Vanessa wants our help finding her perfect perfume. For years she wore and loved Avon Soft Musk, but they no longer sell it in the US, and the last time Avon released it here as a limited edition, it did not smell the same to her. Vanessa is on a budget and wouldn't pay more than $40; she's willing to shop online and has local access to Walgreens, Rite Aid, Wal-Mart, K Mart, TJ Maxx, JC Penny and Dillard's.
Here is what we know about Vanessa:
Vanessa is in her early 30s and lives in Tennessee.
She works as an adjunct guitar teacher, and teaches in a tiny lesson room in a music store so she can't wear extremely strong scents.
Vanessa likes patchouli but finds that those around her do not (her patchouli oil sometimes offended others, and her husband did not appreciate Prada Amber although he didn't mind Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely). She also likes vetiver, bergamot, nag champa, and soft leathers (she liked Avon Pink Suede). She occasionally uses Youth Dew bath oil but the fragrance is too strong for regular wear, and likewise Dana Tabu, which she does wear sometimes, is too much for casual wear. Musks she likes but that aren't quite perfect for her include The Body Shop Red Musk, Jovan musk oil, Alyssa Ashley musk oil, Body Time Egyptian Musk, Body Time China Rain. Body Time Lite Musk wasn't earthy enough. She tends to wear Clinique Happy Heart, but it doesn't seem right for winter, and it also isn't earthy enough.
Vanessa thinks (but isn't sure) that she doesn't like ylang ylang, and she definitely doesn't like anything that resembles sun tan oil. Perfumes that have not worked for Vanessa include:
Body Time Lady Gray: a disaster... smelled of fake ylang ylang disinfectant.
Revlon Ciara: it's ok, but did not smell like nag champa, just vanilla, coke and baby lotion.
Avon Haiku: smells like disinfectant.
Cacharel Anais Anais: hair spray and rancid Haiku.
Kate Spade Walk on Air: she thought she loved it, but then it morphed into Adidas Sport which she does not like.
Coty Vanilla Fields: locker room mid-90s mixed with the smell of gym class.
Estee Lauder Sensuous: she thought she liked it, but someone else whom she found difficult wore it regularly, so now she would not want to wear it.
More "no" scents: Avon Passion, Bath & Body Works Dark Kiss, Lady Gaga.
Fragrances she can't wear because others in her family wear them: Calvin Klein Obsession, White Shoulders, Wind Song, Sweet Pea.
What say you?
Note: top image is Bologna - no bill posting [cropped] by on1stsite. at flickr; some rights reserved.
I wanted to add that when Vanessa emailed me, I asked if she’d tried Monyette Paris which some people find smells like nag champa. Later I realized it is a tad outside her budget, and it might be too sweet for her anyway.
I’d also recommend Prada’s L’Eau Ambree, which is lighter and less patch-heavy than the regular Prada Amber. It would normally be outside her budget, but you can find bottles for less than $40 at the online discounters. She’d have to find a tester though, and that might be hard in her local area.
https://freebox.it.com/2009/09/25/prada-leau-ambree-perfume-review/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
http://www.fragrancenet.com/perfume/prada/prada-leau-ambree/eau-de-parfum#182052
with the 25% off coupon the price is right in the range
I regularly see L’eau Ambree for under $40, including s/h, on ebay.
You can have Guerlain Vetiver on FragranceNet for 37,99 (no affiliation, just a happy buyer). It doesn’t get much better than Guerlain Vetiver, if you like the note.
What about the Pacifica line?
Vanessa, I don’t have any good recommendations within your price range, as I tend to wear Orientals and spicy perfumes. But I do have an older bottle of Avon Soft Musk that I’d be glad to send you, if you’d like–I think it’s probably an older formulation. My contact is snchamness at msn dot com.
That is so sweet! I have several perfume oils in my collection if you are interested as a thank you! I will email you!
Hi, Vanessa! Hope you’re having a lovely Christmas!
I have not received an email from you–didn’t know if you’d had time to email, or if it got lost in the ether. I’ve set aside the Avon Soft Musk for you, and look forward to hearing from you when you have a chance.
snchamness at msn dot com
Oh yes, Sharon C.! Thank you, I just sent an email. Merry Christmas!
Some of the Jennifer Lopez scents are really beautiful, and very affordable too. I mentioned in my SOTD post earlier this morning that I’m wearing Hilary Duff’s With Love, which has a nice musky drydown, and only cost $20.
I would also suggest beginning a collection of inexpensive samples! It’s a great way to get to try many scents (many times from a little vial), and then choose a full bottle.
Also….Try the SCENTBIRD program! For $14.95 a month, you get a 8ml or larger sample of great perfume, based on your preferences. I’m trying Chloe See next week! 🙂
I agree with some JLo perfumes, Glow and Still come to mind. And I’ll vote for Pacifica line also, I think Ulta has some of them with testers, also Whole Foods if you’re ever in an area that has either of those stores, Vanessa. Oh, and Jessica Simpson Fancy and Fancy Nights might fit the bill. Fancy Nights shares some notes with Tabu but it’s not nearly as strong.
Thanks! Can’t wait to check out some of the scents at Ulta. Hey, I never actually tried J Lo-but I have Body Time’s China Rain oil, which I read is similar. It is nice I think….but swine told me
I smelled like a candle from the 90s…hey I love candles…but the 90s….that is an olfactory mash up so I am not sure what they meant!
New Seasons also carries Pacifica, and has testers.
Recommending several of the travel sprays from Dame Perfumery which range in price from $8-$10:
-Dark Horse
-Leather Man
-Musk Oil Perfume
-Mate, Heliotrope & Patchouli
-Passionfruit, Orange Blossom & Vetiver
-Verbena, Freesia & Musk
Also, if you sent a postcard (check out the details on the Dame Perfumery website) you get a free sample (and Jeff Dame is very generous so in all likelihood you will get several free samples) and a 10% off code towards future purchase. Do that first so you get the code in case you want to order the travel sprays.
Also recommend looking into the Pacifica line for its affordability- local stores carry it discounted (ie: I can get a solid tin at my local health food store for $6). Although the prices are a bit more on the Pacifica website online they are still affordable ($22 for EDP or $50 for three EDPs in a nice box). Recommend-
-Spanish Amber
-Sandalwood
-Tibetan Mountain Temple
Oh, I love finding about these fragrance oils online- I wonder if the “Mate” means Yerba mate tea or if it means “friend”
Or if it means the act of mating. Lol…any of those 3 wood make an
Interesting perfume!
I believe the mate is the tea 🙂
Ebay is a great source for older Avon perfumes if you want to continue wearing Soft Musk. Also, I have a bottle that was in a vintage lot that I got off ebay that I’d be happy to send on. My screen name is my yahoo address if you’re interested
If she likes musk with a touch of earth, I adore Red Door Velvet, currently, there is a 3.3oz bottle on FragranceNet for $28.99. Big compliment-getter.
Covet, for something spicy with a touch of sweet, under $40.
Kuumba Made oils – I love their Egyptian Musk and and Amber Paste oil.
Balmain Ambre Gris – currently, a few on ebay for $29.99 and $34.50 respectively.
Madini Oils – I love their Musk Gazelle (full bodied), Musk Pierre (resins and sweet) and White Musk (clean and sweet).
Mmmm… Amber Gris is really nice, the bottle is beautiful and the price is great. Fragrance Net usually has this one and they been running 25 – 30 % discounts all December.
Petunia,
Excellent point! I’d forgotten all about the 30% discount going on right now!
Vanessa, it’s PLEQ5 for the 30% off code. It expires 12/22.
🙂
Second the Kuumba Made oils, great price and quality. They are carried at Whole Foods (dunno if that’s close to you, Vanessa) which also has the Pacifica line.
I would also suggest checking yard sales and antique shops. I find all sorts of goodies, including partially-filled Avon perfume bottles.
I woud suggest sniffing the Pacifica line if you find yourself in a Whole Foods. Kiehl’s Musk is a few dollars outside your proce range, but you can try it at multiple departent stores first. You can find the Houbigant era Alyssa Ashley Musk for a song online, which is a very retro soft musk. Older bottles of Bulgari The Blanc can be found pretty cheap and the original Bulgari Omnia can still be found just a smidge outside your range. If you don’t mind a bit of powder with your musk, EL Sensuous Nude can be had at discounters for under thrity dollars. Smell Bent has several musks you might want to try and the 4 ml sprays are less than ten bucks.
Serge Lutens Clair de Musc is a beautiful soft floral musk. I bought a tester for a friend from fragrancenet for about $50, so its a bit out of your range, but very high quality so maybe worth it.
Hmmm, have you tried Jovan White Musk?
I think a decant of Histories des Parfums Noir Patchouli would also be well worth trying. I love it, and I don’t always like patchouli. STC has decants available.
Top: Patchouli, coriander, cardamom
Heart: Patchouli, bouquet of flowers, juniper berries
Base: Patchouli, musk, vetiver, foam, leather, vanilla
Oh…a name like She Wolf….people already call me that…hope I can find a sample!!!
Oh yes, I like Jovan White Musk…nice to wear after a warm shower of Pantene and Dove soap!
1) E Bay and Goodwill (!!!) often sells many discontinued perfumes, including Avon Soft Musk, some of which appear to be vintage.
2) Try Gale Hyman Delicious Vanilla, which has a powdery, musky note to it and it is under $40- you can usually score it for about $20-$30 online.
3) Jovan White Musk is worn by a coworker and it is very soft, powdery and pretty, perfect for a tech office and manufacturing facility.
4) I will also suggest Charlie White Musk as well, which is available at many drugstores and smells marvelous.
I honestly can’t recommend a certain scent, but you can easily go to the site Surrender to Chance and see what scents fit the notes you enjoy. Start with some decants to see how much you can afford. Also, like several have mentioned, FragranceNet is an awesome resource that always has great sales.
For me, perfumes and designer purses are investments for me. Once I find something I fall in love with, I save, save, save until I can purchase it. Oh, I subscribe to Olfactif. You receive 3 generous sized samples once a month from all over the world. The actual bottles range in prices, but if you decide to purchase, you get an $18 credit off that scent. Good luck in your search.
Oooooh…..I had never heard of Olfactif! I just signed up for emails, and then used their 15% welcome coupon for 5 samples. I am so WEAK….
Everyone has been buzzing about Mohur lately, so I had to try that one for sure….
Oh you must try Olfactif! I subscribed for about two years (I no longer need to subscribe — I have plenty of scents!) when I was getting started — Tara does such a wonderful job curating her monthly samplers. You won’t regret it!
In a month centered on Rose about a year or two ago, she featured Mohur. It’s outstanding! Neela Vermeire shows up often in her collections.
CJ Scents is an indie perfumer who has several musk scents on her website. I believe you can order a 15 ml bottle for about $25 plus shipping. Also, she offers samples.
That’s an excellent idea! Plus CJ herself is really nice, you can tell her the kind of thing you’re looking for and I’m sure she can make some good recommendations.
Have you tried Keihl’s Musk? It’s available as on oil or EdT. I consider it a unisex scent, I love it equally on a man or a woman.
I also find Byredo Blanche to have a lot of white musk in the drydown, with big-time white floral top notes. It’s quite heady and very feminine. I have a travel size that I’d be willing to part with. If you’re interested, email me at lunagreen428 in the land of g mail.
Sonoma Scent Studios is another indie perfumer who offers a variety of sizes of the various perfumes. They make a Rose Musc, which is one of my favorites, and you can get $16.00, $42.00, or $75.00 size bottles, as well as small samples to try.
Welcome to the wonderful world of perfume appreciation!
And Sonoma Scent Studio Sienna Musk is beautiful as well as Winter Woods which to my nose has an ambery, vanilla, musky smokey vibe going on…..
See I still need to try this!
I was thinking about Laurie also. Love those purse sprays. Not usually a musk fan but do like her Rose Musc and the Sienna one also.
It might not be the ideal price point but I know you can get various sizes of Mistral Patchouli from Atelier Cologne. More grapefruit than patchouli but it has a lovely androgynous dryness. And it isn’t too strong.
I second that.. If you can find a Sephora (or go on their website), they offer several of the Atelier Cologne scents as travel sprays that are about $25 for 7ml. I don’t think Mistral Patchouli is one that they offer that way, but I’d also recommend Cedre Atlas or maybe Rose Anonyme or Sud Magnolia, all of which I know for sure are available as travel sprays.
I think J-Lo Glow would be a wonderful choice for you! A very pretty musk, and well within the price range.
China Lily by Terra Nova perfumes is very similar to J-Lo Glow and only $18 dollars for the perfume oil….
I would vote for J-Lo Glow as well.
Online, She-Wolf from Smell Bent might be worth a try. Their prices are really low, they’re fun, and I bet if Vanessa contacted them at their website, she would get some other recommendations, too. Happy Hunting!
Oh…a name like She Wolf….people already call me that…hope I can find a sample!!!
What about Clinique’s Aromatics Elixir? It’s got the patchouli and vetiver you like and is $36 for the body wash or perfume if you’re worried about the perfume being too strong. The perfume is available at online discounters within your price range (frangrance net has it for $44 before 25% off with code fncp5).
I very much agree with suggestions for Kiehl’s Musk. Might be a little outside the price point but the oil is quite affordable. I got my Kiehl’s spray at Marshall’s for $17 and that may go down as my biggest Marshall’s find. I also agree with EL Sensuous Nude – more musk, less sandalwood than original Sensuous and one of those scents I own that is always right. Another possibility is Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black – the oil or roll-on is affordable – though I would say the oil is not as long-lasting as I would like.
Try Rihanna Rogue for a nice and affordable soft leather! I’ve seen it a tjmaxx and on many of the discount sites mentioned here. Robin reviewed it back in 2013 if you check the archives:)
I just recently purchased Roberto Cavalli’s Oro based on a mention of it (I think it was here on NST), and I think it’s really good, and surprisingly affordable (often under $20). People have mentioned that they find it to be a “big” fragrance, but that’s not the case with me. The reason I like it, and suggest it here, is that it is really easy to wear, while also not smelling run-of-the-mill.
I’d also suggest investigating something from the Kenzo line – maybe Amour, Kashaya, or Flower.
Smell Bent is another line that offers affordable, but intriguing, scents. Disco Nap, Bohemian Rhapsody, or Violet Tendencies might be good. They have a great sample pack program – huge 4ml samples that give you plenty of juice for extended testing.
My favorite musk is Sabon musc oil, it is soft cuddly and perfect. I am not sure if you have access to this brand but it is absolutely the best musk for me.
Hera,
That Sabon musc oil sounds interesting. Where do you purchase it?
I will add my upteenth vote to SSS Sienna Musk! I might also suggest Bill Blass Nude for a nice clean musk, and perhaps Narciso Rodriguez for her, which I find very similar to Lovely.
NR is a good suggestion. Sephora sells a rollerball of it for $28.
Inland Fog sells some nice musks…Egyptian Musk, China Musk….also Hinoki Woods is really nice for your patchouli fix….they are oils and sell for $5 each!!!
You really might enjoy Narciso Rodriguez For Her in the black bottle. For a clean musc try Acca Kappa White Moss, this one is great for everyday. And you might also like Eau Parfumee Au The Blanc by Bulgari
The Tocca line, available at Sephora, has many softer scents. They are reasonably priced, and many different scent profiles re in the line.
For a soft leather you might try the most recent version of Jolie Madame, which last I checked was less than $35 a bottle. I believe samples are available at both StC and MyPerfumeSamples. It’s pretty quiet to my nose, which is why I’m still on the fence about getting a bottle myself.