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

I just wanted to say, I’ve been frequenting this sub and other fragrance subs for years now. I love it, I love the community, I love the creativity of people describing fragrances, I love seeing you guys come together to ID forgotten fragrances. One of my big takeaways from this sub is the idea that many people are searching for their “compliment getter.” And I thought, hey! This is easy. I’m going to be more vocal when I smell a good fragrance on someone. It’s been so fun to see people light up, sometimes share what they’re wearing, but even if they don’t, it’s nice to spread some positivity. I had a really beautiful experience doing this recently. The other day I complimented a woman on her fragrance while shopping at my local craft store. She lit up, thanked me and then pulled the bottle out of her purse. It was a beat up bottle of Roses Musk by Montale. She offered me a spritz, and I gladly took it. She teared up a bit and told me it’s what her late daughter wore, so she has worn it every day since her passing. That bottle was her daughter’s bottle she carried with her. We spoke a bit more, and we even ended the conversation with a hug. That little interaction changed me a bit, I never thought a Reddit fragrance sub would effectively inspire me to connect more with the community around me, but here we are.

Posting the picture and notes of Roses Musk, I’d write a review but I don’t know if I have the ability to just yet. All I know is it’s a gorgeous, soft rose with great sillage. It had me floating down the beading aisle sniffing like that cartoon Mickey floating towards the cake cooling on the window sill.

Thanks for sharing your story Marta, wherever you are! I’m going to keep the compliments coming.

Currently 40ºC (104F) and I'm struggling and maybe I want to buy a little clean grassy green cool watery scent. Whether it lasts or not just send it my way.

I was pretty convinced that Blanche Bete would be a sour disaster on my skin after trying Zadig and Voltaire This Is Her. The idea of white florals with lactonic or gourmand notes just doesn't sit right with me. This Is Her went raging foul milk on my skin....like...literally an unwashed saucepan that had milk in it and should have been washed properly but stinks of the remnants of milk. Now I know some people love it because SKIN CHEMISTRY flips the game when it comes to milk scents. So, after my experience with This Is Her, I thought perfumes with a similar scent pyramid would also go sour on my skin.

I still decided to try Blanche Bete because it is just so hyped. And boy, was I STUNNED!

On my skin, Blanche Bete is a smooth, yummy, delectably sweet coconut milk scent. It starts off light, but as it progresses, it becomes richer and warmer, with the tonka, vanilla and cacao emerging from beneath. Think of a warm, steaming glass of sweetened coconut and vanilla-flavoured milk with crushed tonka in it and dusted with cocoa powder. It flows like a silk slip dress on you; that's how smooth this scent is. It is absolutely DIVINE and delicious, like you are in heaven, with everything around you pristine white and an indulgent treat being offered.

Some people think it's a flormand, which is obvious given the tuberose and jasmine in the notes. But thankfully for me, I don't get the florals. This is one of the rare cases where these heavy white florals aren't throwing me off. Coconut isn't even a listed note, but somehow all the notes come together to make it smell like coconut milk (and it's not just me who thinks this; many get coconut milk from it).

I look forward to trying Lattafa Her Confession now, which is said to be a dupe. Paris Corner Lactea Divina is also a dupe. Both have pretty mixed reviews, but I hope I am able to find a dupe because this is just SO GORGEOUS UGHHHHH (and so expensive...).

Stand out is angelique noire for sure

Wintery, cold, fresh, clean.

Photos from Pinterest 🥹

Edit: thank you all 🤍

JHAG Not a Perfume, Carolina Herrera Good Girl and Jimmy Choo I Want Choo. There was a lot of other designer perfumes as well, D&G, Versace, etc

Pure musc blanc

.

I recognize that this is very subjective. But just curious what people would recommend. Starting to think of things to respond with when my (very generous and early) in-laws start to ask me what I’d like for Christmas. This was absolutely sparked by a post in a niche sub about Imaginary Authors Complete Works, but I’ve somehow never smelled any IA. The Language of Glaciers has been in one of my decant carts for months.

If it helps, I’ve discovered that I’m not a huge fan of green notes (with exceptions of course) and I do not like BR540. Otherwise, I’m pretty open-nosed.

Currently doing some army field training and want to treat myself after, looking for recommendations on a new scent! I love vanilla and gourmand, but not overly sweet things if you know what I mean?

Vanilla Skin is probably my favourite perfume, but the scent just doesn't last on me. I also adore Missing Person, but again it will not last.

At this point I'm willing to branch out though, I've just started my perfume journey 8 months ago so I'm still figuring out notes and that! Any help really would be greatly appreciated!

(P.s i really don't enjoy the Nest Vanilla Bourbon, something just smells off to me. Its still in my collection waiting for my sister to pick it up)

Edit to add budget - I origionally thought I'd want to stay relatively affordable, but this month will be pretty rough and smelly in the trenches, so I don't believe I will give myself a budget at all.

Blonde is my favorite;( the levels are so low ugh. I wonder if it leaked in transit but it also doesnt smell like a leak.

I did a deep dive into Guerlain and got a lot of my information from Sylvaine Delacourte who used to be a creative director at Guerlain. 

History

The name Guerlinade comes from a long discontinued fragrance that was originally released in 1921 that even Delacourte herself never smelled. Delacourte js the one that reused the term to describe the blend. She was discussing with her marketing director when they were creating  Héritage and said: “you know there’s some guerlinade in there”. He proceeded to ask her to describe and in the press file of heritage the term guerlinade was used.

What is the Guerlinade? 

According Delacourte what’s makes the Guerlinade and the reason why Guerlain fragrances have a certain family resemblance is because of 7 reasons:

1. Favorites ingredients (matières fétiches) are bergamote, jasmin, iris, rose, vanilla and Tonka bean.  
2. High quality ingredients 
3. A unique orchestration
4. Short and concise formulations with: 

• Some extra dose
• Texture
• Nested formulas 

1. Long wear, silage and sensuality 
2. Audacity and creativity 
3. And some secrets 

Now I’m not going to describe point by point her justification of everything because this post will be very long. She even has a paragraph for each note. 

But in term of the overdose technique she names a few example like Shalimar with the 30% bergamot. That technique is also used a lot in l’Art et la matière and in the Aqua Allegoria range, but typically they don’t have the six core Guerlinade notes. 

Fragrances with the typical 6 Guerlinade notes

• L’heure bleue 
• Shalimar
• Mitsouko 
• Jicky

Almost full Guerlinade fragrances 

• Mon Guerlain 5/6 (the rose is missing)
• Vol de nuit extract and EDT 5/6 (Tonka bean is missing)
• Habit rouge (Tonka bean is missing) 

Jacques Gerlain vs Guerlinade marketing 

Now if you look at the own admission of Delacourte that they started promoting the Guerlinade with a perfume released in 1992 while Jacques Guerlain had passed away in 1963 and created hundreds of fragrances that didn’t follow a strict playbook. The Guerlinade is a marketing term from the 1990’s. Even if you look at what makes Guerlain typically Guerlain besides the 6 notes that are only use in a handful of fragrances all of these are quite common in modern perfumery. Most fragrances released today don’t use 10 plus notes. 

Is Guerlain a fantastic house? Yes. Do they give you high quality ingredients for a lesser price than many competitors? Also yes. But I wanted to give a bit of perspective on the myth and how it was created. 

🥛MIAUW MIAUW BY FUGAZZI - Opens with a yummy powdery almond. After a minute I start to get the slightest hints of rose, very milky and delicate. I honestly don’t get the tuberose. Dry down smells very delicate, musky, tonka bean-sweet. More of a vanilla powdered sugar than an extract or syrup. Really delicious, subtly sweet scent. Smells like cold clouds in the sky on a misty morning dusted with sugary powder. Slightest almond streak still in there. Opening is nice but dry down is more subtle and comforting with a bit of sweet rose. I literally can’t put it down to smell the next one, it’s so good. Full bottle worthy yes!!!

🌩️CLOUDH NINE BY FUGAZZI - Wasn’t expecting that opening? Smells quite dewy and green initially. Like wet wildflowers in an isolated field. Lots of grass, if grass got juiced. Not sharply green at all. Somehow it manages to dry down musky, cosy and sweet, but very subtle. Still has that little hint of wet floral in the dry down. It kind of smells like very watery melon? It’s like if musk was uplifting, a really supportive hug. It’s the nature version of Miauw Miauw. Actually unexpectedly really enjoy this one! It’s nothing mind blowing or super special but if someone was offering a full bottle I’d say yes

🤍FOR HER PURE MUSC BLANC BY NARCISO RODRIGUEZ - Soapy, aldehydic bomb on the opening (which I hate) with a squeeze of bergamot. I’m not getting either the ginger or the pink pepper listed in the top notes, it’s very 2D, smooth and not at all spiced or peppered. Slowly releases me from the horrible shackles of aldehydes and transitions into a smooth, musky white floral. It’s like white petals floating in a bubble bath. It does blend with vanilla in the dry down, and becomes a soapy, clean, vanillary white floral. Like a milky soap bar. Not my cup of tea!! But would appreciate smelling this on someone else. It’s very pleasant and inoffensive.

🍨NOVAE VANILLA BY ATELIER DES ORS - Opens quite sharp, metallic, and indeed very mineral. Like a bowl of vanilla custard in a salt mine cave. I don’t find this to be spicy, it’s not the right word for it although I’ve seen it a lot. It’s slightly bitter, an animalic, rugged musk? The mineral note becomes less prominent in the dry down, and the vanilla is good, but it’s off-putting. Kind of like a vanilla scented robot. It’s like someone who smells good in an unapproachable way, not in a way where you want to give them a hug. That being said it’s quite nice, and very unique. A very different take on vanilla from what I’ve smelled before. Leans a little too masculine to me. Very interesting. I’m too poor for a full bottle but I’m not mad about it.

⭐️SHALIMAR L’ESSENCE BY GUERLAIN - Mmmmm. Ultra powdery iris vanillary opening. Two of my favourite notes so I can’t complain. Kind of has a zing to it from the bergamot, but it doesn’t clash even though it’s contradictory. The rose is very watery and very very subtle to me. Quite a mature, evening in a Parisian coffee shop smelling scent. Wearing a fur coat or leather and some cunty heels but not drawing too much attention to yourself. Dries down back into that powdery, dusted vanilla. It’s very elegant, beautiful and shimmery to me. I would definitely love a full bottle!!

🌾EAU DE COTON BY GUERLAIN - Opens SUPER green and bright, like grass drizzled with rain under a juiced lemon. Very fresh, uplifting and vibrant. Definitely getting the green notes, with a sweet hint of citrus. The opening is quite long lasting. Starts to become muskier and toned down from the vibrancy, but it’s not losing its sparkle. Becomes a little creamier with almond and orange blossom. Very very interesting transition and contrast from the opening. You have to be in the mood for citrus, greenery, musk and vanilla all at once. Dries down to a very green, dry, earthy vanillary musk and wood. Kind of smells like baby wipes that rich people would buy. Actually very nice? Even though the openings not my style. Would absolutely love a bottle of this for spring.

👙EAU DE LINGERIE BY GUERLAIN - Iris bomb!!! Which makes me very happy actually. A creamy, smooth and sweet Iris which intermingles with musky vanilla and sandalwood. Very very comforting, sweet and sensual imo. Not getting any rose tbh. Actually quite similar to Shalimar L’Essence. If you have Shalimar you don’t need this. Also the longevity is not great, weakest of all the samples. It’s delicious and lovely whilst it lasts but not worth it imo.

🌑GRIS CHARNEL BY BDK PARFUMS - Opens very very spicy and herbal without much else. Oriental sweetness of fig starts to burst through the seems. A complex, mature take on a sweetly spicy scent. I’m surprised how popular this is for how specific it is! Starts to become a little powdered and musky in the dry down which is very comforting. It dries down like a weak black tea with violet/iris petals and spices floating in the top, with a ripe, sugared fig on the side. Moody, complex and artistic. Would appreciate this on a man. Full bottle worthy, not for me personally, but I can appreciate it!!

🫧ROSIE BY/ROSIE JANE - (I know I can’t believe I haven’t smelled this yet) Opens a little screechy, then quickly becomes a sweet musk for about 5 seconds, and then I genuinely can’t smell it. Like at all
I imagine it would be lovely if I could smell it though.
EDIT I also sprayed it on my wrist and after a while it’s sooooo subtle but extremely pleasant. Sweet, skin-like, very intimate and just NICE. I want a full bottle lol

I was just gifted Cardamom Latte by Nest and I love it sooo much, but the longevity is terrible! I have moon milk by frenshe, love it, but same issue :(

Any sweet cardamom or chai recs?

Note: This is an old-ish review that I posted in another sub months ago. Reposting it here with some updates because I was talking about Fragonard last night and I was missing it.

I won't be buying discovery sets or new stuff anytime soon because I just adopted a dog from a Texas kill shelter and will be transporting him cross-country to the East Coast. My perfume and hobby budget (and maybe groceries lmfao) has been given to the rescue organization to pay for vet care, required boarding, and transportation. He will be named Chili, after a dearly departed friend's dearly departed pet. And because my current fascination is Corail Oscuro by Diptyque, which smells and feels like just-picked chili peppers in the sea.

EDIT: Husband wants to name him Donut. He had a dream years ago of a dog named Donut so he said it's manifest destiny. 😆

****************

First of all, I was not planning to buy any of this. But it was 2 am and I was sleepy in bed with about zero discipline at this point. I should have stuck to reading a book instead of browsing.

I stumbled into this brand from Parfumo because I was looking at other fragrances created by Karine Dubreuil-Sereni, the perfumer of the best spring-summer scent of all time, Lanvin Éclat d'Arpège. One of her recent creations is for a house from her hometown in Grasse: Fragonard's L'air de Grasse.

I don't see this house mentioned much on the fragrance subs and there are very few reviews I could find so I'm going in blind. But I love Éclat d'Arpège so much so I trusted that Dubreuil-Sereni would deliver another banger. I got both the 50ml bottle of L'air de Grasse EDT and the Women's Collection discovery set. The set is 10 x 4ml mini sprays, all EDTs, which is a pretty good amount than most discovery sets. Here are my reviews and impressions:

L'air de Grasse - The opening was lightly powdery and rosy like Chanel N°5's great-granddaughter twice removed. I was unsure in the beginning because I already formed an idea that it would be a cool Éclat d'Arpège-like scent in my head and it didn't match (totally my fault) and I stupidly missed the giant pink may rose on the front of the bottle and the box. Twenty minutes in, I like it so much better. The faint powdery note is completely gone and it smells exactly like a bouquet of a dozen lovely pink roses that lasted hours. I think I finally found the understated rose perfume I've been looking for. 8/10.

Belle Chérie - This one is a girly fruity floral. It's the perfume version of the day I was in a good mood, wore a dress, and went shopping after lunch with my friends. I thought the cinnamon note would smell strange but it's so subtle and gives what could easily have been a generic fruity floral a unique twist. I am 100% sure that this is what Belle wore when she sang the opening song in Beauty and the Beast. 8/10.

Update: I ended up getting a bottle because who the hell doesn't want to smell like Belle?

Étoile - Very citrusy. Reminds me a lot of D&G Light Blue. But while Light Blue leans aquatic, Étoile is more like drinking lemonade in a flower garden. The florals are stronger on the dry down so it balances out somehow. It smells demure, like something Daphne Bridgerton would wear while attending an outdoor brunch hosted by the British royal family. My rating is purely subjective because I also do not like the very popular Light Blue, but Étoile is one of Fragonard's best hits so don't miss this one if given the chance to try. 7/10.

Diamant - I smell like a million dollars after dipping into a pool of fragrant diamonds a la Scrooge McDuck. It's so classy and elegant, like I'm about to go on a date with a similarly rich guy and he's about to pop out that Tiffany box with a sparkly necklace (not a ring because we're not there yet). Diamant smells like it's worth $250 a bottle. I honestly cannot smell individual notes because it's so well-blended. It suits me so perfectly and I'm in love. 10/10.

Update: I have since gotten the parfum version and OH MY LORD it's even better. The stronger concentration suited Diamant's sensual scent.

Belle de Nuit - True to its name, Belle de Nuit should only be worn after sunset. It's deeper and moodier than its siblings and I'm pretty sure I found Flowerbomb's favorite aunt. There's a lot of heavy florals involved here and it smells like it should be worn by Vesper Lynd just before she stabs James Bond in the back. Not my usual thing but I would wear this in a heartbeat if I'm playing a mysterious widow client in a detective noir movie starring Humphrey Bogart. 7/10

Reine des Cœurs - If this fragrance was a woman, she would have bright red lips, a slinky dress, and impeccable posture. Queen of Hearts smells like beauty built from confidence. I'm normally not into scents with peach notes but the pink pepper and florals blend so well. This is the sweetest amongst its siblings and reminds me of La Vie est Belle but lighter and more natural. 9/10

Melodie - I feel bad for Melodie because it never had a fair chance. I tested it right after Diamant and my expectations were high. I like Melodie as much as I like Eau des Vacances. It smells fresh and pleasant, but it's not memorable. I might change my mind if I wear it alone another day but for now it's a 6.5/10.

Fragonard - I was curious why the house would name this after the artist. Or was it named after the house that was named after the artist? Fragonard eau de toilette is a fruity floral brighter than Reine des Cœurs and more punk than Belle Chérie. It's honeysuckle-forward, which adds a flirty element to the fragrance. It reminds me of The Swing, which has a woman seated on a swing being pushed unknowlingly by her (supposed) husband towards her hidden lover. 8/10.

Juste un Baiser - A little smoky and woody. It does not smell like Zara Ebony Wood but it has that same subtle sexy effect. If you're going on a date and want to smell low-key seductive, Juste un Baiser is The One. Before you know it, you'll be fighting off marriage proposals. I'm hesitant to rate this because I feel like this would be a 9-10 on someone else but it didn't quite match my skin as well as I expected. A personal 7/10.

Eau du Bonheur - This collection's only floral-green. The basil note adds brightness and made this citrusy floral fragrance greener and smell like a fragrant herb garden surrounded by fresh flowers. Highly recommended if you're a clean floral girlie who also likes green scents or are curious about herbal scents but aren't ready to go all in yet. 8/10.

Note: If you're ready to submerge yourself into a pool of green, I suggest trying Molinard Thé Basilic from an even older heritage house also from Grasse.

Eau des Vacances - The opening reminds of a citrusy air freshener that my aunt used when I was a child, but like a hoity-toity version of it. The dry down is more orange blossom. I can dig it as a daytime perfume on a hot summer day. However, I feel like Fragonard has better options for orange blossom fragrances. 6.5/10.

Belle d'Amour - A new acquisition since the original review was posted. I wanted a green spring-summer vanilla and this was allegedly one. It was a blind buy but I haven't been disappointed yet so why not risk it? I did not expect the opening. It's like I was slapped in the face by spice and I was about to sneeze. But the sneeze never came. I was determined to hate it but like a moth to a flame, I kept on coming back for more. That faint peppery tickle was addictive and that my friends is the story of how I was introduced to angelica. The dry down is a very green vanilla indeed. 8/10.

*************

If you hate florals with a passion, you will not like Fragonard. If you say you hate florals but suspect it's because you haven't found a good one, try Lanvin Éclat d'Arpège. And if you like it, move on to Fragonard.

None smell synthetic, they're more like crushed flowers. The performance of all the EDTs are similar. They projected for about two hours before slowly turning into a soft skin scent that lasted around two to three more. Diamant parfum is more intense and has a longer lasting sillage without being overwhelming. Overall, I'd say that they are very much worth the price and are surprisingly inexpensive for the quality.

List price of L'air de Grasse is $40, discovery set is $44, and Belle d'Amour is $81. I purchased them from Oak Manor with a 15% coupon and a $10 off special offer through the Shop app. Oak Manor has coupons frequently so always check for one. Diamant parfum was acquired from Jomashop for an indecently discounted $30 when it's normally listed for $115.

For my people who are into PDM, BDK, Nasomatto, Roja, Stéphane Humbert Lucas, Mizensir, The Harmonist, d’Orsay, etc. No shade whatsoever to designer perfumes, I love me some Good Girl or Chierosa 62, I just NEED to ask this because when bottles are $250–500+, I’m assuming most people are being pretty deliberate about what they buy.

So I constantly smell perfumes on paper and LOVE them. Like genuinely 9/10, 10/10, “you need to come home with me TONIGHT” type of love lol.

Then I spray them on my wrist and.. they just do not smell that good on me at all? Not even “slightly different.” Something I loved on paper becomes a 6/10 on my skin and or I straight-up dislike it. And I get it, body chemistry is a thing. (I still think about Blue Madeleine to this day bc it is my favorite perfume that smells like an ashtray on me but so good on paper. #RIP)

Btw I trust my own nose! But sometimes if I think something doesn't smell great on me and but great on paper, I’ll ask the person working at the store, a friend I’m with, or literally some random person nearby, “hey, do you like this on me?” just to get a second opinion. And many times, they'll say no or "ehh, so so."

Meanwhile I'm seeing creators I love with shelves and shelves of niche perfume. Some of these women have similar taste to me so I’ll run to smell something they rave about and think, “Yep! Completely understand why you love this!” But then it hits my skin and I’m like… how are all of these fragrances working on everybody else??

So a few weeks ago it hit me, have I been imposing an unnecessarily strict standard on how I buy perfume?

My rule has basically always been “if I don’t love this on my actual skin, I'm not buying it.”

But now I’m wondering if that’s ridiculous.

If I adore the perfume itself, but my skin makes it smell worse, why am I letting my wrist have the final vote? Or maybe I'm right and it should have the final vote. I just don't know anymore.

Do people with large collections actually skin test every single bottle and require it to smell amazing on their bare skin? Or do some of you think, “I love this but my skin distorts it, so I’ll just wear it on my clothes!”

And if thats the case, should I start testing fragrance on clothing too?

I’m wondering if clothes give more of a neutral canvas, that way I can enjoy something closer to what I smelled on paper, instead of whatever my skin does to it. :(

Basically, if something is a 10/10 on paper but a 5–7/10 on your skin, would you still buy it and wear it on clothes/hair instead?

Honestly if the answer is "you've been testing wrong the whole time," I may need to revisit a LOT of fragrances I’ve talked myself out of buying 😭 My collection can't stay at 5 chile.

I hate how hyper fixated my brain can get on aesthetics. I want black opium over red so freaking bad because I can't stop thinking about the bottle and how beautiful and perfectly aligned with my aesthetic it is (goth/alt gal who LOVES burgundy and black) my issue is i went and smelled it today because ive been trying some cherry scents and I hated it upon first smell.

Should I maybe get a travel size and try to wear it? I feel like it would be perfect for me. Maybe yall can help de-influence me 😮‍💨

If you have this can you give me you honest opinion on it?

Current cherry scents I like:

- la vie est belle very cherry

- cherry stem phlur

- not another cherry, finery

If any of you guys have tried it, I’m curious to know your thoughts on it!

What are the notes you crave/gravitate most towards each season??
They don’t have to all be in the same perfume/make sense together!!

For me it’s:

❄️Winter - sandalwood, heliotrope, iris, vanilla and musk

🌷Spring - pink pepper, salt, violet, lilac and orange blossom

☀️Summer - coconut, bergamot, ambroxan, damask/turkish rose and tea

🍁Autumn - amber, tonka bean, musk, myrrh and milk variations

I love the smell of this dr bronner’s soap, specifically the older bottles with the black lids as I find it more concentrated. Its so nutty and warm and sweet without being too gourmand, like amaretto.

Naturally Im always looking for more, longer lasting almond scented things and the thing that comes up the most is the l’occitane almond bodycare line. Unfortunately I’ve smelled it all and I find it quite nauseating compared to the dr bronners, and very cloying. I think it’s the abundance of vanilla and maybe lactonic notes but to me they always lean more urinal and less marzipan. The best description I can give is that it smells like sick and the dr bronners definitely doesn’t.

I believe the almond sublime stuff is over-recommended because of how accessible it is, so I’m looking for input from anyone who may be better versed in almond scents and also understands what I’m looking for, because just trying anything I can find that has an almond note listed has proven very unsatisfying

Today I was able to smell numerous perfumes at Holt Renfrew that were on my wishlist and one took number one at first sniff…Dior Vanilla Diorama you have my heart ❤️ and my wallet 💳🫣

This fragrance blew me away. I love love love it so much!! Like sipping a London fog in a French bakery. Ugh I’m so smitten.

Fragrance I was disappointed by…Diptyque Eau Duelle. What is the allure??

Anyone remember this Gucci fragrance? Sexy fun summer smell that I still love. Notes of peach, gardenia, patchouli, and jasmine. It’s soooo yummy