then put a contender on each wrist and wear for the day to see how it ''ages'' on your and melds with your chemistry.

If neither one is a winner, go back another day fragrance-free and move down your list of possibilities, trying two more until you find something that''s a win.

OK, am I going to be *afraid* in there? Will the sales people accost me and douse me in various scents as I scramble for the door? Are things arranged by category (not that I would even know what a perfume "category" was LOL -- I just made that up!)

Geez, I feel like one of those guys who comes to PS and says "I need to buy a diamond and I don''t even know where to begin because this is all so overwhelming!"

 

[Dee*Jay]

Date: 8/27/2008 10:40:12 PM
Author: Skippy123
I use to wear Pleasures for a few years and then wore Poison, Happy, and Tresor. Now I worn for the past couple of years a splash of vanilla body spray and a spritz of Gap Dream; which is a very fresh scent. I am a creature of habit too, D!!!

eta: I agree w/Alj on Sephora but only smell a few at a time because I get scent overload and the sniffer stops working. hehe

Poison was what I wore before Shalimar! And Tresor sounds familiar too... hmm... wonder if I ever wore that?

 

[Dee*Jay]

Date: 8/27/2008 10:45:34 PM
Author: vita*dolce
lol, sephora IS the perfume mecca!! i currently love burberry brit, gucci envy me, and my ever faithful ralph by ralph lauren.

I like Ralph cologne on men but I''ve never smelled the female version. I will have to check it out.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 8/27/2008 9:20:44 PM
Author: musey
I don''t really wear perfume. The only bottle I''ve ever finished was Bond no.9 Scent of Peace.

Me too Musey! I LOVE that scent. It''s the only bottle I am in the process of finishing and will buy another...

DEE to answer your question, I usually go into a perfume mecca like Sephora, and say "I love thisperfume, thatperfume, and thisotherperfume, what others do you think might appeal to me?" usually it works really well, as they will find ones with some similar notes/qualities for you to sniff without making your nose go nuts.

Oh, and don''t forget to sniff the coffee beans in between to make sure you''re getting a good sniff of each perfume individually!

 

[Kaleigh]

Oh boy, this is sooooo familiar. I used to wear Calvin Keins Eternity for years till I got sick of it. Now I wear, Estee Lauder''s Estee super cologne spray. I love it, and have gotten so many compliments on it. It''s light and floral, a tride and true fragrance. I can''t stand a heavy smell, or else it will give me a headache. Dee get a sample of this, I bet you would love it.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Date: 8/27/2008 10:54:48 PM
Author: neatfreak

Date: 8/27/2008 9:20:44 PM
Author: musey
I don''t really wear perfume. The only bottle I''ve ever finished was Bond no.9 Scent of Peace.

Me too Musey! I LOVE that scent. It''s the only bottle I am in the process of finishing and will buy another...

DEE to answer your question, I usually go into a perfume mecca like Sephora, and say ''I love thisperfume, thatperfume, and thisotherperfume, what others do you think might appeal to me?'' usually it works really well, as they will find ones with some similar notes/qualities for you to sniff without making your nose go nuts.

Oh, and don''t forget to sniff the coffee beans in between to make sure you''re getting a good sniff of each perfume individually!

Sniff the coffee beans??? Do they give me these beans or do I bring them myself?

 

[MonkeyPie]

Date: 8/27/2008 10:52:23 PM
Author: Dee*Jay

Date: 8/27/2008 10:45:34 PM

Author: vita*dolce

lol, sephora IS the perfume mecca!! i currently love burberry brit, gucci envy me, and my ever faithful ralph by ralph lauren.

I like Ralph cologne on men but I''ve never smelled the female version. I will have to check it out.

Ralph is totally not my style, but smells really nice! My best friend wears that.

And I agree with Skippy, don''t try too many scents at once. After awhile they all smell the same. If you go to Sephora, maybe grab a salesperson and tell them what you like and see if they can point you in the direction of stuff that is similar.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Date: 8/27/2008 10:56:02 PM
Author: Kaleigh
Oh boy, this is sooooo familiar. I used to wear Calvin Keins Eternity for years till I got sick of it. Now I wear, Estee Lauder's Estee super cologne spray. I love it, and have gotten so many compliments on it. It's light and floral, a tride and true fragrance. I can't stand a heavy smell, or else it will give me a headache. Dee get a sample of this, I bet you would love it.

I used to wear Eternity too! (In between the Poison boyfriend and the Shalimar boyfriend, LOL.) I'll definitely check out this EL one.

 

[Dee*Jay]

Date: 8/27/2008 10:56:53 PM
Author: MonkeyPie

Date: 8/27/2008 10:52:23 PM
Author: Dee*Jay

Date: 8/27/2008 10:45:34 PM

Author: vita*dolce

lol, sephora IS the perfume mecca!! i currently love burberry brit, gucci envy me, and my ever faithful ralph by ralph lauren.

I like Ralph cologne on men but I''ve never smelled the female version. I will have to check it out.

Ralph is totally not my style, but smells really nice! My best friend wears that.

And I agree with Skippy, don''t try too many scents at once. After awhile they all smell the same. If you go to Sephora, maybe grab a salesperson and tell them what you like and see if they can point you in the direction of stuff that is similar.

This is a stupid question but do men''s cologne and women''s perfumes with the same names have any similarities?

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 8/27/2008 10:56:12 PM
Author: Dee*Jay

Date: 8/27/2008 10:54:48 PM

Author: neatfreak

Date: 8/27/2008 9:20:44 PM

Author: musey

I don''t really wear perfume. The only bottle I''ve ever finished was Bond no.9 Scent of Peace.

Me too Musey! I LOVE that scent. It''s the only bottle I am in the process of finishing and will buy another...


DEE to answer your question, I usually go into a perfume mecca like Sephora, and say ''I love thisperfume, thatperfume, and thisotherperfume, what others do you think might appeal to me?'' usually it works really well, as they will find ones with some similar notes/qualities for you to sniff without making your nose go nuts.


Oh, and don''t forget to sniff the coffee beans in between to make sure you''re getting a good sniff of each perfume individually!

Sniff the coffee beans??? Do they give me these beans or do I bring them myself?

Don''t worry Dee, they usually have them there!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Date: 8/27/2008 11:03:02 PM
Author: neatfreak

Date: 8/27/2008 10:56:12 PM
Author: Dee*Jay

Date: 8/27/2008 10:54:48 PM

Author: neatfreak

Date: 8/27/2008 9:20:44 PM

Author: musey

I don''t really wear perfume. The only bottle I''ve ever finished was Bond no.9 Scent of Peace.

Me too Musey! I LOVE that scent. It''s the only bottle I am in the process of finishing and will buy another...


DEE to answer your question, I usually go into a perfume mecca like Sephora, and say ''I love thisperfume, thatperfume, and thisotherperfume, what others do you think might appeal to me?'' usually it works really well, as they will find ones with some similar notes/qualities for you to sniff without making your nose go nuts.


Oh, and don''t forget to sniff the coffee beans in between to make sure you''re getting a good sniff of each perfume individually!

Sniff the coffee beans??? Do they give me these beans or do I bring them myself?

Don''t worry Dee, they usually have them there!

Ha ha -- I had this vision of going to the Starbucks a couple of doors down from Sephora and saying, Um, Hi, I''d like an iced grande no water americano... Oh, and can you give me a couple of extra beans too!

 

[MonkeyPie]

Date: 8/27/2008 11:00:45 PM
Author: Dee*Jay

Date: 8/27/2008 10:56:53 PM

Author: MonkeyPie

Date: 8/27/2008 10:52:23 PM

Author: Dee*Jay

Date: 8/27/2008 10:45:34 PM


Author: vita*dolce


lol, sephora IS the perfume mecca!! i currently love burberry brit, gucci envy me, and my ever faithful ralph by ralph lauren.

I like Ralph cologne on men but I''ve never smelled the female version. I will have to check it out.

Ralph is totally not my style, but smells really nice! My best friend wears that.


And I agree with Skippy, don''t try too many scents at once. After awhile they all smell the same. If you go to Sephora, maybe grab a salesperson and tell them what you like and see if they can point you in the direction of stuff that is similar.

This is a stupid question but do men''s cologne and women''s perfumes with the same names have any similarities?

They are meant to compliment each other So they don''t really smell the same, exactly, but they smell good next to each other...if that makes sense. Lol.

I forgot about the coffee beans! They usually have little containers of them on the displays. It clears your nose so you aren''t overwhelmed by scents, but it doesn''t work if you do it too many times.

 

[diamondfan]

I have a few that I LOVE.

I tend to do it by season, heavier in the fall and winter and lighter/fruitier/fresher in the spring and summer...

I love perfume and really respond to certain smells. Citrus is one of my favorites.

 

[Miranda]

Changing scents is HARD! I wore Chanel No. 5 for a long time, then Pure Tiffany. I have a few others that I alternate in like Floris and a magnolia blossom scent from Bath and Body Works. Have you been in a Jo Malone store? I love it there. They have so many scents and you can layer them. I was just there on Saturday. The people who work there are super helpful, too.

 

[diamondfan]

Dee Jay, also to answer the how do you find one question, I have a three pronged attack.

I see what I like on others though I know it might stink on me.
I read about new things, the notes and scent of it, and get intrigued.
I go to the perfume counter and try things, sometimes based on the bottle or the description.


I have smells that remind me of the past, good and bad. And I will likely never buy a scent the J Lo or Britney or Paris creates...not sure why it irks me, but I wish not to smell like them!!! And maybe the scents are great, it is more of a mental block to me.

 

[CJ2008]

I switch between Chanel's Chance and Victoria's Secret Dream Angels Heavenly.

I love them both.

ETA: Sorry - I didn't answer your question. I usually go to either Sephora or Macy*s and I always ask "What's new?" I usually find something that intrigues me. I tend to like clean fresh scents for every day, and for night I like a bit heavier/sexier...I like Cacharel's Amor Amor and Calvin Klein's Euphoria.