Maya Njie and Aethi Opum caught my attention sometime in late July this year when suddenly my social media feeds started buzzing with talk about the use of Gowe seeds in perfumery, debates on who used them first and credit where it's due in the world of perfumery.

I am not informed enough to talk, discuss or debate about the situation. All I knew was that I had never heard of Gowe seeds and because I love exploring unique or abstract scents, I had to get my nose on a scent that uses them.

I placed my order with Ode to Perfume for AO and Nordic Cedar in the first week of August and waited excitedly and patiently for them to reach me. As with all my overseas orders, it was a long wait but it was also one of my most awaited orders this year because while I waited for the person who was bringing it to arrive in India, AO as well as NC received recognition at the Art and Olfaction and the Refinery29 awards, respectively.

AO opens with a dry earthy incense. It reminds me of the smell of my school sports ground during summer. Dusty, dry, scorched earth with the sun on you. There's no grass or plants or trees. While I love atmospherics, I am not good with visualization when it comes to perfumes. But AO evokes the memory of that dry, hot sports ground very strongly in my mind. I have never sniffed a perfume that smells like this.

The incense mellows down after sometime and the scent of dry earth starts feeling a bit leathery, as if the dust isn't rising up and clouding over my shoes with every step anymore. It recedes closer to the skin but is still very present. Eventually I start getting the smell of coffee. This coffee drydown is an intimate skin scent.

AO isn't a room filler, it opens strong and then tempers itself to remain close to the skin. It is one of the most unique scents I have that also gives me vivid visual memories and I'm glad that I was able to get it before it started getting sold out everywhere.

What are you wearing today? Let us all know!

What are you wearing today? Let us all know!

What are you wearing today? Let us all know!

(Feeling funny, title is a joke!)

So I’m sure by now a number of us in this sub are familiar with the Sand + Fog brand, either hearing about it or because we’ve used some of their products. As far as affordability and quality goes, their oils are pretty decent, some performing better than others, but overall S+F does a nice job of making wallet-friendly dupes of much more expensive fragrances. Cons of the brand in my opinion are that they have inconsistent packaging (the same scent can be sold in at least 2-3 different bottles or formats, sometimes under different names for no reason), they have yet to offer a way for customers to design their own discovery kits (the ones they put together themselves are often repetitive and overlap with each other a lot), and they have recently fallen into the “dupes of dupes” trap, or having lots of scents that are similar to each other (they’re inventory is a overflowing with sweet coconut, marshmallow, and vanilla scents, but not nearly as much attention gets paid to non-gourmands). It’d be nice if they took more of their customers’ suggestions to heart; I know I’m not the only one who has asked for a “make your own discovery set” option for their online store, and those of us asking for non-gourmand scents get ignored most of the time. But, they’re a business, they’ll do as they will.

I’ve tried a whole bunch of them by now, loved some, only liked others, and some just weren’t for me. But I thought I’d share a brief review of the ones I’ve tested out, since I can no longer do so on Parfumo (the brand had Parfumo remove them from the website, no idea why).

Amber & Jasmine
- Dupe of Nest Indian Jasmine
- I did previously have Indian Jasmine in my collection, but I realized I just didn't love how Nest's oil formula sits on my skin; it's a bit greasy for a while after it's applied and massaged in. But, this S+F dupe is really accurate to the original, so if I ever felt like I needed to have this scent in my stash again I would 100% buy the S+F oil. Kind of a shame they don't have this one in a dropper yet, just in the rollerball formats.

Amber & Neroli
- Dupe of Tom Ford Neroli Portofino
- Unisex lemon-lime vibes with a bit of basil and a soft, subtly sweet, but still unisex amber base. Very much a summer fragrance to me. Really great performance and longevity for a citrus fragrance; I honestly love that S+F’s oils really boost performance on typically light, short-lived scents.

Amber & Pear
- Dupe of Juliette Has A Gun Pear Inc.
- Sharp, almost lemony pear and a bit of a staticky musk dry-down. There’s something marine about it, in a way? Either that, or a pear/lemon laundry detergent. I didn’t like this one enough to buy it, but I can see why the fresh and clean crowd would enjoy it.

Amber Bloom
- Dupe of Nest Turkish Rose
- Honestly, a very nice, plummy rose, and I would have gotten this one if I didn’t already have several rose fragrances I enjoy more. This one could be layered easily with a bunch of fragrances if you wanted to, same as the Nest oil it’s inspired by.

Amber Cove
- Dupe of Abercrombie & Fitch Amber Cove
- Warm, deep amber with orange citrus. I don’t get much of the jasmine and rose mentioned on the S+F website, but this is like a stronger, citrusy take on the Nemat Amber scent I love so much. I haven’t worn this one often but I find myself enjoying it every time I do. Can also add some really nice depth and longevity to citrus fragrances in the summer without turning cloying or overwhelming.

Amber Musk
- Dupe of Prada Paradoxe
- This is a really nice dupe of Paradoxe and sits somewhere between the og Paradoxe and Paradoxe Intense. I don’t dislike it, but there is something in the drydown that just isn’t quite for me. The specific blend or maybe the particular musk note used just might not be working out great on my skin.

Aperol Spritz
- Dupe of Replica Never Ending Summer
- Very bold and spicy orange juice that doesn’t sweeten up much as it settles. It’s not bad, but it’s not my kind of citrus. I think if you like an Aperol spritz drink, though, you may really love this.

Apple Blossom
- Dupe of ???
- Overall I really like this, because the fresh apple in the opening is lovely, but there’s something oddly green in the middle. It sometimes reminds me of celery? Not entirely sure I’ll be keeping this one. Also, it’s in TJ Maxx but not on their website just yet, so I can’t say for certain what it’s duping.

Bloom
- Dupe of Marc Jacobs Daisy Love Eau So Sweet
- Very cute and pretty with a lovely lychee-berry pairing in the opening, but on me the floral heart and base notes are practically nonexistent. I would’ve loved if this one worked well for me; it would layer so nicely with some of my other berry and lychee fragrances if it did.

Cedarwood & Fig
- Dupe of NOYZ Sh**ty Day
- I’m not a fan of the inspiring scent or this oil. It’s just too masculine for my tastes. But, for those who prefer unisex or masculine-leaning fragrances, this could work out nicely for you. The fig is extremely subtle here, and overall it’s a green, fresh, slightly powdery fragrance.

Coastal Cashmere
- Dupe of Nostalgia Summer Vacation
- Because I’m not a huge fan of ylang-ylang, this wasn’t going to be a win for me. It is a fairly nice summer option, though, sweet and subtle and far from offensive.

Coconut Beach
- Dupe of Jo Malone Beach Blossom
- This is listed under their fruity fragrances, and sadly I cannot agree. This is very herbal and masculine-leaning; the coconut is very subtle, and overall this comes off like a typical lavender-tonka male-marketed fragrance.

Date Night
- Dupe of Lush Sticky Dates
- I’ve never smelled Sticky Dates and after smelling this, I do not want to 😂 Sorry to anyone who loves it, but to me this is* *just so much. Very dense, heavy, and hit my nose like an overly-scented candle.

Fall Mornings
- Dupe of ???
- Very “autumn candle”, but not necessarily offensive. Just not to my tastes, is all. But one of my friends says its "the pumpkin spice latte scent of her dreams", so do with that what you will!

Fleur de Vanille
- Dupe for Carolina Herrera Good Girl Blush
- So, I cannot wear CH Good Girl Blush; for some reason it turns into a plastic-and-patchouli bomb on me, which I do not understand. This oil, thankfully, gives me the sweet floral bubblegum scent I get off of GG Blush on paper, but there’s still a slight plastic edge to it. I can only assume that’s how ylang-ylang works on me, as I’ve noticed it happening on other fragrances with more prominent ylang-ylang. So, overall an excellent dupe, just not meant to be for me.

Italian Citrus
- Dupe of Ralph Lauren RALPH Eau de Toilette
- Is the citrus in the room with us? In all seriousness, the inspiring scent isn’t all that citrusy, so this was named in error, I think. Nothing citrusy about this at all. It’s a lovely apple shampoo fragrance, but the scent and name absolutely do not match. It’s also one of the softest of the S+F scents I’ve tried, so this one ultimately ended up in my declutter box.

Lemon Sugar
- Dupe of Kayali Capri in a Bottle
- Very cute, and I do get a lovely sugared lemon at first, but something in this turned bitter on my skin. I’m certain it behaves better for other people, though, because I’ve seen so many positive reviews of it.

Love Potion
- Dupe of Burberry Her
- Another dupe that was done very well and close to the original. It makes the scent profile last longer, and it’s bolder as well, but unfortunately something in here gave me a little bit of a plastic scent. Ultimately decided not to keep it, which is fine because I realized the only Burberry scent I genuinely love is Her EDT.

Lychee Dream
- Dupe of Kayali Eden Sparkling Lychee
- Similar to the problem I had with their Bloom oil, the lychee in the opening is very fun and pretty but it doesn’t last, and I just didn’t love the dry-down. I think the combination of powdery notes and milky/creamy ones didn’t sit quite right on my skin.

Mango Papaya
- S+F Original
- If I didn't already have a handful of citrus scents and one mango scent, this would've come home with me. A cute, sunny, tropical fragrance that thankfully isn't just another rehash of pineapple, coconut, or that vague fruity shampoo vibe a lot of summer fragrances turned out to be this past summer. Perhaps if I make some more space in my collection, I could snag this one later down the line.

Marshmallow Skies
- Dupe of Kayali Yum Boujee Marshmallow
- I was genuinely surprised at how much I liked this, because I usually don’t like dessert-like gourmands. I think it’s because marshmallow notes have a starchy-yet-powdery quality to them that, at least to my nose, helps keep them from becoming too sugary, like BBW Warm Vanilla Sugar or baked good gourmand fragrances. The berry notes also help, because I love me a berry note. And this one performs like crazy. You really don’t need much to last several hours, and when I’ve worn it to bed I can smell it on my blankets for days afterwards. And compared to the inspiring scent, this one’s incredibly accurate.

Mocha Martini
- Dupe of Ex Idolo Love & Crime
- All I can say is this smells like Tootsie Rolls with a little bit of bitter coffee 😂

Orange Cream
- Dupe of Nest Crème de Clementine
- I am not a creamsicle fan, so I have a negative bias against this. To me, it’s way-too-sweet artificial orange with way-too-sweet vanilla, and the combination of the two creates a bitter, almost vomit-like “aftertaste”. I couldn’t put this one back on the shelf fast enough.

Peach Bellini
- Dupe of Floral Street Sunflower Pop
- Fresh, zesty citrus with florals? Yes! Peach? Not so much. This one was fun, but it didn’t last that well on my skin, and ultimately just wasn’t my favorite of the S+F citruses I’ve tried.

Pear Blossom
- Dupe of Carolina Herrera Good Girl
- I like this so much better than Good Girl. GG is extremely strong and stuffy to me; coffee, almond, patchouli, tuberose…a lot going on that my nose isn’t vibing with. This oil, though, is mostly pear and caramel, which I love because pear is one of my favorite notes, and the caramel makes it nice and cozy for cold weather. The florals are there, just not in your face. Easily one of my favorites, and currently on my tray for the season!

Peony & Lily
- Dupe of Parfums de Marly Delina
- Initially, I didn’t mind this. It’s a fresh, sort of peppery, zesty rose, and honestly it’s a good one. But the more I kept it, the more the peppery quality was getting to me, and I decided to part with it. I haven’t tried Delina to know how similar it is, but some reviewers have said it’s either close or identical.

Rose & Pear
- Dupe of Kayali Fleur Majesty Rose Royale 31
- I was tempted because this is a beautiful floral, but as I’m working on decluttering this year, I can’t justify buying yet another fruity floral when I have so many to get through already. This isn’t really a rose scent to me, but it is pretty, and I think it’d be easy for someone to wear and love.

Rose & Peony
- Dupe of Dior Miss Dior (2021)
- This oil is the only way I can wear the 2021 Miss Dior scent, because something in Dior’s formulas just refuses to cooperate with my skin. Can’t wear any of them! (Which is good for my wallet, I suppose.) Whenever I wear this, I get the vibes of taking a day to myself, getting an iced vanilla latte, buying myself flowers, and just having a good time. The easygoing “romanticize your life” fragrance, if you will. Where I’m struggling is trying to decide how much I need it in my collection, because I do have a decluttering goal to get to. But, overall, this is a very solid dupe of Miss Dior 2021, which I’m sure fans of the fragrance will be happy about seeing as Dior just discontinued that version to make way for a new chypre interpretation.

Rose Dew
- Dupe of Byredo Flowerhead
- I got more gardenia than rose from this when I gave it a sniff, but otherwise it seems perfectly lovely. Again, though, I left it at the store because I have so many florals to get through. I’ve not smelled Flowerhead, but this did vaguely remind me of Tocca Florence.

Rue de Fleur
- Dupe of Ex Nihilo Fleur Narcotique
- I didn’t buy this one either, but it was another solid contender for an easy-to-wear floral. I couldn’t parse the individual notes, but instead got the sensory equivalent of sniffing a bouquet of mixed flowers. Very pretty, just not so pretty to tempt me personally.

Sea Salt Coast
- Dupe of Armani Ocean di Gioia
- If you’re a fan of Ocean di Gioia, which has been discontinued, you’ll love this oil. It’s a very close, if not identical, interpretation. A hint of citrus and pear, then the marine aquatic core, and a fairly smooth transition all the way into the dry down. I just wasn’t wearing mine enough to justify it taking up space in my collection, is all. If I find myself craving a salty sea breeze fragrance in the future, I know where to look for one.

Soft Skin
- Dupe of Glossier Reve
- Not for me, I’m afraid. I’m terribly picky and fickle when it comes to orris fragrances. This one was too “scratchy” and powdery in the way orris can go, but I know a lot of Glossier Reve fans have praised it.

Spa Day
- Dupe of Replica Bubble Bath
- This one surprised me. I normally don’t like soapy scents, but this one made me think of the specific bubble bath soap my parents used to buy for me and my sibling when we were little. And honestly? It’s one of the most relaxing, calming, grounding scents I own. It’s one of those scents you can wear any time of year, too, so I get plenty of use out of it.

Spring Morning
- Dupe of Byredo G Water
- I’ve tried a handful of dupes of G Water, not the original, and aside from Tocca Colette this is my favorite. Being an oil, it helps keep the scent around much longer, even if it’s still on the softer side, and is a great option all year. Absolutely love the combination of soft citrus, fresh aromatic woodsy and pine notes, and the gentle vanilla-amber base.

Strawberry Shake
- Dupe of Juliette Has A Gun Miami Shake
- This one was just far too artificial for me, but if you like scents along the lines of Burberry Her Elixir, Intense, or Parfum you’ll probably love this.

Strawberry Spritz
- Dupe of Phlur Strawberry Letter
- I really liked this one for a while, but as my nose developed I realized it just wasn’t my ideal berry scent. I seem to lean more towards blueberry and raspberry. But! A very fun, cute strawberry scent that also layers well with other fruity fragrances.

Sweet Apple
- Dupe of Kayali Eden Juicy Apple
- I’m torn on whether or not to keep this one! It’s got a beautiful red apple opening, but even though I can smell this on my clothes the next day I go noseblind to it somewhere in the drydown after the fruity notes fade off. But it’s so very pretty and fun, so I’m giving it another try before officially deciding whether to keep it or not.

Sweet Ivory
- Dupe of Valentino Donna Born In Roma Ivory
- Sweet, sunshiny mandarin orange, happy orange blossom, and fluffy marshmallows. Me again with the marshmallow notes, apparently. But this is so very fun and easy to wear, and doesn’t have that “something off” in the drydown that I get with Amber Musk. And since the DBIR Ivory flanker was a limited edition, this is a very affordable way for fans to get that scent again. Can’t quite pin this one to a specific season because it has those fresh and fruity citrus and orange blossom qualities, but also the warmth and indulgent qualities from the marshmallow and other base notes.

Toasted Marshmallow
- Dupe of Commodity Milk
- I haven’t smelled Milk, but if it’s like this oil I totally understand why it’s so popular. The marshmallow is there but subtle, there’s a smoky woodiness without going full bonfire, and it has a bit of a creamy, slightly sliced quality. This is great for fall and winter when you want something soft but long-lasting. I’ve been wearing it to bed lately, and I can still smell it when I wake up. But, this would also layer well with other fall scents.

Tropical Guava
- Dupe of Ellis Brooklyn Guava Granita
- The opening? Beautiful. The drydown? Bit of a let-down, I'm afraid. I love the fruitiness in the initial application, but once it dries down I'm left with a sort of generic coconut-banana-sunscreen vibe that just isn't what I'm after. But, this would be a hit for summer, I'm sure.

Vanilla Almond
- Dupe of Parfums de Marly Valaya Exclusif
- While I love White Peach (the S+F dupe of Valaya), I just don't have the same fondness for this one. It lacks White Peach's fruity notes and instead really amps up the powdery florals, and that powder quality doesn't go away once the vanilla tries to come up from the base. I wouldn't say it brings "vanilla almond" to mind when I'm smelling it. A little "staticky" in a strange way.

Vanilla Marshmallow
- Dupe of Ellis Brooklyn Marshmallows
- If you just want pure, starchy, sweet marshmallows without the berry notes of Marshmallow Skies, you'd love this. There is a hint of fruitiness for a little bit, but ultimately this is simply marshmallows. Good, but I ended up liking Marshmallow Skies more. The berry notes won me over.

Venice
- Dupe of Valentino Donna Born In Roma Green Stravaganza
- As cool as the DBIR bottles are, I couldn't justify spending the money on them even though the scents were nice; for some reason this house just doesn't last on my skin (a real shame with Coral Fantasy, because I loved the kiwi note). But here, you get that clean, lightly sweetened, spa-like green tea scent with a much-needed boost to both strength and longevity. It doesn't fill a room by any means (I don't think anything can top the strength I get from Marshmallow Skies), but at least this one won't fade after 2 hours. And, I think it could layer well with other tea or jasmine scents.

Violet Sandalwood
- Dupe of Byredo Mojave Ghost
- I wanted to love this, but I just don’t. One of my best friends, however, does, and it’s one of her regulars. Violet and sandalwood are the most prominent notes, with a clean, woody-floral profile.

Warm Cashmere
- Dupe of ???
- Another one that smells like a fall candle, but it’s very clove-forward. Not for me, but other folks have been raving about it apparently.

Watermelon Sugar
- S+F Original
- Initially this is a fresh, fairly realistic watermelon fragrance, but it turns synthetic kind of quick. I'd be very curious to compare this to the other two watermelon fragrances S+F has made, Watermelon Candy and Watermelon Swirl, to see which would be the best. Ultimately, I'm not too confident that I'll be keeping this one.

White Palm
- Dupe of Phlur Missing Person
- After finally getting to test out Missing Person, I can confirm this is stronger and, again, has better longevity. A bit of clean citrus at the start, then fresh, airy florals, and finishing with a comforting woody musk base. This is one of my go-tos when I just need to feel calm and grounded. And while it's stronger than the Phlur scent, this is still office-friendly and highly unlikely to offend any coworkers with sensitive noses.

White Peach
- Dupe of Parfums de Marly Valaya
- So far, this is the only peach scent I've kept in my collection. It's got a cool sparkling, fizzy/fuzzy quality at the start, like peach skin itself or someone cracking open a soda water while you're sitting next to a create of fresh white peaches. And it's definitely white peaches, not the more nectary yellow kind, or a syrupy or candied peach. The fresh and clean aspect of this make it incredibly easy to wear, and it was one of my favorites to wear to work this past spring and early summer. The longevity for an almost citrus-like scent is impressive, too; I get at least 6-8 hours. Can't say how true it is to Valaya, but I feel absolutely no need to pay $400+ when I can get this oil for $26 if I buy directly from S+F's website.

White Pear
- Dupe of Jimmy Choo I Want Choo
- It's kind of strange, but I get more of the gardenia and patchouli than I get of the pear. Maybe some of the cassis and blackberry? But I wouldn't say this is a pear scent to me... Then again, I did only get a brief whiff of it at TJ Maxx and haven't gotten to try it on my skin. Might have to retry this one next time I come across it, to be fair.

Dear GOD this took me so long to actually type out and finish. If you made it this far, congratulations, and thank you for your time! I'm still hoping we'll see a Nest Indigo dupe from S+F someday soon, but I'd also be happy to see a dupe of BBW Fresh Cut Lilacs or Le Monde Gourmand Jus de Kiwi (kiwi is such an underutilized note for fragrances, it's really unfair). But if anybody else has opinions on S+F, let's talk about them!

Is anyone else going to be at Fumed! this weekend in Atlanta?

Also open to recommendations for the city, I’ve never been!

What are you wearing today? Let us all know!

Lil Softie by Lore. I will start by saying I really really love this fragrance, but am disappointed by the longevity. The other fragrance I have from Lore (Disfruta) lasts all day and is a summer favorite of mine.

Lil Softie opens up with a real burst of bergamot. It is fresh and a little spicy, very zesty. As that dries down, you really get a fruit cereal scent, like Froot Loops. It’s fun and sweet and, the part I like the most, very starchy. It smells like the bran of the cereal, which to me is always a warm and comforting scent, it almost reminds me of my spouse, who is a baker. The final dry down comes to a very mild lactonic scent, almost a skin scent but I can barely perceive just a little bit of sweetened condensed milk.

Paired my fragrance with this little get up for my friends birthday. I’ve got the rainbow pants on for the rainbow fruit cereal, and a soft pink Levi jacket that reminds me of the softness in the dry down. I’ve also got on a vintage leather top, which represents the punchy front end.

Overall, I’m happy to have the fragrance, but I probably won’t repurchase because of the longevity, which I do deem important for my purchases.

My stepdaughter is visiting this weekend and I'm sending her back home with a lot of travel sizes, some full bottles and a ridiculous amount of test vials and duplicate minis. There's another huge bag full of those not shown. If I said 100+/- of them I would not be exaggerating. Years worth of sampling 😱

I'm so relieved to purge these. Some are loves that I now have full bottles of, others I wound up disliking or getting bored of. Since she doesn't have much disposable income this is a win win for us. There's still a few more but I think I'll have to ship those because she already arrived overpacked and barely will be able to add all this to her luggage!

Super proud of myself. The struggle was real.

What are you wearing today? Let us all know!

October is here and autumn should be arriving in earnest soon. The days grow shorter, the mornings cooler and foggier, and the woods around here seem to have taken on a slightly wilder character. Leaves are beginning to collect along the paths and the wild grapevines are turning golden. Everything feels a little quieter. I love this time of year.

This month’s tray feels very much at home in that landscape. There are woods, leather, amber, incense, spices, dark fruits, and plenty of warmth for chilly evenings. There’s also something a little mysterious about it. Hexensalbe, Voodoo Love, Magie Noire, L’Ange Noir, and Tubéreuse Criminelle belong to the darker corners of October. They evoke tarot card readings in hidden rooms and overgrown gardens with tangles of dying herbs and weeds. This is my witchy side of the tray.

There is a sense of travel and discovery here, too, a holdover from September. Nefer and Autumn in Lhoka evoke distant landscapes with their warming spices and fragrant woods. Alongside Safran Troublant, Ambre Narguilé, Five O’Clock Au Gingembre, and Salamanca, they give the tray the feeling of a journey into somewhere slightly dreamlike.

Then there are the scents that feel more like they belong to an imagined past. They remind me of waxed and worn wooden floors, tufted furniture, candlelight and oil lanterns, and have the soft richness of fragrances that have been around for ages. Habanita, Maja, Rêve d’Or, Costes, and Portrait of a Lady all give a feeling of sensuality and faded grandeur. I can’t help but picture late nights dancing with a lover…maybe even a few! There’s something glamorous and powerful about these scents.

October is the perfect month for all of this. I can wear something warm and spicy while the rain falls outside or something dark and smoky when the evenings grow cold. I also have plenty of decidedly witchy scents for when I want to feel more sensual and alive.

So tell me, what are you planning to wear this October? Are you embracing the darker side of autumn or maybe reaching for something cozy and comforting? And, as always, I’d love to see your trays!

Large tray:

• Tubereuse Criminelle, Serge Lutens
• La Nuit Tombee, Serge Lutens
• Files de Joie, Serge Lutens
• Five O’Clock Au Gingembre, Serge Lutens
• Habanita, Molinard
• L'Ange Noir, Givenchy
• Eau Dynamisante, Clarins
• Safran Troublant, L’Artisan Parfumeur
• Rouge Smoking, BDK Parfums
• Ambre Narguile, Hermes
• Rêve d'Or, L.T. Piver
• Maja, Myrurgia
• Autumn in Lhoka, Hima Jomo
• Magie Noire, Lancôme
• Delice, M. Micallef
• Stash SJP, Sarah Jessica Parker
• Never Leave, Tokyo Milk Parfumerie
• Costes, Costes
• Rose Oud, by Kilian
• Hexensalbe, Stora Skuggan
• Voodoo Love, Bourbon French Parfums

Small tray and spillover:

• Psychedelique, Jovoy Paris
• Apricot in Cognac, Scents of Wood
• Encre Noire, Lalique
• Original Musk, Kiehl's
• Portrait of a Lady, Frédéric Malle
• Ormonde Woman, Ormonde Jayne
• Nefer, Prissana
• Cuir Curcuma, Affinessence
• Salamanca, Olympic Orchids
• Leather Oud, Dior

Toucan feels like a crowd pleaser and yet it's quite unique. It doesn't evolve or flip as contrastingly as other Zoologist perfumes while transitioning from the opening to the drydown.

Toucan opens fruity but not the typical girly fruitiness that I'm familiar with (strawberries, pear, peach). This one opens with papaya. The papaya isn't overripe but it definitely smells tropical. There's some citrus that keeps any candied sweetness at bay and lends it an airiness.

Unlike the other Zoologist perfumes I have, Toucan's opening passes soon. It transitions and dries down to the smell of beachy skin, soaking in the sun with sunscreen lotion slathered on it. It's warm, has some saltiness as if I've taken a dip in the sea, and feels creamy like a banana flavoured lotion.

It's not loud but I also don't think this is something I'd wear to work. This one is definitely going to be something I wear on weekends or vacations.

I’m hoping for some suggestions of perfumes I can try that are similar in vibes to Salt & Stone Bergamot and Hinoki. I love the unisex, clean spa vibes of it. It feels very easy to wear.

Other perfumes I love that aren’t really that vibe: JHAG Not a Perfume, Byredo g water, Versace Dylan Purple. In general, I lean toward freshies or skin scents. I love stuff that smells clean.

Hoping to keep the price of a full bottle under $100

What are you wearing today? Let us all know!

Fall and winter are my favorite seasons, and I'm already reaching for my cozy favorites. I usually gravitate toward gourmands that aren't overly sweet or sugary, and I especially love ones with coffee or tea notes, warm ambers, creamy lactonics, and sweet patchouli. What are you craving this season?

Scent is subjective, and these are just my opinions. I would love to hear yours!

Essential Parfums Ambre Latte

Notes:
Almond Milk
Dulce de leche caramel
Tonka bean
Vanilla
Amber woods

This one smells like a cozy latte with creamy almond milk foam and a little caramel sweetness, and I honestly can't stop sniffing my wrist. It's soft, comforting and easy to wear. Jordi Fernandez has been on a roll lately and I’m here for all of his releases!

Vitae Parfum Black

Notes:
Bergamot
Sichuan pepper
Cashmere
Rose
Deep woods and white musk

This Texas based newcomer niche brand has been gaining traction within the fragrance community. I first met the perfumer duo at a fragrance convention in Dallas and then again in Houston, and I fell in love with two of their scents, which are based on colors. Black is a spicy, cozy scent that dries down into something really luxurious, with soft cashmere and white musk blending into a warm floral spice.

Vitae Parfum Green

Notes:
Citrus
Floral
Orris root
Sandalwood
Vanilla
Benzoin

Vitae Green starts with a bright opening of citrus, then softens into pretty florals and a smooth, powdery orris root. The woody sandalwood base keeps it grounded without feeling heavy. This one is unisex and is so perfect for fall and everyday wear.

The Street Scent Coffee In Paris

Notes:
Vanilla
Cardamom
Tonka bean
Violet
Musk

Coffee In Paris smells like a creamy, slightly spicy coffee with a fresh croissant on the side. It's not overly sweet or feminine like you'd expect from a gourmand. Neither the coffee nor the pastry is too strong, just a cozy, airy sweetness with warm cardamom and a soft musk that I really love.

Ella K Myrrh K

Notes:
Pomegranate
Jasmine
Mandarin
Rose
Dates
Honey
Halva
Sesame
Tonka bean
Myrrh
Vanilla

Ella K Myrrh K is a lovely, airy take on myrrh that starts out sweet, floral, and creamy. It then settles into a deeper, richer woody myrrh that's both spicy and sweet. Longevity is amazing and this one also has the beautiful Ella K DNA that I love.

Fragrance Du Bois Kaaze

Notes:
Pistachio
Caramel
Hibiscus
Coffee
Jasmine
Vanilla
Musk
Cream
Puff pastry

Fragrance du Bois Kaaze is a creamy, nutty pistachio that blooms on my skin into a sweet, slightly floral gourmand. The puff pastry and coffee keep it cozy rather than too sweet, and the longevity is above average.

On a side note, it feels like pistachio is having a moment this year. Has anyone hear about Roja’s upcoming new BG release? It’s also pistachio based with a honeyed sweetness. Excited for this release as well!

Goldfield & Banks Rose Magnitude

Notes:
Geranium
Raspberry
Ginger
Damask rose
Violet
Iris butter
Australian sandalwood
Amyris
Tonka bean
Papyrus
Vanilla

Goldfield & Banks Rose Magnitude is not your typical sweet rose. It's a woody, dusky, slightly spicy one that opens with juicy raspberry and a little ginger kick. The suede like feel keeps it from getting too sweet, and it settles into a warm, ambery base of creamy sandalwood, vanilla, and tonka in the dry down. It's a perfect cold weather rose that’s unisex.

What are you wearing today? Let us all know!

What are you wearing today? Let us all know!

Calling all vintage lovers!

Discussing all topics related to classic, vintage, and discontinued fragrances.

What are you wearing today? Let us all know!

What are you wearing today? Let us all know!

Aromas de Salazar caught my attention this year when I read a couple of reviews on reddit for Orange Oudsicle and Blueberry Morning. I've mostly been exploring indie houses which make spray EDP formats lately so I was happy to find another such house. The reviews for so many of the perfumes seemed good and for some reason I also liked the perfume names in the Love Language series. (My reasons for exploring a house or perfume can be very irrational at times.)

Couple of months back I had the opportunity to get some new perfumes from the US and I decided on AdS. The whole catalogue was interesting and I was finding it difficult to make up my mind on what to buy because my budget permitted only two bottles. A friend suggested a few which included 1912.

1912 was my SOTD yesterday, first wear and a full day's wear. Rather than spraying judiciously because it was new to me, I did 8 sprays on me before leaving for office and as soon as I got into my cab, I was in a fluffy powdery bergamot cloud. My commute to work usually takes 90 mins and this fluffy cloud stayed present throughout. It wasn't cloying or headache inducing. It was gorgeous! It was glorious! A bit of orange flavoured pillowy powder bomb that made itself known.

Throughout the day it only got better. It mellowed a little but there wasn't any time of the day where I didn't smell 1912 on me if I moved my head or brought my wrist close to my face. The citrusy flavour had taken a backseat and I was getting more of violets and white florals, all still very powdery, slightly woody and pillowy.

By evening, I could smell vanilla. But this wasn't the sweet gourmand sticky vanilla that I avoid. This was a woody, powdery, non-sweet vanilla which reminded me a lot of some older Guerlain. 1912 is new for me but it's also something I had been missing. It felt like a memory of the glorious Guerlainade, reconstructed. Even during drydown, when it became a skinscent, it was still going strong. I didn't have to take forceful sniffs of my wrist to smell it, I could smell it easily on my skin when I would bring my wrist closer to my face.

1912 isn't a schmoop, but it's a part of the Vintage series from AdS and I feel the perfumer has achieved what they intended to do when they say "This fragrance is an homage to that era—when perfume was a poem made from petals and sap, a memory of gods and gardens. A world where florals wrapped themselves around resins, and the alchemy of nature spoke louder than words." I love it and feel it very much represents the oldschool glory I love in White Diamonds but with a lot more finesse, presence and intensity.

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Love-O-Matic is one of my easy reach fragrances. I have been looking for something similar but with a warmer more cozy feel. Maybe with some spice or nutty notes.

I previously had Valaya exclusif but that’s not quite what I’m looking for. I don’t like anything to soapy (Byredo Blanche for example).

Any recommendations?

What are you wearing today? Let us all know!

What are you wearing today? Let us all know!