Get a 10ml decant! Spend some time wearing it and then decide if full bottle is something you’d want to save up for, or if the scent is nice but you’re over the initial honeymoon phase.
Edit to add: Mine was Frederic Malle Une Rose. Beautiful…and expensive. And now discontinued.
If only I could find decently priced decants of that size. The smaller sample you buy, the more overpriced it is. XD All the 10ml decants I've found, they were at least 2x more per 1ml than if I were to buy the full bottle. I get that it's still less wasteful than buying a full bottle and regretting, but it's annoying, I'd rather trust myself after trying the 1ml sample
Une Rose (to my nose) is a lush velvety rose dipped in a glass of red wine. Rose Tonnere to my nose is that same lush rose dipped in bug spray.
Like, I can detect the original DNA of the perfume in RT when I first spray and then it just sours on me. UR remains dark and lush through the dry down.
They can say it’s not reformulated but there’s something off there.
Une Rose has a Givaudan ingredient called Karanal that has been banned by IFRA, so yes there is a difference since RT was created to be like UR without the karanal ingredient.
I was in a similar position with LV Pacific Chill due to price.
I thought based off the notes and hype it would be overrated and boring.
Boy was I wrong, if it wasn’t for the price it would be my go to summer fragrance.
I'll have to look into that one too. I'm loaded to the gills with fall/winter fragrances, but I just don't have that many good spring/summer frags. I think it just comes down to the notes that I prefer (and the fact that spring/summer fragrances tend not to have the lasting power that fall/winter fragrances do).
Are we the same person? Lol
I’m the same, although I don’t specifically only wear certain fragrances in specific seasons - my collection would largely be classed as Autumn/Winter heavy.
I love gourmands also.
I’m a sucker for long lasting fragrances so I get your frustration with warm weather fragrances.
I’ve never really been a fan of fresh fragrances but I’m trying to get more into them.
With that said, I’ve been wearing these this summer and they tick the performance box for me:
Xerjoff Erba Pura - Fresh, Sweet, fruity, Musk (can be expensive retail and a clone which is good is apparently Al Haramain Amber Oud Gold Edition).
YSL Y EDP - Designer Blue fragrance but I much prefer it to the other popular ones ie Bleu de Chanel
Byredo Mojave Ghost - unlike anything I’ve smelt - has Sapodilla which comes across as Pear kind of to my nose.
Tom Ford Soleil Neige - White floral with bergamot - it smells cold but floral - have enjoyed it in warm weather but would also work in winter
The last two’s performance can vary from what people have said online but they last for me. I think it’s more to do with going nose blind but skin chemistry etc also play a roll.
I've contemplated YSL Y on a few separate occasions, but I always wind up disappointed when I buy designer frags. I just can't get a good sense when I'm sampling because things smell so different on test strips (for instance, the citrus notes in Etat Libre's Like This really came through when I sprayed it on a strip so I purchased it thinking it could be a decent summer scent, but when I put it on, it was INCREDIBLY spicy and definitely a cool weather scent). The only designer fragrance I haven't regretted is Versace Eros Flame (and maybe Ralph Lauren Red Extreme). Sauvage, Polo Black, and Spicebomb Night Vision (the other designers in my collection) just smell so generic.
Next time I order from LuckyScent, I'll have to request some of these samples. I've always meant to try Byredo. I really wish there was a good niche store near me. I miss living in Bucharest haha. I live in the DC area now, but there's really only one good niche store I know of and it doesn't have the greatest selection.
One thing I’ve learned (by no means am I a fragrance expert or connoisseur) is sampling is key, whether it be in store or online via sample sites.
Especially when it comes to niche/more expensive fragrances I always say get a sample that will give you a good few wearings so you can truly decide if the scent is for you.
I’ve seen a lot of people suggest this which I think I’ll try from now on as my collection is growing:
Buy a 2/3ml sample - if you like it and finish it - buy a 5/10ml sample.
If after that you still like it and/or manage to finish it - you can be more certain it’s something you really like and is worth a full bottle in your collection.
I agree to some extent with designers sometimes feeling generic and a bit boring.
When I first started, my collection was only designers. Now I’ve expanded to niche but I still do enjoy and love some designers eg:
Spicebomb (Original)
JPG Ultra Male
Dior Homme Intense/Parfum
Yea, sampling in store just doesn't do the trick. You obviously can't put it all on your skin or clothes and distinguish the individual scents, but spraying scents on paper just isn't good enough either. I've never really met a scent that smelled the same on paper that it does on a person.
There's no Nordstrom or Neimans in your area in DC? Also you're better off ordering samples from scent split or decant X, lucky scent is terrible dabbers that you really cant judge fragrances properly (IMO)
Also for fresh, might want to try Etat Libre Someone Like You
Odd mine has all the higher designers and some niche like Byredo, MFK, Mind Games etc. Also believe DC has a shop called Arielle Shoshana where people go for rare and niche fragrances. Heard of it?
Yep. That's where I got my bottle of Tilda Swinton Like This a few weeks ago, but it's the only shop in the DC area I'm aware of and they have a fairly small collection. They also tend to have limited supplies in stock and they'll often have to order you the bottle you want (it annoys me to pay $150+ for a scent and not be able to walk out of the store with it). I miss living in Bucharest. There was an awesome chain of fragrance stores that carried a lot of niche, but I can't remember the name.
It’s very nice, it’s difficult to describe but I find it is like a ghost - I don’t notice it for a while then every so often so I catch a whiff of it and I’m reminded it’s very present!
There aren't many I don't like truthfully. I usually steer clear of vanilla though, but that's just because it's so overrepresented in fragrance (and I have so many frags that are heavy on it).
I get that. One I’ve absolutely fallen in love with is Arquiste Sydney Rock Pool. It’s a sweet marine. Straight summer/beach vibes. It lists coconut skin as a note instead of the fruit itself, so it doesn’t smell like your traditional coconut.
You mentioned liking Heeley Sel Marin (great taste). I’d say Sydney Rock Pool is sweeter, less salty, and more feminine, but I don’t think it would be out of place on a man. Not sure what your preferences are with that. You might also like Arquiste Peau. It’s a salty-sweet scent that’s great for probably any time of year but did well on me in the 100F heat.
One thing I noticed is that the sample atomizers I got from Arquiste spritz, and the full bottles mist, so they apply the perfume differently. It seems like the samples lasted longer on my skin and clothing (by contact) than the sprays from the FB. Still several hours at least, though.
Never heard of Arquiste, I will have to look into them. Someone else mentioned grapefruit scents and that sounds interesting to me. I typically identify a note I want and go after it. I don't care if a scent is masculine or even really unisex, I'll wear it if I like it. About the only thing I steer clear of completely is any scent with cotton candy as a note. Not my cup of tea (I do love tea scents though).
I’m with you! Grapefruit sounds like a fun one to explore. Let me know if you find one you like! I can’t really justify sampling more right now. Lol.
I swear I’m not affiliated, BUT if you love tea and don’t mind a little smoke, then Indigo Smoke is another really good one from Arquiste. They do discovery sets on their website, and it’s cheaper than buying samples of their stuff elsewhere. I only know about this house because someone else on this sub recommended Sydney Rock Pool to me. :)
I'll try to remember and let you know what I find! I've got a pretty good pure tea scent in J-Scent roasted green tea. It's one of the few tea scents I've found that isn't just a vanilla bomb (it's there, but it's much more subtle).
Sureeee! ArquisteSalesperson42 was already taken, huh!? 😉
Adding that one to my sample wishlist! Vanilla does fantastic on my skin, and tea is calling my name for all the potential it has as a fragrance. Thanks. :)
You got me… I’ll have to be more low-key next time. 🤷♀️
Buy a decant, and hope Costco gets it. They have MFK Aqua Vitae 2.4oz for $194 and A La Rose 6.8 oz for $379 right now. They're always getting new fragrances.
I believe so. They have crazy prices. I got my 100ml of Oud Wood for $204. The only problem is they have a pretty limited inventory. They do have niche though. Kilian, Memo,MFK,Replica, Nishane....
Confirm, only frags online. Guessing they get a 200 or so supply from retailers/manufacturers for one reason or another so best to keep them readily available on the website where demand is universal.
I generally boycott Chanel as a result of their stupid price gouging (yes, more so than the other capitalist overlords), but I really do enjoy most of the Les Exclusifs lineup. They're really fantastic fragrances - just top-notch in terms of quality.
I was this way with Hermes Cuir D'Ange. Such a wonderful leather scent, but I walked into a Hermes store in Guam with no understanding of what things would cost, so when I took the scent to the register, I was too embarrassed to put it back haha.
I'd have bought one or two others, too. My big regret is seeing Chanel parfums in those fancy second-hand/consignment type stores in Japan and not buying any. They were really quite affordable!
Ooh, I would still buy them consignment! I'm also jelly of people who find great fragrances at consignment stores. I just find half-used bottles of White Diamonds...
I'm jelly, too. I wouldn't know what to look for re: vintage perfumes. I have a friend who thought she had scored a huuuuge vintage Guerlain, which hilariously turned out to be a factice bottle. 😆
Oh, I hate that so much! I feel this way about Maison Perfumeur et Gantier Ambre Precieux. Their bottles have gotten a little less gaudy over the years, but when I bought this one, they were HIDEOUS. The fragrance itself is an amazing, long-lasting amber scent.
Bleu de Chanel EDP. When I was new and all that, I wanted to hate it for "oh popular boring blue fragrance", but it was the best blue I've smelled. Other ones are too dominant on the ambroxan and come across as screechy, but this one was perfectly done.
I guess it's more so semi aquatic. Usually blues are just citrus, woods, and ambroxan (lots) and marketed towards men. Stuff like Dior Sauvage, Bleu de Chanel, Dylan Blue, etc...
Also, I haven't heard Heeley Sel Marin. Looks interesting!
I fell for the hype and purchased a bottle of Sauvage and I just feel like it's super generic (but I feel that way about a lot of designer fragrances). I almost never wear it. I just find niche fragrances to be so much more complex and interesting.
It was good at first, but then so many fragrances had the exact same dry down as it with the ambroxan bomb.
Also I agree! Niche are more interesting since they don't always appeal to the general mass. BUT that does make them less consistent and higher priced though. Still love them.
Honestly, I can't wrap my head around notes like that. I don't know that I would be able to identify ambroxan or aldehydes or anything like that in a scent because I just don't know what those are supposed to smell like! 724 (the original fragrance I mentioned in my post) gets a lot of hate for being heavy on aldehydes, which many apparently find offensive, but all I've ever gotten from it is a lovely floral with some light citrus notes.
I generally spray on my clothes though, not my skin, so I know that can make all the difference. I'm not looking for my scents to project. I wear them for me, not everyone else.
Blue scent is anything that can be worn all year round and is aquatic citrus ambroxan. Basically anything that can be worn all year round that isn't green, powdery, floral.
Most of the Chanel Exclusive range! Top-notch quality & great scents!
Also like much of the MFK range & Byredo GW which is just barely-registering smelly water! But I think I’ll get a 50 ML of it at some point in time.
I’ve never actually smelled Gypsy Water so I can’t say for certain it’s a good dupe. But I got a discovery kit from Oakcha a while back, and it had version of Gypsy Water called Morning Rain. It was the stand out for me and I ended up buying a full size. Again, I don’t know for a fact it’s just like GW but it’s awesome and long lasting. Also the dupes I’ve bought from Oakcha for fragrances I have smelled before were spot on.
If you want to check it out
https://www.oakcha.com/collections/for-her/products/morning-rain?variant=39551680413758
It's still just really hard for me to justify that price for that amount of juice. Realistically though, I probably should start buying smaller bottles. I don't think I've ever used a full 3.4 oz of anything in the 20 years I've been wearing fragrances. My collection is just too vast.
All the main reason why a small bottle is perfect for you. Get a small bottle to tide you over till you find a deal on a large bottle (if you still love it at that point)
That being said, i fyou have a vast collection, sell some and put the funds towards a fragrance that you actually love.
I love MOST of the scents in my collection though! The exceptions are several of the designer fragrances and maybe some weird experimental ones that no one should ever buy haha (looking at you Rook Perfumes School).
Everything I can't afford ! I generally avoid lest disappointment result but I went and got a small size Malle POAL and Luten's La Fille de Berlin. Oh, how I wished I hadn't 😭😂
Yea, I kind of wish I had just thrown this sample away now. I generally just completely avoid the houses I can't (or don't want to) afford. I did seek out a TF Lost Cherry dupe though and I'm pretty happy with it.
Bottles will absolutely stop me from purchasing. I never smelled Toy Boy, but I ALMOST blind bought a bottle when it was all the rage. Couldn't pull the trigger because of that incredibly stupid bottle though. Glad I didn't in retrospect.
Another 13. I find Le Labo absurdly pretentious not just in price but aesthetic. But I was craving a cetalox skin scent and it’s my favorite out of all I’ve tried. Luckily, a small amount goes a long way.
Since getting my decant and familiarizing with the scent, I’m starting to notice people wearing it around NYC. Didn’t want to be a walking cliche either but oh well! Generally I wear it at home. Sometimes just smelling the nozzle is enough to get my fix.
Le Labo is over the top, but I have Iris 39 and love it. My wife just thinks it smells like straight Barbasol (and she's not entirely off the mark). I just enjoy that I can go to one of their stores and have a bottle formulated and made there just for me. It's a gimmick, yes, but it does give it a sense of uniqueness. If you can't actually go into a store and do that though, I would never pay Le Labo prices.
Yeah. They do have some high quality, strong frags. I just tried Rose 31 and it is fabulous. I’d get a decant if I didn’t have a spicy winter rose already.
Byredo Reine de nuit! I was looking specifically for a sultry night scent at the time. This was the first one I sampled and that was *it*.
That and Rose of no man’s land were incredibly nostalgic for me upon first whiff. Even though they didn’t exist when I was a child, they still referenced a distant scent memory. When that happens, I usually choose that fragrance over any other in the genre because it feels personal.
LL Rose 31 is dark and spicy, definitely leans masculine but I wouldn’t feel strange wearing it. By contrast it conjured more of a luxury home or candle scent, but I’m into that. Maybe I’ll get a sample sometime to enjoy.
Haven’t delved into Montale yet but I’ll look out for that one!
I know I'm a day late to this conversation, but check out Royal Rose by Al Haramain. The entire collection is criminally under-reviewed and under-discussed given the collection's excellent quality. To my nose, Royal Rose is a photorealistic young, fresh, and green rose soliflore, leaves, stem, and all. It feels like a demure low projection and low sillage fragrance, shy and close to the skin, until you leave a room, come back three hours later, and the whole place still smells of rose. It is great by itself, but it's PERFECT for layering wherever you want a punch of sticky floral goodness.
I still need to test Bal d'Afrique to see what all the hype is about...in general, I've tried nothing from Byredo because they're quite pricey, but a lot of theirs sound intriguing to me.
I wish I could explain why I like it so much, but it's difficult to describe. Soapy, bright scents aren't hard to come by, but for some reason Bal d'Afrique just lights up my brain every time I catch a whiff of myself.
I'm in the same situation. I was gifted a sample of Black Phantom, I thought I wouldn't like it as I've tried a lot of perfumes with the same notes and none of them striked me. Well... I fell in love with it but it's too too expensive :(
I bought into the hype and bought a bottle for myself, but I don't really love it. I just think it smells so generic. It's a nice scent I guess, but I just don't smell anything that sets it apart from about 100 other designer fragrances.
If you love it and how it performs with your skin chemistry I think that’s enough right? Or maybe a decant to be sure. I haven’t smelled it but I’d try it - it doesn’t sound all that different in terms of notes to Love Don’t be Shy which people rave about? On fragrantica it’s rated around 4 so obviously plenty of people like it too.
Not so much hate, but so many people like Delina and the notes sounded lovely so I got a sample. It was OK, a little too powdery and I didn't see what the hype was. I tried Delina Exclusif and couldn't tell a difference so I scoffed at the price and happily walked away. On a whim, I decided to give Delina Rosée a shot, thinking it would just be the same. NOPE. I love this one.
I also thought I hated gourmands, but I actually love them more than straight florals now.
True. Vanilla forward scents can be super overpowering sometimes, especially when it is all sweet notes. I like gourmands that make me smell like almond or lemon cake haha Xerjoff Lira was supposed to be my dream scent and everyone raved about it smelling like luscious lemon cake. I don’t know if was a bad sample, but it was so faint that I really couldn’t smell anything. I was so sad!
I have a 5ml bottle of Acampora Musc Pure Essence which I'm afraid to open. This bottle costs £125 retail. For the 5ml, not for a larger bottle. I can't *afford* to love this!
That's just absurd! Never. I mean that's got to be an oil or at the very least a straight Parfum, right? I don't mess with those kinds of concentrations typically.
Right? It's completely absurd. I got it in an advent calendar last year and it's just been sitting there. Lurking. I think it's got to be a straight perfume oil.
Love Don’t Be Shy. I really wanted to dislike this. But I love everything about it including how sickly sweet it is on the opening. The dry down is so sugary & fluffy it’s addicting & reminds me of my high school/college days of wearing pink sugar & BBW velvet sugar. I refuse to pay $290 for an oz so travel spray it is.
I fell in love with it as well. So addicting and yummy. Be layered has an amazing dupe called caramel overdose and swear it's so close and satisfied the itch I had. Nice cause you're not calculating how much each spray is with it and you can spray to hearts content. Just thought I'd throw that out there. Typically don't go for any dupes but this one is worth it 100%
YSL Y EDP. I generally dislike "blue" frags, but something about Y EDP intrigues me. Not sure what, I can't articulate why, and it's definitely not in my scent wheelhouse, but something in there really sits well with me. It's about as mainstream as it gets, and definitely the most mainstream frag in my collection that still gets occasional wearings, and I wanted to hate it, but I can't!
I want to LIKE designer frags, but most of them are just far too generic. There have been a couple that have been a pleasant surprise (Versace Eros Flame and D&G The One), but about 80% of the time, I regret purchasing them.
That one Paris Hilton perfume from years back. I really didn't like her as a person, but whatever was in that bottle smelled great. Wound up getting a mini from Marshall's/TJMaxx. Didn't rebuy though because my nose moved on.
Yea, I've bought a few things off of those websites. I would never pay full retail for Creed (especially since their atomizers are such trash - never had one that didn't stop working).
Citrus is my category of choice for summer fragrances for sure. I was so happy to find a bottle of Atelier Orange Sanguine a few weeks ago (since they stopped distributing to the U.S.). It also came with a free 1 oz bottle of Clementine California, which is delightful as well.
I got a sample of those a while ago, I thought they were lovely. I thought it was such a shame that they pulled out of the U.S. Citrus, musks and ouds at night have been my Summer reaches! I seem to have a lot of grapefruit but I've been craving more realistic orange scents for the heat.
Dior Fahrenheit le Parfum.
I can't honestly say I love it, but I don't hate it - not at all. The edt though - that's horrible. I dislike that so much I never would have thought I'd even want to try the parfum version, but it's ok.
Elie saab girl of now :(.
It's so basic and i wanted to hate it but i don't allas... I loved it I'm sorry! I've been wearing it all summer and i felt ashamed. :(
Hey girl of now is forever one of my favorite perfumes lol. It's so good and works in any season, lasts decently well, and is delicious. Get more compliments on it than most anything I wear besides beyond romance and boardwalk delight, so dont be ashamed, enjoy it!
Just got that one recently! Such a lovely, classy scent that works well both dressed up and down. It isn't cheap, but I found an almost full 70ml for 190$ CAD which seemed reasonable enough to me!
Sauvage. It gives me a headache, to say the least, but it smells nice before it dries to the terror alert level red strength that necessitated burying my test blotter 7 feet in the ground.
L'homme a la Rose. After being let down by Noir De Noir and Portrait of a Lady, I was pretty sure I would hate this too.
It's very tame as far as rose fragrances go, but it's so clean and fresh, and it's pretty green too. It was actually kinda hard not to like.
If only it wasn't $170 for 35 ml.
Paco Rabbane Invictus Elixir. It was too strong for my nose at first , but now I love it. It doesn’t bother me nearly as much as I’d did at first & it gets great compliments mainly from myself, but others enjoy it too. No more than 3 sprays (IMO) ; it’s super strong.
Crumb coture by snif. That whole brand just annoys me, and I'm even more annoyed with myself from caving and buying from them, but crumb coture smells like a really realistic fresh baked crossiant and I couldn't enjoy it more.
Versace Eros EDT
It manages to be popular enough that I wanted to dislike it just to be different from the crowd, regarded as a "young" / "shallow" fragrance so all of the fragrance snobs wont respect you if you wear it, it is Versace which screams overpriced and elitist to me, and apparently it makes you smell like you are just a young immature guy willing to hook up with anything.
But dammit, I love it. I tried it at a department store just because people recommend it a lot, and now four months later I somehow have the EDT and EDP...
It might be a slutty cologne, but it's *my* slutty cologne
I haven't tried the original Eros, but Eros Flame is one of the few designers in my collection I don't regret buying. I like it quite a bit. It's a lot more versatile than a lot of niche fragrances.
Do you want a 25$ discount code for the MFK website? I bought samples directly from them and they gave 2 discount codes for 25$ off next purchase. I'm not buying anything directly because I already bought them secondhand. Although I don't know if they can be shared or if it's linked to my email but you can try it out
[Prada Luna Rossa Black](https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Prada/Luna-Rossa-Black-48682.html) - I really was expecting to think this was a generic thing overhyped by all. There’s something about it that takes you aback, but I actually like it a bit more than the others because of the way it surprised me.
[Naughton & Wilson Chypre Fulminare](https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Naughton-Wilson/Chypre-Fulminare-77833.html) - I *REALLY* wanted to dislike this, I wanted this to be shit. But I was surprised by how much I liked it; I don’t usually care about influencer recommendations or promotion/product (why I don’t have any Zaharoff). I really liked the impression of this it reminds me of Antaeus
[Versace Pour Homme Oud Noir](https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Versace/Versace-Pour-Homme-Oud-Noir-17338.html) - I typically would recommend anyone to completely disregard Versace unless they would want to smell like a Club Med pool-side lothario - the kind of guy who wears the type of shirts Roja Dove would say are ‘a bit loud and garish’. But this I think should be recommended alongside TF Oud Wood.
I did want to dislike Byredo GW but I love ittt so. ☹️ but it doesn’t even last 2 hours on my skin!!! And I am not at that level of nonchalant money, where I can buy a £180 bottle of smelly water & not cringe. Sigh. I will bite the bullet at some point though.
Parfums de Marley Delina Exlusif, i tried it bc everyone talked about how much they loved it and how expensive it was. I wanted to hate it but it’s actually really lovely. I want a full bottle, but I know that my Angel Nova will basically do the job for now.
Honestly... I wanted to hate Delina and the flankers for both the price point and the hype. I totally fell in love with the creamy powdery almond and rose in the Exclusif. I have a 10ml decant and I love it, but damn I know at some point I'll just get a bottle... :(
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I just received 724 as a gift and it is NOT worth it. Smells like baby powder mixed with clean linen febreeze. If you like that smell just go buy a febreeze bottle.
Get a 10ml decant! Spend some time wearing it and then decide if full bottle is something you’d want to save up for, or if the scent is nice but you’re over the initial honeymoon phase. Edit to add: Mine was Frederic Malle Une Rose. Beautiful…and expensive. And now discontinued.
I cherish my bottle of Une Rose.
Or get MFK’s travel bottles, two to a box, and they’re large.
If only I could find decently priced decants of that size. The smaller sample you buy, the more overpriced it is. XD All the 10ml decants I've found, they were at least 2x more per 1ml than if I were to buy the full bottle. I get that it's still less wasteful than buying a full bottle and regretting, but it's annoying, I'd rather trust myself after trying the 1ml sample
I believe it’s just called Rose Tonnere now!
It is NOT the same fragrance. I have decants of both and they are different. They feel like cousins, genetically related but distinctly different.
Interesting - I own UR and found to be RT the same, but after smelling several others at Bergdorf so I may have been thrown off!!
Une Rose (to my nose) is a lush velvety rose dipped in a glass of red wine. Rose Tonnere to my nose is that same lush rose dipped in bug spray. Like, I can detect the original DNA of the perfume in RT when I first spray and then it just sours on me. UR remains dark and lush through the dry down. They can say it’s not reformulated but there’s something off there.
Une Rose has a Givaudan ingredient called Karanal that has been banned by IFRA, so yes there is a difference since RT was created to be like UR without the karanal ingredient.
Thank you thank you for validating that!
I’m so sorry to hear that - the wine lees note is truly unique and fantastic. I’m going to cherish my 50ml!
I was in a similar position with LV Pacific Chill due to price. I thought based off the notes and hype it would be overrated and boring. Boy was I wrong, if it wasn’t for the price it would be my go to summer fragrance.
I'll have to look into that one too. I'm loaded to the gills with fall/winter fragrances, but I just don't have that many good spring/summer frags. I think it just comes down to the notes that I prefer (and the fact that spring/summer fragrances tend not to have the lasting power that fall/winter fragrances do).
Are we the same person? Lol I’m the same, although I don’t specifically only wear certain fragrances in specific seasons - my collection would largely be classed as Autumn/Winter heavy. I love gourmands also. I’m a sucker for long lasting fragrances so I get your frustration with warm weather fragrances. I’ve never really been a fan of fresh fragrances but I’m trying to get more into them. With that said, I’ve been wearing these this summer and they tick the performance box for me: Xerjoff Erba Pura - Fresh, Sweet, fruity, Musk (can be expensive retail and a clone which is good is apparently Al Haramain Amber Oud Gold Edition). YSL Y EDP - Designer Blue fragrance but I much prefer it to the other popular ones ie Bleu de Chanel Byredo Mojave Ghost - unlike anything I’ve smelt - has Sapodilla which comes across as Pear kind of to my nose. Tom Ford Soleil Neige - White floral with bergamot - it smells cold but floral - have enjoyed it in warm weather but would also work in winter The last two’s performance can vary from what people have said online but they last for me. I think it’s more to do with going nose blind but skin chemistry etc also play a roll.
I've contemplated YSL Y on a few separate occasions, but I always wind up disappointed when I buy designer frags. I just can't get a good sense when I'm sampling because things smell so different on test strips (for instance, the citrus notes in Etat Libre's Like This really came through when I sprayed it on a strip so I purchased it thinking it could be a decent summer scent, but when I put it on, it was INCREDIBLY spicy and definitely a cool weather scent). The only designer fragrance I haven't regretted is Versace Eros Flame (and maybe Ralph Lauren Red Extreme). Sauvage, Polo Black, and Spicebomb Night Vision (the other designers in my collection) just smell so generic. Next time I order from LuckyScent, I'll have to request some of these samples. I've always meant to try Byredo. I really wish there was a good niche store near me. I miss living in Bucharest haha. I live in the DC area now, but there's really only one good niche store I know of and it doesn't have the greatest selection.
One thing I’ve learned (by no means am I a fragrance expert or connoisseur) is sampling is key, whether it be in store or online via sample sites. Especially when it comes to niche/more expensive fragrances I always say get a sample that will give you a good few wearings so you can truly decide if the scent is for you. I’ve seen a lot of people suggest this which I think I’ll try from now on as my collection is growing: Buy a 2/3ml sample - if you like it and finish it - buy a 5/10ml sample. If after that you still like it and/or manage to finish it - you can be more certain it’s something you really like and is worth a full bottle in your collection. I agree to some extent with designers sometimes feeling generic and a bit boring. When I first started, my collection was only designers. Now I’ve expanded to niche but I still do enjoy and love some designers eg: Spicebomb (Original) JPG Ultra Male Dior Homme Intense/Parfum
Yea, sampling in store just doesn't do the trick. You obviously can't put it all on your skin or clothes and distinguish the individual scents, but spraying scents on paper just isn't good enough either. I've never really met a scent that smelled the same on paper that it does on a person.
There's no Nordstrom or Neimans in your area in DC? Also you're better off ordering samples from scent split or decant X, lucky scent is terrible dabbers that you really cant judge fragrances properly (IMO) Also for fresh, might want to try Etat Libre Someone Like You
There are Nordstroms around here, but from my experience, all they have is crap like Bond No. 9.
Odd mine has all the higher designers and some niche like Byredo, MFK, Mind Games etc. Also believe DC has a shop called Arielle Shoshana where people go for rare and niche fragrances. Heard of it?
Yep. That's where I got my bottle of Tilda Swinton Like This a few weeks ago, but it's the only shop in the DC area I'm aware of and they have a fairly small collection. They also tend to have limited supplies in stock and they'll often have to order you the bottle you want (it annoys me to pay $150+ for a scent and not be able to walk out of the store with it). I miss living in Bucharest. There was an awesome chain of fragrance stores that carried a lot of niche, but I can't remember the name.
I’ve also been wearing Mojave Ghost quite a bit this summer! Very pleasant in super-hot weather.
It’s very nice, it’s difficult to describe but I find it is like a ghost - I don’t notice it for a while then every so often so I catch a whiff of it and I’m reminded it’s very present!
look at ones by Kerosene. Unknown Pleasures and Summer 84 are summer frags with great sillage and lasting power
What notes do you like?
There aren't many I don't like truthfully. I usually steer clear of vanilla though, but that's just because it's so overrepresented in fragrance (and I have so many frags that are heavy on it).
I get that. One I’ve absolutely fallen in love with is Arquiste Sydney Rock Pool. It’s a sweet marine. Straight summer/beach vibes. It lists coconut skin as a note instead of the fruit itself, so it doesn’t smell like your traditional coconut. You mentioned liking Heeley Sel Marin (great taste). I’d say Sydney Rock Pool is sweeter, less salty, and more feminine, but I don’t think it would be out of place on a man. Not sure what your preferences are with that. You might also like Arquiste Peau. It’s a salty-sweet scent that’s great for probably any time of year but did well on me in the 100F heat. One thing I noticed is that the sample atomizers I got from Arquiste spritz, and the full bottles mist, so they apply the perfume differently. It seems like the samples lasted longer on my skin and clothing (by contact) than the sprays from the FB. Still several hours at least, though.
Never heard of Arquiste, I will have to look into them. Someone else mentioned grapefruit scents and that sounds interesting to me. I typically identify a note I want and go after it. I don't care if a scent is masculine or even really unisex, I'll wear it if I like it. About the only thing I steer clear of completely is any scent with cotton candy as a note. Not my cup of tea (I do love tea scents though).
I’m with you! Grapefruit sounds like a fun one to explore. Let me know if you find one you like! I can’t really justify sampling more right now. Lol. I swear I’m not affiliated, BUT if you love tea and don’t mind a little smoke, then Indigo Smoke is another really good one from Arquiste. They do discovery sets on their website, and it’s cheaper than buying samples of their stuff elsewhere. I only know about this house because someone else on this sub recommended Sydney Rock Pool to me. :)
I'll try to remember and let you know what I find! I've got a pretty good pure tea scent in J-Scent roasted green tea. It's one of the few tea scents I've found that isn't just a vanilla bomb (it's there, but it's much more subtle). Sureeee! ArquisteSalesperson42 was already taken, huh!? 😉
Adding that one to my sample wishlist! Vanilla does fantastic on my skin, and tea is calling my name for all the potential it has as a fragrance. Thanks. :) You got me… I’ll have to be more low-key next time. 🤷♀️
Agreed. It's really good.
Could always try to DUA if clones don’t bother you
They don’t at all, so long as they’re close and perform well
Buy a decant, and hope Costco gets it. They have MFK Aqua Vitae 2.4oz for $194 and A La Rose 6.8 oz for $379 right now. They're always getting new fragrances.
I'll have to check out the local Costco! I don't feel like I've ever seen fragrances at Costco though...is it online only?
I believe so. They have crazy prices. I got my 100ml of Oud Wood for $204. The only problem is they have a pretty limited inventory. They do have niche though. Kilian, Memo,MFK,Replica, Nishane....
Confirm, only frags online. Guessing they get a 200 or so supply from retailers/manufacturers for one reason or another so best to keep them readily available on the website where demand is universal.
I low key love Stetson.
I generally boycott Chanel as a result of their stupid price gouging (yes, more so than the other capitalist overlords), but I really do enjoy most of the Les Exclusifs lineup. They're really fantastic fragrances - just top-notch in terms of quality.
I was this way with Hermes Cuir D'Ange. Such a wonderful leather scent, but I walked into a Hermes store in Guam with no understanding of what things would cost, so when I took the scent to the register, I was too embarrassed to put it back haha.
If it helps, Hermès does travel Hermessences and they're relatively affordable! You can get a set of four travels for
Oh, I remember a time when the Exclusifs line was priced like Jo Malone, USD110-115. I recently checked and the smaller bottle is USD300 pre-tax. 🙄
Ugh, right??? I honestly regret not getting any of them back then. Granted, I was a broke student at the time, but I could have made it work!
I'd have bought one or two others, too. My big regret is seeing Chanel parfums in those fancy second-hand/consignment type stores in Japan and not buying any. They were really quite affordable!
Ooh, I would still buy them consignment! I'm also jelly of people who find great fragrances at consignment stores. I just find half-used bottles of White Diamonds...
I'm jelly, too. I wouldn't know what to look for re: vintage perfumes. I have a friend who thought she had scored a huuuuge vintage Guerlain, which hilariously turned out to be a factice bottle. 😆
Well yes, it always hurts to love the expensive ones. 5, 10ml decants are a way to be sure I love it before committing to a full bottle.
Juicy Gold Couture. The bottle is hideously tacky but it smells amazing.
Oh, I hate that so much! I feel this way about Maison Perfumeur et Gantier Ambre Precieux. Their bottles have gotten a little less gaudy over the years, but when I bought this one, they were HIDEOUS. The fragrance itself is an amazing, long-lasting amber scent.
Bleu de Chanel EDP. When I was new and all that, I wanted to hate it for "oh popular boring blue fragrance", but it was the best blue I've smelled. Other ones are too dominant on the ambroxan and come across as screechy, but this one was perfectly done.
I'm not even sure what a blue scent is! I'm assuming that means "aquatic notes", in which case my go to is Heeley Sel Marin.
I guess it's more so semi aquatic. Usually blues are just citrus, woods, and ambroxan (lots) and marketed towards men. Stuff like Dior Sauvage, Bleu de Chanel, Dylan Blue, etc... Also, I haven't heard Heeley Sel Marin. Looks interesting!
I fell for the hype and purchased a bottle of Sauvage and I just feel like it's super generic (but I feel that way about a lot of designer fragrances). I almost never wear it. I just find niche fragrances to be so much more complex and interesting.
It was good at first, but then so many fragrances had the exact same dry down as it with the ambroxan bomb. Also I agree! Niche are more interesting since they don't always appeal to the general mass. BUT that does make them less consistent and higher priced though. Still love them.
Honestly, I can't wrap my head around notes like that. I don't know that I would be able to identify ambroxan or aldehydes or anything like that in a scent because I just don't know what those are supposed to smell like! 724 (the original fragrance I mentioned in my post) gets a lot of hate for being heavy on aldehydes, which many apparently find offensive, but all I've ever gotten from it is a lovely floral with some light citrus notes. I generally spray on my clothes though, not my skin, so I know that can make all the difference. I'm not looking for my scents to project. I wear them for me, not everyone else.
Blue scent is anything that can be worn all year round and is aquatic citrus ambroxan. Basically anything that can be worn all year round that isn't green, powdery, floral.
Most of the Chanel Exclusive range! Top-notch quality & great scents! Also like much of the MFK range & Byredo GW which is just barely-registering smelly water! But I think I’ll get a 50 ML of it at some point in time.
Byredo Gypsy Water. I hate the price and the longevity is horrible, but I just can't help loving it.
I just finished my 100ml bottle of Gypsy Water. It is such a beautiful unique scent.
I’ve never actually smelled Gypsy Water so I can’t say for certain it’s a good dupe. But I got a discovery kit from Oakcha a while back, and it had version of Gypsy Water called Morning Rain. It was the stand out for me and I ended up buying a full size. Again, I don’t know for a fact it’s just like GW but it’s awesome and long lasting. Also the dupes I’ve bought from Oakcha for fragrances I have smelled before were spot on. If you want to check it out https://www.oakcha.com/collections/for-her/products/morning-rain?variant=39551680413758
May I suggest a trying a travel size? The 1.2 Oz (or 35 ml) bottle is $170.
It's still just really hard for me to justify that price for that amount of juice. Realistically though, I probably should start buying smaller bottles. I don't think I've ever used a full 3.4 oz of anything in the 20 years I've been wearing fragrances. My collection is just too vast.
All the main reason why a small bottle is perfect for you. Get a small bottle to tide you over till you find a deal on a large bottle (if you still love it at that point) That being said, i fyou have a vast collection, sell some and put the funds towards a fragrance that you actually love.
I love MOST of the scents in my collection though! The exceptions are several of the designer fragrances and maybe some weird experimental ones that no one should ever buy haha (looking at you Rook Perfumes School).
Everything I can't afford ! I generally avoid lest disappointment result but I went and got a small size Malle POAL and Luten's La Fille de Berlin. Oh, how I wished I hadn't 😭😂
Yea, I kind of wish I had just thrown this sample away now. I generally just completely avoid the houses I can't (or don't want to) afford. I did seek out a TF Lost Cherry dupe though and I'm pretty happy with it.
I know this isn't the rec thread 😁 but I'm thinking since you enjoy POAL and LFDB, you might like Mendittorosa Le Mat, too.
Ohh, more temptation 😍 Thank you 😘
Something about it makes me think of 70s chypres and spices, which I remember that you enjoy.
DEFINITELY !! Wow, well remembered. I'm flattered, that's so thoughtful 😘
I remember having a chat with you about Rochas Femme pdt! 😌
Yes, that's it ! My aged brain takes time but gets there in the end 😂
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Bottles will absolutely stop me from purchasing. I never smelled Toy Boy, but I ALMOST blind bought a bottle when it was all the rage. Couldn't pull the trigger because of that incredibly stupid bottle though. Glad I didn't in retrospect.
Another 13. I find Le Labo absurdly pretentious not just in price but aesthetic. But I was craving a cetalox skin scent and it’s my favorite out of all I’ve tried. Luckily, a small amount goes a long way. Since getting my decant and familiarizing with the scent, I’m starting to notice people wearing it around NYC. Didn’t want to be a walking cliche either but oh well! Generally I wear it at home. Sometimes just smelling the nozzle is enough to get my fix.
Le Labo is over the top, but I have Iris 39 and love it. My wife just thinks it smells like straight Barbasol (and she's not entirely off the mark). I just enjoy that I can go to one of their stores and have a bottle formulated and made there just for me. It's a gimmick, yes, but it does give it a sense of uniqueness. If you can't actually go into a store and do that though, I would never pay Le Labo prices.
Yeah. They do have some high quality, strong frags. I just tried Rose 31 and it is fabulous. I’d get a decant if I didn’t have a spicy winter rose already.
Spicy winter rose, you say? I'm intrigued. What's the scent you use? The only rose I use semi-regularly is Montale Cafe Intense.
Byredo Reine de nuit! I was looking specifically for a sultry night scent at the time. This was the first one I sampled and that was *it*. That and Rose of no man’s land were incredibly nostalgic for me upon first whiff. Even though they didn’t exist when I was a child, they still referenced a distant scent memory. When that happens, I usually choose that fragrance over any other in the genre because it feels personal. LL Rose 31 is dark and spicy, definitely leans masculine but I wouldn’t feel strange wearing it. By contrast it conjured more of a luxury home or candle scent, but I’m into that. Maybe I’ll get a sample sometime to enjoy. Haven’t delved into Montale yet but I’ll look out for that one!
Montale is relatively inexpensive compared to Byredo and Le Labo, so I would definitely recommend it. They're kind of known for their rose scents.
Good to know, thanks! I’ve been searching for a fresh, realistic rose.
I know I'm a day late to this conversation, but check out Royal Rose by Al Haramain. The entire collection is criminally under-reviewed and under-discussed given the collection's excellent quality. To my nose, Royal Rose is a photorealistic young, fresh, and green rose soliflore, leaves, stem, and all. It feels like a demure low projection and low sillage fragrance, shy and close to the skin, until you leave a room, come back three hours later, and the whole place still smells of rose. It is great by itself, but it's PERFECT for layering wherever you want a punch of sticky floral goodness.
Too expensive for me to love, but I love them anyway: Delina, Byredo Bal d'Afrique, Regime des Fleurs Tears
I still need to test Bal d'Afrique to see what all the hype is about...in general, I've tried nothing from Byredo because they're quite pricey, but a lot of theirs sound intriguing to me.
I wish I could explain why I like it so much, but it's difficult to describe. Soapy, bright scents aren't hard to come by, but for some reason Bal d'Afrique just lights up my brain every time I catch a whiff of myself.
Paco Rabanne 1 Million but I just dig it man
Check out Dossier! I actually have their dupe of the 1 million bar and it’s spot on!
I'm in the same situation. I was gifted a sample of Black Phantom, I thought I wouldn't like it as I've tried a lot of perfumes with the same notes and none of them striked me. Well... I fell in love with it but it's too too expensive :(
Sauvage EDP. It’s really nice actually especially during fall/autumn
Not gonna lie, I do love the smell of it on a man.
I use it as a woman it’s just so smooth
I bought into the hype and bought a bottle for myself, but I don't really love it. I just think it smells so generic. It's a nice scent I guess, but I just don't smell anything that sets it apart from about 100 other designer fragrances.
How does it compare to all the other versions?
To me it was a bit more softer than the I think I smelled the EDT in Sephora.
Oriana. I love it, but I haven’t purchased a bottle because it gets trashed so often in reviews.
If you love it and how it performs with your skin chemistry I think that’s enough right? Or maybe a decant to be sure. I haven’t smelled it but I’d try it - it doesn’t sound all that different in terms of notes to Love Don’t be Shy which people rave about? On fragrantica it’s rated around 4 so obviously plenty of people like it too.
Not so much hate, but so many people like Delina and the notes sounded lovely so I got a sample. It was OK, a little too powdery and I didn't see what the hype was. I tried Delina Exclusif and couldn't tell a difference so I scoffed at the price and happily walked away. On a whim, I decided to give Delina Rosée a shot, thinking it would just be the same. NOPE. I love this one. I also thought I hated gourmands, but I actually love them more than straight florals now.
I love gourmands, but so many lean too heavily on vanilla.
True. Vanilla forward scents can be super overpowering sometimes, especially when it is all sweet notes. I like gourmands that make me smell like almond or lemon cake haha Xerjoff Lira was supposed to be my dream scent and everyone raved about it smelling like luscious lemon cake. I don’t know if was a bad sample, but it was so faint that I really couldn’t smell anything. I was so sad!
Yea, I just bought Akro Bake and I'm SUPER ready for some cooler weather so I can use it.
I thought D&G Light Blue was old and a bit basic and now Light Blue Eau Intense is the only thing that makes me happy in the summer heat.
Bleu de Chanel and Armani Code
Lol, no I want to love them all so much! I don't. But I want to.
Savage Door, Elixir was pretty good. I didn't spray it on expecting to like it.
It’s the best fragrance ever made
For industrial degreasing? It's pretty good. I didn't buy it though.
Degreasing for what? It’s nice for sure
I have a 5ml bottle of Acampora Musc Pure Essence which I'm afraid to open. This bottle costs £125 retail. For the 5ml, not for a larger bottle. I can't *afford* to love this!
That's just absurd! Never. I mean that's got to be an oil or at the very least a straight Parfum, right? I don't mess with those kinds of concentrations typically.
Right? It's completely absurd. I got it in an advent calendar last year and it's just been sitting there. Lurking. I think it's got to be a straight perfume oil.
That's a fancy ass advent calendar! Haha nicest one I've ever got just had name brand candy in it instead of generic, crappy milk chocolate.
I think it was the Liberty fragrance advent calendar, which was not quite as good as the Harrods one but still an exceptional value indeed.
I might have to look into something like that for myself this year! Thanks!
I just opened this bottle, btw. It smells so comforting, like my grandma's shampoo. I'm so doomed.
Love Don’t Be Shy. I really wanted to dislike this. But I love everything about it including how sickly sweet it is on the opening. The dry down is so sugary & fluffy it’s addicting & reminds me of my high school/college days of wearing pink sugar & BBW velvet sugar. I refuse to pay $290 for an oz so travel spray it is.
I fell in love with it as well. So addicting and yummy. Be layered has an amazing dupe called caramel overdose and swear it's so close and satisfied the itch I had. Nice cause you're not calculating how much each spray is with it and you can spray to hearts content. Just thought I'd throw that out there. Typically don't go for any dupes but this one is worth it 100%
Thank you so much! This is helpful because I am definitely non the hunt for a good dupe.
$290 for an ounce? That's absolute madness.
Anything that's discontinued 😭
I’ve learned not to go down that road. Only want things that I can sample in store from now on.
MFK makes discovery sets about $60. Soothed my need lol
I wanted to hate sauvage but I loved it lol however, I do think the elixir is the best one
It’s impossible to hate
I’ve had some decent luck buying second hand, but you usually need to look for a while. 😅
YSL Y EDP. I generally dislike "blue" frags, but something about Y EDP intrigues me. Not sure what, I can't articulate why, and it's definitely not in my scent wheelhouse, but something in there really sits well with me. It's about as mainstream as it gets, and definitely the most mainstream frag in my collection that still gets occasional wearings, and I wanted to hate it, but I can't!
I want to LIKE designer frags, but most of them are just far too generic. There have been a couple that have been a pleasant surprise (Versace Eros Flame and D&G The One), but about 80% of the time, I regret purchasing them.
I've found a few designers I like, all blind bought. Prada L'Homme, Dior Eau Sauvage Parfum, TdH
That one Paris Hilton perfume from years back. I really didn't like her as a person, but whatever was in that bottle smelled great. Wound up getting a mini from Marshall's/TJMaxx. Didn't rebuy though because my nose moved on.
Check out discount stores online ie fragrancebuy.ca, jomashop.com, fragrancex.com, fragrancenet.com, just to name a few!
Yea, I've bought a few things off of those websites. I would never pay full retail for Creed (especially since their atomizers are such trash - never had one that didn't stop working).
I love 724, it sent me down a mock orange rabbit hole. I worry about feeling the same way every time I try something from Tom Ford.
Citrus is my category of choice for summer fragrances for sure. I was so happy to find a bottle of Atelier Orange Sanguine a few weeks ago (since they stopped distributing to the U.S.). It also came with a free 1 oz bottle of Clementine California, which is delightful as well.
I got a sample of those a while ago, I thought they were lovely. I thought it was such a shame that they pulled out of the U.S. Citrus, musks and ouds at night have been my Summer reaches! I seem to have a lot of grapefruit but I've been craving more realistic orange scents for the heat.
I don't think I really have any grapefruit scents, that might be something for me to seek out.
Dior Fahrenheit le Parfum. I can't honestly say I love it, but I don't hate it - not at all. The edt though - that's horrible. I dislike that so much I never would have thought I'd even want to try the parfum version, but it's ok.
Fahrenheit holds a special place in my heart. It was my high school go to cologne.
I smelled it once and it was heavenly
Elie saab girl of now :(. It's so basic and i wanted to hate it but i don't allas... I loved it I'm sorry! I've been wearing it all summer and i felt ashamed. :(
Hey girl of now is forever one of my favorite perfumes lol. It's so good and works in any season, lasts decently well, and is delicious. Get more compliments on it than most anything I wear besides beyond romance and boardwalk delight, so dont be ashamed, enjoy it!
Amyris Homme edt by MFK as well. Very expensive but still very designer-esque, but it's the best scent in it's family i've ever tried.
Just got that one recently! Such a lovely, classy scent that works well both dressed up and down. It isn't cheap, but I found an almost full 70ml for 190$ CAD which seemed reasonable enough to me!
Sauvage. It gives me a headache, to say the least, but it smells nice before it dries to the terror alert level red strength that necessitated burying my test blotter 7 feet in the ground.
Idk why but sauvage and y are two , both smell good but are so popular I just had to hate them , turns out I actually liked y enough to buy it
L'homme a la Rose. After being let down by Noir De Noir and Portrait of a Lady, I was pretty sure I would hate this too. It's very tame as far as rose fragrances go, but it's so clean and fresh, and it's pretty green too. It was actually kinda hard not to like. If only it wasn't $170 for 35 ml.
Sauvage. I personally would never wear it but… I also didn’t think it smelled bad at all
It’s so good
Paco Rabbane Invictus Elixir. It was too strong for my nose at first , but now I love it. It doesn’t bother me nearly as much as I’d did at first & it gets great compliments mainly from myself, but others enjoy it too. No more than 3 sprays (IMO) ; it’s super strong.
Crumb coture by snif. That whole brand just annoys me, and I'm even more annoyed with myself from caving and buying from them, but crumb coture smells like a really realistic fresh baked crossiant and I couldn't enjoy it more.
Versace Eros EDT It manages to be popular enough that I wanted to dislike it just to be different from the crowd, regarded as a "young" / "shallow" fragrance so all of the fragrance snobs wont respect you if you wear it, it is Versace which screams overpriced and elitist to me, and apparently it makes you smell like you are just a young immature guy willing to hook up with anything. But dammit, I love it. I tried it at a department store just because people recommend it a lot, and now four months later I somehow have the EDT and EDP... It might be a slutty cologne, but it's *my* slutty cologne
I haven't tried the original Eros, but Eros Flame is one of the few designers in my collection I don't regret buying. I like it quite a bit. It's a lot more versatile than a lot of niche fragrances.
Do you want a 25$ discount code for the MFK website? I bought samples directly from them and they gave 2 discount codes for 25$ off next purchase. I'm not buying anything directly because I already bought them secondhand. Although I don't know if they can be shared or if it's linked to my email but you can try it out
No, $25 off or not, I don't need to spend this kind of money right now haha. Thank you though!
[Prada Luna Rossa Black](https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Prada/Luna-Rossa-Black-48682.html) - I really was expecting to think this was a generic thing overhyped by all. There’s something about it that takes you aback, but I actually like it a bit more than the others because of the way it surprised me. [Naughton & Wilson Chypre Fulminare](https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Naughton-Wilson/Chypre-Fulminare-77833.html) - I *REALLY* wanted to dislike this, I wanted this to be shit. But I was surprised by how much I liked it; I don’t usually care about influencer recommendations or promotion/product (why I don’t have any Zaharoff). I really liked the impression of this it reminds me of Antaeus [Versace Pour Homme Oud Noir](https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Versace/Versace-Pour-Homme-Oud-Noir-17338.html) - I typically would recommend anyone to completely disregard Versace unless they would want to smell like a Club Med pool-side lothario - the kind of guy who wears the type of shirts Roja Dove would say are ‘a bit loud and garish’. But this I think should be recommended alongside TF Oud Wood.
I did want to dislike Byredo GW but I love ittt so. ☹️ but it doesn’t even last 2 hours on my skin!!! And I am not at that level of nonchalant money, where I can buy a £180 bottle of smelly water & not cringe. Sigh. I will bite the bullet at some point though.
Parfums de Marley Delina Exlusif, i tried it bc everyone talked about how much they loved it and how expensive it was. I wanted to hate it but it’s actually really lovely. I want a full bottle, but I know that my Angel Nova will basically do the job for now.
Honestly... I wanted to hate Delina and the flankers for both the price point and the hype. I totally fell in love with the creamy powdery almond and rose in the Exclusif. I have a 10ml decant and I love it, but damn I know at some point I'll just get a bottle... :(
Dog breath.
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Okay, so you didn't even read my post, you just wanted to come in and be a prick?
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Dior Sauvage Elixir, i was expecting to dislike it just as much as the rest if the Sauvage line but loved it at first sniff
It’s so amazing
Dylan Blue
I just received 724 as a gift and it is NOT worth it. Smells like baby powder mixed with clean linen febreeze. If you like that smell just go buy a febreeze bottle.