I’m traveling this long weekend without my laptop, so let’s see how well mobile publishing works.

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Do you remember how pre-Covid we used to complain about a huge number of new brands and new releases? I’m not sure what’s the situation now, but when I went to the Luckyscent website to buy… tea as a gift to my friend, I discovered that I didn’t know most of the brands I saw on the front page. People must be sampling those perfumes (since I don’t expect them blind buying them). But what about older releases? All those thousands of new perfumes released per year 3-5 years ago??

Saturday Question #139:

Do You Test Perfumes Released 3+ Years Ago?

If you buy or swap samples, do you try perfumes that were released years ago but you haven’t tried them yet? Or do you go for the latest ones leaving behind all those that you haven’t tried when they were released?

My Answer

As I was choosing my free samples with a purchase, I went for 4 most recent releases. These weren’t new brands for me, but perfumes were all from this year. It made me think: am I not taking a part in encouraging brands to keep releasing new perfumes to keep us interested?

In my defense, this year, I did test the majority of perfumes from the past years that I was interested in (and even some that I wasn’t). But I know that I accepted that I’m missing on many perfumes, and after a while the only way I’ll try them will be if I come across them at a store.

How about you?

Do You Test Perfumes Released 3+ Years Ago?

Remember, remember
the 5th of November,
Gunpowder, treason and plot.

This nursery rhyme stuck in my head and kept turning on and on, so I decided to turn it into the SQ.

Saturday Question #138:

Do You Like Gunpowder Note In Perfumes?

Do you know any perfumes with this note? Do you like it? Do you like the smell of gunpowder?

My Answer

If it weren’t for my database, I wouldn’t have remembered that I smelled any perfumes with a gunpowder note, and I didn’t care for two of them – BeauFort London 1805 and L’Artisan Parfumeur Amour Nocturne. Not because of that note. The third one I like – Jul et Mad Stairway to Heaven. Not because of that note. I don’t think I can smell it in that perfume.

I’m lucky: my only association with gunpowder is from visits to a shooting range. So, I like the scent of freshly burnt gunpowder. Not sure though, that I would want to wear it in any discernible quantity.

How about you?

Do You Like Gunpowder Note In Perfumes?

In the last couple of weeks, I’ve been involved in budget-related discussions at my work. I absolutely don’t enjoy those, but it’s that time of the year, and we all know where our economy is heading, so there is no escaping from these activities. No wonder money is on my mind.

Saturday Question #136:

Do You Have a Perfume Budget?

Do you have some set amount you plan to spend on perfumes monthly or yearly? If yes, do you fit in that budget? If no, how do you allocate money for your perfume hobby?

We all have different discretionary incomes and live in very different environments, so we do not have to discuss exact sums. The question is more generic – about the principles you apply to that area of your life.

My Answer

For the last several years, I was setting an upper limit to what I planned to spend on perfume-related purchases during that year. It was hard at first: I wanted to buy this and try that. And then there was an incredible price drop for something I was already thinking of. Or I would learn about the discontinuation of something I always planned to get eventually or had just half of the… 100 ml bottle left. So, at some point, once the budget was gone, I would start finding some creative ways to justify the next purchase. It has never been out of control to threaten my financial health, but I didn’t stay within the self-imposed boundaries.

In the last couple of years, I haven’t been spending the maximum I would allocate at the beginning of the year. It’s hard to name a single reason. Probably the combination of everything – the pandemic, being too busy or stressed out to test or even wear perfumes, the size of my existing collection, and, what is even more pressing, the size of the space where that collection is stored. And, of course, when you’re testing perfume No 3,000+ in your life, it’s harder to fall in love with something you’ve already smelled before (and probably own already). But I will keep allocating money for perfume purchases: if nothing else, I still want at least to try something new.

Do You Have a Perfume Budget?

Fifteen years ago or so, probably not all but most perfumistas knew about the existence of that obscure brand. JAR perfumes were rumored to be uber-expensive (~$500-800 per 30 ml) but without the exact price because that information was guarded just slightly less strictly than perfume names or, G-d forbid, notes. And with just two known locations – a Parisian store and a salon in Bergdorf (New York) – not too many perfumistas tried those perfumes. Since then, with the raised tide of niche brands and exclusive lines, these prices do not shock any longer. Though, to be fair, I do not know either today’s prices for these perfumes or even whether the brand is still around. And I stopped hearing anything about them many-many years ago.

Saturday Question #135:

Have You Ever Tried JAR Perfumes?

I should have started with a more generic question – have you ever heard about this brand? But I decided to fold it into the current one. If you have tried those perfumes, which ones? Did you like any of them? Would you have bought them if money were no object?

My Answer

Out of seven perfumes JAR has in their line-up, according to Fragrantica, I’ve tried only Golconda (thanks to a generous friend who sent me a sample vial). To my nose, it was a perfect carnation, and I thoroughly enjoyed this perfume. And I wanted to love it, despite the price. But I didn’t. If they are still alive, one day I’ll visit the New York store and sniff them all. But Golconda will not be going home with me.

I thought about this perfume and came up with this question as I was wearing Guerlain Lui and thought that I liked the carnation in it very much – but probably not enough to try to hunt down a bottle of it once my decant is done. And this carnation is times less expensive than the one from JAR.

How about you?

Have You Ever Tried JAR Perfumes?

Last several SQ topics were … not exactly negative but… So, I decided that we need a dose of positivity. In perfume form.

Saturday Question #133:

What 5 Perfumes Do You Look Forward To Wearing This Autumn?

It doesn’t have to be your Top 5, most favorite or any other such ranking. But if there are perfumes you plan to wear now, until it’s officially (or sensory) Winter, name five that first come to mind (or are carefully selected since, you know, whatever your choice would be, you’ll be held to it – just kidding).

My Answer

From my database, I got a list of perfumes that I wear more often. Then I went through it an marked those that I considered contenders – I got 20. Then I combed through the list once again. And here’s the results:

1. Amouage Memoir Woman
2. Chanel Le Lion
3. Masque Milano Madeline
4. Neela Vermeire Creations Trayee
5. Tauer Perfumes PHI

I’ll probably use the remaining list to choose what to wear this month.

How about you?

What 5 Perfumes Do You Look Forward To Wearing This Autumn?

First of all, I’m sorry for the missed Saturday: I know that you all perfectly survived without it, but I’m trying not to miss at least these posts without a good reason. This time I just ran out of time before I had to leave for a business trip to Chicago.

The trip went well (if not count that because of the time difference I had to get up every morning at 5 AM my time). For the first time in my life, I spend a couple of work days on the 44th floor (below, I posted a picture I took from the window of the conference room). And once we had lunch on the 70th floor of that building. You can see a photo I took from there in my Instagram feed (or in this blog on the side for web visitors or down the screen for mobile ones). It was impressive! I regretted not having any perfume in a bottle with me: I could have taken a picture of the perfume I wore on the highest floor I’ve ever visited. But since I brought with me just decants, I missed that opportunity.

Saturday Question #132:

Have You Ever Broken a Perfume Bottle?

If yes, what was that? Have you replaced it since then?

And a bonus question, since we skipped it last week: What was the highest floor you’ve ever been to? Do you remember what perfume you wore?

My Answer

I do not remember ever breaking a perfume bottle, and even the idea of it makes me shudder. So, the topic of this post came not from any bottle (or even a decant) suffering during this trip. But while I was trying to fall asleep earlier than my usual time, I was going through my Instagram and saw a posting with a shattered perfume bottle on the new account that Richard Goller (the author of the fragroom.com blog) posted on his new Instagram account and couldn’t stop thinking about it. (Speaking of IG, if you used to follow Richard on the previous account, richgoller, you’ll need to follow his new account, ficklefragrancelover because the first one was blocked by IG for the reason I don’t know and can’t even imagine).

And to answer the bonus question: on the day I visited the 70th floor, I wore Heure Exquise by Annick Goutal.

How about you?

Have You Ever Broken a Perfume Bottle?

In the comments to the recent Scent Semantics post, hajusuuri mentioned that she didn’t think that a vintage formula was always better. This brings us to today’s question.

Saturday Question #131:

Do You Know Any Successful Perfume Reformulation?

Let’s not consider those perfumes that you’ve never tried in their original or earlier version. But can you think of any perfumes where you tried an old(er) and a new version and thought that the new one wasn’t that bad?

My Answer

Since in times when most perfumes that these days are considered vintage classics were modern I was a signature perfume gal, I don’t know any of those perfumes enough to miss them (well, I do keep the grudge because of Miss Dior‘s being stripped of its name, but other than that, I thought that even Miss Dior Originale version wasn’t totally bad when I had a chance to try it last time).

Last year Puredistance had to reformulate their Opardu because of IFRA (I strongly dislike this organization and think that they are doing something they shouldn’t). I had a chance to compare both versions, and I think that they did a good job preserving the scent character.

More recently, at a Duty Free in Dusseldorf, I tried the latest version of Guerlain‘s Encens Mythique and was surprised at how well they’ve recreated the original one that I like very much. Yes, together with the unpopular “d’Orient” part, this perfume lost some oomph and became lighter, but it is still quite recognizable, and I wouldn’t mind wearing it.

Do You Know Any Successful Perfume Reformulation?

The change of season means mental reshuffling my collection to prepare to the cold(er) season. This exercise allows me to take a look at my collection and evaluate its content.

Saturday Question #130:

Are You Happy With Your Perfume Collection?

It’s an open question, without specific boundaries. Are you satisfied with the number of bottles you have? Do you have “what to wear”? Do you want more? Do you plan to downsize? Are you still buying new perfumes?

My Answer

I like or even love many perfumes in my collection. But I think I’m overwhelmed by the number of perfumes I have – not as much by full bottles but mostly by decants. I like those perfumes! But I have a hard time deciding what to wear. Probably I need to create a schedule not to think about what to wear every day but just go through the list.

While I’m still interested in trying new perfumes, I don’t think I want to add any to my collection. Of course, if I come across anything I suddenly fall in love with I’ll buy it. But for a long time I haven’t tried anything I would like to get.

How about you?

Are You Happy With Your Perfume Collection?