Teo Cabanel Alahine - I continue to insist that this is happiness in a bottle.
I always have a Dark Rose on hand, like Caron Parfum Sacre or Amouage Lyric Woman. Dark Roses like these seem particularly lovely in cold weather. Both of these have a beautiful translucent rose, some cool, deep incense, and the warmth of woods.
Chanel Bois des Iles - warm, woody, elegant. Acceptable substitute: SSS Champagne de Bois is a remarkably similar fragrance, and it's reasonably priced, which is a blessing in these times when that 200ml bottle of Les Exclusifs runs $210, and the parfum is both difficult to obtain and horrendously expensive. It may not have all the cachet of the Chanel (oh, that Chanel iris!), but Champagne de Bois is beautiful, and my second favorite in the Sonoma Scent Studio Line.
Parfums de Nicolai Vanille Tonka - totally unserious, totally joy-making. Wearing it is like drinking Heritage Dr. Pepper (made with, gasp, sugar! the utter decadence of it!) - always a treat. This one makes me giddy: aromatic lime and tangerine, spicy-floral carnation, a rummy vanilla, the smoky tang of frankincense. This was my very first decant purchase, and I just love it all to pieces.
There are days when I need the promise of spring, and that's when I want to wear a lovely Chilly Floral, like Diorissimo or Lancome Climat or (yeah, like I own this!) Frederic Malle Carnal Flower. I love the cool florist-freshness I get out of them - I can almost feel the silky petals against my face. Please note: I'd actually love to own some Carnal Flower. Send me all your spare stash...
Other stuff I'm enjoying: Floral orientals like Amaranthine and Ubar and LeLong pour Femme, spicefests like Organza Indecence and Mauboussin, and the occasional dab of Shalimar. Oh, yes, and tuberose... (at this stage, my tuberose choices would be Beyond Love or Carnal Flower - but I haven't tried everything yet.)
Image is Barn in Winter by James Jordan at flickr.
4 comments:
Down for the sniffing count this week with a head cold, all I crave are big, feminine flowerbombs, the kind that punch you in the nose and say "PERFUME!!"
When I feel better, I am going to make a "Muses in Wooden Shoes" list and go hunting. I haven't tried any of these save Carnal Flower!! I suspect you like Big-Mama florals way more than I have tolerance for, but all of these are well-loved scents. They just haven't made my sniff line-up yet.
Its going to be 100f here so it sort of changes what scent you would wear - I like Diorella in the heat.
anyway - thinking of winter to come - you can't go past Mitsouko.
I wouldn't mind that Malle (so hard to get here as it always sells out!) but Carnel Flower would be lovely in the cold or on a hot night out!
LCN - hope your nose, as well as the rest of you, recovers soon. I tend to struggle with allergies in fall and spring (ugh), but knock wood, I haven't had any serious colds this winter. And yes, Big Mama Florals - especially florientals - are just my thing. Dry, handsome, intellectual, cheekbone-y scents are the sort of thing I admire but don't love.
Lady Jicky, where ARE you? Australia? I have never smelled Diorella, although I do like Eau Sauvage, and I've heard those two share some DNA. Sadly for me, I don't get on with Mitsouko. I've tried and tried... after the fifteenth trial, I gave up. Different weather, different moods, different formulations... nothing made any difference. I admire it, I think it's genius - but I just don't like it. I've now given myself permission to just enjoy Attrape-Coeur instead.
You know, I think I read a review of Carnal Flower where someone said they just loved it in the heat. I think because of that chilly cast over the warm tropical flower, it might be one of those rare scents that would be good in either heat or cold.
yes I am in Australia and today its just so hot and windy --- hot winds , like opening a oven really.
I have both my dogs inside where its cool.
Mitsouko is a strange soul. You either get it or not. diorella has jasmine in it but it is like eau Savauge - just a touch "prettier".
I tell you - I must get some Carnel Flower if it ever gets in the shops here.
Post a Comment