This week I read almost everything on my reading list. There were many interesting posts and discussions. I feel that I need to introduce a (temporary?) additional category – Leftovers. I plan to use it for some newsworthy links that don’t feet into my regular categories.
Lemmings
Gaia (The Non-Blonde) on April 1st published an article (I hope, it wasn’t a joke) about the upcoming release of the Amouage Beloved perfume exclusive to Bergdorf Goodman (I wouldn’t mind this part being a joke): Complexity is a key word here. Beloved is a somewhat powdery floral, but also wonderfully abstract. Yes, if we pay close attention, the rose and white flowers can be identified, but there’s a lot more to this Beloved than a vague idea about flowers.
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Tara (Olfactoria’s Travels) sent me browsing eBay listings: Just the other day, when I applied my vintage Vol de Nuit and slung on my Patti Smith-style leather jacket, something just clicked. I felt strong and self-possessed, just like that rock ‘n’ roll poet at her 1970s peak.
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In addition to announcing on their FB page that “700 ASIAN TALES samples have left our offices yesterday!!! We will deliver the most far countries first, then Europe and then France.” (can hardly wait to get it!) Kilian also posted: “My dear friends, I know I have been silent for the past few weeks…I am sorry. But me and my team needed to shut down from the world to finalize the Fall project. We can’t wait to show it to you! We think it is going to be a breakthrough in the world of perfume…we will call this collection: “in the garden of good & evil”…and you are the first one to know that in the world!!! Keep it a secret…. Love, k …”
Laughs
Vanessa (Bonkers about Perfume): Hazel has just baked a batch of hot crossless buns, and we have been speculating as to a suitable alternative name for them: “Hot Contented Buns”? “Hot Atheist Buns”? Though as Hazel pointed out: “They’ll be jolly annoyed when we eat them!”
Loves
Krista (Scent of the Day): Byredo La Tulipe was created to reflect the soul of the tulip, not just it’s smell. It starts green and fresh – not sweet but slightly peppery.. Here is my own story about this perfume (though, probably, it should go into the Laughs category).
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Kathleen (No Disassemble Charlie No. 5): If I was going to put Une Rose Vermeille in a Rose Jam “category”, it would be Rose Jam goes on a date. She’s put on her red lipstick and she’s rocking some Louboutin’s; but that’s just the short “sound-bite” version.
Leftovers
In the last several days there were three unrelated reports on the blogs content poaching. Tarleisio (The Alembicated Genie) described first two in her passionately written post and Vanessa (Bonkers about Perfume) shared the story of her own fight. Regardless of which engine you use for your blog WordPress has a useful resource Prevent Content Theft. In comments to Vanessa’s post I described step-by-step changing RSS settings for Blogger and here you can find how to change settings for WP-based blogs.
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In case you somehow missed it, Surrender to Chance , a new samples/decanting website created after The Perfumed Court split, is having a Grand Opening and offers 15% off every item in the store (code: honeybadgersaysopen expires on April 9, 2012). In addition, until April 14 all orders over $75 will ship free (no code necessary).
While reflecting upon that change and feeling a little sad (I don’t like changes) I suddenly realized that I went through with just a single order from TPC. After that every time I would put something into the cart, think about it and go away without purchasing.
How many times (approximately?) have you placed an order with TPC?
Undina's Looking Glass 
I’m very glad my post created one of your lemmings this last week! I purchased my full bottle of PoaL on Saturday and I have you to thank for it.
Very excited about the By Kilian news. His FB posts are too cute, don’t you think? Hadn’t heard about the exclusive Amouage release, so thanks. Vanessa’s post was priceless as ever.
I’ve purchased from the Perfumed Court about 5 times I’d say and the last time was probably about 3 years ago. It was mainly in the early days when I didn’t know anyone else to purchase from or swap samples with. I must say, the prices have become unaffordable for me in recent times anyway, even before paying international postage. These days I buy samples/decants from sellers on scentsplits.wikidot.com
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Congratulation on your PoaL bottle! I’m so happy that it’s FBW for you because I love it so much.
I love everything about Kilian… but his perfumes :) I’m working on that though. I think I’ll find at least one or two to like enough to wear beyond the sample. I just didn’t spend enough time with them yet.
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I know what you mean about the Kilians. I admire a lot of them but Rose Oud is the only one that is full bottle worthy for me, so far.
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Well, I have no other possibility to get small samples (like 1,5ml spray), I’m not in a parfumista network – and I was pretty happy with TPC, so yes, I had like 3-4 orders per year with them.
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I’m preparing a post on samples/decant buying and you reminded me to look into the international shipping. I realized not all the sites I was looking into ship internationally.
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I just went to check out scentsplits.wiki… – but that means I have to collect the samples from different people and pay multiple transport costs…
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It doesn’t make sense to buy samples through splits but decants should be cheaper than through TPC.
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I’m with Lady Jane Grey, if you’re not part of a network that swaps or splits, The Perfumed Court is an excellent option. They carry a lot of stuff I haven’t found in other public places like Wiki scent splits. One thing I loved about TPC was their reasonable shipping rates for Canada, which made a big difference for me. There are a lot of lines that offer samples, but have prohibitive rates for my corner of the world, so I salute TPC (and now STC as well) for that.
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I’m not a “part of a network” as well. I’ve just started exchanging (not really swapping) samples with blogo-friends. It requires some investments (decanting and shipping supplies) but in the end it’s still cheaper than to buy from “businesses”.
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So I was not the only one trawling ebay for vintage Vol de Nuit? ;) I will know where to look if I’m outbid! (Kidding, obviously, because as we both know there has been nothing worth bidding on.)
I’ve ordered from TPC relatively recently (last year, I think), but I do find the cost prohibitive usually.
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If you bid on one let me know so that I don’t. And if I come across it first and bid, I’ll tell you. There is absolutely no reason raise the price between two of us :)
I kind of understand why their prices are that high but usually I try not to need them.
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Re: the TPC and STC split, I’m definitely not part of a network, either, but generally TPC prices have seemed rather steep to me, so like you, I’ve never actually made an order from them. Thus far, I have had more than enough stuff to try with an occasional sample purchase/what my newfound perfume friends have made me samples of. Honestly, I have made the call to get what is affordable to me, and TPC generally hasn’t been. I find it hard to imagine that both TPC and STC will thrive, but maybe I’m all wet.
Really excited about the Kilian Asian tales. I admit to formerly thinking his line was snobby and unapproachable, but him sending out free samples sure made me change my tune on that…
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I think these two will have some unique brands in addition to those in common. So for each order it will come down to who carries the set that you want at that time and/or has some type of a promotion. There are dozens (or maybe more) sites selling discounted perfumes. They all survive somehow. So I think there is even more space for decanters than these two (plus some less known ones).
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most sites do not ship to my country( e.g. Luckyscent) so TPC was of real help for my “perfume admirer” trainnig.
we’ll see what wil happend now
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Are there any Israel-based companies/split boards/etc.?
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none, whatsoever
we just get some (little) of the smaller “sephora” stuff and nothing more
I think there are fewer than 10 ( if…) israelis aware that Guerlain and Chanel have more fragrances than what they see (latest and not all releases) and even less aware there is a “niche” world
sad and difficult situation
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In your experience, are packages with perfume samples delivered without problems? (I’ve never tried sending anything but letters to Israel so I do not know if it works)
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It works, generally without problems, if the packs are small enough- see the TPC orders I got
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Nobody, but absolutely nobody I know, knows who Serge Lutens is
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I’m much less surprised by that: most people I know in real life aren’t completely aware of the fact that there is perfume life beyond Sephora/department stores/discounters online.
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Yes, I think you’re right- I’m just so lonely with my hobby here
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I am touched to have been selected as a laugh lemming again! And I am grateful for the tip off about the RSS feed settings – and the fact that I had failed to adjust them correctly. I am pretty sure I have got them set to short now, so thanks so much for that.
Regarding your question about ordering from TPC, I would say in excess of 20 times at a guess, though I could tot them up in my paypal receipts folder if you would like the exact figure (and you may do, knowing you… : – ) )
I am still in travel mode at the moment, so haven’t done as much reading as I would like to lately, but hope to catch up later in the month with more of my favourite blogs!
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The exact figure should probably stay between you and your wallet but I’m really interested in what time period you did that 20+ damage.
As to the laughs – thank you for writing all those hillarious posts!
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Pretty much the first two years of the hobby, then I reined in quite markedly. I was doing a big order most months, hence how I came up with the 20+ estimate. Luckyscent got a few orders but I was pretty loyal to TPC, whereas my brother is the reverse, interestingly..
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