Author: Undina

by

Saturday Question: Do You Write Reviews?

I understand that those of my readers who have blogs post perfume reviews, this is given. I’m not talking about posts or comments on blogs, Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. The question is about designated review spots where your feedback will stay with the product/service and will be visible to others.

Saturday Question on Undina's Looking Glass

Saturday Question #204:

Do You Write Reviews?

The main question, of course, is about perfume reviews. Do you write them on one of the large perfume sites? How about online perfume stores? Perfume decanter sites/services?

And a wider, general question is whether you leave any reviews, for any products, services or experience.

My Answer

As most of you probably noticed by now, I rarely publish anything remotely resembling perfume reviews even on my perfume blog, so I don’t remember even once being tempted to write a perfume review anywhere else. For me, perfume reviews are useful if I know (I mean, virtually) a person whose opinion I’m reading because that allows me to “calibrate” expectations based on what I know about the reviewer’s tastes. Reading Fragrantica reviews from time to time, I’m amazed at how different people’s perceptions of the same perfume might be and how categorical some of them sound, even when their opinion completely contradicts everybody else’s. I wouldn’t dare. Not with my nose.

As to the other types of reviews, for many years the only place where I was almost religiously leaving feedback was eBay: since I myself rely a lot on the sellers’ reputation, I thought it was my duty to contribute to those ratings. But my feedback is usually done for the “service” (how well the seller described the item, how quickly it was delivered, etc.) and not for the product itself.

On several occasions, I left a review for a restaurant (because I was annoyed; they were mostly negative) and for an Airbnb/VRBO rental (those were mostly positive – but only because I was lucky with my choices, thanks to reading other people’s reviews!).

Other than that, I rarely write any product reviews: Who cares whether I liked (for example) that iron or blanket? – I was thinking. But over the years, I started feeling almost guilty about it: I noticed that I heavily rely not even on the ratings people leave for different products but for additional information and sometimes personal photos of those products – be that on Amazon, Sephora or other sites that sell products I am not familiar with or can’t try at a store. So, I’m thinking that I should start contributing more actively – to warn others about products that I find subpar or to offset ratings from idiots who complain about items being not of the size they expected – even though measurements were clearly stated in the description.

Rusty Fragile

How about you?

Do You Write Reviews?

by

Saturday Question: Do You “Collect” Anything (Besides Perfume)?

I think we all understand that while talking about our perfumes, the use of the word “collection” is somewhat a stretch: it is a collection in terms of being an assembly of items of the same type, probably even systematically arranged. But since the objects of the collection, perfumes, are being used (no matter how infrequently) and also can spoil, the “collection” part is a figure of speech rather than a literally meaning. Today’s question should be considered in this context.

Saturday Question on Undina's Looking Glass

Saturday Question #203:

Do You “Collect” Anything (Besides Perfume)?

As it is hopefully clear from the introduction, the question is not about collecting art, baseball cards or vintage Hermes scarves. A “fair game” would be something that is/can be used up, which you’re buying in excess of regular use/consumption. Food, drinks, bath and body products, socks, ties, pens, paperclips, umbrellas, etc., etc. – I hope you got the idea.

If you have photos of your collections somewhere online and can share, please do.

My Answer

I LOVE lipsticks. It has been a while since I posted about them, but for a non-beauty-centric blog, the number of posts on the topic of lipsticks is quite telling: Lipstick Extravaganza, Lipstick Queen’s Mixed Metaphor, Sunday Self-care, Episode 6: Read My Lip… Care Choices, The (Last?) Two Queens, (Pillow) Talking myself into buying perfume, They had me at “Hello” – and now “Goodbye”, Frog Prince(ss)’s Kiss, Black Lace in Tropics, and more, but I’ll stop here.

A couple of years ago, I decided to sort all lipsticks I had at that time by color, take pictures of them and swatches, and have those photos with me every time I think of buying another one while at a counter. These are pictures of almost complete “collection” of my lipsticks back then.

I use lipsticks, lip balms, lip veils and other lip products daily. So, since these pictures were taken, I used up some of the lipsticks I had. Lock-down and not shopping as often somewhat helped to slow down my acquisitions, but still, I bought more than I finished (I think – I’m afraid to count).

 

Do You “Collect” Anything (Besides Perfume)?

by

Saturday Question: Do You Have a Red Perfume Bottle in Your Collection?

Happy Lunar New Year! Sending happiness your way in the Year of the Dragon.

Saturday Question on Undina's Looking Glass

Saturday Question #203:

Do You Have a Red Perfume Bottle in Your Collection?

I realize that it’s a superficial connection between the celebration and our perfume hobby, but since most of these SQs aren’t serious anyway, I decided “why not?”

My Answer

My first thought was, “No, I don’t think I have any.” I remembered that for my blog’s “rainbow anniversary” (7 years) I managed to find a red-colored perfume. And I used to have a deep red bottle of the eponymous perfume (probably, it’s the other way around, but you got what I meant), but the current bottle that I have is silver. And that was it. And then I remembered: Puredistance Rubikona! (Just in case you want my take on this perfume, a couple of year ago I published Puredistance Rubikona: Iacta alea esto!)

Puredistance Rubikona

How about you?

Do You Have a Red Perfume Bottle in Your Collection?

by

Saturday Question: Did You Ever Have A Signature Scent?

Theoretically, it is possible that one of the visitors who is reading this post is currently a “signature scent person” who got to this blog by searching for similar-minded people. But it’s not probable. So, I assume that none of us is currently monogamous perfume-wise. But what about the past?

Saturday Question on Undina's Looking Glass

Saturday Question #201:

Did You Ever Have A Signature Scent?

If yes, what was it? How long did it last? If no, did you ever consider getting one? Do you know anybody who wears just one perfume (all the time or at least serially)?

My Answer

Since this is my blog, I have previously touched this subject once or twice (or ten times?). So, I hope that those two readers who a) read it in the past and b) remember about it would forgive me repeating myself.

When I was growing up, having any perfume – leave alone a good one (read “French”) – was if not a true luxury then definitely something excessive and indulgent. From what I remember, even adult women who owned perfumes didn’t wear them daily saving them for special occasions. It was slightly different for men since they used colognes and balms after shaving, but that was considered as a functional application rather than “decorative” (and those colognes weren’t either too interesting or tenacious).

So, while owning just one perfume at a time was something common, that was rather out of necessity than a conscious choice. But since perfumes were rare and hard to come by, those women who did wear perfumes would usually use the one they managed to procure or were given as a gift. Thus, having a “signature scent” was mostly a romanticized but unobtainable idea.

Lancôme Climat became first my imaginary (while I didn’t have it but used my Grandma’s bottle once in a while) and then actual (once my Grandma bought it for me as a gift) signature scent. I did wear some random scented products from time to time – not because I wanted a variety, but because Climat was cherished and designated to the most special occasions. But I remember back then being convinced that I would wear only that perfume if I could afford it. And I was genuinely perplexed by the fact that not absolutely everybody was in love with that scent: it was the most amazing perfume ever!

By mid-twenties, I outgrew that “one and only perfume” idea (admittedly, with some help). And today I can’t imagine wearing not just one but probably even 10 perfumes over and over again. But if I were to fantasize about perfume I would want people to associate with me (that was one of the premises behind the signature scent concept I grew up with), Climat still would be one of the top 3 contenders (together with Ormonde Jayne Ta’if and Amouage Ubar).

Rusty and Climat Bottle

Rusty with my very first bottle of Climat from 80s

How about you?

Did You Ever Have A Signature Scent?

by

Saturday Questions… for Undina on the Blog’s 13th Anniversary

Since earlier this week Undina’s Looking Glass turned 13, I decided to do something different for this Saturday Question post.

Below is a 13-question self-interview, after which I invite you to answer in comments any of the questions that you feel are relevant to you (some of them are just for me, but others could be valid for my readers), ask me any questions if you happen to have them, or just join me in celebrating my blog’s 13th Anniversary.

Saturday Question 13th Anniversary Edition

1. When you started this blog, did you expect to be writing this post?

I don’t remember specifically thinking about my plans, but I know that back then I wouldn’t have been surprised had anybody told me I’d keep this space alive for the next 15 years and beyond.

2. Do you have any regrets about the current state of the blog?

I do. I don’t have the time and energy to publish stories regularly. The “Saturday Question” series is the only commitment I’m trying not to break. I realize that my readers are doing just fine without additional posts. But I wish my life would return to the state where I could do it at least once a month – especially since I have what to write about.

3. How did your “no-buy” go last year?

Surprisingly, it went well. For the first 6 months of 2023, I spent on perfume $5: I bought a sample of Parfumes Quartana’s Ierofante. In the second half of the year, I bought one full bottle and several samples from my visit to the ZGO Perfumery and Le Labo boutique in September – that’s it.

Perfume Samples

4. What was the last perfume you bought?

Tauerville’s When We Cuddle And I Can Smell Your Perfume On My Clothes. After it came up as “My Answer” in two different Saturday Question posts (Do You Like Skin Scents? and What Is Your Most Calming Perfume?), and I complained in both how I missed getting it when it was available, I just had to pounce once it was re-released as another limited edition (even though it was almost twice more expensive than the first release).

Rusty And Tauerville When We Cuddle And I Can Smell Your Perfume On My Clothes

5. Why are there fewer photos of Rusty on the blog?

While I publish fewer new perfume-related posts in general, which creates fewer opportunities for me to showcase Rusty, sadly, it’s not the only reason. Recently, Rusty was not feeling well. I will not go into details (it’s too depressing for a celebratory post) but just say that we are actively fighting for each extra month we can have him around. With his age and illness, Rusty has become much less energetic or curious, so it is much harder to interest him in what I am doing with a bottle of perfume or prompt him to jump to the sideboard or table where I am doing that. But he still has good days, and I try to snatch as many pictures of him as possible. And since most of them do not feature perfumes, I post them daily on my Instagram.

Rusty On My Lap

6. How large is your perfume collection?

For years, I didn’t feel right divulging the number of bottles I had. I’m not sure why: I don’t think it’s excessive for my hobby, it’s not the largest collection I know of, and I like most of the perfumes that I bought myself. To tell you the truth, I didn’t know the exact number of full bottles in my collection: counting full bottles didn’t make much sense since I have probably twice as many travel bottles and decants that I bought or swapped to wear.

But for this post, I decided to dig up some data from my database. So, not even touching other sizes, I have 123 full-sized (30ml +) bottles of perfumes that I still like and wear and 14 bottles that I liked and bought at some point but am not sure now if I still want to wear them. I still might. Another 14 are almost empty bottles from my pre-perfumista times that I do not use but keep tucked away for sentimental value. The last 13 bottles were gifted to me or came as a part of the set I bought for just one of the items. I wouldn’t have bought them myself (or for themselves, in case of sets), but some of them are lovely, and I use them because they were a gift. So, not counting “old flames,” my collection holds 150 full [at some point in the past] bottles.

7. Do you plan to downsize?

As of now, I’m not sure I have anything I’m ready to part with. But, in general, I think I should. Setting aside the issue of not having enough shelf space to hold any more perfumes, I really didn’t like the feeling of choice paralysis I experienced last year. Using a self-made perfume Advent Calendar helped in December, so I reused that approach again in January. It works! Now I plan to keep doing it this year, and in the end, I will know better which perfumes I don’t choose to wear even when I have time to think about the set for the whole month ahead.

8. What were the first perfumes in your perfume database?

Without looking into the underlying data, I would have never remembered or guessed what perfume I started it with. I can’t even remember when it happened. My best guess would be at least 15 years ago, but it might be earlier. So, this is the list of the first 13 perfumes in my database (chronologically in the order they were added):

Givenchy Amarige
I had a mini bottle. I didn’t love it, but it was fine for variety. I think I finished it (at least, I don’t have it any longer).

Lancome Miracle
I had a bottle. I almost finished it, and I have a mini of this perfume, but I haven’t worn it in 14 years since I started recording my daily use.

Estee Lauder Dazzling Gold
I had several samples that I used up, but I never went for a bottle of it.

Givenchy Extravagance d’Amarige
I had a mini bottle. I think I finished it.

Annick Goutal Petite Cherie
I went through at least 2 bottles of this perfume. I still have a bottle and still like it.

Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue
I had a sample. I don’t think I’ve ever finished it.

DKNY DKNY Woman
I still have the remaining 10% in my second bottle. After a 12+ year hiatus, I wore it again a couple of years ago and still found it pleasant.

Hugo Boss Deep Red
I finished a couple of bottles, have a bottle gifted to me by Vanessa (Bonkers About Perfume) and still like and wear it periodically.

YSL Baby Doll
I loved this perfume and went through almost two bottles. Unfortunately, the second one turned on me before I could finish it, and the reformulated version available at the time wasn’t as wonderful as I thought the original one was.

Guerlain Champs Elysees
That was my first bottle, pre-”bug spray” comment from my co-worker. Since then I acquired another bottle, but I haven’t worn it in almost 8 years. Probably I should check if my bottle is still good.

Estee Lauder Pleasures Intense
I think I had a sample… It says a lot about how I felt/feel about it.

Calvin Klein Eternity Rose Blush
I somehow got this sample, tried and didn’t like it.

Issey Miyake Le Feu Light
I liked it and went through a small bottle. By the time my bottle was almost done (I think I still have it somewhere with a couple of drops in it), this perfume was discontinued.

9. Can you estimate how many perfumes you tried over the years?

It’s hard to think of a realistic number: between 1993 (when perfumes became more easily available where I lived then) and 2010 (when I started my database), I was sniffing and testing one way or the other all mass-market perfumes I could get to in department stores, Duty-Free shops and catalogs (mostly, Yves Rocher, but probably some Avon as well). My estimate would be 350-400 perfumes. As of today, I have 2,113 perfumes in my database. These are perfumes that touched my skin at least once. Additionally, over the years I think I tried on the skin (at stores) but didn’t record another 100 and gave a nozzle sniff or a paper strip test to another 1,000 perfumes.

This brings me to the total estimate of approximately 3,200 perfumes that I at least smelled during my life.

10. What are your Top 13 Perfumes?

As for most of us, this type of list changes often, but as of today, these are my favorites (in alphabetical order to avoid ranking):

Amouage Dia
Amouage Ubar
Chanel №19 EDT
Giorgio Armani La Femme Bleue
Guerlain Cruel Gardénia
Jo Malone Sweet Milk
J-Scent Yuzu
Krigler Lieber Gustav 14
Lancome Climat
Les Parfums de Rosine Rose d’Amour
Ormonde Jayne Ta’if
Teo Cabanel Alahine
Tom Ford Fleur de Chine

11. Does your vSO (very significant other) read your posts?

Nope. He subscribed to updates, but I don’t think he makes it to any of the posts more often than once a year. But he’s very supportive of my hobby: he never once complained about the size of my collection; he patiently tolerates my sniffing rounds both domestically and when we travel (and even provides his skin for testing more masculine offerings); and he listens to all the stories about perfumes, perfumers, bloggers and anything else I throw at him. And he allows me to spray him with perfume of my choice (from his collection) 9 out of 10 times I ask.

12. What are your favorite stories over the years?

I thought it would be quite appropriate to name 13 stories from the previous years. Some of them saw a lot of attention from my readers at the time. Others went under the radar. But each of them was special for me for one reason or another.

First, a bunch of posts with the strongest emotional connection between my past and perfumes:

First Love: Perfume
The very first post on this blog about my all-time perfume love.

First Love: Love
Perfume connected to my first childhood romantic relationship.

“Here’s a photo I’ve been looking for…”: Sweet Milk by Jo Malone
Childhood memories – sweet and bitter-sweet – that preconditioned my love to this perfume.

Angel of Jealousy
I’ve never felt like that about any other perfume.

A Fairy Tale Ending, Perfumista-style
A heartwarming story of perfumistas kindness and support at one of the hardest times in my life.

A couple of lighter posts:

“Oh, TOES!! (for some people)” or Where to Apply Perfumes
I still smile every time I see that title (or remember the scene it referenced).

Tu-ti-tu-rum-tu-tu or Musical Perfume
A concoction of anecdotal stories, music, jokes and a cute cat picture.

lebaB fo rewoT or Found in Translation
Joys of multilingual experiences and strange perfume names (actual or perceived).

In the Search for the Perfect Lavender
Lavender and Terminator-2: in this post, I managed to build a connection between these two.

Déjà vu, Episode 3: powdery fruit vs. peony oriental vs. sandalwood jasmine
For a while, I was obsessed with several well-known perfumes smelling very similar.

Posts with “literary whiff”:

My First Perfume Review: Puredistance Antonia
My scheherazade-esque frame story about this perfume.

Everything Is Relative
I think it’s my only fiction story on this blog.

The Royal Nonesuch of Perfume
One of my most negative posts about perfume.

I’m also somewhat proud of movie-posters’-based illustrations I made for my posts (though, I wasn’t sure at the time whether anybody else had made that connection):

In a separate category, not counted towards perfume-related favorite posts, are all the stories about Rusty and everything that led to him appearing in my life.

13. What are your plans for this blog?

I plan to keep going as long as it brings me joy, I can find what to write about and have at least a few people to communicate with in comments.

by

Saturday Question: Have You Ever Been Told That Someone Didn’t Like Your Perfume?

We all met people who objected to any perfumes (sometimes, at the same time, not minding heavily scented detergents or body products). Their opinion doesn’t matter for the purpose of this SQ. I’m asking about people who don’t have issues with perfumes in general but didn’t like some particular perfume(s) you wore.

Saturday Question on Undina's Looking Glass

Saturday Question #199:

Have You Ever Been Told That Someone Didn’t Like Your Perfume?

What perfumes were those? Who didn’t like them (and why, if you know)? Have you changed your behavior based on that “feedback”?

My Answer

About 8 years ago, I did a post [N]SFW Perfumes, in which I told stories about perfumes that several of my co-workers disliked (since I wore a different perfume every day, I in advance gave them permission to let me know if any perfume would bother them, so that I could modify my office perfume wardrobe). The “offenders” mentioned in that post (I mean perfumes, not co-workers) were: Tom Ford Amber Absolute, Jo Malone‘s Sweet Milk, Guerlain Encens Mythique d’Orient and Designer Shaik Chic Shaik No 30. Just a couple of my current readers were around back then, so if you’re curious to read about grievances against these beautiful (in my opinion) perfumes, just follow the link.

A couple more instances of my perfume choice critique came also from co-workers. On an imaginary timeline, one happened before and the second one – after the events described in the above-mentioned post. One co-worker called my Guerlain Champs Elysees a “bug spray” (it was a private sniffing session, not while I was wearing it, but as I described in the linked post, it scarred me for years). Another co-worker (well, actually, a manager) asked me not to wear Mona di Orio Vanille because the scent reminded him of one of his elderly relative (an “old lady” scent?!), and those memories weren’t happy ones.

In all the cases, following my promise, I didn’t repeat wearing those perfumes to the office as long as the person who expressed their displeasure with them was there. Luckily for me, I had some choices.

How about you?

Have You Ever Been Told That Someone Didn’t Like Your Perfume?

by

Saturday Question: Do You “Blind Buy” Perfumes?

In the comments to the last week’s SQ post, several participants mentioned their intent to stop buying perfumes unsniffed. These days I rarely hear from perfumistas about regular “buys” – let alone blind ones. So, let’s talk.

Saturday Question on Undina's Looking Glass

Saturday Question #198:

Do You “Blind Buy” Perfumes?

Have you ever? If yes, how successful were those purchases?

My Answer

The first perfume, Chanel №19 Poudré, I bought unsniffed soon after its launch, before it became available in the US. As I wrote back then:

Do I regret my unsniffed purchase? I’m not sure. Yes and no. I will be using it from time to time, I do not dislike it. But I think should I have tested it in the store I would have bought Chanel №19 EdT instead. But it’s definitely not the worst outcome.

Since then, I did buy No 19 EdT (and extrait as well), and I do wear №19 Poudré from time to time. I would have been probably fine without it in my collection, but I do not plan to get rid of it either.

The second blind buy was a much bigger leap: I got the limited edition Armani Privé La Femme Bleue. I knew I wouldn’t be able to try it (it was a very limited edition), and I wanted it. So I got it with a help from a perfumista in the UK. Looking back, I think it was an insane idea: it was too expensive for that type of a gamble, and even back then my success rate with perfumes I tested wasn’t that great. I could afford it, but I shouldn’t have done it.

But it looks like I learned my lesson: even though I absolutely love La Femme Bleue, and I am glad that I bought it, in 12 years since then I have not bought a single bottle of perfume without testing it first.

Armani La Femme Bleue

How about you?

Do You “Blind Buy” Perfumes?

by

Saturday Question: Are You Planning Any Perfume-related Projects This Year?

A brand-new year. Theoretically, January 1st isn’t much different from December 31st. But we tend to time new activities with other “beginnings,” and the beginning of a year is one of everybody’s favorite milestones for trying something different or starting new habits. We just read about Portia’s going back to the FB wardrobe (after a year of “thunking’ samples and decants). It made me curious about what the rest of my readers have in store for 2024.

Saturday Question on Undina's Looking Glass

Saturday Question #197:

Are You Planning Any Perfume-related Projects This Year?

I don’t want to call them “NY resolutions,” since most people have bad connotation with that term and tend to avoid making those (though, if you did make any perfume-related resolutions, please share). But maybe you have a vision about either your perfume usage, sampling approaches or purchasing plans. Or maybe you decided to study perfume-making. Or want to order a bespoke perfume. Or… Whatever plans that involve our shared hobby you have, tell us more about them!

My Answer

As I told you a month ago, I reused the 2022 Whittard of Chelsea Tea Advent Calendar box for a self-made perfume advent calendar. It was a total success! I didn’t have to spend any time on a daily basis trying to decide what to wear. It was so liberating! I switch to a different perfume a couple of times during the month, but in general I gratefully followed the random assignment of the SOTD from the numbered box. So, now I am going to repeat the same experiment for this month (and the next, and the next, if it still works). I skipped the first 5 days of January because I had perfumes I wanted to wear, but now I plan to repeat that exercise with choosing 35-40 perfumes I think fit this month and my mood and randomly placing them in the numbered boxes. I will wear perfumes designated for each day, leaving myself an option to choose something else if I do not feel like wearing the one from the calendar.Rusty and Whittard of Chelsea Tea Advent CalendarOther than that, this year I plan to stick to my “low-buy.” I will be getting some samples (it is hard to have a perfume blog without it), but unless I really love some perfume (or finish a decant and want more), I plan to stay away from FB purchases.

 

How about you?

Are You Planning Any Perfume-related Projects This Year?

by

Happy New 2024 Year!

Dear friends and readers,

I’m glad I have this blog, which allows me to reach all of you to wish you the happiest new year.

For all of you who are content with what happened in 2023, I wish that 2024 would be at least as good. And for those who struggled, I hope 2024 will be kinder.

I hope to see you around next year.

by

Saturday Question: What Perfumes Did You Wear The Most Often in 2023?

Since this year I tried less than 10 new releases, a Top N Perfumes of 2023 is out of question. From your responses to several of SQs, it looks like many of you are in a similar situation. So, let’s talk about our existing collections instead.

Saturday Question on Undina's Looking Glass

Saturday Question #196:

What Perfumes Did You Wear The Most Often in 2023?

I realize that many of you do not keep statistics, so the question is more about your perception. If you don’t know, tell us which of your favorites you think you wore the most. Name one, three, five – whatever you can think of.

My Answer

Knowing that many of my readers do not record their perfume use, I decided to guess my most worn perfumes. I came up with 7 perfumes. After that I ran a query in my database to find top 5 perfumes I wore in 2023. My guess was correct: the top 5 were among those that I selected initially:

  • Ormonde Jayne Ta’if
  • Giorgio Armani La Femme Bleue
  • Amouage Dia
  • Lancome Climat
  • Amouage Ubar

I am pleased with this result because in the beginning of the year I was thinking about not keeping my most favorite perfumes just for the most festive occasions. In total, I wore my top 5 perfumes for the whole month.

How about you?

What Perfumes Did You Wear The Most Often in 2023?