A quick PSA: there are still items up for grabs in the Freebiemeet! And do join us tomorrow for the 2016 Summer Reading poll.
Happy Fake it Friday! Our community project for today: wear a cheaper alternative (it can be anything: a different fragrance, an essential oil, layered products, a combination of perfume and body products) to a more expensive perfume. Thank you to Hajusuuri for the suggestion!
What fragrance did you pick? As always, do chime in with your scent of the day even if you’re not participating in the community project.
My easy-peasy choice: I'm wearing Prada Infusion d'Iris Absolue (found online today for about $40 for 50 ml, admittedly at a store I'm not familiar with), which you really ought to at least try before you shell out for Chanel 28 La Pausa ($160 for 75 ml). They aren't exact dupes, but I don't really regret the Chanel while I've got the Prada. Plus, the Prada lasts much longer on skin.
Reminder: on 6/17, wear a fragrance by Kenzo, if you have one.
And for those of you who like to plan ahead, see Scent of the day ~ Friday community projects 2016, where I'll try to always have the next five or six weeks mapped out in advance.
Let’s just be clear about this – today I’m wearing Terre d’Hermes and NOT, that’s NOT, the third of the price Cuir Vetiver by Yves Rocher. Let me just repeat that – Terre d’Hermes, NOT Cuir Vetiver by Yves Rocher. Right, now that’s sorted we can all just move along and get on with the rest of the day. Thanks.
Thanks for clarifying 🙂
🙂
Hahaha!
I…actually prefer YR Cuir Vétiver to Terre d’Hermes. They’re totally different on me, though!
I’ve tried Terre d’Hermes repeatedly, in all three formulations (EDT, parfum, and Très Fraîche), and I stubbornly feel as if I should like it but there’s some little thing about it that doesn’t work for me. Maybe I need to try the YR next time I’m in the mall.
Let’s just say, for arguments sake, I was wearing Cuir Vetiver by Yves Rocher, I would tell you that it’s not as dry as Terre, and is a little sweeter in the drydown and that you should try it, it’s damn good stuff for the money, but I’m not, so I won’t. 😉
hahaha you’re such a wit!
For me, if Terre d’Hermes had a stronger vetiver, I’d be all over it. It is well done though.
I find Terre d’Hermes a little harsh or scratchy. Too bad because, like you, I almost like it. I wish it were easier to find Yves Rocher scents around here (DC).
It’s always good to be very clear about things! 😉
I have $30 YR credit from an order they messed up and I had been looking for the one you’re not wearing but it seems to be either perpetually out of stock or only available in countries other than the U.S.
I couldn’t think of anything to cheat with, so I’m not cheating/faking, but instead I chose to wear one of my classier fragrances: Perle de Mousse.
Tea is Early Grey Goût Russe by Damman Frères.
Loving all these shades of blue.
Hi austenfan, I finally sampled a few of the Divine scents last night. I just wanted to thank you for bringing these to my attention. I am curious which of the Divine fragrances are your favorites? The two I tried are L’Ame Soeur and L’Inspiratrice. They are both really beautiful. Oh dear…
You didn’t ask me, but I’m in love with l’Homme Sage! Followed closely by l’Etre Aimé.
I’m glad that my recommendation turned out so well. My favourites are the original Divine, especially in extrait de parfum and L’Homme de Cœur. But I enjoy all of them.
Thank you. STC only has the two that I tried. I was going to order a sample set directly from Divine but the shipping was almost as much as the perfume samples. I may still do that or try Lucky Scent but their samples are dabbles.
Ugh, auto correct… dabbers
The Divines are strong enough to be able to be judged when dabbled. Perhaps Eau Divine is better sprayed, the other ones really should be fine.
The sample set is great, but I hate paying so much for shipping myself.
I’m really liking Perle de Mousse. You smell like a beautiful, warm, late Spring day.
Thank you, I love this scent, it’s just so nice.
You smell lovely today Robin.
I chose Iris by Crabtree & Evelyn as my SOTD. I used the shower gel and lotion and the EDT. It’s a lovely iris scent and I found it dirt cheap because it’s been discontinued. I wear it mainly as a sleep scent. It’s lovely and soft.
Oh, and I think it’s somewhat similar to Equistrius or possibly Infusion D’Iris.
Was so surprised when they cancelled that one! Was one of their better scents.
I love the body lotion – bought three bottles when I heard it was discontinued. I used to have a fake-it substitute involving one of the Chanel Les Exclusifs layered over the C&E lotion … but now can’t remember. Was it Sycomore, simulating OJ Woman? Was it the Eau de Cologne, simulating Chanel 19? No idea, and in any case it would have been a more-expensive fake-it rather than less, so not really helpful for today’s theme. 🙂
I really like Iris and was disappointed that it was discontinued. I got the shower gel and lotion for pretty cheap at either Marshall’s or TJ Maxx… I can’t remember which now. I’ve used up the shower gel but I still have the lotion. It just made me wish I had bought the perfume when it was still around. I think I didn’t at the time because I could only find it in 100ml and I thought I didn’t need that much. If I come across it I will jump on it for sure.
I found my EDT on Ebay, smaller bottle but I don’t have it with me… maybe 30 mls?
I’m pretty sure I have a bottle of the C&E Iris somewhere. I habe not worn it in forever!
My SOTD is a brand new bottle of Chanel Coromandel *extrait* that I found at my local Macy’s. There was a fulfillment error with the regular shipment of Chance, and the gals said corporate said to put them out anyway even though my little Macy’s never has LE’s or even No 19. It’s funny though, as they explained, that Chanel is doing a promotional design for the exotic and lovely Coromandel for summer, and this special bottle is a lovely beautiful green glass with gold squiggles and writing. I am just so happy with this score! I didn’t know that Coromandel translates to Fancy Nights in English. Or Dutch. They weren’t sure. I am so happy! And I smell fantastic!
Wow, I didn’t even realize that Coromandel came in extrait. Just the EDT is beautiful. You must smell amazing. Congrats on your score! The bottle design sounds beautiful!
Oh, my goodness. You really got me with that back story. You’re good!
🙂
Curious….are all the Macy’s going to be stocking the LE and no 19? If so I will have to check out my local little Macy’s!
No…it’s a joke… sorry.
You had me until the little bottle with squiggles… Enjoy your Dutch fancy nights! Ha. I’m still laughing!
I suddenly got carried away, but I’m glad you got a good laugh!
Too cute, AnnS!
At first I felt like a real idiot for not getting the joke and was going to blame it on not enough tea in my system at 9am but now I see that others responded the same as me….it would be nice if our Macys carried exclusives and LEs right? Years ago I always bought no 22 at Macys but that was before 22 became an exclusive….
I remember when years ago, our Macy’s would have No 19 and Cristalle too.. but not now for a long time.
yes! yes! yes! no 19 and Cristalle were there as well! Gosh I wish they would bring them back..and I wonder why Sephora does not sell those two as they DO sell Coco?
I hear so much love for Coromandel that I am tempted to buy a bottle since no samples are to be had. I have three of the other LE’s and love those.
Lol! Good job 😀
Thanks! 😉
What a great score! Congrats on your new addition ????
Wow! That is amazing – congratulations!
Also – are we sure the SAs are right about the translation of Coromandel? I’d read in a number of places that Coromandel was the name of those Chinese lacquer screens that Coco Chanel loved so much – no?
I’m sure it was a bit of fantasy developed by the SAs. The name is derived from the coromandel screens Chanel liked.
Coromandel was was derivied from the coromandel screens. That SA was wrong.
Oh, and I’m wearing Tom Ford’s Soleil Blanc-which smells like the air at an exclusive beach resort (not that I’ve ever been to an “exclusive” beach resort) and it about 99.9% cheaper than an flight to St. Tropez!
I always trust and believe whatever the SAs tell me. So if they say it means “fancy nights” then it does!!
By the way, I just checked Chanel.com and Coromandel is not one of the Exclusifs that comes in “extrait” form. Right now it is only available in EDT as are all the Exclusifs except for Boy which is an EDP. Come Fall, all of them will be changed over to EDP versions.
I can see that some of you are taking this too seriously – I am making a joke. My faker is Jessica Simpson Fancy Nights, which, IMHO smells exactly like the drydown of Coromandel. There is no Coromandel extrait, and god help me, our tiny Macy’s is horrible for fragrances, so I’m sorry if I got anyone excited……
LOL, you got all of us! 🙂
You are all good sports! 😉
HA! I was confused, but decided to be happy for you!
Duh, me!
😀 Whoosh – right over my head! You smell wonderful regardless.
Which Macy’s!?
Coromandel in extrait! The EdT is already so lovely, the extrait must be mind blowing.
Odd that Chanel decided to promote an oriental for summer. Especially since that seems decidedly the opposite of what is considered appropriate for summer for typical consumers. On the other hand, only less typical consumers would shell out for an extrait version.
I am joking about this….. 😉
Durn – I wanted to believe there was a Coromandel extrait… 😉
Also, interesting comparison! I own (and love) both Fancy Nights and Coromandel, but have never really connected them to each other. To my nose Coromandel has much more depth and spiciness, even in its drydown, than Fancy Nights. Another key difference is that Fancy Nights relies on vanilla and musks to smooth everything out, whereas those are not apparent in Coromandel. However, they both star patchouli and feel cozy, so they are definitely sisters in spirit. I love realizing new things about my favorite fragrances. 🙂
I found after a while that Coromandel was just too much for me – gorgeous but too much. Too much chocolate and too much patch. So, the Fancy Nights kind of helped out for wanting a big oriental patch like that.
Oh that’s awesome! Macy’s is the closest department store here in the boonies, I rarely check in because they never have anything I’m interested in. My SOTD is Davidoff Zino, Perfume Shrine compared it to Coromandel years ago. It’s much lighter and fresher but I can see where she was coming from.
In my humble opinion, you are in the superior fragrance. I found Coromandel a bit sweet and too uptight for my taste. Maybe I need to try the Fancy Nights version……teehee.
I think it’s better too. I used to have some large decants of Coromandel, but then I swapped them away b/c is has more rich chocolate accord, which I don’t always care for. My fav part of Coromandel is the way dry down, and when I realized that Fancy Nights starts there, then it was my preferred of the two.
I agree. I’m anosmic to something in Coromandel, and can barely smell it–just the opposite of AnnS’ problem with it. Fancy Nights is quite nice, and I like the bottle, squiggles and all.
Congratulations! That is a real score. When I hear about these amazing finds, I end up looking for them, and then buy something I don’t need. It’s like buying a lottery ticket but more expensive 🙂
Whew! Now I won’t shop 😉
Heeeeelarious! You had me till the squiggles too. You get top prize for leg pulling.
😉
Love it!
Awesome.
Good one, AnnS! My heart skipped a beat because I just did some retail therapy today and got my back up of Coromandel! I also got to smell Boy Chanel which did not wow me on paper. I have a contraband sample and will try it this weekend!
Also, per the SA, they’ve already started to phase out the smaller size of the less popular scents and that the switch to EDP is just to make the naming uniform and the juice will remain the same. Will there be a price increase? Yes, of course, Chanel increases prices every year. I also asked what the less popular fragrances were and she said Cuir de Russie, Bois des Iles, Bel Respiro and No.18.
So no BDI EDP? If so I’d better order the EDT stat.
Sorry,,I meant phasing out the EDT (as they run out, they won’t replenish) and the EDT will be re-born as an EDP with no formula change – just a name change and higher prices. Knowing Chanel the the obsession with uniformity , I doubt they’ll have the EdP line split between the ones with 2 sizes vs only one size.
Oh, and there’s supposedly a new version of No.5 coming out although I don’t recall if it is a flanker to the original or a flanker to the Eau Premiere flanker. It will be more flowery which is not necessarily a good thing in my opinion.
It’s something like No 5 l’Eau. Whatever, right? They should have just kept the original Eau Premiere formula and been done with it.
Theoretically, the EDP should have better longevity due to a higher concentration of perfume oil. I adore the EDT but the longevity is pitiful. At least on me. It might be worth paying more if that is true. I saw a mention of $200, I think?
According to the SA, Chanel is just changing the name and charging more for it. How pitiful is that? Chanel knows people will buy anyway.
The alternative is getting the extrait — I shudder to think how much the extraits will be after the increase. Eeek!
That’s what I wanted to know. How deceptive is that? Guess I’d better get my bottle now after all.
I have the Extrait but even that doesn’t last terribly long on me which is why I like to layer it with the EDT.
I just don’t understand Chanel at all! It is astonishing to me that BdI and Bel Respiro would be not so popular. I understand No 18 is a bit out of the norm, but gee whiz. It is just disappointing. Was there any mention about Sycomore getting the chop?
Nope…and one would think that she would have mentioned it to make a sale since I told her I have a bottle of it. I should practice using that large bottle because now I’m considering a backup of La Pausa seeing that I use a lot of it each wearing.
I couldn’t think of anything!
I am sampling secret garden, another Aftelier scent
I don’t know about you all but I am so flipping happy it’s Friday. Good Grief
I am so flippin’ happy that it is Friday too 🙂 !!
how is Secret Garden working for you? did not work for me 🙁
have a great day!!!
Hey CM- I get my samples of SSS and I also ordered some from the Providence Co those come next week!
I like secret garden but will not purchase a FB
I meant my samples of SSS today!
Which ones did you get from SSS???? Which ones did you order from Providence??? I can’t wait to hear what you have to say (good or bad)….I am living vicariously through you as I am still holding off on ordering the two sample packs (the oils and the EDPs) and the sampler of floral teas from Providence…..
I will let you know!
If any do work for me I am happy to pass them on
I’m wearing Lush Sunny Day detangling spray in my hair. It smells a bit like Kerbside Violet, and it’s great for taming my thick, fine, wavy hair. Thanks for the rec, Jessica! 🙂
I need to go try that one!
Me too!
I had to be somewhere very early and woke up a bit too late today. So I’m faking a shower with the clean and fresh smell of Cacharel Noa. It’s one of the few “fresh and clean” ones I like. I prefer the little wafts I get later on to smelling it up close.
LOVE Noa! It is one of those fragrances that has always garnered me compliments….even from little ones! You smell fantastic!
Thank you!
Noa is great!
Ah yes. The fake shower. Something in all our collections I bet ????
Good one, ElisaP!
Gorgeous shades of blue…my favorite color!
For fake it Friday I am wearing a blend I made for my yoga teacher…lavender, hinoki woods, patchouli and vanilla…nice and calming for a Friday at work …..(wish I had taken the day off 🙁 !!)
Just want to say thank you so much to that great thread yesterday and all the wonderful suggestions from everyone regarding shopping in NYC….I have also printed out Robin’s list so if and when I go I will be properly prepared!!!
happy, happy Friday , y’all!!!!!!
ugh… that would be “for that great thread”
Have fun in NYC! I love living here
That sounds like a lovely scent. I’m a fan of lavender. I miss walking by lavender plants and plucking a stem to roll / crumble and rub on my hands.
Oh gosh yes! One summer I had three lavender plants and every morning I would go sit on my porch with my cup of tea and rub one of those stems between my finger…do you know that I found one of those stems in a book I read daily (Meditations from the Mat) and it still smelled good?
I know many do not like the smell of lavender but I am a huge fan!
I got overwhelmed by the breadth and depth of choices from Eden Botanicals that I ended up not getting anything. I wish more websites were like Aftelier where you click on checkboxes to indicate your choice of samples all on one page instead of having to fill the cart one item at a time.
I bet your blend smells terrific!
I’m not sure if I’m participating or not… SOTD is Annick Goutal Eau du Sud, had for VERY cheap on a certain internet resale place. It reminds me of Azemour and I think I love it the way you all love Azemour… but not sure it’s close enough to count as a fake. However, I had to wear it today because I just got my FB last night, and it was one of those wonderful moments where you’ve sort of been regretting an online purchase, and then it comes and you spritz it on and you are like, “Nope, this was absolutely the right choice.” Ahhhhh.
Yay! That’s such a great feeling. You smell wonderful 🙂
I love that moment of validation. I totally had that feeling when I bought my two Amouages (in the same order, so the bill was cringeworthy even though they were a great deal). I’m always afraid when I order a FB, that I will find myself never reaching for it.
I don’t see why Eau du Sud shouldn’t be your way of faking Azemour. I’ve found perfumes that turn out to be what I had expected or wanted from something else, and if I could think of one I would totally wear it today.
That could be its own Friday theme. I can think of a few!
I love Eau de Sud. It also smells very much like what my old bottle of Clarins Eau Dynamisante smells like. I’ve never smelled Azemour, but it sounds great!
It’s in the same vein, but Azemour is more of a chypre if that makes sense. I like all 3 of them. I’ve got some Eau Dynamisante Huile Satinante which is the best way to appreciate ED.
Quickly threw on some Brin de Reglisse this morning as I’m waiting for the electrician to show up and tell me I need to pay $$$$. Forgot about today’s theme, but when the Brin de Reglisse wears off I’ll put on Enrcre Noire. I bought it instead of Sycomore. It’s not exactly the same, but I love it and it satisfies the darker vetiver craving 🙂
Future Encre Noire twins!
I was this close to putting on Encre Noire this morning as a dupe for Sycamore. I do love Brin de Reglisse too! I had a sample of it that is long gone – so lovely and interesting.
Heh, I always get nervous when something needs repair. Sending you good vibes for your meeting with the electrician.
I had a plumber stop by yesterday to help me with a broken garbage disposal and a stuck bathroom sink pop-up stopper. I was expecting to spend at least a few hundred dollars. The plumber was such a good guy. He was able to get the disposal running again in a just few minutes. Then he told me to buy the broken part for the sink on Amazon ($7) since he didn’t have the right part on his truck. He showed me how to install it and said he would come back for free if I couldn’t do it myself. I was truly amazed and very grateful.
Coveting your garbage disposal. Moving to NYC from CA involved changes, including giving up the garbage disposal…. Something I just don’t understand.
Ancient and overloaded pipes in NYC.
That’s great! It’s always so nice to find an honest straightforward person :). I’m im a good mood cause the electrician found the problem and fixed it, whereas the previous electrician I had come out couldn’t find the problem and wanted to rewrite a whole floor!
Not doing the project today. I am wearing Hermes Eau des Merveilles instead. Nice for the office and for warm days.
Hi there twin! I’m on day two of project Finish This Bottle so also am not participating in today’s project but I’m ok with that. I always say I could wear this everyday, and now I will be for a spell.
Are you going to get another bottle? I find it is wearing off fairly quickly on me.
I already have a 100 ml waiting to be opened. 😉
I guess that means yes then. I do like it. It is very easy to wear for work.
I kept thinking it was completely gone, and then getting a faint whiff an hour later. It’s an odd one.
I’m wearing Cielo by Byblos, an EXACT copy of Angel (five years later — they took their time), except that it’s been weirdly engineered somehow so the patchouli is all up top rather than as a base note, with the cooked sugar and fruit sidling up shortly afterwards. If you have to make a fake Angel, that’s not a bad way to do it.
I love love love those blue-greens drifting through blues and then into violet. My favourite part of the spectrum.
Well that sounds weird, if I saw it I’d certainly try it!
Yves Rocher Cuir Vetiver as a toned-down, lighter Vetiver Tonka without the beautiful drydown
It’s becoming clear that this is a must-try!
I was going to get this blind to fill out my YR order but it wasn’t on the website. The name alone would have made it worth the risk.
I adore Vetiver Tonka so your comparison is compounding my curiosity.
Is there any “Cuir” in there?
My only Cuir reference is Knize Ten, and with that benchmark CV has no leather at all!
FRIDAY FRIDAY FRIDAY!!!!
No time today to find a dupe or even think about it today…..I laid in bed until the last possible second, like a BOSS! 🙂
SOTD: Omnia Paraiba.
Have a fantastic weekend everyone! My family is heading out for a week’s vacation at the Grand Canyon (and all around Arizona!), so I’ll see y’all in a week or so!
Wow, what an amazing trip that will be!- hope u all have a fantastic time.
Have a safe and wonderful holiday! The Grand Canyon is just jaw dropping and no photo or film can do it justice. You’re in for a real treat ????
Have a fabulous time, Jada.
Your attitude = perfect.
Have a great trip!
Have a fantastic trip!
Safe travels. It’s a wonderful family destination!
Have a great trip! Sounds great.
Fantastic
Have a safe and wonderful and awe-inspiring trip!
You picked a great week to travel to AZ. The summer heat hasn’t hit hard yet, and many schools in the southwest US are still in session.
Have fun! And remember, Dame Perfumery is in Scottsdale. 🙂
Oooooh!!!! Not sure if I’ll make Dame, but it’s on my radar now!!! THANKS! Isn’t there a really nice Niche perfumery shop in Phoenix? Anyone know??
The Perfume Shoppe is also in Scottsdale. Be sure of what you want to sniff beforehand, though. I went with no real goal in mind and the first bottles they pulled our were Amouage and Clive Christian–at full retail price, of course.
Oooooh. My hubs and kids wouldn’t last 5 minutes in there before the whining starts! LOL Not budget friendly either! GORGEOUS stuff though…. Sigh…..
Yep! MAYBE we can sneak this in….but I seriously doubt it! 🙂
http://www.theperfumeshoppe.com/Default.asp
Oh yes!! I am agreeing with Tiffanie…get yourself to Dame Perfumery…Jeffrey Dame is such a great guy and you will surely leave with many samples and might even be tempted into a purchase 🙂 !!!
Last I was in downtown Scottsdale (about a month ago), Dame’s actual concept store was not open yet, but it’s been some time in the making. All this to say, if you seek it out, you may have trouble finding it 🙂
However, if someone has actually been, let me know!
But I second the Perfume Shoppe. If you have some time to spend with the owner or his wife/ daughter (they all work there), then it is quite fun. Their previous SA, Michael, was AMAZING! But foxbins is correct, they only carry a few very high end/ niche lines, so there’s not a ton of variety. However, they do sell travel atomizers of any scent you want, I’ve picked up a few different Amouages.
Have a great trip! (Are you coming down to the Tucson area at all?) Make sure y’all stay vigilant about keeping hydrated!!! It’s so dry out here–like they say, “By the time you feel thirsty, it’s already too late.” ????
Enjoy the vacation! I had never been to the Grand Canyon and no plans to go anytime soon so I will live vicariously through you!
Sotd: Tuberose soliflore (it’s an oil) from Dame Perfumery. My first from this line and it’s impressive. Quiet for a tuberose but really lovely. At $35, it’s proof that niche perfumery doesn’t need to be ridiculously expensive. It’ll get a lot of wear this summer.
His soliflores are so lovely! Extremely reasonable and great for layering.
Umm, yes. As I just discovered this afternoon, when I layered Prada’s Iris edp over this morning’s tuberose. It works surprisingly well. Call it a happy accident!
His entire collection is lovely….there really is something for everyone and anyone…and don’t be put off by the gender differences…in my opinion all of his fragrances (with perhaps the exception of some of the soliflores) can be worn by both men and women…my dad has many full bottles from the Womens collection and they smell great on him and my mom wears Leather Man, Citrus Man and Herb Man as well as Dark Horse and BFMV (which are marketed as unisex)….and I agree…it is so refreshing to find a niche line that is so incredibly affordable and has a real owner (versus a multimillion dollar corporation) who is so generous!!!
Although now that I think about it the Osmanthus from the Soliflore collection would smell great on a guy…may be my dad’s Christmas present this year 🙂 !!
I layer Osmanthus with Leather Man! It’s fab ????
Has anyone tried Gardenia Soliflor by Dame? I am almost blind buying it… and the Tuberose now that I ve read your comments!
I’ve tried it and really like it a lot. However, I’ve read comments from some people who do not. His prices are really reasonable so I suggest getting a sample or the travel size. If you go to his website, he explains that you can mail him a postcard, preferably, from the area where you live, and request the scent you’re most interested in. He’ll mail you samples for free.. Mr. Dame is very generous!
Do you thing he would post to Barcelona although it says only USA…
Then again, I might just order Rose Mai, Tuberose and Gardenia samples…
I don’t know. Why don’t you try emailing him? It can’t hurt to ask.
I have tried it and lOVE it…but some say it smells like “blue cheese”…it is a potent gardenia for sure! Ok so I just applied it from my bunch of samples that I keep at work…if you love gardenias straight up I think you would enjoy this….but as Petunia said the travel sizes are so affordable (8ml for under nine dollars including shipping and a few free samples too!!!) and if you don’t mind just a sample size then definitely do the postcard thing that Petunia mentioned…Jeffrey Dame is so generous you will get more than just your gardenia sample!!!!
I liked the sample very much and have been meaning to buy more.
After smelling it, I honestly didn’t have the guts to try it on my wrist. Chocolatemarzipan described it perfectly. It is potent and smelled like blue cheese (to me.) Couldn’t do it!
In the spirit of Fake Friday, I am in Rasasi la Yuqagam (sp?) (for men), which is a dead ringer for Tom Ford’s Tuscan Leather, and MUCH cheaper.
Surrender to chance has a 45% off sale on certain fragrances today. The list can be found at
http://surrendertochance.com/surrender-sale-fragrances-45-off/?_ke=bGlicmlrQHlhaG9vLmNvbQ%3D%3D
Good stuff there.
I saw this and had to wear one of the last spritzes of my decant of Mugler Chyprissime since its on the list and I can get more ON SALE! Happy Friday!!
What is it like? I guess I am kind of put off by the combination of Mugler and chypre (which I assume what it is)
It’s beautiful! I am terrible at describing scents, unfortunately. I just don’t have the language. It’s described as a twist in a traditional chypre with pear instead of a citrus? To me it’s warm and cozy but it doesn’t get heavy; maybe that’s the pear. It’s all golden warmth with bits of pale green, I think. If it were a fabric, it would be a honey brown and pale green tweed with small flecks of glittery gold. Sorry, not much help!
I find your description very poetic!
Smell bent increased the discount on the unsold fragrances to 60%
Like Tuscan Leather? Hmm. I liked that one very much.
I find them very similar. I also like Tuscan Leather very much, but can’t afford it. If you want, I can send you a sample of la Yuqagam (or whatever it is called)
Since my brain doesn’t work with today’s theme (if I fall in love with something then I want that and will either save the money or hunt the internet for a deal, rather than trying to copy it), the closest I can get to the idea of faking it is to wear Desarmant since lilac is always a synthetic note
I hope you’re feeling better. Most of the time, the “dups” are unexpected discoveries. Also, I like (careful) layering experiments!
SOTD is SSS Forest Walk for its bracing, cooling greenes that’s gently hemmed in with some light florals. Longevity is outstanding and the entire wearing, from first spritz to far dry down, makes me feel very ladylike.
On one hand, I am imagining myself in a boucle jacket with matching skirt, pill box hat, short white gloves, and prancing about in very modest heels. On the other hand, I feel like I should be nipping through the forest, Au Natural, nimbly splashing through creeks and rivers, trailing tangled greenery in my Godiva-like hair.
In reality, I’m still in my jammies, sporting bed head and coffee cup. So, I guess I’m playing along with today’s theme only so far as that I’m faking my whole life in my imagination! Happy Frida to all. ????
Friday, even!
Late last night read your comments from yesterday. I’m pretty sure you are in our Top 10 Industrious Posters, so you deserved a day off (though not the accompanying mindset). Hope things are a little cheerier today at your end.
You can’t keep a good woman down and I bounce back quickly, thanks!
That sounds fantastic! I really, really need to make an SSS order, since I’ve been wanting to try Forest Walk for about forever. And my bottle of Fireside Intense is perilously low as well. Also need to try the Cocoa Sandalwood, Spiced Citrus Vetiver, Fig Tree, Tabac Aurea, and Yin and Yang. As you can see, it’s been a long time since I’ve sampled from here!
All great fragrances! I drained full bottles of three of them!
Tabac Aurea is a desert island scent for me- just outstanding. I think she has a fantastic range and no matter your personal preferences, you will find something to love!
Haha! Reminds of the Calgon “Take me away!” commerials. I think thats the only foresty scentI like. You smell great????
You win!
Great post !!
Love this!
Excellent, Deva! and you smell great! have you tried Pacific Forest , her all natural version of Forest Walk?
No, I have several I need to sample and (really!) really want to try her new leather, which I forget the name of offhand. I also have yet to sample Y&Y. Did get a small size of cocoa sandalwood when it first came out, but it didn’t work for me, sadly. Also wanting her vetiver…sigh
Equestrian..yes, I want to sample that one too…the Spiced Citrus Vetiver I loved…drained my bottle a while ago…I also have a sample of Yin and Ylang to explore….drained two bottles of Cocoa Sandalwood and need to replenish my Jour Ensoleille…there isn’t anything of SSS that doesn’t work for me….
Very witty
Hi Godeva, Forest Walk sounds wonderful. Does it have any pine, resin, woodiness or is it a leafy, mulchy forest. I reckon an oak forest would make a nice forest scent. Experiencing this perfume through you as I don’t think SSS ships down here. Happy Frida and Sitaday!
Brava! I love Forest Walk. I somehow associate OJ Woman with Forest Walk!
I forgot about fake it Friday, and am instead wafting around in the gorgeous, but ridiculously named Carnal Flower, my friend complimented me on it at a picnic in the park after pre school today, I do love receiving perfume compliments!
The names is so trashy and it’s probably the classiest tuberose out there.
So true!
I meant name, not names.
Supposedly inspired by Candice Bergen in Carnal Knowledge.
Oh.
I knew that, but I still find the name not very descriptive of the smell.
Carnal Flower should just be called: all hail the greatest BWF fragrance with magnificent tuberose that was ever made!
Mmmm, nice! I got a surprise package in the mail from the Frederic Malle boutique – a large sample of Carnal Flower and a tube of the after-sun balm.
I’m in the gorgeous Gucci EDP (orange blossom and cumin goodness), and I’m just sure that it’s a less expensive (albeit discontinued) alternative to an Amouage or a JAR or something, but I really have no idea – I just wanted to wear it today.
That works 🙂
You smell great. Wish my bottle still had more…
Haha. Cumin is a no-no for me!
I don’t know of a specific fragrance that this matches, but the rose, peony and bergamot body oil I got from Urban Outfitters (no brand name anywhere on it) it still lovely and one of the more satisfying rose scents to wear in the summer, in addition to being really cheap. It smells more expensive than it is (to me anyway) so I’ve decided that it counts.
Yes, that totally counts! It sounds lovely, and it’s surely a ‘Fake It’ for a more expensive scent.
It totally counts!
It counts! Especially because it’s so hard to find good peony fragrances!
Like many of you, I’m not in a cheaper version of anything, having started out my day with about eight sprays of Muguet Porcelaine. This meant I positively REEKED of muguet for the first hour, smelled lovely for the second, and smelled of absolutely nothing after that. Sigh. Les Hermessences are such fleeting, if wonderful, lovers.
I just got a small decant of this, and was fully prepared to feel totally ambivalent… Only sniffed the sprayer so far, but I thought it was pretty and did fit in my general sense of the Hermes frags. I need to really wear it of course. But I am looking forward to it.
I’d love to hear your thoughts once you have tried it! It’s quite far from my favorite Herméssence (Epice Marine, I think), but it’s also not my least favorite (Santal Massoïa? Cuir d’Ange?).
Ha, maybe that’s one of the reasons Hermes offers those handy nomad sprays. 😉
Not really participating today, because Fridays and Saturdays are my days off, and therefore my days for the heavy hitters I can’t get away with at work. So wearing Rubj edp. But it’s kinda participating, because I am wearing a decant, and decants are so much more affordable than full bottles. Plus, I don’t consider them towards my total of full bottles. I have 25 full bottles now, and I’ve set a limit of 30, so I have to consider carefully before buying any more.
Really looking forward to tomorrow, when I’m taking my niece out to Barneys for her first bottle of perfume. Then I’m taking her and my sister out to the Drake Hotel for afternoon tea. This is a tradition we have in my family, and I’m anxious to see what she picks out. Also looking forward to trying many things myself. The only sad note is that this is the first time I’ve done this without having my mother, who died two years ago, with me. But I know she will be with me in spirit. I’m kind of hoping my niece picks out a rose scent, because I know that would my mother would have liked that.
Jirish, that’s a lovely tradition, and I hope you and your niece find something wonderful. I am sorry for your loss.
That’s a wonderful tradition, jirish. Thank you for sharing it.
Sounds bittersweet and like a lovely outing. Hope you enjoy your time.
That is a great tradition and I hope your niece appreciates it. Have a wonderful time!
That sounds wonderful! What a great way to enjoy time with family. Sorry for your loss two years ago. People always say time makes grief less of a load, but I think we just learn to carry that weight more gracefully. Enjoy your adventures with your family. ????
Jirish, enjoy the perfume outing and lunch with your niece. I know the feeling about losing your Mom. My Mom passed away decades ago and I still miss her.
Lovely tradition, thank you so much for posting. Your mom will be smiling down on all of you, she will!
What a fun day you have planned! Very sweet tradition.. You mom would be proud!
That’s a beautiful tradition.
Don’t have any young family members available (yet), but I think I’ll adopt this tradition. Have fun (and do let us know what she picks)!
Hope it will turn out happy — and do let us know what she picks!
This is a beautiful tradition! Thanks for sharing.
This is very sweet and I hope it will make a new lovely memory of your tradition. Good luck sniffing!
Oops… I meant to wear Eau des Missions Botanical Cologne over Body Shop shea body butter, but I forgot. Cuir Beluga. I like it so much I may never know whether anything else comes anywhere close.
I love Cuir Beluga and I’m sure there are others you’ll like just as much or even better. Of course I am notorious for loving many fragrances 🙂
Oh gosh yes — but not as a Cuir Beluga dupe, surely?
Off now to wash my mouth out.
I was diverted from breaking out the Ferre (a not-quite dupe of FM Iris Poudre), and am also in Prada Infusion d’Iris Absolue this morning.
Twins! Er, um, triplets! We smell fabulous.
Triplets!
Quadruplets. Going to a wine tasting before work and a little bit of this shouldn’t trouble anyone’s palate.
Wearing Pacifica’s Mediterranean Fig in place of Diptyque’s Philosykos. Yum!
Yum!
Double yum! You smell great!
That’s a good one.
I’m wearing Sonoma Scent Studio Champagne de Bois, which smells a bit like Chanel Bois des Iles but at a fraction of the price.
The sandalwood bomb! My little decant scents my drawer deliciously.
I am anxious to try SSS my Samples come soon
Oh yes! Sadly I gifted a full bottle of this one away (to the person who sold my gifts to her on ebay) as my partner really complained about it…you smell amazing!!!!!!
Oh, thanks for mentioning that. I have a sample of Champagne de Bois I haven’t tried and didn’t realize it was reminiscent of the Chanel. Going to dig that one out!
Oh yes! CdB was my big sandalwood gateway fragrance. It made me fall in love with Bois des Iles, but in some ways I like CdB better – richer, rougher, lasts much longer.
I agree with you – BdI may be more sophisticated, but on me its too wan and short-lived. Granted, I’ve only tried the EDT version. So I am happily making do with my bottle of CdB.
Not dressed yet, but will wear SMN Rosewater, a gift from my brother purchased while he was in Florence. Nice and light in the heat.
I’ve been lurking, trying to navigate a mortgage/home purchase from two cities (hotel in Raleigh, house in Charlotte). Husband is training for a new job, commuting to training out of state weekly. My car is in a shop post accident west of Charlotte, and won’t be ready till 6/22 (current estimate). Life is crazy.
Not so crazy, though, that I didn’t spot a beautiful travel spray of Bronze Goddess in Dillards. Gorgeous ombre canister, rose on bottom 2/3, copper top swivels to reveal the sprayer. Anybody else seen these? The Dillards folks seemed to think they’d only received one. Only disappointment is that it is “Eau Fraiche,” literally only a momentary scent. Oh well, came with two refills, guess I’ll have to spritz with abandon. Happy weekend everyone.
Wow, that’s a lot to juggle all at once! Hope things even out very soon. I haven’t seen the BG ombré travel size but it sounds beautiful. I have a FB, so couldn’t justify that travel size purchase, even though it sounds lovely. Oh, yeah, also forgot I was on a No Buy for the rest of the year! That seems to slip my mind so easily…
Here’s to hoping you find exactly what you want in the housing/mortgage world ????????
Wow, that’s a lot to deal with! That’s a long time, too, to wait for your car…I hope you got a loaner from the body shop! Good luck on the house!
I forgot that it was the knock off Friday and I was planning to wear Lolita Lempicka for women since it’s a knock off of LHB. But I am waiting for a call back from my employer’s union. Right now I am in no 19 telling me that I can do this.
You can do this 🙂
I’m not wearing anything yet, but I’m torn between wearing Ne M’Oubliez Pas for me (which does NOT fit today’s theme) or something lighter and doctor friendly… I am headed to the orthopedist today since my arm got broken last night during our softball game. 🙁 It was a fairly clean break, so we’re hopeful that I won’t need surgery but needless to say this has put a damper on my summer plans of volleyball tournaments and softball and general festivities with the toddler.
I guess it’ll also difficult to spray my wrists since one will be covered and I have to hold the bottle with the other hand! First world problems lol.
Hope the doctor visit goes well. Maybe if the toddler can drink perfume, he is now old enough to learn to spray it 😉 ?
I think your child could learn anything.
You poor thing! In the Summer and with a toddler! Hoping all goes well and wishing you a speedy recovery. I predict you will be able to achieve amazing feats with one arm.
Ugh! Broken bones are lousy, and I speak as someone who has never (touch wood) had to wear a hard cast, only a removable brace. And, how on earth do you wrangle a toddler one handed?!
I wish you a speedy and quick recovery.
Oh no! Ouch. Hope you heal soon.
Omg! So sorry about your arm! Very much hoping you only need casting/splinting and that you have good pain medication.
Oh, ouch, what a bummer, wishing you a speedy recovery.
Oh, no! I broke my arm some years ago, and it was extremely painful (and I didn’t have any toddlers to contend with). Best wishes for a positive outcome with the doctor and a short convalescence. 🙂
Thanks everyone for the kind wishes! Also I should note, the freebiemeet packages may be delayed a little bit, but I will send them out I promise!
Oh no! Hope you mend quickly!!
It was meant to be Fake it Friday not Break it Friday.! Ithink you may have taken the challenge too far. Seriously, hope you are not in too much pain …aaarrgh. Poor you, mend soon!
hehehe. 🙂
Hope it go’s smoothly at the doctors, and you’re arm heals soon.
Sorry to hear about your arm! Wishing you a speedy recovery.
On the other hand now you have an excuse to go get some rollerballs or solid perfumes. 😉 Lush and Pacifica have some wonderful and affordable solids, and of course Sephora has a huge selection of rollers.
Good luck at the hospital (don’t break a leg)!
Oh no!! Wishing you a speedy healing!
I hope you feel better and recover with all good mobility quickly!!!
Ouch, SunMi. Sending you healing thoughts!
Thanks again for all of the wonderful thoughts. Right now I’m in a cast to see if it will mend well with another x-ray in 2 weeks. If it’s not looking good, then to surgery I will go, but if it’s ok, I’ll keep the cast. I’m not a super avid commenter but the next couple of months I may lurk a lot more than usual!
So sorry about the break, crossing my fingers that it heals quickly & thoroughly.
Today I am wearing Flower Show by Demeter. This is instead of Tea Rose by Perfumer’s Workshop. It isn’t cheaper, but to my nose it smells the same. I used to wear Tea Rose in the 70s and 80s. When I bought a bottle in the 90s, something had changed and I couldn’t wear it. Periodically (about once every few years) I try it again, and rush to the nearest sink crying ” get it off, get it off!” hysterically. When I bought several of the $6.00 1/2 oz. Demeter fragrances unsniffed and tried Flower Show it smelled the same as Tea Rose, but when I tried it on skin, I could wear it quite happily.
Plus, the Perfumer’s Workshop version doesn’t smell as good as it used to.
Howdy, everyone! My Fake It Friday SOTD is a little number named Kitty Girl– or, as its packaging states, “Our impression of Katy Perry Purr”. I bought it at Big Lots for fifty cents… and it was already marked down half off. This should give you an idea of the magic that’s happening on my wrists right now. 😉
Cheaper than free???? It’s funny when they make dupes for already inexpensive fragrances. But I guess my idea if inexpensive is pretty warped. Hope you had a nice vacation!
Fifty cents is the new dollar! ????. I thought the same thing as you re: Purr’s affordability. But I assume Kitty Girl is priced for the adolescent set. And you know, it wouldn’t be a bad “first ‘fume” purchase for a kid.
Having a good vacation, thanks!????
That is too funny! Is it in a cat bottle?
No, but the package has an adorable cartoon of a kitty doing a deep stretch with its tail in the air, like they do. 🙂
That works.
Some of those designer knock offs are pretty good. I bought the “if you like…” of Giorgio Red and it really smells quite good!
Sometimes I get the feeling the manufacturers of these smell-alikes boost just one note up a teeeeeeeeny notch to keep from infringing trademark, but otherwise they hit the nail almost on the head.
I see similar things in dollar stores!
Yes! I do too. There’s a Five Below store near me that regularly stocks them.
Points for bravery.
Many thanks. I gritted my teeth and went forward into the breach…
Uhh…let’s see… fake it Friday. Iris is difficult to fake it all the way.
The miracle water of 4711. So, when people ask what I am spraying, I would say: ‘Chanel Eau de Cologne’.
Ha, perfect!
It would be gone before anyone had to chance to verify! Very clever!!!
So true lol. But I can always splash it with abandon. I cannot imagine liberally spraying Chanel Eau de Cologne for that price. Very quality hesperidic materials — if only 4711 could afford to use its original formula and provenance.
Good job you!
Was going to wear a Perfume Masquerades vintage mini (knockoff of vintage Norell)I got on the cheap, but I can’t bear to wear it over the traces of Coromandel from last night.
Last night my long-time boyfriend (over 11 years folks) said “I really want to marry you”. 😯 He’s developed the maddening habit of saying superbly interesting things JUST before we go to sleep. Like a personal cliffhanger for our day…
Sooo…? Do you want/mind marrying him?
Eventually, yes, I want to marry him.
He really likes that Coromandel?
Wow. If you feel the same, that’s great news! I hope things proceed well.
It’s more that I like Coromandel, and he is a smart (and kind and generous) man.
I hope things go well too!
Well, maybe he was giving you the chance to sleep on it. And?
He certainly did that! And if he truly wants to marry me then I would love to marry him.
Wow! Were you able to get to sleep after that??
Yep, I was exhausted and knew it. There was no way I was going to be able to give his comment the attention it deserves, and I knew I’d be able to corner him about it today. Luckily I don’t really have any troubles getting to sleep.
Thanks for my first laugh of the day. I love that “personal cliffhanger for our day”…
What an honor! Glad to bring more laughs to the world. 🙂
Ha! That’s great.
So… what’s the upshot?
Upshot is I get to corner him and fish for compliments (ask him why he wants to marry me). 😛
Superbly interesting. Like a sunrise.
Or a flower. Or a sunrise viewed from the top of a mountain where the clouds part to allow the first rays of light to touch upon a flower field that covers the entire mountainside and cause the morning dew atop the petals to sparkle and shine, until the entirety of the expanse is alight with color.
Breathtaking, but in a good way.
Sorry, everybody! I didn’t mean to share my pain (didn’t realize I left you all with a cliffhanger about my answer) 😛
Considering I’ve been with him for so long, I think it’s pretty apparent what my answer is. However, I think his statement is more of a reaction to the fact that this year I will be moving away to get my master’s degree.
This weekend I’ll have a discussion with him to ascertain whether he is considering marriage because he wants to advertise I’m not available, or whether my impending move is a kick-in-the-pants reminder for him to get a move on. If it’s the former I’ll probably decline, since I want to wait until he is truly ready to commit; if it’s the latter then I’ll (strongly) hint that he would be well-received (and should hurry up).
Cliffhanger, indeed! ????
Whoops! 😉
Woo hoo..and you smell Great!
Yup! Very happy!
I don’t think I have anything that fakes a more expensive bottle, but I AM in a cheap thrill: Dame Perfumery Rose de Mai soliflore (travel spray, so truly cheap!). I really like this.
You smell good, Rose de Mai is lovely.
I second that…so happy to see Dame get some love on NST!
I really like the balance this one manages to strike between interesting to smell and pleasant to smell in hot weather. It’s full, but not oppressive.
Has anyone tried the Gardenia Soliflower?
I have a dabber sample. I like it enough that I’m considering one of the 10mL sprays.
I actually have one of the small sprays of Lime, Gardenia, & Benzoin – like that one a lot. But it caters to a different taste than the soliflore does, I guess.
yes…I think I commented on your comment somewhere above…the Gardenia Soliflore is beautiful…true to gardenia and very creamy….
like ajellyfish I also enjoy the Lime , Gardenia & Benzoin but it is fresher and sweeter to me
Someone asked the same question above.
I like that one too. Very pretty.
Oh and ajellyfish…if you like roses I am also going to recommend Dame Perfumery’s Desert Rose and Dame Perfumery’s Cassis, Rose and Sandalwood…different from the Rose de Mai soliflore but equally as lovely….
I have both! I like CR&S a bunch, but Desert Rose is mostly peaches on me. Although now that it’s regularly above 90, I might give it another go.
I have some lovely aged patchouli EO from White Lotus, no affiliation, that I mixed with unscented body lotion and slathered everywhere. Someone asked me if I was wearing Angel. Why yes, indeed I am……
White Lotus oils are amazing!!!!
Chanel Egoïste, not fake but not able to make it more than halfway through this sultry day. :^)
My husband and I share his…from the 90s. Great stuff!
Mine is the modern formulation – I imagine the ’90s version has more lasting power. :^)
I couldn’t think of anything either, so I’m in MDCI Chypre Palatin. Just drew a complete blank this morning and reached for the first thing in the samples bag.
Happy news though is that (a) it’s Friday at last; and (b) I’ve been on a waiting list for a Siberian forest kitten from a breeder and today the mama cat gave birth and that means soon (well 12 weeks but its’ still soon) I’m going to be a proud kitty owner. I haven’t seen any photos yet though, they’re waiting for the kittens to open their eyes. I’m so pleased!
Congratulations! They are beautiful and interesting cats (autocorrect seems to want that to read ‘cars,’ because cats can’t be beautiful and interesting but a Fiesta can?) and the most adorable floofy kittens.
Yeah, I’m a little daunted by the fur problem, apparently they are super fluffy. Ack, I’ll just be covered in cat fur, I guess. Such is life.
Everything in my house is covered in cat and dog fur. A nice furry friend is worth it.
A www, new babies! Have you considered names yet? Male? Female? Exciting to bring in new life into a home, regardless if how many legs is may possess, it just seems to create a fun and loving atmosphere. ????
Not even considered a name yet, but I think I’ll be getting a boy cat. And, I’m told they’re all ginger.
Gingers are usually boys because it’s an X-linked partial dominant. Boys only have to inherit ginger from their mothers, girls have to get it from both. Girls with one copy of the ginger gene are torties and calicos.
That’s good to know – thanks, aimiliona!
Awww, kitties ❤So exciting, isn’t it?
That’s exciting! It is funny how many cats I’ve had in my life..including my current four. But I’ve never had a kitten.
Queen by Queen Latifah. I had to try it because of all of the love on NST. It is kinda of sort of like Angel at first, but much more affordable and wearable so perhaps qualifies for the project. It is sweet and boozy with the cozy patchouli vanilla drydown. It’s getter warmer, so despite the yummies, I will replace it.
It’s interesting to see what people have chosen- this was a challenging assignment!
Have a great weekend!
Love Queen! Also love the fact it’s still wearable in the swamps in summer. I find much more friendly than Angel, which to me, smells like pushy rude overblown woman who would rather trample you to get to the sale rack than politely say “excuse me, please.”
I know all the Angel lovers just put me on their Hit List! ????
I love your description. But, it makes me want to try Angel again because some days I need to be more like the pushy woman at the sale. Although, there are choices that are assertive, not pushy- perhaps a community project…
Ha! I always picture Angel as some scrawny, over contoured thing with a huge fake designer handbag. The type who “accidentally” steps on your foot with her stiletto heel as she slides in front of you at the sale rack, then gives you an affronted look through her false lashes because you are too close.
I suspect I have encountered the combination someplace.
Ha,ha,ha! You have a way with words!
You may like Angel Muse…
I’m starting off the day in Malibu Lemon Blossom; I don’t know if this is a cheaper alternative to something, but it’s certainly *cheap*, and carefree and lovely.
Agree…it is refreshing and lovely!
You smell great! MLB is one of my faves.
I like quite a few of the Pacifica fragrances. They are cheap but fun and well done for what they are. I think the Pacifica Spanish Ambre is a near dead ringer for iPDF’s Ambra del Nepal.
I’m on my third day of obsessing over Infusion d’Iris Absolue. It compels me to sniff and sniff again. I’m now firm friends with benzoin, a note that can overwhelm my nose at times. Spritzing into the air and walking into the perfume-cloud makes it work for me.
Pantone 658 is so pretty.
Now you can layer it with Prada Candy to amp up the benzoin!
I’m sorta playing today by wearing Diptyque’s Fresh Body Lotion instead of Eau des Sens, because I think it is better and lasts longer for me (also because the SA wouldn’t give me a sample of the perfume so I don’t have any). I know I said I wished they would make a perfume that smells like the lotion, but I seem to have lied.
I don’t think I’ve smelled any of the Diptyque body lotions!
Eau des Sens was really underwhelming. I keep forgetting to see if they have the lotion at my local Nordstrom.
I adore blue, definitely my favorite color and in all it’s variations.
Once again I’m wearing Aftelier’s Cocoa. I can’t get enough of this one.
No fake here, it’s a pricey scent period.
You’re loving the Aftelier line! Did you like Vanilla Smoke in the parfum concentration?
The parfum concentration is much better for me on the Vanilla Smoke. It’s just lasts a whole lot longer. It’s definitely more potent though.
It’s a great line.. I’d love to visit her shop and take one of her workshops one day.
Hope you enjoyed today’s project 😉
Faking it sounds pejorative and the fragrance I am wearing I delight in in its own right. That said, if you are a fan of the dusty woods and resins of Dzing! and Dzongkha and others in that category, a really inexpensive iteration is Yatagan. There is pine in Yatagan, but pine like woods not cleaning products, and leather, and herbs and Oakmoss and the barest flirt with patchouli.
I only tried Yatagan once, but I still remember it to this day. Plenty of character and just a great fragrance.
I love Yatagan, and in fact I like it a lot more than Dzing! or Dzongkha. We have a big bottle of Yatagan at my house that I share with my husband and sons. Isn’t amazing how cheap the masculine Carons are, especially considering how incredibly good they are (we also have Pour Homme and 3rd Man)?
You can get four 100ml Caron masculines for less than one 75ml Chanel. Although in my case I wish I had stopped at three! :^D
Thanks for the head’s up! It would never have occurred to me that a Caron would be cheaper than LAP. (Patriarchy wins again.)
Yeah, androcentrism: the ‘gift’ that keeps on giving, eh?
Indeed!
I tested Yatagan once at a boutique and it just blew my socks off. Very very a big fragrance with lots of interesing parts. I would love to know what person wears this as a signature scent!
Not sure you will see this comment… But Iris Apfel wears only Yatagan… Which says more about Yatagan than Apfel me thinks!
Thank you for mentioning the pine, I can take Yatagan off my to-try list. (I sometimes enjoy on paper, but cannot stand to wear, anything with a fir or pine note. Juniper, maybe.) Money saved!
Definitely!
I’m wearing Treehouse Royal which is my (MUCH) cheaper alternative to Pulp!
Really?? Who makes that?
Pinrose, which I first found at Nordstrom but I think Sephora is carrying them now? They come in small bottles (win!) that are in the $50 range IIRC. Kind of a big line and they’re not all interesting but I felt there were a few standouts. This is a nicely pungent fig leaf and blackcurrant.
yes Sephora does carry them and after your description I am now going to have to try this one!!!
Interesting. Will try it if I can find it. And if I can remember, ha.
Oh, and thanks!
I didn’t like Pulp. I’ve seen the Pinrose display at Nordstrom. I think they come in perfume wipe format as well but I could be wrong.
I’m wearing Mugler Cologne and pretending it’s Creed’s Original Vetiver.
Ha, if I was wearing Original Vetiver I’d be pretending it was Mugler Cologne 😉
That would actually make more sense 🙂
I have two favorite summer fragrances that fit this category but, similar to Oakland Fresca above, I find the term ‘cheap’ pejorative in the sense that it implies quality as well as cost, and I don’t think that’s necessarily true of what I prefer to call ‘less expensive’ fragrances.
On a breezy, warm summer day when the world is newly green, I enjoy Yves Rocher Naturelle edt as an alternative to D&G Light Blue. The Naturelle is a bit more citrussy, less musky than the Light Blue and is often compared to it. I actually don’t like ‘something’ in the Light Blue and would never wear it but really love the bright green freshness of Naturelle.
Hot and sticky summer days when my world feels tropical are one of the few times I enjoy a white floral scent, and then Yves Rocher Monoi Eau des Vahines edt satisfies that need in a way that Guerlain’s Terra Cotta Le Parfum does for others, who don’t mind the expense and difficulty of obtaining that fragrance. I have a sample of the Terra Cotta, and it’s lovely, but the Vahines works just as well for me.
Since today is a hot and sticky one, I’ve opted for the Vahines layered over the YR monoi body products for a midsummer trip to the tropics.
I’m glad you mentioned Naturelle, I keep forgetting about it. Light Blue doesn’t work for me either, it has an odd metallic edge sometimes on me.
I had to send away my Eau des Vahines edt because it smelled harsh on my skin. I have smelled it on other people, and it is lovely. You smell great!
I have EdV too and enjoy wearing it on sultry summer nights. Lovely.
I was thinking of wearing the YR So Elixir to approximate either Tonka Imperiale or Feve Delicieuse but I would have to layer it with something heavier.
I thought So Elixir was similar to Coco Mademoiselle. Maybe I’m thinking of a flanker?
I’m copying Robin and Tiffanie in Infusion d’Iris Absolue because I love it and haven’t worn it in a long time.
Quadruplets!
I love th e Absolue!
Fakin’ it SOTD is Demeter Thunderstorm, which bears a distinct resemblance to CBIHP Black March — both have that fresh wet dirt accord — not altogether surprising since Christopher Brosius is behind both Demeter and CBIHP.
Fakin’ it hot water bottle(s) when I woke up this morning were cats Kooky (at my feet) and Cole (wrapped around my head).
Fakin’ it alarm clock was my neighbor’s dogs barking their heads off half an hour before I needed to be awake 🙁
I have fake cat hot-water bottles too! In my case, they are like velcro!
Nice!
Agent Provocateur for the fake today! This beauty can compete with almost any pricey dark rose out there. And it can easily be found at a very reasonable price. I encourage rose lovers to try it, and bear with the initial skankiness which will dissipate after a few minutes! ????
This perfume is a beautiful, sexy beast. Probably one of my favorite rose perfumes…
Another absolutely sublime graphic, Robin. I could meditate on it for quite awhile.
Well I’m not really up to speed on fake it Friday, but did have a vivid dream this morning about a sparkly beaded evening bag all in oranges and yellows with a big beaded pineapple on the front of it. In the dream, it was stolen from me but I found a metal tablet on the ground with a raised image of a pineapple on it and an address to a local toy store. Turned out that the owner of the store was obsessed with pineapples and had stolen my bag. So I walked right over there and reclaimed my bag.
SOTD is (you guessed it): Ananas Fizz
What a psychedelic dream! I wish mine were as interesting but are usually: “I was at home, but it wasn’t my home, and you were eating dinner. It was you, but not really you”. Yawn. I want Swarovski pineapple bags!!!
Haha well I’ve been having vivid dreams since taking advil pm to deal with hot flashes at night.
I read somewhere, maybe here, that beer helps with HFs.
hmmm I’ll have to research that thoroughly..:)
It may have been Marjorie Rose that mentioned it.
I love weird dreams. A few weeks ago I had a cortisone shot in my knee b/c of bad knees. And I don’t know what the heck is in that stuff but it certainly “jiggled something loose” in my subconscious b/c I’ve been having crazy weird dreams every night ever since.
For a while every time I see a pineapple motiff of something (including Yankee Candle Pineapple…I know, I know), I would buy ot and keep it for a friend’s birrthday or for Christmas. How much did she like pineapples? Her wedding reception was pineapple-themed.
Yeah, send me an invitation to one of those dreams.
I am sampling Inflorescence from a lovely NSTer. I am enjoying it…quite a bit of lily of the valley and obviously reminiscent of Diorissimo.
Robin, I sniffed La Pausa about a week ago or so for the first time and I really enjoyed it but found it a bit fleeting. I haven’t tried Infusion Absolue and kept meaning to…so now I’m off to Ebay to snag a $40 bottle…funny how w/ the transparency of the internet many fragrance prices on outlet websites and Ebay match so closely. 😉 Thanks for the comparison and recommendation!
It’s pretty fleeting. It isn’t the same as the Prada — it’s way more focused directly on the iris, to me. But I have never thought it was worth the money to enjoy the 20 minutes of pure iris bliss.
An with the projected launch of the EdP version, has your resolved not to buy been shaken in the least bit :D?
I have to use 8 sprays of La Pausa to make it last all day!
Some of the outlet actually ARE selling on ebay and Amazon now. FragranceNet and Beauty Encounter, for example. I love this trend! 🙂
I’m wearing Jessica Simpson Fancy Love courtesy of SublimiSomnium for Fake it Friday. 😀 I dunno what it’s supposed to be a dupe for, but I know it’s cheap.
It’s very similar to the original classic Burberry (women’s version), a peachy/vanilla medley. The Burberry is a bit more complex and longer-lasting, the Fancy Love a bit lighter in feel, but both are very nice. The Burberry has long been a favorite of mine but I own and enjoy the Fancy Love as well.
You’re welcome! Glad you’re liking it. 🙂 It’s also a pretty good alternative to Narciso Rodriguez. And yes, quite cheap!
I’m in Lush Lust today, faking it for any of the giant jasmines I love so much. In particular, I think Lust is a good stand-in for Montale Jasmin Full. I probably wouldn’t have a bottle of Full if I had smelled Lust first.
Lust is so good.
Totally–my $12 Lust solid made it easy for me to skip the $175 Diptyque!
I think those two jasmines are pretty similar, but the Diptyque is a bit more restrained.
Have you tried Lust in the solid? I found it overwhelming sprayed but it wears very comfortably on me in solid, more like the Diptyque.
I have the solid! I sometimes dig some out and add it to unscented lotion and have also run it through my hair before shampooing for a jasmine kick.
If you want it even less overwhelming then also try the Yes Yes Yes massage bar. They have pretty good longevity (at least 4 hours on me), despite not technically being perfume.
Oh my goodness! The solid was a huge indolic miasma on me–now I’m glad my local store only had the solids when I was last there.
I’m wearing Salome and pretending that I lead a much more interesting life, a life full of mystery and intrigue, of adventures in exotic lands, of glamour and danger and magic.
Instead of being in the office, trying to figure out which European parliaments need to approve the next disbursement to Greece.
Haha! The perfume is real but the person is the faker. I like it!
Yes, that was the idea!
Maybe forward some of your perfume budget towards Greece? 😉
No, you know those Greeks, they would just spend it on … perfume or something.
Imagine on! Salome sounds perfect for it.
Good luck with your work (sounds interesting to me).
Thanks! And yes, my work is in fact pretty interesting (communcating EU economic policy). I wouldn’t mind more exotic travels, though ????
I’m in Pacifca French Lilac, a lovely $22 alternative to En Passant or Desarmant or really any other pricey lilac.
Love French Lilac! Smells exactly like my lilac bush!
This smells like pears and the idea of flowers to me, in a very nice way.
Well I am not doing fake out but I am sampling Midnight Oud by Juliette has a Gun. Very nice but as with most perfumes by lunch it is almost gone.
And that’s the JHAG that lasted the longest on me.
I don’t really have anything that I think mimics a more expensive scent. So…I decided to just layer various cheap products. A nice soap with honey and lilac (not a lot of scent) and then slathered on Sonia Kashuk Pink Innocencia body butter that I got on clearance at Target. Tuberose. Then I generously sprayed on Plumeria Floral Water from Hawaii. I’m on a mini tropical vacation… The floral water is something I often later with Bronze Goddess.
Okay, that faded out more than I wanted, so I just added Terracotta as the final layer.
I love to layer Terracotta, it works well for me with an eau de Cologne.
SOTD Khol de Bahrain. Have a job interview so no experimenting 😉
Good luck!
Good luck! Love KdB.
Oooh! I hope it went well!
I’m not wearing anything….yet. Earlier this week I decided to pull the trigger and order samples of a dozen new-ish releases, some of which I expect to receive this afternoon.
So excited to try Memo Marfa, Masque’s Romanza and L’Attesa, and the new Aedes Cierge de Lune. Which will show up first?!? This weekend is going to smell great 🙂
No fake it scent, but testing our Memo’s Marfa and really, really liking it. Its about as much a desert scent as JM’s Blue Agava & Cocoa (which it shares several similarities to), but it’s nicely done and I personally love the bottle.
Will definitely be exploring this scent, and the line, more.
Good to know it is worth trying, thanks!
I can’t wait to try L’Atessa!
Woot – Finally Fake It Friday!!!
SOTD = Al-Rehab Choco Musk + Philisophy Fresh Cream
The above combo becomes similar to Indult Tihota, essentially vanilla and musk, at < 10% of the cost. In fact, you can go even cheaper by just wearing Choco Musk and it would be a wise use of your $5!
Oh I sooo have to try it. Fresh cream is amazing!
You were the one who clued me in to the existence of Choco Musk and then lo and behold, a person whom I met at a Sniffapalooza gifted me one out of the blue!
Yummmmmyyy!!!! And I also love Fresh Cream!!
In addition to the FB, I have the travel size that was packaged like a Christmas ornament.
Wow. Not surprisingly, you are better at this than most of us.
🙂 My Choco Musk only was a gift from a perfumista so my Fake It was actually free!
I wore Fresh Cream last night – it may be fake but it’s less messy on my skin than the real thing.
LOL! Funny story… years ago a friend of mine and her fiancé at the time decided they wanted to spice things up so they brought whipped cream into the bedroom….about two hours later they could not figure out what the foul scent was in the bedroom until they realized it was the “licked off their bodies” cream! Yuck!
HAHAHA, as someone who doesn’t even like getting food on my hands, I am mortified 😀
Yuck indeed!
So true!
I am dying to break my no-buy. Maybe Choco Musk would be the way to go–less than a movie ticket, or a decent pair of socks.
Not a perfect solution since it’s now hard to find in perfume form, but the C&E Tarocco Orange, Eucalyptus & Sage is a very strong alternative to Diptyque’s Eau Tarocco and less than half the price! I’ve just been using the other body products in absence of the perfume and think they’re swell.
The C&E in the mall near me closed shop several years ago.
I’m wearing L de Lolita Lempicka, which to me smells kind of similar to Musc Ravageur. I think L de LL is discontinued, unfortunately, but I got my bottle at Marshall’s for somewhere around $20, which I’m pretty sure is less than what I paid for my MR travel spray.
They do have some similarities to me, too. Same perfumer, different budget. I like L and the bottle is cute in a Little Mermaid kinda way.There’s a perfume called Meharees by L’Erbolario that I thought was even more similar to MR but less clove-y.
I’m wearing George and Edi oakmoss ( solid perfume, made in NZ ) which is a dead ringer for the original Coty Chypre….or not, as the case may be. Wouldn’t know.
Also wearing YSL In Love Again (bought second hand) which might be a cheap alternative to Rose Ikebana? Is it? I haven’t smelt the latter so don’t know.
What I do know is that today is Fake Friday….that is, Saturday. Happy weekend babes and babettes!
I find In Love Again (the original, no idea about the later versions as I hoarded) very similar to Kelly Caleche. Close enough that my husband thought that I already had KC when I tried it on, and I decided I really didn’t need two perfumes that smelled so similar on me. Odd, since I think the grapefruit is supposed to be their only common note. I’ve heard KC compared to Rose Ikebana so you may be right.
For all I know, my faking it could be the basis for others’ “fakes”–Coty’s Muguet de Bois. ????
Couple of questions:
Are there any mainstream ” smells similar to…..” options for OJ Woman, Coromandel, Amouage Journey and Ambre Narguille? They don’t have to be the same but just so I could get an impression of the actual scents.
Kanuka, I have a sample of Ambre Narguile, which I will send to you as soon as I can get out of bed (still sandbagged by this rotten germ). . I was given the sample by Morgan, who occasionally posts here–he is my optician, and I can’t remember how we discovered our mutual perfumista status, but we’ve certainly spent as much time discussing perfume as my glasses! I fell in love with AN the moment it hit my skin: it’s a sweet golden amber, cut with apple to suggest the scented tobacco in the hookah-thingy., and for reasons best known to my mother’s cooking habits, it makes me feel as though I’ve rolled in apple crumble. Just as well I like apple crumble! Mum had a heavy hand with the butter in the crumble and a light hand with the cinnamon and nutmeg. if you know Traversee du Bosphore, AN may remind you of it, but done in pastels. if you’d prefer a human analogy, it’s TdB’s older sister, less exuberant and more refined, slightly world-weary, needs to eat fish’n’chips out of newspaper on the wharf at Opononi to come back down to earth. I love both, and intend to buy AN in Melbourne in a couple of weeks.
Waterdragon, that’s so kind of you but you hang onto the sample as I am planning a Melbourne trip and can wait till then. I do love Traversee du bosphore.
I’m so sorry that you’re still feeling rotten. I hope you get your health and energy back soon.
I find PG Cozé and SL Borneo very similar to Coromandel, but they probably aren’t easier to find. Being a Chanel, Coromandel is the lightest and most refined of the three. Personally, I love Cozé but can only wear it in the depths of winter.
I love Coze too but I never thought of it’s similarity to Coromandel. Haven’t tried Borneo.
Forgot to say that today is “National Iced Tea Day”….
have a great weekend , y’all!
Fake it Friday is fun!
I’m wearing a tiny spritz (because I have very little left in my decant and because it’s overwhelming in the heat) of Esteban’s Sensuelle Russie, long discontinued but a dead-ringer for Parfum d’Empire’s Ambre Russe.
Two other favorite fakers are Pacifica’s Lotus Garden for Hermes Un Jardin Sur le Nil and Tokyo Milk Sea and Sky for Hermes Eau des Merveilles. Not dupes but similar.
I have to try Tokyo Milk Sea and Sky!
Wearing Wisteria Hysteria, which doesn’t really have a cheap little cousin, that I am aware of…
I love this all out of proportion.
I just noticed that Dame oil rollers balls come in Wisteria! Yay! I ‘ll have to order one. Has any one smelled this? I have a thing for wisteria – I had some wisteria incense back in the day that contributed to some extremely satisfying experiences, and I’ve had a fondness for the odor ever since. 🙂
Ooh. Adding Dame Wisteria to the list.
I have to wear this again to figure out what it smells like!
Feeling too rotten to want to wear anything, but I did have a Fake-it plan, so I’ll tell you all anyway: back at the beginning of time, when I conscientiously tried to be a faithful perfume monogamist because I thought that was The Thing To Do, I fell in love with Aqua Allegoria Ylang et Vanille. When it was discontinued, I bought two bottles from Amazon, used one, and then began hoarding the other, which gradually caused my perfume wardrobe to expand, and the rest is history. Anyhow, when I was in France last, we visited an abbey and there in the shop was a stand of honey and bits and pieces, and a range of Durance perfumes. I idly sprayed one called Fleur de Vanille, then came alert like a heading dog sighting a particularly recalcitrant bunch of ewes up the gully: sniffed, remembered, and bough. It was about €12, and last time I looked, the real thing was a very silly price, and I wasn’t tempted. The Durance is not Guerlain, obviously, but it gives a close enough impression for energetic summer spraying. If I could smell anything today, I’d be wearing it.
This is very interesting to me! I am very lucky to have a large decant of Ylang & Vanille that was gifted to me by a great friend. But at the time I got it I wasn’t interested in getting any more. But now I wish I had! I find myself not wearing it more than I would b/c I don’t want to use it up. It is really just lovely. This tip on Durance fragrances is very interesting. I’ve never heard of this line, so now I’ll have to look it up! Very cool.
Ooh, I have to look up this line! I hope you get better soon!
Didn’t bother with a Fake It scent today. Have been erranding, coated lightly with Rose d’Ete. (Tommy Girl might be the cheaper version of it.)
BUT!! I just got my box of Bath & Body Works stuff in the mail, and the Freesia (a “Flashback Fragrance,” revived from the 1990s version I loved) smells almost exactly like I remember it! Maybe a little fruitier, but all the more cheerful for it. Sheer Freesia can go suck eggs, and I’m going to order another couple of shower gels while they’re still in stock, 75% off.
Enjoy! I remember you mentioning this awhile back and was wondering if you’d gotten some yet. I smelled the Freesia at BBW today and I thought it smelled close to what I remembered. I’m very pleased with the Peony products I ordered online as soon as the sale began lest they run out. It was always a favorite of mine and has never been brought back so I took a chance without sniffing it. I still have a tiny bit of the original Peony left and the new smells very similar. I’m glad I ordered online because the store was already out of a lot.
I’m so pleased that Freesia is similar! (I don’t remember Peony, which is unusual because I usually like peony fragrances.) I had to get mine online as well – my local store doesn’t have much variety.
L’Origan, which is a poor relation of L’Heure Bleue. It’s a very presentable poor relation: you can’t do better for $19.95.
Noted. ????
I live for Pantone 655.
Currently covered in a lot of decidedly not cheap thrills as a friend wanted to sample some of my perfume and so we did a lot of comparative spritzing. She’s an oakmoss fan so mostly I smell like Bergamoss and Chypre Mousse, but also bits of Pichola and Coromandel. I think I need to take a shower!
I love 3 of the 4. I don’t remember what Picola smells like!
It’s a really unique blend of fruit and flowers to me, refreshing rather than sweet and with a richness from spices and sandalwood. Very different from the others. Have a good night!
Woo, Friday! I’ll have to do my Fake It tomorrow because I ended up going to Lush and Blue Mercury this morning, and now I smell like a walking perfume store. One arm is sporting Kerbside Violet, Lust, and Death and Decay; the other is wafting Do Son and Passage d’Enfer.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
You didn’t try any of the Jo Malones? 😉
Well, I ran out of real estate on my arms. ???? Actually, I didn’t see any Jo Malones. When the store first opened 6(?) years ago, they had Creed, Acqua di Parma, etc. There’s really only some Diptyques and L’Artisans now. On the upside, by the end of the day I’d enabled my mom into the last bottle of Voleur de Roses from FragranceNet!
Thanks for the Chanel update above. I think I’m going to have to get the 31 Rue Cambon I’ve been saving for sooner rather than later.
Yves Rocher Monoi instead of Guerlain Terracotta. 🙂 Nice stuff!
Twins! See my post above.
Is Monoi jasminey? Terracotta was a jasmine bomb on me!
No, it’s more tiare.
Commenting rather late today. Oh well.
Not doing this week’s challenge. The only Fake It I have would have been wearing would be Nirvana Black as something very similar to Tom Ford Noir Pour Femme. Both nice scents, but not for warm weather.
Valentine Girl, if you are reading tonight, I hope you no longer have the smell of mint hanging all over you!
I would generally recommend Parfumerie Generale as an excellent niche line that is still reasonably priced, especially since they offer 30-ml bottles and a wide range of fragrances. It’s always worth trying PG to find an affordable perfume in any scent category. PG Cozé is similar to Chanel Coromandel and SL Borneo, and I actually prefer it. Cuir Venenum is a wonderful floral leather.
Wearing Ava Luxe Vanilla Musk as a dupe for Tihota. They are not identical, but darn close.
Have you tried Al-Rehab Choco Musk? It smells like Tihota, specially when layered with Philosophy Fresh Cream!
Kuumba Made Frankincense & Myrrh mixed with Kuumba Made Amber Paste which I bought at a local health food grocery for $8 dollars a piece. Resin yummy goodness and that Amber Paste on top makes me want to gnaw my own wrist off. In a good way.
Be forewarned that the Amber Paste is actually a thick paste and the vial comes with a little wand inside to scrape the paste out rather than the rollerball that the rest of the Kummba Made line uses for their fragrances.
Ugh, I forgot to mention that the Kuumba Made Frankincense & Myrrh is my discount version of the sadly discontinued L’Occitane Eau d’Iparie.
The Amber Paste takes it in another direction entirely but it’s my favorite amber and they go so well together.
I thought about giving up on this one, but I don’t think I have anything for next week. I went with Yves Saint Laurent Cinèma, which is available for less than L’Artisan Mimosa pour Moi, and I like it better. You wouldn’t mistake one for the other, though. Cinèma is warmer and less fresh and pretty. MpM, on the other hand, is a little higher-pitched, and lasts maybe an hour, which makes it much more expensive per minute of wear.
My other option, which I wasn’t in the mood for today, was Queen Latifah Queen of Hearts, which has always reminded me of Tom Ford Violet Blonde. It’s been a while since I last tried VB, so I can’t say exactly why, or if it’s only the top notes of both that strike me as similar.
And Agent Provocateur Petale Noir struck me as a poor man’s House of Sillage Nouez Moi.