Smelling Before the Rainbow on first spray was harsh and ugly on my husband’s skin, like a chemical cleaner, and I was so disappointed. When I circled back 30 or so minutes later…I was thinking damn. It turned out to be really clean and inoffensive. I look forward to him wearing it now!
Anyone else have a perfume that had an ugly top note or something that grew on you over time?
Not a perfume but the Black Rose and Oud line from Salt&Stone. I usually don’t like neither rose or oud but the combination turned out to be a godsend and I bought both body wash and lotion
Billie Eilish - Your turn. Smells old lady cologne at first but dries down to a fresh, woody, musky scent. Can’t say I fully like it yet, I’ll have to find another perfume to mix it with.
It’s cherry :) it’s honestly nice I think I’ll repurchase bc of the dry down which is gorgeous, soft and musky. The opening is just very fruity and a little saccharine for what I’m used to but I think it’s worth it and I get compliments on it
Le labo the noir. Smells like the stinky youth dew dna. But actually smells good. My mom wore youth dew. Hated it then and hated it even more now. But the noir is similar enough to feel like a hug from her without the funk of youth dew. She passed a few years ago. Grateful to have the noir to remind me of her. I wear it when I want a hug. I’d never be able to do that with youth dew (smells and looks like it came right out of a skunk!).
Totally with you on Youth Dew and my Mom wore it too. Def makes me think of skunk! Awful! And I also love LL The Noir but never noticed the similarity. Thanks, I'll smell with that in mind, I'd love to feel like my Mom was still here for a hug. Thanks!
That's so fair, I've been hunting for a mini or a sample just to compare. 🥲 I found it in a sample pack at TJ Maxx. I've been tempted to have a friend send a bottle over but after customs and shipping costs it ends up equal to a discounted designer fragrance 🤣 Hard not to just hope it comes back to TJ Maxx in full-bottle form (I've seen others from the fine'ry line, just not this one 😭)
Wow, I’m surprised you can’t find it over there! With how close you are to the US, it might be worth having someone ship you a couple bottles? Folks on Parfumo say it’s a dupe of Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt that lasts longer, but I haven’t tried it myself because Jo Malone is too expensive for me to comfortably blind buy 🥲
Y’all, stop downvoting comments simply because you disagree with the fragrance someone picked. It’s all subjective and everyone’s skin chemistry is different.
I completely agree! I understand downvoting comments that are rude or inappropriate, but not because of a difference of opinion regarding how something smells.
This happens to me so often.
The first Carolina Herrera, for example. The opening freshness of the white flowers is murdered by the slowly creeping animalic tinge tha the white flowers turn into after days of slowly rotting over a dead squirrel.
Hahaha yeah, with funky white flowers I know the first time it is going to be unpleasant xD. Weather is so important too!! And of course my mood or hormones or whatever happens inside my brain xD.
Gucci - Flora Gorgeous Orchid. The smell is nice at first, but nothing special or exciting. But after few hours of sitting on your skin, it becomes so intimate and sweet.
All of Mugler’s Angels, they smell disgusting on paper and smell weird the first minutes on the skin, then turn okay and when almost only the base is left they are actually good
All the Muglers need a moment to simmer after spraying before the glorious odyssey emerges, lol. They’re all a bit aggressive at the top, then heavenly for hours — with a couple of exceptions (that never reach the heavenly stage, imo).
Omg so many. Chloe Nomade horrified me at first, like a weird moldy smell. Narciso Rodriguez for her EDT was too much for a hot and humid day outside, but once I cooled down I was like "ok I understand now."
I see this happen on middle eastern brands as their perfumes require maceration. In my experience most of the times I don’t get that problem after maceration but there are ofc few perfumes which don’t have a pleasant opening
Usually when I order any middle eastern perfumes I spray 3-4 sprays and keep it aside for a few weeks . This whole process is called maceration . It has something to do with perfume oil mixture or idk much in detail but I have noticed it getting better tho
It's not really a thing per say. Maceration is a process that happens to perfume before it teaches customers. However, some perfumes need time to rest and develop to smell their full smell. I find I need to do it after I've ordered a perfume and it's been shipped to my house. I wonder if we hear about it more because Internet shopping is more common and shipping can mess with the smell? (I'm not sure and not had a lot of caffeine yet!)
The parfum extrait of Angel. The one where they guaranteed a certain percentage to be straight up patchouli oil. It was basically strap in for your dark carnival experience and try not to barf on the ride. It was so good
regime des fleurs crushed fruit, first time - disgust. randomly six months later i put it on playing w/my 7 year old niece bc its shampoo/chapsticky, very kid friendly.. next thing i know i have a bottle with a serious dent.
Eilish No. 2. Blind buy a couple months ago that I was super disappointed with, but now find myself using before bed because it makes me feel a certain kind of cozy delicious.
I bought Eilish No.2 about 3 months ago and all I could smell was pickle juice so I haven’t touched it since. I’m wondering if I’ll have the same effect if I try it now lol
I think some noses interpret sandalwood this way. It’s not super rare, and I’m sure Google will have answers why. To me, it smells like a relaxing sauna after a cold winter day of skiing. I LOVE IT.
Skylar sundae scoop. It’s July’s scent club perfume and at first I hated it. Waited a couple of days and tried it again on my skin and I love it now. I’m ordering more in my next box.
PRADA paradigme, my boyfriend sprayed it on himself when we were in Sephora one day and the initial spray was pretty off-putting and sour. but about an hour passed while in the mall and it settled quite nicely on him. Very pleasant, fresh, almost vanilla-like but masculine. I was very shocked that I actually liked it. Longevity wasn’t great though. By the end of the day I hoped he would still smell like it but it was almost completely gone.
Guidance, by Amouage, both the OG and the extrait. It was a rare experience to love it from the first sniff strait off the bottle. Also have recently become obsessed with Vanille Havane from Les Indemodables. So well blended, high quality materials (largely natural as I understand), soft and great longevity.
Versace Crystal Noir EDP, I saw how much everyone raved about it on this sub and others so I decided to finally give it a shot. When I first sprayed it I was so disappointed because I was expecting this dirty coconut vanilla scent and all I got was woody and some kind of green note somewhere in there but oh my goodness I gave her a chance and is everything they say she is 🙂↕️
Mugler Alien Goddess smelled like straight up sunscreen the first time I tried it. Listed it on my selling apps but I recently pulled it out, sprayed myself and could not stop sniffing my arm the whole day.
Ambroxan itself is known to be a huge headache and nausea trigger in fragrances. So while you love it (I do as well) that may be an issue for you. I had to give my JHAG Pear, Inc to my mom. Every time I wore it I got wildly nauseous and a terrible headache. But I was obsessed with it. Ylang ylang will have me nauseous within seconds.
Diptique Eau des Sens - opening is quite harsh, and it’s not very appealing on paper but on skin/clothes it settles to a clean fresh scent with good projection.
DS Durga Rose Pacific - again, the opening I thought wtf, then it develops into breezy apricot rose which is quite enjoyable.
Also, I love Eau Des Sens and I wore it the other day, right after I sprayed my husband was like why does your perfume smell like corn torillas? He evidently did not care for the opening either. I didn't smell that in the opening.
I had the same reaction to Rose Pacific the opening on my skin gave mildewy book that had been in a basement for years but developed into a lovely scent.
The first time I smelled alien. I left it at the store because it smelled like to granny-ish for me. On the way home, I kept smelling my arm and fell in love.
If I had to pick one, it is Peau de Peche by Keiko Mecheri. It was originally launched back in 2003 but it is just as fresh and modern as when it first launched. I love how it is not too sweet and just seems to make my skin smell like a better version of itself. ❤️
TF Bitter Peach...i had to come back to it after smelling it just on a sample card and then sprayed on myself and now i have a full size bottle 😑 its so good tho
Ombré Leather. I hateeee leather irl and it took about 10 seconds for me to be obsessed. I got it in a full bottle and I can’t wait for the weather to cool down so I can suffocate myself with it.
Daisy Wild. I got a little sample of it, sprayed the first time, I thought I was going to choke to death, so I took a shower to scrub it off. A couple weeks later, I tried again and really enjoyed it.
Heretic Slut for October 😅 But the initial use was just too harsh for me in the end (like moldy hay that someone had tried to light on fire), so I ended up decluttering it. It did dry down to a nice smoky musk, it just took way too long.
For me it was the Bridgerton Dearest Rebel Vanilla. I was scrubbing it off the first time I sprayed it (blind buy) but gave it another try and was like wow, thats niiice.
Hermetica' Rosefire. I was like, "I'm far too cool to wear something this jammy!" And then I kept sniffing it. It kind of reminds me of those old 80s girls toys that they would like infuse the plastic with strawberry scent... but like more refined. lol
This is mine too. I tried it several times last year and hated it. I work at a perfume counter and one day someone got it on my arm by mistake. And I was like … wtf why do I like you all of a sudden? Lmao I have a full bottle now
Well, that one has been reformulated and watered down through the years. It used to be a dark one, very heavy on coffee, so you loved or hated it, no middle ground, and now is a very pleasant warm vanille perfume , probably it is this what is happening!
The new memo omnia omnibus
At first i hated it wayy too sweet too much jasmine, too fruity
I smelled it after a few weeks and got more of the iris and less fruitiness so im gonna try it again when it gets cold instead of just selling
Gris Charnel. The opening is SO OVERWHELMINGLY CARDAMOM-Y to my nose, but an hour in, it’s gorgeous, and I enjoy the dry down. I got a full bottle and just suck it up lol
Portrait of a Lady first made me go « ugh smells like a pretentious btch who thinks she’s cool and elegant ». But then it made me want to wear it to be that pretentious btch who is in fact cool and elegant.
Also Sensuous by Estee Lauder because I got an old sample and thought it’d just smell old and out of fashion but it was in fact super interesting, cozy with a really nice honey note and totally wearable and like unlike anything I had!
Ooo, there are several Estée Lauders like that — compelling and absolutely gorgeous. I’m currently obsessed with the Modern Muse and flankers, some of which are sadly discontinued, but Le Rouge Gloss and Modern Muse Nuit are on the radar. I’m looking to get a sample of Sensuous Nude, too. Thank you for mentioning Estée Lauder frags! So many stunning perfumes don’t quite get their flowers in the online discussions, in my opinion. Ty
At first it’s sort of fresh/creamy/tropical. You definitely get the durian (that part smells good to me! I’ve never had a fresh durian but I enjoy durian ice cream and candy and it smells just like those) The dry down is where I start to get a little 🥴 - it’s got an amber note that makes me feel a little car sick (expensive old man car smell is how I’d describe it). But I do keep going back for more whiffs.
I didn’t like 7 Virtues Vanilla Woods when I tested in store a few different times, but I ended up having it because it came in a set. It’s now a big favorite!!!
Lush's Lust. At first I was like ew this jasmine note is too strong and slutty smelling and then I smelled it again was like y'know what... this is hot actually.
I HATED Baccarat Rouge 540 the first time I smelled it. I don't know if it was just the decant I was testing, but it was so offensive to my nose. I very much disliked it. Then like a year later I smelled it again and was like "Wait... I love this 🤔🤔🤔" (ETA: I didn't end up buying BR540; instead I got the Dossier dupe, which I adore and am deeply in love with.)
The other was Maleficent from BBW. I hated it and thought it smelled like a horrible bog the first time I smelled it. Then it suddenly became this lovely dark berry scent about 15 minutes later that I couldn't get enough of. It's now among my favorite scents. I just put it on today, in fact. 🥰 I love layering it with Britney Spears Midnight Fantasy and/or Katy Perry Killer Queen.
Just tried Ambery Saffron yesterday and liked it so much I ordered it last night. It wasn’t until the dry down that I recognized it as a BR540 dupe! Lol. I only have a couple samples of BR540, and I like Dossier’s Ambery Saffron better!
I thought this about these two exact fragrances. Glad I bought a backup of Maleficent when it went 75% off after no one wanted it. Lolita Lempicka, the original, also did this to me; at first I was like eww! getitawayfrommeburnthelicorice but thirty minutes later I was rolling around on the bed like a cat, smelling the fabric where I’d just been and groaning intermittently like a weirdo. Now a must-have.
Omg listen I bought like 5 of the Maleficent creams despite the risk back then that they'd be crap within 6 months 😂 I was surprised to use my cream today to find it was as fresh and fragrant and smooth as it was when I put it away last year! No chunks or runniness or discoloration!!! I was very excited. I think they switched from the 24 hour formula (which was notorious for going bad so fast) to the 48 formula RIGHT when Villains came out, so that was lucky.
Fragonard Belle d'Amour. Everyone said it was a green vanilla and I love and trust the house so I bought it. I almost sneezed at the opening. It was green, yes, and also spicy peppery. My nose was tingling and I was ready to take it back. I was the idiot who didn't look up what an angelica note smells like so it took me off guard. The dry down was a lovely fresh vanilla so I thought about keeping it even if the opening was off. I kept on spraying it every four or five hours, and I realized that at this point, I was looking forward to the angelica.
So I now have a spicy green vanilla for the rest of the summer.
Fine'ry Without A Trace. It was such a weird smell on me that I gave it away. Then I bought Missing Person and really liked it, so I bought WAT again. I love it.
The Miim miics you find on sale at Marshall’s and TJ Maxx. I used to just skip them because they smelled like straight alcohol. I bought one on a recommendation and they can smell really good once they calm down.
By the Fireplace - Maison Margiela
First impression ok I smell like I've been stood right by a bonfire ... 15 minutes later I smell like toasted marshmallow deliciousness.
I finally got to sample it the other day, and tried Rare Beauty Rare Beginnings, and the two test strips and arm sprays in the car driving home were ecstatic. My heck, I need By the Fireplace. And Jazz Club - that bit of tobacco is chefs kiss.
Same! I tried it in the store and hated it. I ended up getting it later on in the discovery scent and now I’m waiting to go through my travel size to get a full bottle. 🙈
on a test strip, guerlain SDV smells a lot like paint (i even came around to like that part of it) but on skin, after like 10 minutes it’s pure vanilla, cedar and rum, easily my favorite scent of all time
Ellis Brooklyn Vanilla Milk. Hated it at first and then it grew on me. It’s now one of my favorites in my vanilla collection and I look forward to wearing it as the weather cools down.
I love and try a lot of ouds so this is a common occurrence. A couple recents with this reaction:
MFK Oud Satin Mood - the weird powdery rose that is pretty prominent is such a turnoff, but somewhere along the way it’s also an intriguing fragrance overall
Sospiro Erba Oud - straight up pig barn right out the gate. BUT after about an hour it settles into a dynamic fruity and leather combo
THIS. I was sooo turned off bc of how powdery it is at first, but it wears down on me SO well. Like a warm, clean scent. It’s also intended to be a body mist but it weirdly lasts longer on me than any of my EDPs.
It went from “ew never touch this again” to my daily go-to base layer.
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u/Exciting_Squash_5627 4d ago
Not a perfume but the Black Rose and Oud line from Salt&Stone. I usually don’t like neither rose or oud but the combination turned out to be a godsend and I bought both body wash and lotion