Fragrance of the Day Thread

[Lily Pad]

@Arcadian have you tried the new Mademoiselle Intense??
Going to a wine auction later today, decided to put on Ginestet's Botrytis. I haven't worn this one in a while and I forgot how boozy it is! Smelling like honey wine right now

 

[Arcadian]

@Arcadian have you tried the new Mademoiselle Intense??
Going to a wine auction later today, decided to put on Ginestet's Botrytis. I haven't worn this one in a while and I forgot how boozy it is! Smelling like honey wine right now

I've not yet tried CMI though I'm trying to make some time to do so. Lots of people are saying its pretty much Coco Mad of old. (which I have...lol) but will try it when I get a chance to get to the boutique.

I had a decant of Botrytis. Great perfume, but maybe not suited for south florida? I mean lets face it, it IS a bit of a sugar bath which isn't always a bad thing (until you add heat and humidity) And though its got quince, its ... really not citrusy enough. It would work for the winters down here though as it has been getting cold (broke a record this at 37F degrees!)
Thankfully the honey note dosen't turn into anything nasty even in the hottest weather here. I think the quince probably keeps it in check.

If I lived in New England still I would have totally sprung for a bottle.

 

[Arcadian]

today I'm wearing the dregs CdG Daphne


In my case this is discontinued and NONE of it will go to waste!!! I will get a bedtime wearing out of whats left (you bet I'll be draining this to nothing!!)

 

[missy]

today I'm wearing the dregs CdG Daphne


In my case this is discontinued and NONE of it will go to waste!!! I will get a bedtime wearing out of whats left (you bet I'll be draining this to nothing!!)

Hahaha yes yes get every last drop! I do the same...it's sad when our favorites are almost all gone...
Enjoy and it is good to the last drop.

 

[Lily Pad]

I've not yet tried CMI though I'm trying to make some time to do so. Lots of people are saying its pretty much Coco Mad of old. (which I have...lol) but will try it when I get a chance to get to the boutique.

I had a decant of Botrytis. Great perfume, but maybe not suited for south florida? I mean lets face it, it IS a bit of a sugar bath which isn't always a bad thing (until you add heat and humidity) And though its got quince, its ... really not citrusy enough. It would work for the winters down here though as it has been getting cold (broke a record this at 37F degrees!)
Thankfully the honey note dosen't turn into anything nasty even in the hottest weather here. I think the quince probably keeps it in check.

If I lived in New England still I would have totally sprung for a bottle.

It's funny you mention that... Botrytis went sour on me today! This is the first time, usually honey can come off too animal on me but never sour. I just moved to Hong Kong from Canada so I'm still not used to the heat and humidity here. I'm second guessing all my honey fumes right now, I even have a bottle of JM's Honey & Crocus on the way.
I'm a huge gourmie so nothing is ever too sweet for me just scrubbed off and have on Chantecaille Tiare now!!!

 

[missy]

I'm a huge gourmie so nothing is ever too sweet for me

Hahaha me too @Lily Pad. Well, almost nothing is too sweet. One perfume that is way too sweet for me is Serendipitous. That is a bit too sweet for even me.

 

[Arcadian]

It's funny you mention that... Botrytis went sour on me today! This is the first time, usually honey can come off too animal on me but never sour. I just moved to Hong Kong from Canada so I'm still not used to the heat and humidity here. I'm second guessing all my honey fumes right now, I even have a bottle of JM's Honey & Crocus on the way.
I'm a huge gourmie so nothing is ever too sweet for me just scrubbed off and have on Chantecaille Tiare now!!!

Oh WOAH!! I'm so sorry about that! Unfortunately honey might not play well in humidity for all! Winter is the time of year for honey scents but its also because its bone dry! This is the ONLY time of year I have to actively water my grass.

I do think there are some fantastic gourmies that work for humid weather, but Botrytis is pretty darn hardcore!

Have either of you tried anything in the Profumum Roma line? Being gourmies I'm assuming yes. (love the scents, some can be hard to get unfortunately!) Of the gourmies that I remember, Vanitas and Confectto were actually really good.

Dolce Aqua wasn't a favorite but like many in this line, still good!

Aqua Zucchero(sp) was SWEEEET to me. Y'all may like that one...lol

 

[missy]

Aqua Zucchero(sp) was SWEEEET to me. Y'all may like that one...lol

Ooh no you are right. My bad. There are more than a few too sweet gourmand fragrances for me I guess

 

[Lily Pad]

Hahaha me too @Lily Pad. Well, almost nothing is too sweet. One perfume that is way too sweet for me is Serendipitous. That is a bit too sweet for even me.

Oh man Serendipitous.... I went through an extreme chocolate phase a while back and I've gone through almost all of them! Serendipitous was too much vanilla, poor longevity. VCA Orchidee Vanille had a hairspray note on me, Choco Greedy was tootsie roll more than chocolate, Sorriso was too powdery, the list is endless BUT I did find a few winners
Have you tried Cartier's Defendue VII? It's the most realistic cacao powder that doesn't turn into anything funky

 

[missy]

Oh man Serendipitous.... I went through an extreme chocolate phase a while back and I've gone through almost all of them! Serendipitous was too much vanilla, poor longevity. VCA Orchidee Vanille had a hairspray note on me, Choco Greedy was tootsie roll more than chocolate, Sorriso was too powdery, the list is endless BUT I did find a few winners
Have you tried Cartier's Defendue VII? It's the most realistic cacao powder that doesn't turn into anything funky

Hi Lily Pad, I haven’t tried Cartier’s Defendur VII. Thank you for your rec and I will check it out.

 

[Lily Pad]

Oh WOAH!! I'm so sorry about that! Unfortunately honey might not play well in humidity for all! Winter is the time of year for honey scents but its also because its bone dry! This is the ONLY time of year I have to actively water my grass.

I do think there are some fantastic gourmies that work for humid weather, but Botrytis is pretty darn hardcore!

Have either of you tried anything in the Profumum Roma line? Being gourmies I'm assuming yes. (love the scents, some can be hard to get unfortunately!) Of the gourmies that I remember, Vanitas and Confectto were actually really good.

Dolce Aqua wasn't a favorite but like many in this line, still good!

Aqua Zucchero(sp) was SWEEEET to me. Y'all may like that one...lol

Hahaha I'll get over it I'm going to try Nightingale from Zoologist tomorrow, hopefully that fares better.
Sadly Hong Kong is humid ALL. THE. TIME.
I love Profumum Roma! I have Dolce Acqua, Battito d'Ali, Vanitas and Soavissima. I used to have Acqua e Zucchero, but the linear sweetness got boring pretty quickly but I agree that it's soooo sweeeett, it's like Pink Sugar on steroids!

 

[Lily Pad]

Hi Lily Pad, I haven’t tried Cartier’s Defendur VII. Thank you for your rec and I will check it out.

Tell me what you think when you do!!!

 

[Arcadian]

Hahaha I'll get over it I'm going to try Nightingale from Zoologist tomorrow, hopefully that fares better.
Sadly Hong Kong is humid ALL. THE. TIME.
I love Profumum Roma! I have Dolce Acqua, Battito d'Ali, Vanitas and Soavissima. I used to have Acqua e Zucchero, but the linear sweetness got boring pretty quickly but I agree that it's soooo sweeeett, it's like Pink Sugar on steroids!

I think you're going to like Nightingale. Found it to be perfect for humid climates!

 

[Lily Pad]

I think you're going to like Nightingale. Found it to be perfect for humid climates!

You're giving me hope, fingers crossed! Will update tomorrow

 

[Cockatiel]

@Arcadian have you tried the new Mademoiselle Intense??
Going to a wine auction later today, decided to put on Ginestet's Botrytis. I haven't worn this one in a while and I forgot how boozy it is! Smelling like honey wine right now

Lily Pad, I think we have similar tastes! I love Ginestet Botrytis too!!!!

 

[Cockatiel]

It's funny you mention that... Botrytis went sour on me today! This is the first time, usually honey can come off too animal on me but never sour. I just moved to Hong Kong from Canada so I'm still not used to the heat and humidity here. I'm second guessing all my honey fumes right now, I even have a bottle of JM's Honey & Crocus on the way.
I'm a huge gourmie so nothing is ever too sweet for me just scrubbed off and have on Chantecaille Tiare now!!!

Oh no it's the worst when the perfume goes sour on you. I find honey to be challenging at times.

 

[Arcadian]

@Lily Pad its funny that you mentioned Chocolate Greedy smelling like Tootsie Rolls(totally does!)

Haute Parfums (now Ganache Parfums) had a extrait called Chocolate Wasted. OMG thats CHOCOLATE Y'ALL! Way too boozy for tootsie roll though it was in the same vein. For me its gourmand enough without always going overboard (I say it this way because this for me is only good for winter!). The only thing I found it lacking in was longevity. I liked Man!Darrin way more, and it also mixed very well with said parfum (that one has amazing longevity!) Definily added a lot more interest for me!

Of course its not Guerlain Elixir Charnel Gourmand Cocquin (which I have lotsa respect for even as a non gourmie) but its doable.

 

[Lily Pad]

Lily Pad, I think we have similar tastes! I love Ginestet Botrytis too!!!!

My favourite honey I'm holding onto hope that maybe I can still wear it in the winter here, apparently it does get a bit less humid and temps drop to 65*F! There is hope!
Have you tried Eau de Hongrie? I love this one also

@Lily Pad its funny that you mentioned Chocolate Greedy smelling like Tootsie Rolls(totally does!)

Haute Parfums (now Ganache Parfums) had a extrait called Chocolate Wasted. OMG thats CHOCOLATE Y'ALL! Way too boozy for tootsie roll though it was in the same vein. For me its gourmand enough without always going overboard (I say it this way because this for me is only good for winter!). The only thing I found it lacking in was longevity. I liked Man!Darrin way more, and it also mixed very well with said parfum (that one has amazing longevity!) Definily added a lot more interest for me!

Of course its not Guerlain Elixir Charnel Gourmand Cocquin (which I have lotsa respect for even as a non gourmie) but its doable.

Hahaha right??? That's one gourmand that I really can't believe people would wear seriously, still delicious but it smells like tootsie roll. Tootsie Roll!!
Omg! I had Chocolate Wasted but something didn't work for me, I think when it dried down it smelled a bit sour if I put my nose to my arm. I had the same problem with Dame's Chocolate Man and Haute Parfum's Ganache's Chocolate Ganache! Which other Ganache Parfums have yuo tried and liked?
Oh man I love Gourmand Coquin. Before it was available in Canada I used to hoard bottles when I visited Vegas

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

Uh , chocolate doesn't work for me in most cases. I love some rose themed gourmands (traversée du bosphore), though.

Today in the beauty that is Acqua di Parma Magnolia Nobile EdT. Citrusy fresh magnolia and jasmin. It's radiant and elegant and I have not yet entered the drydown stage , when a whisper of sandalwood and faint vanilla will appear.

This is the single perfume that people ask me about most often. And the one people bought for themselves upon my recommendation.

 

[Arcadian]

My favourite honey I'm holding onto hope that maybe I can still wear it in the winter here, apparently it does get a bit less humid and temps drop to 65*F! There is hope!
Have you tried Eau de Hongrie? I love this one also

Hahaha right??? That's one gourmand that I really can't believe people would wear seriously, still delicious but it smells like tootsie roll. Tootsie Roll!!
Omg! I had Chocolate Wasted but something didn't work for me, I think when it dried down it smelled a bit sour if I put my nose to my arm. I had the same problem with Dame's Chocolate Man and Haute Parfum's Ganache's Chocolate Ganache! Which other Ganache Parfums have yuo tried and liked?
Oh man I love Gourmand Coquin. Before it was available in Canada I used to hoard bottles when I visited Vegas

I tried 2 of the Joe series. Moma Joe and One legged joe. For those that are curious, those were the coffee scents. One Legged Joe really did smell like IHOP Not that I'm an IHOP fan, but its pretty darn spot on. I didn't want to wear it, I did spray it around my office though

Dame's Chocolate man was a mini disaster on me. It did at first smell good, pretty amazing chocolate note...but then, whew! bitter!!! I don't know where the bitter came from On HIM, it smells amazing all the way through drydown.

The biggest surprise from Dame Perfumery for me was Dark Horse. I did not think it would work in the midst of summer down here but it does in spades! Gorgeous perfume! The husband likes to steal this one from my perfume closet Desert Rose also works well here though tends to shine in the drier months.

I also got Black Flower Mexican Vanilla. Its not BAD vanilla, I just have ones I like more, so I don't reach for it often.

I'm unfortunately close (maybe too close) to the Guerlain Boutique in Palm Beach.

I've never smelled Hongrie. I have smelled VM's Hedonist however. Then I smelled Slumberhouse Kiste because lots of people said they were smell alikes. Um...no, not entirely. Kiste is a bit more rough around the edges, more tobacco and a canned peach type of thing. Hedonist is much more refined. Hedonist also has a bit of a soapy/spa like feel to it (at least to me). But admittedly, I liked Kiste way more.

 

[Cockatiel]

@Lily Pad, I've never tried Eau de Hongrie, because I discovered Botrytis first and I decided that was my ultimate honey perfume and looked no further lol.

I am wearing Montale Chypre Fruite today. It's boring but safe enough for work, hence it's one of my staples.

 

[Lily Pad]

Uh , chocolate doesn't work for me in most cases. I love some rose themed gourmands (traversée du bosphore), though.

Today in the beauty that is Acqua di Parma Magnolia Nobile EdT. Citrusy fresh magnolia and jasmin. It's radiant and elegant and I have not yet entered the drydown stage , when a whisper of sandalwood and faint vanilla will appear.

This is the single perfume that people ask me about most often. And the one people bought for themselves upon my recommendation.

I have and love TdB but another one with longevity issues for me I'm hoping it's my dry skin in Canada and maybe the humidity in HK might be a blessing. For rose gourmand, what do you think of Micallef's Mon Parfum Cristal? I ADORE this rose....

 

[Lily Pad]

I tried 2 of the Joe series. Moma Joe and One legged joe. For those that are curious, those were the coffee scents. One Legged Joe really did smell like IHOP Not that I'm an IHOP fan, but its pretty darn spot on. I didn't want to wear it, I did spray it around my office though

Dame's Chocolate man was a mini disaster on me. It did at first smell good, pretty amazing chocolate note...but then, whew! bitter!!! I don't know where the bitter came from On HIM, it smells amazing all the way through drydown.

The biggest surprise from Dame Perfumery for me was Dark Horse. I did not think it would work in the midst of summer down here but it does in spades! Gorgeous perfume! The husband likes to steal this one from my perfume closet Desert Rose also works well here though tends to shine in the drier months.

I also got Black Flower Mexican Vanilla. Its not BAD vanilla, I just have ones I like more, so I don't reach for it often.

I'm unfortunately close (maybe too close) to the Guerlain Boutique in Palm Beach.

I've never smelled Hongrie. I have smelled VM's Hedonist however. Then I smelled Slumberhouse Kiste because lots of people said they were smell alikes. Um...no, not entirely. Kiste is a bit more rough around the edges, more tobacco and a canned peach type of thing. Hedonist is much more refined. Hedonist also has a bit of a soapy/spa like feel to it (at least to me). But admittedly, I liked Kiste way more.

Oooh I had a sample of "Joe" with my order of White Chocolate Wasted (I think he stopped making this one) and Joe was soooo booozzyy. I would love it in a candle! I agree with you on Black Flower Mexican Vanilla, it's fine but there's much better out there. I think I'm done with Ganache for a while, his fumes are fun and great for cravings but gets old pretty quickly.. For me at least! I like my gourmands with a bit more depth these days and omg, I know exactly what you're talking about with Chocolate Man. It literally goes bitter sour salty on me!!!

Hahaha Hedonist makes me feel like I'm at an opera ! I prefer Eau de Hongrie to Hedonist, haven't tried Kiste yet so off to luckyscent I go.... From Slumberhouse I love Ore and Sadanne KILLER sillage on both.

Nightingale was a success ps! Same gorgeous floriental, maybe took a bit longer dry down. I'm going to wear Boadicea's Intense tomorrow. Such a hit or miss even in Canada!

Oooh I can only imagine your Guerlain collection. I try my best to hoard whenever I get a chance to visit Guerlain boutique so I'm up to a dozen boxes of Gourmand Coquin just stashed away. My heart broke when Iris Ganache was suddenly discontinued, at the time I only had half a bottle left, not letting that happen again! What are you wearing today Arcadian??

 

[Lily Pad]

@Lily Pad, I've never tried Eau de Hongrie, because I discovered Botrytis first and I decided that was my ultimate honey perfume and looked no further lol.

I am wearing Montale Chypre Fruite today. It's boring but safe enough for work, hence it's one of my staples.

Botrytis is the ultimate honey hands down but I also love Eau de Hongrie for its lighter character it smells like a Japanese yuzu honey wine without being too boozy.. Love

It's bedtime so I have on a tiny spritz of Sweet Oriental Dream, this is my bedtime staple
Oh oh!!! And KM's Loukhoum of course

 

[ksinger]

Today I'm wearing Jo Malone Wood Sage and Sea Salt. It's an instant skin scent on me - stays about a millimeter above the skin. It's nice though, when you just need something. I might be in a crowd today, and I just really don't want to be noticed if I am. This scent is pleasant and pretty much everyone loves it, so...

 

[Arcadian]

@Lily Pad Funny enough Boadicea the Victorious Intense....

 

[Lily Pad]

@Lily Pad Funny enough Boadicea the Victorious Intense....

 

[Arcadian]

Today is Yosh Ginger Ciao. I recall the bottles being about 29 dollars each on HauteLook, considering how much they retail for, that was a total steal! Scentwise it can be different depending on the warmth of the day. Each time I smell this the first thing I get is ylang-ylang laffy taffy. Today however I also got a huge burst of what I call laundry freshness aromachemicals..... That totally overpowered anything else that is in this fume today. Apparently not the right day for this stuff

Its not to say I don't like fresh laundry, I do. But this is like faux fresh laundry scent turned up to 11.

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

I FINALLY got to try the Jasmine Rouge and I was not disappointed! My local Bloomingdale's has the full collection. I will absolutely be purchasing it whenever I can get a discount on it!

Is there any benefit besides price per ounce to buying the large decanter? Is it a PITA to then pour it out into an atomizer? Or it is easier to just buy the smaller spray bottle?

 

[missy]

I FINALLY got to try the Jasmine Rouge and I was not disappointed! My local Bloomingdale's has the full collection. I will absolutely be purchasing it whenever I can get a discount on it!

Is there any benefit besides price per ounce to buying the large decanter? Is it a PITA to then pour it out into an atomizer? Or it is easier to just buy the smaller spray bottle?

If I love a perfume and I can save by purchasing a larger bottle of it I do because one as you wrote it is cost effective and two I like to decant some to take with me and leave some at our beach house too. This way I can enjoy it wherever and whenever I want. Plus I save money so that is a big plus for me.

Decanting is not difficult. There are several ways. I prefer glass spray vials and depending on the size of the opening I can either just spray it directly in the smaller glass vial from the original or I can use a funnel or a disposable pipette. This link explains it very well and hope you find it informative.

http://www.nstperfume.com/2007/03/29/perfumista-tip-how-to-decant-perfume/

I suppose I should actually start with why you might want to decant perfume. Well, there are any number of possible reasons. Perhaps you want to start swapping (swapping article coming up soon!), or selling on ebay, or perhaps you just want to share fragrances with your friends or split a bottle of something you can't afford to buy full-sized. Or maybe you'd like to have some travel sizes of your favorite scents?

Decanting Supplies
To start with, you'll need some empty bottles, atomizers and/or vials. I personally use 2 sources for empty bottles, pilotvials and madinaonline, but you might want to post a query on one of the fragrance forums to see what suppliers are popular at the moment; I don't order often enough these days to know which suppliers are considered "reputable". If you're planning to start swapping, you'll probably want to have some small glass vials (the "standard" small vial is 1/32 oz), and then an assortment of larger sized bottles. I am partial to 1/8th oz decants — just enough to make up your mind about the fragrance one way or another — but I'm guessing most swappers prefer a slightly larger size, perhaps 1/4 to 1/3 oz. For bottle splits, you might need 1/2 or even 1 oz containers.

You will have to choose between splash, roll-on and spray bottles. Personally, I prefer splash except for travel (see below), largely because they are cheaper than the spray. Some people prefer roll-on, but I do not like the idea of having the fragrance contaminated with every use. I used to remove the roll-on mechanism from any such bottle I received (you can pry it out with a tiny screwdriver, like the kind that are sold to mend eyeglasses), but with many roll-on bottles, that mechanism is what creates a tight seal with the cap; if you remove it, you risk evaporation unless you move the juice to another container.

For travel, 1/3 oz atomizers are perfect. The biggest problem with travel atomizers is that they are prone to leakage. I have been very happy with the 1/3 oz atomizers from pilotvials, but again, you might want to ask around on the boards before you choose.

Glass is generally preferable to plastic. Other supplies that may be helpful: a stainless steel funnel, small plastic pipettes (check lab supply or hobby stores), clean straws (McDonalds!), small clear plastic baggies to hold the vials (I use 2 inch by 3 inch ziploc baggies, which you can buy quite cheaply on ebay) and labels.

A question that pops up frequently is "I've used up a decant, how can I clean the bottle and reuse it", and the answer is quite simple: don't. You can easily enough remove all traces of the fragrance from a glass bottle, but the caps and the spray mechanism, if any, are usually made from plastic, and there is virtually no way to clean them adequately.

How to decant from a splash bottle
If your fragrance is in a splash bottle, you can, of course, simply pour it into the new container. This can be risky depending on the size, but I've done it often enough when I've been in a hurry. A stainless steel funnel will help to avoid spillage, and I also find it helpful to stick the empty bottle into a wedge of clay or styrofoam so that it won't get knocked over while I'm working. If you don't have a funnel, you can fashion one out of tin foil. Avoid plastic funnels, as it is nearly impossible to remove all traces of scent once they've been used.

If you're trying to make a small sample vial from a splash bottle, disposable plastic pipettes are perfect. If you don't have one handy (and who does?) using a clean straw as a siphon usually works quite well. Again, it helps to stabilize the vial in a wedge of clay or styrofoam so that you don't spill.

How to decant from a spray bottle
Start by seeing if the top unscrews easily, but most are crimped on and cannot be removed without breaking the spray mechanism. In that case, the best method is usually to spray directly into the new container by holding the nozzle right up to the opening. This usually works well even with small containers, like sample vials, but some atomizers are much better than others. A very strong stream can make things difficult when you're trying to fill smaller containers (most of the fragrance just splashes out again). If you have trouble, again, a stainless steel funnel, or one fashioned out of tin foil, is helpful.

On splitting bottles
For those of us who already have large perfume collections, arranging bottle splits is the perfect way to get something new without having to take on another 100 ml of something you'll never manage to use up during your life time. A few words to the wise: always pre-measure the amount of liquid that fits into each empty container, in other words, don't assume that a 10 ml container only holds 10 ml. For the casual swapper, a difference of 1-2 ml is not a big deal, but it will make all the difference in the world if you're splitting a 50 ml bottle between 5 people and you are left with only a few drops after you've decanted the other 4 portions.