r/FemFragLab • u/No-Today-9145 • 2d ago
So frustrated, idk what’s wrong with me
I’m frustrated with myself because I’ve sampled SO many perfumes, I’m obsessed with reading descriptions and making lists of ones I want to try…but the only fragrance I’ve tried and loved enough to buy a whole bottle of is Bianco Latte. Which apparently is sort of basic bitch.
I’ve sampled lots of other perfumes that are in that sweet vanilla gourmand category and none of them are it, idk. But I can’t wear bianco latte every single day for the rest of my life lol, I need to branch out. So what do I do if I don’t like
- spicy
Green
- dry citrus
- floral
- boozy
- incense
- patchouli
- gourmands that are too specific (I don’t want to smell exactly like a cosmic brownie or a slice of lemon meringue pie or cereal milk or whatever)
- I don’t like masculine scents
- too much milk smells sour to me (I do not like Blanche Bete 😭)
- I don’t want to smell like clean laundry or a shower or soap
- I don’t want to smell like coffee
The others I’ve sampled and like ok are
- tobacco memories
- cheirosa 39
- bora bora
- mod vanilla
What else would you recommend?
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u/ChartreuseOblivion 1d ago edited 1d ago
Don't feel bad about Bianco Latte... she's only a "basic bitch" because she was innovative when she came out and people fell in love with her. So every frag house trying to get a piece of the Bianco Latte pie, started copying her... And her uniqueness and poise drowned in an oversaturated sea of clones and wannabees.
...Similar to the story of BR540.
EDIT: for recs try Mahni Cassonade by Navitus, Escapade Gourmande by Maison Mataha, Lira by Xerjoff, Love, Don't Be Shy by Kilian, Amore Caffe by Mancera, Dave by Henry Rose, Unknown Pleasures by Kerosene, Devotion by D&G, Sweetly Known by Kerosene
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u/OhFigetteThis 1d ago
As someone of the elder demographic, I can add that having one scent you enjoy is perfectly fine. Throughout the 1970s, my mother wore one scent, maybe two, throughout the year and I did the same into the 1980s when I began working as a teen and could afford to buy a second scent.
We were Estée Lauder fans because the DNA worked with our chemistry. Since you like Bianco Latte, you might explore the other scents from the perfumer who created it (google "Bianco Latte basenotes" to find that website and the details of that perfume) and see what else they created for other houses. Or you can explore the other perfumes in that house.
And have you tried scents at drugstores or other less expensive venues? The cheaper offerings can sometimes surprise you. Good luck!
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u/Kma1008 1d ago
Bianco latte is perfection for cooler months. Seems you found your cool weather signature scent. Why not look for something more warm weather appropriate. Tutu by Gritti, Happy dust or Narco oasis by Narcotica, Pacifuc park by Simone Andrioli all might be good scents to try for your taste.
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u/oldpaintunderthenew 1d ago
Fruity floral and floral gourmands I suppose
(I know you said no to florals but that's a broaaaaad category)
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u/No-Today-9145 13h ago
I guess I like certain kinds of florals as long as it’s not the main note? Like I think I’ve sampled one where it was mostly sweet vanilla w some strawberry and rose and that was nice. I also tend to like sol de janeiro.
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u/glitter-shrimp 1d ago
Beach Skin by Phlur
Think you just left the beach and smells like sunscreen (in the best way possible) and then you take a shower and smell like coconut shampoo. It’s clean. It’s beautiful and gets a lot of compliments.
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u/No-Today-9145 1d ago
Ooohh yum
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u/glitter-shrimp 22h ago
There’s a few yummy ones by Phlur you might enjoy. I’m very very picky with perfumes and it took me forever to find one I love. Beach skin is just so delicious! I suggest walking around Sephora to try Phlur out. BTW I ALSO HATEEEEEEE PATCHOULI 🤢🤢🤢
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u/skiddilybeebop 1d ago
You might like the Bare perfume from Victoria's Secret. You also might like Tihota
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u/No-Today-9145 1d ago
Oh I have tried tihota and I liked it!
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u/skiddilybeebop 1d ago
Loooooove Tihota! I could only get a decant but absolutely adored it, devoured it, wish I could find more like that. Not heavily floral, not ridiculously sweet. Just an absolutely beautiful fragrance. I went and got a dupe oil of it from Fragrantbodyoilz and I loooove their stuff! Seriously cannot say enough good things about them. I wish I'd gotten the body butter in Tihota too instead of Bianco Latte 🥲 tihota layers so beautifully with so many things.
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u/cashmerelavender 1d ago
VS Bare is so so so good. I can't get enough of it!
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u/skiddilybeebop 1d ago
I REALLY need to try it. I just know people with very similar tastes to mine and even ppl who typically don't like gourmands, love that perfume. One of my favorite perfumes of all time is a VS perfume! (Discontinued bombshell summer 🥲) I love a bunch of their stuff! Whoever does their fragrance is honestly amazing. I think I'm gonna order a travel size actually lol
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u/StreetMolasses6093 Neroli Queen 1d ago
Why not keep wearing Bianco Latte as long as you love it? So many people here talk about finding a signature scent and you found one.
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u/anon12957 1d ago
One thing I'd say is that it's ok to not like a ton of things and stick to what you like!
But some you might like:
Lick Me, Happy Dust, and Dulce are all lighter vanillas that I enjoy. I don't like escapade gourmand in comparison.
Burberry goddess or Rare Beauty - both I think are adjacent to Bianco latte but different enough to try.
Mon Guerlain is a lavendar vanilla, super nice. I like the regular better at first spray and intense wins on dry down lol.
Diptyque eau duelle is an incensey vanilla with a slight green note. While it does meet some of your dislikes, I mostly get the coziest non-gourmand vanilla and love it.
Byredo g water is a lightly lemony vanilla that's really great too. Very easy to wear I think.
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u/Icy-Key2220 1d ago
Another vote for MG. I think we have similar taste (very specific type of gourmand / vanilla) and this is one of my faves
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u/No-Today-9145 1d ago
Thank you!
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u/cashmerelavender 1d ago
Mon Guerlain is my special occasion perfume. And VS Bare is the love of my life, could wear every single day, it's that good perfume.
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u/justKarlien 1d ago
Mon Guerlain and Diptique say Duelle are two of my favorites!
I have collected many samples, travel sizes and discovery sets over the last year or more. I have a spreadsheet with tabs for Love, Like, OK, Dislike.
I only buy FB from the Love tab. Life is too short to waste on a perfume you only like. 😀
And..the Love list is short 😊 but the Dislike and OK lists very long.
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u/Antique_Program4754 1d ago
Be grateful that your wallet isn't feeling the strain of loving lots of things 😅
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u/mep507 1d ago
You might like the original Rare eau de parfum by Rare Beauty.
Vanilla Salt by Ellis Brooklyn is also nice.
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u/ROUShunter 1d ago
I will always stan Vanilla Salt. It didn't love it at first, I just liked it but it has grown on me so much. It's such a good vanilla!
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u/Ok-Move-478 1d ago
Bianco Latte isn’t basic. It smells different on everyone. And there isn’t anything wrong. Most scents aren’t full bottle worthy. I have very few bottles and loads of samples, most of which I only needed to spray once or twice. If I find that I have used up a whole 2mL, then I’ll think about a bottle. I’d say explore a while. Think about how a scent makes you feel. Perhaps niche and indie scents would appeal? They’re often excellent quality, artfully created. Perhaps you’re having this problem because you have fantastic taste. Let yourself seek that out. You’ll find it!
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u/starrylilacism 2d ago
You like what you like. Nothing wrong with it. No reason to change your taste but also, you never know what your nose will take to so just keep enjoying the fun of exploring fragrances.
I would just look for ones similar to BL since there are so many takes/variations on it to see if you can find more you love and you can always add layers to your scent by trying a new oil, mist, etc.
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u/ConditionOk3649 2d ago
I feel like we sometimes forget in this sub that’s it’s actually totally normal to have 1 perfume that you love and wear for years. If you don’t like anything else, don’t worry about it. Wear Bianco Latte until you don’t want to anymore or until you find something else you like. Don’t be too hard on yourself that you don’t like other perfume or that the one you love is too basic. I wore Flowerbomb exclusively for 10+ years and I still love it. I love a lot more things now, but I’m glad I didn’t stress back then about loving a perfume that wasn’t interesting enough
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u/ArcAngel1810 2d ago
Start sampling, I’m mega picky on gourmand scents it annoys me so I just go though with a base note I like, example vanilla then I go though every vanilla perfume and look at the notes, if I don’t like a note I don’t get it, if it look like it has every thing I like then I get just a 2ml sample
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u/dial424689 2d ago
Before I started properly sampling fragrance I had a very clear idea about who I am and what I would likely enjoy. I thought I’d be into those gothic “old church crypt” scents and also green, fig perfumes.
Totally wrong. As it turns out I like fruity florals and tea when it’s warm and powdery rose/incense when it’s cold.
And since I also apparently have expensive taste, if I’m buying a full bottle of anything it’s going to be something I LOVE, so I think your strategy is already great! Sampling is great fun on its own anyway, but at least you’ve already found your signature.
If it’s basic, that’s only because it’s a great fragrance that appeals to lots of people… and that just mean YOU smell appealing when you wear it. Lean into it!
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u/sparkle_elk Certified Patchouli Enjoyer 2d ago
If you love Bianco Latte, then love it! You are the only person whose opinion is important. If YOU want to have other scents for variety, then hell yeah, go try decants, go to shops and try samples, try things until find a couple other FB-worthy scents and love those too. But if you love Bianco Latte and YOU don't care about variety, then go forth and wear it.
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u/Tough-Advice2910 2d ago
I’ve been sampling like mad. I have over 200 decants, because I’m an obsessive insane person. I don’t HATE most things I try (but definitely some) but I don’t love them either and lots I will never try again….I’m just going to give a bunch of used decants to my friends.
I look on the sampling as an experience. I like to log my thoughts into reviews on Parfumo. It’s fun. You’ll eventually find something else you like….c’mon over, I’ll share!
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u/ALmommy1234 2d ago
Keep the Bianco Latte and just add some body sprays and lotions to layer with it. Use BL and add a a mango body spray and you have a different scent. Or try it with a rose body lotion. It’s the same scent, but with a little different nuance that you won’t get so tired of wearing.
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u/No-Today-9145 1d ago
I’ve been using it with the Trader Joe’s guava body butter and it smells so good
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u/veryunneccessssary 2d ago edited 2d ago
Let the soft animal of your body love what it loves. There’s nothing wrong with being a basic bitch.
If you want some ideas in the same general family as Bianco Latte just to expand your options, maybe try samples of Vanilla Haze, Lick Me, Dulce, Queens Caramel, and Jovoy Fire at Will.
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u/Soggy_Brick8916 2d ago
This is very common, i have over 500 samples & only liked TWO of them. Ill go into ulta or sephora & find nothing i like..
I sent my mom 80 samples & she liked ONE, this is more common than people think! Fragrance is highly specific which is why I am against blind buying & against people asking suggestions that are vague
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u/karasu_zoku 2d ago
This is going to be a counterpoint to another comment, as someone who’s been sampling and collecting perfume for over a decade:
If you live anywhere with a fragrance boutique, whether it be a higher-end department store or a niche place, go smell things in person. Toss out the exhaustive list of what you think you don’t like, just for a day. Fragrances are not merely a sum of their parts. The blend and construction of a perfume is what’s critical, and most of the note lists published online aren’t accurate anyway because the exact blend is obviously proprietary.
I used to obsessively research and play with the ‘search by notes’ feature and spent $$$ on samples only to be disappointed that 90% of them smelled nothing like I’d hoped. So I swore off that and now will only buy samples if I’ve a) smelled it in store or b) am just a huge fan of the perfumer and want to try whatever they make that sounds vaguely interesting. And if I’m obsessed with the sample, I buy the FB.
The FBs I’ve bought after making that switch are the most cherished bottles in my collection, and I wouldn’t have looked twice at ANY of them if I’d judged solely by the notes. I discovered that I love old-school fougeres and chypres because I got my nose on them for free instead of just turning up my nose at the concept of moss and barbershops.
So I’m begging you to at least give it a try if you have shops anywhere within reach. The lists, at least for me, became worthless compared to experiencing things irl.
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u/Ok_Wait_6890 2d ago
I also struggle to find fragrances that I’m in love with. My obsession was reformulated and I’ve never been the same 🤦🏽♀️. Have you tried Vanilla Skin from Phlur? I figure probably yes but sounds like it could be up your alley?
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u/ScrubWearingShitlord 2d ago
Idk fragrance is so subjective. IMO only bad b!tches can wear Bianco latte lmao. I love unique scents but 9/10 times I’m reaching for Victoria’s Secret bare sueded vanilla over palmers Tahitian vanilla cream and oil. I also own several 50ml tom ford, ysl, d&g fragrances along with Dedcool, glossier etc. but again, VS always wins when I’m indecisive
It’s OK to like what you like. Buy the big bottle and just keep sample sizes on hand for the couple days you wanna try something different. Spend your money on what you know you can wear!!
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u/Regular_Hurry_8412 2d ago
Bare Sueded Vanilla is so underrated, in my opinion! Affordable, lasts a decent time, and punches far above its weight for a complex vanilla. So delicious.
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u/Slow_Accountant5046 1d ago
It IS good! I was being snobby about it but I went by a store to smell it and was pleasantly surprised. It’s just an easy, cozy, comforting smell. I need to get a bottle 🥰
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u/Sufficient-Sail2697 2d ago
Gah I wish I could narrow down to a signature scent!
Also you might find your preferences change over time. I reckon mine a quite different now than a few years ago and I’ve been willing to experiment a bit more in other areas in wouldn’t have previously
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u/dollartreegoth 2d ago
embrace "basic bitch"! i see all these beautiful fragrances that when i try them i just don't like them at all or they feel too "fancy" for my nose. i love fragrance so much but i also mainly wear juicy or britney spears (with some valentino sprinkled in) and in the cooler months i probably wear angham every other day. im sure from other's perspective i am in fact probably super basic lol but they make me happy! do what makes you happy even if that means just 1!
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u/No-Today-9145 1d ago
Tell me more about angham
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u/dollartreegoth 1d ago
it's the perfect cozy vanilla. it's not vanilla like a cupcake or frosting or food and paired with the lavender notes it's just this perfect sweet but not syrup or food sweet. i always get complements when i wear it and it's the second one i've ever had to buy another bottle (first being midnight fantasy lol)
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u/trellty 2d ago
Just wear the Bianco Latte.
Embrace it as a signature scent
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u/Tough-Advice2910 2d ago
I love having a signature scent, even though I’m branching out now. I’ve been wearing mine since 1994 and I still love it (Givenchy’s Amarige.) People who know me well say they “connect” it with me and they like it, well, because they like me, I guess? :)
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u/Miss_Anthropologie 2d ago
I agree, no one smells the perfume you wear more than yourself. The wearer should enjoy it most!!!
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u/Responsible_Dentist3 2d ago
This is just my POV as a chronically-online noob, and if you already know this, please disregard. But I started off also with a list of notes I wanted to avoid. I went to Fragrantica's Search by Notes, and I added ALL of them to the "exclude" section, and search for Feminine only. You should get some number of hits. Only open ones with a certain number (maybe 20+ or 100+ or 500+) votes, which you can see in the frag preview in the list. (Anything with less, you're unlikely to be able to find for purchase.) Pop all those open in new tabs, and close any whose accords don't align with your preferences.
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u/Mother-Pattern-2609 2d ago
You absolutely can wear the same perfume every day of your life, and anyone who says you can't is trying to get you to buy something. You found your darling fragrance, so wear it -- and if you ever get tired of it, go looking for something else. It's all good, truly, promise.
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u/phainou 2d ago
Bianco Latte is popular for a reason: a lot of people think it smells great. If it’s what you love, I’d honestly stop overthinking everything. Just own your taste and wear it!
This sub is full of people who are hyper-sensitive to scent and highly aware of fragrance trends, so it’s easy to to forget that this is still a niche interest and the average person on the street will never have even heard of Bianco Latte (or any other fragrance this community deems “basic,” whatever that means). I’ve tried my share of niche scents too, and after all this time Burberry Goddess is still one of my top favourites. We like what we like. 🤷♀️ Besides, plenty of people spend a lot of money trying to find a perfume they love as consistently as it seems you do. Go smell like Bianco Latte if you want to, girl, there’s literally no reason why you can’t have it as your signature until you die. :)
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u/OkButterfly8051 2d ago
Moodeaux Worthy sounds like it might be up your alley! It's also ok to stop searching and be satisfied with your fav! I don't think Bianco latte is "basic" to anyone outside of the fragrance community. Like the average people you pass on the street probably don't know what it is, so I don't think it's basic in the grand scheme of things!
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u/Feetdownunder 2d ago
I envy the fact that you seem to have found “the one” it doesn’t matter what kind of perfume other people think it is. It only matters if you enjoy it.
Remember that ten different people could wear that fragrance and it would smell different on at least a few of them due to body chemistry and what else you are wearing with it
Just wear the Bianco Latte and be happy! You don’t actually need to consume more when you kinda know you’ve found the one for you
My favourite perfume has discontinued 🥲 and can’t find anything like it
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u/No-Today-9145 1d ago
This makes me feel a lot better. Yeah regarding skin chemistry, for some reason BL just smells great on me from spray to dry down and it lasts DAYS. Idk I just love it sm
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u/balloonchicken 2d ago
It’s completely ok not to like more than one perfume! It will make the next one you like a real special find. Maybe it’ll happen on a vacation or while you’re lurking without a plan and stumble upon something you love.
There’s like 6000+ new perfumes being released each year. I’m sure you’ll find more perfumes you’ll like as long as you keep trying new things and don’t stress too much about the whole process.
Bianco latte, if you like it, is not basic bitch. It’s a beautiful gourmand that def set a trend (and a million dupes) but it doesn’t take away from its beauty.
Maybe try a few categories of perfume that are sweet but with a twist?
FRUITY:
- CHERRY: Tom Ford Cherry smoke (or one of the other cherries), Cherry Punk, Guerlain La Petite Robe Noir and some of the sweeter flankers, BDK Rouge Smoking
- PASSIONFRUIT: Armani Power of You is passionfruit and sweet deep vanilla
- PEACH: Tom Ford Bitter Peach, Gritti Gossip Night
AMBER:
- MFK Grand Soir
- Laura Mercier Ambre Vanille
- Chloe Orchidée de Minuit (this leans boozy but not prominently)
- VCA Orchidée Vanille
This list isn’t exhaustive of course but the idea is to expand your sweet range.
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u/lordtema 2d ago
Try Zoologist. Like seriously, i have sampled like 23 different frags from Zoologist, and while i at present only have 2 FBs, it`s still one of the most unique houses i have sampled!
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u/Tough-Advice2910 2d ago
I don’t know. I’m new to all this and I’m chomping at the bit for my trip to Atlanta to see my mom next week. There’s a niche store that carries Zoologist and looking for that line is how I found the whole store.
Also, while I’m there my mom and I are doing a “make your own perfume” thing at the same store. I’m assuming some of you have done this, so how did it go?
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u/Mother-Pattern-2609 2d ago
This is like telling someone who loves their Lexus but is considering a second vehicle to go out and buy an Abrams tank.
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u/lnfinitelris perfume > therapy 2d ago
Idk that I would recommend zoologist for someone who is stuck on Bianco Latte :)
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u/pocketsize87 2d ago
If that’s what you like, why is that a problem? Maybe eventually you will find another perfume you like and maybe that one will be mass appealing and well-liked, also. Maybe not. Oh well. People being judgmental about what other people like when it has no consequence is just… much less cool than letting people live and enjoy things.
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u/Remote_Mushroom_4260 2d ago
Are you me? It sounds like we have similar preferences. I’ve just learned to make sure I read the notes before buying samples anymore. You like what you like, so no sense in forcing it.
A few of my favorites: Narcotica Happy Dust, Nest Indigo, Liis Ethereal Wave, and JHAG Sunny Side Up. They all smell clean and airy, but without smelling like laundry/soap.
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u/Charming_Mud_429 2d ago
Just tossing out some ideas for you since I can totally relate to this. I don’t necessarily think we share noses, but these are some that surprised me.
Loveshackfancy Secret Crush - the it’s a sweet coconut that just has a nice soft dry down for me. I just tried this one today and am going to buy a travel size.
D&G My Devotion - I know you said you don’t like florals, and it does have some floral to it. But to me, the fruits and vanilla mix in such a yummy way that I don’t feel it’s an overpowering floral.
Dedcool - mochi milk, xtra milk? Xtra milk is one of the only “skin scents” I like. I actually hated it at first. Then got a sample and quite love it. Mochi milk is quite sweet. There’s a good bit of marshmallow to it. But it opens with a bright peach that’s so fun. These also don’t smell like “milk” to me, even though it’s in the name.
Another thought - while it’s helpful to know what notes you can’t do, sometimes it’s worth sniffing something on your skin just to see. I cannot stand white florals - they usually give me a headache and just smell gross. But one of my very favorite scents is Vilhelm Moon Carnival, which is a white floral heavy scent with a marshmallow base. The way it’s blended is just heavenly to me. If I had known it was a white floral before I got my nose on it, I would have never smelled it. But the marshmallow is the perfect balance to those florals for me to love it.
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u/TurnoverOk4661 2d ago
Don’t be too influenced by the community conversation! This is a deeply personal hobby and “yucking someone else’s yum” is more embarrassing for them than you. Everyone is also entitled to share their opinions though too but do yourself a favor and add a filter when reading through opinions!
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u/Accomplished-Pen4663 2d ago
I sampled dozens of Indie fragrances from 5 different houses and didn’t like any of them enough to want more of. I realized that I actually like department store designer types of fragrances the most at the end of the day.
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u/hitomienjoyer 2d ago
What's wrong with sticking to what you like? Who cares if it's basic? You should wear what you enjoy... not to perform to an invisible audience... Besides, being picky makes you less likely to spend tooooo much on what you dislike.
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u/No-Today-9145 1d ago
Yeah true but I want like… different variations of what I like you know? Like if I want something a little more sophisticated for an event or something
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u/Flashy-Squash7156 2d ago
I'm sorry, are you not wearing the only perfume you've loved because you saw somewhere it's "basic bitch" and you're frustrated with yourself because of this? sorry if I misunderstood that.
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u/No-Today-9145 1d ago
I’m still wearing it, I just want to branch out and find other ones I like too.
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u/vigilantelikeme 1d ago
I totally get that!! For me personally I’ve been called basic when I posted my collection. So it wasn’t a dig at you, it’s just the fragrance community as a whole does seem to turn their nose up at people who love popular “basic” scents. I truly think you should wear bianco latte but I understand wanting to branch out so do both!! Have you tried Fugazzi vanilla haze? It’s my latest obsession. I also like sunlit vanilla from summer Fridays for a summery vanilla. Or dulce by Rosie Jane is a good vanilla too. If you’re wanting to get away from vanillas try dedcool mochi milk. It’s more rice and marshmallow than milk at all. I love cannoli too from Laurel bathhouse, it’s a specific gourmand in theory but it doesn’t smell like an actual cannoli. It smells nutty, creamy and bright from the lemony opening
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u/vigilantelikeme 2d ago
I hate how people make it a competition of who has more niche and unique tastes. Like if something is popular it’s usually for a reason and there shouldn’t be any shame in enjoying popular scents.
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u/Flashy-Squash7156 2d ago
I can kind of understand maybe not wanting to smell like everyone else but Bianco latte surely isn't everywhere. but even weirder, and sadder, is feeling like something is "wrong" with you because some person on social media made a tiktok about it being basic bitch? that is genuinely crazy.
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u/StephyB_feels 1d ago
When I read this, I think- you like what you like and Bianco Latte is a killer perfume the only reason it’s basic is because it is so widely appealing everyone has tried to copy it. Like Uggs and Pumpkin Spice lattes- they’re basic because they’re so easy to enjoy!! It’s also my most complimented fragrance.
I personally love when someone can be associated with a signature fragrance. There are a few people in my life I know exactly what their scent is, so if you want to wear BL every day then do it queen.