which one has the best smell and is the best? I want some good opinions thanks

Originally Posted by aldo milani

,
iT IS SAID = YOUR BEST FRAGANCE = YOUR PERSONALITY....YOUR BEST WINE = THE SAME. DO YOU AGREE ?
WHAT ARE YOUR BEST FRAGANCES EVER FOLKS ????? DAILY/ NIGHT WEAR,WINTER/ SUMMER...
MANY THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THE MATTER.
AL

From a creator's perspective, the fragrance world smells bright. After creating this scent and spending years on coming up with this idea. The Fragrance creator Colinda created her own abstract fragrance this year of 2012 in order for women all over the world to love this scent and by providing this new fragrance that's natural and is never tested on animals which is a hypoallergenic fragrance with no dyes....

However, Jolie will be released at the end of this year....

Originally Posted by odioustoilet

for the first time about two hours ago.

Not impressed so far, at first I could really smell the basil and now it smells like-Beleaf by the Body Shop (?) I believe.

Crazy?

Do i need to soak it in Ethyl Alcohol or Hexane only?, or what ways?
...How & Why? & Please Kindly don't confuse me, Anybody Please Kindly Help? Thank You Very So Much!

do i need to soak it in ethyl alcohol only? or i need to heat it with ethyl alcohol? How and Why?, Please kindly Don't Confuse me, Please Kindly need your Help! Thank you very so much! :)

I am in the minority of people who actually prefer summer fragrances to winter. I mainly attribute this to the fact that summer has always been my favorite time of year, so anything having to do with it is already awesome by way of association. This indescribable love of summer goes all the way back to elementary school—I hated it! Now, I know every kid hates school, but I mean, I really and truly hated it with every fiber of my being. I lived for the summer. By junior high, I had developed an almost religious reverence for the two and a half months of the year I was free from the onerous grind of my so called education.

So of course, anything I associated over time almost exclusively with the summer was going to be thought of fondly. Obviously this is where cologne comes into play. I think everyone kind of associates scents with feelings; if you are wearing a certain fragrance the day of your wedding, it seems logical to postulate said fragrance will evoke warmer feelings every time you smell it thereafter than it would if you had worn it the time you fired, dumped, mugged and evicted all in the same week. By this reckoning, Vanille Insensee has been ruined by a day from hell in which all sorts of lameness occurred and now I can only think of that day when I smell it.

But by the same token, I love all sorts of summer fragrances simply for the fact that they are worn exclusively in my favorite time of year and thus tied to all sorts of good times.

Anyway, these are the fragrances I intend to keep in heavy rotation for the months that follow:

Creed Milliseme Imperial
Atelier Orange Sanguine
Christian Dior Dior Homme Sport
Creed Himalaya
Azarro Chrome
Armani Acqua di Gio
Lacoste Essential Sport
Tommy Bahama Set Sail St. Bart's
Paris Hilton Man


A fairly eclectic mix, to be sure.

Stuff I've yet to test but intend to
Chanel Bleu de Chanel
Creed Aventus
Forever Florals Passion Pineapple
Chanel Allure Homme Sport
Jo Malone Grapefruit
Christian Dior Aqua Fahrenheit
Voyage d'Hermes

Any suggestions based on what you see listed, let me know. I like grapefruit a lot but hate overly lemony stuff like Versace Eau Fraiche and Creed Royal Water. Yeah, I know, I'm weird.

Originally Posted by Dasher

Sel de Vetyver vs. Etro Vetyver

Sel starts out smelling like I imagine an islay malt distillery does. Briney and smokey. Layer in dry astringent potent vetyver. Very Raw. Then the soapy base comes cleanly to the front of the scene. A salty mineral note is discernable through the still- pungent root and smoke, somehow lending an irish-springish just-showered cleanse. The Etro is just a strong but different in every dimension. Etro begins with a boozy sweet vetyver. This opening fades slowly but stays dominant as the resinous piney middle takes shape. There cedar and other woods here as well as a standard, uninspired by nicely balanced moss base holds the scene together. Ultimately the nod goes to Sel de Vetyver.

I recently made the decision to take my scent into my own hands instead of just wearing what other people happen to buy me as gifts. It's been tricky figuring out what I like. The last time I bought myself fragrances was nearly ten years ago and it seems that my tastes have changed a lot since then.

Although I was well aware that it could backfire, I though Sephora's gift box of samples might be a good way to go. I had bought one of the women's boxes for my sister and she liked it very much.

The basic version of the men's box comes with five .15 ounce bottles of fragrance: Bvlgari Aqua Marine PH, Dior Fahrenheit, Gucci Guilty, Paco Rabanne 1 Million, and John Varvatos for Men. The cool thing about it is that it's only like 45 dollars and it includes a voucher for a full sized bottle of the fragrance of your choice.

The only drawback to this package is the danger that you won't like any of the fragrances. I had hoped that I'd like a couple of them, but I find myself hating two of them (Fahrenheit and the Bvlgari), being amused by the third one (1 Million), and being ambivalent about the other two. I'm sort of leaning toward the Gucci, but I keep thinking I should just return the stupid thing and get something I know I like.

The only trouble is I don't know what I like anymore. I used to love Chanel Allure pour homme, but Chanel's male fragrances strike me as a little too sweet these days. I'll probably still buy Bleu de Chanel one of these days and I just bought YSL's L'homme Libre, so I guess I must be drawn to those scents. They just tend to grate on me after a little while.

I’ve been perfume blogging for 5 years now. I think that makes me either first or at least second generation. I’ve been through all the stages of perfumistahood, and the Jaded Stage was the worst. Would I finally give up my great love, perfume? Did IFRA kill it? Did Sephora? Nah, I went DIY. I went Nerd.

I started a scent library and grew smelly plants, and after that went on for a couple of years, I started to make my own tinctures and perfumes. ACK! I heard that at some sort of professional symposium in Paris last year (Were they snooty? Were they French?), that DIYers were derided as the scum of the perfumed earth. I’m OK with that. I’m having fun.

What’s a scent library? How do you make one? How can you, dear reader, DIY? Or, confess, are you there already, skulking about the periphery of Perfume World, growing and making fragrant things for your family and friends? (Yeah, and some stinkeroos, too, that’s part of the fun.)

I know there’s someone out there who’s quietly growing a Corpse Flower, Amorphophallus titanum, in their backyard….and it’s not me, I swear, but only because I don’t have access to a parent plant. Don’t you want to tell people at parties that you grow Amorphophalli in your backyard?? I do.

Today I’m going to write about scent libraries. In our world, we’re always talking lists of notes. Top notes, heart notes, base notes. So learning the notes is a bit like increasing your writer’s vocabulary. It’s a good idea to know what each note means, and, for the most common, what’s the difference between natural and synthetic versions. How many of us have sniffed a “peony” perfume to find it smells nothing at all like a living peony? Ditto real oakmoss and Verymoss. Both delightful, but they wouldn’t have much in common if they met for lunch.

Fortunately, it doesn’t cost much to set up a good, basic library. There are kits out there, of course, but you can build your own for less-and have more adventures. You can start by dividing your prospective purchases into favorite basenotes, heart notes, and top notes. For example, your first wish list might look like this:
1. Base-benzoin, patchouli, oakmoss
2. Heart- jasmine, rose, frankincense
3. Top- mint, verveine, mandarin

So that is the core of your newly born scent library. I recommend buying at least 1/8 oz. (about 4ml) of each substance so you have enough to play with. For rose, this will cost a bit, but for something like a mint or lemon, you might go ahead and just buy ½ oz. or more, as it’s cheap and won’t be sold in smaller quantitites.

Don’t ignore the synthetics, they are crucial for understanding modern perfumery. I’d recommend a few white musks, Ebanol or Javanol, some Ambroxan, and Iso E Super. They are ubiquitous. The strong may opt for a few aldehydes, but beware, they can overpower the rest of your library no matter how you seal them!

Here are some sources that I’ve used over the years and can recommend. I don’t receive anything free or fun from them for putting them on this list, but I wish I did.
Eden Botanicals (naturals)
http://www.edenbotanicals.com/
Liberty Natural (naturals and raw botanicals)
http://www.libertynatural.com/
Perfumer’s Apprentice (naturals and sythetics)
http://www.perfumersapprentice.com/
White Lotus Aromatics (naturals)
http://www.whitelotusaromatics.com/
For storage, I like sturdy portability. The cases that I’ve been most happy with are from Butterfly Express, they’re made in the US, and extremely strong. Again, I get no kickbacks, I’m just a happy customer.
http://www.amazon.com/Large-Portfoli...sr=1-2-catcorr

I’ve also seen models where the bottles fit upright into foam slots that fit into boxes, so I’d encourage you to think through how you store and use the bottles, then find the best storage for your actual usage. Make sure that when stored, you can see the label. It’s always best to alphabetize!

I sampled this for the first time today and was really impressed - the embodiment of the flirty and chic Parisienne. Unusual black cherry note, beautifully rounded and balanced by the masterful Thierry Wasser. The charming motif of 'La Parisienne' created by Kuntzel & Deygas adorning the packaging just adds to the appeal. Sellling wonderfully well in France, I hope this one's a winner in the UK x

Can anyone tell me why Turin and Sanchez's "THE GUIDE" does not review the Fresh line? I'm talking about. . . . Fresh Index Bergamot Citrus, Red Currant Basil, Geranium Pepper + Fresh Sugar, Sugar Blossom, Lemon Sugar. . . . It seems like a pretty big line to omit from a book that bothered to review no fewer than eight Clean fragrances (oi vey, can't you just dismiss the lot as horrid, and move on?!). Is this a slam on the Fresh line as not qualifying as "fine fragrance," and instead pegging them as a bath product line?

Insights?

Originally Posted by 4160Tuesdays

I've just "stepped into the IFRA minefield", as Chris Bartlett so aptly puts it, as I'm in the fortunate position of being invited to sell my scents in a real live shop. (Something I wasn't sure I was quite ready for, but it would be daft to turn down the chance.)

I thought I'd share what I'm going through. I shan't bore you with the endless internet research I did before getting a recommendation. I'd just say, do see if you can work on recommendations because it saves a whole load of faff. (Like companies who want to make your scents for you, not do what you need.)

From the lovely Karen Gilbert I got Penny Williams, owner of www.orchadia.org. She's a perfumer and expert on regulations, on the IFRA technical panel, and she's the one who can get me my IFRA certificate, if I need them - one for each fragrance. Not law in the EU, but many shops ask for them (partly because they assume IFRA is the law.)
Penny kindly talked though all the different issues I have, and will be the person I go to when I'm ready to apply for IFRA certificates. I don't have to join IFRA to get these, so I can still make bespoke fragrances for people who want certain things that IFRA's regulations prohibit. And I was releived to hear that I can still make my own stuff in my own loft, and retain full indie status.

Penny then recommended Anthony Dweck, analytical chemist, who can produce my Cosmetics Safety Assessments. These I do need for the EU. If some of my scents are not safe, he can advise on reformulation. I'd have to give him my complete formulae, and also a copy of the Materials Safety Data Sheet for every single material I use.

So my scent which contains oudh that I bought fromt he Dubai oudh soukh, well that doesn't have a hope of passing. There is no way I'd ever get a materials safety data sheet from the shop owner or his supplier, so I'll have to reformulate that one before it goes anywhere near a test.

So far I've emailed all my suppliers.

Mistral - makes of the perfumers' alcohol I use, along with many of us here - got right back to me and pointed out that the MSDS is on their website... Should have looked first.

Bristol Botanicals - they got back to me within the hour with full MSDSs for everything I've ever bought from them, plus extra data on green peppercorn essential oil because they didn't feel that the data sheet was good enough. 5 stars to Bristol Botanicals and their medicinal grade oils.

Hermitage - Adam's not that well at the moment, but he's chasing up his suppliers for me to get hold of the MSDSs. He says that his French supplier is not good at admin. Hermitage are marvellous. Great range of really good quality oils and Adam is passionate about going out and sourcing his own stuff. I really want to keep getting my naturals from him, so fingers crossed for the suppliers having the data on hand. (They really ought to have it available for him.)

However, I've found out that a material that's very well known like lavender or mint doesn't always need a separate data sheet to go with the appication for a Cosmetics Safety Assessment. But if I insist on using rasberry leaf or goji berry or or yuzu - which I do - I've got to have the materials data as they are not well known and would mean that a perfume which contained them would fail the safety test.

I'll update this when I hear from the other people I buy from, including the people who sell synthetics. If I can't get the data sheets, I'll probably shift over to Bristol Botanicals for the synthetics - more expensive but super impressive on this point.

Update: Tom from Baldwin's has emailed and is going to get the data sheets for everything I've bought from him from his suppliers. I'll post when they arrive.

If you've had experience of getting hold of data sheets, I'd be very happy to hear about it.

is body kouros different enough from le male to also own it and is it different enough from lolita lempicka?? i need some opinions

Originally Posted by Kagey

I discovered Creed in about 1998, tried lots of them, and I still don't "get" it.