Coty L'Aimant and Givenchy L'Interdit

(peach bubbles)

Remember when I wrote that I thought I was ready to jump into the bubbly aldehyde pool?
And so many of you were so encouraging, and Olenska sent me sample of L'Aimant and L'Interdit.

I lied.  Well I didn't really lie - I was attempting to encourage myself into that arena.  I was hopeful.

Have to admit - I'm not quite ready. I just cannot get past that fluffy bubbly peachy powdery auntie stuff.  *cries* 

But I love Guerlain's Mitsouko and Chanel # 5 Eau Premiere (haven't done a good test of the original Chanel #5, though)   Perhaps I'm not as hopeless as I thought.

Baby steps.

Olenska's review of L'Aimant and Bois de Jasmin's review of L'Interdit.

Amouage Memoir Woman and L'Artisan Fou d'Absinthe

You would think that with notes like this (from luckyscent) : Absynth, cardamom, mandarin orange, pink pepper, wormwood, clove, incense, pepper, jasmine, rose, white flowers, musk, french labdanum, oak moss, styrax, leather, I would be all over Memoir Woman.

(Absinthe Drinker by Manet)

It's very nice.  Classy, but not very memorable... (tee hee!)

Okay, so let me try again. And let's test it against another absynthe-type:  L'Artisan's Fou d'Absinthe which has notes of absinthe, star anise, dry pine, cistus, angelica flower, blackcurrant buds, clove, ginger, nutmeg, patchouli, pepper, pine needles, fir balsam.

Memoir Woman seems more complex and rich than Fou d'Absinthe, yet I am more drawn to Fou than Memoir, although neither blow me away.  Hmmm.  I wonder why?  And note that I do like absinthe (the drink) a lot.

Received my sample from Michael and here's his review, one from Cafleurebon and  Now Smell This
Oh I found another review from Kjanicki!

Inedite by Lubin

Love at first sniff!

Received a sample of Inedite in the mail from Michael.  a few weeks ago, and I cannot stop spraying this lovely fragrance. Thank you Michael!!!! The notes are of mandarin, bergamot, pepper, coriander, lilac, rose, vanilla, iris, patchouli, and white musk.  I have read some reviews (on basenotes or fragrantica) that some people say it's too sweet at first, but I don't get that at all.  It is fresh, but the pepper specifically grounds it from becoming to fruity-patchouli.  There's depth and delight, and not a somber scent to me. And of course, you all know I love rose in my perfume.

This is something I want more of as it makes me smile and relax at the same time.

Review from Perfume Shrine
Fragrance post from NST

Agua de Florida

I received a generous sample of Agua de Florida from Olenska in a recent swap....ahhhhh!!!!

Notes of citrus and clove and lavender.

This is cool.

Top Cat cool.

Old school cool, very old school cool, and right at this moment cool. Like Top Cat.

The thing about Agua de Florida is that is spans many generations because of that spark... the cloves?  The combination? There's something there that intrigues.

Olenska sent me a 10 ml sample, and I want 10 ml samples in every drawer, every purse, in the glove compartment (yes, and I actually have gloves in my glove compartment - not leather ones, but still)

There's something about this that reminds me of  4711 (which by the way, I have never talked about or reviewed - but was an important part of my fragrance journey)  And the L'Aromarine that I have tried.



This makes me happy!

a belated post about SQUEEEEE~

On Friday, I received a wonderful package from Michael .  He knows of my love of Grey Flannel and found some to send me.

When I opened the envelope, I was amazed by the samples he sent! 

Again I say with force - perfume bloggers are amazing, super-generous, kind and darn it, just good folks!

I think that Michael is my scent sibling - we like a lot of the same things - though he is more gourmand that I am.

I will reviewing more often these days - so many fragrant gifts from swappers!!!

Thank you!!

Thierry Mugler Womanity

I received a sample of Thierry Mugler Womanity in my last Sephora purchase.  I wore it for a couple of days, and initially I wasn't thrilled, but there was something there that intrigued me. Was it the cavier?

Okay, here are the notes (from basenotes):  Fig, Caviar, Fig wood, Fig leaf, Woody notes


I initially smell grapefruit or some type of screechy citrus, which I'm fond of. When that wafts away, the woody/fig and then the cavier? that is slightly dirty.  Which again I like.  But this doesn't wow me.  Though this morning, a male colleague loved it on me.  This is another fragrance, like Lutens Bois de Violette, that I like okay and wish I liked it more, but I also cannot smell it on me much.
Here's an NST review and a review from EauMG.

photo from www.ecoalimenta.com

Alcoholic drinks and perfume

Does one's preference for a specific alcoholic drink coincide with one's preference for a certain type of perfume?

photo from wikicommons

If one prefers whiskey, does that equal a preference for a woodier type of fragrance and  if one prefers champagne, does that coincide with a penchant for aldehydic perfumes?  Or if you're a fruity floral person, do you prefer fruity beer and drinks?

What sayeth you!?  (I was thinking about this on my way to work today.  There's probably no or little correlation but I thought I'd ask anyway)

I'll get to a true perfume review one of these days, I swear!

(as I was looking for a photo to work with this post, I found this interesting cocktail/perfume post )

Rest in peace Maria Schneider

I hope this dear soul does indeed find peace.

I'm going to go home after work today, watch "Last Tango in Paris" , put on some MH L'Air de Rien and send sweet thoughts to her.  Her characterization of Jeanne in this film left an indelible mark upon me. 

HdP Vamp a NY

VAMP?  Not in the least.

This scent makes me think of what Pollyanna's hands must have smelled like after the day at the Fair....buttered corn and spilt rootbeer.

Here are three robust reviews from Michael, Rebella and Mals.

I guess I am not a tuberose/gourmand gal.

*sample from Carol/WAFT - thank you!

Lauren v Lauren

I received a delightful sample of vintage Lauren from Vanessa aka Bonks along with all these other goodies!  SQUEEEE and thank you!!!!

So it's Lauren (vintage) v Lauren (sample from theperfumedcourt.com - not sure of the age of this sample but it was not called vintage)

Oh young Lauren - you are just a glimmer of your former vintage self.

Yesterday's Perfume has a wonderful review of the the two here.  Here I quote " What I loved about the original version was the spicy marigold, oakmoss and and woody notes balanced out the floral nature of the perfume. This woodsy floral character created a sense that its wearer was feminine, elegant and refined but dynamic and earthy. (Update: I got a vintage mini and I would say the primary difference is that the ingredients in the original have more depth, seem of higher quality and the notes are better balanced than in the reformulation.)
Top notes: Pineapple, spearmint, marigold (tagetes), rosewood
Heart notes: Cyclamen, rose, jasmine, lily of the valley
Basenotes: Musk, cedarwood, oakmoss, sandalwood

Suffice it to say - older is definitely better in this case.  To my nose, the 'new' version of Lauren is a sad sad state of affairs. It starts off with a burst of hairspray, tones down a bit to watery-ness, and for a moment I can detect the vintage version, than POOF, it's gone.

If you can get your hands (errr nose!) on the vintage, please do - it's a classic!