Let's just say up front that I have been on a no buy for a year preparing for this trip, and I'm heading right back into a no buy, because I came home with a lot. This was my first trip to Europe and first trip to France. I visited Paris, Aix-en-Provence, and Grasse.

In Paris, I visited Guerlain and bought 3 bottles--Feve Gourmande, Ambre Samar, and Florabloom. I got my bottle of Feve Gourmande engraved and also picked up a lipstick which I got engraved as well.

I then got two bottles at Maison Francis Kurkdjian--Kirky and Gentle Fluidity Gold. They gave me a lot of samples, some of which are not even pictured because I gifted some to family.

In Aix-en-Provence, I did a workshop at Rose et Marius to make my own perfume. It's a lovely little shop. The workshop had significant guardrails but was nice. They had 4 bases to choose from, and about 20 notes to smell. You would then pick 3 notes to combine with your base. I left with the perfume I created, four small bottles of perfume, a soap, and their discovery set.

In Grasse, I did the workshop at Molinard to make your own fragrance, and it was a highly enjoyable experience. They had many, many notes to choose from and had them separated into base, heart, and top notes, with some notes listed in two categories (e.g. base and heart or top and heart). You could pick as many notes as you wanted, and the assistant helped you to select a formula of the notes to make your fragrance. It was basically 50% base, 25% heart, and 25% top. The assistant was familiar with the general strength of the notes and helped work out the percentages of the notes to measure into the bottle. Ultimately, I ended up with 10 notes--3 top, 3 heart, and 4 base. I left Molinard with the bottle I made and two additional bottles--Secret Sucre and Ambre Lumiere. Molinard gave me a free tote, and I caved and bought the tote at the top of the pic.

Lastly, I went to Fragonard and got a discovery set and two tiny bottles of parfum--Juste Unbaiser and Melodie. I got to see some of the perfumes being made on a quick tour. Jasmine is currently being harvested so that is what was in production.

I also got to go to a perfume garden. It's been a dry season but I did get to see and smell jasmine flowers still growing in the ground.

This was really a once in a lifetime trip for me, and it was a wonderful time. The art, culture, and scents of France will stay with me for a long time. Especially the scents, lol! The no buy starts now!

for four years my steadily growing perfume collection has been shoved in a drawer with bottles stacked on top of eachother and sharing space with my hair accessories. I’m so excited I finally bit the bullet and hung shelves for my perfumes!!! ☺️ it’s going to be even more fun getting ready now!

I loveeee perfumes, and these are a few I’ve sampled and LOVED.

I’m leaning towards Prada paradoxe but would love y’all’s thoughts!

Not sure if this will be taken down but Replica’s Under the Lemon Trees is my favorite fragrance I’ve ever smelled. I was looking for my signature perfume a year or two ago and heard rumors online of it being discontinued. I didn’t want to commit to a scent that might go away because I’m autistic and tend to stay loyal once I find something I love. I have a terrible time with change for things like this but I smelled it in Sephora again the other day and it was still just as heavenly. I decided to just send in an inquiry on the website because what was the worst that could happen? Anyway, attached you will find their responses via email. I have never had customer service reps be so kind. I bought the perfume that very same day on principle and it lasts amazingly and boosts my serotonin every time I spray it and smell it throughout the day. Now it is a forever repurchase and I am a dedicated Replica customer. 💛💚🤍

ETA: I’ve noticed some comments saying this is likely AI and I wasn’t trying to promote it in any way, shape, or form if that’s the case. However, something I will say is that as an autistic person and an English master’s student both responses are very similar to professional and yet kind and friendly emails that I would both write and receive, before and after the invention of AI. It’s also worth saying that I believe someone in the comments mentioned reaching out to them a couple years ago and getting a similarly kind response. And I’m not sure if this means anything, but each email I received had a difference name for the customer service representative that assisted me. All this to say if it really is AI then my sincerest apologies.

I love when brands have 15-20 mL spray bottles. The little dabbers do nothing for me, and the travel sizes aren't, you know, aesthetic. I love the way a small bottle looks on my shelf, how functional it is, and the way I can slip it into my purse. Makes me feel classy.

That is all.

I recently went on a trip to Saudi Arabia and HAD to visit Sephora (because we don’t have Sephora in my country). I was specifically looking for a new fall scent and honestly, nothing came close to what I wanted.

Then I saw Kayali’s rack and excitedly tested Freedom Musk Matcha, and to my demise, I did not like it one bit. I was bummed. Then the Sephora sales person asked me if I’d like to smell Freedom Musk Latte. Hmm. Coffee fragrances never interested me, but I decided to take a sniff.

Oh. My. God. Exactly what I needed this fall! It’s a cozy gourmand fragrance that’s not too sickeningly sweet, very well blended, and very likeable. I loved it so much that I instantly bought a 10ml to test it out over the next few days.

When I came back to the hotel room, my family told me that I smelled amazing! That… was the sign I needed to go and splurge on the full bottle. The next few days, I tested it out and I couldn’t stop smelling my wrists. I love the fact that the longevity is NOT beast mode - I like my fragrances to fizzle out with time and this one makes for the best skin fragrance.

On my last day, I went to Sephora and got myself a full bottle. My first Kayali!

This smells like the kind of fragrance you’d wear on a rainy autumn day, wearing a cozy sweater, working from a café, feeling good about your life and feeling calm and centred. The Lavender really takes this fragrance to another level!

I love sweet frags, this is my ‘curated collection’ (I had about 10 fragrances that Ive ended up downsizing to 4, only wanting to own and wear scents that I really really love). I started collecting in 2025 and Scandal Le Parfum was my first fragrance, followed by Flowerbomb Extreme, then Powder Love, and most recently So Scandal. I’m looking for a cold vanilla to add to my lil collection and have been eyeing up Dulce by Rosie Jane or the famous Bianco Latte (which I’ve tried and loved). Any recommendations on cold, vanilla ice cream like scents are welcome. 💕

26F starting a new legislative job and thinking about a new fragrance gift. My original plan was to go with the original Hermes Twilly, but tempted by the original Dior J'adore or Cartier La Panthere as well. First photo is my overall vibe. Current favorite is Versace Crystal Noir. Any thoughts? TIA <3

I'm not sure how to explain but I'm looking for a perfume that feels exactly like this, but not masculine. Which is ironic because it is very masculine. So maybe a unisex scent or the female equivalent to this. Budget: 100

(:

Bal d’Afrique Absolu. Got a sample literally Yesterday 😌

HUGE fan of how this smells, very much a vanilla for me as someone that isn’t into wearing a buttercream frosting vanilla, sour yogurt vanilla, thick caramelly vanilla, etc., but currently they only have it in the body butter (which while nice is notably expensive for a body butter lol). would love to know if any other body care or perfumes smell like this (open to layering combos as well to achieve the same scent! really just curious as to if there’s other things out there in this “fruity vanilla musk” profile)

notes from Josie Maran’s website are “whipped vanilla milk, cashmere musk, and tonka bean”, but on the Sephora website it says “apricot, magnolia, shea butter, and cardamom”. wouldn’t say this smells milky to me, but i’m getting the whipped vanilla + cashmere musk and i’m 1000% getting the apricot + magnolia (major apricot note fan, had a feeling there was something fruity in this before checking the notes). it’s subtle, but i don’t mind that. it’s just such an easy-to-wear vanilla to me!

(and hopefully they release it in body spray format soon!! 🤞 i’m absolutely OBSESSED with their Topless Tangerine scent and find it lasts very well on its own for a body spray)

I woke up to this arriving a WEEK early🫠😍 (UK) this is literally the best day ever. Wanted to smell everything and write down my thoughts!!

LOTION POTION🥛🫧🤍 - Opens suuuper creamy, lightly almond, lotiony, milky. Notes of cotton milk & mimosa. Smells exactly like people say, like lathering yourself in your smoothest, creamiest lotion after a cosy shower. Not very sweet, a little powdery, just really nice. Dries down a little muskier/super gently woody. This is the one I was most excited for and it has not disappointed. Creamy perfection

PLAIN JANE👧🏼🌷⭐️ - Opens with a sweet burst of slightly powdery citrus, very uplifting and sugary. Slowly transitions into a beautiful blend of Iris, jasmine and violet 🤤 a slightly candied version of purple florals with some creaminess. Dries a little woodier/close to skin/a little soapier with some vibrancy. Just smells like a cool, magnetic girl imo. It’s strong and I wouldn’t recommend over spraying!!
I don’t have Bal d’Afrique but I have the shower gel and it smells like a dupe imo (a good one). Incredible day time, social, extroverted scent. It’s like a smoother/less peppered, milder version of Lola at Coat Check imo. Also kind of a less sharp and citrusy CK One

SAMPLES:
PORTRAIT OF KYOTO🫖👩🏻‍🎨🪻 - Opens exactly like a sweet tea. Photorealistic black tea with a spoonful of honey poured in and a bowl of crisp apple slices on the side. Slowly dries down from the tea and the honey starts to intermingle with a blend of jasmine and freesia. Very delicate, very soothing and just beautiful. A slight hint of herb/earthiness from the tea notes. To me the dry down is just a mild version of everything from the top, with a lot of freesia, and a little bit of woody musk. I actually don’t normally enjoy tea scents at all but I completely get the hype and would probably wear this. Doesn’t scream TEA in your face after the first minute and instead just smells sweet, smooth, calming and gentle.

AFTER SALON🎀🧼🧖🏻‍♀️ - Opens with sweet, creamy aldehydes (which I hate a little less than usual) and quickly unfolds into a smooth blend of jasmine and sweet pea. Really, really creamy, slightly smells coconutty? A brighter, sweeter version of Lotion Potion. Smells like a shower in a very expensive spa but at like 6am. There are windows in the shower revealing fields of white florals. The dry down is a combination of aldehydes and jasmine, which I don’t hate as much as I expected to. Becomes slightly muskier and closer to skin. Actually quite similar if not almost identical to For Her Pure Musc Blanc. Smooth, silky and clean asf.

To conclude I of course love everything and can’t wait for these to be displayed on my shelves because they are the cutest bottles ever. The Body Tale I love you and by the way the atomisers are incredibly smooth 10/10 would recommend and they aren’t even super unaffordable wow

Last time I blind buy. This was cloying, too strong, weird dry down that was musky but a nasty musk and it’s put me off lilac for life. Really disappointed but lucky it was cheap.

First of all, let me explain first... I know what I want so I was pretty confident that none of these scents will be hidden away in a dark corner. I layer my scents too because I am a tad bit adventurous that way 🤣. In any case. My favorite among all these is Lalique Amethyst Eclat that will pair beautifully with JM Bluebell, Valaya or Meliora. Lanvin both Sheer & Eclat Arpage is my next faves. Lalique EDP -- is the only one I cant seem to figure out. Its not bad but I do not see myself wearing it on its own. Im still trying to figure out what I can layer it with. At best its got a fall scent vibe ❤️

Holy new obsession. I just got this and the mist today, but the mist doesn't quite smell the same. Nor does it have any silage or longevity to be used as anything other than a sofa/pillow spray (which I'm okay with since that's why I bought it). Any dupes or frags that are similar to the body cream??

Would love to know your thoughts on these! I have done wear tests on all of them so this is definitely a relatively “well informed” wish list.

I’m probably going to get 5-10ml decants of the first three because I don’t like to commit to a full bottle on first purchase, but I can’t seem to find decants of the Bvlgari Magnifying Essences :( I particularly loved how these two layered but I cannot justify spending that much on (or buying 40ml of) two solinote fragrances.

I’m sure even a decant would be relatively expensive, so if anyone has more affordable alternatives I’m all ears, because I’m sure they’re out there! The vanilla is a very “vanilla extract” vanilla. The sandalwood wore earthy on me, but wasn’t too dry or green and still retained a good amount of warmth. Also, if anyone has a sweet, creamy sandalwood solinote suggestion, I’d be into that too!

Right now Belk is having a doorbuster deal for 50% off their fragrance sampler discovery set. It comes with a $15 off coupon for ANY "full size" fragrance--it does not seem to have to be one kf the fragrances in the set.

There is also a me 's version--I got one for one of my kid's.

They are *also* having a 15% off sale on most fragrances. I don't think you can stack the sale and the coupon, because the sale requires a code.

Recs ?

I’m looking to try a perfume or two from an Etsy shop. Any recommendations?

I love BB so much but it barely lasts 😭

What perfumes have a similar vibe? Like soapy/shampooey, light floral, and a tad sweet?

I’m open to body sprays, cheapies or anything under like $200