I am definitely not one of those people who's happy to have one perfume on the go until they finish the bottle (because how boring and sensible would that be?). I love the idea of a "signature scent" by which people can recognise you even in the dark (handy!), but I also love mixing it up perfume-wise. Living at home at the moment means I get to use my mother's perfumes as well, so I've included the ones we share in this post. Usual disclaimer about my general incompetence when it comes to describing perfumes - this is something I'd really love to learn more about! I will pop links to some wonderful perfume blogs I've come across below.
L-R: Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Lilia Bella EDT, Calvin Klein Eternity EDP, Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb EDP, Stella McCartney Stella EDP,
and (front) Thierry Mugler Angel EDP
Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Lilia Bella EDT: First off, I should point out that this is apparently discontinued. Boo. For those interested in Guerlain's Aqua Allegoria line,
the Perfume Shrine has an excellent post on the topic. This fragrance is basically lily of the valley with a splash of lilac - light, floral, fresh, and perfect for springtime.
Calvin Klein Eternity EDP: This one was a present. I really don't like getting perfume as a gift - this sounds pretty obnoxious, but my justification is if I haven't chosen and tested it myself the chances of me liking it are slim, and it's pretty awful for someone to spend what's usually a significant amount of money on a present I won't use. I also don't really understand the practice of asking someone for a particular perfume as a gift - if you're going to specify exactly what you want, why not just ask them for the cash and buy it yourself? With that mini-rant out of the way (oops!), back to Eternity itself. Apparently it has notes of Freesia, Mandarin, Sage, Muguet, White Lily, Patchouli, and Sandalwood. I find it quite spicy (peppery) and citrus-y, something I don't particularly enjoy. To be honest I would never have bought this for myself.
Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb EDP: Let me start off by saying I will definitely be repurchasing this when it runs out, regardless of the high price!
Victoria of Bois de Jasmin has a lovely review on this, so I'll limit myself to a few obvious observations: for starters, this is probably one for sweet-toothed perfume wearers only! Definitely a gourmand fragrance, which will appeal to dessert lovers. Easy to wear, warm and delicious. Vanilla & jasmine with a dash of patchouli. Gorgeous!
Stella McCartney Stella EDP: This is my latest purchase (heavily influenced by the cute bottle, I'm not going to lie) which I bought after borrowing it from a friend. Already over halfway through the bottle - I'm in a phase of wearing this most days. Great daytime floral - first impression is ROSES, and it dries down to a fairly warm, woody amber on the skin. For a more nuanced analysis, see
Now Smell This. I'll be repurchasing this (and not only to acquire another of the three printed bottles!).
Thierry Mugler Angel EDP: God knows how many bottles of this stuff I've gone through - I'd never be without it! This is incredibly popular, so you've probably encountered it before, if not in a department store then on a crowded train or similar. Because this stuff is potent! I happen to adore it, but it's definitely a try-before-you-buy situation. Massive amounts of patchouli to balance out the in-your-face vanilla/honey sweetness. Not a subtle, girly perfume by any stretch of the imagination! Notes include bergamot, helional, hedione, red berries, dewberry, honey, patchouli, vanilla, coumarin, chocolate, sandalwood and caramel. One of those fragrances everyone should try at some point! I've been through phases of wearing only this for about a year at a stretch, and will doubtless be going back to it soon. It's probably more of a winter fragrance due to its warmth and sweetness, which can be a tad cloying in summer, but I stubbornly wear it all year round anyway.
Sephora's website describes this as a "blend of zesty blood orange, ginger, and pear sorbet softened with hints of sambac jasmine, orange blossom, and lavender honey, warmed with precious woods and vanilla." So there. My bottle is ancient, only half full, and probably went south a while back. I loved this a few years ago, but never wear it any more. It's a pleasant enough fruity, summery scent, but pretty generic, and I would never repurchase.
Lancome Hypnose EDP: I class this in the same category as Angel - heavy, punchy, vanilla-with-a-twist. It's basically oriental vanilla/vetiver/passion flower, and it lasts for ages on the skin. I love this in winter - think this is my second bottle. As with Angel, this can give you a headache if you're over-liberal!
Chanel Coco Mademoiselle EDP: top notes of bergamot and orange, a heart of jasmine and rose, and base notes of patchouli, vetiver, vanilla, and the ubiquitous white musk. Another very popular one - a pretty, girly floral, with just enough sophistication to save it from the tweenage market. I don't wear this as often as I used to, but it's nice in spring/summer. When this bottle runs out I doubt I'd repurchase.
Vera Wang Princess EDT: In my defence, this was purchased by my mother. I'd previously encountered it when recommending it to male friends as a present for a girl who liked the Juicy Couture perfumes (this is what happens when you leave perfume choices to men!). I do wear it now and then in summer, as it's pleasant enough. Top notes are apparently "lady apples, water lily, golden apricot and mandarin meringue", with "a heart of ripe pink guava, Tahitian tiare flower, wild tuberose and dark chocolate", and a drydown of "vanilla chiffon, pink frosting, precious amber and forbidden woods". Right. Lady apples? Forbidden woods? How the hell can chiffon, meringue, or frosting even be notes? Who knows. This bears some similarity to
Flowerbomb, but I'd go for the latter in preference every time. This is basically pink fruit and vanilla - the mass-produced cupcake of the perfume world.
Nina Ricci Nini EDT: I've got to say, the cutesy apple bottle is strike one against this perfume. This is another of my mother's purchases (not that she actually wears it!). Comparable to
Princess - toffee apple, cotton candy, and vanilla. Pretty sickly stuff. Here's
Victoria's excellent review.
Dior Miss Dior Cherie EDP: I bought an enormous bottle of this in duty free many years ago, because I thought it smelt of watermelons (such a discerning teenage consumer). I finally finished that bottle far too recently (it had definitely gone off, but I determinedly wore it till the end!). Notes include mandarin, strawberry leaf, violet, jasmine, caramel popcorn, wild strawberry sorbet, musk, and patchouli. There's a blindingly obvious trend towards Sweet Things emerging here! This is sweet and fruity, with caramelised sugar and strawberry being the dominant impressions. Inoffensive and very girly, I still wear this occasionally - and it's a very cute bottle!
I also own and wear
Thierry Mugler Alien, and
Dior Pure Poison, but these mysteriously absented themselves when I was photographing, and this post is probably quite long enough already (sorry about that!).
I think I can safely conclude I'm in a pretty serious perfume rut! (I can also conclude that I have a headache from all that sniffing, but that's by the by.) I'm keen to branch out a bit; perfumes on my mental list to try at some point include some by
Tom Ford (Violet Blonde, Black Orchid, Tobacco Vanille),
Annick Goutal (Mon Parfum Chéri), and
Serge Lutens (Jeux de Peau, Tubereuse Criminelle). Oh yes, and I can't help wanting
Prada Candy - which smells like you'd imagine, lots of caramel, vanilla and
benzoin! Also my mother is getting
Illamasqua Freak for her birthday from me, so I'll be stealing lots of that too.
Insert a gratuitous pretty Miss Dior Cherie advert here:
And finally, a shameful perfume confession: I gave away
Guerlain's Mitsouko, legend though it is, because it smelt of pepper and cloves on me. This doesn't bode well for my future blossoming into a sophisticated perfumista...
Excellent perfume blogs:
Till next time,
Josephine x
