perfume shopping

CHANEL No 19 EdT vintage
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CHANEL No 19 EdT vintage

Hi Crew, My girlfriend Ersilia was asking about CHANEL No 19. Went to the cupboard and realized I’d given away or sold off my vintage 50ml EdT so then I hit the resellers. Found one for a very reasonable price and grabbed it. Came with a box and is so pristine I wondered if the bottle had ever been opened. That original bright green has been maintained, so no oxidization, because the older opened and used ones often skew a little more beige. The parfum in vintage was beige-er than the EdT and most of that age group are golden by now. I took some out to give to Ersilia, it’s now getting some wears around here too.

CHANEL No 19 EdT vintage

CHANEL No 19 EdT vintage

These are the original notes given for the 1970 EdT:
Top: Galbanum, Hyacinth, Bergamot, Neroli
Heart: Iris, Orris Root, Rose, Lily-of-the-Valley, Narcissus, Jasmine, Ylang-Ylang
Base: Oakmoss, Vetiver, Leather, Cedar, Musk, Sandalwood

The crisp green of galbanum and flower stalks fresh cut open. It’s so youthful and springlike. When they call CHANEL No 19 a floral chypre it has some very beautiful cousins like Silences, Niki de Saint Phalle, Futur and others. Yes, it’s that but for me the flowers are a bouquet that is really more about the stems and some of the juicier leaves. The greenery is king, with the cool breeze of lily of the valley, feral richness of narcissus and bright dewiness of jasmine all playing supporting roles.

One of the loveliest things about the vintage EdT is how slowly the layers peel back. The opening is a slow morph into the heart and the heart stays for such a long while as the base builds up, overtaking the brightness with furry oakmoss, shiny new leather shoes and slightly petroleum washed vetiver.

Even in the base I can still get memories of the galbanum and bouquet softly coating above the still mainly green scent. No wonder CHANEL No 19 has been such a beautiful, resolve strengthening battle armor since August 19 1970, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel’s last birthday.

Are you a CHANEL No 19 fan? Did you ever get to sniff some vintage?
Portia xx

Burberry Brit Woman EdT
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Burberry Brit Woman EdT

Hi there ULGers, Burberry Brit Woman EdT is probably not something you’ve thought about for years. Unless you’re a fan. Thing is, it’s really good. It’s also available for next to nothing on the discounters. FragranceNet USA has 100ml tester for less than AU$50 (around US$35). It’s one of those easy, spritz and go fragrances. It smells good, lasts well and won’t skunk your coworkers. You’ll be softly and comfortably fragrant all day. Can’t believe it’s 22 years old this year, it still smells so modern and relevant (to me anyway).

Burberry Brit Woman EdT 2004

Burberry Brit Woman EdT

Burberry gives these featured accords:
Crisp, icy pear, sugared almond and intense vanilla

The fragrance moves as advertised wit a sweet fruity opening that could even be pear. Yeah, there’s a softly nutty fondant but the vanilla is not intense at all. More like a skin but better wash. It’s pretty, easy and wears well. I love to get huffs of it through the day but know that I won’t be overwhelmed or sidetracked by it.

Burberry Brit Woman EdT 2004

I’ve also got the Burberry Brit Woman EdP and extrait here but the EdT is my current fave. There’s something uplifting and bright about it. A guaranteed lift for sagging spirits. Recently I bought an EdT and EdP off an FB Sales Doc as backups, but they’ve not made it to the collection yet. They’ve stayed out and had some regular spritzes.

Did you wear or try Burberry Brit? Do you prefer another strength?
Portia xx

Chaos Donna Karan 2008 reboot DCd
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Chaos Donna Karan 2008 reboot DCd

Hey there ULGers, Many of you have been along term perfumistas and will get that this bottle is an icon. For the newbies amongst us, Chaos Donna Karan is a 2008 reboot of a 1996 killer perfume that broke all the feminine fragrance rules wide open. A spicy aromatic woodsy amber. It hit all the previous tones reserved for men and did it better, cooler, more sophisticated and in winning style. Instant hit. The original bottle was designed by her late husband: artist and sculptor Stephan Weiss and was a shard of crystal. It was modern and monumental. My 2008 bottle was part of a series, an insta line with a couple of reboots, Chaos was the standout. It’s also the only one I didn’t move on. The only bottle I can see of it on eBay is $800! Whoa.

Chaos by Donna Karan 2008 reboot

Chaos Donna Karan 2008 reboot

 

These featured notes are given:
Spices, Coriander, Exotic Woods, Sage

Super spicy. I’m going with ginger, cinnamon and black pepper with maybe some paprika. The exotic woods are dark, charred and smoking, a bit like forking through the still coruscating left overs of a bonfire. Also, I get a BarBQ sauce back draft. The greenery is very low key for me, maybe it’s mixed up with the smoke and char.

Through to the heart and dry down, as the major fireworks settle, Chaos becomes balsamic, resinous woods. There is still the smoke but now it feels like incense burning near a food market. Eight hours later, I still smell of hot, spicy woodsmoke. It’s calm, sensual and zen.

Totally unisex. Excellent sillage and longevity. Could Chaos be the reason we are now inundated with beast mode, smoking woods and scratchy ambers? If only they made them with this much love.

Did you ever get to sniff Chaos?
Portia

Vetyver by Le Galion
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Vetyver by Le Galion

Heya Looking Glassers, Last week Jin walked into my perfume room while I was writing Trivia Q&A. He started reaching around my grab tray with his eyes closed and came out with Le Galion Vetyver. He does like the note and we have bought three or four vetiver heavy fragrances while traveling, for him. They often end up brought to me to put with my collection. I’m not really sure why, they smell excellent on him and he MUST like the scent profile. Anyway, he LOVED this and tried to sneak out with the bottle. HA! Little brat. One loud OI! and he was scuttling back and putting it in its place. So I thought we could talk about one of my faves. To be clear, this is a total reimagining of the 1968 Paul Vacher creation, rebooted by Thomas Fontaine.

Vetyver by Le Galion 2015 reboot

Vetyver Le Galion site

Le Galion gives these featured accords:
Top: Black pepper, violet leaf
Heart: Turmeric roots & leaves, mastic
Base: Vetiver, cedar

Vetyver is heavily advertised towards the gents. I really don’t understand why. It’s far too interesting and nuanced to be only single sex wearable. So please ignore the advertising guff if you’re a woman who loves a green fragrance, a grassy scent or a pepper. I’m also a proponent of shoulder season fragrances. Ones that seem to fit Spring and Autumn perfectly. Warm-ish days, cool nights.

First spritz is like I’m chopping parsley and bell peppers for a salad. It’s green, fresh and grassy. In a minute or two a hit of cracked black pepper dryness moves in and a ginger sharp fizz rises underneath. One of the things I love most about Le Galion is their beautiful blending and interesting rides. Vetyver is no exception.

As I head towards the heart the dry crushed turmeric is cool and ready to hit the pan. It even has the smell of the feel of the turmeric powder in my fingers. It’s like powder but even silkier to touch. Already in the heart I’m getting the familiar scent of cedar.That pencil shavings and plastic paint smell from my childhood. The grassiness starts to take a dryer smell and that slightly petrochemical oiliness of vetiver really makes an appearance. The heart towards base lasts and lasts. It does warm through slightly and I’m surprised that amber isn’t one of the notes. Maybe it’s the mastic resin, but my memory of that is a much more citrus leaning balminess.

Dried grasses and cedar with some sizzle left from th pepper and a curious warmth take us all the way to fade.

Vetyver Le Galion

The bottle I’m using is an older style (above) bought retail but I also have a modern bottle the men gave me last time we were in Paris. The scents are almost exactly the same with a little variation accounted by annual harvest changes.

See, much too interesting and beautiful to be gate kept for the dudes.

Are you a vetiver fan?
Portia xx

Siren by Paris Hilton
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Siren by Paris Hilton

Hi Crew, Bet you didn’t think there’d be a Paris Hilton fragrance on a perfumista blog. It’s spring here in the southern hemisphere and I’ve just opened my Siren by Paris Hilton backup bottle. So, as any addicted to shopping perfumista will do at this point, I started looking for a new backup bottle. OH NO! Quell Surprise! Looks like Siren is DISCONTINUED! The price on the auction sites (the only place I could find a full bottle) has gone ridiculous. Oh WHY didn’t I buy a few bottles when I could get them for a tenner!?!?

Siren by Paris Hilton 2009

Siren by Paris Hilton

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Apricot nectar, Frangipani, Mandarin orange
Heart: Coconut orchid, Honeysuckle, Water lily
Base: Musk, Sandalwood, Vanilla

Siren has been my hot weather fridge fragrance for years.

Don’t get excited. Siren is very nice and suits me BUT it’s no group breaking super scent that you need to knock down other shoppers to get your hands on. It’s a lot like Viva La Juicy from Juicy Couture. Not the same but in the same vein. It’s a watery, tropical, tinned fruit with some peony like flowers and vanilla. In the heat it is a perfect cool down spritz.

While I’m sad that at the end of this bottle I won’t have it anymore, there will be no demented buying up of all the world’s remaining bottles. I’m going to be a big boy and let this be the last summer of Siren.

I’ve only just learned today that the bottle is also the 1990 Daniel de Fasson perfume bottle, with a different lid. Interestingly, that perfume is apparently an amber and the minis are selling for big bank on the resale sites. Amazing. Do any of you remember this fragrance?

Daniel de Fasson

Did you ever try or wear Siren? Any other Paris Hilton Fragrances?
Portia xx

Midnight Birch by Dr Squatch
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Midnight Birch by Dr Squatch

Hi there Crew, I was trawling Surrender To Chance recently and a name caught my attention. Midnight Birch by Dr Squatch. Come ON! What a name and what a house title. Obviously I read the name slightly wrong and it was MUCH naughtier but being fair the name still holds when PGd. So, of course, a 3ml decant jumped into my cart and made it all the way to checkout.

As the Northern Hemisphere heads towards Autumn I thought you might like something that works for the days heat and the cool of the evenings. This should fit the bill perfectly. Before you read further though. This is an affordable fragrance that sits around the US$60 mark. I don’t want you expecting it to smell like a Le Galion, Hermès or an Amouage. It’s not playing in that ballpark. What I will say though is that expensive doesn’t always equal good and affordable can smell very good. When looking at the scoreboard smelling good is the important bit, right?

Midnight Birch by Dr Squatch

Midnight Birch by Dr Squatch

Dr Squelch gives these featured accords:
Vanilla, Lavender, Cedarwood, Crisp Air, Fresh Cut Birch, Warm Musk, Amber

Alright, first spritz is a very lightly salted fresh breeze off the sea and into the forest. This is not a new genre of fragrance and it’s full of that generic scratchy amber woods. It smells like a mens gym locker room in the 1990s. I remember this scent so vividly. It’s kind of soapy and dark woodsy with a really clean water vibe. In South Korea the bathhouses still have a version of this scent.

The woods smell really pine like to me and then I started thinking about the Norsca deodorant a few of us used to wear. There are definitely some references in Midnight Birch.

Midnight Birch by Dr Squatch

Seriously old fashioned masculine. A real barbershop scent. I’d love to smell it on a woman. It would be SO subversive. Like a regular suited gent wearing Fracas or La Vie set Belle. In fact I’m going to give it to my goddaughter and see if she will rock it.

No, it doesn’t smell expensive, or luxurious. It smells clean, fresh and well cared for. Midnight Birch smells like someone wants to smell good in a traditional way, without fanfare or ceremony. The question is, would I choose it over the rest of my scents to wear? Probably not. I’m not a snob but this isn’t the way I want to smell. It would feel like I’m an imposter and that is not how I live.

Could it be for you?
Portia xx

 

Piment Brulant by L’Artisan Parfumeur
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Piment Brulant by L’Artisan Parfumeur

Hey there ULGers. Summer in the Northern Hemisphere so I’m going cooling yet cuddly. Yes I’m talking about another discontinued gem. Sorry, but also not sorry. It’s nice to reminisce, especially when the waves of new product keep crashing over us. Sometimes it’s nice to look back and remember the good things that are no longer. Available from 2002 to approximately 2012 Piment Brulant came out as a part of a trio of non sweet gourmands, Poivre Piquant and Safran Troublant, known as the Les Épices de la Passion (Spices of Passion) trilogy. They were all signed by the legend herself, Olivia Giacobetti. I feel like I could stop writing there and you’d already know how lovely, and forward thinking these scents were. No such luck, you’re getting a review.

Piment Brulant by L’Artisan Parfumeur 2002

Piment Brulant by L'Artisan Parfumeur

These were the offered featured accords:
Amber, cinnamon, musk, poppy, vanilla, dark chocolate, cacao, clove and chili pepper

The smell of fresh cut chili opens Piment Brulant! It’s about as real as you could hope and it jumps off my skin in the first minute or two like I’m in the kitchen. This first juicy moment doesn’t last long enough. Not even two minutes in and other spices start making their way to my noses attention. It’s too quick but these spices are like you’ve thrown them into the pan together and they are sizzling.

The vanilla and a very mocha smell of chocolate come in with a dusting of flour. There is still that green snap of the chili and spiciness that follows deep into the heart and on towards dry down.

All the major freaky gourmand fireworks happen in the first ten minutes, so just for you. This is not about going into the world making a statement. It’s like, WAKE UP and enjoy this magic because it’s fleeting. Then you get to wander around the world in a more traditional fragrance.

Piment Brulant becomes a lightly spicy green fragrance with warm undercurrents of amber sprinkled with mocha. It’s not boring but it’s not going to cause a riot either. At about the 30 minute mark it has noticeably softened and is very introverted. Just for you to smell, and those that get very close. By about three hours it becomes a wash of very lightly green amber and stays that way till it gently fades away.

What is a favourite discontinued L’Artisan Parfumeur fragrance you wish was still around?
Portia xx

L’Esprit Libre by Divine Parfums
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L’Esprit Libre by Divine Parfums

Hi there Looking Glassers, You may recall that I’m trying to downsize my collection. It’s going very badly and the perfume room/office/dressing room is littered with boxes of perfumes that should have been sold, sent and out of the way. Sadly, letting go is harder than imagined. Last week is a case in point. My mate TinaG came over and after lunch we had a little sniffy. We smelled a recent survivor of the purge L’Artisan Glacialis Terra (a salty breeze ramble among greenery and bracken) and that led me to grab to others tangentially aligned in my mind: Parfum d’Empire Le Cri de la Lumier and today’s post Divine Parfums L’Esprit Libre. All were about to get the heave ho but resmelling them gave me a new and deep appreciation. GAH! So this is what I’m dealing with.

L’Esprit Libre by Divine Parfums 2021

L'Esprit Libre Divine Parfums

Divine gives these featured accords:
Top: Ozone, green notes, bergamot, green mandarine, peony, magnolia
Heart: Iris essence, talc, earth, butter of iris
Base: Musk, ambergris

The opening is crisp and green over a lovely juicy citrus. The feeling is a warm summer day and you’re sitting in the sunny garden smelling a very tart sparkling lemonade. It’s a lazy, calm and unhurried scent. Not a big beast mode but a lovely subtle murmur. Originally I had written L’Esprit Libre as uninspired and lackluster but nothing could be further from the truth. I needed to smell it again and really take note of how beautifully balanced it is.

The iris heart is neither doughy nor rooty. It has a feel of old fashioned body lotion. Yes, there is a little carrot seed and cardboard but only because I’m huffing at a one centimeter distance. From further it’s a creamy iris still surrounded by twinkles of citrus. As we head further into the heart it’s like the sun has gone behind a cloud. Not cold but cooler.

L'Esprit Libre Divine Parfums

For something so low key L’Esprit Libre has remarkable tenacity. The heart keeps beating for hours and hours. That coolness continues and becomes a breeze. I keep hoping that there’ll be a salty twang of the ambergris but it does not land. Shame.

I can’t work out why this has been aimed directly at women alone. L’Esprit Libre is unisex. My thought is that it could so easily become a signature scent for those that do such things. It’s so beautifully poised and would work in any situation, no matter how closely you are working or sitting.

I bought this bottle expecting something quite different and was let down. Now I understand what was trying to be said here. I’m impressed. Another bottle that will not be going on the chopping block. Damnit! but also YAY.

Portia xx

Chemin D’Amande by Une Nuit Nomade 2025 NEW! NEW!
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Chemin D’Amande by Une Nuit Nomade 2025 NEW! NEW!

Hi there ULGers, Today I thought we could talk about an interesting niche brand that I fell madly in love with. Their Memory Motel was amazing, until it turned on me and started giving me headaches. SHAME! I was so bummed. Somehow its lush plastic amber and sweaty humanity stopped being fragrance and started being torture. Not so long ago, I was given two manufacturer boxed samples of their work. Une Nuit Nomade are the crew and today we are smelling Chemin D’Amande.

From Une Nuit Nomade: Long ago, before Portugal was Portugal, the Moorish king Ibn-Almundim ruled over Chelb in the Algarve. Returning victorious from conquest, he brought many captives, including Gilda, a beautiful queen from the northern lands. Though initially content, Gilda grew increasingly sorrowful, longing deeply for snow’s whiteness. Healers failed to cure her sadness until, advised by a mysterious woman, the king filled the valley with blooming almond trees. When Gilda saw the valley blanketed in white blossoms, her joy returned. Ever since, the Algarve remains the kingdom of almond blossoms, guardian of this ancient tale.

Chemin D’Amande by Une Nuit Nomade 2025

Chemin D'Amande by Une Nuit Nomade

Une Nuit Nomade gives these featured accords:
Almond • Wheat Absolute • Pure Jungle Essence Conscious Bourbon Vanilla

HA! That warm, sweet nutty opening is so glorious. It’s everything as advertised. I smell photorealistic Almond flour, the Wheatiness you get from Korean grain tea and that ridiculously multifaceted boozy darkness of Bourbon vanilla. The fragrance is thick and luscious. What a sensational opening.

As we head towards the heart there is a whisper of metallic mechanical or electrical zing. Oh, it’s so surprising and takes the scent from pure gourmand to fine fragrance. A beautiful frisson between the sweet gooeyness and something so industrial. Alongside that I get a spicy, dry… I want to say BarBQ crisp but I’m not sure if that translates internationally. Like the taste of a hard taco shell with freshly cut chili and HP Brown Sauce. WOW! Chemin D’Amande delivers so much more than a simple sweetness. Don’t get me wrong, the sweetness remains. This is all running concurrently.

Chemin D'Amande by Une Nuit Nomade 2025

Chemin D’Amande does not collapse in to a boring, tired trope of a base either. It remains interesting and so wearable. Over the boozy vanilla sweetness there is a labdanum rich amber throwing some darkness. The twang of electrical sparks and the dregs of grain tea with that dry crack of almond shells. This is so bloody good, I’m swooning right to the end. Imagine Ead d’Italie Morn to Dusk but more nuanced, more ride and more niche.

If Une Nuit Nomade did 10 or 15ml Travel Size one of them would be winging their way to me right now.

Did you get the chance to try Chemin D’Amande yet?
Portia xx

Terre d’Hermes Intense by Hermès
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Terre d’Hermes Intense by Hermès

Hello my lovelies, Today I thought we could talk about EVERYONE wearing Made For Men fragrances. By now, in 2026 I know most of us have gender bended perfume and loved it. While in our local Hermès the other day, my mate Nick gave me a carded sample of this newly and asked me to have a sniff at my leisure. Which I did. This is an exciting reinterpretation of the OG JCE Terre d’Hermes. Here Christine Nagel has shorn it of the spikier elements and given that punch in the face a delicate, gourmand twist. It’s still an earthy ode to woody citrus but restrained. Sophisticated. Terre d’Hermes Intense floats my boat.

Can I also say how much I loved the OG. It was the first bottle Jin stole from my collection and wore it so well I haven’t taken it back. It would just be a let down now. So here is my chance to revisit and maybe get my own bottle of Terre d’Hermes Intense. It’s different enough that I’ll not feel sad and similar enough to scratch the itch.

Terre d’Hermes Intense by Hermes 2025

Terre d’Hermès Intense Hermes

Hermes gives these featured accords:
Wood, bergamot, lava

OOOHHH! Stripped bark-isk opening few seconds that grabbed my attention and disappeared into a very scratchy pepper and citrus. The citrus reminds me of the opening of Montale’s Aoud Lime, squeaky and a bit freaky.

Ten minutes in everything has come together cohesively. If I sniff real close I can smell licorice, the dirt laden, rooty dryness and having read about the coffee note, I’m thinking it smells more like a latte than coffee beans. This could be BECAUSE I read about it though.

Terre d’Hermes Intense Hermes Carded Sample

Deep dry down is those amber/woods that so many people complain of. I do get the problem when you’re in a fragrance hall or perfume convention. It’s an overwhelming miasma. In singularity, with the added warmth of humanity, and an added mineralic feel I’m good with it.

Unisex but leaning masculine. Longevity is off the charts but diffusion is not. It’s scalable but you’d have to spritz pretty hard to make Terre d’Hermes Intense objectionable.

Already available on the discounters starting around a US$1.50/ml and getting cheaper with size. So while not bargain, is very affordable.

Would you? Could you? Terre d’Hermes Intense?
Portia xx