A Favorite: Diptyque Tempo

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Diptyque Tempo 

Patchouli, Mate, Clary Sage, Pink Pepper, Violet Leaf, Bergamot

Lured by the promise of gifts with purchase, I visited the Diptyque Grand Tour pop-up in New York's Meatpacking District in the Fall of 2021. I had recently participated in a Sniffapalooza master class that introduced me to the two new limited-edition Diptyque "Grand Tour" scents, Kyoto and Venise. I was intrigued by the strong greenness of Venise. It came only as a set of three travel sprays--which made it actually affordable--so I bought it. The delicious Paris candle (which I would love as an EDP, hint hint) also went home with me. Almost as a reward for schlepping myself to an area of town I don't visit particularly often, I received the best "gift with purchase" ever: a branded canvas tote, a poster of an early Diptyque design, a box of long matches, and a travel spray of Tempo. Patchouli-heavy fragrances have never been my favorites, but I thought this was one I could wear. To be totally honest, it was love at first sniff. And as a travel spray, I could take it with me on solo trips and avoid comments from my famously patchouli-averse husband.

I have read that perfumer Olivier Pescheux used three varieties of Indonesian patchouli when he created Tempo. I can only identify two: a chocolate-y patch (like the patch in Les Nereides Patchouli Antique); and a sharper/brighter, almost ozonic, woodsy one (like the one in Dior Gris Dior). The only other style of patchouli that I can think of is what I think of as "dirty hippy" patchouli, and I'm not detecting that in Tempo. But what do I know? The first several hours of Tempo is more chocolate-y, a little herbaceous, and somewhat dusty. The long drydown has more of the brighter patchouli, and this is when I love this fragrance most. I feel strong, confident, and very much in-the-know when I wear Tempo. I would buy a large full bottle if I could wear it more often. But like Chanel Coromandel, Mr Minx definitely notices when I wear this one, and not in a good way. Still, Tempo is one of my favorite fragrances and I hope never to be without some in my life.
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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks Note: this post is my opinion. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned in this post or any other companies.

My "Spring Edit"

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You spot your new crush/love/infatuation across the crowded sales floor. You sniff it, you spray it, you NEED it. And then you buy it. Come on, this happens to all of us except those with strong willpower and tight wallets. It happens to me on the regular. I find myself sampling new fragrances on almost a daily basis and every once in a while--ok, at least once a month--there's something new that I can't live without. So I buy it. Believe me, I've been trying to be better about spending money on perfume, so I've been going for travel sizes, if available. There are so many great scents in my collection, some purchased a decade or more ago, that I don't need to buy anything new. But still...I do.

I think of my collection as having ages. There's the Stone Age, comprising scents that I purchased 15 or more years ago. The Modern Age includes all the stuff I've bought since 2020. And the Middle Age (duh) scents are all the frags I bought between 2010 and the start of the COVID pandemic in 2020. Surprisingly, the Modern Age seems to be the biggest cohort. I blame it on the podcasts I've discovered over the last couple years, and Instagram, and the various perfume Substacks to which I subscribe. They have introduced me to scents I otherwise wouldn't have known existed. 

My goal for this season is to wear scents I've been neglecting. So far, my Spring Edit contains five fragrances I purchased prior to 2025, plus new additions Byredo Gypsy Water and Diptyque L'Eau Papier. 

Armani Prive Orangerie Venise  

Bitter Orange, Citruses, Bergamot, Neroli, Buchu, Ambroxan, Moss, Cedar

This mossy bitter orange scent was one of my fairly rare love-at-first-sniff situations. It was on a table near the up escalator on the Beauty Floor, where Bergdorf Goodman occasionally displays new items. I can't resist a scent that has any part of an orange tree in it, so I gave myself a spritz. My nose was glued to my wrist for the rest of that day. I don't normally visit BG two days in a row, but I made an exception this time because I needed this scent. It has all the orange-y parts that I love, but the moss takes it into a chypre-esque direction that I find so lovely and refreshing in warmer months. I have usually kept this one in circulation through the summer and might do the same this year.

ELDO Don't Get Me Wrong, Baby

Lily-of-the-Valley, Jasmine, African Orange Flower, Marshmallow, Musk, Aldehydes, Cacao, Patchouli, Amber

Quite a few of the floral perfumes I like contain lily-of-the-valley, therefore I must like lily-of-the valley. (This needs more study. Also, I'm going to refer to it as muguet, since that requires less punctuation and fewer words.) Don't Get Me Wrong, Baby (the original, which is a little different from the sequel, Yes, I Do) is a lovely muguet-and-jasmine scent, fairly innocent, a bit sweet, slightly fizzy with aldehydes (making it a touch old-fashioned). I get more of the musk and marshmallow on paper than I do on my skin, and none of the cacao, patch, or amber--so I am totally puzzled at why I like this one so much. In any case, I plan to wear it more this Spring and probably into the Summer.

Fragonard Lilas  

Linden Blossom, Black Currant, Lemon, Lilac, Heliotrope, Hawthorn, Cloves, Musk, Violet, Vanilla

This is a new scent--it came out in 2024--but I only wore it once last year. I discovered I like the smell of lilacs only recently and blind bought this one because it was: 1) inexpensive; 2) created by hottie Aurelien Guichard. Despite the preponderance of other notes, this smells like sticking one's nose directly into a lilac bush (a magical one that's not swarming with bees). A little green, a little spicy, so lovely. And well-priced at less than $50 for 50ml.

Houbigant Iris des Champs  

Lily-of-the-Valley, Bergamot, Pink Pepper, Pear, Rose, Iris, Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine, Musk, Woody Notes, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Amber

This might have iris in the name, but I wouldn't call it primarily an iris scent. There's definitely a nice bit of muguet and jasmine in this as well. I've seen this called "powdery," but powdery is more a sensation than a scent to me. Iris des Champs is more baby lotion-y in that it's sweetish and creamy. It's vaguely old-fashioned but should appeal to younger folks if they just gave it a try. It was a blind buy for me (from a discounter, 10-ish years ago, probably cost <$60) back when I was eager to add more iris scents to my collection, and definitely a good bet.

L'Occitane Iris Bleu & Iris Blanc

Black Currant, Citruses, White Iris, Iris, Peach, Fig Nectar, Ylang-Ylang, White Musk, Cedar

The iris is right up front in this scent, blended with what smells more like pear than any of the notes listed--certainly not berries, peach, or fig. It's cool and watery, light but not weak, and dries down to a more musky iris. When I sniff my shirt a few hours after applying this, damned if I don't get a bit of peach. I like this one enough that I'm on my second bottle, though I'd say I haven't worn it for at least 5 years. That is changing right now.

Van Cleef & Arpels Gardenia Petale

Gardenia, White Flowers, Jasmine, Green Notes, Lily-of-the-Valley, Citruses

This is a weird one for me. All of the scents that I've tried from Van Cleef & Arpels Collection Extraordinaire are indeed extraordinary, so maybe that's it. California Reverie is my favorite from the collection, also Bois D'Iris and Moonlight Patchouli. This one I got in a trade, and I was totally surprised to love it. As I've mentioned before, I'm not big on jasmine and gardenia can be a bit much for me. But the proportions of both in Gardenia Petale are just perfect, with jasmine taking over by a hair. Overall, the scent is fresh and dewy, gentle and not too heady, and it's not particularly sweet. And I don't particularly care for sweet scents on a warm day. This one is my perfect gardenia perfume. Probably because it's not very gardenia-y.

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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks
Note: this post is my opinion. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned in this post or any other companies.

What is "Niche?"

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The world of fragrance and fragrance collectors has morphed quite a bit over the years, particularly the 20 or so that I've been heavily into scent. Trends can create shifts in styles and preferences, as can the addition of younger and younger consumers to the hobby. Sweet, fluffy, fruity, and youthful fragrances currently reign supreme at the moment, but something else might be more en vogue next year (god, I hope so). Not only do tastes change, however, but also things that seem like they should be immutable. For instance, the definition of the word "niche," as it pertains to perfumery. 

Back when I started collecting, in the mid-00s, fragrances were sorted into three general categories: mainstream/mass-market, niche, and indie. These designations referred to the number of "doors" or individual shops in which those scents were sold. Mainstream scents could be found in the many hundreds of mall department stores with a fragrance counter (for example, Estee Lauder White Linen) and others, like Revlon's Charlie, were sold in thousands of drug stores. Niche perfumes, on the other hand, were sold in very few shops, including expensive department stores like Bergdorf Goodman or Henri Bendel of which only a handful existed, online stores like Beautyhabit.com, and perfume boutiques like Scent Bar. Finally, "indie," or independent fragrances, were sold by the perfumers themselves on their own websites or shops. 

These days, online discussions still refer to three categories of fragrance, though the term "designer" seems to have replaced mainstream. As the word suggests, designer fragrances are created by companies associated with a fashion designer, like Calvin Klein, and can include both mass-market and "luxury" or "prestige" lines. Independent scents are still mostly sold by the perfumers themselves, though occasionally they can be found at specialized perfume boutiques. But niche has picked up a new definition: fragrances from companies that make nothing but perfume. I've been in arguments with Redditors who will die on that cross and (virtually) scream me down over my assertion that the word niche simply refers to where the scents are sold. Period. Full Stop. 

I want to insert one of my (many) unpopular opinions here because it works with the theme of this post: designer fragrances can also be niche. Let's look at Chanel. Chanel Chance is sold everywhere, from department stores to Sephora and Ulta Beauty, and unlike most Chanel fragrances, can be found at online discounters. It is a mainstream fragrance. But Chanel's Les Exclusifs line is sold only in high-end department stores and Chanel boutiques. Because the number of doors is small, that makes Les Exclusifs niche. Disagree? Let's do my word-geek thing and look at the dictionary definition of the word niche. Pay attention to 2 d.

According to Merriam-Webster: 

1 a : a recess in a wall especially for a statue

   b : something (such as a sheltered or private space) that resembles a recess in a wall

2 a : a place, employment, status, or activity for which a person or thing is best fitted

   finally found her niche

   b : a habitat supplying the factors necessary for the existence of an organism or species

   c : the ecological role of an organism in a community especially in regard to food consumption

   d : a specialized market

Ah. "A specialized market." The word "Market" doesn't only refer to the actual shop in which the product is sold, but also to the group of consumers who would be interested in the product itself. It doesn't matter one bit that the name on this product--in this case, a perfume--is a designer who also makes shoes, watches, and suits. Or that they also sell fragrances that can be purchased at thousands of shops world-wide. The market for Chanel Les Exclusifs is the relatively small group of people who want a well-crafted fragrance created by an in-house perfumer using high quality ingredients and are willing to pay high prices for the privilege. 

In other words, it is the market that creates the designation, not the amount of other stuff that the name on the label does or does not produce. 

Let's make things a little more complicated. Are all the fragrances that we might consider to be niche actually niche? How about Kilian Paris? The company only makes perfume, so it fits the modern internet/social media-favored definition of the term. However, while Kilian fragrances are not sold in Macy's (yet), they are available at Nordstrom and Sephora, which together equal roughly 2000 stores in the US alone. That makes them mainstream--at least the individual Kilian scents that are sold in those places. One can say the same for Tom Ford fragrances. His Private Blend collection--which as a designer luxury line once fit my criterion for niche, as it was sold in few shops--is no longer particularly private. They, too, are available at not only Nordie's and Sephora, but also Macy's, of which there are currently 500-ish locations. (I wouldn't be surprised to see Tobacco Vanille on the shelves at Rite Aid in the future.) Tom's definitely in mainstream category now, despite the ridiculous price tag.

There are probably other examples that don't fit the formula exactly. Celebrity scents that are distributed by companies that only make fragrance products--mainstream or niche? Michelle Pfeiffer's fragrance line Henry Rose--niche or indie? I'm sure there are people who can argue one way or the other, and maybe I would, too. But that's another post for another day.

Have an opinion on the subject? Please leave a comment!

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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks
Note: this post is my opinion. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned in this post or any other companies.

Bohoboco Polish Potatoes

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 Bohoboco Polish Potatoes

Beetroot, Leather, Wheat, Pine, Grass, Potato, Clove, Rose, Heliotrope, Earthy Notes, Soil Tincture, Patchouli, Amber, Benzoin, Vanilla, Oud, Honey, Birch, Hay, Labdanum

As a second-generation Polish American, I was intrigued by the idea of a fragrance that smelled of potato. I wasn't sure how it would work, but I did know that it was likely to be patchouli-forward, as patchouli can smell very much of damp earth, much as potatoes do. I toyed briefly with blind buying Bohoboco Polish Potatoes, but after watching a rather enthusiastic IG video by Blu Blazer Guy in which he extolled the scent's virtues but also warned that it was rather on the strong side, it seemed more prudent to obtain a sample first. And whew, it is powerful, definitely heading into #beastmode territory if more than a couple of gentle spritzes are applied. That's not necessarily a bad thing if you like patchouli (me) but it's horrifying for those who don't (my husband). 

There are a lot of notes listed for this fragrance, but the vast majority of them don't request your attention. It's predominately a patchouli fragrance, bolstered by additional soil-like notes. I'd call it a dirt patchouli, but not a dirty patchouli. It has a clean earthiness, like a chocolate-y patchouli, but with all the warm cocoa-y aspects removed.

Now to answer the most essential question: does this actually smell like potatoes? Yes! But only for about 20 seconds. Within the plethora of dirt-like notes (the beet in addition to "earthy notes," and "soil tincture") there's a moment early on when a noticeable mushroomy/mildewy something peeks out, smelling very much like a raw, freshly cut, potato. Then it disappears, to be replaced by a somewhat similar, cool and dusty leather note. Interestingly, another type of potato-y scent comes in later in the drydown when vanilla makes an appearance. Did you know that vanillin, the chemical that makes vanilla smell so delicious and, well, vanilla-y, is found in potato peels? (This explains why baking jacket potatoes smells so wonderful.) The vanilla is mingled with ambery notes, making Polish Potatoes a bit softer and (a bit) less about the patchouli. 

Polish Potatoes is actually pretty nice and kinda cozy It's nowhere near as weird as it could be, but I'm also going to say it's not as wearable as it should be. Were it a bit less obnoxiously loud, I think I could get away with wearing this on a cold day. Patchouli + vanilla is never a bad thing. If this came in an EDT formulation, I'd buy it, but as it comes currently, it's a bit too #scentmaxxing.

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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks
Note: this post is my opinion. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned in this post or any other companies.

One Brand Forever

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Let's play a little game in which each of us are limited to wearing fragrances from a single brand--forever. What company would you choose?

Without thinking about it for very long, I'd pick Chanel.

Perhaps at one time I would have gone with Guerlain. There are 16 Guerlain scents in my collection today, including a few from the Aqua Allegoria line, multiple Shalimar flankers, and three from L’Art & La Matière collection. Guerlain releases 3-4 new scents per year, so I'd always have plenty to choose from. But to be very honest, I have found the newer releases to be less and less interesting and certainly not worth all the $ (to me). Of course, if I limited myself to one fragrance company for the rest of my life, the price would not be as much of an issue as it is currently, what with my promiscuous perfume-buying tendencies and all. Still, it would be nice if they put out a well-priced scent once in a while, one that's not an Aqua Allegoria. It seems that they're stuck on cranking out expensive L'Art & La Matière scents and La Petit Robe Noir clones (over 30 so far). They do like flankers, to be sure. 

Why Chanel? While they don't offer quite as many fragrance choices as Guerlain, overall their scents are more to my taste. I own 6 of their creations so far: No. 18; No. 5 Eau Premiere; Cristalle Eau Verte; Coco EDT; Coromandel; and Paris-Edimbourg. And that handful has all the seasons covered. Cristalle Eau Verte is perfect for the heat of summer while Coromandel has all the cozy winter vibes. No. 18, Eau Premiere, and Paris-Edimbourg work in all seasons. And Coco has been my out-on-the-town evening scent for decades. Two others that I have owned and used up but haven't yet replaced are Allure Sensuelle and Eau de Cologne. I feel that the Cologne is among the very best.

I would be happy to add most of the rest of the Paris-City series (though Paris-Paris is a snooze), La Pausa, 31 Rue Cambon, 1957, Sycomore, and Le Lion to my collection. So far, I haven't fallen in love with anything from the Chance line; it's quite commercial and I have fairly niche body chemistry. It's possible, however, that the next release, or the one after that, would be more to my liking. And while Comète was vaguely disappointing, there are bound to be future additions to the Les Exclusifs line that will turn my head.

Perhaps if I allowed myself to investigate some of the niche brands with more than a handful of fragrances in their inventory--Xerjoff, Diptyque, Ex Nihilo, Micallef, Montale, Mizensir--I might find another house that offers scents that fit all my moods. Other than Hermes, I'd probably stay away from designer brands. It seems that so many of the newer fragrance companies rely on overloading their perfumes with synthetic aromachemicals like cashmeran, hedione, caramel furanone, ethyl maltol, etc.--ones that intend to create more of a vibe than to reproduce a scent that exists in nature. To my nose, these scents are boring, sweet, and smell like at least 10 others already on the market. If you like 'em, fantastic. They're just not my bag--and believe me, I've tried a lot of them. Right now, I am going to stick with Chanel.

What house would you pick to be your number one forever?

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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks
Note: this post is my opinion. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned in this post or any other companies.

One Note

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Why am I so obsessed with certain notes that I own multiple variations of a similar scent? For instance, orange blossom/neroli. (Yes, I understand that they are two different perfumery notes, but I'm going to group them together. They are inanimate, so not likely to get their feelings hurt if I do so.) Orange blossom and neroli both come from the flowers of the bitter orange tree. Orange blossom tends to be sweeter and creamier and is extracted from the flower by solvent extraction or enfleurage. Neroli, on the other hand, is fresher and greener, and primarily obtained through steam distillation. Though they have differences, they are alike enough for me to consider them as a single fragrance category. For the duration of this post, I'm just going to refer to both scents as "orange blossom," so please don't get your panties in a twist. I'm not a perfumer or a scientist, just someone who likes to smell good.

I've always been a bit of a collector. Over the years, I've been into Matchbox cars, Barbie dolls, baseball cards, teddy bears, Native American jewelry, cookbooks, and various collectibles related to mermaids, Frida Kahlo, and chile peppers. Currently my sickness includes scented candles and perfumes. I own 16 orange blossom fragrances and am always lusting after another. Among the orange blossom and neroli scents in my collection are Armani Prive Orangerie Venise, Celine Saint-Germain-des-Pres, Clean Blossom, Chanel Eau de Cologne, Elie Saab Essence No. 7 Neroli, ELDO Divin'Enfant, ELDO Une Amourette, Essential Parfums Neroli Botanica, Guerlain Eau Secrete, Guerlain La Cologne du Parfumeur, Lush Orange Blossom, Memoire Liquide Soleil Liquide, Minois Paris Minois, Monotheme Venezia Zagara, Profumum Roma Battito d'Ali, Serge Lutens Fleurs d'Oranger, Tom Ford Neroli Portofino, and Van Cleef & Arpels California Reverie, and I'm sure I will fall in love with and purchase other vaguely similar perfumes in the months and years to come.

I'm not saying that all perfumes with a focus on orange blossom are similar. Well, they do actually share a similarity, but they are not the same. Even if multiple of them claimed to have the same notes, the actual aromachemicals involved can be very different, as well as the amounts of each that are used to create the overall perfume. And of course every perfumer has his or her own style. Still, there are probably more similarities within the family of orange blossom fragrances than between the vast number of rose fragrances. Some rose perfumes I love, others I hate; most I find uninteresting at best. But when I smell a primarily orange blossom fragrance, I am immediately attracted. But why?

It's possible that orange blossom is connected to an early scent memory of mine, but that's doubtful. It's true that I received a set of Tinkerbell floral fragrances when I was about 8 or 9 years old. It included small bottles of rose, lily of the valley, and apple blossom scents, and perhaps honeysuckle, but I do not recall orange blossom specifically. It took a long time for me to get into any sort of floral perfumes, so at that young age I wasn't fond of any of them. Living in Maryland didn't put me anywhere near fresh orange blossoms of any sort. Neither my mother nor my grandmother wore orange blossom, so it's not maternal nostalgia. It's just...I don't know what it is. (We're allowed to not understand things from time to time. Even about ourselves.)

While I'm trying to figure things out, let me tell you about a few of my favorites. (Three of them have already been mentioned on this blog and are linked above.)

Elie Saab Essence No. 7 Neroli 

Neroli, Orange Blossom, Musk, Cloves, White Cedar Extract

I think of this sparkling beauty as a more "grown-up" orange blossom fragrance. The greenish neroli notes make this somewhat dry and chypre-esque, definitely indolic, while the orange blossom warms it up just a little bit. The clove both adds to the warmth but also causes a tiny frisson of coolness. I love to wear this in the evening, on a night out, all year 'round, but I will also wear it on a winter's day.

Guerlain La Cologne du Parfumeur

African Orange Flower, Citruses, Amalfi Lemon, Rosemary, Lavender, Mint, White Musk

I am a big fan of cologne-style fragrances, those fresh citrus bombs that are so deliciously cooling in the sweaty summer. I first encountered La Cologne du Parfumeur at a Sniffapalooza breakfast at Bergdorf Goodman some years ago. There was something special about the orange blossom and herb combination that knocked my socks off; as soon as the breakfast concluded, I was on my way to the Guerlain counter to make a purchase. Few fragrances hook me in such an immediate way, so I had to have it. 

Van Cleef & Arpels California Reverie

Neroli, Mandarin Orange, Jasmine Sambac, Frangipani, Beeswax, Vanilla

Sadly, I cannot remember what fragrance I wore for my own wedding, but I can tell you what I wore as Matron of Honor for my BFF Andree's 2021 nuptials. She wore the fluffy, marshmallow-y, orange blossom scent By Kilian Love Don't Be Shy. I thought California Reverie would be a nice companion scent, similar because of the neroli, but much less sweet. I didn't want to out-smell the bride. Some might argue that this is more about jasmine than orange blossom, and that might be true. I've never been drawn to a straight-up jasmine fragrance, indolic or not. However, the lovely neroli/orange opening drew me in and keeps me wearing this lovely scent.

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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks
Note: this post is my opinion. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned in this post or any other companies.

Fragrance Layering

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I have a confession: though I've collected perfumes for at least 30 years now, I am still brand new to the concept of layering fragrances. 

I always felt that scents should be allowed to stand on their own. But then I kept buying more and more (and more) bottles and at this point have about 250 fragrances in my collection. If I wore a different fragrance every day of the year, I would only cycle through my full collection about 1.5 times every 12 months. As an introvert, I'm not fond of attracting attention to myself, nor do I want to offend anyone, so I'm fairly circumspect about my fragrance application. Let's say a 50ml bottle holds about 600 sprays, and I use 4 per application = 150 applications per bottle x 250 bottles = 37,500 applications of fragrance. That's just shy of 103 years worth of daily use! I'm going to be 60 this year and will be lucky to have another 20 years in me (scary to think that). That said, some of the perfumes in my collection are in the form of travel sprays, but at least half are 100ml bottles, so my estimate of 37K applications is probably on the low side. Yes, I should probably stop buying new bottles of perfume, but what's the fun in that? Perfume collecting is a hobby that brings me great joy. And I've found that selling some of my discontinued perfumes brings in pretty good money. However, I think it would be nice to use up my collection a bit more rapidly than is my wont. I have started using a heavier hand in application, especially with scents I particularly love (D.S. & Durga Pistachio is in this category) and with lighter summertime frags (about half my collection). 

I've also started layering fragrances. The concept was a bit scary at first. How does it work? What if I get it wrong? (The answer to that is to take a shower.) A good rule of thumb is that one should layer fragrances that have complementary or like ingredients. Vanilla, for example, can complement any number of other notes--florals like rose and orange blossom, fruity notes, and various woody accords. Predominately citrus or vetiver scents also layer nicely and can add an aspect that might be missing from the original composition. Obvious is a good label to check out, as they offer several soliflore-style fragrances that cry out to be layered with other scents in the brand or with totally unrelated perfumes. Be warned, however. Scents that might seem to be perfect together could turn into a nightmare. For example, Sarah Baker Perfumes Peach's Revenge + Heretic Dirty Peach = "a photorealistic fart," according to my friend Angie (@angiesmellstheroses on IG and TikTok). 

To make things easier, you can input a list of the fragrances you own into ChatGPT and ask it to "suggest layering combinations." You can refine your question, too, asking for scents that would be good for a night on the town, be it going to the club or a romantic dinner, or suggestions for workplace fragrance combos. Not all of them are going to work, of course. Chat GPT doesn't get the notes right for all the fragrances I've listed, despite all of them being found on Fragrantica. For instance, it seems to think that Imaginary Authors Blend No. 83 is all about antique books and the smell of paper and ink, when it's actually a boozy coffee gourmand, and that Diptyque Venise is either a white musk scent or a woody floral, when it's super green and vegetal. But some of the combinations sound right on. 

One of the more complex suggestions I tried was L'Artisan Parfumeur Poivre Piquant + Trudon Revolution + Indult Reve en Cuir. According to Chat GPT, "this feels like stepping into a hidden, smoky jazz lounge where the air is thick with leather, spice, and mystery." It ain't wrong. It's also a bit much. Revolution is quite assertive; even a double application of Poivre Piquant (first and last) is obliterated by the smoke. Interestingly, the Reve en Cuir made an appearance many hours after application, once Revolution calmed it's ass down. Still, not a combo I'll try again, though I'm determined to find something that will work with Revolution.

A much more successful suggestion was layering L'Artisan Tea for Two over Guerlain Tonka Imperiale. The result was a creamy almondmilk chai that was quite nice. Obvious Un Musc + Maison Louis Marie No.04 Bois de Balincourt was another success, with the muskiness of the former bumping up the cozy factor of the latter at least another notch. 

One of my favorites was Comme des Garçons Kyoto + Ormonde Jayne Isfarkand. The dry woody incense blended so well with the citrusy vetiver, they smelled like they belonged together. Another combo that I liked was D. S. & Durga Wear at Maximum Volume + Tom Ford Grey Vetiver. The DS&D scent already has a lot going on, but the addition of dry, green, and somewhat smoky vetiver made it seem simpler overall and much easier to wear on a warmer day.

I have also come up with some successful layering combinations of my own. Bois de Balincourt and Chanel Paris-Edimbourg is a match made in olfactory heaven. Because neither of them are particularly heavy, I think they'll layer quite well in many combinations. Additionally, I recently obtained a bottle of Diptyque L'Eau Papier and feel that its muskiness will make it a layering hero in my scent wardrobe.

Are you a fan of layering fragrances? Tell me your favorite combos!

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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks
Note: this post is my opinion. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned in this post or any other companies.

eBay Listings

I realized not long ago that I'll never use up all the perfume I currently own, especially as I continually buy more. So I've put some items up for sale on eBay. Most are discontinued items, but I've included Eau de Boujee Verdant because it can't be found in the US and shipping from the UK is a cool $50. Plus, I've determined that it's not for me, so someone else should have it.

Here are links to items currently available. All are buy it now, but I will take lower offers if they seem reasonable.

Creed Vetiver Geranium

(Granny Smith Apple, Lemon, Bergamot, Geranium, Rose, Cinnamon, Cedar, Patchouli, Vetiver, Musk, Amber)

Donna Karan Chaos (new bottle)

(Spices, Coriander, Exotic Woods, Sage)

Eau de Boujee Verdant

(Cactus, Timur, Neroli, Tomato Leaf, Violet Leaf, White Flowers,Australian Sandalwood, Javanol, Vetiver, Oakmoss, Concrete, Musk)

Read my blog post: https://www.minxstinks.com/2024/08/boujee-bougies.html

Lancome Mille et Une Roses

(Rose, Musk, Amber, Vanilla)

Menard Eau de Kasaneka

(Japanese Rose, Cardamom, Nutmeg, Ginger, Orange, Basil, Bergamot, Heliotrope, Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine, Carnation, Ambrette, Vanilla, Sandalwood, Musk, Cedar, Vetiver) 

Read my blog post: 

https://www.minxstinks.com/2024/10/favorite-scents-that-nobody-has-heard.html

Mugler Les Exceptions Over the Musk

(Musk, Cashmere Wood, Ambrette, Black Pepper)

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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks
Note: this post is my opinion. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned in this post or any other companies.

Chopard Casmir

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Casmir
Peach, Coconut, Mango, Bergamot, Fruits, Geranium, Jasmine, Floral Notes, Lily-of-the-Valley, Vanilla, Amber, Sandalwood, Musk, Patchouli, Woodsy Notes

I bought my first bottle of Chopard Casmir not long after it was released in 1991 (Fragrantica says 1992). Back then, I was into sweeter scents; Casmir is definitely sweet, though nowhere near as sugary as many of the perfumes that are popular today. These days--more than 30 years after discovering this beauty--I am much less interested in the sugary stuff, yet Casmir is still one of my all time favorites. Over time, I've gone through at least 8 bottles and will continue buying it for years to come.

Some might describe Casmir as a "fruity vanilla," but I think of it more of an amber scent that happens to have a good dose of vanilla and a bit of peach. Fruity fragrances are all the rage right now and are made to be deliberately and obviously fruity. But the fruit notes in Casmir are just a part of the whole lovely composition, much like the geranium, jasmine, and muguet, none of which stand out to me. It opens with a bit of gentle peachiness mixed with a resinous amber. The scent gets a bit more vanilla-ish as it dries down, but Casmir is otherwise pretty linear. And gorgeous from beginning to end.

I am now going to take a brief moment to nerd out on language. Feel free to skip this part, as it's mostly indicative of the way my chaotic brain works and also my regret that I did not pursue linguistics when I was younger.

The spelling of this perfume's name, C-A-S-M-I-R, signifies a male name of Polish origin. According to Ancestry.com, it:

...holds deep historical significance as it symbolizes the role of a peace keeper. The name is derived from the Slavic elements kaziti and mir, meaning to destroy and peace respectively.

However, the more probable origin of the perfume's name is KASHMIR, a region on the Asian Subcontinent that has been a center for many world religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Islam. In 1949, Kashmir was partitioned between India and Pakistan. Currently, India controls about half the land area, Pakistan controls about 1/3, and China controls the rest. And there are still territorial skirmishes. 

The etymology of the name Kashmir itself is uncertain, though it's believed to have come from the Sanskrit meaning "to dry up water," relating to the Kashmir Valley having possibly been under water thousands of years ago. [1] 

However, the founder of Chopard was a French-speaking Swiss watchmaker. The French word for Kashmir is Cachemire, not Casmir. Was the spelling of the perfume's name deliberately chosen to reflect the conflict of the region and suggest the fragrance could bring peace?

Or did it just seem like a good name for an "oriental" fragrance? 

And now the bottle.

While Casmir's bottle is lovely, I have to question why Chopard chose to use a pointed dome shape for the cap and arched doorway motif for the container itself. Those elements can be found in buildings like the Taj Mahal, which I suppose immediately springs to mind when considering the architecture of India. It would appear, however, that Kashmiri architecture is not necessarily "typical" of the region. While Google images is in no way a comprehensive means of doing research, my query for "Kashmir architecture" did pull up a couple of rounded silhouettes; none were a similar pointed dome that we think of as an "onion" shape. Overall, I felt the examples of Kashmiri architecture I was able to find more resembled that of East Asia, and the temples indeed were more in the Buddhist pagoda style. As I am an unpaid blogger with a day job, I am not going to do a deeper dive into the architectural styles of the Asian Subcontinent. I am just going to assume that the bottle was made in what Westerners might consider an appropriate shape for a product appearing to be named for a part of that region. 

1. Snedden, Christopher (2015), Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris, Oxford University Press, pp. 22–,  

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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks
Note: this post is my opinion. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned in this post or any other companies.

Blind Buy: SJP Covet

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Covet

Sicilian Lemon, Lavender, Dark Chocolate, Pelargonium Leaf, Lily-of-the-Valley, Honeysuckle, Magnolia, Musk, Cashmere Wood, Teak Wood, Vetiver, Amber

I have heard the word "weird" used to describe Covet on several occasions. My opinion is that after it dries down, the scent is as innocent and gentle as Johnson's Baby Lotion. However, it doesn't start out that way. The opening has lemon and floral notes, and something green that I'm thinking is the pelargonium (geranium). I don't feel it actually smells like geranium, which--unless it's a scented geranium--smells like metallic green soil. My grandmother had a variety that had thick twisty stems that almost resembled palm tree trunks, large leaves, and tiny pink flowers. It reeked. That smell has always been what comes to mind when I see a geranium note listed in a fragrance. Thank heavens that's not what it actually smells like. 

There's also something minty there too, and yeah, ok, that's a little odd next to the lily-of-the-valley and honeysuckle and lavender. It evokes the scent of the well-used purse of a mature woman, all Wrigley's wrappers and spilled powder. My mom's purse. But that sensation is fairly fleeting. The musk and amber come in to cozy things up a bit, and that's when it becomes baby lotion. Not a complaint--Covet smells really good on me. I wish I got more of the wood and vetiver, but I'm not crying about it. 

Now, just because Covet was a successful blind buy for me, doesn't mean it will be for you. Fragrancenet currently has it for $35, so it won't break the bank if you do give it a shot.

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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks Note: this post is my opinion. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned in this post or any other companies.

Infiniment COTY

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For over 100 years, Coty has scented the world. Francois Coty's Chypre (1917)--the first chypre-style perfume--is legendary, as are L'Origan (1907), Emeraude (1921), and L'Aimant (1927). They're also famous for drugstore cheapies like Wild Musk (1972), Sand & Sable (1981), Stetson (1981), Ex'cla-ma'tion (1988), Vanilla Fields (1993), and does anyone else remember Smitty (1976)? Coty is also the company behind designer brands like Burberry, Philosophy, Marc Jacobs, Hugo Boss, Gucci, Etro, Chloe, and Calvin Klein. And now they've launched their own prestige brand, Infiniment COTY. 

To learn more about this line, don't go to the Infiniment COTY site, which is big on photos but rather skimpy with introductory text. The following comes from the Jovoy Paris website.  

I am a molecule, I am an aura

The language of INFINIMENT COTY PARIS is that of “augmented” nature, supported by avant-garde science and the noblest ingredients in perfumery. Proudly conveying their messages, the highly concentrated compositions incorporate innovative technology that preserves and amplifies the fragrance’s power and evocative charm, like a prism diffracting light.

It is called Molecular Aura, patent-pending technology that controls the evaporation of precious olfactory molecules, extending the fragrance’s signature up to 30 hours, and transcending the ephemeral aspect of top and heart notes that have dictated fragrance expression up until now.

When fragrance is transcended, emotion is revealed

The 14 fragrances of INFINIMENT COTY PARIS cover the main families of positive human emotions. Each fragrance is linked to a specific emotion proven and measured by neuroscience, acting as an emotion generator. These families include sensuality, pleasure, tenderness, self-esteem and more.

Minimal packaging, maximal performance

Created and designed by Nicolas, the bottle stands as an ode to minimalism. In an extremely complex feat of asymmetry, it reveals a perfectly flat face on one side and boldly pronounced facets on another, single-handedly epitomizing the spirit of the entire collection. In it is the strength of opposites; rounded femininity and vertical masculinity; generous forms and materials; the immaculate white of a blank page from which everything begins.

By virtue of the spherical cap sitting atop the bottle, it also reprises the graphic aspect of the letter “i”. This “i” stands for “I am,” evoking the singularity of each of us that underpins this collection.

It's all rather artsy-fartsy (and possibly AI-generated) isn't it? I suppose that at $290 for 75ml, it has to seem worth the dough. I wish I could find more information on which scent was linked to which specific emotion, but I cannot. And since I'm not being paid for my time here, I'm only willing to dig so deep. In any case, I got my hands on samples of 5 of the 14 scents, courtesy of @angiesmellstheroses (Instagram & TikTok).

None of these are groundbreaking, but boy, are they nice.

Après L'Amour

Tobacco, Labdanum, Ginger

This doesn't smell anything like I expected, but then, I've never been a smoker. My Dad smoked a pipe, so when I see the word "tobacco," I think of the delicious-smelling sweet stuff he regularly puffed. Not cigarettes. And the only experience I have with cigarettes is the disgusting smell of them being smoked. Fortunately, the tobacco in Après L'Amour is virgin tobacco, as yet unsullied by either a paper wrapper or a match. To me, this scent smells like a leather pouch filled with tobacco. At first it's bone-dry, but as it dries down, there's a hint of spicy sweetness. Though one might think a scent like this would lean masculine, there are faint undertones of powdery cosmetics, so the leather tobacco pouch would be just as comfortable residing in a woman's purse as in a man's jacket pocket. 

Aristo Chypre

Patchouli, Chypre Notes, Rose

Chypres are not what they used to be, what with all the IFRA regulations on the use of oakmoss. That said, I've smelled many a modern chypre that wears the category with honor. Aristo Chypre is really more of a dirty rose scent with aspirations of chypre-tude. It's an unwashed panties kind of dirty, especially when first applied. As it settles in, it gets much cleaner, almost soapy. There are some other floral notes in this, maybe something fresh and fruity as well (apple comes to mind). 

Encore Une Fois

Vanilla Planifolia, Bourbon Vanilla, Peru Balsam

This is a lovely, grown-up, vanilla. It smells a bit like straight alcohol at first, but that mellows into more of a booziness that is somehow powdery at the same time. This scent is sexy, without being overt, like a hint of lacy camisole peeking out from under a blouse. Encore Une Fois is not very sweet and has a definite woodiness, and the long drydown has a powdery almost-rootbeer thing going on. I've seen it compared to Guerlain Spiriteuese Double Vanille; they're in the same family, I suppose, but SDV is sweeter, boozier, stronger, and more complex, and I prefer it. Still, Encore is quite nice and I would definitely wear it if someone gave me a bottle.

Or de Moi

Tuberose, Moss, Chypre Notes

My first thoughts at sniffing Or de Moi were "oh!" followed by "1980 power perfume." This is most definitely a tuberose fragrance, but a surprisingly subtle, non-screechy one. It's somewhat powdery, and even rather staid. Yet at the same time, while the tuberose itself is (somewhat) restrained, the entirety of the scent took me straight back to the loud and over-the-top days of giant room-filling perfumes: the1980s. There are ghosts of Giorgio and Prescriptives Calyx haunting this, along with big hair and suits with shoulder pads. 

Soleil d'Ikosim

Orange Blossom, Neroli, Vetiver

I'm crazy for orange blossom/neroli fragrances, and this one is lovely. It has both candied orange blossom and green neroli, anchored by an earthy and somewhat leathery vetiver. But I'm not sure if the Molecular Aura is working properly with this scent. Four hours in and it's faded quite a bit; I seriously doubt it will be at all noticeable in 12 hours, much less 30. And my skin is good at holding onto scent. This one is my favorite of the five, and I look forward to trying the other 9 at some point. There is a new Infiniment COTY boutique in NY, up near the Met, that seems worth a visit at some point unless Bergdorf's or Saks starts carrying the line.

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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks
Note: this post is my opinion. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned in this post or any other companies.

No, That's MINE!

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Gatekeeping is a selfish, childish, needlessly exclusionary practice that has been a recent subject in Facebook fragrance groups and elsewhere. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, answer these questions:

1. If someone asks what fragrance you're wearing, do you:

A) Tell them

B) Lie

2. What are your feelings about encountering a person who is wearing the same fragrance that you are wearing?  

A) They have great taste!

B) They're encroaching on my territory!

What about if that person is wearing your fragrance because YOU recommended it to them? Still feel possessive? 

I don't get that. At all. 

My answer to both questions is A. If someone asks what I am wearing, I tell them. And If I run into someone who happens to be wearing the same scent that I sprayed on myself that day, I'm going to think that person has good taste. Clearly, because they like something I like--and my taste is impeccable. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I am not trendy. I'm not going to be wearing the designer top sellers, the Good Girls, Libres, Paradoxes, Donnas, and Goddesses. And probably not any niche and niche-adjacent superstars like Baccarat Rouge 540 (definitely not), Delina, or Vanilla Candy Rock Sugar. (Not that anything is wrong with any of them, they're just not my thing.) Many of my favorite scents have been discontinued, so the likelihood of my running into someone who is wearing Iris Prima, Theorema, or Odori Iris is close to nil. I'd be gobsmacked if I met someone wearing 10 Corso Como, Battito d'Ali, or Bapteme du Feu--but if I did, I'd think that person was pretty darn special.  

In other words, it's totally fine for someone to wear the same scent I am wearing at the same time. I don't understand the folks who get all up in arms about it. The choice B people.

A while back, I overheard a conversation between multiple people who took umbrage over smelling what they considered their fragrance on another person. None of them were people who have a "signature scent," but perfume packrats just like me who own dozens or hundreds of bottles of different fragrances. Heaven forbid any of these greedy goblins are wearing Baccarat Rouge 540 or Santal 33 while walking through the streets of New York City. Their heads would explode at the sheer number of others wearing the same. 

There are one or two circumstances in which I can understand (somewhat) the selfishness. Ok, one. The case of the Signature Scent. An example: I mentioned a former co-worker, Michele, in a past post. Her signature scent, the only perfume she ever wore, was Giorgio Red, and she smelled fabulous. We worked for a very small company, in extremely tight quarters, and she would have noticed if I adopted her fragrance for myself. But why would I? Even back then, there were hundreds of other fragrances I could choose to wear, so I did. I have always been a promiscuous perfumista, seldom wearing the same scent two days in a row. I didn't even try Red on my own skin until recently, a full 30 years later. 

Another friend with whom I worked wore Clinique Happy every day, and smelled amazing. Sadly, it was like hot garbage on my skin. But even had it worked with my body chemistry, I wouldn't have worn it. Especially not to work. To be honest, I don't know how either Ms Red or Ms Happy would have reacted had I shown up at the office wearing their signature scent. I have a feeling that neither would have cared much, but I would have understood had they been upset. 

Another circumstance in which it's ok to be selfish about a fragrance is....

Hmm...well, I can't come up with another example. I think that's pretty much the only time someone shouldn't wear the same fragrance as someone else: when they are in close proximity to the original wearer on a regular basis, and that's the original wearer's "signature." Otherwise, wear what you want when you want to wear it. And if someone doesn't like it, that's just too damn bad.

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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks
Note: this post is my opinion. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned in this post or any other companies.

Blind Buy: Dossier Free the Musk

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Dossier Free the Musk

Cardamom, Cinnamon, Lily of the Valley, Clove, Ylang Ylang, Fresh Jasmine, White Musks, Amber Woods, Myrrh, Caramel

I had never purchased from Dossier before I took a recent plunge on one of their original scents. The company primarily does dupes of super-popular fragrances like Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 and Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille--stuff in which I have little to no interest. Dupes rarely smell like the real thing anyway, and as cheap as they are, it's usually a you-get-what-you-pay-for situation. But I like musks, and I enjoy spicy amber scents, so I figured this one was right up my alley. Plus, they were having a sale, so I was able to snag it for less than $20.

Free the Musk starts out with a strong and photorealistic cardamom note along with a bright effervescence. Unfortunately, on my skin, that fizziness is more like a cheap, yeasty, American lager than something more pleasant, like champagne. It's definitely my skin doing that, because on paper that funkiness is more easily identified as a floral note, possibly the jasmine or the muguet or both. There's a definite sweetness in there too, which is a little much for me. Though it's not a dupe, it's giving Baccarat Rouge vibes, though with different spices and a buttery caramel rather than a burnt sugar note. Considering the popularity of BR540, it's no wonder that other fragrances are copying that sweet floral woody-amber thing. Fortunately, all that vaguely repulsive (to me) stuff goes away after a couple hours, leaving a nice white musk scent that stays close to the skin. 

Was this a safe blind buy? I'm going to say no. At least not for me. I love the first minute of Free the Musk, hate the next 1 hour and 59 minutes, and then like the drydown quite a bit. I'm sure other folks will love it though, so it should be a good seller for Dossier.

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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks
Note: this post is my opinion. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned in this post or any other companies.

A NY Sniffari - Part Three

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Explanatory paragraph, in case you just came in: I live in Baltimore, where there are few places to buy niche or high end fragrance, so when I go to NYC, I go a little wild. On this particular three day trip in January 2025, I went a lot wild. Read Part One here and Part Two here.

After a huge plate of scrambled eggs with shiitakes at The Harold, my favorite breakfast spot, I journeyed to SoHo to hit up the various fragrance boutiques that have been popping up like mushrooms. First stop: Penhaligon's. I sought a sample of A Kiss of Bliss, which from previous sniffings I believed I liked. I didn't think such a simple task would be so time-consuming and ultimately for naught. The store had just received a large shipment of stock, including samples, all of which needed to be added to inventory before my request could be filled. I spent almost an hour there, sniffing and chatting desultorily with one of the SAs--who had a heavy European accent and was hard to understand--until I had sample in hand. Kinda put me off the brand, to tell the truth. Not sure I'll go back to the boutique, though I had been excited to see Penhaligon's return to NY. (Turns out A Kiss of Bliss is a bit cloying on my skin, and I'm so glad I didn't buy it after only one testing.)

Next was Commodity, where I had a much better experience. The guy running the show there--Bryson--was friendly and knowledgeable and I left happy, with a travel spray of Gold + and samples of Milk, Gold, and Book in the "expressive" formula. No fuss, no muss, and I'll happily return to spend more time sniffing their Archive fragrances. 

I noticed a clothing shop called And Other Stories that I knew sold fragrance, so I stopped to browse. The clothes seem worth rummaging through (next time) but the scents were all meh. Then it was on to D.S. & Durga. I was on a mission to smell Wear at Maximum Volume, a Liberty of London exclusive that was available for a limited time in the US. The Soho shop had a tester, with which I spritzed my wrist. I liked it right away, but chose to wander around the neighborhood a bit before making a purchase. Only one bottle remained from the 100 that were made for the US market, and it was at the Madison Avenue shop. As I had a train to catch and little time (and no desire) to travel up and down the city, I arranged to have it shipped to me. It arrived the next day--NY high-end shop customer service is really the best.

I wandered across the street to Osswald to see if they had received Bohoboco Polish Potatoes yet, and they had not. I sniffed a couple of things, then left after the SA's unpleasant comments about a fragrance line I enjoy. They are new and Osswald is the only retailer that carries them, AFAIK. He said their scents were "trash," which was cruel and completely untrue, and I told him that. I wonder if I should say something to the brand? Though I left without purchasing anything, I did pick up a follower--a young woman who had been in Commodity, who appeared at Osswald just before I left. 

After a brief walk, I stopped into a Korean shop called Elorea that not only sells perfume but also has a coffee shop in the back. I fell in love with their Water scent, a beautiful floral white musk. I didn't buy it (yet) but I took home a well-sprayed blotter. (At this writing, two weeks later, the fragranced blotter is still going strong.) I also enjoyed a black sesame latte and a much-needed sit-down. As I left, I told my follower that I'd see her at Stele, which I assumed was next on her tour of fragrance shops...

...and indeed it was. The Stele on Mott Street is a sister shop to the one in Brooklyn, and each has its own inventory. I was hoping to sniff some Mabelle O'Rama and Melissa Zappas, but those scents are currently available in Brooklyn. Still, I had a nice time wandering around the new space, petting the doggo, and talking with owner Jake. I'll definitely put Stele on my regular sniffing agenda, as they have some brands that I haven't seen elsewhere.

Finally, I stopped into Granado for a quick looksee at their line. I did have that train to catch, so no time for actually spraying and sniffing, but I took a quick tour of bottle caps and vowed to be back next time.

Commodity Gold +

Amber, Vanilla, Sandalwood, Iso E Super, Saffron, Patchouli, Nutmeg

I love amber fragrances and own quite a few. This might have catapulted itself to the top of the list, or at least very near the top. It might be a tad sweeter than I normally prefer, but it's lovely. I wish the saffron note lasted longer than it does, but it's pleasingly not at all iodine-y. It lends a golden light to the scent that is otherwise very warm and cozy.

D.S. & Durga Wear at Maximum Volume 

Silk, Mandarin, Pepper, English Rose, Violet, Egyptian Jasmine, Patchouli, Moss, Amber

The On the Scent podcast strikes again! Several of my recent fragrance purchases have been quite influenced by Suzy and Nicola; they've convinced me to try scents that I normally wouldn't sniff. Rosy chypres are definitely on that list, as I'm not a huge fan of either roses or chypres. However, the disappearance of oakmoss in most modern chypre formulations has made them far more palatable for me. At least that's the thing to which I'm attributing the sudden appearance of chypres in my fragrance collection. The "silk" note is very much a sensation that brings to mind a lovely blouse--in my mind it's a warm grey color--light and cool against skin that's been spritzed with a bit of citrus cologne over a dusting of rosy powder. The other floral notes are present, but gently so. The patchouli note in the drydown is very much like the one in D.S. & Durga's Pistachio, which I adore. Apart from the patch, Wear at Maximum Volume is a scent that I normally wouldn't enjoy. So why do I love it?

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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks
Note: this post is my opinion. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned in this post or any other companies.

A NY Sniffari - Part Two

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Explanatory paragraph, in case you just came in: I live in Baltimore, where there are few places to buy niche or high end fragrance, so when I go to NYC, I go a little wild. On this particular three day trip in January 2025, I went a lot wild. Read Part One here.

Tuesday was my uptown day, starting with a trip to Bloomingdale's to visit my friend Jason, who runs the Chanel counter. He did my makeup, which looked fabulous, and I purchased the foundation he used (I have always loved Chanel foundation--it has excellent coverage) and a bottle of Paris-Edimbourg EDT, which will be stunning in the warmer months. I wandered around the rest of the beauty department, checking out Le Labo, Diptyque, Byredo, and other brands. The store was surprisingly quiet, so I had the full attention of the SAs--always nice. After Bloomie's, I popped into Bergdorf's to see my friend Donna at Estee Lauder. Attention people who loved Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia - it's back, in the form of an Aerin scent. There was an old tester of the original available, so I was able to smell them side-by-side. There's a slight difference--the original seems a tad greener-- but they are otherwise extremely similar. 

Jason used to work at Saks, so I've already spent a decent amount of time exploring their beauty department. I didn't feel the need to do that on this trip, though I was curious to find out if the Celine leather goods shop on the first floor carried their line of fragrances. I have been obsessed with Saint-Germain-Des-Pres since since the moment I spritzed it on my skin. I know a lot of people like Black Tie, but that one makes me gag. Can't/won't explain it. The other scents in the line are very nice, but only SGDP captured my heart. Ordinarily I wouldn't give the time of day to a fragrance that retails for over $300 and can't be purchased from a discounter, however, I was in possession of a somewhat aged $100 Saks gift card and had finally found something on which to use it. To answer my question, YES! Celine's leather goods department does carry their fragrances, and within a few moments of walking in the door, I was leaving again with my purchase. 

I made one more fragrant stop on Tuesday evening. My lovely friend Josie, who works for Kintessence, the US-exclusive distributor of high-end lines like The Harmonist, Dusita, THoO, and Clive Christian, was doing a thing at Scentbar with BDK Parfums founder David Benedek. She is a busy lady whom I hadn't seen in a while, so Daisy Bow--one of my favorite people and regular NY dining companion--and I stopped in for a few minutes to say hi. I got swept up in the festive atmosphere of the moment and actually requested a spritz of BDK's newest, as-yet-unreleased, scent. To be very honest, I'm not a fan of the line and now I can't escape this thing. The left sleeve of my brand-new coat seems permanently scented with something that's just not to my liking. And yes, the coat has been washed since.

Celine Saint-Germain-des-Pres

Petitgrain, Neroli, Heliotrope, Orris Root, Vanilla

I ordered a discovery set after hearing about Celine's rather pricey line on my favorite podcast, On the Scent. Several of the fragrances are excellent, a couple are just ok, and another couple are really not to my liking. That includes the most-discussed scent, Black Tie. With notes of orris, musk, and vanilla, I figured that would be my favorite of the bunch, but to be very honest, it made me gag. Not sure why, but I find it unwearable. Instead, I more-characteristically succumbed to the orange blossom-y allure of Saint-Germain-des-Pres, the longest and most punctuated of Celine's perfumes. The softness of the heliotrope and orris cuts the bite of the petitgrain and neroli, making them a bit softer on the skin than would be typical. While I enjoy the opening of this fragrance, it's not what made me fall in love. That would be that long drydown, after an hour or more. At that point, the vanilla comes into play, creating a sexy, snuggly, angora sweater of a scent, magnificently fluffy and totally addictive. Heaven.

Chanel Paris - Edimbourg

Cypress, Juniper Berries, Lavender, Cedar, Vetiver, Musk, Vanilla

I'm not sure why, but rather than cypress and juniper, I get ginger. I'm not complaining--I love ginger scents. Pretty sure there's at least one kind of citrus in this, too. It's so bright and happy, yet not at all boring or pedestrian. It's a light and refreshing cologne-y fragrance that is going to get me through the heat of summer alongside my very favorite Chanel, Cristalle Eau Verte. This scent can be worn by anyone, btw, so get yourself some.

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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks
Note: this post is my opinion. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned in this post or any other companies.

A NY Sniffari - Part One

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I live in Baltimore, where there are no good places to sniff perfumes. Yeah, we have Sephora, Macy's, and Nordstrom at the closest mall, but they're all pretty awful when it comes to their perfume selection. My skin doesn't like 99% of designer fragrances, and that's what these shops sell. There's a Lush, too, which I have started to frequent, but there are only so many Lush fragrances I can own. (Seven seems like a lot to me, all purchased in 2024.) When I get the opportunity to go to New York, I make a list of perfume sources, check it twice, and plan my trip. I almost always go to Bergdorf's and Saks, more to visit with friends than to actually perfume shop. One of those friends has migrated to Bloomingdale's, so I had to add that to my itinerary. Turns out, they have an excellent perfume department. It's no Barney's, but it's quite good. The last time I was in Bloomie's, years ago, I felt it was just an overpriced Macy's. Clearly things have changed, despite the store now being a Macy's property. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I was spending three days in NY, and I chose a different part of town to explore each day. On Monday, I thought I'd wander through Chelsea and Greenwich Village, at least the small part that includes fragrance shops. The Maker Hotel has a lovely line of scents, available in their shop in Chelsea. Sadly, they are closed on Monday and Tuesday, which means I'll have to save that for another visit. Odin is a men's clothing shop on Greenwich Avenue that sells their own line of fragrances. I've loved Odin 01 Sunda since I first smelled it in 2009 or 2010, back when it was still called Nomad, but I never made the purchase. It's not like I could buy it just anywhere. So I made a point to go to the shop and take 01 home with me. As it turns out, pretty much all of their fragrances are great, at least the dozen or so geared toward men. The three aimed at women are nothing special. Just down the street from Odin is a Frederic Malle boutique. I wanted to smell most of their line, but for some reason the SA ignored about half my requests. They insist on spraying the blotter for the customer, so I couldn't just grab what I wanted and do it myself. (A man with a small dog pranced in at one point, clearly wanting to spritz himself with something and leave. He threw a small tantrum when another SA came out to tell him that he wasn't allowed to touch the testers on his own.) I was rather surprised that some of their lesser-known scents, like Uncut Gem and Music For a While, are just not particularly special. Perhaps I expect too much from the line? To be very honest, I find it quite uneven. I want all of their fragrances to be masterpieces, like Musc Ravageur and Carnal Flower, but they are...not. I left with a sample of Eau d'Hiver, a light and airy scent created by Jean-Claude Ellena. It's lovely, but I feel like it is too subtle, or perhaps I simply go noseblind. Still need to test this one a bit more.

In the evening, I popped into Ulta Beauty and Macy's. Ulta had nothing worth smelling, though the SA really tried. I feel that the popular new scents rely too heavily on synthetic aroma chemicals like ethylmaltol, cashmeran, and ambroxan to evoke a sensation (sweetness, coziness, etc.) as much as an actual smell. A little goes a long way for me. Sometimes too far. So while Burberry Goddess and its ilk are decent enough fragrances, they share a sameness that I have started thinking of as the "Sephora effect." Sadly (or not), on my skin they are cheap-smelling at best. I am either lucky or unlucky in this regard.

Macy's had a fairly well-stocked Hermes counter that wasn't busy, so I took the opportunity to try their newest scent, Barenia. I did like it, but was not bowled over. I picked up a sample to try later (though I misplaced it as soon as I got home). While I was at Hermes, a gentleman who struggled a bit with the English language came over and requested help with a scent. He wanted something light, but masculine. Or so it seemed. Everything the SA handed him was too strong, even Un Jardin en Méditerranée. I suggested the original Eau des Merveilles, which earned a more positive response. However, after sniffing each of his blotters once more, he thanked us and left. As did I, a few minutes later, off to find dinner and a cocktail.

 

Odin 01 Sunda

Juniper Berries, Bergamot, Himalayan Cedar, Heliotrope, Black Pepper, Palmarosa, Tonka Bean, Sandalwood, Musk

Despite the list of notes reading like a typical masculine-leaning cologne, what with the juniper, cedar, and pepper, Sunda is really all about the heliotrope and tonka, the sandalwood and the musk. It's a soft, vaguely nutty, cashmere blanket of a scent. It's both creamy and powdery, and super snuggly. As it dries down, I get some pepper, at which point Sunda reminds me a wee bit of L'Artisan Poivre Piquant. So glad to finally have this one in my collection.

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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks
Note: this post is my opinion. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned in this post or any other companies.

Parfum Gourmand Collection by Nicolai Parfumeur Createur

    created with Ideogram AI and Adobe Photoshop

Since 2020, I've regularly participated in online master classes through either Sniffapalooza or Beautyhabit and until recently had never sniffed any of the samples in advance. I wanted to write about Nicolai Parfumeur Createur's Parfum Gourmand collection for the blog, so I thought that this one time I'd have an advance sniff. Besides, it's much easier to take notes and really concentrate on the fragrances without someone speaking in the background (though I've had to listen to my bigmouth neighbor talk most of the day; our walls are like paper).

When I write about a fragrance, I start the process by going to Fragrantica and pulling up the notes for each scent before scrolling down to read the comments. There is usually a mix of opinions from members who are snobs, noobs, bros, and wanna-bes, plus a handful of folks who genuinely have a good sense of smell and tell it like it is. Since these three scents are allegedly gourmands, I figured that they'd have a good number of positive comments. People like gourmands, particularly well-crafted ones, so I was unprepared for the negativity around these perfumes. Some comments made Macaron Bourbon and Pavlova seem downright scary. 

"Synthetic, obnoxious, loud, disgusting, and just cruel to the nose."

"How can a 'Macaron' fragrance be so terrible!?? SCRUBBER!!!"

"Overly sweet synthetic mess. NO"

"It really smells like something I got in the summer from Bath and Body Works."

"There is a special place in hell and in my trash can for this sample."

Wow, don't hold back. Tell us what you really think. Thankfully, these fragrances weren't as terrible as these comments might suggest. 

Based on the notes alone, I figured I'd like Saint Honoré the most, followed by Pavlova and Macaron Bourbon. Pavlova did indeed come in second place, but the other two switched places. Sadly, I really hated Saint Honoré. Read on for more.

Macaron Bourbon Intense

Rum, Bitter Almond, Davana, Rose, Cinnamon, Clove, Patchouli, Caramel, Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Musk

As I've learned from the Great British Bake Off, one should use the barest drop of rose essence in baking, otherwise the end result could taste like soap. While Macaron Bourbon doesn't smell like soap, it does smell like too much rose. But then, I am often on the fence about rose notes. I'm assuming that this fragrance is supposed to evoke a rose-flavored macaron, perhaps one with a spicy caramel filling, but it does not. I would say this was a rose fragrance, not a gourmand fragrance, though it is sweet. The rose note is too much like the actual flower with a touch of green and thorns. I think a softer, rosewater-like, note would have hit the confection mark more accurately. In any case, I am mostly quibbling with the name of the scent compared to the way it actually smells. This perfume, taken on its own, is fine: a pretty rose scent with a sweet vanilla drydown. It's not in any way horrifying, as the Fragrantica reviewers would like us to believe, but it's not my cup of tea.

Pavlova Intense

Pineapple, Passionfruit, Rum, Peach, Coconut, Raspberry, Vanilla, Musk, Sandalwood, Cedar

This one is not scary, either. I've never had a pavlova with tropical fruits, but I'm sure it would be delicious. This Pavlova is light and airy, like meringue. The fruit notes are nice, with the pineapple and passionfruit coming out first, and eventually the raspberry. Overall, though, it's giving Fruit Stripe gum (do they still make that?) or very sweet shampoo. This fragrance is quite youthful, though not as sweet as half the stuff marketed toward young people. Sadly, the drydown is not particularly interesting on paper. I tried it on my skin but found that the fruits aren't as distinct and the scent is otherwise rather generic. Too bad, because I actually did sorta like this one.

Saint Honoré Intense

Pepper, Bergamot, Hazelnut, Milk, Orange Blossom, Vanilla Absolute, Sandalwood, Amber, Musk

I saved the best for last, or so I thought. The list of notes makes it sound perfect for me; this scent also received the most positive comments. But it was hate at first sniff. I don't know if it's the pepper or the hazelnut, or a combination of everything that makes Saint Honoré smell like root beer. But that's on paper. I couldn't believe this wasn't going to be delicious on skin, so I sprayed some on the back of my hand. The hazelnut note comes out right away; it's buttery and nutty and delicious and lasts about 15 seconds. And then it's root beer. Oh, and I do not like root beer, which makes this a scrubber for me. 

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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks
Note: this post is my opinion. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned in this post or any other companies.