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Perfume exploration update

Kari

Veteran

After so many great suggestions and discussion in this thread, I wanted to share a short update on my adventures:

I've been sampling lots of perfumes, training my nose. (Among other things: I like Shalimar's notes, but overall as a perfume it turns bitter on my skin really fast. I *should* like Angel but it is too sharp. I like L'Heure Bleue a lot, but I'm not sure if it is MY scent. So far I'm a little turned off by aldehydes in scents such as Chanel No. 5 or White Linen. I find that a lot of the complex, layered scents I like have patchouli in it even though I hate patchouli on its own.)

I sampled and then ordered Kenzo Jungle L'Elephant. What a fragrance! It dances on my skin, throwing off spices, but overall it maintains a pretty and sweet smell. The overall experience is like the joy I get from walking into my favorite spice shop. This is definitely a keeper for me.

I have recently been playing with samples of two Jo Malone fragrances. JM's colognes tend to have low staying power, but these are two that actually last the day on me so far: Mimosa & Cardamom, and Nutmeg & Ginger. They are interesting on their own, and layer beautifully together. I'm planning to buy one of each.

I have quite a few samples of scents coming to experiment with. Mind, I do not plan to buy full bottles of all or any; some are incredibly expensive, but samples or small decants make a little bit of the fragrance within reach, and I could always perhaps save for one favorite if the full bottle is out of my price range. These are the coming samples that I'm looking forward to trying:

Lolita Lempicka: I love anise in tea, and I'm intrigued by the description of the layers but overall pretty scent.
Etat Libre d'Orange Fils de Dieu: Based on reviews, this sounds like it brings in the spice that I like about Shalimar, but with a creamy basmati rice flavor.
Frederic Malle Musc Ravegeur: I am super intrigued by the interplay of bergamot and lavender with vanilla, and the animalic sensuality, that reviewers have highlighted.
Serge Lutens Un Bois Vanille: As discussed on the other thread, the ultimate vanilla.
Serge Lutens Jeux de Peau: Sounds like a very savory gourmand, bringing in toast and jam into a woody oriental.
Olfactive Studio Lumiere Blanche: Sandalwood, cardamom, milk with a musky base.
Imaginary Authors Memoirs of a Trespasser: I'm intrigued by the entire concept of this Portland perfume line, where each scent has a narrative based on a fictional book. Vanilla, myrrh, and resin sound intriguing.

There are many scents that I still want to try - En Voyage is at the top of my list, particularly Frida and each of the scents part of the Souvenir de Chocolate Trio. I also haven't yet delved into the brick and mortar niche and specialty department stores available in the Seattle area, so I expect to have further stories in the future.

KENZO Jungle L Elephant By Kenzo For Women. Eau De Parfum Spray 1.7 Oz.

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Jo Malone London Jo Malone 'Nutmeg & Ginger' Cologne (1 oz.)

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Jo Malone London Jo Malone 'Mimosa & Cardamom' Cologne

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Serge Lutens Un Bois Vanille Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, 1.7 Ounce

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23 replies

Latest reply was from Kari

Helena

Veteran

Sounds like you are having a wonderful time experimenting!

Kari

Veteran

Yes indeed! It's very playful and fun, and I feel like for the first time I'm developing a fragrance wardrobe with enough color and versatility to match my clothing wardrobe.

April

Veteran

High five to Kari -- fellow patchouli-hater here.

When I'm around someone who has fully embraced single-note patchouli as her signature scent, I somewhat unkindly think that that person's goal is to smell like she just came from a health food store or a Grateful Dead concert.

As anyone old enough to have been to a real Dead concert (before Jerry was, you know, dead) can tell you, at those events you could quickly get overwhelmed by waves of patchouli.

What's up with that, anyway -- how could people with common musical tastes universally adopt the same scent as well? Is that some kind of weird, top-down fragrance reasoning? "I love the Grateful Dead, and lots of Dead followers seem to love patchouli, and therefore I must love patchouli too!" I don't get it.

Anyway, love reading about your fragrance explorations, Kari. Those Jo Malones sound divine.

Kari

Veteran

April, to me patchouli smells like rancid body odor, like when you stand next to someone who is sweating and not wearing deodorant. It makes me want to gag! It amazes me how well it harmonizes with scents I DO like, though - cardamom, vanilla, jasmine, nutmeg, black pepper... I just could never wear or enjoy it on its own, or as the most dominant note in a fragrance. The closest I get is this really awesome vanilla, patchouli, and black pepper scent that Lush makes called "Lord of Misrule" - the vanilla comes through strong, and the patchouli just makes it a little dark and naughty, but it isn't overdone.

catgirl

Veteran

Patchouli, vanilla and lavender are all big nos for me. Thanks for posting your original thread! I ended up with two by Jo Malone, Blackberry & Bay and Oud & Bergamot. Neither last all day on me sadly. I bought on just liking them because I know nothing about perfume. Glad you found some new faves!

Kari

Veteran

You're welcome! Yeah, that is too bad that many of the Jo Malones fade quickly, BUT they are nice for environments where you can't or don't want to have loads of sillage/strong scent following you. The two I've been testing really have pretty good staying power though. I've sprayed one spritz from each sample bottle and can detect the Nutmeg & Ginger probably 8 hours later, the Mimosa and Cardamom about 6 or so (with a very faint trace of mimosa later on.)
I have Jo Malone's English Pair and Freesia, which is a nice crisp scent, but it's one of those that disappears a bit more quickly. I like to use it best to layer with other scents that I'd like to have a more crisp, tart kick.

rachylou

Veteran

Y'all said patchouli and Grateful Dead... So now I have to say 'the noodle' (as in how dead heads dance)

The idea of milk in a scent really intrigues me...

Anonymous

This is a terrific review, thanks Kari , for posting this. I respectfully disagree with the Jo Malone lasting power issue. I have 5 different scents of hers at the moment (which is nuts, I know) and am wearing Mimosa and Cardamom today in fact. I spritzed a bit on at 6:45 this morning and it's lasted all day . I am also really enjoying Pomegranate Noir right now (not sure if you've tried that one) and the staying power of that one is awesome too. It's a spicy, bold scent but not obnoxious and overpowering. I'm curious where you are ordering all of these samples from? I didn't know such a thing was possible!

Anonymous

I followed your earlier post regarding perfumes. I ordered several samples through one of the websites a Forum Member provided. It was a great way to sample various perfumes to try to decipher "my" scent. I didn't have much luck. Everything I tried smelled "heavy" or faded too fast.

I find no fault with the perfumes, I have always had a problem with perfumes not smelling quite right on my skin. It is a rare, rare perfume that works for me.

catgirl

Veteran

Lisa, these are almost unnoticeable on me after an hour. That's not a bad thing since I don't want anything too strong. Even the "intense" one just doesn't last. I got a purse atomizer to reapply if I want a lift. The SA said it can really depend on climate and skin.

labomba

Another lover of Jo Malone! Mimosa and cardamom is great of course, and so is peony and blush suede, which was super popular last year. I really want red roses by JM. Its the truest rose scent that I've come across.

Its too bad that you didn't like ANGEL, I love that one. Is anyone else into CLEAN fragrances? They all have pure soapy almost chemical-y scents. I LOVE THEM. But apparently the chemical aspect is either a love/hate thing. I think they are AMAZING for when you don't want to smell like 'perfume' if you know what I mean...

BrieN

Veteran

Thank you for this post. Very inspiring; I would LOVE to have a perfume I am happy to put on. I am amazed how you all can describe scents. I haven't spent too much time trying perfumes, and the ones I have tried I definitely didn't like - either too floral or too "bitter". But one time we were in Italy and I walked into a department store and literally swooned at the scents going on at the perfume counter. It wasn't just one scent it was all of them in the air. Is there some ingredient that they prefer over there?

Kari

Veteran

With Jo Malone scents-and truly, with all fragrances-our body chemistry (as well as our ability to perceive scents) impacts the lasting power. There are some reviewers who have said their scents fade in an hour or two. They also have minimal sillage-in other words, the fragrance stays close to your body, not lingering in the air (which I actually prefer.)
The Mimosa and Cardamom is said to be one of their longer lasting scents, which is the case for me. Nutmeg and Ginger seems to last even longer.

Kari

Veteran

Labomba, even though Angel was too much (I think perhaps too much patchouli, a little too much sharp discord in the top notes), it still was an interesting fragrance that I enjoyed trying. Lolita Lempicka, which I'll be sampling soon, is said to be one of the best scents that was inspired by Angel; a complex more scent, but supposedly easier to wear. I'm excited to see whether I like it.

Kari

Veteran

Lisa, I purchased some samples from EBay sellers with a good reputation, and some from The Perfumed Court. I also had someone contact me from a fragrance blog we both read-I've only recently started posting in comments/discussion threads-who has some samples she wants to share, which was incredibly exciting.

April

Veteran

I followed a tip from Angie and no longer spray any scent on my skin -- I lightly spritz my outfit instead. That way my chemistry isn't changing the scent, and my skin doesn't react badly either.

Una -- fellow Jo Malone Blackberry and Bay wearer here! I have come to truly love that one, after I initially offended my husband -- who had bought it on his own, going off script without any hint from me -- by wondering aloud if it was a tad too after-shave-y? Fortunately, I developed a genuine love for it, and now I get to make a big fuss about the fact that I adore something he chose all by himself.

Really, the things we find ourselves doing to keep each other feeling good. How did we all get so fragile?

SandyG

Veteran

What a fun post! I enjoy reading good perfume reviews, where flights of poetry meet technical or edgy expertise. No patchouli allowed here but living in San Francisco in the 70s, plus marrying a Dead Head, introduced me to hours of good music. And secretly I always loved the poster art and kept the best ones.

Green florals EDPs are my favorite although sharper and heavier scents, like Chanel #19 and Aliage, are also favs. A big dream is to create a personal fragrance -- basil and moss, green and white florals, with notes of black pepper.

chadya

Veteran

I also found Malone's scents had no staying power on me either.

As for spraying perfume on clothing, not sure that is a good idea especially for woolens and silks. I would not do it.

chadya

Veteran

@SandyG
I like the green florals too,

deb

Veteran

Thank you, Kari. Great update.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Nice to see Kenzo Jungle on the list.

Gaylene

Veteran

Regarding samples: I've never had problems getting sample vials of fragrances I wanted to test from SAs when I'm shopping at full-service department stores like Holt Renfrew and Nordstrom's.

The best time to ask is obviously when I've just made a purchase, but, even when I've just been browsing by myself, if I spend some time asking questions and sampling, I often leave with a handful of vials to test at home. I also frequently ask for samples of a perfume I've just purchased for use while travelling. Most cosmetic/perfume SAs seem quite happy to accommodate my requests for trial samples if it looks like I am seriously interested in the product.

ETA: And another Jo Malone Bay and Blackberry fan here--along with her Wood Sage and Sea Salt. I like the subtleness of her scents for daytime wear so I don't have to worry about offending others. What is beautiful to one person can be nauseating to another.

Kari

Veteran

Angie, Kenzo Jungle is all-around awesome. Thank you for steering me to it. I use a very light hand when applying the scent as it's QUITE strong, so for me the perfect application is to spray it once in the air and walk into the scent. That way I feel like it's subtle but still layered and interesting. I'll make sure to wear it at the next meetup.

Regarding samples, the problem is that most of the dept. store offerings are similar; if you want something that Nordstrom/Sephora/Macy's doesn't carry, it's a bit more challenging to find samples.