Before I talk about this month statistics I want to try one more time and if it doesn’t work I’ll drop it: please vote for me. You do not need to register, log in or do anything of that kind. All you need to do is to click on the link, wait for five seconds (flash loading) and then click on I ♥ TOO. That’s it. People! I cannot even dream of wining a trip to Paris looking at the modest number of votes I managed to get by pleading with my readers, FB friends, Twitter followers and even abusing my position at work. Now back to regular programming.
It was a wonderful October this year – mostly warm and sunny. I’ve got some cooler weather on my trip to New York but it was still nice. I’m extremely glad that I’ve got to visit that one of the best cities in the world before the Cruel Sandy did.
During that trip, while visiting different stores and talking to people about perfumes, I realized that there were so many names in different languages meaning different things. I got curious and once I got home I’ve added more information to my perfumes database and for this month’s statistics post I calculated the number of perfume names in different languages that I wore and tested during October.
Abstract (not real words) – 11, English – 19, French – 33, Italian – 3 and NA (names, streets, etc.) – 7.
Quick October stats:
Numbers in parenthesis are comparison to the previous month’s numbers.
* Different perfumes worn1: 25 (0) from 18 (0) brands on 30 (+1) occasions;
* Different perfumes tested2: 53 (+1) from 29 (+4) brands on 60 (0) occasions;
* Perfumes I tried for the first time: 27 (+5);
* Perfume house I wore most often: Guerlain (again! Who would have thought a year ago);
* Perfume house I tested the most: Serge Lutens;
* Most popular notes (only from perfumes I chose to wear): top – (not counting bergamot) galbanum, peach and rose; middle – (not counting rose) ylang ylang that has surpassed jasmine and iris root; base – vanilla, sandalwood andmusk;
What is the most “exotic” language for a perfume in your collection?
1 For the testing I apply a perfume to one area on my arms easily available for the repetitive sniffing. But, most likely, I’m the only one who can smell it. I can test two, sometimes even more perfumes at the same time.
2 When I wear a perfume I apply it to at least three-four points and usually I plan to spend at least 4-8 hours with the same scent so I’m prepared to re-apply if the original application wears off.
Image: my own (well, I compiled it)
Undina's Looking Glass 
voted- hope very much you’ll win- for sure you deserve that
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Thank you, Irina!
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just voted for you- good luck!!!
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Thank you, Lavanya!
It’s nice to see you.
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Interesting! I had no idea there would be so many perfumes with abstract/made up names. I don’t have any exotic languages (only French and English) but when I thought about it I do have a couple of made up names like Diorella and Equistrius which hadn’t occured to me.
I’m glad you got in and out of NY before Sandy. I hope they’re getting back to normal now.
Sounds like you are becoming a Guerlie Girl!
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I’m surprised myself about Guerlain (but I’m not complaining :) ).
If you look closely, you will probably find at least Italian names – if not among full bottles then in the samples bin.
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Love the name analysis! I don’t think I have any perfumes in my collection that are that oddly named, but one of my most obscure samples is a fruity floral from an Egyptian- themed range of scents created by the Hungarian perfumer, Zsolt Zolyomi.
Will try and vote now…
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That seems kind of “exotic”, is what I meant…Nubia Red is the scent in question.
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“Egyptian- themed range of scents created by the Hungarian perfumer, Zsolt Zolyomi” sounds exotic enough :)
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Voted! :)
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Thank you! Now my entry looks much better :)
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Voted and Hindi/Sanskrit is the most exotic language in my collection.
Good luck getting to Paris.
Portia xx
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Thank you, Portia.
Something tells me that you get to Paris long before I do but still it’s nice to dream :)
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Cast my vote here too!
The most exotic names in my collection ironically come from the British house Penhaligon’s : Quercus, Latin for family of oak trees, and Malabah, which I believe is derived from India. Nice post :)
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Thank you, Renee!
I also have at least one perfume with Latin name (at least I think they meant Latin – Ex Libris No. 16).
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I’ve voted. I hope you win!
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Thank you, Cheryl. I’ll hope too.
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You have my vote!
Speaking of different language perfume names my collection consists only of English, French and nonexistent word names I think, but I might be wrong.
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Thank you, Lucas!
How about Italian? Iris Nobile, Ambra Nera or L’Arte di Gucci?
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Yes, Iris Nobile is my botte!
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Voted! Good luck!
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Thank you, Barbara!
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I just voted for you, kitten little! Hope you win.
I’m amazed at the ways you have of keeping these statistics entertaining. I never really equated statistics with “fun” before, but yours certainly are. The most exotic perfume name of the fragrances I’ve worn lately is Tawaf (by La Via del Profumo), an Arabic word pertaining to a pilgrimage ritual in the Islamic religion. And the perfume smells everybit as exotic as its name.
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Thank you, dear Suzanne :)
Once I completely run out of new ideas for statistics I’ll stop (or switch to quarterly and yearly reports).
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The most exotic name in my collection would be Philosykos, but it appears there’s some argument over whether it’s greek or just pseudo-greek made up by Diptyque. Philosykos as a name has me wondering, since I thought it was pronounced fill-oh-sick-ose, and then watched a video of Chandler Burr pronouncing it as fill-aw-suh-kos, with similar emphasis on syllables as the word philosophy.
So that got me wondering, when a French company commandeers a greek-sounding word, is the pronunciation different than what a native Greek speaker would say?
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Until today I pronounced (for myself) Philosykos exactly the same way you did. But with English not being my native language and French not being anything, it’s all Greek to me ;)
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I was voter #4 or 5 from your post the other day…but I got a little confused because the name was Julie (Judy?) but it had the same text as your post. Anyway, I hope I voted for the right person.
The brand in my collection with the most exotic language is Slumberhouse. All or most of the names are made up — Eki, Sova, Norne, Jeke, Rume, Vikt, Grev, Kere…and then there is Pear & Olive which I like best but I’m flaky so I may like another one better next week :-)
Good luck. I hope you win!!!
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Name is Julia (the same as on About page above), Undina is my online nickname. Thank you for voting :)
I haven’t tried yet any of the perfumed you mentioned but yes, those are ones of the most abstract names. As I remember, that was the purpose: not to create any expectations from how they are supposed to smell.
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A ha! That would explain it. I also looked at your Perfume Portrait – Wow. I think you need to move Nuit Etoilee to a dfferent spot. I also now feel lemmingish for AG Heure Exquise….
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Just voted! Good luck
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Thank you, Melis!
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I think this is one of my entertaining statistics so far. I have often thought about the language of the perfume names, but I don’t think I have anything more exotic than French or Italian in my collection.
I voted too!
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Thank you, Natalie!
I have a sample of Russian perfume (Birgit sent it to me :) ).
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I signed up to let you know I also voted for you. Good luck!
As for an exotic perfume I don’t have one sadly. I have several (as we all do with exotic ingredients,) but all of my perfume names I can pronounce.
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Maybe it speaks of your language(s) abilities? :)
Thank you for voting.
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Fascinating! I love it when you do an entertaining statistics post!
And I voted :-)
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Thank you. And thank you :)
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I voted too and more than once. We have to get you to Paris!!
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Thank you, Lanier! It would be nice to go to Paris in general and to win a trip – twice as nice :)
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Voted! Wish you good luck and a trip to Paris :-)
About the question of the most exotic name of a frag in my collection: Not a particulary excotic name but different, “un-perfumery” with no romance at all: Kölnisch Juchte by Farina gegenüber. Both the name of the perfume (russian leather tanned in Köln/Cologne) and the name of the old perfumehouse situated across the Kölner Dom are truly, robust, german expressions.
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Thank you for voting! (Hmm… I should have probably created a perfumed sticker to send to everybody. Perfumed not with Angel, though – it’s too of a love/hate perfume ;) )
I have just one perfume named in German (nothing exotic though). And I’ve never heard of the brand you mentioned.
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I voted for you :-). Also, I’m back from my trip with Angelique Noir in hand, when you get a chance could you let me know where to send the decant via the contact form on my blog?
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Thank you, Kay.
I’ve just sent you a message.
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