10/30/2012

Welp

I was going to post today about doing a french manicure with navy blue polish and black tips, since navy and black is my favorite color combo, but it didn't go as well as I hoped.  There wasn't enough difference between the two polishes.  Not only could you not tell in the pics I took, but you can't even tell looking up close in real life.

I'm not afraid to admit when shit goes bowl-shaped.  This post was dead in the water, but I can now tell you with authority that Chanel Blue Satin and Rimmel Black Satin are not different enough to do any kind of good combo with.  Learn from my wasted morning!

So, I'm gonna improvise here, and just talk about something else that doesn't require a bunch of set up like doing a special manicure.  

Let's talk about what we smell like!


Obviously, this topic is something that is totally personal preference.  Maybe you don't like smelling like anything.  Maybe you like smelling like something I hate.  I'm just gonna tell y'all what I like, then you can discuss your personal preferences in the comments if you are so inclined.

I have issues with moisturizing body washes and stuff, so I like using Dr. Bronner's or something that is just soap to get clean with, then worry about how parched my skin is after I strip it of everything and boil it off in the hot shower.  Have you ever noticed that you feel super-waxy after using those Dove or Olay body washes?  Those make me feel groooooossssssssss, then my skin starts getting pukey and it's terrible.  Those Philosophy body washes give me hives, and it's miserable.  Dr. Bronner's isn't very luxurious, but it never freaks my skin out, sooo....

After I've washed and my skin is totally desiccated, I moisturize.  I use regular old cocoa butter lotion to moisturize.  I think it smells good and doesn't clash with the perfumes I like, and it works without feeling terribly slimy.

Then I do perfume.  Maybe you don't do perfume, or you are one of those people who can't handle smells.  I wear perfume because I like it, and because I work at home, so nobody is going to bitch to H.R. that my perfume is triggering their allergies or something.  

I usually like perfumes that have a sweet note to them like chocolate or something.  I also like a little funkiness like patchouli or musk or whatever.  I usually keep a few different perfumes, and wear different ones at different times of the year.  These are my favorite perfumes:

Hanae Mori Butterfly:  This one is a sweet, floral-y kind of smell with an almond note that makes it smell like flower-flavored ice cream or something.  I like this in the spring and summer, because it is lighter than some of the other perfumes I wear.  It lasts pretty well when you put it on.  Actually, all the perfumes I like are pretty long-wearing, because I don't like fucking around.  I'm not a toucher-upper.

Robert Piguet Fracas:  This is another spring/summer perfume.  I also wear this one when I want to smell more responsible.  This one is almost entirely floral, with a tuberose-y kind of tinge to it.  Not exciting, but if I have to go talk to people at the bank, I will put this on after I cover all my tattoos up.

Aquolina Pink Sugar:  This is my guilty pleasure.  It basically just smells like dessert.  I would imagine a teenager wearing it or something, it is definitely not that sophisticated.  It is all sugar and vanilla and caramel-smelling, with just enough musky/floral/citrus that it doesn't smell like Bath and Body Works.  It is also really cheap compared to a lot of perfumes, which is probably why I went ahead and got it even though I felt slightly dumb doing so.

Angel:  You know what Angel smells like.  Everyone knows what it smells like.  I wear this in the wintertime, and it lasts forever, so you can skip putting it on if you wear the same hoodie two days in a row.  My sister also got me Angel la Rose for Christmas or something, which smells like you would expect.  That one doesn't last as well, though, for whatever reason.  I don't care that everyone wears this, I just like it.  It is dessert + funk, which is right up my alley.

Womanity:  I got this one recently with my AmEx points after smelling it at Sephora.  It is a really weird smelling perfume, the first whiff of it smells like cold, then when it settles in it has a figgy, salty smell to it.  I like how the weird face on it reminds me of H.R. Giger, and the name of it is so unbelievably stupid, I love it.  Whenever I put it on, I think, "Whoa, Manatee!"  That always gets my day started on the right foot.

Other perfumes that aren't my favorite:

Alexander McQueen Kingdom:  This actually smells terrible, but the bottle is really awesome.  I never wear it, but the bottle is rad, and maybe you'd like smelling like a weird, fucked up old lady.

MV3:  This actually used to be my favorite perfume, but then MAC decided to discontinue it, because fuuuuuuuuck them.  I think this might have even been a perfume for dudes, but it was a very cupcake-y dude perfume.

Lady Gaga Fame:  I don't own this, but I thought I would list it so people could weigh in and either agree or disagree that it smells like Boones Farm.  I smelled it and it was like Boones Farm white zinfandel, and it made me want to puke off the back porch and pass out like the old days.  Too much time spent figuring out how to make it black, and zero time spent making sure it didn't smell like hobo wine.

SO, what do y'all like, perfume-wise?  I am sure a large portion of you think my preferences are gross, so feel free to shout out anything you've found that smells real awesome!  This is just a topic that is 100% preference, so my preferences probably don't amount to shit.  TOO BAD MY MANICURE GOT FUCKED UP!!  Next post will be better!

183 comments:

  1. The Lady Gaga perfume was so disappointing.
    "My perfume is going to be amazing, it's going to smell of blood and semen, it's going to smell like an expensive hooker"
    Nope. it could be Demi Lovato's perfume for all I know.

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    1. Who in the holy hell would want to smell like blood and semen?? What is she thinking? "Hmm I really like smelling like period sex! If only I could bottle it..."

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  2. I wish I could wear perfume, but the majority of them give me mad allergies, so instead I just stick with scented lotions. The only one you listed that I've smelled is Pink Sugar, because I got a sample of it from Sephora, and it smelled awesome in the bottle, but super weird on me, and I was sad.

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  3. I wear Coach Poppies for spring/summer and Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely for fall/winter. For work I just use my plain old Bath & Body Works vanilla body spray, because I work with a lot of people and don't want to offend them or trigger allergies and whatnot.

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  4. This totally plays against my type, but I actually really like 90% of the Victoria's Secret fragrances. I like sweet or fruity florals, and, apparently, smelling like a sorority house toilet. I always feel like I should spritz on my VS Bombshell or GOLD or whatever and then apply cocoa butter and body glitter, and get a vajazzle tattoo on my hoo-hah.

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    1. Like you, I get a majority of my smell goods from VS. Lotion, body spray and perfume. I go through Love Spell like crazy because it gets hubby going ;)

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  5. An old standard, but I loves me my Chanel no.5 once it starts getting cold out. Sure, it makes me smell like an old woman in church, but I love it.

    I also love my Prada Infusion d'Iris, which smells a lot more clean and crisp with subtle citrus notes, and it also has a lot of staying power.

    My guilty pleasure is Vera Wang Princess. It's a pretty sweet smell with a lot of chocolate, vanilla and floral notes. I like to think the fact that I like to rock this pretty teenager-esque scent cancels out my love for churchy no.5.

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    1. Have you tried Chanel No. 5 Eau Premiere? It is delicious, with none of the old-lady smells of the original that some people can't get over.

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  6. So, as far as sugary but kind of bad ass perfumes go, I like this one: http://www.geekchiccosmetics.com/solid-scents-orlesian-nightingale.html
    First off, yes, I totally ordered the whole perfume package because I liked the video game it's inspired by. But they also happened to be really nice! Orlesian Nightingale is a standout. It's sweet for sure - it smells like cake and almonds and honey with just a hint of fruitiness, and it makes me want to eat my own wrists. But, it also has this big wallop of burned sugar (in a good way) that stops it from being too overly feminine or tween-y. It's particular, and I have to in the right mood to wear it, but the more I wear it, the more I love it. It wears off pretty quickly, but the nice little stick is very portable - it's nice and moisturizing, so I like to go ahead and rub a little in my hair in the morning, so it makes my head shiny AND smell delicious.

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  7. I have a weakness for oils, especially Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab stuff. Their "13" is my #1 go to when I want to smell good. They come out with a different version of it every Friday the 13th, but it always smells basically the same - chocolate with a touch of funk (usually patchouli or frankincense).

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    1. Oooh Dragon's Blood is my favorite from them!

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    2. Rumpelstiltskin is my favorite perfume of all time:

      Firewood and ash with an oddly otherworldly blend of patchouli, cardamom, nutmeg, black pepper, tonka, vetiver, and myrrh.

      I've always been so pleased with what I got from them, the descriptions may be mystical but they are really dead on.

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    3. Their Morocco oil is my go to scent. Incensey and warm and it wears close enough to the skin that I can wear it even though I'm a massage therapist. I love fragrance, and though I can't wear most commercial perfumes while I'm working because they're bound to offend SOMEone, oils that don't have much throw work well for me. Off duty, I like Prada Infusion D'Iris, Burberry and LUSH's American Cream scent.

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  8. so, I am the worst at perfume? Theoretically I care a lot about it because I had a job writing perfume descriptions for a pretty big drugstore here in the UK (finishing with alluring base notes of blah blah whatever) and then I go to a store and try lots of perfumes and get hella overwhelmed and end up sticking to Chanel no. 5 (I feel like this actually works on me because I'm pretty young looking? So maybe I'm not old-ladyish? This is what I am telling myself) and this rose roll-on oil I got in the not-food section of Whole Foods (for real it's the best smelling stuff in the world). I also buy an embarrassing amount of perfumes from etsy and am wearing something today called woodsmoke and vanilla. It's Pretty Nice. Thanks for the Butterfly description without any perfume-jargon bullshit, I've been looking at that dude for a while, and Womanity sounds dope. Right up my weird little alley.

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  9. I've actually been trying to find a new perfume to love recently.
    I've worn basically nothing but Dior Hypnotic Poison (BIG time amber, vanilla, cherry, slight musk, patchouli, dark, weird sweet,) Gucci Rush (I have no fucking idea what it smells like, but Sephora says, "Gardenia, Freesia, Jasmine, Vanilla, Patchouli." LIES. It's really really weird but I like it and Amber from L'occitaine. Although I think it's a touch too sweet.

    I've been trying every sample I can get my hands on and I'm finding that my nose is much more discerning now than when I was in my 20s. Hanae Mori is pretty good, Kate Walsh's Boyfriend is ok, Stella, meh. La Petit Robe Noire totally reminds me of Pink Sugar, but cloying as HALE and inspires in me a raging hangover headache. Leslie Blodgett Bare Skin or whatever it's called is ok, but it wears off too fast. I've tried SO MANY and can't find anything to fall in love with like my three go-to scents.

    Sigh. Just gotta keep trying I guess.
    OH! And funny about the Gaga Boone's Barf, I totally thought I detected St Ides Special Brew in there. Go figure.

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  10. I am addicted to fragrance in general and I feel naked without something on myself every day. However, my collection is comprised mostly of less expensive body sprays up to and including the quality of Bath and Body Works. I have a hard time with very expensive perfumes because just as I think I am in love with a scent, I suddenly can't stand it, and there I've wasted a lot of money. I hate to admit how many times I have done that.

    One of my all-time favorites is New West for Women by Aramis, which smells like an intense grown-up watermelon. It's impossible to find anymore. Another one that is still available, but is also expensive as hell is Miss Dior Cherie, which to me is a pretty strong fragrance that makes me feel all savage and I would not probably wear it to work. I also stumbled upon the Salvador Dali line of fragrances, and I love the ones I have so far. I started with Sea & Sun in Cadaques (I know, whatever) because I love any kind of sea/ocean/marine/aqua fragrance. This has to be one of the best new scents I've bought myself in a long time. I have since bought other fragrances from Dali (most are under $30) and they're also nice. I find that if I like one of a brand, I will probably like others from the same "house."

    I love that you have Womanity, as this is one of those that I hesitated to buy based on some crazy reviews I read on sites that are about nothing but perfumes and people can be pretty blunt about what they don't like. I am a sucker for any fragrance that has a pronounced fig note and supposedly Womanity is one of those. I don't know about figs, but it is most definitely a unique smell and you're either going to love it or hate it - or maybe like me, you're not even sure, but when you wear it, you'll keep leaning over to smell your own cleavage because it's just that intriguing.

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    1. 'you'll keep leaning over to smell your own cleavage' story of my life.

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    2. i've heard people say that it smells like jizz or vaginas, but i don't pick that up at all. it is that strange cold smell, like outside in the winter, then salt and figs. i think it's pretty rad.

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    3. I totally bought a whole bottle of Miss Dior Cherie because I love love love the initial scent. The sample I had was so good, but when I got the big bottle I found it wears off into this nasty sunflower stench that makes me retch. Sad face. It was expensive.

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    4. Womanity sounds awesome! I love fig scents. For me, Burberry, the original. I like that it smells awesome on me, but like shit on everyone else who likes how I smell and tries it for themselves! I guess that's a sign that it should be your signature scent.

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  11. I used to have some Victoria's Secret "Sexy Little Things" Noir and I loved it. Smelled like this white grape jello that doesn't exist anymore with just enough musk to keep people from saying "you smell like Jello."

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  13. Too bad about the manicure. I don't know what perfume I like. I wore Jo Malone Wild Fig and Cassis on the daily for about six years, and my second bottle's nearly finished and I'm bored with it. (It smells like the greenhouses at the Butterfly Conservatory to me.) I've been wearing Tokyo Milk Dark 45: Revolver lately, but it isn't quite the thing; a bit strong, a bit sweet, a bit samey-same.

    So I've ordered about a bazillion samples from perfume sites online, mostly weird stuff which is alleged to smell like dirt, and moss, and paper, and incense. Hopefully I'll like at least a few of them. It's amazing how the cost of samples add up. Twenty-five dollars at this site, $25 at the other, and suddenly you're expecting a bunch of things that could have bought you a bottle of something really exotic.

    Mostly, though, my skin turns perfume into something that smells like either grandma in a nursing home, or dryer sheets. And I'm not into anything floral, or ambery, or fruity, or food-y, or overtly girly, and I'm allergic to a lot of perfumes, too. Really, I should just wear nothing, or maybe daub myself cautiously with bits of organic patchouli oil. (I enjoy the smell of real patchouli. As opposed to cheap headshop patchouli.) But hope springs eternal.

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    1. Next time hit Sephora and ask them for a few samples at a time. They're usually pretty nice about it.

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    2. Yeah, I didn't like anything at Sephora. Too sweet, too girly, too much like perfume. Except a couple things in the men's section (some DSquared), and then I tried them and they turned into dryer sheet wafts on me. I suppose if I was motivated enough I could make a day trip into Toronto and harass the people at the boutique stores. I'm dying to try CB I Hate Perfume, maybe in the next run of samples if nothing pans out this time. He has a scent called In the Library...

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  14. I got hooked on Hypnotic Poison a few years ago. I've heard people describe it as "root beer-like" "sickeningly sweet" "black licorice", none of which I agree with. It smells different in the bottle than it does on, and the smell seems to change throughout the day. It's one of those ones you really have to spray on yourself and walk around all day and then sniff before making a decision on.

    It's got an almond-musk-sandalwood-vanilla-spice thing going on.

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    1. Hooked is right. I wore that shit for yeeeeaaaarrrs! And occasionally still. I just can't find anything new that compares.

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    2. My mother-in-law bought me some for Christmas a few years ago. I smelled it in the bottle and was like aw hells naw. For whatever reason I decided to wear it one day and like the person above, I smelled my cleavage all freaking day. It's hard to put my finger on why it's so magical. There's definitely something addictive in it.

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  15. Armani Code. I love it. I get lots of compliments on it. Smells a touch sweet but more of a clean-sweet than a sugar-sweet with a spicy-musky kick. Its a little pricey but its also the ONLY high-end designer brand/item I buy. I had a coworker (a self-proclaimed fashionista) tell me it was an example of the right perfume on the right person.

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  16. You are only the second person I've ever met besides me who wears Hanae Mori. The other was someone who was interviewing me. I am unfamiliar with the rest of the scents you listed because I stick to old lady-ish stuff. Right now I'm wearing Pacifica French Lilac - I'm really surprised no one has told me I smell like their grandmother.
    A few years ago I decided that I was going to keep a 90s perfume in my rotation for nostalgia's sake. After I ran out of Nautica I got Eternity and it was the best perfume decision I've ever made. It just about makes men who are over 30 roll their eyes back in their head. "You smell like...college." It smells fine on me and no one else wears it, so I'm cool with it. I dated a much younger man and he thought it was intoxicating. He was just a wee tyke in the 90s so he has no nostalgia for the scent. To him, Eternity just smells like me. SO odd to think about.

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    1. Ha Ha. I am not suprised to see Eternity come up. I have been wearing it since the nineties. Nearly every perfume out there makes me sneeze, but for some reason Eternity doesn't, and smells really nice on me, so it has become like you a signature thing for me (when I actually wear perfume which isn't all the time). I should probably expand my horizons but it isn't worth it to sneeze test a bunch of samples. I do have some locally made body sprays that don't bug me too bad that I wear to break the monotony.

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  17. I love Lolita Lempicka as a fall/winter perfume. The scent lasts a long time, is very unique, and I get compliments whenever I wear it.

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    1. I love love love Lolita Lempicka, even though the little apple-stem sprayer kinda sucks and I'm always afraid it's going to break off and I'll be stuck with a bottle of perfume and no way to decant it.

      Sometimes Marshall's and TJ Maxx will have it, when they do I buy it all up :)

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  18. I'm kind of a perfume whore, but my current faves are:
    Prescriptives Calyx
    Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gioia
    Burberry Body
    Lancome Hypnose (my #1)

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    1. Oh wow, I had forgotten about Calyx. That was one of my main scents many years ago, and I've not owned in a long time. I'm not sure it would still smell good on me now, but I def want to get some and see.

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    2. I used to wear that too. It's cool to see so many people still using it!

      I tried it again recently, and reeled back in a "whoa! gag! I used to be able to stand this?" way. But I could still smell what I liked about it then.

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  19. I imagine Boone's Farm to be the perfect scent for a Ke$ha perfume.

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    1. ha! Or perhaps dolla bills and gutter

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  20. I'm strictly a citrus perfume wearer. If it smells like lemons or limes or oranges, I'll spray that shit all over me. I also enjoy clean scents. Not necessarily laundry detergent scents but ones that are crisp. Not surprisingly, two of my favorite perfumes are Cool Water and Happy by Clinique.

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  21. I like some of the scented oils from Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. Poisoned Apple smells like evil fruit and I love White Rabbit, which smells of spiced black tea & honey.

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    1. I love Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. I have Gnome from them and I love it. It's kind of spicy and smells kind of peppy and unexpected.
      They had a booth at a convention and I wanted to test out a bunch of their scents, but I got overwhelmed. It was also really crowded and I didn't want to get a zillion perfumes on me and smell terrible, lol. They seriously had every perfume they make there, what 300 or something? I want to try out more of their scents, but I don't know where to start. The ones you mentioned sound good.

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    2. Happy is wonderful, I forgot about that one. Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab seems like a bitchin company in general.

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  22. I like Lush "Lust". It's really jasmine-y. It's really strong though so I just do one spray/walkthrough.

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  23. I love Lady Gaga's perfume, but then again I was surrounded for months by roommates who exclusively drank cheap wine every night so maybe that messed with my sense of smell. I've always loved plumeria roll-on oil by one of the two companies that makes roll-on perfume found in hippy bookstores. Also, even though it is a little bit "middle school girl's locker room" I really like Victoria's Secret Pure Seduction, aka "Kool Aid lotion". It's great if you like smelling like Kool Aid, which I apparently do on occassion.

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  24. I really like Flowerbomb and Chanel Chance (I know, along with everyone else). I used to wear Britney Spears Fantasy and I still like it but it smells too young (sort of like how you feel about pink sugar).
    Another I use occasionally is a CK one Summer (in a blue and green bottle, not the most recent, not sure when it's from) that smells sort of like a dude but I like it.
    And I suuuuuper miss American Cream solid perfume from Lush...they don't make it anymore :(

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  25. HA! I own and/or steal and wear all those you listed. I also dig on some classic Shalimar. BPAL is like a crackhouse with all the different scents they have; my husband bought me one of The Last Unicorn sets and it's pretty good. I love the whole gourmand thing in a fragrance; chocolate, caramel, sugar. Toss in some patchouli and I'm in heaven. It's like "eat me or fuck me, either way I'm happy".

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  26. Shi by Alfred Sung will forever and always be my favorite. I love crisp scents with a hint of citrus.

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    1. That's my go-to scent as well,so fresh!

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  27. Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb. Not floral on me, instead it smells like cotton candy. I tried it after being assaulted by Girlfriend (Kate Walsh) and fell hard for it. Apparently Flowerbomb Extreme is similar, but better? I'm not convinced, but it is less expensive on Amazon. I purchased my spray at Off 5th and the roll on at Sephora.

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  28. Way late to the party, but I like Calvin Klein, Escape. It's only a little bit old lady, but the fact that I only find it at KMart seals the deal.

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  29. My guilty pleasure a few years back was "Lilu"...it smells like summer surfer girl, and loooooved it. But the only place I could find it was PacSun and I think maybe they discontinued it (plus I hate going to PacSun because the teeny-bopper bitches there always act like WTF are doing here lady, you're fat and over age 17 and have tattoos, get out).

    I like B&BW Sensual Amber...fave scented lotion, by far. I've been looking for just plain patchouli oil to mix with my Sensual Amber body spray. I freaking love anything with patchouli in it. I like spicy, musky scents with notes that you can't quite put a finger on. None of that flowery fruity shizz. My future mother-in-law gave me a little sampler with 4 bottles of Estee Lauder scents for my birthday: Pure White Linen, Pleasures, Beautiful, and Sensuous. Sensuous is my favorite, it's...well, sensuous I guess. It smells sexier than the other ones.

    I've been playing around with the idea of Victoria's Secret perfume, but I don't want to smell like every other bitch on the block, so idk about that.

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    1. If you want some pure fragrance notes to mix or make into your own stuff, try a supplier like Save on Scents or Nature's Garden. I have been buying from both of them for years (I used to make and sell stuff on line). You can get small quantities of fragrance oil, like one ounce, and they also sell all the body fragrance bases and unscented lotion, soap, etc.

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  30. Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab is my favorite for perfume oils. I also like some weird vanilla stuff from Italy (helpful, yes?) and the Origins Ginger stuff.
    Also, thanks for reminding me that I have to do my nails.

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  31. you know what pisses me off about perfume? i'll go to a store and start sniffing around, i'll find one that doesn't make me want to barf and spritz it on myself... and then it makes me want to barf! there is something about me that lots of perfumes just don't like, and so they smell weird on me, even when i think they smell delish on someone else/in the bottle.
    that being said, the burberry brit sheer doesn't smell like ass on me. so, i like that one! :D

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    1. I just got Burberry Bliss Sheer and LOVE it. I wish it lasted longer, though.

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  32. Mitsouko by Guerlain. It's a chypre, so it's mossy and woody and amber laced with citrus and peach. It smells like rich old ladies.

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  33. I still have a couple of Bath and Body Works products that I love (Freesia for summer, Japanese Cherry Blossom for winter), but my new fave source for smells is http://www.zomgsmellsshop.com/. Love that shit.

    I especially love Kudzu Doom (smells like a yard full of weeds without the allergies) and Garden Nap (smells like lawn clippings, tomato plants and flowers).

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    1. ZOMG has Girl Genius perfumes! My brother got me into those books, love 'em.

      Another "niche fragrance" source to try. Great. Just what I need. Another expensive, obscure hobby.

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    2. You can get little squee samples of the scents to try them out :)

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  34. I LOVE Demeter's Cannabis Flower. I feel like that might be right up your funk alley. That phrase didn't sound as gross in my head.. But it's a good perfume! Kinda earthy, but still a little sweet.

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  35. I'm completely in love with Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab's "Dormouse" [tea and peony] and "Amsterdam" [tulips, peony, grass], but oils don't seem to last very long for me and I've yet to find good perfume dupes.
    I don't like overly sugary sweet scents, but I do like flowers and crisp clean scents for spring/summer, and funkier almost masculine scents in the winter.

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  36. My one and only perfume is Clinique Happy. I know you're supposed to wear different perfumes for different times of year, but I've had this one bottle since I was 13 and it has lasted me for-actual-ever, so I'm not about to run out and buy another perfume. It's bright and a little floral/sweet/citrusy? I almost never wear it, but whenever I decide I want to smell like something, it's a pretty good choice.

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    1. Anonymous10/30/2012

      YES happy is the best. my mom got me that when i was thirteen and it came with lotion and shower gel. i have no idea what happened to it, but yeah, nice and citrus-y

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  37. Jaipur by Boucheron is my all time favorite. Daily, I wear Beyond Paradise and live it. Some days are Chanel No. 5 days, and then some days are for plain old vanilla oil from The Body Shop. I got a sample of Jennifer Aniston perfume at Sephora awhile back and loved that one, too.

    I am gonna have to smell Eternity again....it's been a long time, and I used to love it.

    Whispering Mist body spray from VS ruled, but it's been discontinued....I miss it.

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  38. I second that other Burberry London post. I love the way it smells on me, and just plain feel warmer when I wear it, so it's my favorite for fall/winter.
    Now, it may be cheap, but Curve Chill is my go-to perfume for the warmer months. It smells light and crisp, and kind of like CK ONE.

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  39. I like Marc Jacob's Daisy, but that seems better for the Spring and Summer, so now I'm using Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab's Gnome. It's a little gingery and a little peppery with something else. It's pretty unexpected, but cute.

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  40. Anonymous10/30/2012

    I am super sensitive to perfumes and scents, most give me a combination headache/nausea after about 20 minutes. That said, I really like Demeter fragrances. they are subtle enough to not make me feel sick, and I love that they come in a lot of unique, natural aromas like Grass and Beet Root. My favorite, which I sadly ran out of and need to find more of, is First Frost. It's super light and fresh and smells like a cold, sunny day near a field or something.

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  41. I really like Lancome's Tresor in Love and Tresor Midnight Rose. Both are very fruity/floraly and last all day. They're kind of expensive, though.

    I like to wear Armani Code, it's very dressing.

    As for every day, Victoria's Secret has a perfume called Pure Seduction which is only ten bucks. Unfortunately, it doesn't last super long. Maybe half a day at best. :\

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  42. I used to have a ridiculous couture parfum collection, mostly Serge Lutens, but then I realized that I don't make enough money to maintain something like that. The nez for his collection, Christopher Sheldrake, makes amazing gourmand and "Oriental" style perfumes, and I really enjoy the richness, complexity, and depth of his compositions.

    I usually wear Attar Bazaar oils, Pearl Musk and Egyptian Musk. Lately I've also really gotten into Penhaligon's LP No. 9 for women, it is amazing. It has a light musk basenote in there and I enjoy it. I would get Penhaligon's Juniper Fizz, which smells like a delicious gin and tonic, but it lasts about 5 seconds and then you can't smell it. I will not spend $140 for a bottle of perfume that doesn't have any staying power. Their Endymion and Blenheim Bouquet colognes are also excellent.

    I am also a huge fan of Thierry Mugler's Angel. My twin sister wears it a lot, too. I have a small sample of Whoa-Manatee (thank you for that mental image, it totally made my day) and I enjoy it. Maybe I will get a full bottle.

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  43. I have some BPAL oils, and some other roll-ons done by a lady at the Farmers Market. For big name perfume, I use Passion & Youth Dew. Youth Dew is totes old lady, but it reminds me of my mom and gramdma, so I shall not give a fuck :) My ex bought me Jean Paul Gaultier years ago, and I wear that for dancing and sexy times...when I wear it I usually get "damn you smell good", and a hungry look, so that's pretty nice. Lastly, Obsession is what I wear when I see my best friend. She wears Eternity, so we then walk around together smelling of the past.

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  44. Anonymous10/30/2012

    I don't wear perfume often because it can give me headaches, so I don't know what the hell I actually like about them. I just smell a bunch of stuff until something smells nice to me. I should probably find out what the notes are in the ones I enjoy instead of flailing around with testers and boggling at descriptions.

    That said, I do like Katy Perry Purr, of all things, and the DKNY Be Delicious line, so fruity is good. I have a sample of YSL Belle D'Opium that I adore. And my favorite floral is Estee Lauder Pleasures Intense because I swear to god it smells like this My Little Pony toy I had in the 80s. It was a salon playset or something, shaped like a perfume bottle, and a little squeeze bulb on top shot out scented air. Pleasures Intense smells exactly fricking the same as that.

    I really want a chance to sniff all the frags from Tokyo Milk, too. They intrigue me.

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  45. I really like the stuff they sell at Whole Foods, its in the cosmetics section.
    I like the Love and Toast brand, I like Gin Blossom,the lotion is the bomb
    then there is the Pacifica brand: I buy the one with the peacock on it called Waikiki Pikake but seriously, this perfume is AWESOME. I've had women follow me into the next room, (this really happened 3 times) and ask me what scent I was wearing. The Pacifica brand also comes in a solid, this shiz is the bomb too, it lasts a really long time.

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    1. I like that solid perfume as well, it lasts great :)

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  46. Oh and I am saving for a bottle of Joy by Jean Patou...I know it's ridic expensive, but it reminds me of certain people, and certain times, and it is just so fuckin' classy, I smell like the finest of French whores when I wear this (or what is left of my tiny bottle from years ago).

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    1. I love wearing Joy. I like to tell myself that I smell like the classiest older lady around. Ask for a sample of it at Sephora or Nordstrom, they will usually pony up.

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  47. I wear Dark Kiss from Bath and Body Works because I'm a white trash slut and I have no self respect :) I also love Mexican Cocoa from Pacifica because it makes me smell like a treat. I must be careful wearing it around my boyfriend because he will attack.

    Just curious . . which scents did everyone think were awesome as a teenager, and maybe aren't so awesome to you anymore? I wore Ici or Vanilla Fields, blech.

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. I LOVED 'Navy' as a teen, but I haven't touched it since and don't know if it's awful or not- probably. Happy memories saving up my babysitting cash, cruising the perfume aisle at Wal-Mart for my signature scent...precious despite the smell.

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    3. I love that if you find an old scent, one sniff will send you right back in time :)

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    4. BBW's Japanese Cherry Blossom. I don't find it super blech-y, for the most part, but it reminds me too much of ANGST and my friend who, while I love her dearly, has NO concept of how much perfume to spray on at once.

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    5. Aww, that's too bad :( I forgot to mention that I wear Nina by Nina Ricci in the apple bottle . . great smell and a neat bottle too.

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    6. saved up my birthday money to buy a bottle of clinique happy in high school. i used it for a day - felt like a princess. i also made the mistake of carrying it to school in my book bag (you know, so i could drown myself in it all day, i guess). it toppled out onto the tile floor in the hall at school, shattered, and the entire building smelled awesome for a week. every time i smell it now, i just remember getting totally ripped off.

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  48. Anonymous10/30/2012

    I just got a sample of CLEAN from Sephora, which basically smells like Ivory Soap in perfume form. I really like it so far- I'm not a huge fan of perfume in general, so I like that it just smells, well, clean. It may be a good option for people who work in close contact with others that are sensitive to perfumes. I'm digging it so far- I plan on asking for a bigger bottle for a Christmas present. I think they have other scents like "Warm Cotton" and other pretty non-offensive stuff, but for now I'm enjoying the original.

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  49. DR. BRONNER'S 4 LYFE.

    I like to smell like herbs and wild meadows and stuff, so I usually end up getting perfumes from L'Occitane and the like. They discontinued my favorite perfume (Cote d'Azur), so right now I've got their Cherry Blossom Eau de Toilette which isn't to bad.

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  50. Ralph Laruen's Romance is my monogamous perfume. I love it, and My bitchy smells-sensitive coworker even has said it 'doesn't bother her' as much as other perfumes.

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  51. Anonymous10/30/2012

    You gotsta try some of the Burberry scents if you haven't already. I too like the sweet musky smells, and right now I'm lovin on some Burberry Brit. It has this citrus note to it that is obscured by woody vanilla after a few minutes of wear, but the citrus lingers a bit. Also, DKNY Pure is not your tween's vanilla frag' - try it! And there's something to be said about the classic Chanel No 5. I reserve this one for nights when I actually wear clothes that don't make me look like I'm a lazy asshole. For another classic, I wanted to love Guerlain's Shalimar; I fancied myself a 60s cocktail party-goer in a bateau neck houndstooth print something, but I ended up smelling like melted Bandaids. So that one wasn't so great for me. Anyway, great post.

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  52. I'm not a fan of overly sweet smells and I'd been searching forever for an earthy but flowery/clean-ish (is this an oxymoron?) smell and I finally found it in Jimmy Choo's Eau De Parfum! I bought a small roller-ball bottle of it at Sephora for $25, so check that out if you'd like.
    I've been looking for some salty smelling scents so thanks for recommending Womanity!

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  53. Whoa momma, I love me some Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab! They are amazing and the oils are super potent, so they last for quite awhile. I die over food scented anything, so the BPAL Halloween Collection has this scent called Boo! that I cannot get enough of. You just end up smelling like caramel and candy corn. It is truly delightful.

    Also, I am probably still the only "grown-up" (I use that phrase lightly) who is still using Prince Matchabelli's Cotton Candy body spray. I do not care. I get entirely too much enjoyment out of going out in public, standing in a line/crowd/whatever, and hearing someone behind me say to another person, "Do you smell candy all of a sudden?"

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  54. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  55. I'm allergic to like 80% of perfumes, even ones I like (all of the mugler scents), so it's rare for me to find stuff that smells good AND doesn't make my eyeballs turn brick red. Pure Poison from Dior is probably my favorite ever, and it lasts freaking forever (I know I've smelt it on scarves and things weeks after wearing them). I got a giant tester bottle years ago and I think they've changed the bottle design twice since then, its all boring now and not iridescent.

    I also got this oil from a vendor at the renaissance festival a while back that is the MOST CUCUMBER SMELLING stuff ever. It's very clean and fresh without smelling like soap and one drop of the stuff will make you and your clothes stink like fruity cucumber for days. The shop is Global Scent Company, most of their line is weird musky stuff named MYSTICAL DREAMS and WARRIOR PRINCESS but some of it is pretty good. Oh my god they also have GRAPES OF WRATH and HELL'S KITCHEN scents haha whaaaaaat

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  56. Dude I can't help you with the perfumes seeing as I grew up in a household where my mom would get an asthma attack if she saw even a picture of a hamster (not really but), however I must say that when I use the peppermint and almost dr. bronner's I definitely feel like a dessert. Something about it being expensive and sold at whole foods maybe?

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  57. As cheesy as it is, I love "Supermodel" by Victoria's Secret. Of course they discontinued it though.

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  58. I worked at Bath and Body Works for a couple of months over one summer a few years back, and consequently most of my scent collection is stuff from there... I really like citrusy/crisp scents, sweet dessert-like scents, and light/girly florals. Sweet Pea is my go-to for that sweet, light floral scent, and it's probably what I spray on myself most of the time.

    One of my enduring favorites, which has been discontinued for a good while now, is Sparkling Peach from BBW. It has a really crisp citrusy smell that I feel is more accurate to citrus than a lot of citrus scents tend to be, if that makes any sense. Really fresh and bright. It's kind of like drinking a tart peach soda with that soft peachy sweetness rounding things out and maybe a hint of musk and florals. Really love it and I'm hoarding product to keep the scent in some form or another.

    I also love CO Bigelow Lemon Pomegranate, any cucumber melon scent just about ever (don't judge me), and sweet strawberry scents (especially from The Body Shop). If you've ever heard of Bath Junkie, they have basically everything BBW would have but in neutral scents - they mix their product together in shop when you order it, and there is a big board of scent oils that you can combine to find the scent you like, and they mix that combo into your product and add whatever color you want. I love it because you can choose the strength of the scent and how much of each part of the scent you want (plus they have some of the best products ever, LOVE their cleansing salt scrub and body dessert, but I digress). My go-to with them is usually Strawberry Wine and Vanilla.

    I also really like ZOMG Smells, as someone mentioned before. My faves are Pink 7, Sparkle Receptors, and The Trials of St. Urho (my favorite of the bunch - musky grape. The world needs more wearable grape scents).

    Another discontinued item that I am obsessed with is Body by Bed Head's body lotion in Oatmeal Cookie. I've had it for at least a decade and I'm still surprised at how dadgum good it smells every time I wear it. I can't stop smelling myself and keep trying to get strange people to smell me. It's just so yummy-smelling.

    And, finally, my favorite ever scent is probably Atelier Cologne's Vanille Insensee. I still only have a sample of it that I received from my short-lived Birchbox subscription and keep it for special occasions since I am mostly always broke. It is in all ways perfect to me. It is vanilla without being too sweet, and limey, and it has coriander which makes it a bit spicy, and it has a small bit of woodsy and floral too. It's like... perfect. I have looked up reviews from other people and basically everyone loves it, and I am kind of obsessed. As soon as I can accumulate the funds, I'll be buying a big-a 200 ml bottle of it.

    You're welcome for my essay on my scent preferences that nobody cares about... >.>

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  59. I have yet to find a perfume I love. I really like the smell of Estee Lauder lipstick, which apparently is fig. I really wish they made a matching fragrance. Actually, I'm not even sure if their lipstick still smells this way, the tubes I have I got for free from my MIL who worked there some time ago. Do any of you know of a scent that is comparable to this? Maybe Womanity is similar.

    I like the original Victoria Secret perfume that was discontinued ages ago. My mom used to wear it. It is a really nice scent. It came in a blue bottle with a gold top. Anyone else remember this stuff?

    One kind of perfume I wear on occasion is Elizabeth Arden Green Tea, but honestly I don't even really like it that much. It's too bright for my taste.

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    1. Also, have any of you ladies tried this stuff? To me it sounds promising:
      http://www.amazon.com/Jacobs-Fig-Women-Tonic-Spray/dp/B002XQ1VUC/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

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  60. I have a few. A boyfriend bought me a big bottle of Romance by Ralph Lauren when we were in high school. I still have it and wear it occasionally, it makes me think of pretending to be sophisticated...
    I agree with you on the Pink Sugar, it's a big ol' guilty pleasure.
    I got a bottle of Jannatul Firdaus oil at a market once. It's strong stuff, but fun every once in a while. It only smells a little like a hippie. :D
    I have a bunch of stuff that was either gifted to me or bought on a whim, resulting in a bunch of stuff I can't bring myself to get rid of, because what if I neeeed it......

    Day to day, I don't usually wear much, truthfully. So, maybe it won't be too hard to get rid of some of it after all.

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  61. Hanae Mori! <3 Butterfly was my wedding day scent. :)

    For my everyday perfume I like Stella by Stella McCartney. I love rose scents but it's not overly floral, which is perfect for me.

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    1. i like stella, too, but i never bought it after the first bottle because it disappears on me immediately and i wind up just smelling like deodorant.

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  62. First of all I like to use Johnsons Moisture Care Baby Wash in the shower. It's gentle and smells clean. I won't use anything else because other stuff either turns my skin into a husk or an oily sardine.

    For perfume, I love Twirl by Kate Spade. I received a sample of it in one of my Birchboxes and really loved it. It's pretty...just simply pretty. I like it so much partly because it actually lasts. And when I started wearing it I got a lot of compliments from men and women, including strangers and people I knew.

    And I'll be honest I like Lady Gaga Fame. It's no Twirl but I think it smells good.

    I hate, hate, hate anything Bath and Body Works or Philosophy.

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  63. I have a bunch of perfumes, but I wear the same two like ninety-nine percent of the time: Mitsouko and Samsara by Guerlain. Most of my friends say they smell like old lady perfume because they're idiots. I also like the original Ralph by Ralph Lauren (the blue one), which is nice and light but will last most of the day.

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  64. I don't wear much perfume, because I'm usually working in "perfume free zones". I don't own too many, but I'll wear a little sample of something sometimes?

    I like the smell of my antiperspirant. I like to think it's like perfume! I use Lady Speed Stick fresh infusions. Every time I put it on, I'm reminded of a school trip I went on in grade 11 when I fell in love with a boy. (I first used this antiperspirant then!)

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  65. I love perfume. But I REALLY love cologne. On men. Mostly. Hence, at the moment I've been wearing Chanel Chance eau Fraiche which smells like a mens cologne on me. It's sharp and fresh and I love it.
    I also have and love:
    SJP Lovely: super girly and musky, but very sophisticated
    Armani Code: vanilla and spice, very sexy
    Dolce & Gabanna The One: vanilla again, but more sweet and sophisticated than sexy.
    Emporio Armani: another slightly cologne smelling one but with a hint of vanilla (sense a theme here?!)

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  66. The Lady Gaga perfume smells like total crap.

    I love the new Chloe- it is chic, and makes me feel fancy even if I'm only rolling out of bed to look like a bum at work. I smell like a classy bum.

    My old go-to was Acqua di Gio by Armani until he discontinued the women's fragrance to replace it with much more floral Acqua di Gioia. The original smelled like green tea with floral notes- it was just totally refreshing and simple. The Gioia is such a disappointment.

    Romance is always a good choice, too.

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    1. THAT'S why I can't find it! I loved Gio and just when I wanted to buy a bottle I couldn't find it. Now I know.

      You guys are cool cats, so I am going to sound absolutely ridiculous... but Taylor Swift's Wonderstruck actually smells good on me. I have no idea why. My husband likes it and claims it "smells like me" so I guess that's a good thing. However, I think it's definitely a cool-weather scent — as the bees trying to get at me would attest.

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  67. I think we could be perfume twins, I was nodding along with all your favourites.
    I quite like Prada Candy, it's sweet but not gag-me so. Old standbys include Armani Elle, Armani Night, Gaultier II, Versace Versus and my god a ton more. I have more than any sane person should. I um also like Jessica Simpson's Fancy(embarassing!!)

    A tip though for people who like Angel(myself included)you may like Nirmala by Molinard. It's very very similar and many figure Mugler was inspired by it, it's an older fragrance launched in 1955. And it's very reasonably priced too.

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  68. Anonymous10/31/2012

    this is why I like getting perfume samples in beauty boxes. The sample size little spray bottle is enough to spray on yourself about 5-8 times depending on if you are one of those people who bathes in your perfume or not. I tend to think I like perfume when I first smell it and then after a few days I hate it so this is perfect for me. Plus I am not the type of person who wants to go around asking people for samples I'm too lazy.

    As far as what I like, I'm a big fan of floral fragrances. The ones that smell like food and candy just make me think about sweets and I'm trying to cut back on that shit. I have a fat ass to get rid of and I don’t need lingering cinnamon sugar cream vanilla pinterest recipe smells everywhere I go making me hungry.

    My new favorite fragrances are Viva La Juicy La Fleur and Hothouse flower. I think the Juicy La Fleur is good for when you just feel really girly and pink. My only complaint is its staying power. The other fragrance I'm into is Inke hothouse flower. It is amazing. It has the floral fragrance I love but is more sophisticated with a muskiness to it. Its not as girly as the Juicy La Fleur but it still has the gardenia that I LOVE and it lasts a LOT longer. I mean you can put the stuff on in the morning after your shower and the next day when you wake up and you're getting in the shower you still have lingering notes of the perfume on you from the morning before. I like to spritz it in my hair and my hair smells good inbetween washes. My least favorite thing about this perfume is its price tag. I dont exactly like the idea of dropping 95 bucks on a fragrance.

    I also still have a soft spot for L Lamb by gwen stefani. Its a weird perfume but I like that. Its not like anything else. I dont think they make it anymore? but you can still buy whats left over of it on amazon pretty cheap. It lasts a long time too.

    My least favorite of all time is Halle Berrys perfume it smells like body odor. I used to work in a call center with this crusty punk guy who probably hadn't bathed in about 10 years and you could smell him all over the damn building. It was gross. I think I'd rather hug that guy that wear halle berrys perfume. yuck.

    Lady gagas perfume isn't a whole lot better.

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  69. I wonder if the navy/black manicure would work better if one of them was matte rather than satin? I'm sure I've seen matte black somewhere and it looks creepy on its own--like you've turned your nails into a chalkboard--but in combination it could be pretty awesome.

    Anyway, perfume. Once upon a time, when I was young and pretentious, I was all about Poison by Dior. Now I find it a bit too heavy.

    My everyday perfume at the moment is Karma from Lush. It is a nice combination of citrus and musk, with some patchouli thrown in for good measure. From the sound of it, I'd probably like Happy, so I should investigate.

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  70. Dior Addict 2 has been my go-to for a long time, but before that I actually used the "white tea & ginger" Bath & Body Works lotion in place of perfume. Recently I discovered Bvlgari Coral, and it smells to me like Dior Addict 2 grew up & got a better-paying job. I splurged on some, but somehow I just don't feel quite classy enough yet to wear it on many occasions. I've been on the hunt for this seasonal Dior Peonies perfume for ages, but still haven't ever found any for sale anywhere. I love peonies but for some reason they often blend them with lilies in perfumes, and lilies are the one flower I'm mad allergic to. Lame.

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  71. Right now I am working my way through a sampler set of perfume from Villianess.net. Dulces en Fuego is my current favourite. It's a smokey, warm, deep chocolate that I loved the instant I smelled it.

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  72. It is in no way cool, but I'm currently obsessed with DKNY Pure. It's clean, but sweet - and the sales lady told me some of the proceeds go back to the women who picked the vanilla or something. That might be complete nonsense, but it still smells really delicious. Definitely my go-to for daily wear.
    My nighttime, getting into trouble smell is definitely Dior Poison. It's strong as hell and will hang in the air and on your clothes for days - but it says "Hey, I'm here. I have excessive eye makeup, my clevage is probably all pushed up and I'm dancing."

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  73. It's nice to read this post and see all the comments and realize I'm not the only perfume junky! My favorites for every day wear are: Coach Poppy, Coach Poppy Flowers, Kate Walsh Boyfriend, Stella by Stella McCartney, Gucci Flora, and D&G Rose the One. My former "special occasion" perfume was Vera Wang Princess, but I'm starting to feel like I'm growing out of that one (still wear it sometimes, though). My new SUPER special occasion perfume is Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb. That stuff is absolutely amazing and lasts and lasts. Unfortunately it's expensive as hell, and that's why it's only for super special occasions. I also want to eventually get some Hanae Mori Butterfly. My fiance has the man Hanae Mori that I got him a couple years ago and he wears it ALL THE TIME and gets tons of compliments. It smells so good I've been tempted to try it on myself, just to see how it would go. Maybe I'll use this as an excuse to do exactly that then I can report back. ;-)

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  74. My go-to perfume is Christian Dior's Hypnotic Poison... which they no longer make. I've been able to find it at that cheesy perfume shop in the mall a couple times, and sometimes online. It's got a vanilla-y smell to it, which normally I hate, but something about this one is different. I've loved it since high school... there was a free sample thingie in one of my magazines, and I put it in my car after a friend threw up in it. At first I hated it, but I grew to like it. Then when I was dating my now-husband in college, he told me it really revved him up, so I decided it was "my" scent for life. And then the bastards stopped making it. It comes in this awesome round red bottle that looks like it belongs on some apothecary's shelf.

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    1. You can still get it! I'm not sure if it's the exact same formula, but it's still around. It's in a red and black bottle now. I haven't tried it but with all the raving reviews by all the super ladies on here, I think I must!

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  75. Hey Nat - based on your description of the scents you like (gourmand/sweet with a hint of complexity), might I suggest Miss Dior Cherie (if you feel like dropping a few $$) or Paris Amour from B&B Works if you are looking for something inexpensive? They are both yummy yet sophisticated. The only one on your list that I have smelled is the Aquolina, which I love! Thanks for your great blog :)

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  76. After working for a cosmetics company for 23 years I love to try nearly everything. Still, I keep going back to my favorites: YSL Opium (body creme & powder only) for fall/winter and Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom and Honey for spring/summer. Too old lady? Well, I AM an old lady. So.

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  77. Over the summer I was really into Coach Poppies too- I'd use the lotion and the perfume and smell like a pretty girly flower all day long.

    But, I love Jersey Shore and my mom knows this, and she bought me a bottle of the Snooki perfume (with a note that said "Baby Lorenzo's Diaper Fund") and it actually smells REALLY good. Like baking cookies or cake or something- very vanilla-y, great for winter.

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    1. Mostly unrelated to the discussion, but I read the name of that perfume as "Crotch Poppies" and I was trying to figure out exactly what that would smell like. Yeah.

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    2. I'm imagining a Wizard of Oz themed porno here.

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  78. Let's talk application technique here -- how do y'all apply your smelly stuff?

    I usually just apply a couple of spritzes to the center of my bare chest. I almost never apply perfume to clothing; in my experience that makes it too in- your-face. Kinda like the difference between 'hi ~*notes of jasmine and tonka bean*~ bye now' versus 'HEY BUDDY CITRUS THEN FREESIA FREESIA FREESIA!' It's just more subtle applied under clothing. ;>

    - special tip for noobs - If you like to apply smelly stuff (like an actual EdT or EdP) by rubbing your wrists together....don't do that. It fucks up all the volatile chemicals in there and makes the perfume smell like burning rubbing alcohol. Gently *press* your wrists together and you won't destroy the scent.

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    1. I apply as my mother did . . spray the air at neck-height and dash through the cloud.

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    2. If I'm applying a very strong perfume with lots of sillage, like Thierry Mugler Angel, I will apply one spray to my sternum, let it dry, then get dressed. It is simply too strong for anything else.

      If I am applying perfume oils, I just apply them behind each ear or the back of my neck.

      If it's a relatively weak perfume, like Penhaligon's LP No. 9, I will put one spray on each side of my neck, let it dry, then get dressed.

      Also, heat speeds up the drydown, so wait until after you've blow-dried your hair and cooled off a little bit before you apply perfume.

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  79. I'm not sure if anyone else has this or has heard of this but I seem to have a skin chemistry that makes most perfumes turn to a weird peppery smell about a minute after I try them on. It's strange since I don't have crazy out-of-control B.O. (or not that I've been told or can myself sniff) but for some reason about 99% of scents do not work on me except citrus smells. The only perfume I've found that I can wear without it changing is YSL Baby Doll, which will probably be creepy when I'm in my 40s buying a product called Baby Doll but such is life.

    On a side note, I've noticed that the whole "perfume smells completely different and strange on me after 30 seconds" runs in my family - so I'm pretty (unscientifically) convinced that it's genetic. Anyone else out there ever experienced this?

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  80. i wear marc jacobs daisy, everyday winter or summer. are we supposed to be wearing different scents for different seasons? this is news to me, ANYWAY, the daisy has a nice floral scent, sweet but also rich, and people always, always, always tell me i smell good. like, cashiers and strangers on the subway and stuff. so i've never felt the need to buy other perfumes.

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  81. Miss Dior Cherie L'eau is my most favorite perfume in the world. It is super different and isn't nearly as heavy-smelling as the other Miss Dior perfumes. It is clean, crisp and has hints of floral and the box even says "notes of carmelized popcorn". I actually do pick up on that smell but it is not weird by any means! I think this fragrance also smells kind of sunscreen-y, which is a smell I have always liked. It is definitely a scent for spring/summer but I wear it whenever because screw it, I'm obsessed.

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  82. Cleopatra by Tocca is my favorite. Bet you would like it based on your picks.

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  83. I used to sell fragrance so I was fortunate enough to be able to sample many and buy very few. I'm a fresh, clean, citrus scent girl here. I have one favorite that I can't find anymore called Givenchy ONLY. My second favorite is Cartier L'eau. This is way too expensive to ever purchase so I hold onto the bottles I "found" when leaving my fragrance job. Also a classic favorite is D&G Light Blue. A more girly one I wear often is Gucci Envy Me. Most recently I have fallen in love with Armani Summer Diamonds. The regular Diamonds is awful but the Summer one is seasonal so that makes is tricky for Christmas gifts!

    Love the Gaga reviews, can't wait to not smell or purchase it. But now I have to smell it cause everyone is talking about it here!

    Now if we did a mens cologne list...my husband always smells good and is always complimented. His scent alone can make my day that much better.

    Keep rocking in the free world Natalie!

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    1. I can't believe this is the first mention of D&G Light Blue. I wear I Love Love by Moschino which smells almost exactly the same and is way cheaper. It doesn't last as long but it sticks to my clothes pretty well so my jackets and coats still smell like it when I pull them out in the winter. I've had only 2 bottles that have lasted me for 6 or 7 years.

      Delete
  84. I have a few perfumes I rotate on a regular basis - Bvlgari Rose Essentielle (my wedding day perfume and fave-of-all-time), SJP Lovely and Marc Jacobs Daisy are my everyday smells. when I feel a bit spesh, Dior Pure Poison and Chanel no.5 all the way :)
    I also like a spritz of estee lauder pleasures, Elizabeth arden Mediterranean, and green tea scent spray
    on a slightly unrelated note, lush released a new body wash in time for Halloween - called ghost, it smells like lillies and leaves skin oh-so-softly :) and Snow Fairy body wash (Limited edition for Christmas) smells candylicious
    am also going to suss out black phoenix alchemy lab...
    Love your work Natalie ♥

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  85. L'Occitane - Cherry Blossom.
    TRUST ME YOU WILL LOVE IT.
    It's floral-y and sweet but also refreshing and like bathing in a stream up a mountain in Japan, covered in cherry blossom. Word.

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  86. I LOVE the original Coach...it's got this grown up baby powdery thing going on and it's definitely a cleavage smeller. However, it's like a bajillion dollars so I rely largely on the samples my childless sisters give me when they buy new bags, and this lady at work that mixes oils that smell EXACTLY like the bottle-and last longer too!

    For cheapies, I like Bath and Body Works in Warm Harvest Apple for fall and wintertime and spring and summer I like florally sweet stuff-their Butterfly Flower (or something) was the freakin' jam and they didn't have it this year. Sadface.

    Incidentally, I'm in Cbus so hit me up if you want me to check with my perfume lady for any particular scents. She has hundreds or something.

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  87. Natalie... you are my hero... but you sound like you smell disgusting. :P That's just the way my smell sensors are arranged, of course, but I HATE musky smells, they make me think of unwashed buttholes. And obviously I love the smell of freshly baked cupcakes, but I don't wipe them in my armpits every day.

    No offense meant, mind you. You are gorgeous and hilarious, so I forgive your perfume.

    I am one of those people who enjoys smelling like deodorant and soap, but if I wear perfume, it's going to be something light, fresh and floral.

    Also, am I the only person who has no idea what Angel smells like?

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    Replies
    1. Lolol. I am also not a big fan of musks and funk... They make me think of BO.

      And you're not the only one who has never smelled Angel. I recognize the bottle shape but couldn't tell you a thing about how it smells.

      Delete
    2. i don't know what kind of horrible perfume you're smelling that makes you think that musk smells like butthole, or that sweet perfumes smell like cupcakes. i just think that perfumes without a musky or patchouli-ish note don't smell very sexy, and make me feel like i smell like an unfuckable grandma.

      Delete
  88. Here is my favorite perfume. Plus buying it means I get to do a little retail therapy at my own most personally dangerous store. It's nice and floral without being cloying. And cheap!

    http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=690069

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    Replies
    1. super cheap! <3 anthropologie. i'm totally gonna check these out!

      Delete
  89. Geez I was late to the perfume party too... but I have a similar problem with nothing staying on me. my current favorite is "L de Lolita Lempicka." I ordered the pure perfume oil from ebay.. and it rules. Vanilla, musky almost-patchouli , and salty ocean smell. Also it is French, and really good quality.
    Natalie, have you tried GIVENCHY Haute Couture? It smells like expensive cotton candy. You would love it. ULTA has it.
    Also love good old coco mademoiselle.
    Also.. as for the manicure , did you try using one color matte with the other satin/shimmery ? Like OPI Russian Navy with a matte black base. You could even use matte topcoat for the bottom part to make it more noticeable. (essie matte about you, orly matte topcoat, etc.)
    Okay. Love you bye.

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    Replies
    1. Oops. what a dummy. Someone already suggested that.

      Delete
  90. My main jams fragrance-wise are Realm (this discontinued "pheremone" perfume), Chanel Chance, Chanel No. 5 (been wearing that shit since college), and Viva La Juicy. I also like one of the Curve fragrances - not the main one, I don't think - but can't remember what it is. My aunt got me some J-Lo perfume from Kohl's and I actually liked it quite a bit. I think it was called Still. I like Eternity - I know, very 90s sort of fragrance - but a little goes a long way. I've never owned any. I also remember digging the Debbie Gibson Electric Youth when I was a kid - I don't know how it'd stand up to the test of time, as it's hard to find and maybe scents go bad after a while. I wore Clinque Happy a lot in college (did there used to be a Clinique Smile too? With an orange lid?) There was also a Victoria's Secret scent I really liked back then...called Sugar, maybe???

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  91. I recently started exploring the wonderful world of fragrance about two years ago.. prior to that, I wore CK One Summer almost exclusively.

    Definitely have to chime in with the folks praising Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab! I have upwards of 20 samples and a few full-size bottles at the moment. My favorite so far is Loup Garou, hands down. It smells like a forest, with juniper and cypress and eucalyptus and other damp, woody smells. Close runners up are Gods of Intercourse (rich, sensual, vaguely fruity) and Croquet (bright, citrusy and smells mostly of pink grapefruit).

    As for actual perfumes, I am currently digging Coach Poppy Blossom for fancy grown-up events and Marc Jacobs for daily wear. My guilty pleasure is currently the original Hello Kitty perfume! I am very keen on trying out the CLEAN perfumes, as I actually tend to prefer fresh and plantlike scents to all the floral I've been wearing.

    Love your blog, Natalie! It's wonderful to read frank commentary on an industry that really does have a propensity to treat its audience like morons.

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  92. I have only ever worn Flower by Kenzo but have been thinking lately about trying something else - appreciate the tips!

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  93. I wear Philosophy Pure Grace every day and not a week goes by that I don't get complimented in it. I love how clean and feminine it makes me smell and feel. Plus, my man loves it and is always burying his face in my neck. Works for me!

    I will never sample anything that's got a Gaga or a Fergie or a Kardashian on it. I'm pretty sure that's where chlamydia comes from.

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    Replies
    1. One of my friends tried to tell me that Bieber's perfume actually smells nice. I told her I refuse to be seen picking up the bottle to smell it in public. It's the principle of the thing, right?

      Delete
  94. I rarely wear perfume any more (sensitive coworker plus I live in the frozen north where nobody seems to perfume it up), but my two favourites are Samurai Woman, which takes me back to my days in Japan, and Chanel Chance, which takes me back to a different time in Japan where I found a spray bottle of it on the floor in a McDonald's that was in a seedy area of Shinjuku and we made fun of it and called it "hooker spray" and then I bought a bottle of it on an airplane because I liked the shape of the bottle and didn't realize till I got home that it was the same perfume ^_^

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  95. gucci guilty is my jam. it's totally sexy. the best thing is when i put on a sweater that i haven't worn in weeks, and it still smells good.

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  96. Dior Addict is the ONLY scent! But also Clarins has a body fragrance that I use.

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  97. I am HUGE on lotions. That's usually all I wear if I am going to work. I hit up BBW for cheap, pleasant smelling scents. The ones I like have all been discontinued or are only available online (like Brown Sugar Fig). The one I am wearing now is Paris Nights, which is sweet, like cotton candy, fruity and musky but fades too fast. They are still selling it, but not for long. Perfume-wise, I am super picky. The only one I'm into right now is G by Gwen Stefani. It smells like coconuts and suntan lotion. I also love Ralph Lauren Polo Blue, but don't wear it. I will also wear a perfume for awhile (about a year) and get sick of it. I got sick of Flowerbomb, CK1, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Japanese Cherry Blossom and Dark Kiss this way. Does this happen to anyone else?

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  98. Anonymous11/01/2012

    Which Dr. Bronner's do you use? I just started using it. The peppermint is nice, but I also bought tea tree, and it burns if i happen to have any paper cuts or anything like that, and i have the almond, and i tried it on my face and i dont know if it was that or not, but i had a reaction. do you just use the regular old peppermint?

    also, i love palmer's cocoa butter lotion (and lip balm) and i use lolita lempicka, lancome la vie est belle, and CK forbidden euphoria...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. i use the almond one, the peppermint one seems to dry my skin out a lot more. i've never used the tea tree, but that is because i read something once about tea tree not being that great to use everyday, so i've never bought that one even though i like the smell. i can't even remember why tea tree is supposedly not the best for daily use... anyway, i use the almond cause i like the smell of it the most. i've never had problems with it, but my husband claims that his skin doesn't like that one, either.

      Delete
  99. I use especially escada and velvet tuberose perfume by bath and body works is actually quite lovely! :]

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  100. I like Angel but for some reason it doesn't smell right on me. Body chemistry or something. Thierry Mugler is amazing though - my splurge once a year (or when someone else is buying) is a bottle of Alien. Seriously smells so wonderful. Spicy and sweet and "funky," and lasts forever and ever amen, just like Angel. I love how it sticks to my hair even after shampooing.

    My cheap side rolls with Bath & Body Works "Sensual Amber" - I think the name is dumb, so when people ask what I'm wearing I always just say "Amber." But it's only like $25/bottle, and smells AWESOME in your cleavage. It's sweet and creamy and borderline fruity, but still dark and borderline woody. There may even be patchouli in it. (The home versions of the smell are pretty incredible too. I use the Wallflower in my bedroom.)

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  101. In the summer, I alternate between 4711 (crisp, fresh, citrusy) and Bath & Body Works "Moonlight Path" (powdery, musky, hints of rose and violet)...in the winter, I *LOVE* Chanel "Coco". Ambery, incensey, old-fashioned and dark. :)

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  102. I can't believe none of you perfume-savvy ladies have mentioned Dior J'Adore! It's my absolute favorite-- classy, smells amazing, and works for any season or situation. I could be partial because I first smelled it on my mom, so it reminds me of her.

    My favorite "goin' out with the ladiez and gettin' skanky" scent is definitely VS Very Sexy, in the dark red plastic bottle. Others from my collection that I j'adore (ugh, sorry, couldn't help myself): Coach Poppy Flower, Dior Pure Poison, Chanel Chance, Light Blue, and Be Delicious Green Apple.

    Loving reading about others' favorites!

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  103. I've been wearing Jovan White Musk since I was 13. Cheap but it smells nice. My old man brought back like this Dior sampler pack from Paris because it had tiny bottles in it and I like Miss Cherie too, if I'm going to the opera or something.

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  104. Not sure why I feel compelled to add my 2 cents, yet I do: Right this moment I'm digging Cleopatra by Tocca in the perfume solid, but other favorites have been Angel, Jo Malone's Pomegranate Noir(dudes LOVE this scent; probably good for clubbin' if you're into that) Paco Rabanne's Ultraviolet, and waaaaayyyy back in the day (you remember "the day" right?): Debbie Gibson's Electric Youth. The only celebrity-endorsed perfume I've ever bought. Feel the power!

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  105. I did like this post because it turns out we have the same scent taste (is that even an expression?!) you know I like sweet smelling stuff but not too sweet, with something else in the mix. Except of course I'm more of a splash girl not perfume -my favorite ever being body fantasies vanilla splash- but I'm gonna try some of those you like (except of course Angel which is the perfume I hate the most in the whole world, it's HORRIBLE!!) to see if something there makes me a perfume believer.

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  106. I'm one that gets headaches from a lot of scents, and I can't wear anything too musky or I sell like a man. Like Colgate shave cream or something.

    L.A.M.B. "L" is one of my favorites. A blend of black licorice and Mr. Bubble bubble bath/african violet. Slightly fruity.

    Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue - amazing sophisticated smell.

    Givenchy Play - sweet, but not too young

    Gucci Flora - sweet floral but not grandmotherly. I got this in the Beauty and the Bride kit from Sephora and liked it much more than I expected.

    Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy - sweet, caramel, very young. Much like Pink Sugar. I use this for a quick pick me up. Keep a travel roll-on in my purse.

    I also like Coach Poppy, Prada Candy and Diesel Loverdose.

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  107. I've been wearing Burberry Brit for, like, seven years, and I can't get over it. It's kinda heavy for the summer, but usually I'm not feeling perfume-y when it's hot out anyway. I kinda feel too old to be wearing it now, but maybe that's just because I started wearing it in high school and have used it for so long ? Someone tell me if I'm too old for this crap :\
    Sometimes in summer I wear Polo Wild, but usually it reminds me of this awful apartment I lived in in NY.

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    Replies
    1. isn't that odd how that can happen with perfumes? I still have like half a bottle of Clinique happy to be which I feel super guilty about leaving unused, but everytime I try to use it I just smell like bad memories of high school.

      if it makes you feel better i'm still stuck on my cheap bath & body works moonlight path (also been buying for at least six years ago), because it's cheap and I always get compliments.

      Delete
  108. Anonymous11/03/2012

    My favorite body wash of all time was C. Booth's Skin Below the Chin in Spun Sugar scent - cotton candy mixed with vanilla icing smell, basically, and they discontinued it. The closest I could get to keeping that smell with me wherever I go is Princess by Vera Wang. Victoria's Secret Pink with a Splash in Fresh & Clean is my other go to just because.

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  109. I'll wear anything vanilla scented. I used to be all about Love Spell by VS (body splash I know) in high school, but now I realize how god awful strong that shit is

    Unrelated: I went to Korea last week for my brother's wedding and I stocked up BIG TIME on BB creams. I also have this to say about my Korean shopping experience: free stuff free stuff free stuff. They are all about giving away products, samples, boxes of cotton pads, back rubs, food, hugs... it was amazing.

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  110. I have a really hard time getting perfume to stay on my skin and not fade off completely/not fade into something weird or gross smelling.

    I think the best perfume I've ever had was Jeanne Lanvin Lanvin for Women (http://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Lanvin/Jeanne-Lanvin-3779.html). It smelled SO GOOD and would fade ever so slightly, which was actually kind of nice and provided a subtle, sweet smell. However, it is expensive as fuck, so, :(.
    Lately I've also been loving Oscar de la Renta "Live in Love" eau de parfum, which smells so great and sweet and simple and doesn't fade off AT ALL. I'm still smelling that shit at 6pm. Romance by RL and Rose the One by D&G are also in the mix. Rose the One is a GREAT smell, but can wear off a little bit. Romance stays better, but sometimes is a bit cloying.

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  111. It's nice to run into other people who love Pink Sugar. I remember finding it at a perfume show years ago and it totally lured me in. The thing is, I would always get compliments on it. People like the smell of sugar cookies.

    When I want to be more of a grown-up, I like to wear Blvgari Pour Femme. It is a crisp sort of scent with a little bit of musk that seems to work for most occasions.

    I like Marc Jacobs EdP because it is a little spicy, I feel like it works better in the Summer.

    Joy or Chanel No. 5 is for when I am feeling fancy and I like to pretend I am a lady of good taste. They are old-fashioned but beautiful scents in my opinion but they aren't for everyone.

    When I was in high school I usually wore Chloe, it would be interesting to try it again and see if it still works for me.

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  112. I dont wear perfumes all that much but there is a body spray I love to use instead to replace it.

    Boots natural collection vanilla body spray! I love the smell, so natural and fresh!!
    My preference in this hasn't changed in nearly 6 years! and its less than £3.

    Nadine.

    www.nadinesmakeuppassion.blogspot.co.uk

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  113. Every time I find a scent I love, it seems to be discontinued... Ultima II's Sheer Scent was my long time fav; bought up every last one I could find, and alas it is no more. B&BW Sandalwood Rose was the only B&BW scent I actually liked. And Fever by Lush. Goddammit, I loved that scent... I still have a teeny bit of solid perfume left that I'm eeking out, bit by bit.

    Lately I've been into getting the little bottles from Demeter Fragrance, because they're relatively inexpensive and if you hate it, you're not stuck with this bottle of stuff you paid too much for. Amber, Sandalwood, Chai Tea, Whiskey Tobacco, and Riding Crop are my favorites (and yes, Riding Crop smells just as naughty as it sounds... think new, slick black leather).

    If I was going to spend money on a big name fragrance, it would be Narciso Rodriguez for her: I had a sample, every time I wore it someone remarked that I smelled nice... so, that's a plus.

    Excited to see so much about Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, because I've wanted to try some stuff but was nervous... thinking I'll go ahead. :)

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    Replies
    1. BPAL actually offers sample sizes for many of their regular fragrances. They're called imp's ears and they're pretty cheap!

      Delete
  114. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0009MHXZE/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1352034770&sr=8-1&pi=SL75

    If you like vanilla-ie smells try this one. It's like $20 on amazon.
    The bottle is a bit 'Snookiesk' but I dig that it's square.
    Usually sweet scents are a bit too tween for me, but this one also has a warm quailty that is just tits after 5 minutes or on your fave winter accessories.

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  115. I saw little to no mention of DKNY Be Delicious, which surprised me because I thought it was super common. I get a ton of compliments on it. I also love Pink Sugar and a few Pacifica varieties, but no one ever notices those.

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  116. I like Laila, which smells like fresh snow, maybe? Very clean and unusual.

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  117. I am currently rocking the Original Clean EDT for every day - LOVE it ...smells soapy and lemony and I get tons of compliments on how good i smell. It also doesn't seem to offend people who are sensitive to strong perfumes. When I want to smell really 'girly', my two guilty pleasures are Viva la Juicy (which smells like vanilla and caramel on me) and Benefit's Maybe Baby (peach and white musk). I still like Aquolina's Pink Sugar but I think the Viva la Juicy is just slightly more 'grown up'. I hate anything that smells too flowery. Recently I tried a sample of the original Michael Kors EDP and it smelled like a rose garden explosion on me, eww.

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  118. This tiny company Tokyo-Milk makes amazing perfumes in these really cute bottles, they all have different classic names. Most of them are really light and sweet, i think you would like, but they made a new line called "femme fatale" and it's some much sexier products. I dunno, i dig the bottles, i currently wear "kabuki, No.9" and it rocks.
    http://www.tokyo-milk.com/

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  119. I have the Dove body wash right now, and it makes me feel slimy. My skin is still super-dry too so WTF Dove.
    My favorite perfume right now is Dior Addict Eau Sensuelle. I can smell the lilac in it, but it's still fresh and not too stuffy.
    I just cannot compute you wearing Pink Sugar, though. I just don't know how to process this information lol.

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  120. Oh man, I hate Dove products, too. 1/3 moisturizer? That shit makes my skin so dry it's painful.

    Anyway, I'm not really into perfumy perfumes because I really dislike the alcohol smell that so many of them have, and I find a lot of them might smell good at the outset, but don't age well. For that reason, I usually stick with scented essential oils. I'm using one right now whose label says "Arabian Musk," but is actually a mixture of a bunch of leftover oils. Luckily, it turned out nice, and is sandalwoody and sweet without being syrupy. I also have a green tea and a hyacinth that are also really nice.

    I also really liked Lush's Lust, which is a solid perfume and smells like jasmine and vanilla and I think ylang ylang. Unfortunately, I think it rolled off my dresser or something because I haven't been able to find it and this makes me very sad.

    Finally, I have this old bottle of spray perfume from Demeter's Pick-Me-Up line. They come in all kinds of weird scents. I have Birthday Cake, which is normally something I'd find way too sweet, but if you use just a little, or spray it into the air and then walk through the mist, you smell like awesome pastry. Which sometimes I like to do.

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  121. If you like the sweeter perfumes, I recommend Prada Candy. Smells delicious but a bit more muted than many others...not "sickeningly" sweet and sophisticated enough that you don't feel like a teenaged girl wearing it. I also like the Trisha McEvoy Blackberry vanilla musk, but that is a bit more intense.

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  122. Anonymous11/04/2012

    My favourite ever is Cacharel NOA. I've been wearing it since I was 16. I also really love Vera Wang Rock Princess, Givenchy Hot Couture, Gucci Envy Me, Lancome Hypnose, and I own a whole pile of others, what I wear just sort of depends on my mood.

    I also have a Body Shop perfume called Cassis Rose that I love, but I don't think they make it anymore.

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  123. Anonymous11/06/2012

    I have odd body chemistry I guess because scents that smell awesome on others smell funky on me. So I generally won't spend much on scented stuff. I have a bottle of Salvatore Ferragamo INCANTO HEAVEN Perfume that I like but don't wear that often because it is pretty strong.

    I love fruity smells. my favorites are Love spell from Victoria's Secret and Mango Mandarin from Bath & Body Works.

    I also love Lavender Johnson & Johnson's nighttime baby lotion but I only use that at night to help me sleep.

    barring all that, if someone wants to buy me something i usually tell them vanilla because it almost never smells bad.

    I have always kind of wanted a signature type scent-my mother wears Wind Song and i love that if she rides in my car, for weeks, i can smell her perfume and have a moment with mom (whenever I sit in the passenger seat and pull the seat belt out-not that my car smells of perfume for weeks it just stays there longer because it is usually tightly rolled up)

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  124. My favorite perfume of all time is Tom Ford's Black Orchid. It's spicy and delicious on my skin and I feel like an ultimate bad ass. It has patchouli with teeny bit of vanilla and citrus on my skin. During the summer it's a bit too much and I stick with my back up: Bvlgari Omnia- not quite as bad ass, but has a sandalwood smell that I adore.

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  126. ck one! It's the only one I've ever consistently loved. But I may have to check out that CLEAN one......I've always said I'd be ecstatic if they made a perfume that smelled like IVORY SOAP!! :D

    I love your posts, btw. Check out my beauty reviews too if you get a chance! http://smilebigblog.wordpress.com/

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  127. I wear one of a few of the samples that Black Phoenix alchemy lab gave me with a bottle I bought at DragonCon. They special in fragrance oils instead of the more typical alcohol- based format. Oils tend to be a little more long-lasting in my experience, and BPAL has the most amazing scents. They did a Labyrinth line with a smell for a few of the characters. My favorite thus far is one called called Crowley, based off of the character from Good Omens. Super warm and musky with a citrus undernote.

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    ReplyDelete