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

[Skippy123]

Date: 9/1/2008 7:31:39 PM
Author: Dee*Jay
Wow, that Sephora is just a CRAZY place! I spent a ridiculous amount of time there today (probably saved me money that would have otherwise been spent in Saks and Bloomies, LOL). I came away with Coco on my left wrist, Shalimar on my right wrist, a big headache from all the different smells, and no coffee beans in sight. As a matter of fact when I asked about the coffee beans the guys who was helping me rolled his eyes and said, ''This ain''t Starbucks honey.''

I tried to get samples of some things, but no dice on that at Sephora. However, just based on my wrists I''ve decided no more Shalimar for me. I do like the Coco (at least what I can still smell of it four hours later) but my efforts to get a sample of that even in the department stores were fruitless. The woman in Bloomies huffily said, ''That is the rarest fragrance!'' The rarest... in what regard? In the Chanel line? In the perfume department in general? In the universe? She stopped talking to me before I actually got to an answer...

So, long story short (or is it already too late for that?!), I am trying, but geez, this whole ''new scent'' thing is HARD! No wonder I''ve been wearing the same thing for 15 years!

No way!!! How rude!!! Wow, and at Bloomies too, eeek!

 

[Dee*Jay]

Date: 9/1/2008 8:40:18 PM
Author: Skippy123

Date: 9/1/2008 7:31:39 PM
Author: Dee*Jay
Wow, that Sephora is just a CRAZY place! I spent a ridiculous amount of time there today (probably saved me money that would have otherwise been spent in Saks and Bloomies, LOL). I came away with Coco on my left wrist, Shalimar on my right wrist, a big headache from all the different smells, and no coffee beans in sight. As a matter of fact when I asked about the coffee beans the guys who was helping me rolled his eyes and said, ''This ain''t Starbucks honey.''

I tried to get samples of some things, but no dice on that at Sephora. However, just based on my wrists I''ve decided no more Shalimar for me. I do like the Coco (at least what I can still smell of it four hours later) but my efforts to get a sample of that even in the department stores were fruitless. The woman in Bloomies huffily said, ''That is the rarest fragrance!'' The rarest... in what regard? In the Chanel line? In the perfume department in general? In the universe? She stopped talking to me before I actually got to an answer...

So, long story short (or is it already too late for that?!), I am trying, but geez, this whole ''new scent'' thing is HARD! No wonder I''ve been wearing the same thing for 15 years!

No way!!! How rude!!! Wow, and at Bloomies too, eeek!

It was actually at Sephora -- which I think is even worse, LOL! It was all I could do not to ask for a grande skim no foam latte with my Shalimar please!

 

[elle_chris]

Bvlgari Eau Parfumee is a great scent. My hubbie uses the shower gel and follows up by Chanels Platinum Egoiste. (If you ever wanna get your man something, it''s a great combo).

I seem to always go back to D&G''s Woman. Another I''ve been wearing for the last few years is Marc Jacobs Blush. I think Blush is just gorgeous. I have men (which is strange actually) compliment me on it all the time and ask where they can get it for their wives/girlfriends.

 

[Harriet]

It is! I''d love to buy the whole set (I have the perfume and shower gel), but I''m rather cheap, believe it or not. The hotel I stayed in recently had Bulgari bath tea bags. Mmm.

 

[elle_chris]

Date: 9/1/2008 10:08:28 PM
Author: Harriet
It is! I''d love to buy the whole set (I have the perfume and shower gel), but I''m rather cheap, believe it or not. The hotel I stayed in recently had Bulgari bath tea bags. Mmm.

wow, we actually discovered the bvlgari also in a hotel in Barcelona last year. Very funny and odd lol..

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Bulgari in our hotel in Beverly Hills this summer too! MY DH would use it at night, and I actually wanted to get into bed with him!

.

He must have bought me that new Jo Malone White Jasmine and Mint for our anni as I noticed he bought himself the new Pomegrante fragrance...it is very spicy!

cheers--Sharon

 

[Harriet]

Oh, Sharon.

Does anyone know where to get the full range? Even the Bulgari flagship here doesn''t have the bath teabags. Maybe those are made for hotel use only?

 

[canuk-gal]

Date: 9/4/2008 5:36:33 PM
Author: Harriet
Oh, Sharon.

Does anyone know where to get the full range? Even the Bulgari flagship here doesn't have the bath teabags. Maybe those are made for hotel use only?

HI:

Good point--nothing on their website either. Ebay perhaps?

ETA:

http://www.shophotelparkcity.com/SpaBvlgari.htm

cheers--Sharon

 

[LGK]

Geez, I had to say I''m horrified by your perfume shopping experiences. NO SAMPLES??? Are they kidding? Typically when you ask, they bust out the empty ones, spray a few healthy spritzes of the fragrance into it, and voila, a small sample. I''ve NEVER been turned down when free-sampling the perfume counters. And no beans and sarcasm instead? Ew!

I had to dive into this thread because I''m a perfume FREAK. Good god. I have a beautiful antique box full of ummm several thousand dollars worth of Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab perfume oil, as well as a bathroom cabinet full of the alchol based stuff.

First, the dept store variety. Bvlgari Omnia is a huuuuge favorite of mine, it is very light, different, and yum; it smells very sophisitcated. One super-creepy customer threatened to "jump over the counter and kiss me because it smelled so good" once, but generally men are a BIT more polite about a good perfume... it does seem to be one that men find sexy despite it''s lightness though. I like their Black too, on me AND the DH. It''s unisex and very black-tea vanilla-ish. It''s kinda hardcore though. Omnia is much more feminine and less ummm. black leathery.

Pink Sugar by Aquolina is one I''ve always gotten tons of compliments on. Sure, it''s foody and silly and very girly but it smells delicious and guys do like it a lot.

Flowerbomb is awesome too, not death-by-flowers as the name suggests, but just yummy and delicate. My DH likes that one less than the others, it''s more of a "girls like it" fragrance I think.

If you ever feel like letting your inner Goth out to play, I would highly recommend BPAL (the aforementioned BlackPhoenixAlchemyLab.com). They have reasonable prices- $15-$25 if I recall- and some of their scents are divine. I much prefer them to any alcohol based perfume, and I get *tons* of compliments on their perfumes. My (non limited edition) favorites that are pretty user-friendly are Antique Lace- really, it is such a gorgeous vanilla, not floral at all despite the description- Obatala, Black Opal, Eat Me (try explaining THAT name to your aunt! really it''s an Alice in Wonderland reference, and dead sexy), Bliss (oooh chocolate), and Snake Oil. Snake Oil''s probably the most "gothy" one. Did I mention they sell samples? They also do a lot of limited edition fragrances, but in that direction lies madness and an enormous box full of hundreds of bottles of stinky goodness. Oh and you DON''T have to endure a perfume counter to get it

 

[Harriet]

Thanks, Sharon. Toiletries are the only things I can walk into Bulgari and buy.

 

[elle_chris]

I''m debating on whether or not to get Omnia. I tried it and not sure I''m loving the dry down. Need to try ti again.

On another note, has anyone smelled Prive Eclat de Jasmin by Armani? I LOVE LOVE LOVE Jasmine. But at $185 for 50ml, I''m not sure if i should just go ahead and order it since I''ve heard that yes it''s nice, but not 185 bucks worth nice.

 

[Giada]

Date: 9/4/2008 6:22:28 PM
Author: elle_chris
I''m debating on whether or not to get Omnia. I tried it and not sure I''m loving the dry down. Need to try ti again.

On another note, has anyone smelled Prive Eclat de Jasmin by Armani? I LOVE LOVE LOVE Jasmine. But at $185 for 50ml, I''m not sure if i should just go ahead and order it since I''ve heard that yes it''s nice, but not 185 bucks worth nice.

Elle, if you have Nordstrom in your area, go smell the new Bulgari Jasmin Noir. I believe it is a Nordstrom exclusive right now. It''s gorgeous and about half the price of the Armani.

 

[elle_chris]

Date: 9/5/2008 12:37:43 PM
Author: Giada

Date: 9/4/2008 6:22:28 PM
Author: elle_chris
I'm debating on whether or not to get Omnia. I tried it and not sure I'm loving the dry down. Need to try ti again.

On another note, has anyone smelled Prive Eclat de Jasmin by Armani? I LOVE LOVE LOVE Jasmine. But at $185 for 50ml, I'm not sure if i should just go ahead and order it since I've heard that yes it's nice, but not 185 bucks worth nice.

Elle, if you have Nordstrom in your area, go smell the new Bulgari Jasmin Noir. I believe it is a Nordstrom exclusive right now. It's gorgeous and about half the price of the Armani.

Hi Giada
I have it. I also loved it when i first got it but didn't think it smelled that much of jasmine. I was only able to smell a faint hint of it. In the drydown, i smelled like vanilla

 

[somehowcollide]

Much to my surprise, I got something in the mail recently.

 

[somehowcollide]

I had completely forgotten that based on Miss Lorelei's expert opinion, I purchased Hermes' Eau Des Merveilles Perfume!

 

[somehowcollide]

I decided to splurge a little as I thought I really would enjoy the fragrance, so I went ahead and bought the Limited Edition Pegasus (Pegase in French) version. It was out of stock at most retailers, but I found it online @ Amazon and snatched it up! It comes with the perfume (naturally) and a Pegasus astrological book. Yeah, I know-astrological book??

 

[somehowcollide]

I''m a very visual person and I LOVE the look of this perfume. It is sleek and pretty. There is no annoying cap to keep track of either. It is designed to sit at a tilt, which is cool and funky. I know bottle design matters to a lot of fragrance people.

The smell is long lasting and strong. I was pleasantly surprised. I am used to wearing very light, fresh scents, and while Eau Des Merveilles was heavier it still felt clean and refreshing. I found the fragrance notes for those of you that were interested.

Fragrance Notes: Elemi, Bitter Orange, Italian lemon, Indonesian Pepper and Pink Pepper, Ambergris, Oak, Cedar, Vetiver, Balsam of Peru and Tears of Siam.

Thanks Miss Lorelei, for another great suggestion! I really like this scent and even bought one to score brownie points with FMIL!!

4/5 stars!

 

[Lorelei]

I am so glad you like it SHC!!!!! I was wondering if it had arrived yet, the bottle is gorgeous!

 

[PrincessDijon]

Well, I came a bit late to this thread but I have stuck with my tried and true scent forever now...

I wear Ralph Lauren Romance. daily

Occasionally I pick up a new fragrance, use it a couple of times and then go back to my "old favorite"

Back in the day (before Romance came out) I loved Elizabeth Arden 5th Avenue.

Some of my 2nd faves are:
Vera Wang
Ralph by Ralph Lauren
Be Delicious by DKNY
and
Dream a scent by the Gap

 

[katebar]

Date: 8/28/2008 1:23:47 AM
Author: Circe
Every six months or so, I seem to stumble across something that suits me ... or, worse yet, obsesses me! I wear No. 5 to teach, but for ''fun'' scents I alternate between ''foodie'' scents (all me) and florals (the hubs). Judging by the scents that you already like, you might like L by Lolita Lempicka (spicy vanilla, with a citrus undertone) or Hanae Mori''s Red Butterfly (vanilla, but ... not), or maybe something a little more musky/leathery (Bond No. 9 is great for this: in my experience, so is Penhaligon''s, and if Sephora seems off-putting, try Saks scent department for a great selection). But my own hands-down favorite? Flowerbomb! Mmmm ... it''s rich like Angel, so though it''s much more floral, it might strike your fancy ....

Circe based on yours and DF rec''s I got the Flowerbomb today and I love love it. Really suits me and lasts and lasts. In fact 2 people stopped me at the supermarket today

.
I really want to get a signature fragrance now I am older. My mother always wore Youth Dew and if I smell that I am transported back instanltuy to my childhood in such a good way even though she passed away 25 years ago. Plus my 17 year old likes all the ''new'' fragrances and I don''t want to smell like her so.......
You mentioned the Hanae Mori''s Red Butterfly is it really vanilla cos'' this is my preferred note.
DF I ordered the Summer Opium too! It is not released in Australia so I had to get it off Ebay. I just hope it is authentic.

 

[elle_chris]

Love the bottle for Des Mervelles. Thinking of getting it just for that as aquatic fragrences aren''t usually my thing. The vetiver though.. mm.. I love green smelling things

Canuk-gal- Since you love tuberose, i HAVE to mention Robert Fracas'' "Fracas". That is one screaming Tuberose perfume. You''ve probably tried it but in case you haven''t, get to your nearest Sephora and give it a whiff!
It''s one of those love/hate fragrences for me. I can''t decide which it is.

Another one that I recently picked up is Emilio Pucci''s Vivara- Its starts off very green.. think grass/hay and fresh air with a tinge of something almost astringint like, then moves down to fresh floral. The drydown is my favorite part. I think
of trees, woods,dirt under a floral. It''s really growing on me, and reminds me of my when i was a kid and spent summers in upstate NY. It has that green,dirty, woody feel to it all topped with flowers.

 

[canuk-gal]

Date: 9/7/2008 4:58:58 PM
Author: elle_chris

Canuk-gal- Since you love tuberose, i HAVE to mention Robert Fracas'' ''Fracas''. That is one screaming Tuberose perfume. You''ve probably tried it but in case you haven''t, get to your nearest Sephora and give it a whiff!
It''s one of those love/hate fragrences for me. I can''t decide which it is.

HI:

At Sephora--who''d a thunk it! It iis a fragrance of some renown but I have never tried it since I couldn''t find it.... thnaks!

BTW that White Jasmine/Mind Jo Malone I just got does not last on me as well as some of the others--yet the Pomegranate Noir my DH bought sure lastes on him!

cheers--Sharon

 

[elle_chris]

Date: 9/7/2008 6:48:54 PM
Author: canuk-gal

Date: 9/7/2008 4:58:58 PM
Author: elle_chris

HI:

At Sephora--who''d a thunk it! It iis a fragrance of some renown but I have never tried it since I couldn''t find it.... thnaks!

BTW that White Jasmine/Mind Jo Malone I just got does not last on me as well as some of the others--yet the Pomegranate Noir my DH bought sure lastes on him!

cheers--Sharon

Yeah, I was surprised when I saw it there too.
There''s a great site I use when I''m dying to try a new perfume that''s hard to find or I''m not sure about- link: The Perfume Court . They sell samples in various sizes for as little as 3 bucks!
They''re excellent when you''re trying to find something that may not sell in your area. Like some Diors only came out in France and you can only get them at their boutique in Paris.. ugh.
They even have sample packs of perfumes that have a particualr note, like Tuberose, Iris, vanilla, musk etc.
Anyway, great site if you''re in doubt or just wanna try something new.

 

[somehowcollide]

Date: 9/7/2008 4:19:59 PM
Author: Lorelei
I am so glad you like it SHC!!!!! I was wondering if it had arrived yet, the bottle is gorgeous!

Thank you again Miss Lorelei!

Elle, do consider getting the fragrance the bottle really is gorgeous and despite it being an aquatic fragrance there really is a sort of earthy scent to it!

 

[elle_chris]

Date: 9/8/2008 4:23:26 AM
Author: somehowcollide

Date: 9/7/2008 4:19:59 PM
Author: Lorelei
I am so glad you like it SHC!!!!! I was wondering if it had arrived yet, the bottle is gorgeous!

Thank you again Miss Lorelei!

Elle, do consider getting the fragrance the bottle really is gorgeous and despite it being an aquatic fragrance there really is a sort of earthy scent to it!

Thanks.

I just checked out the notes. It does sound like something I''d be interested in. Ordering a sample today.

 

[diamondfan]

I used to wear Fracas in HIGH SCHOOL! (I am 42). I loved it, my one friend wears it exclusively. I do find it a bit sweet sometimes though. I like to wear different things at different times...

 

[Lorelei]

Elle, I hope you like the Eau de Merveilles too!

DiamondFan, I haven''t ever tried Fracas and I need to! Today I am wearing Lipstick Rose by Frederick Malle, it is chilly here and that fragrance works well in cooler temps I find.

 

[elle_chris]

Fracas on me can''t be worn on hot summer days. winds up smeilling too sweet and a little too skanky. Don''t think it''s labeled as "skanky" though so could just be my chemistry.
Great in the fall though.

Today I''m wearing Pucci''s Vivara.. omg, think i''m starting to love it.

 

[diamondfan]

I love that one, Lorelei! I find it reminds me of violets if that makes sense. I am so glad you told me about it. It is so different.

Having kids, my chemistry is so changed. I cannot wear a lot of things I used to, they turn nasty on me. But I can wear new things that I could not wear before.

 

[somehowcollide]

Browsing in Dillards today and I came across Vera Wang Sheer Veil. So far I really like this scent. Does anyone else use it?

Elle, I'm excited to hear what you think of Eau de Merveilles! You're a bit of a fragrance junkie, aren't you?